cruise critic reviews allure of the seas

Allure of the Seas review: What it's like to cruise on 1 of Royal Caribbean's oldest Oasis Class ships

Editor's Note

You might think Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean 's second Oasis Class ship, is merely a carbon copy of Oasis of the Seas, but that's no longer true.

The first-in-class Oasis of the Seas set a megaship precedent in 2009 with its seven-neighborhood concept, a dizzying number of bars and restaurants, and groundbreaking entertainment such as a high-diving acrobatics show. The cruise line had no need to make changes when it launched ship number two, so Allure originally was an identical twin.

But more than a decade later, Allure of the Seas is hardly a copy. While Oasis got upgraded in 2019, Allure has yet to receive a second major refurbishment. (It was postponed due to the pandemic and is now scheduled for 2025.)

In truth, it's looking a bit shabby, but more importantly, it still has some holdovers from its earlier days — venues that I thought were gone forever but which I discovered passengers still have a bit more time to enjoy.

In this review, I'll cover the good and not-so-good parts of cruising Allure of the Seas.

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Allure of the Seas overview

Allure of the Seas, the second of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships , debuted in 2010. Back then, at 225,282 gross registered tons, it was just a smidge larger than Oasis of the Seas, making it the biggest cruise ship in the world — a title it held briefly until it was outdone by subsequent vessels in its class.

There's a lot to do on the 5,492-passenger ship, which offers a plethora of activities, multiple food and drink options and a stellar kids club. For those reasons, Allure of the Seas appeals to families — particularly those with young children. It also attracts multigenerational families, friend groups and couples.

Oasis-Class ships are divided into seven neighborhoods. Below is a brief overview of Allure of the Seas' major sectors.

The Boardwalk on Deck 6 is themed around a day at the shore. Food options hit the mark with Johnny Rockets burgers, fries and milkshakes, as well as separate venues for hot dogs, candy, ice cream and doughnuts.

Anyone seeking a carnival-style experience can ride the free carousel, hit up the arcade or check out a high-diving acrobatics show at the wake-facing AquaTheater, flanked by two rock-climbing walls on Deck 10. Look up to glimpse passengers winging their way down the zipline above.

The only unfortunate aspect of this area is that there are few sea views. They're blocked by inward-facing balconies, which the line pioneered in 2009.

Central Park

Central Park feels like an actual park, just on a cruise ship. It's home to more than 17,000 live plants, which are cared for by a team of resident gardeners.

The green space, which takes up a large chunk of Deck 8, is flanked by shops like a Coach store and the ship's photography studio, as well as Chops Grille steakhouse, 150 Central Park restaurant, grab-and-go Park Cafe, Italian eatery Giovanni's Table, Vintages wine bar and the Chandon bar, which serves delicious spritzers.

Central Park is a lovely space to stroll, grab a bite or sit and enjoy the greenery, but it's often excessively hot with little shade, despite all the plants. Like the Boardwalk, it's open to the sky, but the several decks of inward-facing balcony cabins that rise up around it don't allow for any sea views.

Entertainment Place

If nightlife is what you seek, you're sure to enjoy Entertainment Place on Deck 4. Clustered together are Comedy Live, a club offering live comedy shows; Studio B ice rink, where passengers can take in ice-skating performances or sign up to strap on a pair of skates themselves; and the Blaze nightclub, which has an inferno theme.

A former jazz club, Jazz on 4, is no longer there; it remains on the deck plans even though it has been converted into a small nonsmoking casino, making it one of several defunct onboard locations that an eagle-eyed cruiser might notice if they look closely. Heading aft, the Hall of Odds leads to the art gallery and Casino Royale, the ship's main casino space.

Pool and Sports Zone

The ship has four pools — Main Pool, graded-entry Beach Pool, family-friendly H2O Zone Pool and Sports Pool, which hosts lap swimming, water polo and badminton — in its Pool and Sports Zone on Deck 15. The area also encompasses six hot tubs, two FlowRider surf simulators that also allow boogie boarding, a miniature golf course and a zipline, as well as a sports court and Ping-Pong tables.

This neighborhood also has several bars and the Wipe Out Cafe, which now houses El Loco Fresh, a complimentary Mexican restaurant. The Windjammer buffet is also located near the pools.

Royal Promenade

One of the ship's major hubs, the Royal Promenade is reminiscent of a shopping mall and runs nearly the length of Deck 5. Here you'll find the guest services desk, the Champagne Bar, the Globe and Atlas Pub, a stand-alone Starbucks, future cruise and shore excursion desks, several shops, a karaoke lounge and Latin music-themed Boleros nightclub.

One neat attraction is the Rising Tide Bar, which slowly rises and descends between the Royal Promenade and Central Park on Deck 8 at regular intervals while passengers sip cocktails.

Craving pizza? Some of the best at sea is in this neighborhood at Sorrento's, and Cafe Promenade serves up free light bites along with both free and for-fee coffee drinks. (Note that if you have the basic beverage package, you can get free specialty Starbucks coffees there. If you go to Starbucks, your package won't cover it.)

Hang around the Royal Promenade long enough, and you'll likely catch a parade or a party, complete with a balloon drop.

Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center

Allure of the Seas' spa and fitness area on Deck 6 is impressive. It offers a full battery of added-cost spa treatments (massages, facials, IV treatments, cellulite reduction, acupuncture), salon and barber services (haircuts, manicures and pedicures) and a thermal suite.

The space also includes a sizable fitness center with for-fee classes and personal training, along with equipment that's free to use. These include LifeFitness cardio machines, weight machines, free weights, yoga mats, kettlebells and exercise balls. One deck below, a jogging track wraps around the entirety of Deck 5 (2.4 laps equal 1 mile).

Keep the healthy choices going with a visit to the Vitality Spa Cafe, which has a menu full of lighter fare, such as salads, sandwiches and smoothies.

Adventure Ocean, Royal Caribbean's stellar kids club, has a vast space on Allure of the Seas. It offers separate areas for Royal Babies and Tots (6 months to 2 years), Aquanauts (3 to 5 years), Explorers (6 to 8 years) and Voyagers (9 to 11 years) on Deck 14 forward. There are also dedicated spaces for arts and crafts, science experiments and parent-child playtime (for the youngest cruisers).

On Deck 15 aft, tweens and teens have their own areas, separate from the younger kids. The Living Room offers a chill lounge space for ages 12 to 17. It's supervised but less structured with a "come and go as you please" policy, whereas younger children must be signed in and out of Adventure Ocean by a parent or guardian.

Fuel nightclub hosts dance parties and other supervised nighttime events for tweens and teens. The ship also has two pay-to-play arcades — one near The Living Room and one on the Boardwalk.

What I loved about Allure of the Seas

Sabor taqueria.

Sabor Taqueria, which Royal Caribbean introduced on select ships in 2015 as Sabor Modern Mexican, is one of my favorite restaurants at sea. It was so popular that it eventually was added to Oasis Class vessels. It served excellent Mexican fare for an added cost, but despite its popularity, Royal Caribbean phased it out.

I thought it was gone forever but was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon it while checking out the Boardwalk.

I was so ecstatic that I ate there twice during my voyage. I thoroughly enjoyed the tortilla soup, quesadillas, burritos and fish tempura tacos. The house-made guacamole, which every table automatically receives, is also a huge winner. There is a cover charge, but if you have a dining package, it's free. Drinks cost extra if you don't have a beverage package.

I was super sad to learn that, when the ship undergoes its refurbishment in 2025, the saloon will be replaced with Playmakers sports bar, complete with the venue's standard pub grub menu. Personally, the last thing I want is more fried food. That means the only remaining ship with Sabor will be Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean, consider this my official plea for Playmakers to serve food from the Sabor menu on Allure.

Sure, complimentary Mexican fare is available at the former Wipe Out Cafe on Deck 15 (now called El Loco Fresh). However, the rubbery meat and counter service-style atmosphere there are severely subpar next to Sabor.

New Schooner Bar menu

As part of Royal Caribbean's never-ending quest to improve its products, the line has launched a brand-new drinks menu at the nautically themed Schooner Bar. Although the menu will roll out fleetwide, it debuted during my Allure of the Seas sailing.

Fans of the wildly popular Lavender Daquiri will be thrilled to know it's the only cocktail that made the cut from the bar's former menu. However, they might just discover another favorite after trying some of the new concoctions. These include a Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned (my personal favorite), garnished with torched mini-marshmallows; a Peanut Butter Tropic, made with peanut butter whiskey, pineapple juice, bitters and lemon juice; and a Desert Pear Margarita, which includes tequila, desert pear syrup and lime juice.

