1st World Problem

[bossy_01]

Morning all...So ok, I know this is a bit of a 1st world problem but here goes...

 

We are currently booked on Allure of the Seas 5 nights out of Barcelona in May - we wanted to try Allure, just for the gimick of the big ship experience, and why not travel on the biggest? But I am struggling to justify the cost £2218 for two people D7 Basic drinks and grats (one of the lowest ocean view balcony cats), Eclipse is doing 7 nights fjords 2D @ £2498 - Drinks and Grats included.

Don't know which to do, I would estimate that there would be around an extra £700 in traveling expenses to Barcelona, so roughly £3000 for a 5 night cruise just doesn't sit right.

 

But we would return to eclipse 4 weeks later to do Iceland and Norway and there would be some overlap on ports.

 

I just want a cheapish cruise for my partners birthday - any suggestions?

[mickeysgal]

I've been on Oasis (sister ship). It's an engineering marvel that's for sure and despite what others may say, we never felt crowded on this ship. Design was such that it flowed nicely. You can't help but be in awe of it and it will dwarf all others in port. It's a ship certainly worth seeing at some point. That said, we too were looking at Allure out of Rome and the prices are high - we can get a 11-12 day Celebrity cruise for approx the same cost. We've also looked at same itinerary on NCL Epic. You may want to check that one...NCL tends to run a bit cheaper and honestly, NCL has it's place. Been on two cruises with them and we love the anytime dining. Best wishes on what ever you decide. The Eclipse Iceland cruise looks wonderful.

[Cruise Junky]

I wouldn't spend that on a 5 day cruise.

[hcat]

We disliked the Oasis cruise experience on a Carib itin....For us it was too big, many areas crowded, pax have to reserve ahead for shows, and food/service cannot compare to Celebrity S class which offers more upscale elegance on a beautiful ship.

 

Not very many quiet spaces other than a nice central park area, the aft adults only solarium area and the Viking Lounge for daytime relaxation and reading, Library was small and mostly used by seniors for napping, Internet space very small...but I guess there 's wifi.

 

Ship seems great for families with a very nice water play zone, carousel etc. Ship also good for those who like to zip line and flow ride. The Diamond lounge for coffee and light breakfast and evening get together held in a nice club area were better than on Celeb...but MDR and Specialty dining really not excellent!

 

Depends on what you are looking for and price/value. We also wanted to try the "big ship" , it is unusual...cutting edge in many respects, but we woud not do it again,

[ProfessorEFFE]

We sailed the Allure to the Carribean and thought it was a really wonderful ship. For me it was way too big. Not crowded but humungus. As far as value is concerned it's up to you. Why are you wanting to cruise her? To say you did? Or to do a European cruise?

[villauk]

Morning all...So ok, I know this is a bit of a 1st world problem but here goes...

 

We are currently booked on Allure of the Seas 5 nights out of Barcelona in May - we wanted to try Allure, just for the gimick of the big ship experience, and why not travel on the biggest? But I am struggling to justify the cost £2218 for two people D7 Basic drinks and grats (one of the lowest ocean view balcony cats), Eclipse is doing 7 nights fjords 2D @ £2498 - Drinks and Grats included.

Don't know which to do, I would estimate that there would be around an extra £700 in traveling expenses to Barcelona, so roughly £3000 for a 5 night cruise just doesn't sit right.

 

But we would return to eclipse 4 weeks later to do Iceland and Norway and there would be some overlap on ports.

 

I just want a cheapish cruise for my partners birthday - any suggestions?

 

As it's her first year in Europe it's more of the novelty factor, hence the expensive prices. If they plan on placing an Oasis class ship in Europe permanently for the summer months, the following years may be priced more reasonably. It will probably be based on whether she sails full next year for the summer months. Additionally, what happens with Allure will also impact their decision. Btw, we did like Oasis - never felt crowded at all ;).

 

If you want a cheaper deal, are there not some 3/4 day sailings from Southampton on Royal that will be at a more reasonable rate? I seem to recall RCI offering an inclusive package for £399 per person for a 3 nighter next year. We completed one of these sailings on Indy in October on a 4 nighter to Bruges and Le Havre - great mini break without having to fly.

[Bruin Steve]

We've cruised on the Allure twice...

It's a great ship...

The entertainment is unequaled on any cruise ship, any cruise line...Broadway show, World Class Figure Skating Show, incredible Water acrobatics/high diving show, dedicated small venue comedy club, etc.

It's also a great ship if you are cruising with kids or teens--or if you are in really good shape: Surfing, rock climbing, ice skating, zip lining, etc.

 

As to the size, it really is NOT too big...It's a matter of the space per passenger ratio, not just the number of passengers. Sure there are a lot of people, but there is a lot more space as well. All of the venues are amply sized. The open areas--the Promenade, the Boardwalk and Central Park-- are very wide...You can stroll anywhere at most times and not feel like you are in a crowd. And the scheduling is cleverly done to assure that no one area of the ship is overburdened at any time. To that end, you need to make advance reservations for the shows...but, yes, it works...

 

We love the ship.

 

That said, it really is a matter of the itinerary...

The Allure is a great ship to be on when there are a lot of "At Sea" days...and you really don't care about the ports...You go on the Allure for the ships, not for the itinerary...The 7-nighters they've done in the Caribbean--with only three ports and one of the ports being the "beach stop" at Labadee--are just about right. Most days, you spend all of your time onboard--taking advantage of those amenities...and getting a chance to see ALL of the shows...A five-nighter seems like it would be far too short on this ship...

