Royal Caribbean has proved to be a favorite amongst my family so when the opportunity arose to jump aboard the Allure of the Seas, we were game! The Allure of the Seas was Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise ship until May 2016 when Royal Caribbean released the Harmony of the Seas! It carries 5,492 passengers but it is so big, even at full capacity on our trip, we didn’t feel crowded.
Some things to note about the Allure right off the bat:
- She is BIG. I’ve been on some big cruise ships before, but this one puts them all to shame. It is jaw-dropping, stop-what-you-are-doing-and-point-at-it BIG. It is so big that you honestly keep forgetting you are on a boat. I am not exactly sure of the science behind it, but this boat barely rocks, almost to the point you are disappointed!
The Allure of the Seas
- The service is AMAZING. I can only guess that this has something to do with the fact that only Royal Caribbean’s best employees make it to this boat. This is my fourth Royal Caribbean cruise and it was by far the best service I’ve ever received. People are falling all over to keep your cabin clean, keep your kids happy, and make your dining experience perfect.
Allure Towel Art
- You will never run out of things to do. I’ve felt like this on other ships, but this is especially true of the Allure. From garden tours to surf simulators, you really can’t find more activities anywhere. We always had the feeling we were “missing” something.
- The entertainment is top notch. While you do need reservations for most shows, the quality of entertainment on this ship really sets the standard high. Most of the shows are ones I would pay money to see, especially the Oceanaria production set in the ship’s Aquatheatre. You get chills watching them dive from the top of the ship into the not-as-big-as-it-should-be diving pool.
- It is a great multi-generational vacation, as I believe all cruises are. We went on this trip with my parents who are in their 60s. There was something for everyone! We loved that we could split up and do things that interested us separately, yet still come together for meals or shows.
- The details are where it counts. It’s all the small details aboard this ship that make it really special. The string quartet in the park, the water fountain show at the Aquatheatre at night, and the scavenger hunt for “small wonders” all around the ship. These are telescopes or periscopes around the ship (over 20 of them). The kids spent a lot of time trying to find them all – each one a separate view of art.
A “small wonder” aboard Allure.
So without further ado, I give you our family vacation aboard the Allure of the Seas:
Day 1 – Ft. Lauderdale. We stayed near Port Everglades the night before at my parent’s house. The next day was a leisurely 30 minute drive to the port. It was easy to find the correct pier and parking was a breeze. You can park in an outdoor parking lot just outside the terminal. We arrived around noon, dropped off our luggage, walked a short line through security, and finally arrived at check in where we found we had no line! A very easy check in of 10 minutes or less (checking passports, sailing documents, and taking pictures). We then took a boarding photo and were able to board right away. To our amazement, we discovered the cabins were ready early!
We had chosen 2 connecting oceanview cabins for our family at the front of the ship. The cabins turned out to be really neat as they were sloped to the front of the ship and gave us a ton of extra room. Connecting cabins are excellent for families and really do not cost much more than 4 people in one cabin. My parents chose a balcony cabin around the corner from us.
Balcony cabin aboard Allure of the Seas.
We were free to roam the ship bag-free at this point. Sometimes the cabins aren’t quite ready when you board a ship and you are forced to cart around your carry-ons. We then were able to head to the famous Central Park garden and enjoy a quiet embarkation lunch. While the Windjammer buffet is open on embarkation day, I highly recommend heading to this spot to enjoy the garden and to duck the crowds. They had delicious sandwiches, salads, and desserts!
Central Park Garden
The rest of the day was spent exploring the ship! Our muster drill was at 4:00 PM and consisted of us meeting in our pre-designated spot (the fitness room) and watching a safety video. It was definitely the easiest drill I’ve been to. Next, we took a tour of the spa and learned all about the different treatments. It was interesting, but a bit sales-pitchy. We also dropped by Adventure Ocean to register the kids. We realized they are now both old enough to self check-in and check-out which makes everything simpler! We were impressed with the science facility and huge theatre where they show movies daily at noon. The day was topped off by a delicious Main Dining room dinner and the fabulous new Mamma Mia production. Even the kids enjoyed it!
Day 2 – At Sea. This was our first day at sea and we were excited to see what this ship really had to offer. First stop, the Windjammer Buffet. After hearing complaints about how crowded this buffet seemed, we were pleased to easily find a window table and get our breakfast with no issues. Breakfast was really tasty and we had a beautiful view as well. After breakfast, we chose our spots for the Move It Move It Parade. As with other Royal Caribbean parades, we were impressed. I don’t know how they manage to pull this off on a cruise ship, but it was great!
Move It, Move It Parade
Next, we decided to investigate the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is Allure’s answer to a carnival onboard a ship. This was my kids’ favorite neighborhood on the ship. They loved the carousel, arcade, free hotdog stand, free donuts, candy shop, and Johnny Rockets burger shop. This area is also where Sabor, the mexican cafe, resides so we were able to pay a little extra to sample this restaurant for lunch. I think we all voted Sabor as having the best food (amazing fish tacos, guacamole, and Margaritas) – all for a reasonable fee! Before heading to dinner, we took in the Ice Games ice skating show. You have to keep reminding yourself you are watching an ice show on a cruise ship!
The carousel was a favorite!
