Allure b2b: Nov 27 – Dec 11, 2011

[AlanAllyn]

I am starting a day-by-day account of our back-to-back cruise on the Allure. We are retired, in our 60’s and 70’s. We cruise mostly for relaxation, usually in the Caribbean, since we are 30 minutes from the port. We are Diamond Crown & Anchor members and have been on a few other cruise lines. I will be happy to try to answer any questions.

 

(Comment inserted later: Although there were a few negative comments in what follows, we have had a very nice cruise. In a review, I would give it 5 (not 5+) stars. The ship is beautiful, but they really skimped on storage in the cabins.)

Sunday: Port Everglades

We arrived at the port just after noon. Although there were six ships in port, there was no traffic coming in through the Marina Blvd. entrance. There was no line longer than one going through security, check in, picture taking and we were on board in less than 20 minutes. Be sure to get your picture taken coming on board. They use that picture for the facial recognition system so that all of your pictures will end up in your folder. You don’t have to scan wall after wall of pictures to find yours.

 

Our first stop was Reception, to put in a request for the All Access Tour. Then, off to Park Café for lunch. Although it was busy, there were tables inside and out, and service was quick. We went to our cabins and started organizing our carry ons, and, by 2:05, all 5 pieces of our luggage arrived, including the one carrying two twelve-packs of diet cherry Pepsi.

 

The one thing that Royal does not seem to be able to get right is dining room assignments. We had asked for a large table (6 - 8) and were assigned Table 611 on deck 4, a table for four. It was in a small section of the dining room, near the stairs and elevators. It was a window table; but that didn’t do much good since the sun had set well before dinner. We asked for a change and were promised one for the second night. We met a very nice couple at the table, who also had asked to be moved to a larger table in the main dining room. Our headwaiter was the husband of our favorite waiter (waitress) from an earlier cruise, who we had seen in July on the Allure, where she is also a headwaiter. I had asked if we could be assigned to her section, but she is in My Time Dining.

 

Our assembly station for the mandatory drill was Studio B at 4:30; so we were comfortably seated. The diamond reception was held next door in Blaze because of the large numbers. We took our time getting out of the drill and went next door. However, Blaze was not ready and Dexter (the concierge) kept saying just a couple of minutes until about 5:10. They had a nice spread of hors d’oeuvres and anything you wanted to drink. (My dw thought the diet coke was horrible. However, Jennifer, the server, replaced the fountain coke with canned coke, remembering to do that every night.)

 

My comments on food will be flavored (pun intended) by the fact that we keep kosher and thus only eat fin fish (no shell fish) and vegetarian. That has never been a problem on Royal; on occasion we will order something special. That is made easier because, on the Allure, the dinner menus for the entire week are viewable on the television. Our usual day one dinner is the Vidalia onion tart, Caesar salad, fish over lentils and green beans, and the peach/blueberry “low fat” cobbler on which they serve a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

I was glad we made reservations for Oceanaria the first night (since both performances were postponed the second night due to wind. It is an amazing show, with diving, some of which is very high diving (I estimate 70 feet), gymnastics, and trampoline. Just as Ken Rush came on to make his announcements, it started to rain a little and we all quickly headed for cover.

 

My next stop was Jazz on 4. That was my nightly stop last summer, when Ben Gordon and his group were there. This time, the group is The French Connection Quartet. Although they were good, they were very loud and not as much to my liking.

 

Monday: Nassau - Mostly sunny, low 80’s

 

For us, this was a sea day with most of the people gone. We don’t get off in Nassau any more. This was our day to dock on the port side so that they could test the starboard side lifeboats. (In case you are not aware, the Allure is designed to dock on the starboard side and does most of the time. That means it usually comes in forward at Port Everglades and backs out.) Much of our view of the port was blocked by the Disney Dream, which was at the next dock, along with the Carnival Fascination. Later in the day, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter docked next to us.

 

As I often do, I had a continental breakfast with a mochaccino in the Diamond Club (bagel and nova) and save my calories for later in the day. I started checking off some of the places I had missed in July and wanted to see, such as the lounge chairs behind the Aqua Theater, near the running track on deck 5. We had a long lunch in the Solarium Café, which has awesome gazpacho, as well as other healthy food.

 

We headed down to the Boardwalk for a picture with the Penguins for our grandchildren. There are several Dreamworks appearances each day, but we never found them in your face. For the most part, they appeared where and when the Cruise Compass said they would. If you didn’t want to see them, they were easy to avoid.

