Big Ship Adventures Aboard The Allure of the Seas - Photo Review - WinksCruises

[WinksCruises]

On 1/21/2019 at 11:05 AM, The Fun Researcher said:

 We also didn't like the lack of sea views, and felt much more disconnected from the ocean.  We felt more enclosed on the Oasis class, like it truly was a floating indoor mall.

2

You make an excellent point. Even with the open-air theater in the back, we definitely felt that same disconnect.

 

13 hours ago, Bradison said:

I hear that criticism of the Oasis class about the lack of connection to the sea and I guess I don't get it. 

 

What you say is true. There're all those access points to the sea plus the aft theater and open-air Central Park. But we still felt that separation only really (consciously) acknowledging it after reading Dan's comment.  Wonder why we and others feel that way, when it's patently not the case...

[WinksCruises]

13 hours ago, Bradison said:

Did you find the deck 17 location of the CLS to be a huge plus or not that big of deal?  I have been toying with the idea of downshifting to a GS for the bigger balcony.

1

Good question!

 

Yes, it was very convenient having the Suite Lounge and Coastal Kitchen located on the same level as our stateroom. And the Crown Loft Suite is a unique experience - so I would recommend staying in it - at least once if you can. That said, the CLS balcony is pretty standard issue and probably the room's weakest element. (Although Mrs. Winks is a balcony aficionado, she still felt the split-level suite was worth it in spite the average balcony size). (Also, be wary of where your suite is located. Some are directly overlooking the pool and other activity spaces. We selected ours specifically for the ocean view, so take that into account).

 

The real drawback to being on deck 17, which we pointed out in the review, is an elevator issue. The deck is located right above the Windjammer, so those elevators see A LOT of traffic. If you plan to take a lot of meals at the Coastal Kitchen, you might find having to "lift" there every time becomes a drag. And with the Suite Lounge being open a good portion of the day, it's awfully convenient to stop in there for bottled water, a nightcap, a nibble or just the peace & quiet. We probably wouldn't have taken advantage of this as often if it meant coming up from another floor.

 

Hope that's helpful food for thought.

 

Good luck!

 

 

[Bradison]

3 hours ago, WinksCruises said:

Good question!

 

Yes, it was very convenient having the Suite Lounge and Coastal Kitchen located on the same level as our stateroom. And the Crown Loft Suite is a unique experience - so I would recommend staying in it - at least once if you can. That said, the CLS balcony is pretty standard issue and probably the room's weakest element. (Although Mrs. Winks is a balcony aficionado, she still felt the split-level suite was worth it in spite the average balcony size). (Also, be wary of where your suite is located. Some are directly overlooking the pool and other activity spaces. We selected ours specifically for the ocean view, so take that into account).

 

The real drawback to being on deck 17, which we pointed out in the review, is an elevator issue. The deck is located right above the Windjammer, so those elevators see A LOT of traffic. If you plan to take a lot of meals at the Coastal Kitchen, you might find having to "lift" there every time becomes a drag. And with the Suite Lounge being open a good portion of the day, it's awfully convenient to stop in there for bottled water, a nightcap, a nibble or just the peace & quiet. We probably wouldn't have taken advantage of this as often if it meant coming up from another floor.

 

Hope that's helpful food for thought.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

Great stuff.  Thanks for the insight.  We are on the side with an ocean view.  We have been in JR suites on the last few cruises so I doubt we will find the balcony too small in a CLS.  I have wanted to try a CLS the moment I first saw one on youtube.  Would probably kick my self if I changed to a GS and regret it through the whole cruise. 

[WinksCruises]

The Allure arrives at the Port of Miami

I should mention that our return voyage back to Miami was plagued by cloudy weather and occasional rain showers. That always makes the final sea day worse, because pretty much every passenger is stuck within the confines of the ship, taxing the already strained resources. As a result, there were long lines for meals, shop purchases, photos and especially the Guest Services desk.

 

We have a theory that, on the dash back to Florida, a nefarious policy has come down from the home office for the Captain to choose the most inclement course he can. It’s probably based on some AI algorithm that indicates the ship will make more last-ditch sales, and reach profitability, if all the animals are kept cooped up inside and not allowed to lounge the day away, not spending, out on the pool deck. Has anyone else noticed this trend? Of cloudy day homeport returns?

