springgrl

We were on the Allure in February and attended the Adult Comedy Show.  Unless you are really easily offended, it should be fine.  I’ve seen more offensive comedy routines on network TV.

13 hours ago, swdke said:

Hello, we have booked a Guaranteed Cabin and understand that we might not be assigned a cabin perhaps until the day of departure.  The cruise seems to be sold out, should we be concerned about a possible overbooking situation and not be assigned a cabin at all?  Thanks.

We had the same situation on the Allure recently, sold out ship and ocean view balcony guarantee.  We received our room assignment exactly 30 days before our sailing.

11 hours ago, mcurban said:

Do they every do the beef tenderloin- just for one? My husband would get it with me just because he's a kind fellow, but I'm sure he would enjoy the lamb or lobster more. 

Yes, they will adapt it for one person.  My husband ordered it for one on our recent Allure cruise.

Just off the Allure, Sabor is definitely on the UDP plan.  We went for lunch three times.

We were on the Allure of the Seas Feb 26-Mar 5 and Johnny Rockets was included in the UDP.

We had the three night dining plan on the Odyssey in August.  I would add Wonderland just for fun.  The food is fine and it is an “experience.”  For us, it was a “one and done” but we were glad we went.  We found Giovanni’s to be good as well.

1 hour ago, DavidMutchler said:

I did brief "mock" bookings on Lyft last Sunday.  Pricing was very high from about 9 a.m. to about 11:30 a.m. (circa $150 to $220 for a regular car to Houston Hobby, instead of the usual $50 of so).  Like you, I would like to hang out in Galveston until at least noon, but I don't know how to get anywhere with luggage.

All, is there even a place with chairs to sit down when disembarking?

Pretty much everyone was called to disembark by 9:30am and I don’t recall seeing anywhere to sit in the terminal.

3 hours ago, sjlogghe said:

We'll be on Allure out of Galveston in about 2.5 weeks. There aren't a lot of options for transport to/from the terminal from Houston! I currently have an Uber reserved on embarkation day ... the shuttle I had found only had times left that would get us there after our check-in time. Also, we are staying at a hotel the night prior, so I think it will just be easier to be picked up at the hotel then to have to take a shuttle back to the airport to catch another shuttle. Right now, Uber is about $60 for 2 people. Does that sound about right? How long should I plan for to get from Houston (IAH area hotel) to the terminal? 

 

I'm debating on how to get from the terminal back to the airport. We fly out of HOU. There is Galveston Express that has a decent time available. There's also a shuttle booked through RC - are there different times to pick from or is it just one time, and you're pretty early off the boat? Or an Uber, but that's not letting me reserve ahead of time because I'm going to the airport. I've read a few things that say the new Galveston terminal is sort of a nightmare in terms of finding the shuttles or Uber. Does anyone have recent experience with this?? I'd like to book Galveston Express, as it's less expensive than the RC shuttle, and I can pick a time that's not super early (I'd rather stay on the boat a little bit longer than sit in the airport.) But if it's going to be more hassle than it's worth, then maybe it'd be better off to book RC shuttle. 

 

Any insight or recommendations would be appreciated! 

We were on the Galveston Express round trip for our Allure of the Seas cruise.  It was $100 total, round trip for both of us.  We stayed at a hotel by the airport the night before our cruise and took the hotel shuttle back to the airport to catch the shuttle.  Very easy, very efficient and right on time; took us about an hour to get to the terminal.  They also text you your shuttle’s ETA and driver’s name about 10 minutes before they arrive.

However, the return trip was a little more complicated.  It is understandable though when you consider that 6000 passengers are leaving around the same time!  We also booked a hotel for Sunday night as our flight was leaving on Monday morning. I received a text that they would be utilizing a bus instead of a sprinter van and that we needed to go to the side of the terminal where the full size buses pick up.  There was some confusion but it all worked out. Driver even agreed to drop us off at the hotel.  I would use them again.  

We recently did the UDP on the Allure of the Seas.  Sabor and Johnny Rockets will definitely be open on embarkation day and are part of the UDP.  We loved Sabor and, especially their house made guacamole.  We ended up going to lunch at Sabor three times during the week, once to Johnny Rockets and once to Chops.  Chops has nice salads for lunch.  Vintages tapas were not included in the $25 food credit but it might be different on the Harmony.  150 Central Park was our favorite restaurant and we went to dinner there three times.  There wasn’t a Wonderland on the Allure but we did eat there when we were on the Odyssey.  I agree with the previous poster; it’s fun but, for us, it was a “one and done” experience.  

40 minutes ago, bagsarepacked said:

Thank you springgrl for your post. Our group is traveling AotS in May and I have a couple of questions. 

