Live Review Allure 4/10/22-4/16/22

[CatLadyFemme]

Hello - it's time for another live review!

 

I'm CatLadyFemme, a professor at the University of Michigan, a cat lady (obviously, with four cats and one cat like blue nose pittie across our two homes), and a moderately experienced cruiser. I am disabled/live with chronic pain, and so walk with a cane, plus I am a vegetarian and have Celiac disease, so am super duper gluten free.
 

In addition to things like photos of the rooms, pools, etc., I will post about finding vegetarian GF food (we've had some AMAZING luck like with Belic on the Explorer, and some not great experiences where I ate iceberg salad and berries for days), and access/ADA issues. Oh! I'm also queer and nonbinary (as is MxCatLady), so there may be some stuff about the LGBTQ meet up, etc. I like to stay in the shade/find a nice lounge and read, or enjoy the hot tubs with a big floppy hat.

 

One of my partners, MxCatLady, will be joining me. They run a Starbucks on land (sadly, cannot use their discounts aboard), and this is their first time in Florida, first time on a raise, and first time anywhere outside the US (except Canada, which is 45 min from us). We both will likely frequent the shows, the jazz club, napkin folding/towel animals, the Solarium, and Central Park. Any tips for a first time to make sure I give them the best experience?

 

 

We'll be staying in an accessible ocean view balcony, where as last time I was in a Central Park accessible balcony (I have been on Allure before with MrCatLady, my MIL, and her husband during summer 2019, when our cat Jasper had to be put down while we were away. It was incredibly traumatic). I am glad to get to try to enjoy the Allure again.

 

We have early seating at dinner, like seeing most of the shows, and are super excited to travel for the first time in over 2 years.. We both have the refreshment package, internet packages (surf only), and we are trying the unlimited dining package for the first time. I wanted an option to eat at places without outdoor seating, depending on rates.

 

I should note I am immuno compromised, and despite isolating for two years, I finally got COVID in January (MxCatLady caught it from work for the second time). We are both dealing with some pretty seriously long hauler syndrome. We also know getting it more than once can be additive, so at my HCP’s advice, we will be masking indoors or in crowded outdoor spaces. I also got my 4th shot (which is considered my booster) yesterday so I will be at maximum protection for this cruise and going on Voyager with my other partner in May (stuck in bed, hence being so verbose). Please don’t argue COVID stuff with me, and I won’t spam you with peer reviewed studies, and we can all have a nice time.

 

Our trip starts on Saturday April 9th with flying down to Ft Lauderdale, getting to the hotel (Oasis something? Nothing fancy), and finding a vegetarian/GF friendly place for dinner (any suggestions?). We'll probably take a Lyft to the port on Sunday.

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions or requests; otherwise, I'll try to do regular updates (assuming the internet isn't wonky, post occasional pictures, and hopefully induce a small amount of envy.

[JamesEM]

Following along, I am doing a b-2-b on the Allure in May.

[ZachMorgan54]

On Allure with you that week. I’ll be the inebriated and confused guy, not knowing what to do without two kids tugging at me the entire day. Going to be incredible! Cheers!

[Ladymom30]

Have you checked in yet? If so, when did check in open and what is your boarding time?

[Ukigirl]

Love your reviews and will be following closely as I’ll be taking my first solo cruise on Allure in May. Glad you got your fourth vaccine and Go Blue!

[saltycat]

Hi . I know you asked for dinner recommendations but….

Fresh First in Ft Lauderdale . 1637 SE  17th St ( behind the Renaissance hotel) totally gluten free and has all kinds of smoothies . Open for breakfast and lunch . Not sure what time you are getting in, but totally worth getting up for breakfast ! Enjoy the Allure , looking forward to following along.

 

[CatLadyFemme]

2 hours ago, Ladymom30 said:

Have you checked in yet? If so, when did check in open and what is your boarding time?

Yes! Check in opened 45 days out, and I love being on board early so we can eat and get into the Solarium pool before it gets to crowded, so I did it right at midnight (have a delayed sleep cycle, so easy for me). Our checking in time is 10:30am 

[CatLadyFemme]

2 hours ago, Ukigirl said:

Love your reviews and will be following closely as I’ll be taking my first solo cruise on Allure in May. Glad you got your fourth vaccine and Go Blue!

