Allure - Just Back from 10-17-21 Eastern

[tmann4]

Couple things about our cruise.  Not all are in order of how the week went.  

 

We took an Uber ($13) from the Doubletree and dropped luggage with valet.  We were the only passengers in the drop off area.  Like a ghost town around noon.

Scheduled to board at 2:30 and got on at 12 noon.  Probably could have gotten on earlier.  They do not seem to care.  We were in a balcony room.

Luggage came pretty early.  I think around 1:15.  Our room keys were on the room number placard at our stateroom.

Printed cruise compass was in our stateroom every night for the next day.

We had to book our entertainment when we boarded.  It was not available before we cruised.  That was a hassle because I spent an hour trying to coordinate our already reserved dining with the times of the shows.  

Check in was a snap.  Show your vaccination card a couple times along with negative covid test.  From bag drop to walking on ship was about 15 - 20 minutes.

They give vaccinated people a green bracelet.  it was cloth.  However, I heard you could get a silicone band as well from guest services.

Total passengers was about 2900.  Total kids was under 300.

Felt like a ghost town at times.  We would go to a later show and hardly anyone walking around. 

Seemed to be an older crowd of cruisers as well.  Most seemed to be over 35 or 40.  

Reduced loungers at pool so you still had to go early to get your spot.

It seemed everyone had their own table at dinner.  We did my time dining and a few specialty dining options.

Never a problem getting a seat at a show.  However, smaller venues did sell out. 

In the evening it seemed like 10pm hit and there were hardly any people around.  We have been on Harmony and Oasis pre-covid and there were loads of people out until late.  This cruise it was a ghost town at times.  It was nice, but sad.  Maybe fewer people late because it was an older crowd.  

 

Departure was easy.  We brought our own luggage off the ship with us instead of leaving the night before.  Very easy.  We were off by 7:00am.  Customs was a snap as well.  Took our picture.  Didn't have to show passport of any ID.  Scanned our seapass card as we left ship and customs took our picture.  We were off the ship in about 10 minutes and at the shuttle lot.  

 

I heard a few weeks back they cancelled the shows due to a covid breakout with the Allure of the Seas cast members.  However, I head that was not true.  From what I heard one of the cast members from Mama Mia got a severe cold and to be cautions RCCL cancelled the show to make sure it was not covid and would not spread.  All shows were on this week.  

 

We went to St Thomas and St Maarten.  We went on an excursion on St Thomas.  Megan's Bay, Drakes Seat, and gondola ride.  We took the gondola to the top and the bar was open and one shop.  So we decided to go to the town where Disney Cruise line docks shop and walked around.  Most of the shops were closed.  When we got back the excursion representative asked where we were.  We told her we went to town.  She said we were not supposed to go off on our own and stay with our excursion "bubble" to reduce the risk of bringing Covid back to the ship.  She said the driver should have told us.  He did not.  We saw two other couples do the same thing as we did.  She said she would pretend it didn't happen worrying the ship would penalize them for not following the rules.  However, when on the ship we were never told we couldn't go out on our own.  There was nothing in the cruise compass.  I believe this rule only applied to the unvaccinated people.  They could not leave the ship unless on an RCCL show excursion.  Everything was fine and we boarded with no questions.  St Maarten we rented a dune buggy and visited the island on our own.  Not an issue.  I would recommend bringing your vaccination card when you go to the islands and go on your own.  Never know what the local rules are.  

 

St Thomas did ask people to wear masks even outside.  When we got to the gate after leaving the ship they had workers asking people to wear their mask.  St Maarten didn't.  

 

They did have vaccinated only areas in many parts of the ship.  This meant no kids.  Dinner, most shows, bars, and restaurants were adults and a few teenagers.  

 

Masks were required indoors on the ship.  However, outdoors no one wore them.  Common phrase I heard when walking in the halls was, "dang, I forgot my mask".  

 

Windjammer was fine and tables spread apart.  No issue getting a table.  Food was served by the cruise staff.  Not an issue and never a problem waiting for someone to help.  They served everything.  Even handed out salt packets if you needed it.    

 

There were plenty of service folks asking if you wanted a drink at the pool areas.  Guessing to try and keep the crowds down at the bar.  We always tipped additional.  We had the drink package.  We tried to tip folks as often as we could above and beyond the included gratuity.  

