Allure of the Seas Review 8th September - Western Caribbean

[novicetraveller]

The rice has beans in it, not bacon bits. There is fruit, corn, salads, steak, shrimp, jerk chicken, burgers, cookies as well as condiments. We've had the cabana buffet three times and it's always the same.

 

The rice had something else other than Kidney Beans. Small bits of something... wasn't sure what it was.

 

Thanks for confirming the menu item, much appreciated. :).

[novicetraveller]

To finish off with Haiti Day, I was going to go and see the Love & Marriage at 10:30pm, but I decided against it. I would have felt a bit awkward sitting in the audience as a solo cruiser amongst the married couples. Sadly, I didn't get to see it on the TV system during the rest of the week. However, I did watch it on both weeks last year, and I thought Allan Brookes was good. However, watching it on both weeks, it appears Allan Brookes isn't really spontaneous, which is disappointing. I can't tell you how good Ken Rush is at this show. Sorry I could not provide any feedback on this show.

[novicetraveller]

Ladies and Gentlemen, and folks of Cruise Critic.... Welcome to Yo Mon day. AKA The Falmouth Port.

 

I booked Ricardo Riley from Liberty Tours Jamaica for the day. It's a private excursion. I don't want this to be a "Why didn't you book a ships excursion" thread, however, I will state that the options available from RCCL wasn't to my liking. Also, it's hard to find a ships excursion that didn't cover beaches, shopping or something that would really interest me and allow me to go at my pace rather than the tour operators pace.

 

The excursion covered the following locations:

 

Secret Falls / Irie Blue Falls.

Shaw Park

Enchantment Gardens (Now known as Turtle Waterfalls and Gardens)

Runaway Bay

 

I wanted to go and see the Fire Water, but sadly, I was beaten by time.

 

Firstly, Let me introduce you to my Tour Guide.

 

Ricardo Riley.

 

 

(To avoid confusion, he's the one on the right). He is from Liberty Tours Jamaica.

 

The first port of call is the Irie Blue Hole (aka The Secret Falls). You can either jump into the waterfall, or admire everyone else doing it. I did the latter. There's also a secret cave under the falls. Because I suffer from vertigo and other issues, I didn't partake in this activity.

 

But if you are wondering what it's like (and you haven't seen my live review), here's what you can do.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you tried doing that in Dunns River Falls? :p

 

The good thing about Irie Blue Hole? It's not crowded! I know if you go at the right time, you can avoid the crowds at Dunns River Falls. However, you might get hounded by some of the street sellers, so make sure you go with some reputable tour operator if you go to Dunns River Falls. However, if you are looking for an amazing experience, go to Irie Blue Hole.

[novicetraveller]

Now on my way to Shaw Park. If you go on a RCCL excursion, and you forget to get back to the meeting point on time.... you could end up travelling back on this:

 

 

(Only kidding! :p)

 

One of my main highlights on my way up to Shaw Park was this guy

 

 

 

Please don't try that at home!

 

Apparently, Mick Jagger has a house in Jamaica, near Shaw Park. Not sure how much truth there is in that, but here's his house.

 

[novicetraveller]

Now onto the Enchanted Gardens (aka Turtle Waterfalls & Gardens). This is one place to visit, but if you go for the guided tour, I would suggest a minimum of 2 hours here. Maybe a bit longer.

 

Our tour guide:

 

 

A couple of Waterfall shots.

 

 

 

A shot in the Aviary.

 

 

Some wildlife (Apology for the poor focus on the lizard, it was difficult finding it in the trees).

 

 

Edited September 22, 2013 by novicetraveller

[novicetraveller]

Before I left the Gardens, I saw a Hummingbird and a spider

 

 

 

I don't have many pictures of the Runaway Bay, as I wasn't able to find anything inspiring to take, however it's something worth seeing on the way back to the Allure of the Seas. Some people call it a boat.....

 

 

But I call it a ship. :D

 

For completeness, here's a map of where the images were taken

 

 

(Falmouth is near the top left, just in case you are wondering!)

[mac3835]

Absolutely fantastic photographs! Thanks for the review, increasing my excitement for boarding Allure ten weeks from today. Thanks again.for your perspective, I am enjoying it.

[novicetraveller]

I managed to get back to the Allure of the Seas with about 15 minutes to spare, so it was a day well spent. My only issue was that I spent too much time at the Turtle Waterfalls and Gardens. If it was a bit shorter, I could have done lunch, gone to the Firewater and had an easy trip back to the ship. However, it was what it was, and Ricardo was an amazing tour guide from start to finish, including the pre-tour communications. I can recommend him to anyone looking for something different to the ships excursions.

 

I went straight to dinner as soon as I boarded, as I was on early dinning. I could have gone to my room and washed down and dropped off my camera, but wanted to get something to eat, as I hadn't eaten much during the day.

