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

[beachbuddy]

Brian,

 

Thanks for the great review. I'm enjoying reading it and enjoying all your photos as well.

 

Patty

[Familygoboston]

By 10 AM we were ready to leave the hotel and head to the port. The hotel did not have a shuttle, but they do have several vans waiting outside to take you to the port. The fare is $7 per person. A complete rip off, but why fight it? You’re about to be on a cruise. So for $50 we got to the port.

 

Oh no! Not $50 bucks for that lousy van shuttle! :eek: For next time...the taxi ( we went from the Renaissance which is also on 17 th and further away I believe) was only $12! Even if you needed two for your party, it still would have been half the price!

 

And I so hear you about the air fares...it's just bananas right now! I'm following the prices for next February and they just keep going up...x 4 with only one earner...it's just ugly!:rolleyes:

 

Anyway...loved your Oasis review before I sailed her ( tho we didn't do any specialty restaurants, I still enjoyed all your photos!) Enjoying this one too; we sail Allure next ( well our next Royal ship anyway) and with the kids, so it's fun to see how your trip with them went!

 

BTW- I also use excel to make a planning sheet but mine is horizontal. All the times are are across the top and the days are down the side. I also use the "fill" to color code meals vs excursions vs shows. I use one on every cruise, but on Oasis, it was critical! Did you hand out copies to the others in your party? Im embarrassed to say I did, :p my cousin said she appreciated it but then she knows I'm a compulsive planner.

 

Can't wait for the rest...thanks for making the effort!

[kingsnake57]

Really enjoy your reviews. Excellent job.

[secret1122]

Really enjoy your reviews. Excellent job.

How much was the additional fee to add the wine pairing to 150 CP?

[rncruiser]

Lori??? Hello, definitely stop there and I think November is stone crab season too! Jim and I will miss you on the Explorer this year. We debated but the price was right. I won a cruise on FB the sea is calling sweepstakes so we are going on the Allure in Feb! Hope everyone is well, Lisa

 

Yes Lisa, it's Lori. I am jealous that you are going on Explorer for the 3rd June in a row. My kids have tired of cruising, so we have to find other things to do. Ed and I will be on Oasis in November for our 25th anniversary. As much as I am looking forward to it, I will still miss Explorer.

Congratulations on winning the FB contest.

 

 

Brian,

Thanks for the great review. Even though I have no plans for Allure right now, I am enjoying the review immensely. I often refer back to your Oasis food review when I am planning my upcoming cruise.

[BrianAlt]

Oh no! Not $50 bucks for that lousy van shuttle! :eek: For next time...the taxi ( we went from the Renaissance which is also on 17 th and further away I believe) was only $12! Even if you needed two for your party, it still would have been half the price!

 

I figured, but the van was right there and we were ready to go and we had a ton of luggage.

 

Did you hand out copies to the others in your party? Im embarrassed to say I did, :p my cousin said she appreciated it but then she knows I'm a compulsive planner.

 

Absolutely! :) :o

 

Thanks for the comments.

[BrianAlt]

How much was the additional fee to add the wine pairing to 150 CP?

 

$75 per pairing.

 

Really enjoy your reviews. Excellent job.

 

Brian,

Thanks for the great review. Even though I have no plans for Allure right now, I am enjoying the review immensely. I often refer back to your Oasis food review when I am planning my upcoming cruise.

 

Thanks so much! :)

[BrianAlt]

Part 6: Labadee!

 

We decided to take our time getting off of the ship this morning. We went to Park Café for breakfast which was right around the corner from our rooms. It was less than half full at 8 AM. I had a bagel with smoked salmon, tomato and onion and we sat outside and enjoyed our breakfast. This is really a perfect spot for breakfast.

 

We got off the ship at right around 9 AM. My parents decided to take their time getting off and would meet us at 10:30 AM. I had scheduled the Dragon’s Breath Zip Line for the kids and me at 10 AM. I had also reserved a cabana at Nellie’s Beach. We had a hard time finding it on the map and asked the people at Barefoot Beach, the suite cabana area, where it was. They pointed that it was just past Barefoot Beach. We started walking that way when someone from our Roll Call said that we needed to speak to the guys here for the cabanas over there. So we walked back.

 

I opted for a cabana “over the water” because I thought it would mean not a lot of steps. My dad is having a very hard time walking and he can’t do steps very well. We were shown our cabana and it was the third one up and UP it was! There were about 15 steps to walk without a banister and the steps were steep. No way was my dad going to make it up the steps. So we went back to the concierge at the beach, Roberto, and told him the problem. He said that the people in the first cabana complained that they wanted a view. Maybe we could switch? I was skeptical, but we walked back again. We asked them and they said YES immediately! Thank you nice people! I gave Roberto $20 for helping to make it happen. He would have done it either way, which was nice to see. After seeing that our cabana attendant was extra attentive to us.

