Is it Live or is it Memorex?- Allure of the Seas Review September 18-25 with Pics!

[nenner1]

We were on the Allure last week. We did Rita's Fiesta with a group we met on Cruise Critic. There were several kids there. You have to book them for the Without Cocktails option for $10. The with Cocktails option is a great deal at only $20 with three drinks.

 

We brought our DD to Samba's without a problem and saw several other families with kids. FYI - the Samba's special is great. MTD people can go to Samba's for half price on the first night. We really enjoyed it and the price break was a nice treat.

 

Our DD (13) joined us for Chops too. Saw several other kids there as well.

 

Thanks so much for the input- glad you had a terrific time with your family onboard Allure! I agree about Samba- if we had known for sure that they would have honored the half price deal, we'd have brought the kids, absolutely. They would have loved it! Next time we will (hope the deal is still going on).:)

 

Just wanted to give this trip report a little bump for those of you who may be interested.

 

Ron

 

I'm sure it will be appreciated by someone! LOL- with over 100K views though I think everyone on CC has already seen it! :p

 

Jen & Ron:

 

Not sure if you're still checking out this thread, but just wanted to thank you both for the review. I tend to be a "little" OCD and have already started to read and make notes about Allure even though I am not cruising until November. It appears that you have a wonderful family who is making lots of memories - cherish these moments, as time speeds by quickly!

 

Thanks again,

Barb

 

You are so welcome Barb! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, I'm so glad you are finding it helpful for your cruise in Nov. I'm all about making amazing memories and having fun doing it!!! LOL! Have a terrific cruise this fall! :)

[terpfan101]

Great review and thanks for whomever brought this back from the dead as I had yet to see it and am going on her in June. Glad to see your son has an alright taste in food and was able to eat the mains at the MDR as it reminded me a bit of myself from 12-14 years ago

[Sinppu]

I read the whole thread today and I wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU!!

It was a great review and I'm a food porn fan, so loads to drool over :D

 

I also wanted to compliment you on your kids, I don't think I've ever known a tween/teen boy to eat seafood and like it :rolleyes:

Good job making him so open-minded about food!

 

I'm stunned that only one person commented on your daughter and her dancing :eek:

I really did'nt expect to see her jump away like a real ballerina in the making!

It was wonderful to look at, I hope you'll tell her that she should definitely keep it up. Wow.

[alaska_planner]

Just wanted to give this trip report a little bump for those of you who may be interested.

 

Ron

 

thanks for bumping up this report!!

 

i just read the whole thing and i'm not even going on the allure!!

i thought i never wanted to get close to such a big ship, but you make it sound wonderful!!

 

i've never been on RCCL so i found it very interesting that the kids have to wear lifeboat station wristbands on the allure.

Is that true on all RCCL ships?

 

thanks again for the report!!! i really enjoyed both the report and the pictures!!!

 

(by the way, i'm disneyholic family over on the disboards)

Edited January 31, 2012 by alaska_planner

[alexgtp]

Thank you for the awesome in depth Picture review of your cruise. I was teetering on which boat to book. After seeing this we immediately made up our minds.

[gigglesgee]

My favorite review yet, by far!

[nenner1]

I read the whole thread today and I wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU!!

It was a great review and I'm a food porn fan, so loads to drool over :D

 

Oh it's my favorite part too!! Trust me, I'm still trying to work off all the delicious food in this review! HA!

 

I also wanted to compliment you on your kids, I don't think I've ever known a tween/teen boy to eat seafood and like it :rolleyes:

Good job making him so open-minded about food!

 

His dad is to thank for that, I'm rather picky, but I am glad he is appreciating all of the culinary delights available- the spaghetti all week girls, well, we're still working on them!

 

I'm stunned that only one person commented on your daughter and her dancing :eek:

I really did'nt expect to see her jump away like a real ballerina in the making!

It was wonderful to look at, I hope you'll tell her that she should definitely keep it up. Wow.

