B2B Allure Of The Seas Pictorial Review - 31st March 2013 & 7th April 2013

[milpston]

Looks like a great excursion. Your photos are really good. :)

 

Thank you very much :)

I went back to look and he is smiling. How cute is that?

 

I think it looks quite evil for some reason haha.

[milpston]

Ok. Photobucket has just frozen on me just as I was about to finish my next post. It's about the fifth time tonight. :mad:

I'll call it a day and try to get Jamaica finished tomorrow.

[rednancy1]

Ok. Photobucket has just frozen on me just as I was about to finish my next post. It's about the fifth time tonight. :mad:

 

I'll call it a day and try to get Jamaica finished tomorrow.

 

Fie on Photobucket! :(

[CruisingConnie62]

I am loving your report and taking notes! We leave on our first ever cruise in 3 weeks, on the Allure. When I was looking at the Labadee pictures, I thought I saw they had some lockers. Are there lockers around on Labadee? Thanks for all the info.

[Bella O]

I had to have a look at see what my camera was :p

 

I decided on my last cruise that I needed to get a new camera after I saw the pictures the guy on the balcony next to me was taking compared to mine.

 

I toyed with the idea of buying a DSLR so I could learn to take pictures properly but didn't want to carry a load of different lenses around with me. I only really take pictures on holidays so I decided to go for a Bridge camera.

 

I bought my main camera, a Sony HX100V, just over a year ago so there may be a new model now. It has a decent zoom, can do HD video and there is a fair bit of flexibility to play with settings if I ever learn what I am doing. I haven't got to that point yet so I just use it on auto mode and haven't photoshopped any of the photos.

 

My second camera (the one I used in St Thomas and the ones taken from in the sea in Labadee) is a Cannon Cybershot which I bought about 8 years ago along with the housing that I bought with it for scuba diving. It still does a job though.

 

 

Thanks so much! I've been looking at the Sony HX200V for a couple of months now, and your review (and gambee's too) has convinced me it's the way to go:)

[Clarea]

Very nice photos. Perfect size for my laptop screen.:)

[bobmacliberty]

Just now getting caught up. I love your writing style, and that's probably the best Chef's Table review that I've read. You've convinced me that it's a must do! Thanks.

[milpston]

Fie on Photobucket! :(

 

I know!! I have Moday off so hopefully I'll get plenty done Monday and Tuesday.

 

I am loving your report and taking notes! We leave on our first ever cruise in 3 weeks, on the Allure. When I was looking at the Labadee pictures, I thought I saw they had some lockers. Are there lockers around on Labadee? Thanks for all the info.

 

You're welcome. I only saw one lot of lockers which I posted a picture of. I believe they were in the area which was to the rear of barefoot beach and Nellies beach.

[milpston]

Thanks so much! I've been looking at the Sony HX200V for a couple of months now, and your review (and gambee's too) has convinced me it's the way to go:)

 

I get on with it. It's idiot prrof so a perfect choice for me when it comes to photography :D

 

Very nice photos. Perfect size for my laptop screen.:)

 

I'm glad they are working well for you.

[milpston]

Just now getting caught up. I love your writing style, and that's probably the best Chef's Table review that I've read. You've convinced me that it's a must do! Thanks.

 

I'm glad you are enjoying it. I just thought the chef's table felt quite exclusive (more so than any otherr venue). Maybe it helped that there were only 6 of us but the food and service was exemplary. A really good experience.

[prekteacher]

Congrats on your marriage! This is a wonderful review of your holiday. Thank you for all your time and effort put into this. You are surely convincing many of us to get on this ship! Now if I can only convince DH to go my three kids are sold! Can't wait to read the rest of your adventures. Continued best wishes.

Barb

[milpston]

After snorkelling we dried off back on the catamaran and had a drink. There was a selection of rum punches, beers, sodas etc.

 

They then started the 'educational' part of the trip by sailing us into a preservation area where fishing etc. is banned.

 

We sailed close to this little island which they call bird island.

 

 

The reason for this is that there are literally hundreds of birds on it. I don't know how they came up with the name???

 

 

 

 

 

They did tell us how many species were thought to live on the island but I have forgotten the details.:rolleyes:

[milpston]

Congrats on your marriage! This is a wonderful review of your holiday. Thank you for all your time and effort put into this. You are surely convincing many of us to get on this ship! Now if I can only convince DH to go my three kids are sold! Can't wait to read the rest of your adventures. Continued best wishes.