 

It was around 9:30 AM by the time we got this all straightened out and I was glad my parents weren’t there to see all the machinations. So I decided to head over to the zip line with the kids and see if we could get on early. No such luck. We had to wait for the 10 AM run. So we sat there and waited and right at 10 we got on with the training exercises. They show you how to put on and tighten the harness which looks like an oversized diaper. They walk you over to the training area and strap you onto a trial run, a short course where you learn how this works. You sit in the harness as if it were a seat and slide down the zip line.

 

My son modeling the oversized diaper

 

The kids sitting in the truck

 

Then they take you on an open safari-like truck which will take you up the hill to the top of the zip line. Once there they give the weight classifications to all of the lines – lightest on the left and heaviest on the right. He then gives some time for everyone to take some pictures.

 

View from the top of the zip line

 

We were the second to last group to go down the zip line. It was a lot of fun. The travel time is around one minute. Here is a video of my trip down. Watch it till the end, I love how it ends:

 

Click the picture for the video of my zip line ride

 

It was just after 11 AM and we went back to the cabana. Everyone was there and looking very happy being in the shade. It was REALLY hot. It was the only day the temperature was above 90º. I took a swim on the mat. They gave us 3 mats for us to use, which was plenty. It was getting towards lunchtime so we made our way over to Barefoot Beach to eat there. If you have a cabana at Nellie’s you get to eat at Barefoot. We had a cabana at Barefoot on our last cruise. The food there is definitely better. I found the lunch on Labadee to be tasteless, but at Barefoot it’s the same food, but it actually has flavor! Plus they had shrimp kabobs and steak. I decided to get a Margarita at the bar. It was great, very strong.

 

My daughter looking happy on the mat

 

We went back to the cabana and I decided it was time to take a nap. I laid out on the cushioned lounge chair and fell asleep for nearly an hour. Wow was it hot! When I woke up my shirt was drenched! Time to get in the water. I also ordered another Margarita. My parents, mother-in-law and kids left to get back on the ship at 3 PM. My sister, wife and I saw this as an opportunity for some quiet time. I went into the shade this time and took another quick nap. I think we all snoozed a bit.

 

Chillaxin’ in the cabana

 

My parents scheduled a photography session with the professional photographer on board the ship at 6 PM. So at 4 we decided to pack it in and head back to the ship. I tipped our attendant and we made our way back.

 

The cabana was well worth the cost! ($200) However, Nellie’s Beach gets VERY crowded. Kayaks and other non-motorized water craft leave from there. There are lots of people swimming and it gets pretty crazy sometimes. Barefoot Beach is much nicer and quieter and more civilized. But if Nellie’s Beach cabanas were our only option, I’d definitely do it again.

 

Next – Part 7: MDR for the First Time!

[secret1122]

$75 per pairing.

Sorry, just to clarify, if there are two of us it would be $75 for each or both?

[BrianAlt]

Sorry, just to clarify, if there are two of us it would be $75 for each or both?

 

$75 each. We shared one pairing, so we paid $75. If we each had one it would have been $150.

[secret1122]

$75 each. We shared one pairing, so we paid $75. If we each had one it would have been $150.

Yikes! That's high. Twice the cost of the meal! Oh well, sounds like it was worth it. I may do the shared one like you did.

[BrianAlt]

Yikes! That's high. Twice the cost of the meal! Oh well, sounds like it was worth it. I may do the shared one like you did.

 

Sharing is definitely enough. If you were to buy a nice bottle of wine it would cost about the same. A bottle is approximately 5 glasses. This is 6.

[Buffett fan]

Brian - LOVED your description of 150 Central Park! I also took pictures of everything and kept the menus to add to a scrapbook that I'm going to make of the cruise. The salts were very interesting (I also liked the egg tasting salt) - interesting enough that even my better half was impressed. My favorite portion of the meal was the Citrus Chipotle Crab Salad. I absolutely loved the combination of flavors in this salad. It was refreshing and delicious. If given the option, I would definitely order that off of a menu! I'm also a big fan of gnocchi (yum, just thinking about it makes me hungry) and a fan of pumpkin bread. I was a little disappointed in this gnocchi...but not enough to let it take away from the overall experience. My better half and I each ordered a different main course too (that way we could taste both!). Good call....both were yummy!

 

It was so nice reliving that memory while reading your review. Makes me even more anxious to book my next cruise!

[BrianAlt]

Thanks Buffet fan. And thanks for always being not only being a fan of Buffet, but a fan of mine too. :)

[Buffett fan]

Thanks Buffet fan. And thanks for always being not only being a fan of Buffet, but a fan of mine too. :)

 

 

I've been a Buffett fan for about 15 years...have only missed one year of attending his concerts. I've been a fan of yours for about a year...you got me on the Oasis review! What can I say...we both seem to like the same kind of food and apparently the same kind of music. Fins up! :D

 

(And thanks for another awesome review!)