 

We decided to do sail away from Nassau from the “secret” public deck at the aft of deck 11, port side. A few others from our Cruise Critic thread joined us. (For those new to the Allure, there are decks facing both the Aqua Theater and the ocean at the end of the hallway on both sides of decks 11, 12 & 14. They have lounge chairs and other chairs. The ones on deck 11 are the largest, seating about 40. But, I have never seen more than 10 people, usually less.) We watched two young men jogging down the long dock, reaching the ship at 2:55 (all aboard at 2:30, sailing at 3). They got on. But, about 15 minutes later, just as we were pushing away, a young couple strolled up, and they were furious that they couldn’t get on. (I have a great picture, but haven’t worked out how to post them.)

 

Tonight was the first formal night. (Of course, I got my glass of wine in the Diamond Club before dinner.) Our new table was the first table in the middle of the entranceway on deck 3. The location was great for people watching, since everyone entering or leaving the dining room had to pass on one side of us or the other. It was set for 12, and there were 11 of us. All of us had been assigned tables of four and wanted larger tables. We had a roaring good time. The table was very long, but we managed to communicate from one end to the other. Some of our neighbors might not have appreciated the occasional shouting. When the headwaiter came over, one of the men asked if he could replace the table with a round one so that we would all be closer. We all had a good laugh since we knew that was impossible; no one would be able to get by us to get into the dining room.

 

We prefer fixed dining so that the staff gets to know us and our eccentric eating habits. I ordered the Potato Curry main course in place of an appetizer and salad, and then Mushrooms in Blue Cheese for my main course. The chocolate soufflé was excellent. (There will probably be an evening when I have three appetizers, no main course and two desserts.)

 

Since many people ask, I will make a comment on dress. At our table, I wore a dark suit; two men wore tuxedos, one a dress shirt and tie, and one a sports shirt. The overall mix in our dining room included a smaller percentage of tuxedos and more suits and sport jackets. Women went from long gowns to cocktail dresses to skirts or pants with nice tops to a smaller number dressed for grocery shopping or the tennis courts.

 

We did not have a show scheduled for this evening, since they cancelled our ice show (for a large group of swimming pool suppliers). During the day we happened to talk to an oriental gentleman who said he was going to be singing Sinatra in the Viking Crown Lounge after dinner. So, we headed up there after dinner and listened to the Smooth Sailing Duo playing dance music. The man from the elevator sang and played the piano and also a keyboard. The other man was on drums. It really was smooth sailing. Although we had trouble understanding our friend speak, his singing was clear. Later in the cruise, I learned that his name is Nathan. I think that this duo will replace my visits to Jazz on 4.

 

We then started walking through Central Park. It was so windy as we entered the forward section that we almost turned back. I was glad I had my jacket on and my dw put on her sweater. We sat for a while at the outdoor tables fro Park Café (which is closed in the evening) and listened to classical music from the Duo Palette.

 

I usually like the piano bar. We have had some really good pianist/singers and spent a lot of time with them, and some not so good. Royal uses the Schooner Lounge for this. The problem used to be the smoke, but Schooner is now non-smoking on all of the ships we have been on recently. The problem with the Schooner on Allure is that it is on deck 6, overlooking the Royal Promenade. There is always noise coming up from the Promenade and thus the amplifiers at the piano bar are turned up. I sat for a short while, but found it too loud. The pianist/singer seemed pretty good, but I wasn’t there long enough to make a fair judgment.

[AlanAllyn]

Tuesday: At Sea - mostly sunny, low 80’s

 

I ate breakfast in the Diamond Club with a couple whose youngest daughter is a student at Florida Atlantic University, where I taught for more than 30 years. The husband is an electrical engineer, as am I.

 

The Meet & Mingle was held in Dazzles. There were about 40 people. It was very poorly organized. A junior staff member raffled off three packages of RCI pens, key chains, etc. Someone asked to let us pass the microphone so that we could introduce ourselves. She was refused; another group was coming in shortly. Also, this was run at the exact same time as the Welcome Back with Senior Officers and staff at the Aqua Theater. Nevertheless, we met a few CCers who we saw again during the cruise.

 

Since it was so short, we were able to watch the parade on the Royal Promenade from the photo shop – not a great viewpoint.

 

We had lunch in the MDR. We asked to be seated with other people and were put at a table for 6. After complaining twice and nearly finishing our entrée, another couple was seated there. The mushroom gnocchi was very good, similar to the mushroom main course the night before. Our waitress from the Jewel (2007), Ana, came over for a hug.

 

We didn’t do much other than read and nap that afternoon and had dinner in the MDR. I had three appetizers and two warm chocolate cakes, no main course.

