Nov 4, Allure of the Seas, Western Caribbean - A Review and Complete Pictorial Guide!

[gambee]

And by far the very best dessert in the house is that amazing red velvet cake, it was HUGE!!!. It was soooo moist and fresh, just excellent. My bf eat it all, I took a few bites.

 

 

 

 

We finished our meal, tipped him and left. I took this last picture on the way out

 

 

 

Overall it was great and the funny thing is that neither of us really enjoy steak house kind of restaurants. The average age in the restaurant had to be around 50, I don't believe I saw one kid in there, most of the crowd was mature.

 

I was very happy with it all, but I was even more excited of what we still had 150 as our last dinning venue the next day, it was going to be the big finale to our cruise!

 

[gambee]

After that we walked through the promenade and I tried taking pictures of things that I had not done before, our cruise was coming to an end and I wanted to make sure I got all I could.

 

 

 

 

It appears he was hiding a replica of the Mercedes Benz in the promenade.

 

 

 

 

Those glasses had lights in the bottom, pretty neat!

 

[gambee]

I can't really recall this, but from the look of these pictures I believe the roof changes colors.

 

 

 

 

It looked really cool at night!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2012 by gambee

[gambee]

Then we stepped into one the RCCL stores, we had yet to stop there. It is crazy how much there is to do in that ship, there is just not enough time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

 

 

How cool is that waterfall?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we decide to go to the viking before calling it a night

 

There was the same crowd as always, just the way we like it. This was the first time that my bf came with us, he seemed to like the venue.

 

 

 

 

Bf had a peach bellini.

 

 

My usual, nothing has changed

 

 

 

I took a short video of some light water movement in the pool;

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

Then we headed to the room to relax for a little while, before going to bed.

 

The first thing that I noticed was MONKEY!!!!!!!!!! So cool. Of course the first thing that I tried to do was to take a picture of me with him and I behead him, lol. It was hilarious, bf tried fixing him while mom and went to the balcony.

 

 

 

 

Once outside we noticed one of the NCL ships in the distance traveling with us.

 

 

 

 

 

We sat there, I finished my drink, we enjoyed the music and just relaxed for a little. Mom checked the map and speeds. We were traveling at 18.2 knots and 42 knots head winds. We also talked about how there might be a software glitch in the elevator system, at first I thought that I was not pressing the buttons, but as the trip went by I noticed other people complaining about it too. The elevators will sometimes skip your stop, it is a little odd, but nothing that will kill you.

 

 

It had been another great day aboard lady allure and we were just grateful that we were able to be cruising in her. We should of steeped out to the promenade part, but both mom and I were just exhausted, so we just went to bed early.

 

 

Day 6 End

 

 

[gambee]

Congratulations on hitting 100,000 views on your review! You join an elite group of maybe a half dozen RCI Forum members who have achieved this feat. Well done!!!

 

.

 

That is so awesome, I could not be more excited. Thanks for Posting it :)

 

I could not have done it without all of you, THANK YOU! So Very Much!

 

 

This is the best review EVAH! You photos are just breathtaking and you now have a huge CC fan club. It is a good thing that I am going on a cruise next week because I would be booking one after seeing those pics!!!

 

I am sorry that there are still places you can't hold hands with your love and feel comfortable. Boo on Jamaica.

 

Thanks your comment, it was very nice.

 

Fortunately for me I am not a big believer of PDF, but still, I agree with with you.

 

 

Thanks for following :)

 

 

Great pictures Gambee! I noticed you mentioned the camera.... it's similar to the one I have but I was curious, did you also buy a zoom lens for it?

 

 

Yeah they are very similar, but yours is a little better than mine. I did buy a 55-210 lens and also a Zeiss lens, I am currently looking at 2 more lens that I want. The Rokinon 8mm 2.8 f Ultra wide fish eye, it gives 180 degree angle, CRAZY!!!. And the new 10-18mm from sony.

 

Thanks for keeping up with the review :)

[gambee]

Awwww...gambee's mom! You two are so cute. I've really enjoyed reading about your adventures.

 

 

Btw Gambee.....if your looking to do an amazing trip to MX, much better than Cozumel, then you should try Akumal. It's my home away from home.

 

Thanks for input, I will look into it.

 

Thank you so much for following our story :)

 

 

 

His photos are amazing. He really could freelance for magazines and websites. Turn his hobby into a fun career.

 

Keep up the great work Gambee!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

 

 

Thank you :)

 

My son couldn't have done it without all of you. I am extremely grateful for taking the time to show your support with your comments.

 

Congratulation son.