Awww thanks! 🥰 That sounds so fun. And yes! 💛💙

[CatLadyFemme]

1 hour ago, saltycat said:

Hi . I know you asked for dinner recommendations but….

Fresh First in Ft Lauderdale . 1637 SE  17th St ( behind the Renaissance hotel) totally gluten free and has all kinds of smoothies . Open for breakfast and lunch . Not sure what time you are getting in, but totally worth getting up for breakfast ! Enjoy the Allure , looking forward to following along.

 

I am so sad we won’t be nearby. We stay at that hotel and ate there last time we did Allure and it was AMAZING. However, I am NOT a morning person, which means making our 10:30 time will be challenging enough as is, so will likely just go directly to the port. Next time, back to the Renaissance.

[saltycat]

We stayed at the Renaissance last time specifically to go to Fresh First 🤣. Next time we are back to Lago Mar .Love it there , but may need to Uber to breakfast 😉.

[CatLadyFemme]

Two weeks from today, I will be holding a sloth.

That’s it. That’s the update. 🥰✨

[gdaddytobermuda]

Thank you for opening this post!  I truly hope you have a wonderful cruise!

We will be sailing on the Allure on May 28th.  Our daughter is gluten-free and I emailed RCCL special needs requesting gluten free breads and pastas options for her at dinner - so far no response from RCCL.  Did you also email RCCL about your dietary requirements (and if so did they respond to you?).

I am looking forward to reading about your experiences seeking gluten free options (if you tell me you found gluten free pizza on board my daughter may refuse to leave the ship forever), and also about how many cruisers will be on board your sailing.  Thanks, again!

[CatLadyFemme]

32 minutes ago, gdaddytobermuda said:

Thank you for opening this post!  I truly hope you have a wonderful cruise!

We will be sailing on the Allure on May 28th.  Our daughter is gluten-free and I emailed RCCL special needs requesting gluten free breads and pastas options for her at dinner - so far no response from RCCL.  Did you also email RCCL about your dietary requirements (and if so did they respond to you?).

I am looking forward to reading about your experiences seeking gluten free options (if you tell me you found gluten free pizza on board my daughter may refuse to leave the ship forever), and also about how many cruisers will be on board your sailing.  Thanks, again!

Hey! I didn’t usually hear back from special needs and now my travel agent does. Excited to make your daughter’s day: Sorrento’s has always done GF pizza for me! And with custom toppings! It takes longer, because they literally make it up fresh,  but you ask for it and they prepare it in a special GF space and you get a person GF piping hot pizza of your very own, any time you want (that they are open). You can also ask for GF cookies at Cafe Promanade and they will give you prewrapped GF Udi’s cookies. At dinner, make sure you ask your waiter to bring over the head waiter to talk about allergies (I know celiac is autoimmune , but it is easier to call it an allergy on board). They will bring you daughter out the next night’s menu the night before and have her order. She can always get GF pasta, and same in the Windjammer; ask for the head chef, and they can make up whatever she’d like (I sometimes get a pasta primavera, though once the MDR made a special GF pasta Alfredo for me when I asked for it). One a ship like Allure, she should have NO problem getting GF food.

 

I will let you know how many people are on board when I am on board myself! We fly out a feel from tomorrow.

[hotwheels920]

I'm so looking forward to your review!  seriously, let us know about the towel folding, I didn't even realize this is something we can do onboard!!  My daughter always asks our room attendant to make the most extreme animals.  heehee.

My kiddos and I are on Allure May 28th after school is out, so I'm going to live vicariously through you.  🙂

Enjoy!  

[Fontaid]

1 hour ago, hotwheels920 said:

I'm so looking forward to your review!  seriously, let us know about the towel folding, I didn't even realize this is something we can do onboard!!  My daughter always asks our room attendant to make the most extreme animals.  heehee.

