Allure vs HAL

[djhsolara]

We just booked a sailing on Allure of the Seas. I know it's one of the behemoth ships, but I've always wanted to experience it once.

 

We've done Vista, Signature and Pinnacle classes on HAL (have never done a smaller HAL ship).

 

Does anyone have experience with Allure, Oasis or Harmony that could describe how different the experience is in relation to the HAL experience? We've been on one other Royal Caribbean sailing, and other than the fact that we sailed directly through the eye of Hurricane Sandy, it was an enjoyable experience (although a much smaller ship than Allure).

 

Thank you!!

 

 

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[RocketMan275]

We were on Oasis in Nov 2015. We were in a Crown Loft Suite. Once we returned, we cancelled our cruise on Allure that was scheduled for March 2016. Instead we booked an aft wrap on Westerdam. We much preferred Westy.

 

We could dine in Coastal Kitchens, the suites only dining facility. Many have raved about CK but we found it very disappointing. The facility was nice. The servers accomplished. The menu was limited. I think there were only five or six entrees and the menu only changed once in the seven day cruise. There was only one or two entrees on each menu we would choose. (We're not into duck or lamb, etc.). We actually preferred the buffet. We didn't dine in the MDR on Oasis.

 

The Suites only lounge which was next to CK was very nice. Complimentary wine/beer from 11 till closing. Complimentary spirits after five.

 

The cabin was on two levels. Lots of WOW. Our room steward was wonderful. The shower in the master was the best we've ever seen on a cruise ship. The balcony was too small for our tastes. We found the SB on Westy to have more useful space and, of course, the aft wrap balcony was wonderful.

 

The one thing that saved the cruise was the Italian specialty restaurant. We loved it.

 

All that said, it's important to know that we're retired. We're not into zip lines or surfing. There are many things on Oasis that are attractive to some people, just not us.

 

We're very glad we went on Oasis because it convinced us to finally take a cruise on Holland. We would not book Oasis class ship again.

[djhsolara]

Thanks for the valuable input. Would love to hear if any others have experiences as well.

 

 

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[Snooksi]

I sailed on the Allure back in 2013 and will sail her again in May with my kids and grandson. We (my older children and I) sailed on the Nieuw Amsterdam last Christmas and I was very impressed with HAL.

 

The Allure is definitely geared more towards families with all of their attractions (merry go round, zip line, flow riders, ice skating rink). We stayed in a crown loft suite (and will again) and like the previous poster said...WOW is all I can say. I've never been in a hotel room or cruise suite as nice. I absolutely love the two story window view of the ocean. Yes, the balcony is smaller than most suites (big enough for two loungers, sm table and they add a reg chair for us since we're 3) but the two story view is so worth it to us. I also think the suite perks are better on the Allure. The previous poster didn't mention the reserved seating for all shows, the private beach and upgraded buffet (steak and shrimp skewers compared to just hot dogs/hamburgers) for suite guests on their private island, Labadee, private sun deck, full breakfast, lunch and dinner (from dining room) service in your suite if you like and if you get a suite in the Star class (crown loft is only sky class) you get a genie (butler) and your gratuities, ALL specialty dining, ALL drink packages are free. (Believe me, you pay for it in the price of the suite).

 

I honestly felt the food was better on HAL than on the Allure. The menus have downsized since I sailed the Allure last (as on most lines from what I've heard) but I was really impressed with HAL's buffet and dining room and there seem to be a lot more choices. There is no more prime rib (my fav) on the Allure and I'm really disappointed about that. Their specialty dining is great as was the Pinnacle Grill on the Nieuw Amsterdam...but you pay for it.

 

There is no comparison with the entertainment. As much as I loved the BB King Club and the Piano Bar (we visited these two every night), the entertainment on the Allure is incredible. Not only do you have ice skating shows, but you have a Broadway show, a high diving/swimming show, a comedy club act, the regular headliner show and a contemporary (Blue Planet) show. I was amazed and loved them all.

 

HAL also has better itineraries than the Oasis class ships. They do the same Eastern and Western itineraries every other week.