Barb

 

 

Thank you very much. Surprise him with a trip on the Allure as a gift. He will have to go then just so not to be ungreatful ;)

[milpston]

During this part of the tour many of us were sitting on the netting area at the front of the catamaran. They were explaining that there was a massive number of jelly fish in this area which is why it was not a place for swimming. One of the crew dived off the boat and came back with a number of little creatures from near to bird island. These were things like star fish and sea cucumbers. These were then passed around all the passengers to hold before being thrown back in.

 

 

 

We sailed away from the island slowly so that the staff could show us the jelly fish in the water. We saw quite a few. A member of the crew was standing at the front and was going to dive in and catch one. While we were all looking at the front of the boat one of the other crew members caught one at the back and brought it aboard. I may be cynical but I have no idea where he got it from :rolleyes:

We were then given the opportunity to touch the jelly fish.

 

 

As we sailed away from this area back towards Cornwall beach the weather was starting to close in a little.

[milpston]

Luckily, it did stay dry for us for the sail back to the beach and our minibus journey back.

 

 

 

 

As we approached the area of the port the school had obviously just finished for the day. Their uniforms are certainly brighter than our school uniforms back home.

 

[milpston]

I think we arrived back at the RCI complex at about 16:00. We had a walk around the area. I had to go and check the prices of the Tag watches. I found that they had a 'special sale' on. They were still about $100 more than I paid in St Thomas so I was happy enough with that.

 

I took some pictures as we were walking around. It's a nice little area and you do not get hassled. We slowly made our way through and back to the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[milpston]

 

 

 

 

 

[milpston]

Sally bought a fridge magnet and a bracelet for Chloe from one of the stools. The fridge magnet was $2 and the bracelet was $5. The identical bracelets in St. Martin were $15.

When boarding the ship at some ports there are signs directing you to specific gangways depending on where your cabin is located. If it is one of the things that makes getting on and off this ship so smooth then it's a great thing.

 

They have a towel drop just inside the entrances where you can ditch the RCI towels. This is very handy as it saves you the journey bag up to the pool deck.

 

[Peeker28]

Question about the towel return, do they return it on your sea pass account so you aren't charged? Was this at all the ports or just this one?

[milpston]

Question about the towel return, do they return it on your sea pass account so you aren't charged? Was this at all the ports or just this one?

 

Yes, they scan your seapass card again here as well. I don't recall one on our first stop which would have been in the Bahamas. I think it was at every stop after that so it is quite possible I just didn't notice it before.

[milpston]

We arrived back in Central Park at 16:40 and stopped in Park Cafe for a beef roll and crisps. Chloe had a mushroom soup. I took a picture of a couple of the birds in the plants in the park.

 

 

Next to one of the benches outside of park cafe is this post.

 

 

There is a little glass top on it and if you look down into it there are little buddhas inside. I'm not sure if there are others of these around the park or ship. There are viewing binoculars dotted around with scenes inside but this was the only one like this I noticed.

 

 

We took some drinks back to the balcony to relax for the sailaway.

 

 

[milpston]

This evening I decided that my camera had been glued to my hand for long enough so I went out without it for the WHOLE evening. It was actually quite nice.:D

Before we went out we laid on the bed and watched the Love & Marriage game show that was filmed on the ship this week. It was very entertaining and we actually wished we had gone to the auditions to be in it or at least went to watch. The prizes were pretty good too!

I actually wrote a few notes for my review while I was watching it as I don't think I had bothered for about 4 days!

As usual we went to dinner in the MDR at 19:45. For starter I think I struggled a little to find something I would like as I had the spicy lamb soup. I couldn't stand it but it's not the sort of thing I would usually have. I had the rack of lamb and the warm chocolate cake which I had last week and they were both pretty good.

We were moved to a new table tonight close to where we had been the other nights this week. Our servers were superb. Drinks always filled and they were very friendly. We stayed at this table for our last few nights too.

After dinner Sally, Chloe and I went to the Viking Crown Lounge for a few drinks. This was the first time we had been in there in the evening. The same band that plays by the pools in the afternoon were playing up there. They were good but I thought they sounded better by the pool. Chloe stayed with Roy & Maureen tonight so Sally and I went to the casino a bit later on. We just put $20 in the slots and left with $30 so that was cheap entertainment for a while. We went up to bed about 01:00.

[milpston]

Day 5 [12] - Sea Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

[milpston]

[Pappion]

Loving your review. I've only been on smaller ships but I really want to check out one like Allure/Oasis or Epic/Breakaway. All the details you have been posting make it seem like despite the large number of guests you really aren't stuck in lines the whole trip.