Some thoughts on the Allure 5/18/14 Western sailing

[mamaronz]

We just returned from a wonderful week on the Allure of the Seas, Western itinerary. My husband, 18 year old daughter, and I are Platinum C&A members, but it was our first time on Oasis class ships. I can only say that the ship was amazing! We still love the “smaller” ships like Explorer, but there was so much to do and explore on Allure!

 

I could never do an extensive review as well as Gambee or Bugsy, but I did want to provide a few comments and insights based on our experiences. I don’t have Compasses or menus, but I think they are readily available on the forum.

 

We had Accessible Balcony 12170, which was perfect for our needs. The cabin was roomy enough to charge my scooter at night without obstructing access to the bathroom, closet or balcony. There was enough room to turn using a K-turn, and the bathroom fixtures were perfect for someone who could not stand for any length of time. Even the balcony had a “saddle” apparatus over the door frame, which allowed a wheelchair to be easily moved outdoors. The room had a chair that converted to a twin size bed, as well as a Pullman bed in the ceiling over the chair.

 

We ate dinner in the MDR every night, first seating, and had a positive experience there. We tried just about every free venue on the ship for a meal (or two), and had the obligatory lunch at Johnny Rockets. Thanks to everyone who posted reviews on this forum, we enjoyed many of your recommended dishes and restaurants. My husband enjoyed several of the famous roast beef sandwiches thanks to all of you!

 

My daughter had never been on a Flowrider prior to this cruise, so I arranged a lesson for her. That was a great investment. She and 5 others had a lot of personal attention from the 2 instructors, and she had a few nice rides on the stand-up board. We spent a lot of time watching the expert riders throughout the week, and really enjoyed the staff Flow Show on the last sea day. I would highly recommend booking a lesson early in the cruise to build some confidence and experience for new riders.

 

We took the walking tour of Central Park, and learned a lot of fascinating facts about the ship and the gardens. All three of us enjoyed the tour.

 

We are a trivia-loving family, and participated in several of the trivia contests throughout the week. We met a lot of nice people, and had a lot of fun.

 

The rest of the family did the All Access Tour, and really enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the ship. They both thought the tour was a good value, even though it was expensive.

 

The shows and entertainment were all excellent! Be sure to make reservations in advance, as the standby lines were very long. It is much more pleasant to spend that half hour in your seat in the theater sipping something from the bar.

 

We spent a lot of time trying many of the activities on the ship, like mini-golf, zip line, and shuffleboard. One gentleman we met summed it up nicely “If you can’t have fun on this ship, there is something wrong with you!”

 

Be sure to keep an eye out for the art on board. There are beautiful pieces everywhere, some tucked into corners. Check out the “telescopes” and “binoculars” sculptures, as they hold little treasures as well.

 

The family did the Cozumel by Segway tour, and really enjoyed it. They have ridden Segways in many places, and said this was a great excursion, well worth the price.

 

In the end, we really enjoyed our week on the Allure. I got almost all of my Allure bucket list completed, except a ride on the Rising Tide. I think that means we have to try Oasis class again soon!

Edited May 26, 2014 by mamaronz
spelling, oops!

[dacsmom]

Glad you had a wonderful week, I will be on the Allure in October and cannot wait. Did you do anything in Falmouth?

[mamaronz]

Hi dacsmom! We are not fond of Jamaica as a destination, but did walk around the gated port area, and enjoyed an appetizer and beverage at Margaritaville. We enjoyed a nearly empty ship for several hours while everyone was ashore. Thanks for commenting!

[anandaindonesia]

Yes, that's one good reason to be on a cruise again :)

I did everything that I wanted to do, but miss one thing : to have breakfast st Park Cafe! So I need to go back on Allure again :D

 

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[Lionesss]

Very nice review.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post.

 

It sounds like you will be sailing soon again.:D

 

Sea Ya

[fish6]

Do you remember when they offered the walking tour of Central Park?

[mamaronz]

We did the Central Park tour on Wednesday, before we arrived in Falmouth. It started at 9:30 (?) and went a little less than an hour, if I recall correctly. I did see it on the Compass at least one other day later in the week.

 

Thanks everyone for your kind comments!

[beigedog]

I was also onboard this past week. Except for some rain it was a great cruise. I can also answer questions if anyone has them. My wife had the premium drink package and definitely got her money's worth.

 

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[tinydncer06]

How soon can you make reservations online for shows? I've never been on a RCI ship (except a 3 day a long time ago!) and want to make sure I get everything reserved before it sells out.

 

 

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[Clarea]

How soon can you make reservations online for shows? I've never been on a RCI ship (except a 3 day a long time ago!) and want to make sure I get everything reserved before it sells out.

There is no set time that entertainment reservations open. Sometimes over 6 months, sometimes less than 3 months. Just keep checking the website.

[Debby_D]

Enjoyed reading your review. We are sailing on the Allure in August and we will be in cabin 10170. Hope you don't mind me asking a couple of questions? Was the bed in your stateroom near the balcony? Also, were there any outlets near the bed? I have a lot of medical equipment that I use at night that has to be plugged in. Thank you for your help and again for posting a great review of your vacation!

[beigedog]

Enjoyed reading your review. We are sailing on the Allure in August and we will be in cabin 10170. Hope you don't mind me asking a couple of questions? Was the bed in your stateroom near the balcony? Also, were there any outlets near the bed? I have a lot of medical equipment that I use at night that has to be plugged in. Thank you for your help and again for posting a great review of your vacation!

 

We didn't find any near the bed. My wife was looking for one so she could charge our cell phones and she ended up just using the ones on the vanity. Maybe there's one we missed, perhaps had the beds been separated we would've found one, but she had no luck.

 

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[sleepless]

We didn't find any near the bed. My wife was looking for one so she could charge our cell phones and she ended up just using the ones on the vanity. Maybe there's one we missed, perhaps had the beds been separated we would've found one, but she had no luck.

 

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I haven't been on the Allure yet, but on the Oasis, there were outlets behind the bed. You have to pull the mattress out from the wall to find it. The outlet was not visible if you just "looked for it". I have heard that the outlet is available on the Allure also, behind the mattress.

[mamaronz]

Hi Deb. I read on board that Allure does have outlets low near the nightstand tables. We were lucky, and we're able to charge my scooter and assorted electronics for three at the vanity. In 12170, the chair was close to the balcony, the bed was next to the bathroom. I have been in a lot of accessible rooms, this one was outstanding. Hope you enjoy your cruise!