Allure 9/22/13: A Story Review w/drama, humor, Pics & Video

After reading and enjoying countless reviews of other cruises on cruise critic, I decided to finally pay it forward and give the cruising world a piece of my experience. This will be my 1st review ever (I think) and I have taken over 2000 photos and lots of great video. This will be a very honest review, I don't sugar coat but I'm also very complacent and easygoing. Feel free to call me Viv from Fabulous and Sexy Miami, Florida :cool:.

Most wonder where the username "Vegaschic" came from? Well, besides cruising, Vegas is my other obsession. It's a long story but basically we've visited that city over 40+ times, invested in a condo, got married there and renewed our ten year wedding vows there. Vegas and Cruising are the two vacations I fit in my schedule every year. So on with the story....

I had the Oasis of the Seas booked last fall (2012) and the previous fall (2011), but I cancelled both bookings and took a better offer on NCL (Kids Sail Free!!). One thing about me is that I'm not loyal to any cruise line and I go wherever I can find a good deal however, I will admit I really love NCL it's going to be nice to finally compare The Epic and The Allure. Some people will say there is no comparison but in my opinion there is. I like to travel often and I need to try to economize when I can. With that said I still had the Oasis class on my mind but also had some concerns. I wasn't too thrilled with the ports of call and the fact that there are over 8,000 people on the ship made me a little nervous additionally I didn't know if I would miss the connection with the sea. I will elaborate on this last thought later in the review. However, the neighborhood concept and the countless activities on-board had me curious.

It was the beginning of summer and my daughter's birthday was fast approaching I knew I wasn't having a party and an RCCL cruise would work perfectly as they had the Barbie and Dreamworks Experience and she is a huge fan of both products plus she is at the perfect age to really enjoy it. I started researching and looking at rates daily as I was on a very tight budget and wasn't sure if this was going to happen. About 5 weeks prior I noticed the rates drop by $300 and I knew it was now or never. I finally mentioned the cruise to my my hubby and added some puppy dog eyes to the drama and he replied "just book it already!" YIPPPEEE!!!

I booked an inside cabin on deck 8 (8427) Fantastic deck!!! I detest inside cabins but it was all we could afford, I kept checking rates to see if the balcony rooms would drop but they never did. Here are my reasons for not wanting to be in an inside cabin: (1) I love sunlight and fresh air in my room (2) I feel claustrophobic in an inside room (3) I hate waking up and not knowing if it's morning or night (4) I love drinking coffee in the mornings and reading on my balcony (5) I like to enjoy a bottle of wine in the evenings with music on the balcony (6) It's easy access to take photos and pictures when arriving and departing from port and I love hearing the sound of the ocean. With all that said, inside cabin here we come!!!

It had been quite a stressful year for both my husband and I. I'm a full time employee for a reputable company and also an owner of a home based portrait/wedding photography business and have a 7 year old little diva whom is high maintenance! I had already been at full stress and to add to it a week prior to the cruise our A/C broke permanently and I had to live without A/C in 85 degrees for a whole week!! Ugh!

The weeks leading up to the cruise went by quickly and my planning consisted of booking our shows. I had no time to plan or research as I was constantly working or doing something for my daughter's class or girl scout troop. Luckily I had read several in depth Allure reviews including Gambee's, Trainman's and KGSB11's. I'm a serious over-packer and brings tons of things that I realized on this sailing were just plain annoying and taking up space in my (not enough storage space) inside cabin but I think I used most things.

Here's a diagram of life leading up to and on vacation:

The morning of departure had finally arrived!!! :D (Thank Heavens!)......

Will be good to read an unbiased review from someone who cruises different lines.

Looking forward to read your review... thanks for taking the time to share!

Your review is off to a great start....looking forward to more :D

Thank you cruisincanuck and DicAnns for your encouragement! I will try my best to make it interesting, there's so much to cover!