 

We had reservation for Comedy Central with Randell Sheridan and Phil Tag. Tag was first and everyone was rolling on the floor laughing. Sheridan was good, but should have gone first.

 

The Love and Marriage show was that night. (We saw it on tv the next day.) At the beginning, Ken Rush announced that we have a daily raffle for a bottle of champagne and the winner is Kaitlyn from cabin 8… . Is she here? When she came down, he offered her an option of what was behind the curtain. She closed her eyes (as directed) and turned around to find her boy friend, Jonathon (UNV-IT!!! on our cruise thread) on his knee proposing. She accepted. (He had announced on our roll call that he was arranging to do this in a big way.)

 

Wednesday: St. Thomas mid to upper 80’s sunny

 

We had planned to go to St. Johns (on a 9:15 tour), but were both very tired. I’m not sure how they expected us to be on the dock at 9:15 when it was announced that the gangway would open between 9:15 and 9:30. When room service came with breakfast, I sent back the eggs and we went back to sleep. Around 10:30, I ate the Danish and juice, but went down to the Diamond Club for a cappuccino, which was much better than room service coffee (which was still very hot). I met a couple from New York, whose son was recently married in my synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida.

 

After lunch in the Park Café, I went for a swim in the main pool; there was one other person in with me. That was also true in the hot tub.

 

Since I don’t have much to report on for today, I thought I would throw in a couple of comments about our D1 (large) balcony. Our stateroom attendant said that his supervisor would not allow him to bring a lounge chair “for safety reasons.” It would certainly fit. I have yet to smell any smoke on my balcony; I guess we got lucky. The two rooms to our right have the divider between their balconies open. There is a light on the balcony. My dw says she will never sail on this ship again because of the lack of storage. There are two moderate-size drawers and one small one (with the hair dryer). There are two small cabinets next to the desk for toiletries and the closet has six shelves, about a foot wide. The closet isn’t deep enough for clothes on a normal hanger.

 

Tonight’s dinner was more normal; excellent cream of mushroom soup, salad, salmon, and banana cream pie. The entertainment was Earl Turner, a singer and impressionist. We almost walked out during the first ten minutes, which were loud rock and roll. But then, he did a lot of songs in the style of various singers from Chubby Checker to Johnny Mathis. It was a very good show.

 

 

Thursday: St. Maarten upper 80’s, too hot

 

We thought about going ashore to do some shopping, but since it was so hot, we stayed aboard our empty ship. After my light breakfast at the Diamond Club, I set up our internet accounts. As Diamond members, we each get 30 free minutes. When I turned in the certificates, the assured me they could put them in one account. However, we each had 30 minutes and had to set up two accounts.

 

For the only time in our first two cruises on Allure, we ate a meal, lunch, in Windjammer. Only one side was open, but there was plenty of seating and no crowds around the serving stations. The selection seemed smaller than on other ships, but we found plenty to eat.

 

During most of our port time, there was a refueling barge connected to the ship. On Friday (while touring the engine control room), I found that they purchase $1.3 million of fuel in St. Maarten every other week and little in Port Everglades because fuel is cheaper in St. Maarten. I watched the Nieuw Amsterdam depart from the next dock around 2:00 EST. We remained on EST throughout the cruise, even though two of the ports were an hour later (Atlantic Standard Time).

 

When we got back to our cabin, we found a plate of chocolate dipped cookies, which I guessed were part of the Diamond in December promotion, although we did not get them on the second half of the b2b.

 

We had an appointment with the next cruise advisor to book another cruise. We booked a cruise to Hawaii, 15 days round trip San Diego for November 19, 2012. We got the standard $100 per person deposit, but a $300 OBC, and, at the last minute, Cindy, the Loyalty Ambassador, was able to book the C1 cabin at a C2 price a savings of $100 per person).

 

After dinner in the MDR, we went to the top tier event in Amber Theater. There are more than 1,000 Platinum and above members on the ship. It opened with 15 minutes of classic melodies by Mark, who sings Billy in Chicago. Then there were the usual speeches by Cindy, the Senior Loyalty Ambassador, Captain Johnny and Cruise Director Ken Rush. They mentioned the captain’s phone is 55000 and Ken’s is 59000 and we should call if we needed anything. (We did, but that is part of Friday’s story.)

 

 

Friday: At Sea the calmest seas of the cruise, low 80’s

 

After breakfast in the Diamond Club, I joined the All Access Tour. There are two groups of 15 for this three-hour tour. You must sign up at Customer Relations as soon as you board; the cost is $150. I will give just a brief description here, and may post a more comprehensive description.

