Allure of the Seas trip review; July 2016

[madimorg]

I just returned from a week on the Allure of the Seas and wanted to share my review. These pages helped me in planning my trip so I wanted to give my review to help the next traveler. My husband and I went along with his mother, an aunt and an uncle. We had cabins 12200 and 12202; balcony cabins on the hump. This was my fourth cruise and my husband’s first cruise. The week went so fast and we didn’t have time to do half of what we wanted to but this will give you a briefing of some things we did and experienced and opinions.

 

First let me say we loved this cruise and ship; enough that I booked my next cruise while onboard. My next cruise is on the same ship but with a group of my girlfriends. My husband says he would definitely cruise again but he still likes vacations of flying to a destination and spending a full week exploring a location. The trip we were on had three days at sea, one day in St. Maarten, half day in San Juan and a full day in Labadee.

 

ARRIVING AND BOARDING: We flew down the night before and stayed at the Hilton Marina location. We did eat dinner in Fort Lauderdale at the H2O Café and took a taxi from the hotel to the port on Sunday morning. We arrived to the port around 11am and were on the ship around noon. The process was extremely organized and smooth. Upon boarding we went directly to the Solarium Pool and got chairs in the shade with a nice view and had drinks in hand from the Solarium Bar. I did have my hole punch with me in my carry on and had pre purchase nice necklace lanyards for me and my mother-in-law and aunt; they were easily impressed when I took their sea pass cards and punched them and gave them a pretty lanyard while sitting in the boarding room lobby. My husband and I also snuck away while everyone was sitting in the Solarium and we decorated the cabin doors. We spoke to our room steward and had the balcony divider opened between our two cabins and also had a third chair brought to our balcony so that we’d all have seats. For the sail away we stayed on our balconies and had a toast with champagne which we carried on board. We carried on the two bottles permitted per stateroom of wine and champagne. One of the bars gave us five wine glasses to take to the cabin.

 

GENERAL: The elevators mid ship seemed slow and when they you did get on them they seemed to stop at every floor. We found that stairs or front of ship elevators were the best to use. My husband and I also did the All Access Tour… this was worth doing at least once.

 

MEALS: My husband and I only ate in Windjammer one time; we had breakfast there the first morning. The food was good and we had a gorgeous view of the ocean while enjoying breakfast and mimosa drinks. We didn’t go back to the Windjammer simply because we are not fans of buffet eating. The other three in our group did eat here nearly every breakfast and lunch and raved about the sticky buns, fruit and salads. We had breakfast one morning in the Vitality Café at the spa area; we were in the mood for something light so had fruit, yogurt and a sandwich along with fresh squeezed orange juice. We did order room service breakfast on the balcony one morning; the food was good but we did have an issue with getting what we ordered. We filled out the room service order door hanger the night before with our order but the next morning we only received one of the three meals. I called room service to let them know that we had meals missing and they then sent up the two missing meals; however they still missed the drinks. My husband and I skipped breakfast on days of shore excursions; we don’t always eat breakfast even at home so it wasn’t a big deal to us. For lunch we ate one meal in the main dining room and it was our favorite; we wished we had eaten lunch there more. We also had lunch in the Park Café; my husband tried the roast beef sandwich that I’d read everyone rave about; he says it was good but he liked his salad from there even more than his sandwich. I had a panini and it was really good. We had dinner and lunch in Sabor and even went back one day for chips and salsa. The food in Sabor was very good. I had the Ahi Tuna tacos and my husband had the barbacoa tacos. The guacamole was fantastic and even my mother-in-law who says she didn’t like guacamole loved it. One tiny complaint was that the table side guacamole was not prepared table side. On the third visit I did ask about why they weren’t doing table side and then they did bring the cart over and did it at the table. For $5 a meal and $5 for the guacamole it was a great deal and good value. Dinner was in the main dining room every evening except for the Sabor night. We did the “my time” dining and had reservations made prior to the trip. There were two evenings in which we showed up to eat later than our reservation time and didn’t have to wait very long to be seated. We were all very happy with all of our meals and have no complaints at all.

 

DRINK PACKAGE: My husband I had the ultimate drink package and are so glad we did. We probably could’ve been fine with the premium package and we will know better next time. It was a great peace of mind for us to have this paid in advance and to not have to think about how much our tab was adding up. I had many mud-slide drinks every day and my husband had many beers and margaritas. The others in our group did not have a drink package and there were many times that they had enough drinks that a package would’ve been beneficial to them.

