Allure B2B **Double** Trip Review 5/4/14 - 5/18/14 (lots o' pics)!!!

[AZAficionado]

 

This neighborhood is directly below Central Park. It has a wide variety of bars and shops and is where many parades and special events are held.

 

Cabin 9626 (Deck 9 Starboard)

 

 

Finally, home sweet home. We'll take a look inside and get started on Part II tomorrow...

[AZAficionado]

Was also on this B2B with you! Had a wonderful two weeks, looking forward to the review and pics, thanks........K.O.:)

There were quite a few who did this particular B2B. It was an awesome two weeks. I hope you enjoy the review.

[MHATW2]

Awesome start, I subscribed! I thoroughly enjoyed your Freedom review last year and am looking forward to this one.

 

Cigars, booze, and food. Say no more.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[AZAficionado]

Awesome start, I subscribed! I thoroughly enjoyed your Freedom review last year and am looking forward to this one.

Thank you. Hopefully, this one will live up to last year's.

Cigars, booze, and food. Say no more.

If I say no more, my review will be over...;)

[BrothersThree]

Great report and pictures - I love pictures. Thank you! Subscribed.

[SolsticeAZ]

About Me:

 

Call me “Solstice” – it’s not my name, but my job requires me to stay kind of anonymous out here on the Internets. Which makes it sound like I have a super-glamorous job like spy or something, but I don’t. I’m a lawyer (if you’re curious, lawyer is the polar opposite of glamorous). I’m 42 years old. I am “AZAficionado’s” wife. I’ve been on 11 cruises, all with Royal Caribbean, and all Mexico or the Caribbean, because I refuse to be cold during my hard-earned vacations.

 

While AZAficionado and I do, thankfully, have similar tastes in a lot of things, I will be chiming in on this review to add my perspective on our experience, as well as my photos. I’ll be sure to write about things that (at least stereotypically) matter more to women than men, such as packing, cabin amenities, and wine. Okay, wine is gender-neutral, but I’m a bit of a wine fanatic, so there you go.

I’ll also be around to answer questions that might draw only a confused “Huh?” from AZAficionado, such as: “What’s the deal with the hairdryers in the cabins?” (Long answer coming later. Short answer: They suck, rather than blow). So, ask away!

 

Booking

 

I’ve seen a lot of questions on these boards about how to book a back-to-back, and I know there are many different ways to do it, but I’m here to share my patented back-to-back DIY no-travel-agent-required booking method. You will need: (1) yourself; (2) a frosty beverage (or a nice warm beverage if you are doing this in, say, Minnesota); (3) a phone; (4) a method of payment (probably a credit card, since I don’t think Royal accepts goats); and (5) a computer with two browser windows open, both to Royal Caribbean’s website. Yes, their website is truly awful. Sorry.

 

In the first browser window, pick the first sailing you want to go on. Search for the type of cabin you want on that sailing. When you find some cabins you like, go to the other browser window. Pick the second sailing you want to go on. Search for the type of cabin you want, and then see which cabins appear on both the first and second sailing. Pick one. Put a 24-hour hold on that cabin for both sailings.

 

Now, grab the phone and call Royal Caribbean’s customer service number. I know others may disagree, but in my experience, Royal’s customer service reps are so nice and helpful that they almost make up for that website. Almost. When you get a live person on the line, tell him/her that you want to book the two cabins you put a hold on and link them for a back-to-back. They will be thrilled to do that, and in about five minutes, you will be done. Pat yourself on the back, enjoy your beverage, and start counting the days until your back-to-back.

 

Packing (Sort of)

 

My theory on packing is you can’t go wrong with the following motto: “bring half the clothes and twice the money.” (Well, except for shoes. I refuse to accept limits on the number of shoes I pack). But packing is very personal, and I certainly would not presume to tell anyone what or how to pack – hey, if you want to jam 10,000 clothing items into a giant suitcase that then explodes when you open it, go for it. So I will just share a few tips and tricks I have learned over the years.

 

First, laundry service and dry cleaning are available, reasonably priced, and very quick – clothes you send out in the morning will be back the next day by 5 pm. There is also a discounted wash-and-fold laundry offer, usually on Day 4 or 5 – whatever you can stuff in the bag they give you gets cleaned for $30 -- $20 if you have the Diamond discount.

 

 

Fair warning, however: the more delicate the items you send out to be washed, the greater risk you are taking. Royal is doing an industrial washing job here, and it shows. Your clothes will come back clean (possibly cleaner than they have ever been), but the cleaning process is clearly…vigorous. No worries – you can always wash your “unmentionables” in the sink if needed. Not that I mentioned that.

