Questions about Allure, B2B and Fort Lauderdale

[Nolsie]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am hoping that some of you can use your past experiences and knowledge to help fill in some gaps for a trip that I am planning for December 2013. I know that this is an awfully long way off yet, but I do like to plan things in advance, and if I could at least pick your brains for any advice, hints and tips, it would be most appreciated.

 

A bit of background for starters. This is a trip to celebrate my 40th birthday in December of next year, and my wife and I will be heading over to the States from the UK. The basic plan is to fly in to Miami (no direct flights to Fort Lauderdale) and do a B2B sailing on Allure of the Seas, before heading home again. It will be my second cruise with RCI, having also sailed with NCL, P&O and Carnival. In fact we have alrelady completed a B2B once before on Carnival Valor, though I am expecting much bigger and better with Allure from the reviews and photos I have seen. Plus I think 2 weeks may be necessary to fit in everything that we want to see and do on this amazing ship !!

 

So the first question that I have is to ask if any of you may know when the bookings may open up for Allure for December 2013 ? From what I have seen, it looks at the moment that they are only opening bookings up until the end of the summer 2013 season. However if any of you may know when they will start showing availability for the December sailings, it would be great to know, so that I can have a good choice of stateroom availability.

 

Information about travelling from Miami to Fort Lauderdale would be welcomed. For example, taxi direct from MIA, book a limo, approximate cost, etc. Not against hiring a car, but if it's reasonable to pay for a limo or cab, then that would be the preferred option.

 

If any of you have hotel recommendations about staying the night before the cruise in FLL. Is it best to stay near the port, and if so, are there places to go out for a bite to eat nearby.

 

How is the general weather in December if Fort Lauderdale - I'm sure it will be much better than here in the UK, but are we talking shorts and t-shirts, or somethign a bit more substantial.

 

Specific questions about a B2B. On my previous B2B with Carnival, we kept the same stateroom, and were escorted both off and back on the ship at the midpoint. Is this the usual procedure for RCI, and specifically Allure, if anybody has done the same ?

 

I'm sure I have many more questions to ask, but don't want to appear greedy. Any advice anyone can give on what I have aksed so far would be very helpful.

 

Thank you all in advance.

[DonnaK]

We like the Embassy Suites on SE 17th St in FLL. A nice breakfast is included, and so is a happy hour (drinks and snacks) each evening. The hotel has very large rooms, a lovely pool, and very friendly staff. It is very clean and well-appointed, with free internet in the lobby. There is a shopping plaza behind the hotel that has a supermarket and several inexpensive places to eat (we like Tropical Smoothie Cafe for wraps, panini, sandwiches, etc and Gilbert's for dinner)

 

Sometime in March or April the bookings should open up.

 

It should be TShirt and shorts weather in FLL in December, but I'd bring jeans/pants and a sweatshirt or light jacket too. Nothing heavier than that should be needed.

[Atty]

The weather can be tricky. We just got home from a B2B on Allure. The weather in Fort Lauderdale was Ok. It was like mid 60s but I've been told that it can also be cold. I was comfortable in jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

 

As for the actual procedure....On the last sea day, there is a meeting for all the consecutive cruisers where they go over the procedures etc. The also have people there to take reservations for shows and restaurants if you didn't reserve ahead of time (I recommend reserving everything ahead of time online).

 

On turn around day, you'll meet at like 10am and once everyone else is off the ship, you'll be escorted off, given new sea pass cards, pass through customs, and then escorted back on board before anyone else. Depending on how many are doing B2B you'll be offered lunch in either the dining room or Giovanni's Table. If you have the same stateroom, you don't need to pack anything. If you are changing staterooms, you'll need to pack your smaller items but your stateroom attendant will move everything and move the stuff from your closet to the new stateroom. When you book, make sure that you tell them you are doing a B2B and make sure you have the two reservations linked.

 

As for your charges etc., it is like 2 different cruises so you'll need to settle your first bill and will have new sea pass cards etc. for the second leg.

[Nolsie]

Thank you Donna - that is exactly the sort of information I am looking for.

 

I will check out the Embassy Suites - thanks again.

 

 

Paul

[Nolsie]

Thank you Atty. The procedure at turn around time seems pretty much similar to what I had with Carnival, though they didn't give us lunch !!

 

Thanks for the info on the weather as well.

[Nolsie]

Another thing I have thought to ask, is if anybody has a particular cabin that they loved on Allure, and if so, why ?

 

I will be booking a balcony stateroom for both weeks onboard, so if anybody can recommend a particular cabin, for any reason, then please let me know about it.

 

Thanks again.

[DonnaK]

My advice would be as close to the elevators as possible. This ship is soooo long and you do a tremendous amount of walking...quite frankly, it can be exhausting especially if you are not in top physical shape. A cabin close to the rear elevators would greatly reduce the amount of walking you'll need to do.

[fdthird]

We've stayed at and enjoyed the Emassy Suites on. Other of our Allure cruises in the past year. Also enjoyed a nice Sat dinner at Chucks Steaks just across the street. Also f you have a hIgh room

[eldolko]

We took a taxi from MIA to Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale. The fare was about $75. We were thinking of a Super Shuttle, but that would cost almost as much as a taxi.

 

I can recommend the Embassy Suites as well. A nice clean hotel with friendly staff. Complimentary breakfast with a "cook to order" omelet station etc.

 

The port is really close and the taxi from the hotel to the port only cost us about $15. It would have been cheaper if we wouldn't have to stand i line to be let out on the curb.

[bschoon60]

We like the Embassy Suites on SE 17th St in FLL. A nice breakfast is included, and so is a happy hour (drinks and snacks) each evening. The hotel has very large rooms, a lovely pool, and very friendly staff. It is very clean and well-appointed, with free internet in the lobby. There is a shopping plaza behind the hotel that has a supermarket and several inexpensive places to eat (we like Tropical Smoothie Cafe for wraps, panini, sandwiches, etc and Gilbert's for dinner)

 

Sometime in March or April the bookings should open up.

 

It should be TShirt and shorts weather in FLL in December, but I'd bring jeans/pants and a sweatshirt or light jacket too. Nothing heavier than that should be needed.

 

I agree on the hotel recommendation - it's a great place and there are a lot of eating places within walking distance. Also the Intercoastal Waterway is within walking distance and it has a water taxi that you can take to downtown. There is also the sun bus that will take you to the beach for a dollar. The hotel has a shuttle to the airport, but I'm not sure how that work for pick up but you could ask. The shuttle will take you to the port for about $8.00.

 

Good luck.

[Nolsie]

Thank you everyone for the information, thats a lot of questions answered already.

 

Having been a good few years since my last sailing with RCI - Navigator of the Seas back in 2004 - would you suggest that looking to book early would be a wise move, particularly in terms of price, choice etc ?

 

And I normally book directly with the cruiseline, hotel and airline directly, would any of you recommend actually going through a travel agent, and if so, what would you say the benefits of this are above bookingn directly ?

[Atty]

I second the recommendation about being close to the elevators. I had cabin 8572 for both my weeks and loved the location...it was a good central deck right near the elevators starboard side forward. I would suggest getting a lower deck like 8. If you go up to like deck 12 or something, you're tied to the elevators much more. On deck 8, you can easily walk down to the Promanade or Boardwalk and you're right off Central Park

[BillOh]

recommendations about staying the night before the cruise in FLL

 

Book it early. On our Allure cruise there were 6 ships in port and a couple of local events so all the popular choices for hotels were booked more than 6 months ahead. We ended up at a Rodeway Inn at Dania Beach which was good enough for an overnight stay, about what you would expect to see along any interstate highway in the US.