Honeymoon on Allure - help needed

[Willow3006]

Hi there

 

We are about to book our honeymoon on the Allure for April 10th cruise. I've not cruised before so have a couple of questions:

 

I've noticed people talking about booking shows already for the cruise on the 10th April. Is this likely to mean we won't be able to get into the shows/restaurants as so many people will have booked already?

 

How much is an average weekly spend on alcohol? We're in our early 30s so do drink quite a bit I guess. I know everybody is different but some examples would be good.

 

Who is best to book the cruise with? Is it better to go directly through RCI?

 

Thnks for any suggestions/help!

 

Willow

[tmoret]

Hey Willow,

My wife and I are on the April 10th cruise. We are in our early 30's also. I can answer the drinking question because we dont really drink that much. As for the shows they just started to let us book so you would still be able to make reservations for the ones you want. On the oasis last year alot of people still waited to book shows until they got on the ship. You can even wait and go to the show you want but you would have to wait outside until the people that booked are in then they open it up to anyone else. I noticed that there were always enough seats for everyone that wanted to get in.

[packie]

I am from Ireland and booked my honeymoon for this Sunday on allure.. currently enjoying Orlando at the minute. Discovery cove was amazing.

I was able to book shows 3 weeks ago as I only booked cruise 4 weeks ago. I was getting a deal with holiday company but phoned rc direct. They gave cheaper rate, $100 on board spend and because I told them I was on honeymoon they are delivering a free bottle of champagne to our room. I seen beer menu from ship and Budweiser was $4.25. I may be able to tell you when I get back next week of my drink spend

[QTMichele]

Hi there

 

We are about to book our honeymoon on the Allure for April 10th cruise. I've not cruised before so have a couple of questions:

 

I've noticed people talking about booking shows already for the cruise on the 10th April. Is this likely to mean we won't be able to get into the shows/restaurants as so many people will have booked already?

 

How much is an average weekly spend on alcohol? We're in our early 30s so do drink quite a bit I guess. I know everybody is different but some examples would be good.

 

Who is best to book the cruise with? Is it better to go directly through RCI?

 

Thnks for any suggestions/help!

 

Willow

 

Hi, Willow. :) Congratulations on your upcoming marriage!

 

Don't worry about not getting into your shows/restaurants at this point. Look at the schedule, book the shows you think you'll want to see (or book all of them just in case!), then book your dining venues that you're interested in. You can always cancel before your cruise or once onboard (you'll have to give notice, or they will charge you a cancellation fee). I'm on the March 20th sailing and have found that everything is still open for bookings with many times open as well. I wouldn't advise you to wait too long though.

 

You can expect most alcoholic beverages to cost between $5 and $10. There is a drink of the day that is usually around $7, including a souvenir glass. They used to take about $1 off the price of the drink if you didn't get a souvenir glass, but I'm not sure if they do that anymore. Also, they will add a gratuity on the price - 15%. Bartenders are usually willing to pour heavy on the mixed drinks, if you ask.

 

Personally, I like booking directly with Royal because I like having control of my reservation. For example, if there is a price drop, then I can call them directly and have them reduce my fare. When using a TA, you have to rely on them to get that price drop before it goes back up - not always an easy task (long story on our Freedom cruise last January, but the gist is that someone lost out on over $1000 savings because they couldn't reach their TA over the weekend). Having said that, there are wonderful TAs who are worth their weight in gold. Ultimately, this is a personal decision based on your comfort level of dealing with your reservation or having someone else do the legwork for you.

[Willow3006]

Thanks for your replies! Am going to book this weekend!

 

When it comes to cabins, we'd like a balcony looking out to sea (we can't afford a suite unfortunately!) - they seem to range quite a bit in prices - is that just about where they are on the ship?

 

Willow x

[QTMichele]

Thanks for your replies! Am going to book this weekend!

 

When it comes to cabins, we'd like a balcony looking out to sea (we can't afford a suite unfortunately!) - they seem to range quite a bit in prices - is that just about where they are on the ship?

 

Willow x

 

I assume you're asking what the difference in price is for the balcony cabins? In a nutshell, it's all about location, location, location! But there are a few other things to consider.

 

For example, a D1 has a larger balcony and typically costs the most out of the D cabins. D2-D8 are the same size, but the lower the number, the more expensive they usually are. D8-D5 tend to be on lower decks and hold fewer passengers. These cabins do NOT connect. D4-D2 can hold more passengers - up to 5 (YIKES!), tend to be on higher decks, and some have the option to connect with another cabin.

 

Hope this answered your question. :)