Since I have to look through, sort and choose pictures for day one I will report on Day 1 tomorrow which will cover:

Driving/Parking at Port

Check-in and luggage delivery

Inside Cabin specs

First Impressions:eek:

Room Decorations - Barbie Experience

Muster Drill:rolleyes:

Cruise Critic Sail-away Meet & Greet at Wipe-out Bar

Restaurant Specials

Dinner at Giovanni's

Ocean Aria (9pm showing)

Gift Store

Stay tuned....;)

Looking forward to seeing your review! Since I was on this same cruise as you I'm interested to see how you experienced things.

We have a bit in common. I married my husband in Las Vegas as well. I love that place! We got married at Treasure Island and had our reception at The Venetian. We didn't elope but had a small group of friends and family celebrate there with us.

I am also not loyal to any particular cruise line. I have enjoyed them all up to this point and will continue to do so :D

Looking forward to seeing your review! Since I was on this same cruise as you I'm interested to see how you experienced things.

 

We have a bit in common. I married my husband in Las Vegas as well. I love that place! We got married at Treasure Island and had our reception at The Venetian. We didn't elope but had a small group of friends and family celebrate there with us.

 

I am also not loyal to any particular cruise line. I have enjoyed them all up to this point and will continue to do so :D

I attended the Sail Away, Meet & Mingle and Slot pull. Okay so I'm upset we didn't get to meet on the ship we could of had great Vegas conversations!! :mad: Well we didn't elope either, we got married at Caesars Palace Garden with 50 guests who flew in from Miami. We didn't have a reception but a dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse in NYNY. We then went partying till 7am. Such an amazing time:) I miss those days!! We went back this past April and renewed our wedding vows in nelson Ghost town - the pictures are phenomenal!! If you ever need a photographer there I recommend Jason Skinner photography.

I'm addicted to reading reviews finally decided to contribute:) I love the beach you were at in cozumel way better than where we ended up. More on that in the review but luckily I have very beautiful pics of cozumel! I look forward to the rest of yours!

I can tell when a review sounds more like a story, it will be an excellent read. Great start. :D Can't wait to read more.

Very impressive writing style and start to your review.

You really caught my attention.

Cannot wait for more.

Sea You later

Thanks for taking the time:D

I attended the Sail Away, Meet & Mingle and Slot pull. Okay so I'm upset we didn't get to meet on the ship we could of had great Vegas conversations!! :mad: Well we didn't elope either, we got married at Caesars Palace Garden with 50 guests who flew in from Miami. We didn't have a reception but a dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse in NYNY. We then went partying till 7am. Such an amazing time:) I miss those days!! We went back this past April and renewed our wedding vows in nelson Ghost town - the pictures are phenomenal!! If you ever need a photographer there I recommend Jason Skinner photography.

 

I'm addicted to reading reviews finally decided to contribute:) I love the beach you were at in cozumel way better than where we ended up. More on that in the review but luckily I have very beautiful pics of cozumel! I look forward to the rest of yours!

Keep it coming. We were on the same sailing and were also at the slot pull with you. Not sure if we met though?:rolleyes: Ellen

Sounds good so far ...

If that first post is an indication of your photography and writing skills then this should be fun!

Can't get enough of Allure reviews! We are getting on board in eight weeks. Thanks for doing this and you are off to a great start!

Sunday was finally upon us. I remember waking up at about 8am in a bit of a panic - this is what happens when you live so close to the port I guess. I should of been awake earlier, I still had random stuff all over and didn't want to forget anything. So while I prepared the house my DH decided to take the opportunity and take our baby boy Charles to the Pet Smart Pet Hotel for the week. Here is our gorgeous Schnauzer:

We left home around 1:30 and arrived to the port at 2:15 parked the car at the Park and Go (I think that's the name). It's $12 per day, they load your luggage on their shuttle and within minutes we were at check-in. We walked right in and check in was a smooth 7 minute process. BTW I had my 2 bottles of wine in my carry on they didn't even check it. TIP: Total Wine sells wine bubble wrapped Sleeves. At Check-in, we tried to get an upgrade but apparently the ship was full! We then proceeded to take our embarkation picture, then onto the ship we went.