 

If you are cruising to ports you really want to see and tour...and plan on spenmding long days on shore, then the Allure would be a waste...

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We've sailed on Allure five times. I fully agree with Bruin Steve's comments. That is why we have sailed on Allure so often.

 

Will you be sailing pre- or post-dry dock? Some changes will be made to Allure during dry dock that don't sound very good to me as some public spaces we have enjoyed in the past will be converted to suites and a Wonderland restaurant. However, if you didn't know Allure before the changes, they might not be so disappointing to you as they are to us.

 

It really has been a spectacular ship for us. I do recognize that some feel the premium price may not be worth it to them depending on what features Allure offers that are important to them and which are not.

[Gracie115]

The ship is HUGE no matter what anyone says......it HAS to be to accommodate 6000 passengers plus the crew....

 

Having said that, it IS also an engineering marvel and we're glad we took our one trip on her sister ship the Oasis...albeit in the Caribbean, in early December, when the ship was NOT full.

 

They do handle crowds well, entertainment was excellent...food was typical Royal food, however the Chef's Table dinner we had was one of the best ever on any ship.....

 

The price stated for 5 nights is REALLY high.......but if you're looking for a "WOW" factor you'll get it....

 

Don't think I'd opt to do the Eclipse since you are already booked the next month on her....

 

Don't know if we'll ever sail that class of ship again, but glad we did it once....so if you can handle the cost then go for it!!:)

[bossy_01]

Thanks for the replies!

 

The ports are not a big deal for us as we have visited them before, it is very much about the ship! Its just a case of having this itch to try the world's biggest and see what its all about.

 

When I booked, I think I got carried away with the wow factor and the low deposit...

 

I think I will probably save the money, and wait around to see if there is an oasis class ship around in 2016 / 2017.

 

As mentioned, I think doing the 7 nights fjord, 5 weeks before returning to area with the Norway and Iceland cruise may just take the edge of it.

 

I wonder how many years it will take for the Oasis class to reach the prices of what Liberty was at out of Barcelona...

 

As for short cruises, we like the Celebrity experience so we were just interested in royal for the big ship experience.

[BlueRiband]

Justify it to whom? To a group of strangers? Your mother?

 

You know what you can afford and if this is cheap or extravagant in relation to your income. Unless this would get you and your significant other into a money argument base your decision on what seems right to both of you.

[sail7seas]

Only you can make this choice. How much is it worth to you? Doesn't matter if

any of us think it worth it.

 

Let us know your decision. :)

[SuiteTraveler]

I've been on both ships. Both ships are very nice. Eclipse is more of a traditional cruise. The shows are OK, not great. The food is excellent overall. I liked the different sushi offered in the buffet. The spa is disappointing (no thalisotherapy pool). No one ever seemed to be in the casino and the ship seemed to go to sleep about 11 pm. The lawn is a snooze. Glass blowing show was boring. We liked Cellar Masters and Cafe Il Bacio and QSine - these were the highlights of this cruise, IMO. I was not a fan of the layout of the bathrooms on Verandah cabins. We were in a Family Verandah - just the 2 of us in 500sq ft, 2 bedrooms, living room, dining room and verandah. so I can't complain about our cabin too much as it was a very nice amount of space, however, the furnishings were not what I would have expected - sofa very hard, closets looked like cheap veneer, chair in living room was uncomfortable. Only 1 TV and it was in the living room. Colors drab - lots of mauve and beige. Overall, disappointing for what it could be if Celebrity would only put more luxurious furnishings in the living room and add a TV to the MBR. I know the suites are much nicer in terms of furniture.

 

The Allure is much prettier overall and it seemed to me to have so many more venues and things to do. We have also been on Oasis in a balcony. On Allure we had the Owner's Suite. Both were very nice cabins with great furnishings. Colors are blues and ivories. The balcony bathroom was very nice, the owner's suite bathroom was even better. The entertainment on the ship is terrific with so many offerings it is impossible to do it all in one week. The food is excellent in the specialty restaurants and at chef's table (we never ate in the MDR, so can't comment about that.) Spa was disappointing - no thalisotherapy pool. I didn't like the buffet, but then I generally dislike buffets anyway. Room service was excellent. We enjoyed the adults only solarium. I'm not a cruise ship shopper, so I really can't comment on the shops except to say when I ran out of hairspray they had some I could buy at a reasonable price. I enjoyed going topside to watch people trying out the flow rider, riding the zip line and climbing the rock walls. There is a nice mini-golf course. There was an excellent live band in Dazzles it seemed like they were there every night. I loved riding the Rising Tide bar.

 

I think you need to ask yourself what you want to get out of a cruise. If you are more into entertainment, then go with Allure. If food is your priority, go with Celebrity. Both are good ships, both offer good experiences. Eclipse is more quiet. Allure is more action packed. Age group skews younger on Allure and older on Eclipse. To me both are good cruises, but they are different. It's all about what pleases you and your partner.

[boulders]

Explorer of the Seas will be sailing out of Southampton next May. It has some interesting itineraries and is a lot less expensive than Allure.

 

OR

 

Quantum of the Seas will be passing through the neighbourhood on its way to China next May - also for less than Allure. Quantum is Royal's newest shiniest ship.