 

PORTS OF CALL: We loved St. Maarten!! My husband and I had pre booked the Captain Bob’s boat/snorkeling tour and it was fantastic!! I highly recommend it. We did take our own snorkeling gear so I can’t speak for the tour equipment. The boat ride was so fun going fast and bouncing over the waves. The stops at beaches, swimming and snorkeling was good. The tour included lunch at a locals type of restaurant on the French side. The San Juan stop was the one I was looking forward to the least but it ended up being a great day and I was disappointed that we didn’t have more time; the on board time was 1:30pm. My husband and I just went walking and we stumbled upon an information center who gave us a breakfast recommendation and a map. Breakfast was at a small place called Café Manolin. We went to the cathedral and it was beautiful and then we just explored streets, the wall and enjoyed the views of the fort, ocean and cemetery. Stop and get a coconut or pineapple ice cream from one of the street vendor carts; oh how I’d love to have some again. In Labadee we had an over the water cabana booked at Nellie’s Beach; this was a life saver and in my opinion worth the money. There were five of us in the cabana for a full day so $495 wasn’t a bad deal. Our cabana guy kept our cooler full of water and Coronas the entire day, had a golf cart pick us up and drove us to lunch and waited while we filled up plates and then drove us and our food back to the cabana, he provided extra floating mats and catered to every need. Out of the over the water cabanas I only saw one that wasn’t booked. We did snorkel some at Labadee and saw some pretty fish along the rock wall near the cabanas; not fantastic snorkeling but still worth going and putting your face into the water.

 

SHIP ENTERTAINMENT: We loved the Bow and Stern bar and Ian with his guitar, voice and humor. The shows on the ship were good.. least favorite was the headliner and favorite was Mamma Mia and Ocean Aria.

 

PHOTO PACKAGE: I did purchase the all-inclusive photo package in advance that included all photos and also the USB of images; this was a good option for us and we now have a giant stack of photos from formal nights, port of calls, dining rooms and general around the ship. They offer so many photo opportunities!!

 

LUGGAGE VALET: We used the luggage valet service for getting off of the ship and highly recommend it. We didn’t have to touch or see our luggage from Saturday night at 10:30pm until we got home to Columbus Ohio on Sunday at 4:30pm. This allowed us to get off the ship and go to Fort Lauderdale and eat breakfast before going to the airport and not have to deal with dragging luggage around. We left our cabin at 7:30am and were in a taxi enroute to breakfast at the beach by 8:05am.

[Clarea]

Thanks for the report.

[tropiclvrs]

Thanks so much for your review!

 

I'm a little jealous with all the extra attention you received for the cabana in Labadee. When we had one last summer we didn't get a golf cart ride anywhere and thought the cabana boy could have come around more often than he did. Don't get me wrong...we still enjoyed it tremendously but not sure we will book one again for that cost!

[madimorg]

Thanks so much for your review!

 

I'm a little jealous with all the extra attention you received for the cabana in Labadee. When we had one last summer we didn't get a golf cart ride anywhere and thought the cabana boy could have come around more often than he did. Don't get me wrong...we still enjoyed it tremendously but not sure we will book one again for that cost!

 

Not sure how much it helped or not but we made sure to start a conversation with the cabana guy right away and within the first ten minutes or so gave him $20. Then about mid day we gave him another $20 and then at the end of the day we gave him another $20. Our guy was beyond attentive; he came around continuously asking what he could do for us. We also tipped the golf cart driver to and from lunch and then at the end of the day he came back to the cabana to see if we wanted a ride to the ship.

Edited July 25, 2016 by madimorg

[madimorg]

I also meant to mention that in Labadee we brought along a bluetooth speaker and our cell phone with the spotify app and pre-downloaded Caribbean music; this was a great thing and helped to drown out background noise of swimmers and added to the ambiance of the day.

[tropiclvrs]

Not sure how much it helped or not but we made sure to start a conversation with the cabana guy right away and within the first ten minutes or so gave him $20. Then about mid day we gave him another $20 and then at the end of the day we gave him another $20. Our guy was beyond attentive; he came around continuously asking what he could do for us. We also tipped the golf cart driver to and from lunch and then at the end of the day he came back to the cabana to see if we wanted a ride to the ship.

 

That's a good point. We tipped well, but not until the end. I never even though about tipping upfront...just not how I was raised. To be fair though, the service was still good, just not exemplary. He was happy to bring extra mats and drinks...I just would have liked him to come check a little more often. We also didn't really NEED a golf cart ride anywhere. Yes, it's ridiculously hot in Labadee so the walk sometimes isn't fun, but we are a fairly young family of 4 so we are perfectly capable of doing it on our own. However, I get that would be a nice option!

[madimorg]

Yes, you are right... It is HOT there. :)

[Lionesss]

Very nice review.

 

Soon for us.

 

 

12 days

 

Thanks

[smartpeach]

Hi,

 

Do you have a copy of your cruise compass? This is a new itinerary and Ive been dying to get my hands on one since it's the same itinerary We have in August.

 

Please post it.... Thank you !

 

 

:)

[madimorg]

Hi,

 

Do you have a copy of your cruise compass? This is a new itinerary and Ive been dying to get my hands on one since it's the same itinerary We have in August.

 

Please post it.... Thank you !

 

 

:)

 

I'm sorry to say I did not save them. :(

[madimorg]

Very nice review.

