ALLURE - WEEK 4 OF 9 B2Bs

[Shana51]

Hello all, Just a few words of our experience on Allure so far and a question at the end.

The ship is stunning, awesome and beautiful. It's quite a different experience for us. Most of our cruising lately has been on a 700 passenger luxury line. We heard from friends, who were on Oasis, how wonderful the Voom internet is onboard. Even though we are retired we day-trade so need high speed internet.

 

Well it's true...the internet is lightning fast 24/7..so we are happy campers!

 

We don't use the dining rooms at all, we take all our meals at the other venues.

Chops, Giovanni's Table, Samba Grill, Windjammer are all great. We have learned when to venture out of our fabulous JR. suite in off-peak times to avoid the crowds.....

...................BUT.........

 

for us there are just too many passengers. So we are looking to down-size the ship for next winter's escape. But we have been spoiled with Voom internet so want to stay with RCI ( we are D).

 

Question...is there any way to find out what the schedule is for when the rest of the fleet gets updated with Voom from O3B?

We are looking for a ship with around 3K passengers or less...staying in the warm Caribbean on Eastern time for the stock markets and has to have Voom.

 

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Lionesss]

Hello all, Just a few words of our experience on Allure so far and a question at the end.

The ship is stunning, awesome and beautiful. It's quite a different experience for us. Most of our cruising lately has been on a 700 passenger luxury line. We heard from friends, who were on Oasis, how wonderful the Voom internet is onboard. Even though we are retired we day-trade so need high speed internet.

 

Well it's true...the internet is lightning fast 24/7..so we are happy campers!

 

We don't use the dining rooms at all, we take all our meals at the other venues.

Chops, Giovanni's Table, Samba Grill, Windjammer are all great. We have learned when to venture out of our fabulous JR. suite in off-peak times to avoid the crowds.....

...................BUT.........

 

for us there are just too many passengers. So we are looking to down-size the ship for next winter's escape. But we have been spoiled with Voom internet so want to stay with RCI ( we are D).

 

Question...is there any way to find out what the schedule is for when the rest of the fleet gets updated with Voom from O3B?

We are looking for a ship with around 3K passengers or less...staying in the warm Caribbean on Eastern time for the stock markets and has to have Voom.

 

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the update.

 

Guess you like to cruise.

 

So tell me, how many suitcases of clothes did you take?

 

Just saying.

 

Keep the posts coming.

 

Safe travels.

[OTownNick]

That was risky booking 9 weeks on a ship you weren't familiar with first hand. If you like smaller ships, Here are 2 options

 

Majesty of the seas is a 2,200-ish passenger vessel getting free Voom internet this May. It does Bahamas cruises out of Port Canaveral.

 

The Jewel of the Seas is about 2,600 pax and it's getting refurbished in May and I believe it will have Voom internet (but not free). This sails out of San Juan during half the year.

[Shana51]

Lionesss...we travel very light. One suitcase each. Hubby does have his jacket and tie for dress up nights...I bring 2 glitzy tops and dress slacks. I use the laundry service. For a Caribbean cruise one doesn't need many different clothes. Nobody really cares what other people wear and for us every 7 days it's a new batch of people.

 

OtownNick....It really wasn't too much of a risk...we do this type of cruising often...we keep to ourselves...hibernate in our cabin. We are not on vacation nor are we doing any tours. We are escaping Canadian winters. We only get off the ship in St. Thomas to get some supplies.

Thanks for your recommendations on the 2 ships....I'll check out the Jewel for sure. The Majesty just doing short cruises to Bahamas would be too many turn around days for us...also too many muster drills we're forced to attend. Trying to find out how to avoid those.

 

May I ask you...How did you find out which ships are due for dry dock? Is there some sort of master timetable one can access?

 

Thanks for your replies..

[tiggyfrank]

If that's not vacation, what do you do for vacation?

[Seandre2]

If that's not vacation, what do you do for vacation?

 

 

Right?! Must be nice to be able to claim that 9 weeks on a cruise is "not a vacation". LOL.

[Shana51]

If that's not vacation, what do you do for vacation?

