Allure Live June 16-23

[Missusdubbya]

Great review!

[cre8tiv]

3 hours ago, Missusdubbya said:

Great review!

 

3 hours ago, Missusdubbya said:

Great review!

AGREE, thx

[mafig]

15 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Very peaceful- Or spooky depending on your perspective 

 

We live in SW Florida and our local weather people have told us that there's a whole cloud of African dust over the Caribbean and Southern Florida.  That's why it's so hot, with no rain and little wind.

[bobmacliberty]

16 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Very peaceful- Or spooky depending on your perspective

 

We had seas like that a few years ago in the Med.  Definitely a little spooky.

 

[BermudaBound2014]

We spent last night with Will James in Central Park and then moved to the adult comedy show at 10 in amber theatre. While it was the exact same comedians as comedy live, the material was 95% new. I thought they were both very funny.

 

unfortunately Shelly Page didn’t play again last night. She has been off since Wednesday. We hope she is well.

 

The ship closed up pretty early. There was a Dixieland music show scheduled in boardwalk but that turned out to be an error in the app. We weren’t the only ones who showed up. The app was wrong on more than one occasion this week. It was also spotty in terms of access. Overall I wasn’t impressed with the tech on allure. We should have purchased surf and stream- but just surf has been perfectly fine for me on Anthem. Not sure if it’s because allure has more people accessing.

 

Debarkation was smooth as silk. We were among the last 20 or so off the ship. We plan it that way. Get up, go eat breakfast, come back and pack. We left the room at 9:30. Last call off the ship was 9:45. Basically walked straight off.

 

Before you ask, our room steward, Craig, gave us the go to stay until last call. One of the things I’ve gotten in the habit of is telling the room stewards to ignore our cabin except for one cleaning mid week. They are Soooo grateful. We aren’t messy, and i don’t change my towels or sheets daily at home, don’t see a reason to onboard. We just don’t need the extra attention and my love for towel animals ended sometime in the 80s. Anyway, if you are looking to do something nice for the crew, this has worked out nicely for us and appreciative is an understatement.

 

Took lyft to the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood where we are currently pool side on a very warm day in south Florida. Still very little breeze. Sending dh home because he has to work ;-). I have some girl friends coming in tomorrow and we will be sticking around here for the rest of the week. The pool and room are lovely. We live on a fresh water lake in Mi but I still like my pool time- something I don’t even bother with onboard. 

 

If you have any questions, I’ll be glad to answer. I will post the compasses now that I have a stable internet connection.

 

Final thoughts to come....

[rockwallroses]

I have not had a chance to respond.  Our biggest complaint was the lack of communication from the captain and senior staff.  All we asked for was an explanation for the possible ports we could go to.  The captain made the statement very shortly after the incident and we certainly were confused how they throughly looked at all options for another port for us.  I posted on Twitter and received a generic answer as well.  As much as we enjoyed the ship, that many days at seas were way too many.  Yes, we throughly explored every part of the ship and saw all shows possible.  The crew did the best they could, but days a port give members a couple extra hours to take a breath.  The crew works hard and we tipped everyone extra for all of their efforts.

All being said, I do not expect RCCL to answer my emails, but it sure would be nice before we decide if we will cruise again.

 

Final note, the Suite Lounge and Coastal Kitchen were phenomenal!!!  Service, food and atmosphere were awesome!!  We loved it up there.

 

 

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, rockwallroses said:

  The captain made the statement very shortly after the incident and we certainly were confused how they throughly looked at all options for another port for us. 

 

Miami HQ probably had a great deal to do with that decision. 

Edited June 23, 2019 by Biker19

[JamesEM]

Thanks for the review and photos.

[PeaceOfCake]

On 6/22/2019 at 4:06 PM, Host Clarea said:

 

I'd be surprised.  It looks like the entry to the old bay the tenders used is blocked by an overpass now.

And they don´t tender Oasisclass ships? Too many passengers = takes to long time to get everybody off and on the ship. 

[Clarea]

4 minutes ago, PeaceOfCake said:

And they don´t tender Oasisclass ships? Too many passengers = takes to long time to get everybody off and on the ship. 

 

Correct, to my knowledge, Royal has never tendered an Oasis class ship, except maybe as some sort of crew drill.

[BermudaBound2014]

Regardless of tendering, having been to coco cay with just the anthem in port in April, i do not believe that island is big enough to handle two oasis class ships plus whichever else was docked. Had harmony not been docked there I think we might have gone there In place of Labadee- Revenue win for royal. 

[kag19]

Excellent review!  Thank you for taking the time to post about your cruise.  Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

[DreamerHopes]

I was on this ship as well.  15 cruises, but first big ship.  I know it is easy for everyone to say just be happy to be on a cruise, but when it is a life dream to go to Labadee and you save all your pennies to make the dream come true it is truly disappointing beyond belief that your dream is taken away.  Plus, there were many other options that might have been possible if our ship didn’t have mechanical issues or just some thought was put intk it- Nassau, Freeport, Grand Bahamas, Coco Cay, or Key West.  Wouldn’t have been Labadee, but would have at least lifted our spirits some. Or heck at least compensation for a future cruise.  I have emailed and have heard nothing and probably won’t hear anything, just so disappointed. 😥

[JamesEM]

When you book a cruise stuff happens. 