 

 

 

Soon for us.

 

 

 

 

 

12 days

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Lucky you. :) wish I were going again

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[jaredsmom]

Thanks for your review!! Did you spend any time in the piano bar? My husband and I really enjoyed it on our cruise aboard Oasis 5 years ago and we're hoping it will be someone equally entertaining this time.

[Surfguyxxx]

Leaving in about a month and so excited. Thanks for your perspective.

[madimorg]

Thanks for your review!! Did you spend any time in the piano bar? My husband and I really enjoyed it on our cruise aboard Oasis 5 years ago and we're hoping it will be someone equally entertaining this time.

 

 

No we didn't make it to the piano bar. One evening I did stop there for a drink but I was in and out. It was busy and seemed popular.

[katinez]

I've been having a hard time finding an answer for this question: Does the Ultimate Drink Package cover the smoothies & juices in the Vitality Cafe besides the orange juice?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Clarea]

I've been having a hard time finding an answer for this question: Does the Ultimate Drink Package cover the smoothies & juices in the Vitality Cafe besides the orange juice?

I've been told that smoothies and juices are included as long as they don't have protein powder. However, others have reported different experiences. I suggest that you check onboard before you purchase if this is important.

[cruzin76]

Thanks for the review will use some of the tips.

[NauticalNanna]

LUGGAGE VALET: We used the luggage valet service for getting off of the ship and highly recommend it. We didn’t have to touch or see our luggage from Saturday night at 10:30pm until we got home to Columbus Ohio on Sunday at 4:30pm. This allowed us to get off the ship and go to Fort Lauderdale and eat breakfast before going to the airport and not have to deal with dragging luggage around. We left our cabin at 7:30am and were in a taxi enroute to breakfast at the beach by 8:05am.

 

Sounds perfect! How does one go about arranging for this? Is it a RC service, airline service or a private outside company service? Thanks much.

[Clarea]

Sounds perfect! How does one go about arranging for this? Is it a RC service, airline service or a private outside company service? Thanks much.

Luggage Valet is an RC service. You will receive a sign-up sheet in your stateroom around midway through the cruise.

[NauticalNanna]

Luggage Valet is an RC service. You will receive a sign-up sheet in your stateroom around midway through the cruise.

 

Bless you!!!!

[Clarea]

Bless you!!!!

Thanks, I can use it.:)

[Geoffy805]

I just returned from a week on the Allure of the Seas and wanted to share my review. These pages helped me in planning my trip so I wanted to give my review to help the next traveler. My husband and I went along with his mother, an aunt and an uncle. We had cabins 12200 and 12202; balcony cabins on the hump. This was my fourth cruise and my husband’s first cruise. The week went so fast and we didn’t have time to do half of what we wanted to but this will give you a briefing of some things we did and experienced and opinions.

 

 

DRINK PACKAGE: My husband I had the ultimate drink package and are so glad we did. We probably could’ve been fine with the premium package and we will know better next time. It was a great peace of mind for us to have this paid in advance and to not have to think about how much our tab was adding up. I had many mud-slide drinks every day and my husband had many beers and margaritas. The others in our group did not have a drink package and there were many times that they had enough drinks that a package would’ve been beneficial to them.

 

PORTS OF CALL: We loved St. Maarten!! My husband and I had pre booked the Captain Bob’s boat/snorkeling tour and it was fantastic!! I highly recommend it. We did take our own snorkeling gear so I can’t speak for the tour equipment. The boat ride was so fun going fast and bouncing over the waves. The stops at beaches, swimming and snorkeling was good. The tour included lunch at a locals type of restaurant on the French side. The San Juan stop was the one I was looking forward to the least but it ended up being a great day and I was disappointed that we didn’t have more time; the on board time was 1:30pm. My husband and I just went walking and we stumbled upon an information center who gave us a breakfast recommendation and a map. Breakfast was at a small place called Café Manolin. We went to the cathedral and it was beautiful and then we just explored streets, the wall and enjoyed the views of the fort, ocean and cemetery. Stop and get a coconut or pineapple ice cream from one of the street vendor carts; oh how I’d love to have some again. In Labadee we had an over the water cabana booked at Nellie’s Beach; this was a life saver and in my opinion worth the money. There were five of us in the cabana for a full day so $495 wasn’t a bad deal. Our cabana guy kept our cooler full of water and Coronas the entire day, had a golf cart pick us up and drove us to lunch and waited while we filled up plates and then drove us and our food back to the cabana, he provided extra floating mats and catered to every need. Out of the over the water cabanas I only saw one that wasn’t booked. We did snorkel some at Labadee and saw some pretty fish along the rock wall near the cabanas; not fantastic snorkeling but still worth going and putting your face into the water.

 

was the cooler stocked with coronas part of the price of the cabana, or was it because you had the drink package. Plan on booking an over the water cabana at barefoot beach in november and not everyone in the party has a drink package.