10 years in the making - First Cruise on Allure Eastern 4-14-13

I think we are going back to the Allure in June of 2015.

We have a lot of people who regret missing this trip!

And we want to take the daughters.

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Songs to learn and sing

Musical notes

 

The titles in the tour section and a couple of others have musical references. For the interested here they are:

 

The Kitchens of Distinction – 80s Alternative Band and they just announced they have recorded a new album.

 

Melt With You – Classic 80s song by Modern English

 

Road to Nowhere – The Talking Heads, one of many great songs by them

 

Auctioneer Another Engine – Song from REM

 

Do It Clean – Song from Echo & The Bunnymen. As a side note, for those of you that may have lost track of Echo they made a couple of very good albums when they reunited. Check out “What are you going to do with your life”

 

Cutting Crew - A band, not one of my favorites by any means, In fact I likely hated them in the 80s, but the name worked for my purposes. Please forgive me for using them.

 

Entertainment! – Gang of Four album. Also reunited with a very good album out, “Content” in 2011, and a brand new disc I just got!

 

Anchor Song – Bjork song that was released well after the 80s but she’s from the 80s (Sugarcubes) so I used it.

 

Helicopter – Song from XTC

 

The Bridge – One of my favorite songs of all time from the little known one album (Urban Beaches) wonder band named Cactus World News. Look it up on You Tube, great song!

 

The End of The World – Bob Geldof or is that SIR Bob Geldof to you and me? He released “The Vegetarians of Love” in 1990 so I still consider that close enough to the 80s. And Bob was the leader of the influential band The Boomtown Rats. This song contains one of my favorite lyrics ever:

 

There’s nothing more useless than a car that won’t start

But it’s even more useless at the end of the world

This is the end, the end of the world

For 5,000 years you must surely have heard

Nostradamus and Jesus and Buddha and Me

We said it was coming now, just wait and see

 

There are also a couple more musical tidbits. A line from a Beastie Boys song (Sure Shot), The Cure (Hot Hot Hot) and a U2 song title (Exit). I had to get U2, the Cure and the Beastie Boys in there somewhere!

Eighty's bands for four hundred, Alex.

Great review.

Thanks. I would have used modern day alternative bands too but then no one would have known the references. So I stuck to the 80s New Wave era.

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I don't consider myself to enjoy reading much yet I have found myself really enjoying these Allure reviews. This is prob because I just booked my family on the Thanksgiving Eastern Caribbean Cruise next year. This will be my 5th cruise. A singles girls cruise back in 98ish on NCL. I can't even tell you what ship. Does it really matter? A honeymoon cruise on Royal in 2000 on Enchantment of the seas. Loved it, but now with an active family of 4, anything less than the Voyager class is not going to work for us.

Fast forward to 2010 on Disney Wonder with the kids for 4 days before Disney world. This is where I must mention that I really enjoyed your Disney boot camp comment. I totally plan this way and my family appreciates it when they are sitting with a pocket full of fast passes, having ridden everything eating a relaxing lunch while poor souls are just arriving at Disney. I have to say though that although the Disney ship is great I couldn't wait to book with Royal again. The kids loved Disney. The service was excellent, etc.. However in 4 days I found myself B-O-R-E-D. Seriously... there just isn't as much to do on those ships as Royal. I like the Royal action. I like the way Royal decorates classy yet over the top. I like the bling. I like it all.

Sooo... I booked my family on a spring break trip on the Navigator of the Seas last year. At the time that was even before the dry dock. We dragged my parents along who first booked with us, then backed out because they really didn't see cruising as their thing, then they rebooked again last minute paying to rush their passports, etc just to go. Turns out they loved it as well. Honestly I've never really heard anyone complain about cruising unless they just got off a carnival ship. Before you flame me here let me state I live in Houston so most people I know hop on the Carnival Triumph out of Galveston and well..... I think that ship just probably plain sucks in comparison. There I said it. However, I have looked into cruising carnival before thinking it would be cheaper. Holy crap. It is not. They do not give discounts for 3rd or 4th members in your cabin where Royal does. Just another excuse to book with Royal... as if I needed one.

Now, after I've written my novel... oh wait. I was going to end it here. For all you Schlitterbahn New Braunfels fans. We go there almost every summer. Love the original park and never even head to the newer one. We even drive an extra hour just to go to the older one in New Braunfels vs the newer one in Galveston. It is so much fun and almost all the rides are natural water rides. Cold and refreshing to say the least and we giggle on every single ride every single time. It's old. It's eclectic and it's fun.