 

Thank you so much for the compliments! Especially on Savannah's dancing she appreciates it a lot! She does work very hard, and even just since the cruise she has come a long way- this year she will be doing her very first solo and has just recently gone en pointe in ballet so it's so nice to hear that her talents are recognized and appreciated! Thanks so much!!! :)

 

thanks for bumping up this report!!

 

i just read the whole thing and i'm not even going on the allure!!

i thought i never wanted to get close to such a big ship, but you make it sound wonderful!!

 

Aw, I'm so glad that you found it interesting!!

 

i've never been on RCCL so i found it very interesting that the kids have to wear lifeboat station wristbands on the allure.

Is that true on all RCCL ships?

 

Yes it is. They had to wear them on Independence too. And up until a certain age they had to wear them on Disney- I think it was 9.

 

thanks again for the report!!! i really enjoyed both the report and the pictures!!!

 

(by the way, i'm disneyholic family over on the disboards)

 

You are so welcome, thank you for reading! I need to get my butt in gear over there on the Dis and get this report done- LOL!!!:p

 

Thank you for the awesome in depth Picture review of your cruise. I was teetering on which boat to book. After seeing this we immediately made up our minds.

 

So glad I could help! Ha ha! Thanks so much for reading!!! You will love Allure!!! :)

[nenner1]

Great review and thanks for whomever brought this back from the dead as I had yet to see it and am going on her in June. Glad to see your son has an alright taste in food and was able to eat the mains at the MDR as it reminded me a bit of myself from 12-14 years ago

 

Awesome! So glad you found it and enjoyed reading it! You will have a fantastic cruise this June! We just rebooked for 9/2013 and I don;t know how we'll ever manage to wait that long! ;)

 

My favorite review yet, by far!

 

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoy it! It makes all the work worthwile! :)

[schwpaul]

What a fantastic review. I, too, am glad this got bumped up as I would likely never have seen it. Having your cruise review end was almost as sad as having an actual cruise end. Thank you for taking so much of your time to complete this review.

 

Paul in Jax, FL

[alaska_planner]

i agree about your daughter - i watched the video of her performance - i was sure it was going to be one of those silly embarrassing things you see of kids who can't really do whatever it is their parents think they can, but she's EXCELLENT!!!

i was very very very impressed!! Clearly lots of talent and she should definitely keep with it!! (a very very long long long time ago i was in a dance company, so i do know what i'm talking about!!)

 

i was also very impressed at how at ease your kids feel in the water!

we love the water as well (my kids are now grown up, but this was us when they were young).

I'm always surprised at how many families don't go into the water practically at all!! :eek: what a loss for them!

 

(by the way, on the disboards - i live on the UK trip planning board. :) )

Edited February 22, 2012 by alaska_planner

[JenAndDan]

Love...Love...LOVE this review! Thanks so much for taking the time to write so in-depth and add great photos as well. We are booked on the Oasis for November so hopefully some of this stuff is the same (and we are thinking of Allure for 2013).

 

Questions....AO for Sarah - what did she do there? This will be our older DS's first time in AO (he will also be 3). In the baby pool, I know it says no children out of diapers but what about parents? It didn't look like there was much deck space in there - did you see where parents stayed? Our younger DS will be 17 months.

 

Also to others on here...I noticed there was not a curtain between Jen & Ron's bed and the couch where Sarah slept (logically because the couch was not intended for someone to sleep on)...does anyone know if the cabins where the couch is a fold out if there is a curtain that separates the bed area from the couch area? Also, anyone know if Oasis has those Ipod/Iphone chargers?

 

Thanks!!!!!

[mp466]

Great review. 3 weeks to go before we cruise on the Allure and I want to leave now!!

[love2cruise56]

Great pictures from the Allue 10/11.:D

[nenner1]

What a fantastic review. I, too, am glad this got bumped up as I would likely never have seen it. Having your cruise review end was almost as sad as having an actual cruise end. Thank you for taking so much of your time to complete this review.