 

Also, on the final night, we were supposed to partake in the last dinner of our specialty dining restaurant package.  So far, we’d been to Chops and Izumi, both good.  We’d also been to Johnny Rockets and Sabor’s, but had not counted those cheaper options against the package.

 

But on that last night, Mrs. Winks was already feeling the first effects of the respiratory virus she’d contracted sometime during the voyage – an early Christmas present she would graciously gift me during our flight home.  So she didn’t feel like sitting through a 2-hour meal at Giovanni’s Table.  So we decided to “eat the loss” on the package and just settle for something quick (and more decadent) in the Windjammer.

 

But it was over, Johnny. There was no sense pretending the party could rage on. We put our bags out and called it quits relatively early.

 

The next morning, we had to rise super-early. Last minute, we asked Junior, the concierge, to book us the Airboat shore excursion for Miami. The main reason being, it would kill time for us – our flight back to New York wasn’t until 4 pm – and it would drop us off at Fort Lauderdale airport.

 

I verified with Mrs. Winks that she would be up for the excursion and she said she’d feel better being outside (where she could cough more freely) than cooped-up in an airport for 8-hours.

 

We emerged from our suite, bid it a fond farewell to it and our steward, circumvented the workers donned in hazmat suits who were invading the hallway, and headed down to the Royal Promenade deck where we needed to meet for our excursion in the Comedy Club at 7 am.

 

We sat in the club for a good half-hour before they finally announced we needed to go up one level, lugging our carry-ons, where we would be the first group to leave the ship.

 

And it was mass chaos.

 

The line of self-assist passengers ran down one side of the Promenade vestibule and wrapped half-way back up the other. Gangs were wondering around aimlessly, looking for caffeine fixes or a pick-up fight. And when they saw attendants were opening a gangway to let us shore excursion riff-raff off, full anarchy ensued.  Like Wal*Mart on Good Friday - during The Purge.

 

 

Because we were among the first off the ship, things rolled pretty smoothly in the terminal. Until we went to retrieve our luggage in the #1 baggage-tag area. We searched them all, but couldn’t find them.   Fortunately, I looked up and saw, across the massive space, a red-sign hanging above a group of other bags that read Suite Guests. So, despite our concierge Junior insisting we use #1 bag-tags, because we were taking a shore excursion, our bags actually ended up being delivered to the Suite Guests baggage area (with the #1 tags having been ripped off.) Thanks!

 

Anyway, we breezed through customs and immigration and headed out to the street where there was more anarchy. A tour guide tapped us on our shoulders, having spotted the stupid colored sticker they had distributed to all of us in the excursion lounge, and guided us to a waiting motor coach.

 

They confirmed that we were ultimately being dropped off at Fort Lauderdale Airport, noted our airline which dictated which section of the bus’s underbelly they’d store our bags in. Then we then boarded the bus and preceded to wait, almost an hour, as other guests, wandering lost throughout the massive bus-lane aisle, finally located the correct bus for our excursion.

 

We got a ticket to ride...

Once everyone was accounted for, including the one guy on the Miami Airport bus who insisted his flight on Southwest, left from that airport (it doesn’t – Southwest doesn’t service Miami Airport) and refused to leave that bus despite all the warning, we got headed to the Sawgrass Recreation Park for our Everglades Airboat Excursion and Eco-Tour.

 

The uneventful bus ride took almost an hour. Once there, it was reasonably well organized and the tour group’s communications were excellent.  They dropped us off at Gator Emporium gift shop, showed us where the restrooms were, and explained we needed to re-muster when the PA system called for the orange sticker tour group to assemble. I spent a short period milling about the facility while Mrs. Winks took it easy on one of many benches lining the dock area. Within half-an-hour, they called for the orange stickers and we were split into smaller groups to board the airboats.

 

 

Our airboat captain, and docent, Mike, was an informed naturalist who gave us the skinny on the Everglades eco-system and the evils of land development in Florida. While you wear earplugs during the actual travel periods, while stopped, he’s able to rant and rave about what you’re seeing.