A nearly constant celebration

I have never experienced more theme parties on a ship than I have on Allure of the Seas. If you enjoy dressing up and participating in quirky themes, be sure to pack attire appropriate for the '70s. On my voyage, we also had Caribbean and country nights, as well as a White Night and Royal Caribbean's staple nightclub experience, Red. (Oddly, Red fell on the same night as the country theme.)

In addition to theme parties, the schedule was packed with Royal Promenade celebrations, silent disco parties and other shenanigans that involved dancing and socializing until late. For a street festival vibe, check out the Fiesta Balloon Drop, which covers passengers in colorful balloons and confetti.

What I didn't love about Allure of the Seas

Dated elements.

It's a good thing Allure of the Seas is slated for a dry dock. At times, the nostalgic feel held over from original iterations of the Oasis class crosses the line into outdated or confusing.

My cabin had no USB ports or standard outlets anywhere near the beds. An ancient combo alarm clock and iPod/iPhone dock (complete with obsolete FireWire charging ports) adorned the vanity; while I appreciated having a clock in the room, it was useless for charging more modern devices. Additionally, several of my room's metal fixtures — wall panels and bedside reading lamps — showed signs of rust.

In other areas of the ship, ghosts of amenities past haunt the deck plans. Looking for Jazz on 4, which is still found on paper maps and directional ship models? You won't find it because it was converted to a nonsmoking casino years ago.

And, if you're wondering why you don't see complimentary Mexican restaurant El Loco Fresh listed or why you can't seem to locate anything called the Trellis Bar in Central Park, it's because the former took over the Wipe Out Cafe, and the latter was replaced with Chandon, a spritzer bar.

And, finally, I couldn't help but notice an empty storefront along the Boardwalk, windows covered with paper. It lacked a sign, but upon closer inspection, a nearly translucent braille sign near the door indicated it used to be Pets at Sea, a Build-A-Bear-style build-your-own-stuffed-animal store that dates back to when the ship began sailing. The venue was tentatively scheduled to be removed during the next refurbishment, but it looks like it has already been shut down. Oddly, it doesn't appear on the outdated deck plans.

Trouble with bookings via the app

I have mixed feelings about cruise mobile apps in general, often finding them glitchy at best and nonfunctional at worst. Historically, I've had little trouble with Royal Caribbean's app, but I found it frustrating to make reservations for shows on Allure of the Seas.

When I tried to secure spots for me and a friend traveling in the same group, it said there was availability and took me through the reservation process. When I got to the end and submitted the request, it told me there was no room left. I shut down the app and tried again with the same results.

In the end, I had to call guest services, and they added the booking manually. It was an issue more than once during the voyage — so much so that I resorted to calling guest services first rather than fussing with the app.

Rising Tide Bar fountain

The Rising Tide Bar levitates between decks 5 and 8. When it leaves its base on the Royal Promenade, a fountain rains down from underneath it, complete with colored lights and dancing water jets. The effect makes it seem like the spray is pushing up the bar. It's a neat idea, but the fountain is absurdly loud and only adds to the already deafening cacophony in the space.

It's so loud that it often makes it difficult to hear the entertainment staff members who lead trivia at the nearby Schooner Bar. On my sailing, a drink tasting there had to be postponed for 20 minutes until the fountain could be shut off because nobody could hear the bartender talking. I would love to see the fountain permanently disabled during the upcoming renovation.

Allure of the Seas cabins and suites

In addition to standard inside (140 to 260 square feet each), ocean-view (179-271 square feet each) and balcony cabins (182-271 square feet each with 50-80-square-foot balconies), Allure of the Seas' accommodations include some specialty options that are worth mentioning.

First is the virtual balcony cabin, which is an inside cabin with a floor-to-ceiling LED wall that features a digital balcony view via a live feed to make you feel like you're sailing in the real thing.

Then, there are neighborhood insides and balconies. They have no sea views, instead looking out over whichever neighborhood they're in. The insides, found in Central Park and along the Royal Promenade, do have windows gazing out on the public spaces below, while the balconies in Central Park and on the Boardwalk have actual verandas.

The ship's 174 suites fall into several categories. These include Junior Suites (287 square feet with 80-square-foot balconies), which are glorified balcony cabins; and AquaTheater Suites (323-823 square feet with 140-772-square-foot balconies), which offer wake vistas and a bird's-eye view of the AquaTheater and its astounding high-dive performances.

There are also Grand Suites (371-914 square feet with 105-238 square-foot balconies) and Owner's Suites (556-1,076 square feet with 161-243-square-foot balconies). Loft Suites offer spacious two-story accommodations and come in Crown (545 square feet with 114-square-foot balconies), Star (722 square feet with 410-square-foot balconies) and Royal (1,524 square feet with 843-square-foot balconies) varieties.

My cabin, a standard balcony, offered two twin beds that were converted into a single queen, two bedside lamps, two nightstands with absurdly small shelves instead of drawers (useless for pajama storage), a sofa and a coffee table. The desk/vanity was outfitted with a series of North American 110-volt outlets, a chair, hair dryer, an obsolete alarm clock with an iPhone/iPod charging station and a minifridge.

The TV offers ship channels that include information on shopping and shore excursions, the ship's position and more. You can also view your onboard bill, live TV and for-fee movies. Be warned: If you pay for a movie, you have only 24 hours to watch it. After that, you'll have to purchase it again. You also need to save your progress using the remote if you want to pause it, turn the TV off and come back later to watch the rest.

The closet offered a high bar for hanging clothes, including long items like dresses and gowns. Cube shelves offered additional storage space for things like undergarments, pajamas and swimsuits, as well as a code-operated safe for valuables.

The bathroom had a glass-enclosed shower that was painfully small but functional, with decent storage space. Royal Caribbean offered its own brand of bar soap for handwashing and hair and body wash in a wall-mounted dispenser in the shower. Passengers booked in more expensive cabins receive individual mini-bottles of the line's branded shower gel, lotion, shampoo and conditioner.

One odd complaint is that I could never get cold water in my sink; it was always lukewarm at its chilliest.

My balcony was tiny, but it offered two metal and mesh chairs and a full-height table, which was a nice touch. If it weren't so incredibly hot outside, I would have spent more time out there.

Royal Caribbean has cut its daily cabin service back to once per day; you can choose from either morning or night. Since the Cruise Compass daily schedule is now available in the mobile app, the line has also stopped printing it for everyone. Ask your room steward if you'd like one left in your cabin each day.

Accessible accommodations consist of eight inside cabins, two ocean-view rooms, 33 balconies and three suites. These cabins offer wider doorways, bathroom grab bars, lowered sinks and cabin vanities, roll-in showers with fold-down benches and handheld shower heads, raised toilets, lowered closet rods, accessible balconies and lowered safes.

Allure of the Seas restaurants and bars

With 18 bars and 22 places to grab food and snacks, Allure of the Seas has an astounding number of venues to eat and drink. Options include specialty wine and Champagne bars, pool bars, bars with nautical and Latin themes, and even a bar that levitates.

Complimentary dining options include a three-deck main dining room, a massive buffet and El Loco Fresh Mexican cuisine. Or you can dine for an extra cost at one of several eateries that include steak, Italian, Japanese and American diner venues.

Allure of the Seas restaurants

Free dining

If you're on a strict vacation budget or don't want to pay extra for dining, you can have a decent free meal in the main dining room. The space is divided into three sections — American Icon Grill, The Grande Restaurant and Silk — spread across decks 3, 4 and 5. They're all set up around a central atrium that radiates elegance.

The menu changes daily — often to feature a set cuisine, such as Italian, Mexican or Caribbean. It's the same across all three eateries.

American Icon Grill is open daily for breakfast and lunch on sea days only. See the Cruise Compass for exact times. For dinner, all three dining rooms are open. American Icon Grill handles early seating at 5:30 p.m., as well as My Time Dining, which allows passengers to eat whenever they want between 6:45 and 9:15 p.m. (I was assigned to My Time Dining, and I learned quickly that reservations are a must if you don't want to wait in line for 40 minutes during peak times.)

The Grande Restaurant and Silk are open for both early (5:30 p.m.) and late (8 p.m.) seating.