 

The first area was the kitchen and food preparation and storage areas. This was lead by the pastry chef. We started on deck 5, where 1400 portions of seafood salad were being prepared for that night’s dinner. We also passed the soup and sauce stations. On deck 4, they were serving breakfast. The bakery was there and we saw a machine that formed the dough for rolls that were then placed on trays (by a human) to rise and then bake. There were also dishwashers. On deck 3, we saw vegetable and lobster preparation; they expected to serve 5000 lobster tails that night (Not everyone eats lobster, although many have two.) Each kind of food is prepared on one floor of the galley, and is distributed to each floor for serving. I learned that only assistant waiters come into the galley to get food (not the waiters). Waiters place orders by computer.

 

We traveled through a meat freezer and one with fish. Meat is defrosted a day in advance. Then refrigerated storage; it looks half full. I know they have more than one week’s provisions. Everything is unboxed in the storage area; no boxes are allowed in the galley.

 

We had a security screening (everyone was wanded) to enter the engine control room. They monitor all the mechanical equipment, but also everywhere on the ship.

 

We went through several crew areas – their cafeteria, three bars, an area where they were selling things from the onboard shops, an internet café (3¢ a minute from the café). We toured the laundry, backstage of the Amber Theater and the helipad. Then, after another security check, we went to the bridge.

 

After lunch, we went to Studio B to watch the Tame your Dragon ice show. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it more than the main ice show, Ice Games.

 

The screw that holds my glasses together on one side broke. Fortunately I need them only for reading and the computer and did carry a pair of reading glasses. After getting no answer dialing 0, my wife dialed the captain’s number. The person who answered said they would get back to us. A few minutes later, the shop supervisor called and came to our cabin. She had a kit with a screwdriver and replacement screws (as did we) but recognized it was more complicated. She took them and said she had an expert in one of the shops. Sure enough, they were fixed a couple of hours later. They got one of our “Honoring the Wow" cards. (The other went to our headwaiter, Densil.)

 

Sabbath services were held in the Chapel (a lovely room on deck 17). Except during holidays (when they have a clergy person on board), they are led by one of the guests. I have done this on several cruises and did it this time too. There were about 55 worshippers.

 

We had dinner at Giovanni’s Table. The menu has changed, with more vegetarian choices for appetizer, a mushroom risotto, and now sole as the only fish. I was told that I could ask for any pasta dish; no advance notice required.

 

We went to Blue Planet; do not miss it. Then, to the Viking Crown lounge for the piano music of the Smooth Sailing Duo. Actually, one of them pays drums and guitar, but contributes very little.

[AlanAllyn]

Saturday: At Sea shower in the morning, then sunny about 80 rough seas

 

The shower ended just in time for the Captain’s Corner, a question and answer session at the Aqua Theater. The captain, hotel director, chief engineer and cruise director answer all sorts of questions, including why Captain Johnny is wearing one red sock and one green one. First answer is that “I have another pair just like it.” Secondly, since we are coming into port tomorrow, and there are green markers on one side of the channel and red on the other, I use them to make sure I am steering correctly.

 

The seas were choppy again and the Aqua show was cancelled.

 

There was a meeting for Continuing Cruisers (those doing a b2b) where information was given out about the process. There were mimosas and champagne. We could make reservations for shows, specialty dining, excursions and the spa. We had priority and could get any time we wanted.

 

As part of the Diamond Celebration, we each got a Royal Caribbean luggage strap.

 

 

Sunday: Port Everglades sunny, 80

 

We met in Studio B with about 100 others doing a b2b at 9:45. We waited about a half hour for the ship to be cleared. We then got off the ship and downstairs to customs and immigration, received our new sea passes and returned to the ship. Although the cabin area doors were closed, we could go through and back to our cabin whenever we wanted. They provided lunch in the MDR for continuing cruisers, a choice of two appetizers, three entrees and a dessert from the dinner menu that evening. We sat with a couple who, it turned out, had been assigned the same table as us for dinner.

 

Of course, we had to do the safety drill again (same time, same place, same delay in the Diamond reception). But, I did get pictures of how the other half lives – people standing in the sun on the deck of the Carnival Miracle and the HAL Westerdam for their drill.

 

Service at dinner was abominable; it took well over two hours. We had a conversation with our headwaiter who promised that it would be fixed.

 

We received a note that they changed the time of Ice Games from Monday at 9:15 to Monday at 5:00. This is the second week in a row they have done that. There were others on our thread complaining about changes to Chicago reservations. This is very inconvenient. It is one thing when they change times due to weather conditions (as they did last week for the Aqua shows). But, that isn’t the case here.