My kiddos and I are on Allure May 28th after school is out, so I'm going to live vicariously through you.  🙂

Enjoy!  

If you want to see your daughter's eyes light up when she sees towel animals, try this. Search for "googly eyes" on-line. For a few dollars you can buy hundreds of them (different sizes, different colors) with self-adhesive. Don't tell your daughter. Give them to your room attendant and let him/her add them to her towel animals during the week. That should make her day... every day of the cruise! And your room attendant will have a bunch of googly eyes left over for other youngsters who didn't know they liked them! Note: My wife and I will be on the Allure on May 21st... 2023.

 

@CatLadyFemme Sorry, I don't mean to hijack your thread. I am interested in your thread because my 9 yr old grandson is highly allergic to wheat (they carry epi-pens with them everywhere they go), so it's good to know that the ships can easily do GF. Enjoy your cruise!!!

[gdaddytobermuda]

Thank you so much!!!!!

[smeck]

Perfect timing we’re on the allure  May 14 for 8 days.  If you can post an entertainment schedule it would be greatly appreciated.  

[clskinsfan]

Looking forward to your review. My wife and I are on Allure in October for our 1st Oasis class cruise. After a 2 year hiatus and land based vacations replacing cruises for us, we are really looking forward to getting back to sea.

 

[Lionesss]

Thank you for sharing your travels.

 

Be safe

 

Enjoy your live threads.

 

Take care

[h20skibum]

Thanks for posting.  Getting ready to get back on Allure next month.

 

Are you going to be back on schedule after the dock line got sucked into the bow thrusters?  
 

By the way, I see you are on the TA on Anthem with us next year.

[CatLadyFemme]

13 hours ago, Lionesss said:

Thank you for sharing your travels.

 

Be safe

 

Enjoy your live threads.

 

Take care

Glad to have you here!

[CatLadyFemme]

13 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Thanks for posting.  Getting ready to get back on Allure next month.

 

Are you going to be back on schedule after the dock line got sucked into the bow thrusters?  
 

By the way, I see you are on the TA on Anthem with us next year.

Oh my goodness, that thread made me so nervous! It *seems* like it is sorted, so fingers crossed. We are not particularly tied to either of the Mexico stops, but we are supposed to hold a baby sloth in Roatan, so as long as we make that, I will be ok 😂

 

And that’s awesome! I have never done a TA before, and I am SO excited. We will have to do a drink in celebration.

[CatLadyFemme]

 

Alright y'all, we are getting close, though for a hot minute (several days in fact), I thought we were going to have to cancel! One of our cats (Sir Catrick Stewart, aka Noodle) has been in and out of the the ER since Friday. He's 15, and the last time I was on Allure (summer 2019 with MrCatLady, his mother, and her husband), our elderly cat Jasper got really sick, and we had to put him down while docked in St Martin (though appreciated Voom was solid enough that we could say goodbye and be there over Facetime), which was incredibly traumatic for us. Ergo, I was so worried about about leaving while he is sick, but the vet says he is on the upswing, and since my other partner MrCatLady is willing to watch him at his house while MxCatLady and I are on the cruise, we are back on!

 

Insert

This means the packing has begun! I've had my list for a few weeks, but finally started pulling my items, cleaning out our suitcases from pre-pandemic trips (I can't believe I used to fly at least once a month, and haven't been on a plane since March 2020!), printing our luggage tags. It feels like it is finally real after so many canceled cruises. If you'll be on board, you'll know me by my style. Packing a Jurassic dress, a lemon dress, a sealife dress, a lobster dress, etc. with earrings to match.

 

I've put together a list of desired dinner locations and times of the UDP. We're also planning on using our early dining time most nights, so I can make sure I have something to eat, especially the nights we are going to Chops and Izumi. Our plan is to board, go to Sabor for lunch, ask them to try and get us those times while we eat lunch and try to book entertainment.

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by CatLadyFemme

[CatLadyFemme]

The elder gentleman in question.

[Bailey & Sophie]

2 hours ago, CatLadyFemme said:

The elder gentleman in question.

 

Gorgeous cat. He does not look 15! I hope he gets well quickly.