 

(If you take a tour with Ricardo, ask him about the benefits of fresh coconut and Aloe Vera / Cactus :D).

 

The one thing you won't necessarily get from your the RCCI excursion tour guide is this:

 

Edited September 22, 2013 by novicetraveller

[novicetraveller]

Absolutely fantastic photographs! Thanks for the review, increasing my excitement for boarding Allure ten weeks from today. Thanks again.for your perspective, I am enjoying it.

 

I hope you enjoy the holiday as much as I did. Are you doing the Western Itinerary?

[novicetraveller]

For the 2nd evening in a row, I had no entertainment planned. No photos were taken for the rest of the day. Please feel free to ask me questions about my time in Jamaica. And even about the tour guide I had for the day.

[novicetraveller]

Day 8. Sea Day.

 

Itinerary for the day.

 

DreamWorks Breakfast.

Behind the Scenes Tour.

Headliner.

 

Unfortunately, due to being under a lot of metal, the GPS did not function very well during the day. However, to give you an idea where some of the images were taken.... here's the map.

 

[fairweather]

Really beautiful photographs. Thanks for sharing.

[rednancy1]

Absolutely fabulous photos. Thank you for sharing with us. :)

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I love, love, love your photographic eye. By showing us the small details of your experiences you bring a much larger picture to life!

 

Did you feel safe in Jamaica? So many people are afraid to leave the safety of the port. Some because of fears of being robbed, others because of fears of aggressive vendors. Please share your feelings along this line.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Sunny AZ Girl

[novicetraveller]

I love, love, love your photographic eye. By showing us the small details of your experiences you bring a much larger picture to life!

 

Did you feel safe in Jamaica? So many people are afraid to leave the safety of the port. Some because of fears of being robbed, others because of fears of aggressive vendors. Please share your feelings along this line.

 

In the 2 times I have been in Jamaica, I have never had a problem. The tour guide I had looked after me from start to finish. Only had one vendor become pushy, and that was last year, but the tour guide took care of it. My advice is not to venture alone, or without an experienced tour guide. I generally avoided going to the rough areas, and I worked with my tour guide pre-cruise to make sure I had a good experience. The vehicle I was in was safe and secure. The places I went to was safe and secure.

 

I haven't done the ships tours, so I can't tell you my experiences, but the locals will know the hot spots, and know where the $$$'s are.

 

If you want to feel safe, do your research before you leave, and go with a reputable tour guide who knows the areas, and help you avoid the hotspots.

 

In my opinion, Jamaica is no different to the US or the UK. The only difference is that we are used to the crimes in our own countries and are desensitised towards it.

 

I will try and give a fuller answe tomorrow. It's late in the UK.

 

And thank you for your kind comments.

Edited September 22, 2013 by novicetraveller

[miniwheat]

Great Photo's and review, ready to see more!!!:D

[#1TravelMom]

If you have a look at the Dropbox link I posted earlier, you will find the crib sheet I was given. Sadly, I was a tad disappointed that it wasn't a Photographic Scavenge Hunt.

 

 

At the risk of sounding stupid, I'm going to ask if you can give me the post number that has the "Dropbox Link". I'm totally confused as to what this is???

[Cruzin-K]

At the risk of sounding stupid, I'm going to ask if you can give me the post number that has the "Dropbox Link". I'm totally confused as to what this is???

 

It's Post #27, but here's the link

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9e3nhv9a4us03iy/uiRJrsLErd

[#1TravelMom]

Thanks so much. It's saying "error loading" - I will try again tomorrow - no big deal. We had so much fun doing the family digital scavenger hunt on our last cruise - doesn't sound like this is going to be for us anyway.

[novicetraveller]

Thanks so much. It's saying "error loading" - I will try again tomorrow - no big deal. We had so much fun doing the family digital scavenger hunt on our last cruise - doesn't sound like this is going to be for us anyway.

 

If you still have problems, please let me know.

[novicetraveller]

Falmouth, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios isn't that bad. Like anywhere in the world, there will always be crime. If you come to London, there will be crime (Murder, theft, illegal parking, etc). Would that stop you from coming to London? Not all of London is rough. There are some good parts of London that are safe, but you will get some crime, wherever you go.

 

I am sure there are some good areas and some rough areas of New York. There are places you wouldn't go to day or night, there are some places you can go during the day, but not night. But would you avoid going to New York?

 

Would you walk in a poor area of London or New York with a posh coat or handbag? If you didn't know the area, you wouldn't know the answer. But if you know the area, you would know to avoid carrying items that would be inappropriate for that area.

 

In Jamaica, a tourist stands out. Therefore the poorer community of Jamaica will know a tourist from a mile away, because they will be wearing better clothes, and will most likely have a camera. How many poor Jamaicans will have good clothes and a camera? (or even a mobile phone!).