[KansCocoa]

Buffet fan here, too...in fact, getting to see him tomorrow night here in Kansas City in concert - can't wait!!!

 

Brian - love the review. The ending of the Zip Line video is classic...altho it made me jump! I'm assuming you didn't crash land, did you? :eek:

[Buffett fan]

Buffet fan here, too...in fact, getting to see him tomorrow night here in Kansas City in concert - can't wait!!!

 

Brian - love the review. The ending of the Zip Line video is classic...altho it made me jump! I'm assuming you didn't crash land, did you? :eek:

 

KansCocoa.....jealous!

 

Brian - I'll start this off by saying that no one can make sense of irrational fears. With that being said, I have parasailed once before and I loved it. However, I'm terrified of ski lifts, zip lines, etc. I tried a lift in Jamaica (by Dunns River Falls) that literally caused an anxiety attack! Thank goodness I had a girlfriend with me who literally kept talking to me and told me to remain calm and keep breathing. Not fun at the time, but certainly worth a good laugh now. I was almost scared to watch your zip lining video, but I did...and much to my surprise, it actually looks like fun! I'd love to work up the courage to give it a try. My better half would be thrilled if I suggested zip lining! I may squeel like that little zip lining pig in the Geico commercial, but I could cross it off my bucket list, LOL. The comparison of the harness to an oversized diaper was classic. Too funny. And to second KasCocoa's question - is it safe to assume you weren't injured on landing? :eek:

[BrianAlt]

Brian - love the review. The ending of the Zip Line video is classic...altho it made me jump! I'm assuming you didn't crash land, did you? :eek:

 

And to second KasCocoa's question - is it safe to assume you weren't injured on landing? :eek:

 

Yes, I was fine. :) At the end you hit these spring-like things that dampen your speed. I was surprised to go back several feet and I did get concerned that it would spring me back off the platform. But all went well. You actually hit a lot harder on the practice zip lines than on the real ones. At least I did.

 

And I'll never parasail. ;)

[OklaCruiserMom]

Hey, Brian! Loving your review- all your posts are always so informative, as well as kind and friendly. I'm looking forward to my first ever cruise (which just happens to be on Allure) in 37 days. (but who's counting?)

 

One thing I'd like to ask about from several pages back- you said you went to the comedy show and one of the comedians was named Rondell Sheridan. I instantly recognized that name as being the guy who played the dad on a Disney show called That's So Raven- is it the same guy? And was the comedy clean enough to take kids to? My kids might think it was interesting to see someone sort of famous in person. I've signed up one of my daughters and myself for the comedy show, but if the comedy wasn't too tacky I might consider taking my other daughter and my son. (The girls are 18, but one of them is a little delayed and doesn't really appreciate comedy that much because she usually doesn't get it. My son, in one of his temper tantrums, could probably put a sailor to shame, language-wise, but that doesn't necessarily mean I want to expose him to more of it, y'know?)

 

Thanks for any info/recommendation you could give. We sail on 5/27. I wonder if there's a way to find out which comedians will be onboard then. Might not even be the same, I guess.

[BrianAlt]

One thing I'd like to ask about from several pages back- you said you went to the comedy show and one of the comedians was named Rondell Sheridan. I instantly recognized that name as being the guy who played the dad on a Disney show called That's So Raven- is it the same guy?

 

Yep! That him.

 

 

And was the comedy clean enough to take kids to?

 

Nope, definitely was not. And the comedians weren't as raunchy as they were just downright insulting at times. Not for kids.

 

There is a family comedy show in Studio B later in the week. We didn't go and I'm not sure who was performing.

 

I'll also add that I saw both comedians around the ship several times and even had a (very) short conversation with Rondell.

 

AND have a WONDERFUL cruise!

[OklaCruiserMom]

Ok, very good to know. Thanks so much. :)

[CroozinFamily]

Always a pleasure reading your reviews! We are flying to Ft. Lauderdale TOMORROW and embark on Allure on Sunday!!! Can't wait!!!!

[Habanaro64]

Hey there Brian!

 

Everything sounds great so far and I really cant wait for the rest and of course our cruise on the Oasis. I started reading the other day but didn't get too far so I started at the beginning again and its would have made much more sense on my part to stay caught up!

 

BTW, have you thought anymore about the Bourbon Trail? You can email me on that one. I just happened to think about it.

 

Doug

[beachlovergirl]

Enjoying your review and love the pictures, especially the food ones!!

 

Dee

[BrianAlt]

BTW, have you thought anymore about the Bourbon Trail? You can email me on that one. I just happened to think about it.

 

Hey, Doug! It's still a possibility. No fixed plans for this summer. We'll discuss more soon.

 

Enjoying your review and love the pictures, especially the food ones!!

 

Glad you're enjoying. :)