 

He cautiously prefaced his patter that he couldn’t promise we would see any wildlife on our half-hour “cruise” but, thanks to recon he got from returning vessels, he had us floating right up against several gators within 10-minutes.

 

Let me tell you, it’s pretty intimidating to be in an open-air craft, inches above the water, when one of these massive creatures swims up to check you out. Captain Mike didn’t need to remind us twice to keep all appendages inside the boat, while at the same time assuring us that the alligators really had no interest in us, unless we had plans on building a housing development. “They can sniff out real estate developers like you sniff out popping microwave popcorn”

 

The tour company insists they don’t lure the gators in with food. And I didn’t see our captain offer any to them, but we did find it mighty strange that the alligators would feign any interest in our boat, one of 50 or more they see every day, if there wasn’t something in it for them. I had visions of Mike chucking some chum over his shoulder into the water as he kicked the boat into high-gear for the next stop, but had no evidence of this.

 

 

All in all, it was a fun little adventure, augmented by the sunny weather and the good fortune of seeing a couple of gators and turtles. At half-an-hour, it was just long enough, because basically, once you’ve seen a couple of these wondrous creatures, there’s not much else to it.

 

Whipping at high speed, through the grass and over the water is pretty awesome, but I wondered how the boats avoided hitting one of these meandering animals, and also a collision would flip the boat if it did happen.  Should have asked him about that during Q & A.

 

Here’s a little video montage of the excursion:

 

After we returned to the airboat center and moored, and one of the little kids on the trip blew chunks on the dock (motion sickness? Or more likely stress), we headed off to the second half of the attraction: a wildlife zoo consisting of rescue animals, allegedly.

 

The zoo consisted of a quarter mile trail, lined with a menagerie of caged turtles, alligators, peacocks, various Everglades vermin and a genuine (highly endangered) Florida Panther suffering from a leg injury.

 

As you enter the zoo area, you pass by a cigar-store Indian, a questionable homage to the Seminole Tribe that used to inhabit the region. (In fact, tribe members used to seek refuge in the Everglades, trying to evade government officials who wanted to ship them off to a reservation in Oklahoma). It’s pretty offensive to us politically correct folks – so of course we had to take a snapshot for Instagram!

 

 

After touring the zoo, we still had a little time to kill before re-boarding the motor coach. Unfortunately, we had no luck scoring an alligator treat from the food truck that was set up in a small picnic area behind the Gift Emporium.  All food there, the signed proclaimed in big letters, was “cooked to order” and would take up to 20-minutes to prepare.  Not a good thing to read when the line is already 25-people deep and you have a bus to catch.

 

Instead, we grabbed some chips and soda from the gift shop and camped on one of the benches, figuring we would have time for lunch before our flight at the airport.  The tour company was true to their promise, we re-boarded the bus and were dropped off at the Fort Lauderdale airport by 2 pm.

 

Of course, once we got to the airline check-in counter, it was a mad scramble to do some weight re-distribution with the luggage. I swear it was that darn Allure of the Seas crystal block that pushed us over the weight limit!  As it was, the kind counter attendant let us scoot by with one bag clearly still a couple pounds over the limit – but who wouldn’t, once Mrs. Winks started having a coughing fit!

 

Air travel is so much fun!

 

We did end up having time for a quick lunch at the airport, and our flight back to New York was on-time and uneventful.  We landed to a chilly, near freezing rain storm which finally pushed both Mrs. Winks and I over the brink, as we quickly succumbed to whatever contagion she had contracted on board.

 

In the end, it was a perfectly fine cruise. We enjoyed the cabin and lounge and Coastal Kitchen very much. We had fun on our excursions and overall, it was a nice pre-holiday break.  That said, we truly will assess re-booking a big ship in the future. The crowds were just too large and the service levels, while adequate for the most part, still suffered.  Everything felt rushed and incomplete, with a lot of cruising’s charm lost to the mass commodification.

 

Our next trip is in October, on a Royal Caribbean Freedom Class ship no less. Not one of my favorite classes, of course, but what can you do?  Mrs. Winks found another great deal!