Okay for real now. I really enjoyed your review and your 80s obscure references. I'm so happy that your wife enjoyed it. By the end of it I almost teared up a little when you said your wife wished she was in the Back to back line. Leaving a cruise ship is super depressing. People really do think all people do is lay out by the pool and eat on cruises. What they don't now is that there just isn't enough time in your cruise to get to do it all. We usually get off the cruises looking like hell bent over. We are exhausted and in need of a relaxing vacation when we leave.

Debbie

Thanks Debbie!

And you might have to make a trek to Kansas City Schlitterbahn next summer. They are building the tallest waterslide you've ever seen here in KC! Top speed is 65mph. I drove by it today, its a massive tower.

That does sound enticing.

I just spent the majority of my Saturday reading your entire review.. I loved it.. It made me so excited to go on our cruise in April.. I am just getting together what I want to do and will start making my reservations very soon..

Great review!! I've read it twice now and had to post.

We did Oasis eastern first....couldn't wait to book Allure Western!

My wife was hooked almost instantly upon boarding....she wouldn't even consider one for years either!

Sometimes....they need to listen to us! :)

Thanks again, great job!

What better way to spend a Saturday than reading cruise reviews. If you didn't read the review from FamilyGoBoston on the same Allure sailing as ours be sure to do so. It's referenced throughout my review and a link is in Kathy's signature on multiple posts.

So you can spend Sunday reading her review!

Really enjoyed the review!

I read an article about a cruise on the Amazon River that was in USA Today. Don't think I'll be able to sell the wife on that one!

Our next big family trip is upon us. Well over a year in the making. We have 18 people (almost all family, and the 2 that aren't are like family) headed to Hawaii a week from today.

Part convention and part celebration of my in-laws 50th Wedding Anniversary. Ready for some fun in the sun!

We hope to cruise again in 2015.

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Just finished reading your review today! I really enjoyed it. You were able to do so many things over the week. It looks like an amazing ship. My family of 5 will be on the Allure Eastern for Thanksgiving next year. We have only been on 1 cruise before that. It has taken 5 years to get back but are very excited.

Thank you for all the time you put into your trip report. Happy New Year!

Barb

Doing things is definitely on the agenda for a cruise on Allure! Looking back now and know considerably more about cruising than I did when I booked this trip, the Allure was the perfect choice for us. I need lots of activity! Others in the group not so much, but we really all stayed quite busy aboard the ship.

I contrast that with a trip my brother just took on a Celebrity ship. My brother worked for Carnival as an entertainer for a decade. So he's been all over the Caribbean (and the rest of the world too). He's been out of the cruise game for about 20 years but still works and travels related to entertainment for corporate events etc. He has not set foot on a cruise ship in a long time. A friend invited him to go when someone in their group dropped out at the last minute.

He said it was fun and there was a large group of people they were affiliated with on board for this trip. He said that his friend had been on Allure with a similar group of 600ish people but on Allure that group was kind of lost when you didn't specifically see someone at a scheduled event. Where as on X they ran into people from their group all the time. Smaller ship -- makes sense.

He said they really enjoyed X but without the group's planned activities he wasn't sure as a vacationer that he would have had enough to keep him occupied on X. He's 41 and single.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Yes writing the review was a lot of work but every time someone reads the review it's like I get to go back and relive some of the trip over again! So it was well worth the effort.

Wow. It's already been a year. Thanks to all who read this review!

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I'm glad you posted today and brought your fantastic review to the front page. Last week on the Navigator I booked the Oasis Eastern for our 21st cruise, but the first on one of the big girls. I really enjoyed your excitement and your observations!

Great review. Thanks for taking the time.

We were on the 3/30/14-04/06/14 sailing of Allure. Our first on the Oasis Class. It was for a celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary. While it wasn't my first cruise...it was my best. Our best.

We hope to take our girls 16 and 12 on it very soon. To appease them for a while we are taking them in December on the Enchantment. That trip will get me Diamond status. Yay!!!

I look forward to your second review of Allure with your kids in 2015. Hope 2014 is good to you and yours.

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Wow. It's already been a year. Thanks to all who read this review!

 

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Thanks for bumping the review up from the depths of the forum. Was a delight to read and digest. Glad to see it is 1 year 1 month and 23 days til you get onto the Oasis, some one got the bug!

I'm glad you posted today and brought your fantastic review to the front page. Last week on the Navigator I booked the Oasis Eastern for our 21st cruise, but the first on one of the big girls. I really enjoyed your excitement and your observations!

Thanks for the kind words. I'm having fun this week reading back through the review and sharing bits of it with the group of 20 (so far) that have booked with us for the June 2015 Oasis cruise.