 

HeeHee...We are retired...everyday is a vacation. But to answer your question..we have been taking European river cruises in the summer, cruised the Canadian arctic in summer...been to Machu Pichu twice....go visit paradise on earth which is Maui...in other words we try to go to exotic places while we are still active and mobile.

What we do in winter is what the Canadian snowbirds do in Florida...park themselves in a condo for a couple of mths then fly home....we just do it on a ship. Yes we absolutely love shipboard life.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I could be wrong with this...But I seem to recall reading that most ships (at least most of those based in the Caribbean) will be getting Voom either before or during summer 2016. Hopefully someone can confirm, or disprove, this.

[dachshunddoglover]

Shana ~ I REALLY want to be you when I grow up ! Sounds like heaven. I'm a flight attendant so I do get to see lots of cool places and have flight benefits on every major carrier, but seldom get the time to go enjoy those benefits. Maybe one day ;-). I'm single now. If I find a nice man, I'd like to work a little less and travel a little more. I'm 51 so I still have time. ;)

 

Question - What was your opinion of the Specialty restaurants ? I have been to Chops and Giovanni's but not any of the others. Would love to hear what you think. Thanks in advance.

 

I'm a little concerned that this ship might be "too big" but I'm willing to give it a try. I've sailed every other class of ship but the Oasis Class and the brand new ones. Freedom out of Port Canaveral is my favorite. Super easy port and does the Eastern/Western itinerary. It breaks my heart a little that you never get off. So many beautiful things to see and do but I guess you've done it all already. My number one dream is Moorea/Tahiti. Have you been that way ?

 

Have a great day ! - E-Beth

[Shana51]

I could be wrong with this...But I seem to recall reading that most ships (at least most of those based in the Caribbean) will be getting Voom either before or during summer 2016. Hopefully someone can confirm, or disprove, this.

 

Luke...Now that you mention it I seem to recall also reading something to that effect....by the end of 2016 though. As I have 5 weeks left onboard I shall make it my mission to find out from someone here who has facts. I will report back. You'd think since high speed internet is such a big marketing feature, they would be bending backwards to make it happen quickly...I realize O3B needs to put up more satelites to handle the demand...fingers crossed.

[Shana51]

Shana ~ I REALLY want to be you when I grow up ! Sounds like heaven. I'm a flight attendant so I do get to see lots of cool places and have flight benefits on every major carrier, but seldom get the time to go enjoy those benefits. Maybe one day ;-). I'm single now. If I find a nice man, I'd like to work a little less and travel a little more. I'm 51 so I still have time. ;)

 

Question - What was your opinion of the Specialty restaurants ? I have been to Chops and Giovanni's but not any of the others. Would love to hear what you think. Thanks in advance.

 

I'm a little concerned that this ship might be "too big" but I'm willing to give it a try. I've sailed every other class of ship but the Oasis Class and the brand new ones. Freedom out of Port Canaveral is my favorite. Super easy port and does the Eastern/Western itinerary. It breaks my heart a little that you never get off. So many beautiful things to see and do but I guess you've done it all already. My number one dream is Moorea/Tahiti. Have you been that way ?

 

Have a great day ! - E-Beth

 

Thanks...I/we are very fortunate to be able to travel. Yes we have been to Moorea and Tahiti...Moorea is a favourite. Beautiful island, quiet..spectacular lagoons. Highly recommend it.

Speciality restaurants on Allure....so far only been to 3 ..Chops and Giovanni that you mentioned...also Samba Griil. this is in the Solarium Bistro at night. They turn it into a lovely spot for dinner. It's a typical Brazilian place where they bring out meat on a pole still sizzling from the kitchen. There are 9 different varieties, comes out one at a time. You can accept each or wave it away. They will continue to bring out the meat till you turn the sign on your table to Stop!

The sides are on the table family style.

 

One thing I should mention to all who are reading this. I am gluten free. Every specialty restaurant was able to deal with my request with no effort. I just told our waiter and then he dealt with it in the kitchen. I am very impressed that a ship this size with this many passengers can handle gluten free no problem. Windjammer has a food kiosk with signage for gluten free. Also the Cafe Promenade has gluten free cookies...you need to ask for them.