 

 

Monday: At sea 80 with scattered brief showers.

 

I checked out the pools at around 11:30 and 3 and they each had 2 – 4 people in them. It was sunny and warm both times. Lounge chairs are readily available in either the sun or the shade.

 

The meet & Mingle filled the lower level of Dazzles and overflowed to the upper level. Capt. Liz of the Critters (and a CC host) arranged a birthday cake for the Allure’s first birthday.

 

The MDR was a zoo for lunch. Brasserie 30 (30 minutes for lunch) took an hour and a half.

 

My dw had a headache and decided to skip dinner. Since she doesn’t like spicy food, I took the opportunity to try Rita’s Cantina. When I arrived at 6:15, only one table was occupied. Johnny Rockets (across the Boardwalk) was also nearly deserted. The waiter attributed that to the fact that there were a large number of Oriental passengers. There is a $3 cover charge plus a la carte pricing. I had the fish taco ($3), which had been marinated in lime juice. It came with Mexican rice and refried beans, as well as salsa and chips. It was delicious and filling.

 

The seas were quite rough tonight. The Aqua show was rescheduled for Wednesday night. I also heard that the shows last night were modified, eliminating the high dives. We have sailed this area almost every year at this time and have not experienced as much wind and wave action as these two weeks.

 

 

Tuesday: Labadee hot, sunny

 

I learned today that there are more than 450 Diamond and above on this cruise; there were about 350 last week. The Diamond Club is much busier for breakfast, although it is never crowded. However, Blaze is full almost every evening between 5 and 6. (I don't know how busy it is before late dinner, since I never stopped by at that time.)

 

There was a crew drill today (as there is every week). But, this one included a helicopter landing on the ship.

 

We have been to Labadee several times, but have never gotten off the ship. Today, we decided to look around a bit. You need to walk about the length of the ship after getting off at the front end (closest to land) to reach land. We took the tram to the Town Square and bought some T-shirts, including one that said “Same $h-t, Different Island, Labadee Beach” for our adult son. An hour and a half in all that heat seemed more than enough (and we are from Florida).

 

On Labadee day, most of the restaurants on the ship are closed for lunch. Just Windjammer and Park Café are open until 1:30 or two when Rita’s and Johnny Rockets open. (Sorrento’s and Promenade café are open for snacks.) We chose Park Café; it was not very busy at all.

 

One of things I noticed is that all the tv program are coming for the Pacific time zone. It is particularly noticeable on TNT where all of the programs are being shown 3 hours later.

 

We left Labadee almost a half hour early. Apparently, everyone was back on board by 4:30. This allowed us to get to Falmouth a little ahead of the scheduled 10:00 time.

 

Dinner service was much quicker tonight. Our waiter was bringing food as soon as we were ready for it. One couple had a 7:30 show and made it easily.

 

The seas were quite calm for the first time all week and Oceanaria went off in all its glory.

 

 

Wednesday: Falmouth, Jamaica mostly sunny, low to mid 80’s

 

We arrived in port 20 – 30 minutes early. There is quite a change since we were here in July. Most of the buildings in the port area look completed (from above). About 2/3 of them are open, including the Caribbean regulars such as Diamonds International, Del Sol, etc.

 

The Comedy show got moved from 8:30 to 7:30. Our waiter cooperated and we completed dinner in about an hour. It was fairly easy for him since no one showed up at either of his other large tables. (He seems to be serving 25 people. Our waitress last week had only 20.)

 

The comedians were Don Freisen and Craig Carmean. They were pretty good, not as good as Phil Tag.

 

 

Thursday: At Sea lower 80’s, mostly sunny

 

I had to look at my watch to be sure what day of the week it is.

 

They held the Welcome Back event (all Crown and Anchor members) at the Aqua Theater. Captain Johnny arrived on his motorcycle. There were short performances from the high diver and the strong men. I learned that the Headliner show last night was cancelled and moved to this afternoon because of a medical emergency in the Amber Theater. They cleared the theater and eventually cancelled the performance.

 

We headed to lunch at Park Café, but it was jammed and there was no seating. So, with a little trepidation, we headed to The Windjammer (only the second time in two weeks). As we arrived (at about 12:30), they opened the second side of the Windjammer. It was empty. All the food was freshly put out and we had our choice of tables. It never got particularly busy.

 

I heard this evening that the helicopter landing in Labadee was not part of the drill, but a medical evacuation of a woman who fell and broke her hip. The medical emergency in the theater was a fatal heart attack.

