Indescribable! (But I'll try): My Allure Photo Review

[Host Faith]

I'd say you're allowed the lapse Faith! ;)

Great review and grats on the youngster. Thy life will ne'er be the same! :D

 

Lol! Thank you! So many things are already different, it's amazing. We're looking forward to the changes :)

[swwake]

I can't believe, just two short weeks ago, I was sitting in THAT chair. Right THERE. (in the middle) for our M&M.

[Arizona Laura]

Chrystal..can you tell us what room you had at the Hyatt? I want that room!!

The view is fantastic!!

Thanks..Laura

Edited October 18, 2012 by Arizona Laura

[Debitoo]

Lovin' your review! You are so nice to take us along on your wonderful adventure. Thank you. :)

[QTMichele]

Really enjoying your review! I'm looking forward to your thoughts/comparisons about Allure and Oasis. I've been on Allure twice, but I'm not sold that I need to try Oasis. Your thoughts?

[BillOh]

If any photo in your review brings sad memories, its this one. This was our meeting spot for getting off the ship for people who were taking post cruise excursions. This is where I spent my last 20 minutes on Allure before they finally escorted me off. :( As another reader said, that very chair!

 

 

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Edited October 18, 2012 by BillOh

[Just The 3 Of Us]

Awesome review and pictures - you always do such an amazing job! Again thank you so much for sharing your cruise with us!!!

 

We booked our Oasis cruise while sailing on the Adventure last March - feels like years rather than months ago and still have 190+ days to go :( - anyway, anticipation and reading great reviews are all part of the fun to cruising (in my opinion ;))...

 

Barb

[Host Faith]

What a wonderful, thorough report. I am taking notes!!!:p

 

Again..your review is great-pics are great-info provided is great-you and your hubby look great. Really appreciate it!

Laura

 

Thank you both for the encouragement! I'm glad you're enjoying the review. :)

[Host Faith]

Wonderful review and photos!!

 

We did a B2B on Allure and never set foot in Blaze! Thanks for the photos!!

 

My condolences on your family's loss, but happy news about your baby!! Congratulations!!

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review,

 

Thank you, Joan! You're so fortunate to have been able to do a B2B. We want to go back and do one on the Allure someday.

 

I can't believe, just two short weeks ago, I was sitting in THAT chair. Right THERE. (in the middle) for our M&M.

 

Haha! I know, every day I think, "Last week, I was ________, instead of heading to work." Sigh. Time to book another vacation, lol!

[petesweet]

We explored the venues on Deck 4, and saw the Comedy Club and Blaze (nightclub).

 

 

 

 

 

Ohh - LOVE the London tube map.:) Before I got old and tired and discovered that cruising fits my new energy level (:D), London was my very favorite vacation. I would encourage all my friends to take a trip there with me, and I was their tour guide. Sometimes three times in a year. But what are those strange stops put in there with the regulars? Has London changed so much in ten years? or is this made specifically for the cruise ship?

 

Ahhh, the memories.

Kathy

Edited October 18, 2012 by petesweet

[Host Faith]

Chrystal..can you tell us what room you had at the Hyatt? I want that room!!

The view is fantastic!!

Thanks..Laura

 

Hi Laura! We had a Tower Junior Suite on the 15th floor, I can recall the room number. I'll check when I get home ;)

 

Lovin' your review! You are so nice to take us along on your wonderful adventure. Thank you. :)

 

My pleasure! :)

[Host Faith]

Really enjoying your review! I'm looking forward to your thoughts/comparisons about Allure and Oasis. I've been on Allure twice, but I'm not sold that I need to try Oasis. Your thoughts?

 

Hi Michele! Thank you! Thinking about it, I don't think we're all that interested in trying the Oasis. The Allure has us spoiled, lol! If we did give the Oasis a try, I think we would do a B2B starting with the Oasis, spending Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, then boarding the Allure.

 

 

Awesome review and pictures - you always do such an amazing job! Again thank you so much for sharing your cruise with us!!!

 

We booked our Oasis cruise while sailing on the Adventure last March - feels like years rather than months ago and still have 190+ days to go :( - anyway, anticipation and reading great reviews are all part of the fun to cruising (in my opinion ;))...

 

Barb

 

Thank you, Barb! I agree completely. I spent the last few months leading up to the cruise here on CC, reading reviews. Helps the time go by faster too :D

[Host Faith]

I liked these nifty touch screens placed all over the ship. They showed you the day's Compass, restaurant options and current capacities, and maps to venues.