[thefog]

Shana51 how does that voom work when I have a Telus phone here in Canada?Do I get roaming charges added.

[cruisingram1]

I'm just curious.. what is the difference between O3B and Voom? We were on the Oasis last year and I had unlimited internet which was supplied by O3B (I think) It was fantastic. As quick as my home internet. Maybe better. I could Facetime audio and video and play Words with Friends! It really spoiled me for other ships. So is Voom even better??? Can't imagine it's even faster.

[Shana51]

I'm just curious.. what is the difference between O3B and Voom? We were on the Oasis last year and I had unlimited internet which was supplied by O3B (I think) It was fantastic. As quick as my home internet. Maybe better. I could Facetime audio and video and play Words with Friends! It really spoiled me for other ships. So is Voom even better??? Can't imagine it's even faster.

 

...O3B is the supplier and Voom is just the name that RCI uses for that service......they are the same thing.

[OTownNick]

HeeHee...We are retired...everyday is a vacation. But to answer your question..we have been taking European river cruises in the summer, cruised the Canadian arctic in summer...been to Machu Pichu twice....go visit paradise on earth which is Maui...in other words we try to go to exotic places while we are still active and mobile.

What we do in winter is what the Canadian snowbirds do in Florida...park themselves in a condo for a couple of mths then fly home....we just do it on a ship. Yes we absolutely love shipboard life.

 

That is SO cool!! I would do the same thing when I retire.

 

I thought I saw somewhere a list of the refurbs planned right on the RCCL website.....for sure Royal Caribbean Blog web site has a link to it.

 

I just know a few for sure. The 2 I mentioned plus Liberty of the Seas is in drydock now getting Voom and water slides and new restaurants. That ones doing 7 night W. Caribbean and Mexico trips.

 

I just love the trips out of San Juan better. Port intensive. Also, the aft balconies on that Radiance class are unbelievable.

Edited January 30, 2016 by OTownNick

[OTownNick]

Shana ~ I REALLY want to be you when I grow up ! Sounds like heaven. I'm a flight attendant so I do get to see lots of cool places and have flight benefits on every major carrier, but seldom get the time to go enjoy those benefits. Maybe one day ;-). I'm single now. If I find a nice man, I'd like to work a little less and travel a little more. I'm 51 so I still have time. ;)

 

Question - What was your opinion of the Specialty restaurants ? I have been to Chops and Giovanni's but not any of the others. Would love to hear what you think. Thanks in advance.

 

I'm a little concerned that this ship might be "too big" but I'm willing to give it a try. I've sailed every other class of ship but the Oasis Class and the brand new ones. Freedom out of Port Canaveral is my favorite. Super easy port and does the Eastern/Western itinerary. It breaks my heart a little that you never get off. So many beautiful things to see and do but I guess you've done it all already. My number one dream is Moorea/Tahiti. Have you been that way ?

 

Have a great day ! - E-Beth

South Pacific is also MY dream destination. No. 2 is the Norwegian fjords and we are going there June 2017 on most likely the Brilliance of the Seas (sister to the Jewel)

[Shana51]

Shana51 how does that voom work when I have a Telus phone here in Canada?Do I get roaming charges added.

 

I don't use the cellular service on my phone....I turn it off. I turn on wifi and connect to the ship's wifi service...Voom.....buy my internet pkge for the week and I'm good to go. If you want to make actual phone calls then you would incur expensive roaming charges . I'd research the roaming packages at home first. If I need to talk to anyone at home I use email or instant message thru wifi. It's all covered in the wifi pkge you bought onboard.

[dmpuszcz]

We just got off ncl and I missed having internet. I thought $75 for 100 minutes was just too much for a slow internet. After reading your post I googled VOOM. This is what I found on the rccl blog:

 

Royal Caribbean will add Voom in 2016 to Majesty of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.

 

Will Voom be expanding to other ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet?

While specific dates and ships are still to be determined, Voom will be available on all Caribbean ships by mid-2016.

 

Majesty of the Seas is slated to get Voom internet following her refurbishment in May 2016.

[Paulette3028]

Hello all, Just a few words of our experience on Allure so far and a question at the end.