 

 

Bon Voyage!!!

 

[ptod]

That was an awesome read!  Thank you.

 

BTW - Mrs. Winks rocks! 🍹

[itchintocruise]

Thanks for the entertaining and insightful review.

[jholzhauser]

This was just epic 

[FMZ]

I LOVE  Mrs. Wink's sunglasses. What brand are they and where did she get them? Excellent and entertaining review!

[mcgore83]

Very informative and entertaining!  Thank you.

[Esprit]

From you excellent review I will go on Allure this October with no high expectations. Our party of 10 Brits will have a blast regardless of the chaos around us and the copious amounts of alcohol will numb any misgivings I will have about being on such a huge ship.

[The Fun Researcher]

On 1/22/2019 at 1:32 AM, Bradison said:

 

I hear that criticism of the Oasis class about the lack of connection to the sea and I guess I don't get it.  Like all ships there is the pool deck.  Like all ships there are balconies (which we always get).  Like all ships there is a deck to access the life boats that wraps around the whole ship.  Sure there is stuff to do in the middle of the ship (promenade, central park, boardwalk) but those areas provide balance and take the place of the normal open space with lots of glass and brass on most ships.  Been on Disney and HAL and smaller RCI ships and did not feel more "connected" to the sea.

 

19 hours ago, WinksCruises said:

You make an excellent point. Even with the open-air theater in the back, we definitely felt that same disconnect.

 

What you say is true. There're all those access points to the sea plus the aft theater and open-air Central Park. But we still felt that separation only really (consciously) acknowledging it after reading Dan's comment.  Wonder why we and others feel that way, when it's patently not the case...

 

I had to think about it, but once I dug into it it's pretty simple, and it's a common statement feeling disconnected from the sea and lack of sea views:

1. Even though the aqua theater is "open to the aft", that's not accurate.  Try standing in that area and seeing the ocean or wake.  The structure obstructs the vast majority of the view.
2. Look out the back of the Windjammer in Oasis class and you aren't seeing an unobstructed view of the ocean and wake, rather the boats structure.
3. Look at that walking deck on the Oasis class, deck 5.  It's pretty much completely obstructed by lifeboats, structure, etc..., except for the very aft of the ship.  Compare that to Voyager and Freedom class, deck 4 where 2/3 of ship is fully open to ocean view.  Both sides and aft almost completely.
4. Central park.  It's outside yes, but completely walled it.  No view to sea.
5. No ability to use the helipad on Oasis class and look out the front of the ship like the Voyager and Freedom classes.(unless by special invitation as Winks did, and even then it's limited time)
6. You are left with the side rails on the top deck of the ship.  Aft is taken up by the flowriders.
7. Ship to view ratio.  The ship is SO HUGE that the ratio of indoor space to outdoor sea views is MUCH different than other class ships.  You spend a lot more time indoors navigating just because there is so much more of it to deal with.  The pool deck is a chopped up mess IMO, an pain in the "you know what" to traverse.  Want to go from one pool to the next?  Take a walk.

I think that sums most of it up.

 

Dan

[WinksCruises]

31 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

1. Look at that walking deck on the Oasis class, deck 5.  It's pretty much completely obstructed by lifeboats, structure, etc..., except for the very aft of the ship.  Compare that to Voyager and Freedom class, deck 4 where 2/3 of ship is fully open to ocean view.  Both sides and aft almost completely.

 

1

 

Good points, and very true about the walking deck:

 

 

 

 

[The Fun Researcher]

4 hours ago, WinksCruises said:

 

Good points, and very true about the walking deck:

 

Yeah, love walking or just sitting out looking at the waves splash off the side of the ship just a few decks up on deck 4 on the F and V class ships.  On the Oasis class, that option is lost.

 

Also, love the helipad late at night to look at the stars with our kids.  A highlight most evenings.  It's great to be out front in the warm Caribbean air, looking at the stars at night, knowing back home in Michigan it's probably below freezing.  Don't get that on Oasis class either.