 

Tonight’s menu was not very appealing. Last night, we asked if they could make linguini al fredo with mushrooms (which we had had for lunch on Sunday). They did and it was delicious. My dw had a headache and didn’t come down. They offered to send her dinner up to her, but I brought it after I finished as much of it as I could.

 

The headliner was Ronn Lucas, a ventriloquist (That’s outsourcing, according to him). He is doing three shows today, since he is leaving the cruise in Cozumel tomorrow to go to the Oasis.

 

This week, we gave one of our “Honoring the Wow” cards to Jennifer, one of the servers in the Diamond Lounge. When I walked in this evening and sat at the bar, she spotted me and, in spite of her full tray, called to the bartender for a glass of Chardonnay for me. The other card went to Nathan, the pianist in the Viking Crown lounge.

 

 

Friday: Cozumel upper 70's, several showers, some heavy

 

Since my hip was bothering me and the weather did not look promising, we decided to stay on board and relax. We were surprised at how busy Park Café was at lunch time.

 

Sabbath services were again attended by more than 50 people; there was a group from Century Village in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

 

We had an excellent dinner at Chops. The Goat Cheese and Basil Soufflé with mushrooms was excellent. We had learned from last trip to split the Caesar salad; they give you to hearts of romaine (and then cut it up for you at the table). Both the halibut (me) and the Barramundi (like sea bass, dw) were excellent. Don't miss the onion rings.

 

 

Saturday: At sea many showers, upper 70's

 

This was another leisurely day. We met one of the couples from our dinner table in the Windjammer. In spite of it being a sea day, we had no trouble finding a table and troube getting at the food. The day was topped by our last visit to the Diamond Club and the Viking Crown Lounge to hear Nathan on the piano. And, of course, we had to pack up two weeks of clothes, most of which was laundry.

 

 

Sunday: Back to Port Everglades some showers, upper 70's

 

We had asked for later departure and were given number 59 of 78. The departure of all the numbers in the 50's was between 9:15 and 9:45. We arrived at the Amber Theater about 9:20 and our number was called about 10 minutes later. There was a very short line to get off the ship. When we got downstairs, there were porters arguing over who should help us. The bags were very well organized, although one of our lost its tag. We found it quickly in the lost and found section (since we have bright shoe laces attached to all our bags). There were plenty of custom agents and we passed through there in just a few minutes. We called our car service as we left customs, and our driver picked us up a few minutes later. We were home at 10:30.

 

PS. I had fewer things to say the second week, mainly because I made all the observations during the first.

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Thanks for the review.

First of all, I am an FAU Alumni! :)

 

We will be on the Allure in exactly one week. I am glad to hear there were people that went to Sabbath services. My mom's friend is currently mourning the loss of his father and has been going to shul (sp?) daily. I am not familiar with the conservative Jewish faith so forgive me for anything said incorrectly.

 

We were hoping there would be a group of people on the ship willing to meet daily as he requires a group to be there with him. I believe it is called Kaddish.

 

We're trying to get in touch with the Rabbi that will be onboard. From what I know there will be one because our cruise includes Hanukkah. So far Royal Caribbean hasn't given us much to work with.

[AlanAllyn]

The staff person in charge of Shabbat services is Fiona at extension 59002 (on board).

 

On only one cruise that I have been on was there a daily service. However, during Hanukkah, they do have candle lighting every night. On those nights, at least, there will likely be a minyan around.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Thanks for the great review. We're doing consecutive cruises on Allure in September. Did you feel the D1 balcony, without the lounge chair, was worth the extra $$$?

[AlanAllyn]

"Did you feel the D1 balcony, without the lounge chair, was worth the extra $$$"

 

Not really. But the location is very good (on any deck). We liked being on deck 7, one flight from Central Park and the Boardwalk.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

"Did you feel the D1 balcony, without the lounge chair, was worth the extra $$$"

 

Not really. But the location is very good (on any deck). We liked being on deck 7, one flight from Central Park and the Boardwalk.

 

We're trying two different experiences. Deck 8 D1 hump balcony for cruise 1 and the last boardwalk balcony on deck 11............right by the "secret" spot for cruise 2. We could save some $$ and change to a D8, instead of the D1, but like the idea of being on the "hump". Hopefullly it's $$$ well spent. :)

[will773]

Thanks for the great review!

[toto6]

We love reading about the Allure. With all the re-scheduling you posted about it will remind us to be flexible with what we 'think' we have planned. Ha. Thanks again for taking the time to post.

[Susie51]

Thank you for your detailed review.