 

Paul in Jax, FL

 

Aww, thanks so much Paul! So glad you enjoyed it!! :)

 

i agree about your daughter - i watched the video of her performance - i was sure it was going to be one of those silly embarrassing things you see of kids who can't really do whatever it is their parents think they can, but she's EXCELLENT!!!

i was very very very impressed!! Clearly lots of talent and she should definitely keep with it!! (a very very long long long time ago i was in a dance company, so i do know what i'm talking about!!)

 

Thank you SO much! It's wonderful to hear such praise- I really appreciate it- and we read the comments to Savannah about her dancing and she adores hearing them so much!!! She works very hard and to hear the positive remarks from those who appreciate her art means so much to her! Thank YOU!!

 

i was also very impressed at how at ease your kids feel in the water!

we love the water as well (my kids are now grown up, but this was us when they were young).

I'm always surprised at how many families don't go into the water practically at all!! :eek: what a loss for them!

 

It is such a shame. We all grew up around it (we are from FL after all) so it is secomd nature to us. I was practically raised on a beach- literally! LOL!

 

(by the way, on the disboards - i live on the UK trip planning board. :) )

 

Awesome! My two favorite sites...the Dis and CC! Woohoo! Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment!

 

 

 

Love...Love...LOVE this review! Thanks so much for taking the time to write so in-depth and add great photos as well. We are booked on the Oasis for November so hopefully some of this stuff is the same (and we are thinking of Allure for 2013).

 

That's terrific! You will love Oasis! I actually don't think they change things too much, I have been following these ships since Oasis first sailed and not much has changed along the way= at least so far! LOL! WE arebooked on Allure for 2013 too...seems like so long from now!

 

Questions....AO for Sarah - what did she do there? This will be our older DS's first time in AO (he will also be 3).

 

They had lots of activities during her time there- sometimes they were coloring and making crafts (simple things with construction paper- that sort of thing), or "free play" where they are free to go around the room, play on the slide or with toys, read books, etc. There were storytimes, "plays" and puppet shows to watch in the AO Theater, Sometimes they went to the science room to do experiment type stuff like make the "space goo". There seemed to be a different theme each night- like the Space night- where they went on the Space Walk.

 

In the baby pool, I know it says no children out of diapers but what about parents? It didn't look like there was much deck space in there - did you see where parents stayed? Our younger DS will be 17 months.

 

Yes, and I actually have baby pool experience (on Independence, but it isn;t much different LOL) It is definitely OK for the parents to be in the water of the babu splash zone with the diapered children, but they will not allow older (out of diaper) children in there at all. If you are comfortable keeping a little bit of distance, you can stand outside the border of the pool and watch your little one, or sit on the edge (stoop) of the pool perimeteron the side without the glass wall. Or you can sit, stand, or kneel in the pool itself. Whatever is most comfortable for you. I never saw the baby pool very busy- probably a max of 3-4 kids in it at once, usually less! :)

 

Also to others on here...I noticed there was not a curtain between Jen & Ron's bed and the couch where Sarah slept (logically because the couch was not intended for someone to sleep on)...does anyone know if the cabins where the couch is a fold out if there is a curtain that separates the bed area from the couch area? Also, anyone know if Oasis has those Ipod/Iphone chargers?Thanks!!!!!

 

Well the balcony room only slept two (the couch was not a pull out) so it did not have a curtain. I don't know if any of the rooms have them,since our inside room (slept 3 with a pull out) also did not have a privacy curtain between the bed/couch.(Family rooms, maybe?). As for Oasis and the chargers, not sure, I know initially it was new on Allure but they might have added them to Oasis by now- hopefully someone chimes in for you!

 

Thanks so much for reading, if you think of any other questions let me know!!

[nenner1]

Great review. 3 weeks to go before we cruise on the Allure and I want to leave now!!