Traditionally, I've found Royal Caribbean's main dining room food unremarkable. It's edible, but it has never stood out to me in any way — until Allure of the Seas. I thoroughly enjoyed the crispy Parmesan arancini (fried rice, cheese and mushroom balls), polenta fries, pork bao tacos and several spectacular Indian dishes that give Carnival Cruise Line ships — which are known for their fabulous Indian cuisine — a run for their money.

Windjammer Marketplace, the ship's giant Deck 16 buffet, is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It features several stations serving nearly everything you could possibly desire, including made-to-order omelets, cereal, fruit, salads, sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers, drinks and desserts. It's likely to be crowded during peak times, so plan accordingly.

Sorrento's pizzeria on Deck 5's Royal Promenade is a place I frequented almost daily. Slices are free, and you can order as many as you'd like. They include standard varieties like cheese, pepperoni and veggie, as well as a rotating list of specialty pies, such as a Caribbean pizza with cheese, bacon, pineapple and barbecue sauce. There's also a gluten-free crust option available.

Cafe Promenade, along the Royal Promenade on Deck 5, provides free snacks that are perfect if you're feeling peckish between meals. Choose from items like finger sandwiches, cookies, mini-cakes and brownies. It's also the place to go for specialty coffees if you have a beverage package and don't want to pay extra for Starbucks. You can order nearly the same drinks for less money (or for free with a package). Be prepared for it to be crowded in the mornings.

Park Cafe, in Central Park on Deck 8, is the place to go for quick fare without the chaos of the Windjammer. It's generally open from 7:30-11 a.m. for breakfast and from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. for lunch and snacks, but hours can vary.

In the morning, expect a selection of pastries and doughnuts, fruit, bagels with a variety of cream cheeses, parfaits, breakfast burritos and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Later in the day, you'll find sandwiches and wraps, salads, fruit and other light items.

In the mornings, Boardwalk Donuts (along the Boardwalk on Deck 6) is stocked with several varieties, including glazed, strawberry and chocolate frosted and cinnamon sugar. They're free but don't wait because it's only open for a couple hours each day.

Mexican from El Loco Fresh (at the former Wipe Out Cafe) includes complimentary items like tacos, nachos and burritos. It's just OK. You'd be better off shelling out extra to dine at Sabor if you've got a craving.

Other no-fee options include the Boardwalk Dog House, which has a menu of hot dog selections, such as a classic dog, chicken and pineapple sausage, smoked Bavarian bratwurst and Sicilian pork sausage. Top any of those with sauerkraut, onions and a slew of other toppings, and pair it with a side of coleslaw or potato salad.

For dessert or a snack, head to Sprinkles — soft-serve ice cream machines located on the pool deck.

Added-fee dining

Found on Deck 8 in Central Park, Giovanni's Table is Allure of the Seas' upscale Italian restaurant. Its menu consists of items like crispy calamari, minestrone soup, seafood linguine, branzino, garlic and herb shrimp and several desserts. You can choose one starter, one main and one dessert for a set fee. My favorites were the caprese salad and gnocchi gorgonzola.

If you've dined there in the past, you might notice that some fan favorites — including the delicious pizza, giant meatballs, pulled pork and pancetta — have disappeared from the menu. They are casualties of Royal Caribbean's mission to come as close to zero waste as possible, which has seen the line tightening its menus.

Full disclosure: I wasn't looking forward to eating at Chops Grille, Royal Caribbean's steakhouse. I've eaten there multiple times on different ships with inconsistent results that ranged from mediocre to disappointing. But my experience on this cruise was much approved.

This upscale restaurant serves up items like shrimp cocktail, tuna tartare and jumbo lump crabcakes, plus soups, salads, lamb, roasted chicken and, of course, steak. I chose the 9-ounce filet mignon, and — success! — it was absolutely outstanding. It was cooked just right, the flavor was amazing, and it came with a selection of sauces: bearnaise, peppercorn and red wine. I added asparagus and gruyere tater tots as sides, and I was stuffed.

Chops has redeemed itself for me, but I'll still warn you to stay away from the bacon appetizer. It sounds delicious in theory, but what I received was a seasoned slab of fat.

Combination sushi and teppanyaki restaurant Izumi offers dinner with a show for an extra fee. A trained chef will cook for your group while he cracks the same tired jokes you've heard before at teppanyaki locations on land or on other ships.

However, the food — I had the chicken breast — was fantastic, which more than made up for the cringe factor. Everyone receives a salad and vegetable fried rice, as well as edamame to share. Then they choose from several protein or vegetarian options, such as chicken breast, beef tenderloin, tiger shrimp and sea scallops with lobster. Dessert selections consist of crispy sesame balls, chocolate lava cake, mochi and green tea ice cream.

Royal Caribbean shook things up when it brought land-based American diner-style burger restaurant Johnny Rockets onto its ships at the dawn of added-fee dining. For a flat fee, passengers can choose from anything on the menu, except milkshakes and alcohol, which cost extra.

On Allure of the Seas, I opted for The Original burger (a quarter-pounder with lettuce, tomato, relish, pickles, mustard and mayonnaise) with onion rings and a cookies 'n' cream milkshake. It was absolutely delicious, and the crew even entertained us with a song-and-dance number while we ate.

You already know that Sabor is one of my absolute favorite restaurants on any cruise ship, and I was ecstatic to find that it still exists on a couple of Royal Caribbean's ships, including Allure of the Seas. I ate there twice during my voyage and stuffed myself with some of the best guacamole I've ever tasted, along with chicken tinga burritos, tortilla soup, cheese quesadillas and fish tacos.

This is, hands down, my favorite restaurant on the ship. For a flat fee of $24.99 per person, you can choose one appetizer, one main, a side and one dessert. Each table also gets chips with salsa and guacamole to start.

Although other lines have Starbucks locations on some of their vessels, Royal Caribbean was the first to partner with the brand. Allure of the Seas has a standalone kiosk (like what you might find at a shopping mall) where you can purchase cold snacks (think cake pops, coffee cake and cookies), as well as the usual gamut of specialty coffee beverages.

A la carte prices are similar to Starbucks locations on land. (An automatic gratuity will be added.) The line's drink packages don't cover these drinks, but even the basic package will cover similar specialty coffees (made with Starbucks coffee) at nearby Cafe Promenade (see above).

The adults-only Solarium Bistro on Deck 15 forward has its own restaurant attached. On Allure of the Seas, it offers both solarium and air-conditioned dining.

For breakfast and lunch, it's complimentary, but there's a surcharge for dinner, when the venue turns into Samba Grill and offers a Brazilian steakhouse menu. On my voyage out of Galveston, it was temporarily converted to a posh barbecue restaurant in partnership with 4 Rivers Smokehouse. Not only was the food mouthwatering — the biggest surprise was the outstanding vegan burnt ends — but the atmosphere made me feel like I was dining in the Mediterranean.

Other restaurants at which you'll shell out additional money include 150 Central Park, an upscale establishment focused heavily on seasonal menus that use locally sourced ingredients; Vitality Cafe, an eatery that's located near the ship's Vitality Spa and serves healthy fare and smoothies; Cups & Scoops, where you'll find Ben & Jerry's ice cream and delectable cupcakes in a dozen rotating flavors; and room service, which is available 24 hours a day but levies a per-delivery surcharge.

Allure of the Seas bars

Bow & Stern is Allure of the Seas' English-style pub, found on Deck 5 in the Royal Promenade. Made to feel dark and wooden like a stereotypical local, it serves a decent selection of beers, cocktails (including ones made with beer), whiskey and scotch. Whether you're there for a pint or a ground-level view of one of the promenade parties, you can't go wrong with a table outside the pub.

Not too far from Bow & Stern is the ship's Champagne Bar, which serves exactly what the name implies. Order by the glass or bottle in an intimate setting that feels decidedly French with plush carpeting, blue Chesterfield banquettes and an overhead glass installation that evokes bubbles.

Outside the Champagne Bar is the Rising Tide Bar, which slowly travels between decks 5 and 8 at regular intervals. As the bar rises upward, it appears to be pushed into the air by a giant waterfall cascading from underneath it. It's a neat — albeit gimmicky — concept that debuted on Oasis of the Seas and carried through to other vessels in the class.