 

Just remember, unemployment in Jamaica is about 20%. That's quite high. The Jamaicans have been promised jobs, especially since 3 ports (Falmouth, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay) brings in passengers on cruise ships.... and a lot of money is ready to be spent in the country. So where's the jobs? You will see a lot of vendors, and some good street performers. One of my images shows one of my favourite street performers in Jamaica. There were some street performers I simply ignored, because it wasn't anything special. The tour guide made sure I was safe from these vendors.

 

A lot of Jamaicans are frustrated, and are trying hard to make ends meet. There are a lot of good Jamaicans out there, and they will abide by the laws and will do what they can to lawfully bring in an income.

 

If you want to visit the shops around Falmouth, there is no reason why you can't. If you get a pushy vendor, just politely, but firmly, say no and move on. Don't ignore them and move on. You will get a lot more respect if you say no and move on. Keep your valuables safe. If you don't need to bring things with you, leave it in your room (in your safe if you have to), and only carry with you what you need. Keep your valuables (i.e. camera, bags, etc) visible at all times. If your bag is side lockable, keep the lock facing towards you.

 

Jamaica is not all that bad, it's not really any different to the UK or the USA. The only differences, it's a poorer country, higher unemployment, the roads are not maintained and you will get pushy vendors.

 

If you are looking to go beyond Falmouth, I would highly recommend getting a tour guide. I think you may know who I will recommend. But as always, do some research, and look at who is recommended on Cruisecritic and the likes of Tripadvisor.

 

(Also, be careful about getting a taxi anywhere in Jamaica. Make sure you look out for the JTB sticker in the window and the red license plate. Otherwise, if the police stop the taxi, you will be expected to leave the taxi immediately, and you will be stranded).

 

I don't know if this answers your question. If not, please let me know.

 

(I am sure there are parts of Oz that are not safe, where you are likely to get robbed, especially if you stand out. I haven't been to Oz yet, and it's on my list of places to go to).

Edited September 23, 2013 by novicetraveller

[novicetraveller]

This is the 2nd Sea day, and the final formal night. I noticed something interesting on Deck 5 this morning.

 

 

I guess the fitness centre is too small for this activity. If you are looking for some exercise beyond the fitness centre, look out on the compass for this activity.

 

Here's 2 of the Freestyle machines.

 

 

Word of warning. It's 1 fill up ever 10 or 15 minutes. If you accidently let go of the button, and your cup isn't full, tough luck.

 

The fountain coke doesn't taste that good, and the same can be said about the Freestyle machines. It seemed a bit watered down, but I guess the amount of drinks that are needed for the whole week, it's understandable.

 

The DreamWorks Breakfast was a tad disappointing, but I was expecting a lot more. There's at least 3 of these Breakfast on the Allure. If you have a child who has a birthday, and like the DreamWorks Characters, then go for it. It will make their day. Don't get me wrong here, if you are a DreamWorks fan, this is worth going to.

 

The performances were a bit disappointing, as I couldn't see it properly from where I was sitting. But the whole thing is geared towards the family and kids.

 

 

 

[novicetraveller]

Now onto the Access All Areas Tour. Well, it's not really an Access All Areas tour, as you don't get to go to the control room for the AquaDeck (aka the AquaQuack).

 

Also, the only other let downs is that I didn't get to meet the Captain or the Chicago cast. The Chicago cast isn't a big deal, but seeing the Captain would have been the icing on the cake.

 

First stop, the Kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food preparation is taken seriously on the Allure. Hygiene is important.

 

As you can see from the last image, it's Lobster night. I've heard that people have ordered more than one. The Dining Room Manager tried to get one or two people on our table to order more than one Lobster. One said yes, the other said no. As the ship was not sailing full, I guess they were keen to not waste the food.

[novicetraveller]

Did you know they have machines to make the Bread Rolls? The kitchen makes the Bread Rolls and other bread items daily. They go through over a 2,000 a day. (Probably closer to 4,00 to 6,000 if not more).

 

There are 2 machines that make the Bread Rolls. Here's a platter with one that we saw being done.

 

 

It takes about a minute to produce this.

 

 

This is like Noah's Ark... They come in 2's.

 

Meat is cut pretty much by hand.

 

 

And the lettuce is washed by the basin load

 

[novicetraveller]

The desert making was the highlight of the kitchen for me.

 

 

This is one chocolate they kitchen staff wouldn't let us eat.

 

 

My only concern about the kitchen was the grill.

 

 

As you can see, it wasn't clean when we went down. I hope that the kitchen staff do clean it before grilling the food.

 

Did you know that the Allure of the Seas do not use Gas to cook any of the food? Everything is done on hot plates and grills. There are large ovens for baking the bread, but there's no gas used in the kitchen.