* Other than refund excursions, did RCCL do anything in the way of compensation for skipping Costa Maya? Go to another port? Have a special event on board? (Wondering what to expect in case the same happens to us.)

* Were there theme nights? If so, what were they? And formal nights? (Some of us will want to participate and I'd like to know what to expect and pack.) ETA: I've searched all over RCCL's webpage and cannot find specific information about theme nights.

* I'm new to RCCL (but not cruising); anything else we should know about RCCL and AotS?

We did receive a refund of port taxes for skipping Costs Maya, I believe $19.95/person.  Also, any venue that usually is closed during port days was open.  I believe they also may have added some trivia events.

There are two formal nights.  Many people dressed up and many did not.  Your group would feel comfortable whatever you choose to wear.  There is also a 70s night which is quite fun.  Lots of great costumes; there was a group dressed as the characters from Scooby Doo and lots of hippies.  There is also a “white night.” 
If your group is interested in shows and other events requiring reservations, try to make them online; however, if they show “sold out”, don’t despair.  When you get on the ship, there are venues where you can still reserve the shows; just be sure to do it the first day!

Happy cruising!

The UDP!  We just cruised on the Allure and never set foot in the Main Dining Room  or Windjammer.  The cost was also around $500 and, between specialty restaurant dining and the 40% off bottles of wine, we saved around $800!

23 hours ago, Spencer71 said:

Will be on Apr 2.  Looking at potential things to do with my daughter. Anyone know if there is an escape room on Allure of the Seas?  Or, Virtual Adventure Zone?  Any comedy shows that are "clean", and would feel comfortable with my 14-yr old daughter there?  What are some good entertainment options to do in the evening, besides the big shows (Mama Mia, OceanAria, Ice Games) that I could do with her?

There is not an Escape Room, unfortunately.  There is a magic show for all ages.  Another thing she

might like to do is hunt for ducks, seriously!  People hide ducks all over the ship (sometimes hundreds) and all ages hunt for them as souvenirs or to re-hide.  It might be a fun thing for you to do together.

On 3/7/2023 at 7:24 PM, MD_Dan said:

You mentioned Allure and Odyssey,  We're doing both those ships on a side-to-side in 7 months.    We know (and love) Allure.  I never thought I'd be singing in the aisles at the end of Momma Mia but I agree it is RCL's best show.  We've been on all the other Oasis Class ships except Oasis (not a fan of Cats).  Could you compare and contrast your cruise on these two ships?

I really think it’s personal preference.  We felt the Odyssey layout was odd and a very broken up.  Whereas, we loved the Allure’s layout and “vibe.”  It’s really hard to describe.  We also do have small children, so the water park and bumper cars, etc. are not important to us.  That being said, it still is a very nice ship!

47 minutes ago, KGSB11 said:

I leave in 14 days to head to Galveston to board on the 26th.  Kind of a Whisk(e)y centric question, any insight on which bars were stocked better than others? 

Sorry, we are wine drinkers.🤷🏻‍♀️ Wish we could help you.

On 3/8/2023 at 11:56 PM, wreckem2013 said:

It was a serious question they are asking because almost all the plants were killed when it docked in Galveston for the Xmas cruise. It was in port with temps in the teens and windchill in the single digits.

 

Good to know  that they have gotten it back into shape.

They are working on it.  Some of the plants were removed leaving empty spaces and there were dead trees.  It is definitely a work in progress.

On 3/7/2023 at 7:00 PM, wolfcathorse said:

was the Captain James McDonald or Sean McDuff

I am sorry, I don’t know.

On 3/7/2023 at 6:57 PM, atakkat said:

Jlshouston- I am so happy to hear your DH is okay. I’m sure that was very scary.

 

We sail on April 23, celebrating 30 years of wedded bliss. ❤️This will be our first time on a ship this size. Any tips to share? I have been scouring the threads like crazy, I already booked the shows, specialty dining and drink package!

First of all, congratulations!  We were celebrating 30 years as well.  My husband was hesitant to cruise on a ship as large as the Oasis Class and now he is sold!  It never seemed too crowded and the staff is amazing!

If you booked the Ultimate dining package, remember there are specialty restaurants open for lunch.  We particularly liked going to Chops and getting their salads topped with steak or shrimp.

We really enjoyed the Late Night Comedy show.  The venue is intimate and, if you don’t have reservations, there is a standby line and most do get in!

Central Park is a lovely place to sit and unwind after a long day.  We would get a glass of wine at Vintages before dinner and most evenings, there is live music.

Enjoy!