 

Thanks mom :D

[beachbuddy]

Awsome Gambee!!! I'm trying to get some clothes tried on so I can make my piles for packing........we leave next week for the Allure and your photos are really making it hard for me to stay away from the computer.........LOL I keep checking back to see if you posted more..........LOL

 

Gambee's mom.........so many of us are enjoying your son's review and photos sooooo much!!!! Can't wait for the 2 of you to cruise again.......LOL

 

Patty

[MaryAnn&Don]

Gambee- Careful with the Rokinon 8mm 2.8 f Ultra wide fish eye. It has vignetted rectangle for 35mm frame and produce a circular image for digital full frame. That may not be the effect you want. Wherever you buy, be sure the place has a good return policy in case you are not satisfied with the results.

 

Now back to packing.

[volunteer cruiser]

I am especially interested in your review of 150 Central Park. I am so enjoying your review with the "glass half full" perspective. You and your mom sound like "good people" as we say it in Tennessee. She raised you right!

[gambee]

 

Hello friends, I been working all day on the last set of pictures. Unfortunately a lot of them are panoramas and they take a lot of time to create on my slow computer. This day was mainly a repeat of the other days with a lot of panoramas to help you get a better feel of the space. I also tried taking pictures of new things, that I had missed the other days.

 

I have to leave for work now, but I will continue to work on them tonight and tomorrow and start posting once I am done.

 

Thanks for waiting, this last set just takes a lot of work.

 

 

 

I will address all questions/comments tonight.

 

 

Have a nice weekend everyone.

 

 

[Lorey2007]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been to Cozumel twice before but have never been to downtown are most of the shops on the water like in this picture? We're taking a tour and since seeing your pictures we'll ask to dropped off downtown.

[swwake]

Whew! It took me a few days, but I have finally caught up. In the meantime, you have caught up to me on my review. You went almost a month after me and may finish your review before I do!

 

I have loved your review. Chankanaab reminded me of our dolphin encounter there. I loved your evening photoshoot on the ship. And we bought the Allure ornament and just hung it on our tree yesterday. (We also have a Liberty one, but were unable to get an Oasis - they were sold out when we sailed.)

 

Thanks again for the review! I want to go back!

[Chicky2181]

Is anyone else sad that this winding down? :(

[RoamingRetirees]

Is anyone else sad that this winding down? :(

 

I would be, but we're boarding her in 8 days! :D:D

[ewpsrp]

I need this tee shirt. I know it all because I google everything!! My husband would find that funny. He constantly makes fun of the fact that I love to google everything. :)

 

Then we went back inside the docking area, we noticed a store with some very funny t-shirts, some vulgar some just funny.

 

Here is one of the many shirts

[rvdnsx]

All our food was JUST PERFECT, this was by far the best dinner on board lady Allure, we were stuffed.

 

 

 

 

AND there was more to come, I know what you're thinking FATTIES, LOL

 

The dessert menu

 

 

 

 

Mom got the mud pie, honestly I did not care for it much. It was like a heavy mousse cake, she said it was good, but only had a few bites.

 

 

 

I had the passion berry duo, it was good, but nothing to cheer about

 

 

You think you've got it bad?! Do you know what we do for dinner on Allure? We eat a full 3 course meal at the MDR; appetizer(s), main course(s), and dessert(s).....and then we head to Windjammer for Round 2. Yup, a second full meal.

[beachbuddy]

i would be, but we're boarding her in 8 days! :d:d

 

Woohooo, Woot, Woot..............yes we are!!!!!!! :D:D:D

Edited November 25, 2012 by beachbuddy

[dreamer976]

GAMBEE, you have, many pages ago, joined a fairly tight circle of CCr's that do the MOST INCREDIBLE REVIEWS!!!!!

 

I am totally blown away by your photography. It is second to none. You seem to have a real zest for life overshadowed by what comes across as a very gentle and kind nature. No wonder you and your Mom are each others biggest fans.

 

I'll be on the Oasis at the end of January with my Sister and dear Mom. Hope you'll have another cruise booked by then and if it happens to be on the same one as us, I feel the need to sit down and buy you a dirty martini. I love them also (especially with the blue cheese-stuffed olives)!!!

[riclop]

Is anyone else sad that this winding down? :(

Not really its been long enough

[cosmar]

So we had a decision to make, either we waited there to go to Chankanaab or we headed to the shopping area. The decision was actually pretty simple, the weather was cooler in the morning and we should take advantage of that to walk around. Then instead of walking all the way back to the beginning of the line I approached one of the taxi drivers and asked him if he could takes us and how much. I know it was not the right thing to do, but I really did not feel like walking all the way back. We had a lot of walking ahead of us that day.