We entered into deck 5 (Royal Promenade), first impressions: HAPPY People everywhere, talking, drinking, shopping, taking pictures, planning, etc., I spotted some Spa girls and went right over they handed me a Spa Menu and I assured them I would be by later to enter the contest. That was the closest I got to the Spa the whole sailing never got the chance to even take a peek :( I didn't take any pictures here, I thought I had but apparently not (sorry) I guess I was a little overwhelmed at the moment.

At that point I wasn't quite sure what to do I had my daughter on one arm and a carry on on another that contained secret barbie decor and presents for her birthday surprise. I needed to get to the cabin alone so that I can prep the room with decor and gifts. My husband took off instantly and told me to give him a few minutes "WTH I want a drink!" I decided to wait in Central Park as the Promenade was a bit overwhelming at the moment. So as I entered the Central Park Neighborhood, I thought "how lovely" it was very tranquil, calm and nicely manicured. I remember thinking of all the pictures I've seen, nothing comes close to the real thing. Pictures really don't do it justice! One of the reason's why I loved being on deck 8 is because anytime I needed to cut across to the other end of the ship walking through central park was a delight it definitely beats walking through a long hallway of staterooms. I walked through Central Park so often that the employees knew me by name. It was definitely my favorite area of the ship.

My first picture of central park, I will post more of the area on a separate post:

Waiting in Central Park in-between the park cafe and Giovanni's. DD in total excitement...

More to come....

Cynt checking in for your review Vegas. GREAT start!! Keep it coming!

I remembered there were restaurant package specials on the first night so I went to Samba's and encountered my only (non-friendly) employee of the trip. She wasn't rude just not helpful and in a hurry. She briefly told me it was $40 pp to dine there and mentioned the packages but not the specials. I thanked her and left, went back to Central Park and went to Giovanni's the gentleman taking reservations was very polite and very helpful ( I wish I would have remembered his name). I booked the central park package for $70 pp and consisted of dinner at Giovanni's, Chops and 150 Central Park. Due to poor planning on my part I had booked Ocean Aria at 9:00pm without realizing we had dinner in the MDR at 8:30 so I decided to have dinner at Giovanni's that night. I booked the Central Park Package for DH and I however, for DD I had to pay the $20 cover as the Adventure Ocean was closed that evening. I think making a 6 year old child pay the full $20 is a rip off. NCL only charges half of the specialty dining fee for children in addition the Epic actually went out of their way and got my daughter a meal from the MDR at no charge when we went to Cagneys. I just think they need to consider this policy for those who want to dine with their kids.

My Husband arrived took the Diva with him and I went to the stateroom to prepare the decorations. A friend of mine purchased the barbie experience as a gift for my daughter. It was an extremely generous gesture. However, my daughter was the only one on the ship who had signed up for it, so all the activities were cancelled but they still decorated the room! I snapped a few pictures of what was included in the Barbie Experience decor. I Wasn't too inspired with the room so I didn't take as many pictures as I should have besides I was in a hurry!! Luggage arrived 5 minutes later, the luggage crew knocked on the door and brought the luggage in for me (that was a 1st). Shortly after my DH & DD arrived. Of course he had a beer in hand and nothing for me!!! The pictures speak for themselves.

These are the decorations before I added mine, the sofa was very dirty it was quite gross actually! They need to clean or replace it.

Here you can see the closet with shelves this is all your storage plus 3 drawers next to the fridge and the two cabinets on the night tables. The closet smelled of dirty clothes. Luckily I Brought air freshener that I sprayed in there, it helped a little.

So the child was surprised and happy - mission accomplished!!