Dan

[Bradison]

11 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

 

I had to think about it, but once I dug into it it's pretty simple, and it's a common statement feeling disconnected from the sea and lack of sea views:

1. Even though the aqua theater is "open to the aft", that's not accurate.  Try standing in that area and seeing the ocean or wake.  The structure obstructs the vast majority of the view.
2. Look out the back of the Windjammer in Oasis class and you aren't seeing an unobstructed view of the ocean and wake, rather the boats structure.
3. Look at that walking deck on the Oasis class, deck 5.  It's pretty much completely obstructed by lifeboats, structure, etc..., except for the very aft of the ship.  Compare that to Voyager and Freedom class, deck 4 where 2/3 of ship is fully open to ocean view.  Both sides and aft almost completely.
4. Central park.  It's outside yes, but completely walled it.  No view to sea.
5. No ability to use the helipad on Oasis class and look out the front of the ship like the Voyager and Freedom classes.(unless by special invitation as Winks did, and even then it's limited time)
6. You are left with the side rails on the top deck of the ship.  Aft is taken up by the flowriders.
7. Ship to view ratio.  The ship is SO HUGE that the ratio of indoor space to outdoor sea views is MUCH different than other class ships.  You spend a lot more time indoors navigating just because there is so much more of it to deal with.  The pool deck is a chopped up mess IMO, an pain in the "you know what" to traverse.  Want to go from one pool to the next?  Take a walk.

I think that sums most of it up.

 

Dan

 

Its been almost 3 years so forgive my memory but I thought the WJ on Oasis had an outdoor seating section behind it.  We looked for it on Freedom and it did not have it.

 

I spent a bunch of time at the aft on deck 5 of Oasis sitting and reading so maybe my opinion is jaded because of that.  I also did a bunch of walking on the walking path on Oasis and thought I remembered plenty of sea view.  Sure the lifeboats block some of the view but not 100% (again forgive the memory if I am incorrect).  I came back having given no thought to the ratio of inside concentration to outside but your point is well taken.  Maybe I just sought out the ocean experience I wanted and felt satisfied.

[The Fun Researcher]

10 hours ago, Bradison said:

 

Its been almost 3 years so forgive my memory but I thought the WJ on Oasis had an outdoor seating section behind it.  We looked for it on Freedom and it did not have it.

 

I spent a bunch of time at the aft on deck 5 of Oasis sitting and reading so maybe my opinion is jaded because of that.  I also did a bunch of walking on the walking path on Oasis and thought I remembered plenty of sea view.  Sure the lifeboats block some of the view but not 100% (again forgive the memory if I am incorrect).  I came back having given no thought to the ratio of inside concentration to outside but your point is well taken.  Maybe I just sought out the ocean experience I wanted and felt satisfied.

 

Don't remember any outdoor Windjammer seating on Oasis class, but I could be wrong too.

 

Yeah,  I think some don't notice it (less sea views/disconnectedness), and maybe I'm more sensitive to it.  It just happens to be one of the criteria on a ship that I really value, so I think I (and others like us) notice it more.

 

We still had a really fun time on the Oasis, and there were things that I liked about it over the F and V classes, but overall I would rather sail the Freedom and Voyager classes, or the X Solstice class before sailing the Oasis class again.  

 

You can see how the port and starboard walking deck of the Oasis class (bottom photo) is mostly blocked by life boats and structure.  The Freedom and Voyager classes (Navigator pictured) are almost completely open since the life boats are overhead not blocking the view, with very little structure to block the view .

Dan

Edited January 24, 2019 by The Fun Researcher

[Mrs. Winks]

On 1/22/2019 at 11:01 PM, ptod said:

BTW - Mrs. Winks rocks! 🍹

 Ahh gee wiz...Thanks!! 

 

[Mrs. Winks]

On 1/23/2019 at 7:58 AM, FMZ said:

I LOVE  Mrs. Wink's sunglasses. What brand are they and where did she get them? Excellent and entertaining review!

 

Thanks! They are Foster Grants purchased at a Rite Aid on Cape Cod. Only the best for me!!

[Ralphinsc]

Thanks for the airboat excursion review. I think we are going to pull the trigger and book this since we have a 5:30pm flight out of MIA coming off our cruise on April 13th. 

