Info requested about Allure of the Seas

[spearmint]

We are going to book Allure of the Seas (back to back) in November, and need some assistance. We are Celebrity Cruises people and are used to all performances in the main theatre, except for the Comedy Club venue that we saw on Silhouette... so we are not really sure how many venues there are on a ship the size of Allure. On Celebrity, one can choose either of the main dining times, and all shows will be available around those times.

 

On Allure....

I understand that one should book shows etc. in advance.

How can one know what is on, and when?

Does this also refer to all shows in the theatre, not just "Chicago"?

What about guest performers on board for a limited time?

And does this include the ice show and the aquatic theatre? (On Explorer of the Seas, we were given our time for the ice show as a notice in our stateroom upon boarding.)

What about the Comedy Club/late night comics....?

We usually book second seating dining. From some of the reviews on Cruise Critic, I understand that some of the shows will not be available depending on dining times. Does that apply to anytime dining or to the two main seating times as well?

 

Has anyone any advice/tips on anything associated with Allure? It would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Bill

[denamo]

We are going to book Allure of the Seas (back to back) in November, and need some assistance. We are Celebrity Cruises people and are used to all performances in the main theatre, except for the Comedy Club venue that we saw on Silhouette... so we are not really sure how many venues there are on a ship the size of Allure. On Celebrity, one can choose either of the main dining times, and all shows will be available around those times.

 

On Allure....

I understand that one should book shows etc. in advance.

How can one know what is on, and when?

Once you've booked the cruise, you will be able to log in online and make show reservations.

 

Does this also refer to all shows in the theatre, not just "Chicago"?

Yes. The other two shows are the Headliner show and Blue Planet. Don't have to book for Love and Marriage show or afternoon movie presentations.

 

What about guest performers on board for a limited time?

Sometimes. Most show performances are two to three times.

 

And does this include the ice show and the aquatic theatre? (On Explorer of the Seas, we were given our time for the ice show as a notice in our stateroom upon boarding.)

Yes.Will need to book

 

What about the Comedy Club/late night comics....?

Yes. Will need to book.This venue is very small. Maybe seating for 100.(?).

 

We usually book second seating dining. From some of the reviews on Cruise Critic, I understand that some of the shows will not be available depending on dining times. Does that apply to anytime dining or to the two main seating times as well?

There are some late night show availabilities for certain shows. Just need to let your servers know you have a show to get to. Might need to go to the show and then dinner. Can't think of a show that isn't available due to late seating. There are shows that start later.

 

My Time Dining is flexible. You can eat and then go to the show or vice versa.Even if you don't have a reservation for MTD, there is a line for those without reservations. The smaller the group, the easier time of getting in without a reservation. We have found a table for 2 to be fairly easy to get without a reservation.

 

Has anyone any advice/tips on anything associated with Allure? It would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Bill

 

Hope this answered your questions.

 

Edited September 10, 2014 by denamo

[tinkerme1]

On Allure....

I understand that one should book shows etc. in advance.

How can one know what is on, and when?

For the special shows, you can book them online and it gives you some options for times, which you have to choose.

 

Does this also refer to all shows in the theatre, not just "Chicago"?

What about guest performers on board for a limited time?

Not all shows are in the Theatre. There is a fabulous show which is held in the Oceanairium (Aquatic) Theatre outside AFT. Please don't miss this show! Of course, there are shows like Chicago which are in the main Theatre and then some shows are held in the Comedy Club which is very small and you really should book that immediately! You will also need to book the ice show on-line too although there is an off-chance that you will be able to get in without a reservation by waiting online about 1/2 hour before the performance.

 

We usually book second seating dining. From some of the reviews on Cruise Critic, I understand that some of the shows will not be available depending on dining times. Does that apply to anytime dining or to the two main seating times as well?

Dining is tricky on the Allure and Oasis. If you have regular dining late seating, just ensure that you ask your waiter to hurry along your dinner to make the show. This is partly the reason we prefer MTD on these ships! You can book your shows online, and knowing the time that you have chosen for those shows, you can then book your MTD times online taking into consideration your show times.

 

Has anyone any advice/tips on anything associated with Allure? It would be appreciated.

Let's see, tips:

 

1) Don't try and do everything the first time you are on the ship.

2) Specialty restaurants fill up fast, so book them before you board!

3) If you like a glass of wine, don't miss Vintages for some tapas and wine!

4) On boarding day, go to the Central Park area and find the Park Cafe which has great roast beef sandwiches and lots of nice desserts and salads!

5) Don't miss the Comedy Club!! Book it online since the venue is very small!

6) We love the free doughnuts on the Boardwalk! Get them early (since the venue closes early) and put them in your "cooler/fridge" in the cabin for a late night snack. :)

7) Have fun!

 

Thanks.