 

Second, I recommend bringing a few small items that will make your life easier. A few binder clips, to hold down the very floaty shower curtain and ensure that cabin curtains stay firmly closed. Clothespins, so you can hang your bathing suits outside on the balcony, if you have one, or on the line in the bathroom if you don’t. Earplugs, in case your cabin is not quiet enough for you – most of them are, but you never know.

 

Luggage Tags

 

Volumes have been written on these boards about luggage tags. And for those of you who don’t already know, here’s why: Royal used to mail luggage tags to you before your cruise. Then they stopped. Now, unless you are a Pinnacle member (hah!) or a suite guest (real suite, not junior suite), no luggage tags in the mail for you. It’s OK. It really is. No need to panic, no need to buy luggage tag holders or make your own (unless you really want to, of course).

 

When you get your cruise documents online, it will have a page in the back that is your luggage tag. Print off as many copies as you need (does not have to be in color), fold them as indicated, and stick them in your bag for your flight out. Once you get to your hotel, borrow a stapler from the front desk, wrap the tags around your bag handles, and staple the loose ends of the tags. Done. Or you can get crafty, like AZAficionado did, fold the tags as indicated, punch holes at the ends, tape with clear packing tape, and loop a twist tie through the end to fasten it.

 

 

Or you can just head out to the port and give your cabin number to a porter. They will handwrite a luggage tag. Trust me, Royal wants you and your bags on the ship, so they make it pretty easy.

 

Day 0: In Which We Learn How The 1% Lives

 

AZAficionado told you why we decided to stay at the Ritz-Carlton. Now I’ll describe what you can expect if you decide to do so. We were greeted with ice-cold water at the front desk – very welcome on a warm South Florida day. Our room had spectacular views of the beach out one window and the luxurious pool area out the other. The bed was the perfect combination of comfortable but firm, the bathroom was nothing short of decadent with a massive tub, marble everything and a glass shower, and the staff bent over backwards to be helpful. I highly recommend this hotel.

 

 

With our dinner at Via Luna, we enjoyed a bottle of Chateau Cote de Baleau, St. Emilion Grand Cru 2008. Aroma and flavor of blueberry and leather, somewhat dry, but perfectly balanced tannins. Very good, and an excellent accompaniment to both AZAficionado’s “surf & turf” and my New York strip.

[SolsticeAZ]

Embarkation

 

Embarkation for my first cruise, 20-ish years ago, almost convinced me to never cruise again. We sailed on the Monarch of the Seas out of San Juan. The terminal was jam-packed with people in a never-ending conga line of misery that wove around and around the terminal and never seemed to get anywhere. We were in line for something like two hours, and by the end of it, I just wanted to get back on the plane and fly home. Thankfully, the cruise made up for the staggeringly bad embarkation experience.

 

And, thankfully, embarkation for the Allure, and her sister ship the Oasis, is nothing like that -- even despite the fact that, as AZAficionado mentioned, our embarkation day for Allure was clearly a Very Bad Day for Royal. The fact that they managed to get us on board less than one hour after we arrived, despite the fact that their computer system had crashed, was pretty impressive.

 

 

 

 

It’s also worth mentioning how Royal manages its guests. In addition to the general seating area, there were separate seating areas for Diamond, Diamond Plus, suite guests, etc. We sat in the suite area for the short time we had to wait, which was very nice.

 

 

Ship Navigation/Getting Around

 

To call me “directionally challenged” would be a compliment. I have managed to get lost while using the map/direction app on my iPhone – so lost that the soothing Siri voice giving directions practically started shouting at me: “No, your OTHER left…oh, forget it. Just pull over and wait for the search party.” So, when we sailed on the Oasis a few years ago, I contemplated the massive size of the ship, not to mention the navigational challenges that come from getting around a ship that is split down the middle on most decks, and wondered if I would end up lost, wandering the hallways, for the rest of my life.

 

Didn’t happen. The Oasis, the Allure, and now the rest of the fleet are designed with people like me in mind. Throughout the ship, there are helpful touchscreen boards that tell you where you are and how to get where you want to go. And those touchscreens never, ever yelled at me for getting lost.

 

 

 

There are four elevator banks, located forward and aft on each side of the ship. On the first day, just figure out where your cabin is (which deck, fore/aft, port/starboard) and which elevator bank is closest. Make that elevator bank your friend. But bear in mind that only the aft elevator banks go all the way to Deck 17.