[VegasCrossfire]

Great review ..... thank you!

 

I look forward to meeting you on the Hawaiian cruise next November!:D

[Dinkachu]

I am starting a day-by-day account of our back-to-back cruise on the Allure. We are retired, in our 60’s and 70’s. We cruise mostly for relaxation, usually in the Caribbean, since we are 30 minutes from the port. We are Diamond Crown & Anchor members and have been on a few other cruise lines. I will be happy to try to answer any questions.

 

(Comment inserted later: Although there were a few negative comments in what follows, we have had a very nice cruise. In a review, I would give it 5 (not 5+) stars. The ship is beautiful, but they really skimped on storage in the cabins.)

Sunday: Port Everglades

We arrived at the port just after noon. Although there were six ships in port, there was no traffic coming in through the Marina Blvd. entrance. There was no line longer than one going through security, check in, picture taking and we were on board in less than 20 minutes. Be sure to get your picture taken coming on board. They use that picture for the facial recognition system so that all of your pictures will end up in your folder. You don’t have to scan wall after wall of pictures to find yours.

 

Our first stop was Reception, to put in a request for the All Access Tour. Then, off to Park Café for lunch. Although it was busy, there were tables inside and out, and service was quick. We went to our cabins and started organizing our carry ons, and, by 2:05, all 5 pieces of our luggage arrived, including the one carrying two twelve-packs of diet cherry Pepsi.

 

The one thing that Royal does not seem to be able to get right is dining room assignments. We had asked for a large table (6 - 8) and were assigned Table 611 on deck 4, a table for four. It was in a small section of the dining room, near the stairs and elevators. It was a window table; but that didn’t do much good since the sun had set well before dinner. We asked for a change and were promised one for the second night. We met a very nice couple at the table, who also had asked to be moved to a larger table in the main dining room. Our headwaiter was the husband of our favorite waiter (waitress) from an earlier cruise, who we had seen in July on the Allure, where she is also a headwaiter. I had asked if we could be assigned to her section, but she is in My Time Dining.

 

Our assembly station for the mandatory drill was Studio B at 4:30; so we were comfortably seated. The diamond reception was held next door in Blaze because of the large numbers. We took our time getting out of the drill and went next door. However, Blaze was not ready and Dexter (the concierge) kept saying just a couple of minutes until about 5:10. They had a nice spread of hors d’oeuvres and anything you wanted to drink. (My dw thought the diet coke was horrible. However, Jennifer, the server, replaced the fountain coke with canned coke, remembering to do that every night.)

 

My comments on food will be flavored (pun intended) by the fact that we keep kosher and thus only eat fin fish (no shell fish) and vegetarian. That has never been a problem on Royal; on occasion we will order something special. That is made easier because, on the Allure, the dinner menus for the entire week are viewable on the television. Our usual day one dinner is the Vidalia onion tart, Caesar salad, fish over lentils and green beans, and the peach/blueberry “low fat” cobbler on which they serve a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

I was glad we made reservations for Oceanaria the first night (since both performances were postponed the second night due to wind. It is an amazing show, with diving, some of which is very high diving (I estimate 70 feet), gymnastics, and trampoline. Just as Ken Rush came on to make his announcements, it started to rain a little and we all quickly headed for cover.

 

My next stop was Jazz on 4. That was my nightly stop last summer, when Ben Gordon and his group were there. This time, the group is The French Connection Quartet. Although they were good, they were very loud and not as much to my liking.

 

Monday: Nassau - Mostly sunny, low 80’s

 

For us, this was a sea day with most of the people gone. We don’t get off in Nassau any more. This was our day to dock on the port side so that they could test the starboard side lifeboats. (In case you are not aware, the Allure is designed to dock on the starboard side and does most of the time. That means it usually comes in forward at Port Everglades and backs out.) Much of our view of the port was blocked by the Disney Dream, which was at the next dock, along with the Carnival Fascination. Later in the day, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter docked next to us.

 

As I often do, I had a continental breakfast with a mochaccino in the Diamond Club (bagel and nova) and save my calories for later in the day. I started checking off some of the places I had missed in July and wanted to see, such as the lounge chairs behind the Aqua Theater, near the running track on deck 5. We had a long lunch in the Solarium Café, which has awesome gazpacho, as well as other healthy food.

 

We headed down to the Boardwalk for a picture with the Penguins for our grandchildren. There are several Dreamworks appearances each day, but we never found them in your face. For the most part, they appeared where and when the Cruise Compass said they would. If you didn’t want to see them, they were easy to avoid.

