A month has passed since we disembarked this ship and my kids still ask me, “When are we going back on the Allure?” I escorted a group of 10 on the Allure of the Seas sailing out on August 27, 2017. We consisted of 6 adults and 4 kids ranging from 10-14 years of age. The ship is HUGE. We were told that there were 6000 passengers and 2500 crew members onboard at that time and I have to say I never felt it. I never had the feeling of it being overcrowded or too confined with too many people. For a person who have cruised other large passenger ships, this one is done very well. There are so many reviews and tips out there about this particular ship, so I will just give a quick 5 greatest moments of the ship.

Food-

Food is a staple of enjoyment and abundance on a cruise ship and on the Allure it is no different. There is something for everybody and something for all times of the day. Our group did not experience the specialty dining venues, but we did try to take advantage of every other free restaurant choice that existed. When we embarked we went straight to the Park Cafe located in Central Park for what seemed to be the must have Roast Beef Sandwich. As a roast beef lover, I can say I liked it but I liked it much more the second time I had it later in the week. We returned to the Park Cafe for a few breakfasts a couple of more lunches. There isn’t a large variety of menu items but I think it sufficed. Our other mornings we spent in the Windjammer Cafe which was a full breakfast buffet. What was nice for our size 10 is that they accommodated tables for us when we entered so we didn’t have to search for them. For lunch we tried a variety of places; Sorrentos for pizza or salad, Windjammer for buffet, Wipeout Cafe for a quick burger, pizza, fries or salad(they also have self serve ice cream YUM), Brockwurst or hot dogs at the Dog House. Snacks we hopped over to the Donut shop or  Cafe Promenade which was open 24hrs. You can get coffee, tea, cookies, small sandwiches and even specialty drinks for a charge.

Most of the nights we ate in the American Icon which was the My Time Dining Main Dining Restaurant. We made reservations for every night which again I believe was to our advantage as a group of 10. They placed us at the same table and had the same waiter every night we were there. These are one of the fine point service items I like about cruising. The waiters get to know you and often treat you or serve you with things you no longer have to ask for because they come to know you. I thought the food was satisfying and quite good. On the 6th night they had lobster tails which was so good and a real treat not to be upcharged for this delicacy.

Activities

This is what I loved about the Allure. If you want to relax and sit in a quiet space whether it was in the adult solarium or just sit on a park bench in the park listening to birds chirp while reading your book, YOU CAN easily do that. But if you want action…there is SO MUCH to do on this ship. Besides the spas, fitness center, jogging track, basketball court, ice skating rink, table tennis, shuffle board, you can go rock climbing, learn how to boogie board for surf, and go zip lining. You can decorate cupcakes and learn how to fold towel animals. You can ride a carousel or enter a mini golf tournament like my two boys did and won!

Central Park

Public Spaces

The aspect of this ship that doesn’t make you feel the grand number of people on it is the public spaces they had for people to enjoy. You can hang out in the indoor Promenade to shop, or go to the bars & lounges, maybe do karaoke or grab a quick snack. My favorite space was Central Park. Probably because it’s the most unexpected site to see out in the ocean. This beautiful green park was so tranquil and even had chirping birds to set the mood. I even saw a little sparrow living in the trees. The Boardwalk is a fun spot that had a carousel to ride and at the end you had access to the rock climbing wall and the Aqua Theater. The Sports Deck had so much to do! Zip lining, which was super fun, FlowRider, mini golf, table tennis, basketball. There’s also the pools and for those 16 and over, the Solarium. A quiet oasis or adults.

Entertainment

From the Sail Away parties to the Disco night and white night parties, the entertainment staff really brings the fun and enjoyment on the ship. During the day, they utilized the Aqua Theater for a fun belly flop & sexiest man onboard contests and at night they had a plethora of trivia contests and a fun family and adult version quest games. Yes, we came in first in Family Quest! : ) DreamWorks is onboard with their various characters and they have quite of few interactive meet and greets, parades and shows with the characters. At night, our group viewed the musical Mamma Mia, OceanAria, the ice show Monopoly and the original production Blue Planet. There were comedy shows, music of all genres, karaoke and the casino was also opened when we were at sea.

Cockleshell Beach, St. Kitts

Ports of Call

This Eastern Caribbean itinerary had three ports of call. Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Kitts. Our sailing was the week before Hurricane Irma hit the Eastern Caribbean. We stayed on the ship in Nassau. In St. Thomas, we took a cab ride over to Coki Beach. The cab ride, which we arranged with the driver to pick us up at a designated time, cost $20 per person round trip. The Beach is located near the Aquarium and had food stations and pretty clean bathrooms. The spot was good for snorkeling. The water was clear and the view was quite pretty. We did find it a bit small with rocky beach when entering the water. In St. Kitts we also arranged a round trip transportation with the same taxi driver. That ride was a bit cheaper at $14 per person round trip. We ventured to Cockleshell Beach. The beaches in St Kitts are public but the restaurant venues “operate” sections of the beach where you can purchase chairs and umbrellas. All for $5 each. They also have food service you can order from the Raggae Beach Restaurant (section we stayed in) but service was quite slow. You were also able to rent snorkeling gear & jet skis. We brought inflatable tubes that we bought in the dollar store to pass the time in the water.

Here’s a little video recapping some of the things we did onboard Allure of the Seas. For more information or to book your next cruising adventure, contact us at www.grabyourbagstravel.com