How have you done 21 cruises and not yet been on Oasis/Allure? The ships are incredible you will have a blast!

Great review. Thanks for taking the time.

 

We were on the 3/30/14-04/06/14 sailing of Allure. Our first on the Oasis Class. It was for a celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary. While it wasn't my first cruise...it was my best. Our best.

 

We hope to take our girls 16 and 12 on it very soon. To appease them for a while we are taking them in December on the Enchantment. That trip will get me Diamond status. Yay!!!

 

I look forward to your second review of Allure with your kids in 2015. Hope 2014 is good to you and yours.

 

 

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So my DW went from never wanting to do a cruise to really wanting to do a B2B on Oasis or Allure (or maybe #3 when she sails). And yes our 2015 trip is a bit of appeasing the kids! It is also HS and College graduation for the daughters so that is their present and we have 2 more 20 somethings along for the ride.

I'm already collecting some information for the review in 2015. Mainly because I am doing a group booking directly with RCCL and I want to report on how that works and how that ultimately goes. So far it's been a good experience and we got some really good cabins. so I hope our group booking luck continues!

Wonderful review, thanks to whoever brought it forward.

I usually drink Kahula and cream. The B52 is similar and it was listed in the VC Lounge menu so I gave it a try. B52: Kahlua, then Bailey’s Irish Cream, and then Grand Marnier on top in layers. Mine was on ice and I don't recall it being layered. It was good though.

Mmmm...B52's!! Just watch how many you drink. ;) My friend and I were drinking them (and I am a total lightweight, in fact I don't drink at all now) on a Saturday evening at a local bar/restaurant. After the second round they were B52sh. Then the 4th round, Iff fiffy 2's, etc. I was dancing on the table when the waitress came over and said, "Miss, you can't dance on the table". I told her I had to because the band was so good. She said, "The band hasn't started yet." OOOOKAY...time to go!!

Loving your review! Mary

Mmmm...B52's!! Just watch how many you drink. ;) My friend and I were drinking them (and I am a total lightweight, in fact I don't drink at all now) on a Saturday evening at a local bar/restaurant. After the second round they were B52sh. Then the 4th round, Iff fiffy 2's, etc. I was dancing on the table when the waitress came over and said, "Miss, you can't dance on the table". I told her I had to because the band was so good. She said, "The band hasn't started yet." OOOOKAY...time to go!!

 

 

 

Loving your review! Mary

True professional drinkers, such as myself, my DW, Jean & good friends Mr & Mrs MooMooCow, AmoMondo & JessicaB (all of MSC Armonia in-formy) drink them heavy on the Kalua, light on the Gran Marnia. They should also be "skulked” which is Australian for necked, or downed in one. Vlad in the casino bar makes the best ones.

Now if you want a drink to "mess" with your head, try White Russians. I call them Amnesia cocktails.

Booked our 12th Annual Girls Trip on the Allure on Sunday. Just joined CC yesterday. Put "Allure of the Seas" in search and came across this delightful gem today. And spent 2 hours reading the ENTIRE THING! Now I'm ready to book an All Access Tour, ride the Florider, book excursions, & navigate that big beautiful ship in about 67 days. Thanks for the entertaining read and great information. I have plenty of time to do my own obsessive research now ;)

Mmmm...B52's!! Just watch how many you drink. ;) My friend and I were drinking them (and I am a total lightweight, in fact I don't drink at all now) on a Saturday evening at a local bar/restaurant. After the second round they were B52sh. Then the 4th round, Iff fiffy 2's, etc. I was dancing on the table when the waitress came over and said, "Miss, you can't dance on the table". I told her I had to because the band was so good. She said, "The band hasn't started yet." OOOOKAY...time to go!!

 

Loving your review! Mary

I'm a pretty light drinker, and always the sweet drinks. Glad you like the review.

Can't remember if I mention it in the review but the best drink I had was on the beach restaurant in St. Marteen. It was a guava berry rum frozen drink. OMG! And we should have purchased a bottle of the rum there, because you can't get it anywhere else! Not even mail order.

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Booked our 12th Annual Girls Trip on the Allure on Sunday. Just joined CC yesterday. Put "Allure of the Seas" in search and came across this delightful gem today. And spent 2 hours reading the ENTIRE THING! Now I'm ready to book an All Access Tour, ride the Florider, book excursions, & navigate that big beautiful ship in about 67 days. Thanks for the entertaining read and great information. I have plenty of time to do my own obsessive research now ;)

Only 67 days for research! That's no time at all!! Lol.

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