 

I've basically decided that when I want to go on vacation for the itinerary and to relax, I'll cruise on HAL and when I have the kids or my grandson with me, I'll go on the Allure, Oasis or Harmony. I will let you know that when you return home after having spent only 7 nights on the Allure, you will NEED a vacation to recover from the vacation. If you want to see/do everything in those 7 short days, you are busy from early morning until late at night every single day!! We were exhausted when we got home but we did see and do every single thing we wanted....and I even made a spreadsheet to ensure it. It's really advised because you make reservations for all of the shows before you cruise.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited February 9, 2017 by Snooksi

[Wehwalt]

I'm on the Allure now. There are obviously spectacular attractions that you won't get on HAL but it is also a very mass production experience. Getting off the ship in port in a reasonable time frame is difficult. The buffet is more varied than HAL. The ship has unlimited internet at a reasonable cost, which is important to me but not important, I'm aware, to others. There certainly is a lot of entertainment available, but reservations are often required.

 

This ship never tenders. I found out why, there are no seats in the lifeboats, just spots on the floor where you would have to sit and put your feet in indentations in the floor, sitting back to back! Wouldn't want to do that one!

 

The Allure is an interesting experience. And just like every other cruise line, the prizes are junk.

[Cindy]

We've been on Oasis and loved it! We were fortunate enough to get an awesome upsell (for $15!) to a huge 2 bedroom Aqua Theater Suite, and the whole trip was a unique experience. We loved the entertainment and the variety of specialty dining -- we only ate in the MDR once and never went to the buffet. We also really enjoyed Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge.

 

The ship is stunning, and I really enjoyed walking around marveling at the attention to detail. That said, we chose carefully when we booked the cruise and went at a time we knew would be less crowded. That strategy worked, because I never felt crowded or waited for things any longer than I would have on a smaller ship. We would go again if the ship was our destination and the ports didn't matter.

 

 

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[TheCalicoCat]

We just booked a sailing on Allure of the Seas. I know it's one of the behemoth ships, but I've always wanted to experience it once.

 

We've done Vista, Signature and Pinnacle classes on HAL (have never done a smaller HAL ship).

 

Does anyone have experience with Allure, Oasis or Harmony that could describe how different the experience is in relation to the HAL experience? We've been on one other Royal Caribbean sailing, and other than the fact that we sailed directly through the eye of Hurricane Sandy, it was an enjoyable experience (although a much smaller ship than Allure).

 

Thank you!!

 

 

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I think it is very important to know what type of cabin/suite you are booking? Passengers in suites get a very different experience than those not in suites.

 

I would choose Allure if I wanted the amenities - ice rink, etc. Not if I were interested in a quiet vacation...

 

Food = Subjective (They can have the very best beef ever prepared exceptionally well, as a vegetarian that means nothing to me.)

 

Also where are you sailing? I'd consider Allure if the itinerary was one that I was interested in?

[olya1972]

We sailed in regular Balcony Oceanview cabin. Allure is a WOW ship. We loved it. We sailed a dozen times on good ships (NCL, RCCL, Celebrity and Princes, new ships, none could compare to Allure in WOW factor). It was in 2014, things might have changed since.

[bracy]

We have sailed the Zuiderdam, Eurodam and Allure over the past few years. I would agree with everything that has already been said here. I love HAL because it is so uncrowded, Zuiderdam had a fabulous library and game room, the food is better, and the price is better.

 

DH prefers the bigger ship (Allure) with all the bells and whistles. There's more to do and the shows are fantastic, but they do nickel and dime you more, and as has been stated, those in a suite get a much better experience (avoid Labadee unless you are in a suite). I spent a lot of time in the adult pool area, which they are very good about policing if a kid tries to get in. Get there at a reasonable time and you can get a lounger. Also, on the Allure, you must make reservations for the shows before you cruise and if all seats are reserved, no show for you. They reserve a lot of seats for suite guests. There's going to be more kids on the Allure, and a lot of kids during summer, winter, and spring break times. The kids program looked really great but our kids are not into programs with so many kids. They actually liked the HAL program better because they got so much attention, but they are very different kids club programs. Again, bells and whistles vs uncrowded.

 

To me, the newer behemoth ships are not worth the money, but it really depends on what you are looking for in your cruise experience and how much you are willing to spend. Hope that helps.

[dogo88]

We were on the Allure a couple of years ago and had an excellent time. Many differences between them and HAL, but the differences are both positive and negative. At that time we were getting stale with HAL and decided to branch out to other lines since we have been sailing with HAL for many years. It was a wise decision. Differences between the lines is not a great as other have said.

 

We usually book a balcony and found similar positive points for both HAL and Allure. Both cleaned room as expected. Room stewards were both very friendly. We booked an inside balcony cabin in the Boardwalk area and were able to watch the shows from our balcony. Another nice thing about the inside balcony cabins is if you are sailing out of FLL in the winter it can be a bit chilly to use your balcony. Inside balconies do not get the cold sea breezes.