Our celebration was cut short with an interruption about the dreadful Muster Drill. My DH said he wasn't going, I reminded him that we were on a massive vessel and needed to have an emergency plan and also needed to know where to go in case of an emergency (the geek in me). He insisted he was not going! Okay so I left with the child and left him in the cabin (btw, no life vests needed), let me tell you if you think you are going to skip out (don't bother) they will hunt you down and make you go!! Our station was the Amber Theater and consisted of a check in by name and watching a video (I don't even remember how long it was). As I walked out of the Amber Theater I saw my husband sitting near the exit like a little boy on punishment apparently the crew went to the room and got him, haha!

More to come.....

Vivian

I can tell when a review sounds more like a story, it will be an excellent read. Great start. :D Can't wait to read more.

Awe,Thank You!! I always enjoyed reviews that written as a story so I promised myself that when i finally wrote one it would be a mini novel!

Lioness, We're Sailing Away, Ocean Boy and Mac 3835 - Thank you following along and the encouraging words:)

Molly361 - I have an aweful memory but I don't think we met. I remember everyone's face though! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you had an amazing cruise!

Cynt Hey Girl! Thanks for checking in and hope you had a fab cruise!

Vivian:cool:

Great review and pictures! Thanks for bringing us along with you!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Please excuse any errors.

Great review.

Looking at your photos, your inside category L (172 sq ft) cabin looks like the aft category Q (149 sq ft) inside cabin that we booked last year on the Oasis and for the upcoming Alllure cruise. We're only two people, so there was/is enough space. How did you find it with the three of you?

Awe,Thank You!! I always enjoyed reviews that written as a story so I promised myself that when i finally wrote one it would be a mini novel!

Your welcome! Your daughter is beautiful. I always plan to do a review and never do it. I give credit to anyone that takes the time. :D

Vivian.....your daughter is BEAUTIFUL....

You will have your hands full in a couple years.

I am happy every time I turn on the computer there is an update.......

Your are starred in my favorites list.

Keep it coming:D

Sea Ya

Great start to your review! Curious to see what your experiences were in the inside cabin. Want to take the kids on Oasis/Allure but can't quite stomach the prices yet. Hoping that when Quantum comes out, these prices go down. Otherwise, maybe we'll try an inside too...

Great review.

Looking at your photos, your inside category L (172 sq ft) cabin looks like the aft category Q (149 sq ft) inside cabin that we booked last year on the Oasis and for the upcoming Alllure cruise. We're only two people, so there was/is enough space. How did you find it with the three of you?

The storage would have been okay if it was just me and the husband but I over packed for our daughter and somehow still made everything fit neatly. Just a tip: I brought extra hangers from home so that I can hang more clothes. I also use an over the door organizer that has many compartments. It was great as I stored my jewelry, hair accessories, chargers and other misc. items.

The Space was fine until they made up the sofa-bed. That took up all the extra space in the room it was quite large. The small side table was only useful when we ordered room service. Other than that it was mostly in the way.

You will have more than enough space with just the two of you!

Great start to your review! Curious to see what your experiences were in the inside cabin. Want to take the kids on Oasis/Allure but can't quite stomach the prices yet. Hoping that when Quantum comes out, these prices go down. Otherwise, maybe we'll try an inside too...

I felt that way too about the pricing but I really got a steal going in the fall. I was had the opportunity of doing this as my DD's school was closed for 2.5 days as all the teachers were going to a conference so my daughter only missed 2.5 days of school.

It depends how many children you have. It was okay for the three of us, I could not stand to be in the cabin so we were only there to sleep and to get dressed (I'm Serious!!) The most time I ever spent in the cabin was unpacking and packing. Definitely a must do with children, I actually liked it better than Disney which is even more expensive. The quantum seems really nice too!

Vivian.....your daughter is BEAUTIFUL....

You will have your hands full in a couple years.

I am happy every time I turn on the computer there is an update.......

Your are starred in my favorites list.

Keep it coming:D

Sea Ya

Thank you for the sweet comments, yes I agree and I already have my hands full!