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The Significantly Less Complete Food Lovers Guide to the Allure of the Seas

BrianAlt

By BrianAlt,
in Royal Caribbean International

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BrianAlt

BrianAlt

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Part 12: Nachi Cocom in Cozumel

 

We didn’t rush to get off of the ship at Cozumel. We were going to Nachi Cocom for the day and ship’s time is an hour ahead, so I knew it was early in the morning. We ended up walking off around 9:30. I hate that when you walk to the taxi stand at the International Pier you are sent through a maze of shops. Not only does that mean that all of the merchants get a chance to hassle you as you walk through, but also you keep wondering if you are going the right way or getting lost in the shops. I will say that the shopkeeps were on good behavior and only bothered us a little as we went through. Today it was only going to be six of us travelling to Nachi. My parents decided that they would have some time to themselves and a break from the beach.

 

The six of us got to the taxi stand and two taxis offered to take us for $15 each taxi. I wanted to get a van so that we could all travel together. The van was $32, so $2 more, and that was fine with me. The driver made sure I had reservations for Nachi and I showed him my paper. The ride is pretty short, less than 20 minutes so we got there right around 10 AM ship’s time. My wife and I had been there before and I remembered that the entrance was fairly non-descript. But everyone seemed a little taken aback when we entered the grounds and there wasn’t a sign to be seen. I recognized the entrance as we drove closer to the beach. We took the standard picture of all of us in sombreros and Mexican serapes and had some fun with it.

 

We had taken all of our cash with us. Unfortunately we had over $200 of it in casino chips. We really should have cashed that in the night before, but we forgot to do that. We just barely had enough money to pay the balance with enough left over for tips and a few water sports and of course the cab ride back to the ship. So don’t forget what I forgot…Nachi Cocom is CASH ONLY!!!!

 

We were introduced to our server for the day and he took us to our lounge chairs down near the end of their portion of the beach. It didn’t take long for me to assume a relaxed position.

 

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Me chillaxin’

 

The beach at Nachi is really beautiful with white sand and palm trees nearby for shade.

 

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Lovely beach

 

We started out with a few bottles of water, but I quickly moved on to cerveza. I drank Dos Equis Ambar for the day. All told I think I had five bottles.

 

The guy selling the water sports came by, but we had to figure out what we could do with our limited cash. We were able to rent a mat for $7 and a giant tube for $15. You can see the mat in the picture of me above and the tube in the picture below.

 

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Kids with their tube

 

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Rub a dub dub?

 

We met some nice people from other ships and spent some time talking to them. A little after noon we went to have some lunch by the tables near the entrance. The food was very good. I had the guacamole for an appetizer. Several of us had that and enjoyed it. For an entrée I had the grouper which was very good. Everyone enjoyed the food. We figured we would come back later for dessert, but we never bothered.

 

After lunch we relaxed at the beach and I did what I do best…I took a nap. I took turns napping on the lounge chair and on the beach mat. Kids played on the tube and the beach and my son did some snorkeling with a mask we bought him. Around 2:30 PM we decided to go spend the rest of the day by the pool. The pool is great with a swim up bar and Jacuzzi on one side and on the other side the pool steps down so you can easily step into the pool and step out. Just don’t be surprised if the floor suddenly disappears as you walk forward. We spent the time going back and forth between the bar and the other side of the pool. My sister had a few beers and was definitely enjoying herself. My son had enough of the water and took on a new project. He decided to try to open a coconut. He wasn’t successful.

 

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Son destroying a coconut

 

Around 4:30 we asked to get a cab and another van showed up for the six of us. It was $32 to go back to the ship. The port was very crowded as the Mariner, docked next to us, was leaving a couple hours earlier than we were. There were separate lines for the ships, but the port was still very busy.

 

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The Allure next to the Mariner (obligatory size matters pic)

 

When we got back on the ship a towel exchange station was set up right by the elevators. What a great idea! Bravo to whoever thought of that.

 

Back at the room we went to see how my parent’s day was and they took a cab around to see the sights of Cozumel. As he got to the cab he asked how much and the driver said, “seventeen dollars.” My dad repeated $17 and then in Spanish, “diecisiete?” And the cab driver said yes. The tour was nice and at the end the driver said it was seventy dollars! My dad had some words with the driver and gave him $40 and told him he wasn’t getting anything more. The driver threatened to get the police, but my mom and dad just walked away. My dad had a feeling the driver was going to try some kind of switch. $17 did seem too low.