Bill

[rodenboy]

We are going to book Allure of the Seas (back to back) in November, and need some assistance. We are Celebrity Cruises people and are used to all performances in the main theatre, except for the Comedy Club venue that we saw on Silhouette... so we are not really sure how many venues there are on a ship the size of Allure. On Celebrity, one can choose either of the main dining times, and all shows will be available around those times.

 

On Allure....

I understand that one should book shows etc. in advance.

How can one know what is on, and when?

Does this also refer to all shows in the theatre, not just "Chicago"?

What about guest performers on board for a limited time?

And does this include the ice show and the aquatic theatre? (On Explorer of the Seas, we were given our time for the ice show as a notice in our stateroom upon boarding.)

What about the Comedy Club/late night comics....?

We usually book second seating dining. From some of the reviews on Cruise Critic, I understand that some of the shows will not be available depending on dining times. Does that apply to anytime dining or to the two main seating times as well?

 

Has anyone any advice/tips on anything associated with Allure? It would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Bill

 

 

I arrived home from a B2B on the Allure yesterday and all the advice given above is spot on. If you prefer to book reservations for shows on board, you can do that, but make it a priority on the first day. Any later than 6pm and you may be disappointed. My top pick for the shows would be Ice Games. Chicago is also very very good.

 

A great meeting point during the day is On Air located on Deck 5. It doesn't get too busy and it is in a central location so you can meet up and go somewhere with all your party afterwards. The Karaoke is also great. You see all types of singer. There was an amazing singer called Wesley on the western sailing who sang Whitney amazingly. On the downside, you also get those awful "but think they are brilliant" singers. It's all good fun, but I will never hear The Time Warp from Rocky Horror in the same way again!!!!

 

I have never been to a Love and marriage game show that wasn't hilarious from start to finish. If your cruise director is Ken Rush, look out for the video of him taken a few years ago on an old sailing. Also make sure you go to the Glow Party (if that is your thing) as well as The Quest. The only downside to The Quest is that if you have too much of an over enthusiastic guest sat at the front, participation will be limited from the rest of the audience (if you ever read this Serj, I'm looking at you.)

 

The process for B2B'ers is usually quite easy. You have to be escorted off the ship in Ft Lauderdale, to clear customs, and then You can get back on the ship as soon as the ship "passenger counter" reaches zero. This is usually about 10am. On my B2B, a family decided to hide out in their suite for as long as possible and, as such, had to be escorted off. As a result, all passengers on the 8/31 cruise had a slightly delayed embarkation. It was about 11.20 when we boarded the second week. (B2B'ers get priority boarding, followed by suite guests.)

 

The second Sunday is an ideal time to head out to the pool area and have a swim. I found it quite quiet before the Muster drill.

 

I did Western itinerary first. This meant we had two "at sea" days at the end of the second week on the eastern itinerary. It gave me time to go to places I hadn't frequented much/at all during the two weeks.

 

My biggest piece of advice though, is to join the roll calls here on Cruise Critic. I met some wonderful people across the two weeks through the roll call and I hope to go on a future cruise with a fellow CC member and her family at some point.

 

If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to get in touch.

 

 

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[DonnaK]

There are 6 shows that you can reserve in advance. Here is a schedule, which will give you an idea. http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/showtimes/showtimes_AL.pdf

[racerxspeedy]

Hello -

 

I just got off the Allure on Sunday. I ran into a problem with very long delays using My Time Dining (30 minutes or more). This caused some conflicts with our show times. We have never seen this on any other ship or with "traditional dining". For this reason I would recommend traditional dining over MTD. If you do go with MTD I would highly recommend making MTD reservations on line ASAP after booking your cruise. There was still a long delay even when we had reservations, but it did help. We still had a great dinner even though it took 2+ hours every night.

 

Enjoy!!!

[spearmint]

There are 6 shows that you can reserve in advance. Here is a schedule, which will give you an idea. http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/showtimes/showtimes_AL.pdf

 

Thanks for the link. It explained lots to us and we (sort of) have made decisions. :) As soon as we contact rodenboy re: back to back, we can get some advice as to which shows we might leave for the second week and which we might want to sign up for twice.:rolleyes:

 

Bill

[spearmint]

Thanks, denamo, tinkerme1 and rodenboy. Lots of great information from each of you. Since DonnaK gave us a link to the schedules, lots of stuff makes sense.

 

We wonder, since we are back to back, if any are worth repeating? (We will only do Chicago once and hope it is as good as the movie version.) Or should we just spread out the shows once over two weeks? We think that we should do Chicago the second week and The Aquatic show the first week, with a possible repeat on the second week. We would probably do Blue Planet on the first week only.

 

What are "Headliners"? I assumed that they would be guest performers that are on board for a short engagement. At any rate, if they on board for an extended stay, are they worth seeing, and are they worth repeat booking? If they change each week, then repeat booking might be the way to go in any case. The same is true of the Comedy Club.

In planning, we will have a specialty restaurant voucher for each cruise, and we love to dance so will want to check out dance venues, especially latin.