[SolsticeAZ]

There are also “cut out” diagrams of the ship regularly placed around the ship, which is a useful feature, as well as useful signs in the neighborhoods.

 

 

 

 

 

If you have an iPhone (or maybe Android?), Royal has a helpful (free!) app with all of the deck plans of all of its ships – deck by deck. Download it before you go – and if, like me, you keep your phone in airplane mode while on board, make sure to open each deck plan before you go, so it will all be loaded in your phone in advance – and you will have a map of the ship in your pocket.

 

Beverage Packages

 

Let’s talk beverage packages. Full disclosure: we did not purchase a beverage package. We never have. I’ll explain why in a bit. However, I know this is an important topic for a lot of folks, so I did the research and am here to give you the skinny. You’re welcome.

 

Royal Caribbean offers four “all-inclusive” beverage packages:

 

1. Royal Replenish: $20 per person, per day, gets you premium coffee and tea, bottled water, fresh orange juice, non-alcoholic cocktails, and fountain sodas. And just to get it out of the way, no, “premium coffee” does not include Starbucks on Allure/Oasis.

 

2. Select: $40 per person, per day, gets you beer, wines by the glass (up to $8), non-alcoholic cocktails, fountain sodas, and 20% off bottles of wine.

 

3. Premium: $55 per person, per day, gets you call and premium cocktails (up to $10), frozen cocktails, beer, premium wines by the glass (up to $12), non-alcoholic cocktails, bottled water, fountain soda, and 20% off bottles of wine.

 

4. Ultimate: $65 per person, per day, gets you a “combination” of the Premium and Royal Replenish packages.

(Royal Caribbean also offers a bottled juice package, a soda package, and a bottled water package, as well as a “wine and dine” package. The soda package, which costs $6.50 per day per person is pretty much a no-brainer if you drink soda even somewhat regularly. I’ll post about the wine package later. And I will completely disregard the other packages, because they don’t seem to stir up much interest around these parts.)

 

First, the fine print, because I’m a lawyer. None of the packages include room service, in-room purchases, mini bar stuff, Evian, canned soda, bottled juice, souvenir glasses, specialty beers, or “super premium category” beverages (which, oddly, includes Patron tequila). If you want a drink that costs more than what’s on your package, you will be charged for the difference. You can’t get a refund. It’s all subject to RCI’s alcohol policy, which means that if you take serious advantage of the all-inclusive drinks and act a fool, RCI can (and will, from what I have heard) cut you off. Duh.

 

Second, are they worth it? The short answer is: it depends, aka, “your mileage may vary.” All the package prices cover the 15% gratuity that Royal adds to every drink purchase. It does give you up-front knowledge of what you are going to spend on drinks on your cruise. And RCI did get rid of the rule that if one person in a stateroom buys a package, everyone of age in that stateroom has to buy the same package.

 

The value of these packages largely comes down to what you like to drink and how much you like to drink it.

Let’s start with the easiest option. Say you’re the type of person who really, really enjoys non-alcoholic frozen drinks. They cost between $4.75 and $5.75 ($5.50 and $6.60 with tip), so if you do the Royal Replenish package, you’d need to do about three non-alcoholic cocktails per day to make it work.

 

The Select Package is going to limit you mostly to beers and house wines by the glass. Figure $5.75 per beer and $8.05 per glass of wine (I’m including the gratuity). At $40 per day, you need to drink about 7 beers a day, or five glasses of wine to break even.

 

The Premium Package gives you a lot more options – it covers a lot of the cocktails and wines on the various bar menus, and the list of premium spirits includes some pretty good stuff (think Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire, and Maker’s Mark). At $11.50 per cocktail or $13.80 per glass of wine (again, tip included), you’ll need to drink about five cocktails or four glasses of wine per day.

 

Sounds like a smoking deal, doesn’t it? But the prices I used above are for the most expensive drinks you can buy on each package. If you drink cheaper drinks – and a lot of drinks on the ship are pretty inexpensive – you will need to drink more to break even. Also, bear in mind that the packages only cover your drinks on the ship (or on RCI property like Labadee). So it’s well worth considering your cruise itinerary. If you’re looking at a lot of sea days, it may be easier to break even. But if you’re on a port-intensive cruise, you may have a tough time unless you intend to power-drink $60 worth of alcohol in a few hours each day. In which case, I will refer you back to RCI’s alcohol policy…

 

A few more things to consider: the packages do not cover alcohol-included events, like the Prohibition Party on Allure, 150 Central Park, Chef’s Table, etc. And there are many events/places to drink for “free,” such as the Diamond Lounge for all of us who have achieved that “elite” status, the Captain’s Welcome Aboard reception, art auctions, and so on. Also, don’t forget that you can bring two bottles of wine on board, per stateroom, per cruise. And I have to mention the “buy one get one” and 20% off discount “coupons,” depending on your status. That’s a lot of non-package drinking to do.