[DreamerHopes]

And that may be the reason I no longer cruise...I think a lot from my cruise feel the same way.  Maybe after some time that feeling will disappear...

[BermudaBound2014]

I'm finally home after a really fun post cruise stay at Hardrock in Hollywood and wanted to give my final thoughts on the Allure cruise.

 

I wanted to LOVE this ship. I thought I would LOVE this ship. I've been drooling over trying an oasis class ship for a decade now. There were things that were fabulous, but when it all shuffles out, while I will gladly sail Oasis class again, she will not be my number one choice. 

 

1) Lines. I know it's a big ship with lots of people, but based on what I read, I thought that Oasis class handled lines effectively.  I think this was a matter of me simply not having appropriate expectations, but I did not expect lines to windjammer, soda machine, pizza, etc.... to be as long as they were. Windjammer was lined up down the hallway entering the staircase. As two people left, they would allow two people in. We witnessed lines here for both breakfast and lunch. 

 

Windjammers closes from 3:30-6:00 and after 9:00, which leaves Sorrento's a real popular choice in the afternoon and the only choice in the late night.  Sorrento's lines reached clear across the promenade encroaching on Bow and Stern.

 

Maybe we just hit it on a poor week, but there are 7 soda machines on Allure. 4 in Windjammers, but when windjammers is closed that leaves 3 available. One in wipe out was broken the entire week, leaving 2 outside of Sorrentos. One of those was also broken the entire week, leaving one soda machine for the entire ship when windjammer was closed. We're not a soda drinkers but we received 'free' package with boardwalk balcony and I do like caffeine free coke zero. The only place caffeine free was available was in the machine (no bars offered) so if I wanted a soda with late night pizza I was standing in two substantially long lines (45 minutes).

 

2) Competition for seats in the shows/pool: I just got off Anthem in April so I can safely say that Oasis moves it's passengers better than Anthem in terms of dispersing crowds. BUT, the competition to get seats for shows (even with reservations) and pools was fierce. If you weren't there 30 minutes prior to the show starting you could pretty much forget a decent seat. And the whole 'no reserving' is simply not enforced in the shows or chair hogs. 

 

3) Disorganization: We ran into a few times that crowds were disorganized, and when you are dealing with 6k passengers that can go bad quickly. One example: Night number one in the MDR there were no signs indicating which line had reservations and which did not, and when the signs were finally placed many people had to switch lines to get in the right place and it took well over 30 minutes just to get up to the hostess stand. We were seated and accidentally given menus for night two. When we ordered, we were told sorry wrong menu. Brought new menus (in Spanish). You get the picture, think cluster. I do usually avoid night one dinner in the MDR, not sure why I didn't think to do that this trip. 

 

With all that being said, there are things the Oasis class offers that simply can't be found anywhere else! For that reason alone, I will gladly sail Oasis class again:

 

1) Central Park: I grossly underestimated how much I would love this area at night. I have forever memories of our night at Chops, sitting outside with a wonderful breeze, twinkle lights everywhere, listening to really lovely guitar music. We made a point to spend an hour or so here each night that the guitar player was on. Other than a balcony on an aft cabin, this is my most favorite place on any ship. 

 

2) Entertainment choices: Again, Oasis class simply offers more than any other ship sailing. The ice show and aqua shows were terrific! We even loved moma-mia :).  The 'secondary' entertainment (guitar players, etc..) were very talented and we enjoyed very much. We do wish that  Shelley Page would have been able to continue playing in Bow and Stern each night and missed the pub experience (where we normally hang out on ships). She disappeared on Wednesday night never to be seen again (ps, Shelley if you are reading this we hope you are ok). There was a piano sing a long in Schooners, but it wasn't our thing. Jazz on 4 was excellent for a set or two, and the comedians were also entertaining. Dazzles was always popular too. Overall, there isn't a ship sailing that can offer the diverse level of entertainment that can be found on Oasis class.

 

3) Service: While there were come clear disorganization issues (management), the service we received everywhere was excellent. Bar staff, wait staff, guest services, all were efficient and were driven to provide guest satisfaction. I can't think of anyone we encountered that was even remotely unpleasant. 

 

A few tidbits:

 

1) Our cabin (11721) is in need of a refurbishment. The doors to the closet literally fell right off the track on day 1 and the handle on our balcony door was stripped.  We reported both to cabin steward who stated that all the cabins were like that. Apparently they will bring a plastic nut to try to get the door to adjust and seal, but there isn't much they can do for the closet doors. Again, just a design flaw imo. 

 

2) Embarkation and Debarkation were smooth as silk!

 

3) Boardwalk cabins aren't my most favorite. It was fine and we were lucky to have a decent view of the ocean, but I much prefer a private ocean balcony (aft balcony is even better). 

 

Summary: If you are headed on Allure have a wonderful vacation!! We certainly did!!! This ship would be especially terrific for those traveling with a large group with vast range of ages. As we plan a big family cruise, I can't think of a ship offering more for everyone. But ultimately for me and DH,  if cost was identical,  Radiance class is still our favorite ship design due to lack of crowding, direct views of the ocean, and a traditional cruising vibe. 