We had a fabulous cruise on Allure of the Seas (2/26-3/5)- our first time on the Oasis class in 16 cruises.  We were on the Odyssey of the Seas in August and enjoyed the Oasis class much better.  The Allure’s layout and staff were more to our preference.  Just some observations:

-Even though the ship hasn’t been dry docked for renovations, it is in great shape.  Our room (ocean view balcony guarantee) was in fine shape and the balcony area was free of the typical rust and seemed like it was recently painted.  

-The cabins were still being cleaned twice a day.

-The Allure staff was amazing.  It seemed like the entire crew was engaging, helpful and so accommodating, just like old times!

- Found our first “Cruising Duck!”🐥

- Attended the Aquatheater show, Mamma Mia and Comedy Live late night show; all were amazing.  Mamma Mia was one of the best shows we’ve seen on a cruise ship.

- We purchased the Unlimited Dining Package and it was well worth it.  We dined three evenings at 150 Park, twice at Giovanni’s Table, and once each at Chops and Izumi.  We also had lunch three times at Sabor, once at Chops and once at Johnny Rockets.  We also got a bottle of wine wash evening at dinner for 40% off.  The specialty dining food was excellent, especially 150 Park.  For us, the package was a great deal!

-The ship had to skip Costa Maya due to windy conditions.  Crew members told us this is the third time in recent weeks that this port was skipped.

If anyone has any questions, I would be more than happy to try and answer them.

On 9/23/2022 at 1:18 PM, fishiecrackers said:

I am looking at possibly switching to that same cruise for next summer as well, and was bummed at such a late arrival into Santorini. The itinerary we are on now is on a much older ship but arrives in Santorini at 7am, and I had hoped to get off early and into Oia before it got insanely hot and crowded. Did you find the late arrival to be an issue? Did you go into Oia, or stay closer to port?

We did not go into Oia. We went to a winery in Fira and then explored the area where the cable car goes.  We loved being in Santorini for the evening; the sunset is truly spectacular.  I don’t think the late arrival would affect visiting Oia as many of the passengers of the earlier arriving ships should be leaving by the time you would arrive.

On 9/12/2022 at 9:57 AM, zebra said:

Thanks for the reply. Our tour leaves the top cable car station at 10am.  We have been to Santorini a few times before but this will be the first time on such a huge ship (many more people)  So I was trying to work out what time to aim for to leave the ship taking into account the bottleneck at the cable car and the fact that we will not be the only ship tendering that morning.

On our itinerary, we didn’t arrive in Santorini until 1pm and our wait for the cable car was only about 30 min.  The other ships were already in port so the line wasn’t bad.

When we were on the Odyssey in August, there was an announcement that passengers disembarking in Naples should stop by guest services. The cruise was ending in Rome the next morning so it seems like they did allow it.

18 hours ago, FrannyK said:

I have the 3 night dining package.  Is the charcuterie an extra charge?

Yes, if you are at the wine bar area of Giovanni’s.  If you are dining in Giovanni’s restaurant, I believe it’s included.

19 hours ago, zebra said:

We have a private excursion booked on Santorini and wondered how long before we should plan to tender??

 

It would depend how early your excursion is.  The first tenders were taken up by passengers who had booked shore excursions through RCCL.  You have to wait in line early in the morning to get a tender ticket which will have a number.  We were tender 6 and we were probably called about a half hour after the first tender.  They have quite a few tenders and they are continually going so it would depend on where your tour is meeting you.  You are dropped off close to the cable cars.

On 9/8/2022 at 2:46 PM, schmeed said:

I just purchased the 3 night for our March 23 cruise.  Question on the courtesy reservation they make for you to start.  I select the 2nd night, cruising, 8:30pm.  Are we able to specify the restaurant?  I didn't see that option so wasn't sure if that happened later.

I selected the same option as you did and could not select the restaurant.  However, when we boarded, I went straight to Chops (you can go to any of the specialty restaurants) and asked where my reservation for night 2 was.  They never made any reservation for us, however, we were able to make reservations for night 2 and the two other evenings we selected.  Everything was available so I would say not to worry.  If a reservation was made for you, you can easily change it as well.  Happy Cruising!

We just returned from the Odyssey and, although our children are young adults and not teens, I might be able to offer a little insight.  Like you, we did many Caribbean itineraries with our children when they were teens.  If they enjoy beaches, beach activities (ie paddleboarding, etc.), you won’t find that on this itinerary.  However, if they enjoy fun and different foods, exploring little alleyways and shops, cable cars and just amazing scenery, they will love it.  It really is so different than the Caribbean.  Also, lots of “Instagramable” places.  In Mykonos, a TikTok “star” named “SaltBae” owns a restaurant and was there throwing salt at customers and posing for photos and videos. Apparently, he’s a big thing (ask your teens)!🤣