 

Bottom line: the alcohol packages will buy you peace of mind – you will know exactly what you will spend on booze on your cruise up front. And, for folks who really enjoy drinking what’s available on a given package, and plenty of it, it may be a decent deal.

 

So why didn’t AZAficionado and I buy a package? We did the math (and by we, I mean AZAficionado – I became a lawyer because I am good at running my mouth, not doing math). He actually went back to his Freedom review (last May, if you missed it), which listed pretty much every drink we had each day. He added them all up. And he found that we would not break even if we did a package. Shocked the heck out of me, since I felt in dire need of detox after that cruise, but numbers don’t lie.

 

Wine Packages

 

We did not do a “wine and dine” package, and I was not able to get too much information about it – for some reason, the staff was unwilling to hand out the brochures so that I could see what was offered and how much it costs. Bottom line: you can buy several different packages which consist of a certain number of bottles of wine for a certain discounted price. The wines differ depending on which package you choose. My understanding is that, depending on what you like to drink, there are deals to be had, but that some packages don’t provide much of a deal. I did hear a number of people complaining that many of the wines on the package were not available in various venues around the ship.

 

“Coupon Book”

 

Crown & Anchor members get various discounts each cruise, with different types of discounts depending on your status. These used to show up in the form of a coupon book, but those days are over. Now, you get a list of the discounts in your stateroom.

 

 

If you buy something with your SeaPass card that is covered by a discount, the discount will be automatically applied to the purchase. Much better than carrying around a pocket full of coupons. The discounts include things like BOGO wine/beer/soda, free internet, discounts on laundry, a spa credit, etc.

[SolsticeAZ]

Shopping

 

To be completely honest, I am not much of a shopper. I lack the patience, the love of the hunt for a bargain, an eye for what looks good. If I could just wish for what I want and have it arrive magically, that would be awesome. However, for purposes of this review, I took a look around the shops and will give you an overview. You’re welcome again!

 

Breeze

 

Suntan lotion, beach bags, hats…everything you need for a day at the beach or pool, plus a massive supply of nail polish for some reason. Sorry, no photo. Epic fail on my part.

 

Britto

 

A store chock-full of Britto art and collectibles. Not my thing, but very pretty.

 

 

Coach

 

It’s a Coach store on the high seas, clearly designed to help me empty my bank account. In the first half of the cruise, I had to stop in to buy a bag. And then sunglasses. Don’t judge.

 

 

Guess

 

Guess watches, sunglasses, bags, and jewelry. I have spent an embarrassing amount of money in Guess stores on other ships. I am proud to say I didn’t do that on this cruise. But only because I spent the money at the Coach store instead.

 

 

Pets at Sea

 

Similar to Build-a-Bear: buy a type of stuffed animal and dress it up in various items.

 

 

Pinwheels

 

Kids’ toys and logo stuff, and a surprisingly huge Hello Kitty collection.

 

 

Port Merchants

 

Your duty-free shopping headquarters, with smoking deals (no pun intended) on liquor and cigarettes. They also have some (non-Cuban) cigars for sale. I checked with AZAficionado, who described the selection as “eh.” If you make a liquor purchase, it will be delivered to your stateroom at the end of the cruise.

 

[Lionesss]

Definite WOW factor

 

Eagerly awaiting more.

 

Thanks

 

Sea Ya

[SolsticeAZ]

Prince & Green

 

Men’s and women’s clothing – mostly resort wear, with some shoes and costume jewelry thrown in. This is where you go if your luggage didn’t make it on board with you or if you forget your dress shirts. AZAficionado, I am looking at you.

 

 

Regalia

 

Where they sell the “real” watches and jewelry. High end watches, diamond and other gemstone jewelry, etc.

 

 

Smile

 

Novelty photos. In case you need more pictures from your vacation.

 

 

Solera

 

High end cosmetics and fragrances – think Chanel, Dior, Lancome. The prices are about what you would pay in the States, really.

 

 

Star Pier

 

Casual and sports clothes, including sneakers and water shoes.