 

Thanks so much for reading! Have a fantastic cruise, I know you will have a BLAST! I'm ready for another one!! LOL! :)

 

Great pictures from the Allue 10/11.:D

 

Thanks so much! I just got a new camera so I need to go on her again and take all new ones! LOL! Glad you enjoyed the review!

[JenAndDan]

That's terrific! You will love Oasis! I actually don't think they change things too much, I have been following these ships since Oasis first sailed and not much has changed along the way= at least so far! LOL! WE arebooked on Allure for 2013 too...seems like so long from now!

 

 

 

They had lots of activities during her time there- sometimes they were coloring and making crafts (simple things with construction paper- that sort of thing), or "free play" where they are free to go around the room, play on the slide or with toys, read books, etc. There were storytimes, "plays" and puppet shows to watch in the AO Theater, Sometimes they went to the science room to do experiment type stuff like make the "space goo". There seemed to be a different theme each night- like the Space night- where they went on the Space Walk.

 

 

 

Yes, and I actually have baby pool experience (on Independence, but it isn;t much different LOL) It is definitely OK for the parents to be in the water of the babu splash zone with the diapered children, but they will not allow older (out of diaper) children in there at all. If you are comfortable keeping a little bit of distance, you can stand outside the border of the pool and watch your little one, or sit on the edge (stoop) of the pool perimeteron the side without the glass wall. Or you can sit, stand, or kneel in the pool itself. Whatever is most comfortable for you. I never saw the baby pool very busy- probably a max of 3-4 kids in it at once, usually less! :)

 

 

 

Well the balcony room only slept two (the couch was not a pull out) so it did not have a curtain. I don't know if any of the rooms have them,since our inside room (slept 3 with a pull out) also did not have a privacy curtain between the bed/couch.(Family rooms, maybe?). As for Oasis and the chargers, not sure, I know initially it was new on Allure but they might have added them to Oasis by now- hopefully someone chimes in for you!

 

Thanks so much for reading, if you think of any other questions let me know!!

 

 

Thanks so much for your answers. On the SOS, we had a balcony stateroom with a fold out couch and it had the privacy curtain which is great. Hoping they have it on the Oasis.

[LisaGoeke]

Wow, what a GREAT job you did on this review. Thanks so much. I enjoyed all the great pictures and descriptions, it looks like you all had a wonderful family vacation!

[CreativeCruiser119]

The Aquanauts (ages 3-5) room:

 

 

The slide Sarah loved:

 

There is even a great unstaffed Open Play Room (open 9 AM-8PM) just full of toys and games for preschoolers and toddlers. And I’d read you can check out a bag of Fisher Price toys for your child to play with for the duration of the cruise (we meant to do this, but never got around to it!)

 

 

 

After stopping by to register for the clubs, the kids wanted to go for a swim, so we headed up to the pool deck. There was a lot of cleaning and maintenance going on. In fact the Starboard cantilevered hot tub was undergoing refurbishment and was out of service for our entire cruise.

The kids had fun swimming and made some new friends with other kids up in the pool that they would spend a lot of time with in the clubs as the week progressed.

 

 

One of my favorite daytime activities (and evening, when shows are not going on)! I loved the pools on Oasis and I have not sailed Allure yet but will next year. The pool in these photos looks like the main pool, obviously in the evening. On my sailing on the Oasis, this pool was always closed at this time for maintenance, which I thought was a little bizarre considering the other pools were still open. Is it open later on Allure? I recall the first night of the cruise, not yet aware of the maintenance schedule, where I was asked to exit the pool as I was bobbing up and down with the waves because they needed to clean it and I wasn't supposed to be in there ;) I asked if the beach pool across the way was open and was politely informed that it was, so I resumed my swim over there. Anyway, I'm glad you guys had a good time onboard and I would love to hear from anybody if you know if the main pool is open during the evenings on Allure. Thank you!

[heatheranderson13]

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[Biker19]

Gotta love resurrections.