The Schooner Bar, a Royal Caribbean staple, is tucked into a sliver of space on Deck 6, overlooking the Royal Promenade. As is typical, it's nautically themed, featuring dark woods, fishing nets and a sizable bar with a dedicated menu that was recently refreshed. It's where trivia is often held, but be warned: Arrive early and sit near the host. Otherwise, you risk not finding a table or being able to hear the questions over the deafening white noise of the Rising Tide Bar's fountain.

Other bars, which I didn't try, include the Chandon Garden Spritz Bar, which serves light and refreshing Chandon cocktails in Central Park on Deck 8, and a Boardwalk bar that serves Sabor on Deck 6.

Allure of the Seas entertainment

Allure of the Seas' entertainment is as varied as its neighborhoods and its passengers. The plethora of options is what makes the ship such a great fit for families and groups who are likely to have different interests. Whether you prefer a cocktail and some trivia, silly pool games, a jaw-dropping show or comedy act, or a spin class that will help you to burn off last night's dessert, there's no shortage of activities to keep you busy.

Allure of the Seas activities

Looking to shop or catch the latest street party or parade? Head to the Royal Promenade. For carousel rides, fortune telling and arcade games, the Boardwalk is your best bet. If you're feeling like some physical fun or an adrenaline rush, make your way up to the Pool and Sports Zone, which houses surf simulators, a sports court, Ping-Pong tables, a zip line and miniature golf.

Or head down to Deck 4, where you'll find the casino and an ice rink that offers open skating a few times per sailing. The ship also has free rock climbing and extra-fee cake decorating classes, a full salon and spa, and a fitness center.

For water babies, Allure of the Seas has four pools on Deck 15 midship, overlooking Central Park: the H2O Zone Pool on the starboard side near the kids splash area; Sports Pool, port side, used for events like water volleyball; Main Pool, port, a standard cruise ship pool; and Beach Pool, starboard, offering a wade-in gradual entry. There are also six hot tubs near the four pools.

The Solarium on Deck 15 forward also offers a pool for anyone 16 or older. It's small and was so crowded on my sailing that you could hardly move. Two additional hot tubs are located just outside the Solarium.

Allure of the Seas has an accessible lift at its Main Pool, along with a lift at a nearby hot tub.

Five bars serve the general area: Mast Bar, Pool Bar, Sand Bar and Sky Bar. There's also a Solarium Bar inside the Solarium. Additionally, the Wipeout Bar serves the Pool & Sports Zone neighborhood and sits all the way aft, between Allure of the Seas' two FlowRiders .

If you'd rather stay inside and avoid the sun, several lounges offer fun activities and places to grab drinks. Blaze is the ship's inferno-themed nightclub on Deck 4. It often hosts late-night dance parties and is a great spot to hit after a comedy show in nearby Comedy Live.

Feeling like some Latin tunes? Boleros on Deck 5 in the Royal Promenade is the place to be. Just across the way is the On Air Club, which hosts trivia throughout the day, though its intended purpose is karaoke. Choose a song, and belt it out as the lyrics scroll by on a digital screen, reminiscent of a stock ticker, outside the venue.

For jazz, drinks and trivia — or a quiet place to read a book or check emails when it's not in use — Dazzles rises two stories on decks 8 and 9. It overlooks Central Park, making for pleasant views while you're visiting.

Other daily activities include bingo, pickleball play, basketball shootout competitions, dance classes and themed parties.

Allure of the Seas shows

Nighttime is when Allure of the Seas' entertainment truly shines — and I'm not talking about just one or two decent shows. Instead, several truly spectacular options appear once or twice throughout each sailing.

"OceanAria" is a combination of high diving and acrobatics that takes place at the Boardwalk's aft-facing AquaTheater. Set to music and dancing fountains, the show features the ship's wake as a backdrop. Although this particular show doesn't include slacklining, tightrope walking or aerial acrobatics like the ones on some of the other Oasis Class ships, the feats performed will still make your breath catch in your throat. It's free to attend, but reservations are a must; make them early.

It still astounds me that some of Royal Caribbean's ships have ice skating rinks on board. Allure of the Seas is one of them with its Studio B. In addition to complimentary open skating for passengers, a team of resident professional skaters puts on "Blades" — an ice performance that includes solo, group and couples routines set to popular songs. Guest stars, such as a hula-hooping skater, add to the intrigue.

For years, Royal Caribbean has been known for its Broadway prowess, bringing titles like "Saturday Night Fever," "Hairspray" and "Cats" to the high seas. In Allure's main Amber Theater, you can watch a full 2.5-hour production of "Mamma Mia!" It's just as great as the version I saw in New York several years ago, complete with a score of songs by universal favorite Abba.

Cruisers can also enjoy "Blue Planet" in the main theater. The storyline follows a young woman who travels to faraway places — including under the sea — searching for ways to protect the planet and its wonders. In this case, said wonders are dancers, singers and acrobats. They're backed by fantastic scenery shrouded in a sheer curtain that serves as a projection screen.

Allure's theater also hosts a rotating battery of limited-run talent. My favorite was MO5AIC, a Las Vegas-based five-man acapella group featuring some of the best vocal talent I've ever heard — including a beatboxer who serves as an entire percussion section using just his throat and mouth.

Comedy Club on Deck 4 also comes alive after dark, offering two shows almost nightly for adults only.

Allure of the Seas itineraries and pricing

At the end of October 2023, Allure of the Seas will reposition from Galveston to Orlando's Port Canaveral. From there it will sail three- and four-night Bahamas voyages — including stops at the line's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay — from Orlando's Port Canaveral through June 2024. At the time of publication, prices started from $322 per person ($81 per person, per night) for a four-night sailing in an inside cabin.

From early July 2024 to early February 2025, the ship will relocate to Miami to offer the same three- and four-night Bahamas sailings, including Perfect Day at CocoCay. At press time, prices started at $282 per person ($94 per person, per night) for an inside room on a three-night cruise.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

It's a good idea to have a passport for all cruise travel, but if you're a United States citizen sailing Allure of the Seas round-trip from a U.S. embarkation port, you can board with your original birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID instead. If you use a passport, it must be valid for at least six months after your voyage ends.

If you sail on Allure of the Seas, expect service charges of anywhere from $16 to $18.50 per person, per day charged to your onboard account, depending on your cabin type. Although we don't encourage it, you can visit the guest services desk to have the amount adjusted down or removed. An additional 18% gratuity is attached to all bar, minibar, spa and salon purchases.

Allure of the Seas has some of the fastest Wi-Fi at sea , thanks to Royal Caribbean's VOOM, which is powered by Starlink on all vessels in the fleet. On my sailing, I could text without a problem and stream Netflix shows. I also uploaded more than 200 photos to Dropbox in just a few minutes. Prices vary by sailing length and the number of devices you wish to connect.

Note that you don't need to purchase Wi-Fi to use the line's mobile app, which allows you to check in for your sailing, make reservations, monitor your onboard bill and stay in touch with travel companions via app messaging.

Carry-on drinks policy

If you're sailing on Allure of the Seas, you can bring up to two bottles of wine or Champagne per cabin. The line will charge you $15 per bottle as a corkage fee if you consume it outside your stateroom. Passengers may also bring up to 12 cans, bottles or cartons of nonalcoholic beverages like juice or soda.

Smoking policy

Smoking is not allowed in most public areas on Allure of the Seas. Passengers wishing to light up — including e-cigarettes — must head to designated outdoor areas or the casino. And don't even think about smoking in your cabin or on your balcony. It's not allowed, and you face a fine of $250 if you try it.

Self-service laundry isn't available on Allure of the Seas. However, you can have clothing sent out for washing, pressing or dry-cleaning for fees that range from $1.99 to press a shirt to $14.99 to have a suit dry-cleaned and pressed.

Electrical outlets

All Royal Caribbean ships offer North American-style 110-volt outlets and European-style 220-volt outlets in rooms. In my cabin, a duo — one European-style and one North American-style — was hidden under the vanity. On top of the vanity, a multi-port set of three North American outlets was set into a round base. However, the cabin had neither a single USB port nor outlets near the beds.

The currency on Allure of the Seas is the U.S. dollar. The system on board is completely cashless, which means you'll use your room key — called a SeaPass card — for charging purchases when you sail. You'll have to tie either a credit card or a set amount of cash to it before your cruise.

Drinking age

Because the ship sails round-trip from a U.S. port, the drinking age on board is 21 years.

Royal Caribbean's dress code is somewhat ambiguous. In general, casual clothing is fine during the day. Think jeans or shorts with T-shirts, athleisure wear or swimwear if you're at the pool. (Please wear shoes and a coverup if you venture inside, especially for food.)