 

I guess what has me thinking about all this, is the fact that we need to pre-book and I would hate to ignore your advice and try to book after boarding. I figure that if we book the same venue both cruises, we can call and cancel from guest relations if we decide against a second showing. What are your views on this, friends?

 

Bill

Edited September 10, 2014 by spearmint

[Grandma Dazzles]

Last time we did a back-to-back on the Allure we spread the shows out over two weeks - just not as rushed.

 

You can make reservations and just not show if you decide to change your plans. The venues open up for people without reservations about 10 minutes before a performance. You can usually get a seat. If you don't show someone is given your reservation.

 

Reservations are for entry only - not specific seats. You need to get there ahead of time if you want specific seats (no saving of seats).

 

Exception would be the comedy club. It is a small location. Definitely make a reservation - you might not get in if you choose just to stand in line. It is usually filled with people who made reservations.

 

Have always had second seating regular dining - never had a problem making a show. A couple of times we didn't linger over coffee, but not a big problem. You may find that you have 10:30 p.m. shows - sometimes late for some people.

 

Would recommend making reservation for the aqua show early in your cruise. That particular show does sometimes get canceled/rescheduled - weather issues can interfere with the performance, usually wind or occasional high seas. They do re-schedule - can be a problem if you have another show scheduled for the rescheduled time, but guest relations and/or appropriate concierge (if you have access) will assist in working it out.

[spearmint]

Last time we did a back-to-back on the Allure we spread the shows out over two weeks - just not as rushed.

 

You can make reservations and just not show if you decide to change your plans. The venues open up for people without reservations about 10 minutes before a performance. You can usually get a seat. If you don't show someone is given your reservation.

 

Reservations are for entry only - not specific seats. You need to get there ahead of time if you want specific seats (no saving of seats).

 

Exception would be the comedy club. It is a small location. Definitely make a reservation - you might not get in if you choose just to stand in line. It is usually filled with people who made reservations.

 

Have always had second seating regular dining - never had a problem making a show. A couple of times we didn't linger over coffee, but not a big problem. You may find that you have 10:30 p.m. shows - sometimes late for some people.

 

Would recommend making reservation for the aqua show early in your cruise. That particular show does sometimes get canceled/rescheduled - weather issues can interfere with the performance, usually wind or occasional high seas. They do re-schedule - can be a problem if you have another show scheduled for the rescheduled time, but guest relations and/or appropriate concierge (if you have access) will assist in working it out.

 

 

Thanks very much. You, and the others who replied, have been a great help to us. With Allure being sooo much larger than what we are used to, for awhile we were wondering if we were making a mistake. Not any more.

 

Bill

[rodenboy]

Having done both an 8.30pm seating and a 6pm seating on the Allure, both have their own advantages and disadvantages. At 8.30pm, it is quite late for dinner because sometimes you won't be finished until 10pm. That being said, you can go straight from dinner to a late show.

 

The advantage of early seating is that you can have dinner at a decent time, but there can be a bit of waiting around for the nighttime activities to begin. You may decide to do one week at 8.30pm and the other at 6pm (we did that - our head waiter rang us day 6 to ask if we wanted to change, so we agreed to try something new)

 

 

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[denamo]

Thanks, denamo, tinkerme1 and rodenboy.

 

What are "Headliners"? I assumed that they would be guest performers that are on board for a short engagement. At any rate, if they on board for an extended stay, are they worth seeing, and are they worth repeat booking? If they change each week, then repeat booking might be the way to go in any case. The same is true of the Comedy Club.

In planning, we will have a specialty restaurant voucher for each cruise, and we love to dance so will want to check out dance venues, especially latin.

 

On the one B2B we've done on the Oasis, the Headliner happened to be the same performer both weeks. Made reservations for both weeks. Didn't attend the second week. Comedy Club will probably be the same. The ship has a standby line for those cruisers didn't make reservations, so no problem if you don't cancel. They are allowed in about 10 - 15 minutes prior to the show. Just leaves more room for them. :) Will need to make sure you get there earlier than that to ensure a seat.

 

I guess what has me thinking about all this, is the fact that we need to pre-book and I would hate to ignore your advice and try to book after boarding. I figure that if we book the same venue both cruises, we can call and cancel from guest relations if we decide against a second showing. What are your views on this, friends?

 

Bill

 

Bill,

When we bagan cruising the Oasis class ships, this all sounded very complicated. Not knowing the shows is what makes it a bit overwhelming at first. There wasn't as much out there about the process as there is now since we did the inaugural season. If you are curious about some of the shows, Youtube is a good place to see some previews. Our first cruise on the Oasis, we did it ALL. :D Loved it and solidified we'd be on again. We were on board with rodenboy and his family for the Western itinerary. Great roll call and everyone who participated had a great time.

 

This link is something I posted on our roll call. It is a compilation information I made for family and friends who were planning to cruise on the Allure. Hope it is helpful for you and your family.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=43417038&postcount=362

 

Enjoy your cruise!