 

He told us it would be $10, so we boarded the taxi and left. That was the firs time that we socialized with the local community. He was a very nice man and told us a little about Cozumel, one topic that puzzled us was within a country with such socio-economical problems, how did Cozumel stay so clean, friendly and safe for tourists. Please don't take this offensively if you're from Mexico, I am from Colombia myself and we struggle with much of the same issues.

 

Well he had been living there for over 20 years and had a house and family there, he was a very proud citizen. He told us that they have a very strict government there and that anyone with 3 strikes is forced off the island, the 3 strikes are easy to get. Simple things like disturbing the peace gets you a strike, he mentioned there are many people from the main land who try to go there and steal from tourists. But they are quickly single out by the locals and they are lucky if they last over a few days, they are very protective of the tourist mecca they have created.

 

We talked about many other things, my mom was loving it, she enjoys talking very much. I sat there, looked around and made a few comments here and there. I could not get any pictures during the trip there because the window was broken and all the pics I got came out horrible.

 

Our driver dropped us all the way to the north side of the strip and told us to walk south, that way we could see everything. We thank him, and payed him, he had asked for $10, I think I gave him $13, from what we got I don't think they get tipped of often, but I felt good and he was a happy trooper.

 

 

This was my first view,

 

 

I was in heaven, at that moment in time I felt like I was 8 years old in San Andres, I am not sure how I can describe what I felt. You know how we all search for those childhood memories but often fail to find them? Well for the second time in my life I had found one of them (the first one was in Disney about a decade before). I had a HUGE grin on my face that just spelled SUCKER, lol, mom was admiring everything around her. I am not really sure how she felt, this is the first time I share this with the world, at this point in time she has no idea that I was having a memory flashback.

 

 

You say the taxi drove you all the way north...Well I have a map of the city on hands and would like to know where exactly did you get off. Was it near the store Los Cinco Soles/Pancho's backyard?

If so, how long of a walk to go back to the peer?

I cannot walk for long distances and I wonder if I could make it...

 

Thanks for all those wonderful infos and pics. Will be on Allure next March

[funfamilyof6]

Not really its been long enough

 

Awwwww, does somebody feel left out? :confused:

Edited November 25, 2012 by funfamilyof6

[funfamilyof6]

Then we headed to the room to relax for a little while, before going to bed.

 

The first thing that I noticed was MONKEY!!!!!!!!!! So cool. Of course the first thing that I tried to do was to take a picture of me with him and I behead him, lol. It was hilarious, bf tried fixing him while mom and went to the balcony.

 

 

 

 

Gambee I LOVE this photo and of course every other picture and post you have posted! On our last cruise you should have seen the look on my kids faces when I carefully packed our monkey in my suitcase to take home (of course with permission from our cabin steward). I now see him hanging every time I take a walk in my kitchen...helps a little with cruise withdrawal LOL.

 

Congratulations on your Cruise Critic milestone of 100,000 views (I think I was at least 1000 of them). You deserve more than 5 stars!!! ;)

Edited November 25, 2012 by funfamilyof6

[Gambee's BF]

Gambee,

 

Even though I've been on many Royal ships (but not Oasis/Allure), I am just obsessed with your review. I'm not sure what I enjoy the most..... yes the pictures are incredible and very impressive, but I think your references to your bf and his quirks are classic (you better hope he doesn't read cruise critic!) However, your comments about your mom are hilarious (i.e. you knowing in advance she will steal your drink!). You are an awesome son and to be so inclusive of your mother - all of this wrapped into a package of your hilarious and sarcastic storytelling abilities have made this, in my opinion, one of the best reviews EVER to grace Cruise Critic. I don't know what you do for a living, but you might want to try being a travel writer!

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with all of us. I wish we could have some pictures of you, your bf, and your mom to put faces to the stories.

 

I'm going on the Independence in January out of FLL and will wave to you if you are still there watching the ships sail away on Saturdays....

 

p.s. time to join the ranks of seasoned cruisers and put a pair of sweatpants in the suitcase for when the waistband doesn't quite make it!

 

Donna

 

 

Donna, I'm glad someone said it! I haven't been keeping up regularly because of classes and all, but with finals just around the corner- naturally procrastination sets in lol.

 

Since day 1 "Gambee" has been talking about this review so much and how much he appreciates everyone's input and positive energy. Now that I'm getting around to reading ALL his thoughts on my quirks... let's just sayyy he's in for it when he gets home from work *gets the rolling pin ready* lol.