At night, resort casual is acceptable in most restaurants on most nights. That means Polo-style shirts with nice shorts, jeans or slacks for men and either a sundress or nice jeans or slacks with a blouse for women.

Weeklong voyages usually have one formal night, where passengers are encouraged to dress to the nines. Sailings of more than seven nights might have more than one of these. I also saw a "dress to impress" dress code listed one night during my cruise (unclear exactly what that meant).

For both types of dress-up nights, you'll be fine with slacks and a blazer, a suit or a cocktail dress or ball gown if you want to be fancy. Note that, on most sailings, you're likely to find as many people dressing down as you'll see dressing up.

Some specialty restaurants claim to have a dress code, but it's not enforced. For example, Chops, the onboard steakhouse, is supposed to be formal. However, I dined next to a table full of sports jersey-clad passengers who didn't seem the least bit out of place.

If you like to participate in theme nights, prepare by packing items appropriately colored for the Red Party and white night. Other themes on my voyage included cowboy/country and '70s.

Bottom line

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas isn't a new ship, but it has stood the test of time. Because it's still waiting for a second major overhaul, it looks worn around the edges. However, its throwback offerings — such as Sabor, which only appears on one other ship in the fleet — make the minor wear and tear easy to overlook.

The lineup of scheduled daytime activities is staggering, and it offers something for passengers of all ages, interests and activity levels, whether they prefer trivia, surfing or something in between. At night, instead of one or two standout performances, just about every single show will make your jaw drop.

Food is generally fantastic, and the fact that the line has found a way to get its fleet to a nearly zero-waste status makes me feel even better about having sailed.

Despite minor evidence of wear and tear, overall you can't go wrong with a sailing on Allure of the Seas.

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Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas Deck Plans & Reviews

Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas

Activities & entertainment

• Allure Dunes
• Central Park
• CruiseCritic Meet and Mingle
• Dance Classes
• Dance Parties
• Fitness Classes *
• FlowRider (2)
• Hot Tubs (6)
• Pets At Sea *
• Rock Climbing Wall
• Rock Climbing Wall (2)
• Running Track
• Scavenger Hunts
• Sports Court
• Sports Tournament
• Video Arcade *
• Vitality At Sea Spa and Fitness Center
• Vitality At Sea Spa and Fitness Center *
• Wine Tasting *
• Waterslides
• Adventure Ocean Theater
• Adventure Science Lab
• Fuel Teen Disco
• Imagination Studio
• Kids' Arcade *
• Kids' Avenue
• Wipe Out Bar *
• Amber Theater
• AquaTheater
• Comedy Live
• Deck Parties
• Demonstrations
• Entertainment Place
• Game Broadcasts
• Hall of Odds
• On Air Club
• Poolside Movies
• Royal Promenade
• The Living Room
• Wellness Lectures
• Rising Tide Bar
• American Icon Grill - American
• The Grande - American
• Izumi - Asian *
• Silk - Asian *
• Candy Beach - Candy *
• Samba Grill - Casual
• Solarium Bistro - Casual
• The Boardwalk Dog House - Casual
• Windjammer Marketplace - Casual
• Champagne Bar - Champagne *
• Starbucks - Coffee Bar *
• 150 Central Park - Farm to Table *
• Johnny Rockets - Fast Food *
• Trellis Bar - Garden Cafe *
• Bow and Stern - Gastropub *
• Cups & Scoops - Ice Cream *
• Coastal Kitchen - italian
• Giovanni's Table - italian *
• Boleros - Latin bar *
• Cafe Promenade - Light Fare
• Park Café - Light Fare
• Sabor - Mexican *
• Schooner Bar - Nautical *
• Rising Tide Bar - Niche Bar *
• Sorrentos - Pizza
• Pool Bar - Pool Bar *
• Sand Bar - Pool Bar *
• Sky Bar - Pool Bar *
• Solarium Bar - Pool Bar *
• Wipe Out Café - Pool Bar *
• Chops Grille - Steakhouse *
• Boardwalk Donuts - Sweets
• Sabor Bar - Tequila Bar *
• Vintages - Wine Bar *
• Excellent 117
• Very Good 57
• Terrible 24
• All languages ( 240 )
• English ( 233 )
• Spanish ( 4 )
• Portuguese ( 2 )
• Norwegian ( 1 )

Upcoming itineraries

Allure of the Seas

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International |

Find a Cruise on Allure of the Seas

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Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 3858 guests have reviewed Allure of the Seas , giving it a rating of 4.4 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type, most recent reviews.

Fabulous Family Trip

Apr 18th, 2024

Prompt embarkation, phenomenal service aboard the ship, had an ability to relax or see all the things, experienced the wonderful ports with a speedy debarkation. I don't think I would have changed anything other than going on a longer cruise.

Traveler Type

Family (older children)

The best introduction to cruising I could have asked for

Allure of the Seas was the first cruise I ever took and it impressed me in almost every single way. The food blew me away, and the shows were phenomenal. I would recommend Allure of the Seas to anyone who wants to get into cruises.

4-6 cruises

Great Family Vacation

There is nothing better than sharing time with family. A cruise is an ideal way to do that because there's something for everyone. We are planning to do it again next year. To save costs, we realize we don't need an ocean view balcony, so we'll choose another option. Any problems we had incurred prior to sailing with conflicting information from the travel agents regarding group planning.

First Oasis Class Cruise

Apr 17th, 2024

For my first Oasis Class experience, I wasn’t impressed. The shows and the Coastal Kitchen dining, was the highlight. Central Park and the Boardwalk were also very nice.

Family (young children)

Pay for 2 rooms and never use 1

Apr 15th, 2024

Cruise was fine. Paying for 2 rooms was a total waste. Won’t be going on a cruise again. Cruise line wouldn’t care less about the problem. Got off the phone with them today. Representative asked me what the problem was after I explained it. If we ever cruise it certainly won’t be with royal Caribbean.

2-3 cruises

A short getaway

Love this ship I stayed in Central Park this time on it

Singles/Friends

Relaxing Weekend Getaway

Apr 13th, 2024

Royal Caribbean out of Port Canaveral is the perfect low stress week-end getaway that we all need. The ship has everything you need, so you never have to get off if you don't want to. The kindness and professionalism of the staff makes this trip a true vacation.

Good cruise. I'm mostly going to stick with Carnival

Apr 12th, 2024

The ship is super nice with a lot to do. It is very clean and Amazon but the staff is not excited to see you and the food is meh at best.

Great Weekend Cruise!

A great time overall except the snorkel excursion.

Exceeded our expectations. We will do this one again

One of the best weekend getaways you can take. All of our expectations were exceeded and we really enjoyed this cruise.

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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• Royal Caribbean International

Review - Allure of the Seas

By cactusflower , May 28, 2012 in Royal Caribbean International

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cactusflower

My DH and I were on the May 13 sailing of the Allure of the Seas. We are in our 40’s/50’s and it was just the 2 of us. We had been planning this trip for almost a year and I had so enjoyed reading other people’s reviews during that time that I wanted to try and return the favor by writing a review of my own. It won’t be as cleverly written as some others have been, but I hope that it will still prove useful.

I will try to balance my tendency to go into too much detail, with not wanting to write a full-on novel (not to mention time constraints). So, if it is too long, I’m sorry, or if I end up condensing a subject too much, feel free to ask me questions. I will post periodically as I get a chance. I’m not sure how long it will take me.

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Looking forward to it...and hope you post pictures as well...?:rolleyes: DH and I will be on her in October with some new cruise addict friends of ours and we are sooooo looking forward to it. Can't wait to hear all about it.

All in all, DH and I had a great trip. There were a few speed bumps in the road to perfection, but mostly they were just life getting in the way, as can happen during any vacation. Bottom line is that the Allure is a great ship and I would definitely recommend it. Due to my personality type, I did suffer some from do-it-all-itis. Even after having narrowed down my list, I still felt a little bit like I was hurrying from one thing to another because I didn’t want to miss out. I really needed another week on the ship!

We flew to Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday, May 12 and caught a taxi to our hotel – the Embassy Suites. I don’t think that I would choose to stay there again, especially for the price that we paid. That evening we went to Bimini Boatyard for dinner. I would give it a B-. The setting was nice. We sat on an outside patio which overlooks a canal (I’m not sure of the proper terminology). People have their private boats moored alongside the canal, and there were also a few small boats that passed along while we were sitting there. The food was good, but not great (though DH thought the Key Lime pie was some of the best he’s had). The service was really slow, so it took a long time. Fortunately, we were not in a hurry, so it was okay.