 

Did you guys have enough time for breakfast that last morning? 7am seems awfully early to meet, even for a disembarkation tour.

[WinksCruises]

6 hours ago, Ralphinsc said:

Did you guys have enough time for breakfast that last morning? 7am seems awfully early to meet, even for a disembarkation tour.

1

Yes, it is early! But we had time for a quick breakfast in the Windjammer, which opens earlier than usual on disembarkation day (6 am maybe). Even that early, it was still a zoo!  And as I mention in the report, and our concierge advised us, while the group meeting time is 7 am, they generally don't clear the excursion to disembark until 7:15 or 7:30. I think we ended up getting released even later than that. The biggest challenge is finding your motorcoach in the chaos outside the cruise terminal. Once you succeed in doing that, it seemed pretty well organized. We both thought it was a worthwhile excursion... as long as the weather is decent.

[Luv06012012]

First of all, try living with him. Not so hysterical.
 
Second, why are you not heeding Winks'  warning of his big ship experience? I look forward to your take. Winks may embellish at times but he truly did capture our reality of this voyage. Regardless of his unabashed review, I hope you enjoy the Allure as much as I did. 

I’m cracking up...I can see you giving him many eye rolls.

We did Anthem in 2016 and that was actually our last cruise. We usually do one per year so August can’t come soon enough for us.

I will think of you both when we port in Nassau! Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RickinStl]

I loved this review.. My wife and I have only been on Empress and Explorer.  I decided to book a B2B on Harmony to experience the Oasis Class.  After your review I may have to rethink our choices..  I really do enjoy sitting outside watching the waves with a cocktail in hand while having a place to enjoy a nice cigar.  It appears that the Oasis class doesn't have this.. 

 

 

[WinksCruises]

4 hours ago, RickinStl said:

 I decided to book a B2B on Harmony to experience the Oasis Class.

 

B2B? Yikes! Nothing like diving right into the deep end! 😄🏊‍♀️

 

We think everyone should book a big ship at least once. You gotta see if it's a right fit for you.

 

For us, it was just too overcrowded and mall-like and lacked a lot of the special, intimate moments that attracted us to cruising in the first place (beginning with Empress, btw. Check out our trip report from when we recently sailed her again).

 

Good luck! Just be open to it being a different (but by no means horrendous) cruise experience.

 

[FionaMG]

On 1/5/2019 at 11:49 PM, WinksCruises said:

 

The Spacious Sky Loft Suite on Allure of the Seas

 

Next up: First Day Cruise Compass and other papers. Then a closer look at our cabin and our Miami sail away.

 

I found your review by chance while looking for something else. I have not got to the end of your first post yet as I am supposed to be working, so I will have to save it for later. But it is so witty that I thoroughly enjoyed the little bit I have had the time to read and am looking forward to reading the rest of it this evening. Loved the "Greenhouse gases" caption over the funnel in the pic.  Thanks for sharing.

[KmomChicago]

Nice job, Winks. You have sufficiently captured the pain and suffering of a large ship experience.  Thank you so very much for this valuable public service.  I can confirm that self-debark is a real, true, uniquely mismanaged mess.  In fact that was really the only time the crowds were deeply irksome, as during the 7 days on Oasis, we just found something else to do / somewhere else to go if things were too shoulder-to-shoulder for us.

 

I was not pleased around 6:45 am, (after finding out earlier that the 24-hour Promenade Café with its life saving free coffee is in fact CLOSED on debark morning for deep cleaning and that we had to use our wits to locate the alternate carafe in a nearby bar!!) when some teeny bopper crew member asked my family and a couple of others near us to form a barrier with our luggage and direct people across the promenade to the end of the line.  Nor when one of the other families immediately disregarded said instructions, moved all the bags back out of their way, and allowed chaos to ensue.  Teeny came back about 15 minutes later, baffled that her carefully constructed plan had fallen apart, but unable to restore order.  What made her think anyone would do any work on a ship without a prepaid gratuity is beyond me.

[WinksCruises]

2 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Nice job, Winks.

 

Thanks! Looking forward to your review on Adventure in Aug.