 

Food, which is very subjective, in the MDR was better on the Allure. Our waiter and busboy on the Allure were the best we have ever had on any ship.

 

Allure has many activities and booking shows requires you do do this early which some folks either forget to or find it confusing and then complain. We loved it. Get to a show and just walk to the front of the line for those with reservations.

 

The big difference we found going from HAL to Allure was we gave up walkers/motorized carts for baby carriages.:D

 

Would we go on the Allure again? Absolutely. Just got off the Anthem last Oct and absolutely loved her.

Would we do HAL again? Yup, going in 4 weeks. But we're also going on Celebrity in Oct.

 

Aside from the Koingsdam, all HAL ships have the nice walk around teak deck to sit and relax. Some folks grouse that the Allure is so big and doesn't offer anything like that. Well it kind of does. If you go down to the running track at the stern of the ship (back ;)) you'll find about 6-10 teak chairs where folks can sit and relax. Not too crowded and not to well known.

 

Dan

[djhsolara]

Thank you all for the great information.

 

 

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[perfect match]

We haven't sailed on HAL yet, but we are booked on Koningsdam this coming October. I know that by HAL standards Koningsdam is considered large, but K-dam will be the smallest ship we have ever cruised. Our last cruise was on Oasis. We have also cruised Freedom and Independence of the Seas, Disney Dream and Fantasy, and Ruby and Caribbean Princess. I'm looking at the comparison from the totally opposite direction. I've been afraid we might be bored on a smaller ship even though we are retirees, not millenials! I have been doing a lot of reading here on the HAL board since we booked, and I am no longer worried about boredom on the K-dam. I think it will be good to have a less frantic pace onboard the ship in between our thrill seeking activities. :D

 

On Oasis we sailed in a Boardwalk Balcony. We are normally aft balcony people so we were hoping for the best of both worlds, an aft view from our balcony and the ability to watch the activities on the Boardwalk and in the Aquatheater as well. While we were glad we tried that Boardwalk cabin and the views did work out even better than we expected because DH broke his collarbone 2 weeks before we sailed and enjoyed the views from our balcony when he couldn't do much else, we will probably not book a Boardwalk or Central Park cabin again. We much prefer the Jr Suite category on the Royal ships because of the layout, the space (or lack thereof) in the cabin and because we did not love being directly across from other cabins.

 

As far as Oasis goes, definitely book your shows online as soon as possible. The comedy show in particular since it is held in a small venue to give the feel of a more intimate comedy club. We have really enjoyed all of the entertainment on the Royal ships we have sailed. Also, book your dining, especially if you are not doing Traditional dining. Then be prepared because some things may change. :eek: Our Aquatheater show changed twice due to weather before we finally got to see it.

 

While the Oasis class ships are full of activity, there is nothing saying you have to do all of it. There are plenty of quiet places on the ship as well. Central Park, for one. Don't be afraid to explore a bit. You might be surprised at what you will find. There are many small details throughout the Royal mega ships that can be easily missed in all the activities, but are delightful when you slow down and find them, and many quiet places where you can actually forget that you are aboard a huge cruise ship with about 5,400 of your closest friends.:D

 

Don't forget to sign up for your roll call, and also for the Meet & Mingle put on by RCI. Both are great ways to establish a more personal connection on a mega ship. We have come away from our mega ship cruises with lasting friendships that started with our roll calls and Meet & Mingles, and enjoyed seeing others throughout the cruise we were on. It is always nice to see a familiar face in the crowd.

 

We have sailed on a few different ships now, several of them multiple times across three different cruise lines. We have enjoyed every single one of them for the special differences each one has to offer. We are totally looking forward to our next adventure getting to know HAL and Koningsdam! :cool:

Edited February 10, 2017 by perfect match

[Wehwalt]

I will say that RCCI ships seem to be well-thought-out to avoid bottlenecks, and on so many ships I've been on, a lot of the traffic seems to be on a single corridor which isn't that wide and which also features the photo gallery.

 

The elevator service is computer managed but seems very slow.

 

I don't like the narrow walking/jogging track on the Allure.

 

I also was eyeing the Central Park/Boardwalk balconies for a future cruise but was also concerned by the lack of privacy. The partitions are minimal as it is, plus the people across the way, so probably I'll stick to conventional outside balconies.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Wehwalt