The ship is stunning, awesome and beautiful. It's quite a different experience for us. Most of our cruising lately has been on a 700 passenger luxury line. We heard from friends, who were on Oasis, how wonderful the Voom internet is onboard. Even though we are retired we day-trade so need high speed internet.

 

Well it's true...the internet is lightning fast 24/7..so we are happy campers!

 

We don't use the dining rooms at all, we take all our meals at the other venues.

Chops, Giovanni's Table, Samba Grill, Windjammer are all great. We have learned when to venture out of our fabulous JR. suite in off-peak times to avoid the crowds.....

...................BUT.........

 

for us there are just too many passengers. So we are looking to down-size the ship for next winter's escape. But we have been spoiled with Voom internet so want to stay with RCI ( we are D).

 

Question...is there any way to find out what the schedule is for when the rest of the fleet gets updated with Voom from O3B?

We are looking for a ship with around 3K passengers or less...staying in the warm Caribbean on Eastern time for the stock markets and has to have Voom.

 

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Listening to some of the comments you have made as I read thru this thread Serenade does a lot of S. Caribbean cruises of 10 or 11 days departing from S. Florida. Those itineraries would actually give you a few less turnaround days. Its' max capacity is 2500 passengers and although I have not sailed on Serenade, I have sailed on Jewel, one of the other ships in this same class of ship, and it does have a wonderful look. DH and I had a wonderful 7 day cruise of the S. Caribbean on Jewel and would imagine a longer cruise to be just as terrific. As they improve the internet on all of the ships (as they say they are doing) your needs for Vroom, will be addressed.

[dmpuszcz]

We just got off ncl and I missed having internet. I thought $75 for 100 minutes was just too much for a slow internet. After reading your post I googled VOOM. This is what I found on the rccl blog:

 

Royal Caribbean will add Voom in 2016 to Majesty of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.

 

Will Voom be expanding to other ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet?

While specific dates and ships are still to be determined, Voom will be available on all Caribbean ships by mid-2016.

 

Majesty of the Seas is slated to get Voom internet following her refurbishment in May 2016.

[Shana51]

We just got off ncl and I missed having internet. I thought $75 for 100 minutes was just too much for a slow internet. After reading your post I googled VOOM. This is what I found on the rccl blog:

 

Royal Caribbean will add Voom in 2016 to Majesty of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.

 

Will Voom be expanding to other ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet?

While specific dates and ships are still to be determined, Voom will be available on all Caribbean ships by mid-2016.

 

Majesty of the Seas is slated to get Voom internet following her refurbishment in May 2016.

 

...Thank you, thank you, this is just the info I needed! I wasn't aware Royal had a blog site, I will go there in future also to get info.

 

Thanks eh! ..to all who replied.

[John&LaLa]

That was risky booking 9 weeks on a ship you weren't familiar with first hand. If you like smaller ships, Here are 2 options

 

Majesty of the seas is a 2,200-ish passenger vessel getting free Voom internet this May. It does Bahamas cruises out of Port Canaveral.

 

The Jewel of the Seas is about 2,600 pax and it's getting refurbished in May and I believe it will have Voom internet (but not free). This sails out of San Juan during half the year.

 

I could never handle 18 musters. :eek:

 

I guess the OP agreed

Edited January 31, 2016 by John&LaLa

[sg4crzn]

You doing 9 weeks of cruising or 9 b2bs? Sounds wonderful either way-enjoy! I would have to enjoy the beaches at the ports. Maybe not every stop.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

...Thank you, thank you, this is just the info I needed! I wasn't aware Royal had a blog site, I will go there in future also to get info.

 

Thanks eh! ..to all who replied.

 

Royal Caribbean does not have a blog site. The blog site referenced is an unofficial FAN blog.

 

Below is a link to a page on RCI's website showing refurbishment dates. Liberty is currently in drydock and Jewel's drydock in in April.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentSitelet.do?pagename=revitalizations

 

Enjoy your time on Allure. I know how those northern winter can be. :)

[Midwestgal]

A silly question , if you buy the Internet package does that cover texting or just e-mails? Not sure what texting falls under , data or cellular .