 

Next – Part 13: Blue Planet

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BrianAlt

BrianAlt

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Part 13: Blue Planet

 

We again had dinner in the MDR and again it was very nice. Several of us had the pork loin and it was very tender. I recommend it. The evening gave us an opportunity to take some table pictures which included this classy one.

 

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My sister, my daughter and I showing off our incredible talent

 

After dinner we had headed over to the theater to see Blue Planet. We were at least 40 minutes early, but the theater was already filling up. The last row of the middle orchestra was available, so I started to sit there. There was a man sitting in the first seat so I asked if he could excuse me so I could get in. He said that the entire row was saved! I looked down at the other end and another man was sitting in the seat on the other aisle. I said, “what? That’s ridiculous!” And I walked right into the row and asked the rest of my family to do the same. My wife got angry at me and told me we could sit on the right side, there were seats available there. Fine, whatever, and I walked off. The man on the other aisle had abandoned his seat and other people started coming into that row. What a mess.

 

I really have no problem with people saving a seat or two while their spouse returns from the bathroom or from getting a drink or from changing their shoes, etc. But to save the entire row?!? Not very polite.

 

I had some idea what to expect with this show since I was on the Oasis and saw Fly Me to the Moon. I knew it would be a Cirque du Soleil style show. However, I had no idea it would be as visual as it was.

 

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There are people in that tree. Can you see them?

 

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Swimming in the ocean

 

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Acrobatics

 

The singers in the show were the same performers from Chicago that played the leads: Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly, Billy Flynn and Amos. I thought the women playing Roxie and Velma in Chicago were terrific. Unfortunately, in this show they fell flat. However, the male leads did a fantastic job! It was interesting, because we were fairly unanimous about the women. I think for some it took away from the entire show. Not so much for me because as I said, I really enjoyed the visual aspects of the show. Overall I think it was an excellent show and one not to miss.

 

Next – Part 14: Last Day at Sea :(

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Loucat

Loucat

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Brian- How do you remember that you had pork loin for dinner that night:confused:Do you keep a journal of your meals? I would never remember what we ate right after a cruise no less some time later.

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BrianAlt

BrianAlt

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Hey Brian, glad your back!!! Enjoying your review!!!!

Patty

 

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying.

 

Brian- How do you remember that you had pork loin for dinner that night:confused:Do you keep a journal of your meals? I would never remember what we ate right after a cruise no less some time later.

 

Yes, I write notes either at night when we get back from the show or first thing in the morning. This time I used my iPad to keep the notes. Here were my notes from the evening:

 

Dinner at 630 in MDR. Had pork, very tender. Several of us had that.

Blue Planet - female singers weren't great, but the show was great. Amazing staging.

 

And I wrote that entire post from those few short sentences. :D Pictures also help me remember.

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RnBluvher

RnBluvher

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Really winding down now. Is everyone still with me or did I lose you all with my illness?

 

 

Glad you're better, I'm still here with fingers crossed that you're done before I leave this weekend.:rolleyes:

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BrianAlt

BrianAlt

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Glad you're better, I'm still here with fingers crossed that you're done before I leave this weekend.:rolleyes:

 

I'm trying! I'm trying! :D

 

I'm still here and cheering you on!

 

Yay! Thanks! ;)

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BrianAlt

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Part 14: Last Day at Sea :(

 

I woke up early and spent 45 minutes on the elliptical before meeting the family for breakfast in the Solarium. The day really had a lazy day feel to it and nothing wrong with that on the last day of your cruise.

 

We checked out our pictures that the ship’s photographers had taken during the week. We used our ½ price coupons and bought a couple.

 

Then we headed to the Solarium for serious relaxation time. Just before noon I took a walk around the ship and found myself at the Park Café. Time for roast beef sandwiches! I brought a couple up to the Solarium to share with my wife.

 

My dad was staying out of the sun, so he reminded me to meet him at 2 PM for the final day of trivia. We figured we were close, but a little behind and would have to do really well to even finish in “the money”. The final set was movie theme song trivia. We did well, but so did everyone else, so we lost. Two teams tied for first and had two rounds of playoff questions to determine a winner. Everyone was offered a small glass of champagne at the end and here we are enjoying our, “loser cocktail.”