Day 3 – Labadee, Haiti. This is Royal Caribbean’s private “island”. As we learned, it is not actually an island, but rather a peninsula of Haiti that has been leased to Royal Caribbean. Labadee has several beaches (some private for suite or cabana guests), but the one that is known to be most swimmable and least crowded is Columbus Cove. This can either be accessed by a short 10 minute walk or even shorter tram ride. Make sure to get the shorter tram (vs the double tram) as the shorter tram is the only one that will make it all the way to Columbus Cove. We unfortunately caught the double tram and walked another 2 or 3 minutes down the road to the beach. This would not have been a problem except for the incredibly pushy people selling their wares. They shout, clap, and do everything humanly possible to get your attention. Your best bet is to keep walking and ignore them if you aren’t interested. Once we arrived at Columbus Cove, we were able to find someone to set up some chairs near the beach (for a small tip). A BBQ Lunch is also served there by the cruise ship. After my kids grew tired of playing in the ocean, they started to lobby for the nearby slide or AquaPark. I ended up giving in on the Aquapark: 8 or 9 inflatable slides, climbing walls, and trampolines. We were able to buy tickets there ($15 for 50 minutes). The kids LOVED it and we sat back and ordered the famous drink of the island: A Labadoozie. What is it? Who knows? Something fruity, frozen, and perfect for a day at the beach.
Labadee, Haiti
We returned to the ship after a lovely day at the beach. After dinner, we took in the Oceanaria show in the Aquatheatre. I think I held my breath the whole time. This was my favorite show of the whole cruise.
Day 4 – Falmouth, Jamaica. For this day, we had pre-arranged a taxi with Reggae Tours. We arrived just in time to catch the taxi along with some others to the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach just 10 minutes away. We had prearranged with the Iberostar manager on our own for a day pass for my family. After some initial confusion with the taxi driver (we had understood we could pay with a credit card, but instead could only pay cash), we were on our way. Before leaving us at the hotel, the driver arranged a pick-up time and left us his phone number. The hotel gave us wristbands and just like that, we became guests of the hotel and we could use all of the amenities! All alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, food, and activities were included. I can’t say enough good things about the staff, the resort, and the food. We played beach volleyball and went kayaking!
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach
At the arranged time, Reggae Tours picked us up and took us back to the pier in a flash! After dinner, we viewed the “How to Train your Dragon” on ice. This was my son’s favorite show of the cruise!
How to Train Your Dragon on ice!
Day 5 – At Sea. After two port days, we were ready to do more exploring of the ship! We decided to try out the Flowrider. The lines were not as long as I have seen on other ships due to the fact that there are actually THREE lines. Two lines are for boogie boarding only. One line is for surfing. The lines went fast (30 minutes or so) and they were good about giving you enough tries if you didn’t get it the first time. We loved the scene at the Flowrider. There is loud music playing and a crowd watching. The crowd is always supportive and cheering on everyone. We never did get to the zipline or climbing wall (I told you there was a ton to do!), but we enjoyed watching others doing it!
Flowrider!
After dinner on this night, the kids decided to try a dance party put on at the Adventure Ocean Club. They met a lot of new friends and really liked the counselors. While they attended their kid party, the adults headed to the Headliner Show, a band found by America’s Got Talent, named “The Texas Tenors”. It was entertaining and they were very talented.
Day 6 – Cozumel, Mexico. This time we did not pre-arrange a taxi as taxis are incredibly easy to catch in Cozumel. You simply get in line and grab the next one. No need to haggle as the cost is set to all destinations. We took a taxi 10 minutes to the Fiesta Americana Hotel for a pre-arranged day pass. I think my entire family would agree that this was their favorite day. The hotel is part of a chain of boutique hotels known for their service and food. It delivered on its promise as the meals were incredible, as was the service. As with many Cozumel hotels, there is not a true beach, but a rocky pier where you could snorkel from. The snorkel equipment was free to use and the snorkeling was incredible right from the hotel pier!
Fiesta Americana
A quick taxi called at the hotel whizzed us back to the pier. After a quick shower, we headed to an adults night out at the Chops Grille. There are several specialty restaurants aboard the Allure so we decide to try Chops for a cover charge. It was a very special night out and the food worth every penny as they allow you to order unlimited portions! Afterwards, our bar crawl began with lofty aspirations, as we felt we could at least peek into half of the 20 plus bars on the Allure. After a measly three bars, we had to call it quits. We just wanted to stay too long in all of them. The first stop was the Rising Tide bar: a bar that actually rises and falls between floors, making drinks on the ascent and descent. Next, the Bow & Stern pub: a british pub with beer and prohibition cocktails. Finally, a jazz bar decorated in velvet and chandeliers complete with a jazzy ensemble. I would have liked to see more, but I guess I will save some for the next trip!
Day 7 – At Sea. Now we get to the sad day. The day you know that this dream lifestyle is coming to an end. No more 3 desserts a day and lying by the beach. It’s time to go back to reality. You can feel the depression in the air with everyone sadly shuffling around the boat. We responded with the only thing to lift our spirits: Ice skating. The ice skating was a bit crowded but a novelty at sea nonetheless.
Ice skating on the Allure
We had given the Johnny Rockets a try for breakfast that morning as it is complimentary for breakfast. It’s a small menu, but the food is good and is a nice change from the other breakfast venues. Adventure Ocean was also putting on a kids talent show. My daughter decided to choreograph a number and picked a song from their library. We really enjoyed watching all the kids perform and afterwards raced to the Madagascar Move Move It Aquatheatre show. We found it to be a great kid’s version of the Oceanaria show with similar performers. Our final show at sea was a stunning acrobatic production called Blue Planet. Amazing visual effects left you wondering “How did they do that?”. It was a great conclusion to our vacation!
We loved this cruise so much, I would really like to do it again!!! If you are interested, I would love to help you plan a cruise! Contact me at yb*******@gm***.com.