On a side note - when we first got to the hotel, DH ran over to the Publix grocery store, which is behind the hotel, and bought a couple items we needed, such as Downey Wrinkle Release (which I learned about from these boards) and a 24 pack of little water bottles. We also ran into a Walgreens that was near the restaurant and picked up a few toiletry items that I needed. Fyi - We put one of our luggage tags on the carton of water, gave it to one of the ship’s porters along with our luggage, and it was delivered to our room on the ship.

The day started off a little rough, but improved by the end. After a poor night’s sleep (there was a lot of noise outside our room during the night) we got up and grabbed a quick bite to eat at the “complimentary” hotel breakfast. I had planned for us to head over to the ship about 11 am, but that timetable didn’t quite pan out. DH realized that he had forgotten some workout clothes so he decided to run over to Ross clothing store, which was across the intersection from the hotel. Well, on his way back he witnessed a traffic accident in front of the hotel - an elderly couple waiting to turn left was rear-ended by a work van. The police and a paramedic truck ended up responding to the scene. (They took the elderly woman to the hospital, but it appeared to be more of a precaution, as there were no apparent injuries).

My husband talked to the police to tell them that he had witnessed the accident and see if they wanted his contact information. DH had let me know what was going on and I was able to see everything from our hotel window. I, being the champion worrier that I am, worried that the police were going to tell him that he needed to stay in town in case they needed to talk to him again. By the time he came back to the hotel room, I was a nervous wreck – both with concern about the people involved in the accident and worrying about our trip. Turns out, the police didn’t even take down DH’s info because they said that the driver at fault admitted that he was at fault. So, we said a prayer for the people involved, took a deep breath, and continued on our journey.

We went down to the lobby of the hotel (understandably, it was hard to catch an elevator that morning as there was a mass exodus of people leaving with there luggage!). We asked the concierge about getting a taxi. She told us to go with a guy that was standing next to her in the lobby. Turns out that he was their shuttle bus driver, which was not what I wanted. But, before I fully realized what was happening, he had already started loading our luggage into a little trailer hooked to a van and told us to get into the van, which already had a bunch of people inside. As this was happening, I realized that a Coke bottle I was carrying had started leaking onto my white pants. It was all very chaotic and I admit, I was not a happy camper. The shuttle driver wanted to wait for even more people, but the other passengers in the van convinced him to go ahead and leave. Fortunately, we were all going to the same ship so we didn’t have to make multiple stops at the port.

wow! That's quite a start to a vacation. Hope the elderly couple are ok.

Loving the review so far.

What a way to start your vacation. Hope everything works out for the elderly couple. Looking forward to reading more of your review!:) Welcome Back!:)

Getting onto the ship was very quick and easy – less than 10 minutes. At the check-in desk they take individual photos of you for their security system. However, after you leave the check-in desk, there will be a photographer wanting to take a picture of your group in front of a picture of the ship. I had learned from these boards that this is the photo that they use for the facial recognition process of future photos, so we made sure to have ours taken.

On a side note – the improved photo process on this ship is great. No more hunting the walls for your photos. You can either go to a kiosk, swipe your sea pass card, and view all your photos electronically, or you can go to your assigned folder and view the actual photos. They are able to group your photos together based upon facial recognition. We did not pre-purchase any of the photo plans. We did buy some individual photos onboard, however. We each had a buy one get one for half price coupon from our C&A coupon books, which we used.

My original plan had been to eat as soon as we got on the ship, but since we got a late start, it was almost 1pm when we boarded so we decided to wait for the rooms to open up so we could drop off our carry-ons before eating. We took a seat on a bench and talked to a delightful couple who was also waiting for their room. This brings me to an interesting observation – while we did not see this couple again until the last day of the cruise, there were certain other fellow passengers that we kept seeing over and over again, in various places. Isn’t it funny how that works out on such a big ship… Anyway, this couple had received a map and ship guide when they checked-in, but we never got one. Oh well. There are plenty of maps around the ship to help you find where you are and where you want to go.

So, when the rooms opened up we went and dropped of our stuff and quickly freshened up. When we had arrived at the pier, I had been able to use some water to dab the Coke spots off of my white pants, so that made me happy. :) We then hurried to Giovanni’s to see if we could still eat lunch, which had been my original plan. Lunch got off to a little bit of a rocky start. We were seated next to a very large table with a very large family. It was hard to hear each other and our waiter was non-existent. However, after a little while the family finished up and left, we could once again hear each other and our waiter was able to tend to us. We ended up having a very good meal with great service. (Fyi – there is an extra charge to eat at Giovanni’s). I had the Caesar salad, lasagna, tiramisu and gelato. I forget what my husband ordered, but neither one of us had an entrée. Instead we had a starter, pasta and two desserts!

Thank you to those that have commented so far - I appreciate it! :)

About pictures, I may try to post a few as I go along. I don't currently belong to any online hosting sites, so I will have to post them as attachments, which I know is not ideal - but I guess it is better than nothing. (note - if I'm not mistaken, you have to be signed in to Cruise Critic to see the photos when they are posted this way).

In fact, I'll try it out now with a couple photos from the hotel. These are of the inside courtyard, which is very pretty. This is where the breakfast was served.

Great review! We are sailing Allure next April and have booked Embassy Suites for our pre-cruise stay. Was the hotel shuttle complimentary?

lindy sails

Looking forward to reading more..,

loeytalldog

Great review! Thanks for doing it, love reading it!

The shuttle was $7 per person.

Thanks so much to those reading and commenting! I'm off to bed tonight. Hopefully, I'll get more posted soon.

Familygoboston

Thanks for the review! Allure in less than a year for us...can't wait!

Oh, they are so sneaky about those shuttles! They must be huge money makers...All those folks,all paying 6-7 bucks a person. Waiting around and then making multiple pier stops...I don't know why anyone uses them, or makes such an effort to find a hotel that has one. ( unless it's free) We took a cab for 12 bucks for 2, left the moment we stepped out onto the curb, arrived at our pier 5 minutes later. Even if you add a couple of bucks for a tip...I don't see the advantage. Sorry you got talked into it...I noticed they really push it at all the hotels!:(

Well, looking forward to the rest of your review! Hoping things go smoother:D

I'm getting excited about my upcoming Allure cruise so your reviews are fueling the fire!!! Keep on going!!!

Going on Oasis in July and have booked The Embassy Suites...we booked a package deal, shuttle from airport to hotel, and then shuttle from Hotel to Cruise ship...all included, not an additional fee for the shuttle, did you have this package and they charge you anyways??

PathfinderEss

Thanks for posting your review, glad you had a good time.

We did not book a package deal. We just booked a standard room, which did not include shuttle costs.

When we booked the Embassy in July 2011, we did book a "cruise package" that includes room and shuttle to the port. I don't remember the cost, and the shuttle was great.

LauraStrick

Looking forward to the rest of your review!! My DH and I will be doing a B2B in December. Love the info....:)

Just The 3 Of Us

Great reveiw so far - keep it coming! :)

After lunch we went back to our cabin to unpack. We had cabin 8206, which is a mid-ship balcony cabin on deck 8, the Central Park deck. The bed was located by the balcony. I was happy with our room and its location. One thing that I was pleasantly surprised to see was that we had bathrobes and toiletries in our cabin. I wasn’t expecting that as we are only gold level C&A and I thought only higher level, or suites got those items. There were lots of hangers in the closet and I like the cubby holes that are in there as well. The shower had plenty of hot water and good water pressure. My only complaint was with the shelf in the shower - my stuff kept sliding off it. It is not designed well for use with little travel size containers. It would also be nice if they could have 2 shelves because DH and I had to switch out our stuff each time we took a shower (we use different products).

After unpacking it was time for the muster drill. One word of warning – if stairs are difficult for you, be sure to be on the level of your muster drill at least 15 minutes before it starts. When they make the announcement that people need to head to their stations, they shut down the elevators and make everyone take the stairs. While I can do stairs if necessary, they are hard for me due to knee problems, especially going downstairs and having to do 4 flights at once. I assume that there is an alternative for people that literally can’t do stairs at all, but I didn’t seek that out. But, had I known, I would have just planned to already be on deck 4 ahead of time.