 

 

The Shop

 

Everything Royal Caribbean, from basic hats and shirts to Christmas ornaments and license plate frames.

 

[SolsticeAZ]

Willow

 

Tons of accessories: sunglasses, watches, costume jewelry – including a nice selection of Swarovski jewelry, which I love.

 

[SolsticeAZ]

Great report and pictures - I love pictures. Thank you! Subscribed.

Thanks for subscribing! There will be plenty of pictures!!

Definite WOW factor

Eagerly awaiting more.

 

Thanks

Thank you for the WOW!

[AZAficionado]

Great report and pictures - I love pictures. Thank you! Subscribed.

Who doesn't love pictures?!? You are most welcome and I hope you enjoy!

Definite WOW factor

 

Eagerly awaiting more.

Sorry, you'll have to wait until tomorrow for more. I'm a tease like that.:eek: But, I'm really glad you're enjoying it so far.

[AZAficionado]

Prince & Green

 

Men’s and women’s clothing – mostly resort wear, with some shoes and costume jewelry thrown in. This is where you go if your luggage didn’t make it on board with you or if you forget your dress shirts. AZAficionado, I am looking at you.

What? I forget to pack a few crucial items and I never hear the end of it (just kidding). The really scary part was I didn't notice until the first formal night. D'oh!

[crusinpeg]

Subscribing...great review!!

[MandyMooToo]

Going on Allure this August and even though I've been on Oasis so I have a good idea of the ship/activities/whatever I cannot stop reading reviews!!! This one is great so far :D

[levon10]

Hi AF, DH and I will be on the Allure in Dec. also on Deck 9. We were wondering what was across the hall from your cabin (on the deck plans it just shows an empty space)?

Thanks

[AZAficionado]

Subscribing...great review!!

Thank you and enjoy!

Going on Allure this August and even though I've been on Oasis so I have a good idea of the ship/activities/whatever I cannot stop reading reviews!!! This one is great so far :D

Thanks for reading it and for the kind words. I'm glad everyone is liking it.

Hi AF, DH and I will be on the Allure in Dec. also on Deck 9. We were wondering what was across the hall from your cabin (on the deck plans it just shows an empty space)?

Thanks

Directly across from our cabin was the cabin attendant's workspace which led further into the crew areas. Several attendants used the space and it had a sink/washing area (lots of stainless steel). We would joke with Kelroy, our attendant that it was his cabin. He said he wished, because the workspace was much bigger than his cabin.

 

On the deck plans, most of the empty areas are crew areas.

[hipster1]

Mr and Mrs AZ,

Great review!! We just booked Allure for next year and just made Diamond. Thanks for the detailed info! You both are witty, makes reading very enjoyable.

 

Quick question, since we made Diamond, will we get any notice in the cabin about the Diamond Lounge??

 

Thanks,

Ali

[lovesthebeach2]

WOW great review so far!! I'm boarding this Sunday and this is just in time! Subscribed :D

Edited May 22, 2014 by lovesthebeach2

[SolsticeAZ]

Subscribing...great review!!

Thanks!!

Going on Allure this August and even though I've been on Oasis so I have a good idea of the ship/activities/whatever I cannot stop reading reviews!!! This one is great so far

Thank you -- I know how addictive reviews on this site can be, particularly when you have a cruise planned yourself. Enjoy Allure in August!

Hi AF, DH and I will be on the Allure in Dec. also on Deck 9. We were wondering what was across the hall from your cabin (on the deck plans it just shows an empty space)?

Thanks

I know AZAficionado already responded, but in case you're wondering: even though it was a crew area and they did a lot of work there, we never heard the slightest noise from that area.

Mr and Mrs AZ,

Great review!! We just booked Allure for next year and just made Diamond. Thanks for the detailed info! You both are witty, makes reading very enjoyable.

 

Quick question, since we made Diamond, will we get any notice in the cabin about the Diamond Lounge??

Thank you!! Regarding the Diamond Lounge, you'll get a letter in the cabin from the Diamond Concierge, letting you know about the lounge and what he/she can do for you.

[SolsticeAZ]

WOW great review so far!! I'm boarding this Sunday and this is just in time! Subscribed :D

 

Many thanks! Enjoy your cruise, and I love your avatar.

[Beardface]

Going on the Oasis at the end of June, and this thread is probably going to end up being printed out and used as a cheat sheet leading up to it.

 

Already forwarded the link to everyone who will be joining on the trip. Fantastic report!

[levon10]

Great review and pictures!!!! I am really enjoying both the male and female point of view.