 

We decided to do sail away from Nassau from the “secret” public deck at the aft of deck 11, port side. A few others from our Cruise Critic thread joined us. (For those new to the Allure, there are decks facing both the Aqua Theater and the ocean at the end of the hallway on both sides of decks 11, 12 & 14. They have lounge chairs and other chairs. The ones on deck 11 are the largest, seating about 40. But, I have never seen more than 10 people, usually less.) We watched two young men jogging down the long dock, reaching the ship at 2:55 (all aboard at 2:30, sailing at 3). They got on. But, about 15 minutes later, just as we were pushing away, a young couple strolled up, and they were furious that they couldn’t get on. (I have a great picture, but haven’t worked out how to post them.)

 

Tonight was the first formal night. (Of course, I got my glass of wine in the Diamond Club before dinner.) Our new table was the first table in the middle of the entranceway on deck 3. The location was great for people watching, since everyone entering or leaving the dining room had to pass on one side of us or the other. It was set for 12, and there were 11 of us. All of us had been assigned tables of four and wanted larger tables. We had a roaring good time. The table was very long, but we managed to communicate from one end to the other. Some of our neighbors might not have appreciated the occasional shouting. When the headwaiter came over, one of the men asked if he could replace the table with a round one so that we would all be closer. We all had a good laugh since we knew that was impossible; no one would be able to get by us to get into the dining room.

 

We prefer fixed dining so that the staff gets to know us and our eccentric eating habits. I ordered the Potato Curry main course in place of an appetizer and salad, and then Mushrooms in Blue Cheese for my main course. The chocolate soufflé was excellent. (There will probably be an evening when I have three appetizers, no main course and two desserts.)

 

Since many people ask, I will make a comment on dress. At our table, I wore a dark suit; two men wore tuxedos, one a dress shirt and tie, and one a sports shirt. The overall mix in our dining room included a smaller percentage of tuxedos and more suits and sport jackets. Women went from long gowns to cocktail dresses to skirts or pants with nice tops to a smaller number dressed for grocery shopping or the tennis courts.

 

We did not have a show scheduled for this evening, since they cancelled our ice show (for a large group of swimming pool suppliers). During the day we happened to talk to an oriental gentleman who said he was going to be singing Sinatra in the Viking Crown Lounge after dinner. So, we headed up there after dinner and listened to the Smooth Sailing Duo playing dance music. The man from the elevator sang and played the piano and also a keyboard. The other man was on drums. It really was smooth sailing. Although we had trouble understanding our friend speak, his singing was clear. Later in the cruise, I learned that his name is Nathan. I think that this duo will replace my visits to Jazz on 4.

 

We then started walking through Central Park. It was so windy as we entered the forward section that we almost turned back. I was glad I had my jacket on and my dw put on her sweater. We sat for a while at the outdoor tables fro Park Café (which is closed in the evening) and listened to classical music from the Duo Palette.

 

I usually like the piano bar. We have had some really good pianist/singers and spent a lot of time with them, and some not so good. Royal uses the Schooner Lounge for this. The problem used to be the smoke, but Schooner is now non-smoking on all of the ships we have been on recently. The problem with the Schooner on Allure is that it is on deck 6, overlooking the Royal Promenade. There is always noise coming up from the Promenade and thus the amplifiers at the piano bar are turned up. I sat for a short while, but found it too loud. The pianist/singer seemed pretty good, but I wasn’t there long enough to make a fair judgment.

 

My 19 year old son really wants to do the all access tour. You said you signed up in 'reception' where exactly do we o? is that the guest services desk? Thank you.

[relaxatsea]

Hi AlanAllyn,

 

Thanks for the great review! We were with you on the Nov. 27 week, we were among the small group that met you sailing out of Nassau on the aft balcony of Deck 11. Also, many thanks for organizing our thread, we really appreciated all of your efforts.

 

I also wrote a review of our sailing which you can see on the "front" page of Cruise Critic, under "Member Reviews".

[AlanAllyn]

My 19 year old son really wants to do the all access tour. You said you signed up in 'reception' where exactly do we o? is that the guest services desk? Thank you.

yes. Do it as soon as you get on.

[gelo7]

Wonderful detailed review.

[LBumb]

awesome review.

thanks for posting.

i really enjoyed reading about your cruises.

[getmeouttathecold]

Thanks for the informative review! How much choice will we have about debarkation times? Also, did you ask about (possibly non-kosher) ingredients in the soups, rice and beans, etc.?

[yes!yes!yes!]

thankyou for your review. i love your wit and charm. thoroughly enjoyed it.