Our muster station was in Studio B, which is the ice rink. I found it a little disconcerting that I saw crewmembers speaking to the other sections of the studio, but no one spoke to our section. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, so I don’t know how important it was. We were able to watch the safety video without any problems, however.

After the muster drill it was time to stake out a spot for the sail away. After checking out several spots, we ended up sitting in some lounge chairs in the solarium in front of some glass that blocked the wind. We were able to see to the front and port side of the ship. The port side is definitely the side to be on, I think.

After sail away, we headed to dinner. We ate all our dinners in the MDR and we did my-time dining. We never made reservations for dinner. One of the staff members with whom we were most impressed was a beautiful woman named June who worked the seat assignment desk on the non-reservation side. She has a tough job and she was always so friendly and graceful even when she was going a mile-a-minute to try and accommodate everyone as quickly as possible. She asked us if we preferred to dine alone or with others. We said alone. She then asked if we’d be okay with a table right at the front of the restaurant and we said that would be fine. It was a good table for people watching as we saw everyone that came in and out. I was also able to watch an appearance by Shrek just outside the restaurant. It was cute to watch the varying reactions of the kids that encountered him.

I’ll say right now that for the most part, I’m not going to be able to tell you what I ate each night, as I just don’t remember. But, we enjoyed the food and were plenty full by the end of each meal. I know I had the Vidalia onion tart the first night and it was really good. I also had a fruit soup each night that one was offered, and loved them all. They had a variety of choices, including some international dishes and some lower calorie options.

After dinner we headed to the Aquatheater for the 9 pm showing of Oceanaria. We always tried to get to the venues at least 30 minutes before the show and that worked pretty well for us with getting decent seats. I hate having to sit there for those 30 minutes, but it is worth it to have a good seat. For the Aquatheater, you might even want to do 45 minutes, if having the beach chairs is important to you.

The Oceanaria show was fabulous! The acrobats and the divers are amazing. I get so nervous for them that I have to clutch onto DH’s arm. However, part way through they stopped the show and indicated that they were experiencing some technical difficulties and would resume once they were able. After about 10 minutes or so, they started back up and completed the show. Before the show started, my husband and I had been discussing whether or not we thought someone would dive from the highest perch. I thought I remembered people online saying that they do, but no one did in this show. Well, it turns out that was because of the technical difficulty. After the show DH asked one of the stagehands and he explained that the stage, which is raised and lowered in the water during the show, would not go down to its lowest level – which is required to be able to dive from the very top.

After the show we headed back to our cabin to turn in, since we had to get up early the next day for our excursion in Nassau.

Oh - I forgot to give a shout out to our room steward - Lito. He was so nice and did a great job!

Here are a few photos of the room.

  Our muster station was in Studio B, which is the ice rink. I found it a little disconcerting that I saw crewmembers speaking to the other sections of the studio, but no one spoke to our section. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, so I don’t know how important it was. We were able to watch the safety video without any problems, however.   Our station was in the Studio B too, dont know what the staff were discussing. but I can tell you that all the important info was part of the video demonstration. The only thing we found with these sorts of venues is people seem to pay less attention than when it's on deck!   After the muster drill it was time to stake out a spot for the sail away. After checking out several spots, we ended up sitting in some lounge chairs in the solarium in front of some glass that blocked the wind. We were able to see to the front and port side of the ship. The port side is definitely the side to be on, I think. I agree, port side! Did you see the mansion with it's own flowrider in the yard?? I never thought of the Solarium for really windy or cool days, great idea!   I know I had the Vidalia onion tart the first night and it was really good. I also had a fruit soup each night that one was offered, and loved them all. They had a variety of choices, including some international dishes and some lower calorie options. These are our fav's on RCL too! We missed the first night of the MDR on Oasis and they didnt have the tart on the WJ buffet:(, but they did have pavlova for dessert, which is one of my only favorite desserts on RCL

Enjoying your review so far!!

letscruiseasap

Thanks for your review! We love reading these as we crawl closer to our Dec 30 cruise on Allure! Keep it coming!

First, thank you for your review. I look forward to reading the whole thing as we are looking for book Allure for next Spring.

Secondly, I was wondering if you could elaborate on your statement above about 'beach chairs'. If you don't have beach chairs, what do they have for people to sit on during the show? And which are the most comfortable?

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• Royal Caribbean International

Allure of the Seas review

By fun_one , November 27, 2015 in Royal Caribbean International

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I sent my review of our recent sailing on the Allure of the Seas (Nov 8th - 15th) to Cruise Critic but they published is saying the sailing was December 2010 - oh well....thought I would publish it here since I know people read these threads more than the Review section. Feel free to ask questions if there is anything I didn't cover. Have fun!

We are Platinum RCCL customers and this was our first time on an Oasis class ship. We had actually booked the Oasis class twice before but had to cancel for family medical reasons so we were very excited to sail the Allure this time.

We really loved the ship and actually booked (while onboard) on the Harmony for next year!

Embarkation: Very organized – especially since there are twice as many people as there typically are on other cruise ships. We got to the port just before 11:00 am. The line for Platinum members to check in was actually longer than the line for Gold members so we ended up going to one of the people at the Gold end of the desk for check-in but it still didn’t take that long. They absolutely will not let Gold members get on the boat with Platinum members and are very strict about that.

Once on the boat: The boat is huge so there is a lot to see and explore. We had done some homework ahead of time so pretty much knew what was going to be where. We initially went to the Bolero bar and purchased our beverage packages. We had planned to buy the Premium package but as it turns out, the Premium package offers the exact same alcoholic drinks as the Ultimate package (for about $10 less per day) – the only difference is the specialty coffees. That was fine with us – however I do want to mention that our friends pre-paid for their beverage package before they boarded and paid a little less than we did when paying after we boarded. It turns out that they charged us tax to buy the package once we boarded however upon returning from the cruise, I called the “after cruise care” people and they refunded us our money. Be forewarned about this and you don’t have to pay the tax. Once we boarded, our friends had lunch at the Café in Central Park while my husband and I opted for the Windjammer – very crowded on Day 1!

Drink Package: Some of the bars made you sign the tab every time (and we assume they did this so you had the opportunity to leave an extra tip) but some did not. Personally, we like NOT having to sign them and prefer to just leaving some extra cash if we think the server is really good. The servers really appreciate that and do get to know you once you have given them an extra tip. The built-in tips have gone up to 18% for those of you who haven’t cruised in a while. One thing I will mention is that this boat did not have a lot of options for early morning bloody marys or mimosas. The only place we found to get drinks in the morning was the main dining room or the Pool Bar – otherwise you had to wait until 11:00 am (even on sea days). I know most people wouldn’t think that is a problem but we were just surprised since our last cruise with Princess had many options all day long. We felt the drink package was a good deal for us because it was so easy to not have to keep track of anything. Even our friends who don’t think they drink much felt that it was a good deal based on the convenience and the prices of the drinks.

Stateroom: We had a balcony cabin on Deck 12 (port side) near the aft elevators/stairs. We loved this location. We take the stairs when we can and found the location to be perfect. Also, this ship does a great job at giving you directions so you know where you are most of the time. Our cabin steward was fine – we didn’t see him much so that is pretty much what you want. The room was nice – we liked the changes they made to the bathroom as it seemed a little bit roomier. The closet was moved to open next to the bed making it a bit awkward but there was plenty of room for everything we brought. There is also a full size sofa which is very nice if you want to have friends over so they can actually sit in your room and not be on your bed. My only complaint was that the cabin temperature was never cool enough for us. We traveled with a fan and I don’t think we would have been happy without it. We did complain to Maintenance about the room temperature on more than one occasion but they basically said that the room temperature was adequate. I also did not think the common areas were as cool as I recall from previous cruises. I used to think the common areas were freezing but not on this ship.

Dining/Specialty Dining: We traveled with 2 other couples and chose anytime dining. We had made reservations for the shows ahead of time and had also made dining reservations that varied between 6:30 and 7:00 pm ahead of time to go along with the shows. There was a long line for anytime diners that did not have reservations. We usually choose the late seating for traditional dining so this was a new experience for us. I think I prefer traditional dining but this worked out okay for our group.