 

 

 

 

About navigating the ship: it was actually much easier to get around the ship as I thought it would be. I spent a few weeks before the cruise studying the deck plans, getting a feel for where the major neighborhoods were. Served me very well throughout the week. Even on boarding day, we hardly had to wait for an elevator. We never had a long wait for one. It's amazing that there 6,000 people on the ship, and I can only think of once (during the parade in the Royal Promenade) when it felt crowded. And even then it wasn't all that bad.

[Host Faith]

I fell in love with Central Park, on Deck 8. Such a beautiful space!

 

 

 

 

 

[Host Faith]

I had been telling Wes that the first thing I wanted to eat on the Allure was a roast beef sandwich from the Park Cafe. Apparently, everyone else had the same thing in mind! A line was already forming when we arrived. It moved pretty quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

I also wanted a salad, and they made two separate lines: one for the make-you-own-salad area, and one for the sandwich station. Wes stayed to grab us some sandwiches (he didn't want to eat that much since he had some plans:rolleyes:....more on that in a bit), and I went to get my salad. I had a caesar salad with baby shrimp and fresh mozzarella. Sounds a little strange but it was good to me! :p

 

There was a lot of seating in front of the Cafe, but all the tables were taken. I got out of the Cafe first, so I grabbed us a table in front of Giovanni's (across from the Cafe) and texted Wes to let him know where I was.

[Host Faith]

I enjoyed the salad and the roast beef sandwich. I think the sandwich had a little more fat in in than I anticipated. The meat had very little salt in it, since the bun had some coarse salt on top. We brushed most of that off since we're the type of people who like to order unsalted pretzels. The yellow mustard and horseradish went nicely with the meat, however I wished I brought a little jar of Grey Poupon with me. I had been planning to do that and totally forgot. Oh well. If you're interested in one of those sandwiches, be sure to put that mustard (or even a spicy mustard) on your packing list! :p

 

 

 



 

After lunch, we went to Chops to make our dinner reservation. Took less than 5 minutes. Simple and easy, I love it!

[shonandsuzie]

I enjoyed the salad and the roast beef sandwich. I think the sandwich had a little more fat in in than I anticipated. The meat had very little salt in it, since the bun had some coarse salt on top. We brushed most of that off since we're the type of people who like to order unsalted pretzels. The yellow mustard and horseradish went nicely with the meat, however I wished I brought a little jar of Grey Poupon with me. I had been planning to do that and totally forgot. Oh well. If you're interested in one of those sandwiches, be sure to put that mustard (or even a spicy mustard) on your packing list! :p

 

You are so right about those roast beef sandwichs! Our first one had a bunch of flavor and juicy saltiness but one we had the next day was like you descibe, much more bland. I thought maybe the problem was that the Au Jus was seasoned sometimes and then "plain" the other times.

Anyway, it was definately MUCH better (near perfect even!) when it was seasoned and juicy. :) We, too, wiped off that big salt on the bun. It was like little stones...lol.

[BillOh]

 

After lunch, we went to Chops to make our dinner reservation. Took less than 5 minutes. Simple and easy, I love it!

 

I remember seeing the dinner photos from your friends during your Liberty cruise and asking if your husband would be helping with the photos this time and he jumped in and said he would be. So far I think Wes and I have similar dining tastes. Looking forward to hearing about Chops. We have eaten in Chops 3 times and each time its Filet for Gina and NY Strip for me. I'm thinking of changing that up so the question is WWWD? (What would Wes do) or perhaps What did Wes do?

Edited October 18, 2012 by BillOh

[shonandsuzie]

I'm thinking of changing that up so the question is WWWD? (What would Wes do) or perhaps What did Wes do?

Lol!!!!!!!!

[gambee]

Hello Host, it's me once again :-). Quick question, so it was a last moment decision and I decided to bring my bf along with us in the trip. I am not sure why I did not do this sooner, but none the less I am very happy about it :-) although not so much my wallet :eek:

 

Anyway, I noticed that you had to make reservations in the Ice rink once you got onboard. I just tried making reservations for him online and there is nothing available in the presentations that we reserved. I was hoping that once on board we can get the same presentations for him as we have. You claim that you got all the ones you wanted, does that include comedy show and such? I was also thinking that just in case he does not make it in the reservation system we could just hold a seat for him for when they let general sitting in.