 

I probably won't have a lot of time to reply to questions.  But ask if you want and I'll reply when I can.

 

[SlightDraw]

 Thanks for the review. Can you comment on other stops you had?

[RonPaula]

Thank you for the review.

[tmann4]

1 hour ago, SlightDraw said:

 Thanks for the review. Can you comment on other stops you had?

We stopped at CocoCay.  Those were our only 3 stops.  Cococay was pretty much open and no masks.  Food is served by the ship crew.  Balloon was not flying due to wind and the kayaks were not going either.  No masks while on the island.  not sure if there were restrictions for unvaccinated.  No problem getting a chair an umbrella.  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

2 hours ago, tmann4 said:

However, when on the ship we were never told we couldn't go out on our own.  There was nothing in the cruise compass.  I believe this rule only applied to the unvaccinated people.  They could not leave the ship unless on an RCCL show excursion. 

correct - it's only for unvaxxed people. Who are mainly kids under 12 traveling with their families.

[renza]

35 or 40 years old is an older crowd?  Omg I must be almost dead at 50. 

[emeraldcity]

2 minutes ago, renza said:

35 or 40 years old is an older crowd?  Omg I must be almost dead at 50. 

Yeah, I thought that observation was pretty funny too.

[bajathree]

13 minutes ago, renza said:

35 or 40 years old is an older crowd?  Omg I must be almost dead at 50. 

 

10 minutes ago, emeraldcity said:

Yeah, I thought that observation was pretty funny too.

They better not ever go on Celebrity.

[George C]

9 minutes ago, bajathree said:

 

They better not ever go on Celebrity.

Or Hal

[ZoeyVictoria]

I want to ask the OP, “How old are you?”,  but can’t think of a really tactful way to do it 😂

[SherriZ366]

Thanks for the review.  

[renza]

1 minute ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

I want to ask the OP, “How old are you?”,  but can’t think of a really tactful way to do it 😂

I was figuring she must be older than a teenager, but yet even my 20 your old son doesn’t think my husband and I are old at 50. I have never heard of a 35-40 year old as being old unless you are 10. 

[Cruiser1862]

2 hours ago, renza said:

35 or 40 years old is an older crowd?  Omg I must be almost dead at 50. 

My kids are between 35-40. Wait till I tell them they’re considered an “older crowd”. 😂

[tmann4]

3 hours ago, renza said:

35 or 40 years old is an older crowd?  Omg I must be almost dead at 50. 

I'm 55.  Seemed there were not many people in their 20's or 30's.  

[tmann4]

Older compared to 20 to 40 year old cruisers and loads of families with younger kids.  Most people on the cruise I met had older kids that were out of the house.    

Ok, there is a very mature crowd on the ship.  How is that?

I'm 55 as I mentioned and I am not old.  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

3 hours ago, renza said:

I was figuring she must be older than a teenager, but yet even my 20 your old son doesn’t think my husband and I are old at 50. I have never heard of a 35-40 year old as being old unless you are 10. 

you are very lucky 🙂

My 20 yo niece thought her 40 yo parents were dinosaurs...

 

My kid is 10 and I am close to 50, and he definitely thinks we are old. To my horror I have recently realized that my grandma became a grandma at my age. I mean - of course, she was old - she was a grandmother!!!!! I am not old at this age because I am not a grandma. LOL, how's my logic? I can't even get a Covid booster, because I am not "old enough".

 

I used to work with a woman who became a grandma at 32.

Edited October 25, 2021 by Itchy&Scratchy

[GTO-Girl]

We were on this sailing also!!!  
 

The weather was great and the seas were smooth!!  The ship is in excellent condition and they are constantly cleaning.

 

It was so nice to be able to go into the “vaccinated only” venues and sit there without a mask until we were ready to leave.  It made it seem almost like a normal cruise again!!

 

Can’t wait to go again…

[trihawks1]

 I’m having a discrepancy between friends…was windjammer open for dinner if you didn’t want the main dining room or specialty restaurant?  They use to be open for dinner, but a couple guests said it wasn’t bc short on crew members.  And if I remember, it closed from like 3 pmuntil dinner to change out food/crew?

[Biker19]

43 minutes ago, trihawks1 said:

was windjammer open for dinner if you didn’t want the main dining room or specialty restaurant?

WJ not open for dinner, yet.