 

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Team Erwin – big losers, but we had fun

 

While we were doing that, my daughter went climbing with my sister. My sister had never climbed before, but she wanted to put her newly toned body to the test. She did pretty well! Here’s a picture of her getting to the top:

 

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Go! Go!

 

We all met back in the Solarium and headed to the Solarium bar for the final BBC time. After enjoying a couple of drinks we got ready for dinner.

 

Dinner was once again in the MDR and I made it a seafood night with the Shrimp Cocktail and a Mahi Mahi and Shrimp Tempura dish. It came with a sweet sauce. I enjoyed it very much. We didn’t have a show scheduled that evening so we decided we would watch some karaoke at the On Air Club. But that didn’t start until 10 PM. So we decided to ride the Rising Tide bar for a while. My sister wanted to check it out. I think it’s actually more exciting watching it from the outside than it is to watch from the inside. The ride itself is very short, around 7 minutes. Then it will generally sit in place until the next half hour. My daughter had time to go back to her cabin and get her sweatshirt (it was very breezy outside) and make it back onto the bar.

 

Now, I understand that my 16 year old daughter was with me at a bar, so maybe I shouldn’t be saying this, but I will anyway. I can’t believe how many families are sitting on the Rising Tide bar with their small children. Almost everyone there had children under 9; some had children that were 2 or 3. I don’t think this is the correct atmosphere for these children. It’s a very cramped space and most of the chairs are high bar stools. It’s very easy for a child to fall off of a bar stool and several of them did. Add in the running around in this tight space and it’s not very comfortable. There must be a better venue for these parents to sit with their children.

 

We got to the On Air Club at around 9:30 and nothing was going on. Even the bar waiters were just standing around. Right at 10 PM it started to fill up. We goaded our daughter to sing. She’s a good singer and we wanted to hear her sing. She finally agreed and sang Ingrid Michaelson’s, “The Way I Am.” She sings that song very well. We stayed a little while after she sang. Many weren’t very good. There was a large Asian group from Toronto that was dominating the stage. Some of them were good, but often they would jump up and join their friends in singing. At first that’s cute, but it gets old after a while.

 

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Daughter singing karaoke

 

Then it was off to bed, wishing that the vacation didn't have to end.

 

Next – Part 15: Everglades & Bayside Marketplace

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BillOh Holiday Sharing Rare

BillOh

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Really winding down now. Is everyone still with me or did I lose you all with my illness?

 

Non-food related question, but did they bring out the 3 sided trampoline/rock formation in the Blue Planet show and use it?

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johnbob7

johnbob7

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Really winding down now. Is everyone still with me or did I lose you all with my illness?

 

Still here! Actually, back here...we were on Allure last week. Aremd with all the knowledge you have shared, we had a most excellent adventure. Of course, the ship and staff had a lot to do with it too, but I always enjoy going on a trip well prepared to get the most out of what is offered, and you (with others on the boards of course) have made that possible.

 

You'll never lose the "Brian groupies", LOL! ;)

 

-Like!-

 

Non-food related question, but did they bring out the 3 sided trampoline/rock formation in the Blue Planet show and use it?

 

Last week they did.

 

bobj

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BrianAlt

BrianAlt

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You'll never lose the "Brian groupies", LOL! ;)

 

Me too!!!

 

Thanks for all the love! :)

 

Still here! Actually, back here...we were on Allure last week. Aremd with all the knowledge you have shared, we had a most excellent adventure. Of course, the ship and staff had a lot to do with it too, but I always enjoy going on a trip well prepared to get the most out of what is offered, and you (with others on the boards of course) have made that possible.

 

Thanks! Glad you had a nice cruise.

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BillOh Holiday Sharing Rare

BillOh

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They sure did! Why did they skip that another time?

 

Referring to the trampoline/rock formation in blue planet, I have no clue. They actually rolled it out, climbed all over it, but never used the trampoline part of it. I could only think of two reason not to do that part of the show.

 

1. rough weather

2. Injured/sick performer.

 

It was absolutely not #1, I never felt the ship move the entire week. This was my biggest disappointment of a great week. I had seen promotional video of this act and really looked forward to seeing it myself, I always enjoyed trampolining.

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