 

One more thing, is that reservation system in the ice rink digital or by paper? I noticed a lot of people with papers on that table.

[Aldeya]

Thank you for a fantastic review!

 

Great pictures and the details! Oh my, THE details! Love it!

 

You had me at the precise timing of the boarding and the picture of the tag attached to the bag!:D My kind of review:p

Edited October 18, 2012 by Aldeya

[Sinppu]

I had a caesar salad with baby shrimp and fresh mozzarella. Sounds a little strange but it was good to me! :p

 

I think it sounds like exactly what I'm going to order :D

 

 

We boarded onto Deck 5, and found ourselves in the amazing Royal Promenade:

 

 

 

 

Oh you brought back memories... I remembered precisely how I felt when we boarded the Oasis last year. Soon I get to experience it again :)

[Host Faith]

You are so right about those roast beef sandwichs! Our first one had a bunch of flavor and juicy saltiness but one we had the next day was like you descibe, much more bland. I thought maybe the problem was that the Au Jus was seasoned sometimes and then "plain" the other times.

Anyway, it was definately MUCH better (near perfect even!) when it was seasoned and juicy. :) We, too, wiped off that big salt on the bun. It was like little stones...lol.

 

Aaah, well there's our mistake. I can't believe we didn't make it back to the Park Cafe all that week to give them another try. And YES! That salt was like little stones. I could hear them make a little sound when they hit the table, lol!

 

I remember seeing the dinner photos from your friends during your Liberty cruise and asking if your husband would be helping with the photos this time and he jumped in and said he would be. So far I think Wes and I have similar dining tastes. Looking forward to hearing about Chops. We have eaten in Chops 3 times and each time its Filet for Gina and NY Strip for me. I'm thinking of changing that up so the question is WWWD? (What would Wes do) or perhaps What did Wes do?

 

Yeah Wes is a consistent guy. He's a filet man all the way. I can tell what he's going to order at any restaurant before we even get there! :)

[Host Faith]

Hello Host, it's me once again :-). Quick question, so it was a last moment decision and I decided to bring my bf along with us in the trip. I am not sure why I did not do this sooner, but none the less I am very happy about it :-) although not so much my wallet :eek:

 

Anyway, I noticed that you had to make reservations in the Ice rink once you got onboard. I just tried making reservations for him online and there is nothing available in the presentations that we reserved. I was hoping that once on board we can get the same presentations for him as we have. You claim that you got all the ones you wanted, does that include comedy show and such? I was also thinking that just in case he does not make it in the reservation system we could just hold a seat for him for when they let general sitting in.

 

One more thing, is that reservation system in the ice rink digital or by paper? I noticed a lot of people with papers on that table.

 

Hi Gambee! It's always nice to be able to have friends come along with you on a cruise! :)

 

You were able to make any entertainment reservation you wanted in Studio B. I went through the pre-cruise planner in My Cruises (online), and made a note of the dates and times I preferred on my own itinerary I make at home. Once we got there I was ready to go with the dates and times I preferred, and the guy at the desk was able to add my reservation electronically. I think they had iPads or something. The papers in the photos were extra compasses, and flyers describing the various shows.

 

Thank you for a fantastic review!

 

Great pictures and the details! Oh my, THE details! Love it!

 

You had me at the precise timing of the boarding and the picture of the tag attached to the bag!:D My kind of review:p

 

My pleasure! I love exact answers and I'm so type-A that sometimes the answers I see in various places are too vague for me. :p Happy to help everyone plan!

[Host Faith]

Ok, so here's a PDF copy of the itinerary I always make when cruising. I send a copy to anyone I'm traveling with if going with a group. DH hardly looks at this, lol! But it's a guide for me since I'm visual and like to see everything. I leave lots of white space to write in any changes we need to make on the way. A lot of these things changed as we went along, but I'll share more on that later. Our M&M was in a different place, I think Dazzles was the location for the 9/23 cruise.

Allure of the Seas Vacation Itinerary.pdf

 

When planning this cruise, I couldn't book the specialty restaurants, and some of the shows. I denoted the ones I wanted but couldn't book with some asterisks (***). Once I got to Studio B or a specialty restaurant, I was able to give them the specific date and time that worked best for our schedule. I got every first choice I had within seconds. And even better, I got to do this at a leisurely pace, no rushing from place to place. So there's hope for you if you're a planner like me and can't book everything for the Allure online ahead of time :)

Edited October 18, 2012 by Host Faith