 

Hope this review has been helpful. Cruise critic always is a big part of my planning and I certainly don't mind paying it forward. I do have all the cruise compasses if anyone is interested. We love cruising, but we also love land travel and do mix things up regularly. We're headed to the Pacific Northwest for a hiking adventure next month, but after that we aren't sure where the wind might take us.... rumor has it a world cruise is in the cards :).

 

Happiest of Travels to you and yours,

BB

 

PS: A little warning about those thinking of staying at Hardrock in Hollywood pre/post cruise:  Their pool was fabulous, food decent, rooms nice, tables friendly.......but be warned, it is the most smokey establishment I have ever stayed at. I'm normally not one to complain about second hand cigarette smoke, but it seems that since Hardrock is the only hotel to allow smoking (pretty much everywhere), it attracts a disproportionate amount of smokers. With the current weather in south Florida, that pool was a welcome refuge and we literally spent 8 hours a day there, but we could not get away from heavy cigarette smoke even outside.

 

 

 

 

[bobmacliberty]

Thanks for the great review.  Unfortunately the soda and pizza lines are not limited to Allure.  We were on Freedom recently and the lines in the Royal Promenade could get long for both.  They really need to figure out how to spread out the soda machines AND keeping them working properly (if one is out of commission, everything seems to get very backed up).  We aren't soda drinkers but we noticed several long lines.  They also need other late night food choices.  Café Promenade should have more than just a few finger sandwich and cookie options.  I think the sandwiches are a little too "different" for many passengers, which funnels everyone to Sorentos.  Fortunately, the pizza line moved quickly on Freedom.

[BermudaBound2014]

I’ve always been surprised that rcl has not addresses the very limited late night choices, especially since Royal attracts a more active “younger” cruiser. Thankfully , sorrentos has improved greatly in the last few years, but with all the  late night venues a 24 hour included “bar food” type of venue would be a smashing success. This is one area where NCL wins hands down- O’Sheehans :). 

[Biker19]

21 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I’ve always been surprised that rcl has not addresses the very limited late night choices, especially since Royal attracts a more active “younger” cruisers.

I thought the short Mariner and Navigator sailings had something open almost 24 hours. 

[BermudaBound2014]

23 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

I thought the short Mariner and Navigator sailings had something open almost 24 hours. 

 

I default to your knowledge of offerings on shorter cruises. Seven days is the shortest I have ever researched (or sailed) in the last few decades. 

 

[Clarea]

41 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

I thought the short Mariner and Navigator sailings had something open almost 24 hours. 

 

No burgers or fries for free is likely the issue.

[rockwallroses]

I wanted to chime in on 2 more things--1 negative and 1 positive

The pools were "nut to butt"---I have never seen pools so crowded.  You could literally just get wet and barely move.  There were time that the capacity was double what the posted signs said with lifeguards standing by . Other times early or late in the afternoon there was a little more room, but wow it was not appealing to be squeezed in like a sardine.

The positive was the Wifi that was provided worked great.  I was concerned going on this cruise because I have to maintain contact with my office.  It was the best I have experienced on a cruise ship.

 

I still have a very poor feeling for the Captain from Canada and his crew who did not respond to many questions.  I chalk that up to a person who did not have the backbone to face his critics.  We do hope and pray the person with the medical emergency is ok.

[BermudaBound2014]

36 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

No burgers or fries for free is likely the issue.

 

No burgers for me- I’m partial to the late night fajitas, Reuben and/or wings (Thai chili extra yummy). In fact, We’ve ordered off the regular “complimentary” O'Sheehans dinner and breakfast menu without difficulty during late night hours. Hard to beat a Fresh cooked breakfast after closing the bar.

 

0’shehans is open 24 hours and in addition to the late night menu they also serve a full breakfast menu, lunch menu, dinner menu (including prime rib and bbq rib nights).  RCL really should step up their game here:

 

 

 

 

[Clarea]

31 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

No burgers for me- I’m partial to the late night fajitas, Reuben and/or wings (Thai chili extra yummy). In fact, We’ve ordered off the regular “complimentary” O'Sheehans dinner and breakfast menu without difficulty during late night hours. Hard to beat a Fresh cooked breakfast after closing the bar.

 

0’shehans is open 24 hours and in addition to the late night menu they also serve a full breakfast menu, lunch menu, dinner menu (including prime rib and bbq rib nights).  RCL really should step up their game here:

 

 

Looks very good to me.  Nothing like that on Royal that is complimentary.

 

[ALSEAU]

On 6/17/2019 at 9:36 AM, sellwingri said:

I’m interested in this as well.  I’m also confused about reservations for the comedy club.  I’m sailing on Allure in July and I’ve only been able to make a reservation once, even though I know they switch up the show.  How do I register multiple times?

 

You can only reserve 1 time slot.

RCL usually saves some slots for on board passengers to reserve. First thing after boarding go to the On Air Club to see if you can make reservations for any of the shows you would like,