We felt that the prices for the special restaurants have gone up a bit too much. We used to always go to the Special dining options but on this cruise, we only went to the Mexican Restaurant and really enjoyed it and it was priced very reasonably. The service was also exceptional and the portions were large - we would probably split a meal next time. I think $39 for Chops is a little too much even though I know the quality of the food is superb. I also found the steaks they offered in the main dining room to be just “okay” when they used to be pretty good. I think the overall quality of the food has gone down some as there were not as many options in the main dining room as I recall from previous years. Don't get me wrong - the food was good (and probably better than most people get on a regular basis) but my husband I cook a lot and found some of the options to just be "okay" and not "superb".

Our friends went to Giovanni’s and while they enjoyed it, they thought it was too much food to eat.

Entertainment: The shows were absolutely fantastic. We saw Mamma Mia (which we had seen before in a regular theater) and it was very good. The Royal Caribbean dancers were also very good as were the Aqua theater folks, the jazz bar, the comedians (don’t miss them!), etc. All was very good. We love having so many options on a boat and enjoyed all of it. Do make reservations for the shows – if not you have less choices and have to depend on empty seats when people don’t show up.

Service: It is apparent that many of the crew of the Allure has worked together for many years and they look like they really enjoy their jobs and have fun working together. The crew really looks like they enjoy making customers happy. We did not see anyone that didn’t smile and ask you how you were doing, what they could do for you, etc. and we really appreciate that kind of service. We have heard that many of the Allure staff may be offered options to move to the Harmony when she arrives in November 2016.

Space: Overall, the boat is beautiful – It was very clean and easy to get around. The space is well organized but I did feel like the tables were a little too close in both the Windjammer and the main dining rooms. We realize there are a lot of people to feed but it was very hard to get around the tables and one of the people in our group had a walker making it that much harder.

Debarkation: Very easy – totally recommend the Luggage Valet program for $20 per person if your airline is covered. We flew SWA and had a 3:25 pm (late) flight and found it so great to let the cruise ship take your bags and bring them to the airport, check you in and you don’t see them until you land in your home city – awesome! We just walked off with our carry-on and it was very easy and fast. Because there were no good flights for us to get back to Houston at a reasonable time, we took a cab to the old downtown district and found a great bar/hotel to have a drink and snack before we had to head to the airport. The cab ride was $16 to downtown and another $16 back to the airport so it was very reasonable.

Overall: We very much enjoyed the Allure and the Oasis class in general. We have decided to try a Boardwalk Balcony room on our next sailing as it is a little cheaper and we didn’t find ourselves using the balcony as much as we used to. The boat is large but manageable and we found it fairly easy to get your bearings pretty quickly so you knew where you were and where you were going. They did a very good job at helping you know where you were for those that found difficulty with that.

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Nice review! We love the Oasis class, too, having done back to backs on Allure in 2011 and on Oasis in 2012. We sailed on Oasis again just this past August/September. We thought the food quality/choices had gone down since our last cruise on Oasis, too. But it won't stop us from sailing!

Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Just found your review, and was done very nicely.

Thanks for posting.

We too did notice that the workers on the ship seemed very happy.

Thanks again.

Safe travels

spazzyjanet

Thank you for posting your review!

I enjoyed your review.

We are travelling next week as a family of 6 in 3 cabins, my daughters and I are gold but my parents platinum, will be all be able to use the platinum queue together.

Depends on port personnel. Sometimes they let the party stay together, sometimes not. If not, just stay with the Gold group, it's really not a big deal.

Thanks for your review.

theflowersmith

What a nice review! We sail January 17th and this will be our first time on Allure.

Does anyone know if they have an outdoor walking/jogging track? I haven't seen one while browsing the ship via computer. My sister and I love to walk in the mornings while looking out to sea.

cincicruisers

Thanks for taking the time to post a review. Glad you had a great trip!

What a nice review! We sail January 17th and this will be our first time on Allure.   Does anyone know if they have an outdoor walking/jogging track? I haven't seen one while browsing the ship via computer. My sister and I love to walk in the mornings while looking out to sea.

The walking track is on deck 5--it goes all the way around the ship. It's two+something laps per mile. It's not very scenic, except at the aft. Then it's gorgeous!!

Great review. I have a quick question about the luggage valet program. I have never used it but my parents will be on Allure in February and are planning on using it. You said that they check you in. Does this mean that they provide you with your boarding passes? If so, when did you get them. Thanks.

Boarding passes are delivered to the stateroom on the last afternoon/evening.

Thanks so much. As my parents get older they need as much planned out and explained to them in advance as possible.

Check your boarding passes to make sure there's one in each traveler's name. One time on a cruise (and one time in Disney World), our two boarding passes were both in my husband's name.

But it's a great program, and we use it whenever we can. If only there were a program that unpacked luggage and did the laundry for us at home!

How was the weather? We leave Dec 27.

Also our cabin is also on Deck 12 toward the aft. Was it very rocky? could you feel the boat any?

I am traveling with two young boys and want to be prepared for giving them medicine.

Great information! Thanks!

I am on the Allure now and everything has been great. Not much movement so far but you will feel it if it gets rough.

Our experience out of Fort Lauderdale was that they would NOT let the non-platinum people board with the Platinum group but it was very well organized.

How was the weather? We leave Dec 27.   Also our cabin is also on Deck 12 toward the aft. Was it very rocky? could you feel the boat any?   I am traveling with two young boys and want to be prepared for giving them medicine.   Great information! Thanks!

We didn't experience any movement during our sailing Nov 8th - 15th but I have read some posts where people say you can feel some although I have never seen anyone describe really rough seas except for the TA cruises.

Thanks for the review, considering Oasis class and appreciate a generally positive but fair review

My husband and I are totally HUGE fans of the luggage valet process - we totally think it is worth the $20 per person to do it if you can. We fly SWA so the only issue with that is that if you are not "A List" or pay to get "Early Bird", you are at their mercy as to when they check you in and what boarding pass you will receive. My husband is "A list" but I was not so we actually paid for a quick internet session 24 hours before our flight to ensure that I would get a decent boarding pass. I have no idea what it would have been like if we didn't do that but it all turned out great for us. Just remember to keep a small bag with you for the few things you have in your room the last night to carry your stuff off the boat the last morning.

They left the boarding passes and the luggage tags in our room the night before so we could pack and get our bags out by midnight.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions.

BlueWavesDreamer

I am very interested in the Allure but also the Anthem. Has anyone sailed both, and if so, why pick one over the other (outside of the obvious NJ vs. FL embarkation port)?

Thanks for the review. We're going in April and can't wait.

Interesting about the drink package cost once onboard. That's not the first time I've read that they charged tax when they shouldn't. Maybe it's because you were still in dock? We're thinking of waiting so that we can use our OBC to buy it (and we're Canadian so we can take advantage of the special OBC rate that Royal uses).

Bonnie Voyager

I have sailed on Oasis/Allure AND Quantum/Anthem. I loved all 4 ships, but Oasis/Allure remain my absolute favorites and my next 2 cruises are on Oasis, then Allure! For me, when sailing on Oasis/Allure, the ship IS the destination! There is just so much to do and see. Quantum/Anthem were great ships as well and also had a lot to do, but I found myself "missing" Oasis/Allure while I was sailing on Quantum/Anthem! No specific reason though. ;)

Thanks for the review. We were on the sailing last week and concur with everything you said. We were very impressed with the crew and the outstanding service they provided. The Allure is a beautiful ship and Captain Johnny is obviously an excellent captain and leader.

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Allure of the Seas Cruise Review

I f you’re looking for a family vacation that is sure to please everyone, look no further than the Allure of the Seas Cruise. With its exciting activities, luxurious amenities, and world-class entertainment, this cruise has something for everyone—from toddlers to grandparents!

Eden and I just got back from our most recent cruise out of Galveston, TX , Allure of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. Here’s a look at our experience enjoying the thrilling adventure on board Allure of the Seas.

Allure of the Seas

The Allure isn’t a new ship, but the cruise terminal in Galveston certainly is. Royal Caribbean built an all-new terminal in Galveston that can accommodate a bigger ship. That means that Allure of the Seas can now sail from Texas. It’s the biggest ship to ever sail from Texas. 

Find Deals on the Allure of the Seas!

Activities Galore

The first thing that stands out about Allure of the Seas is its wide variety of activities and entertainment options. From zip lining and rock climbing walls to Broadway shows and ice skating rinks, there are so many fun things to do on board. Up on some of the top decks you will find two flow riders, multiple pools, tons of hot tubs, pickle ball courts, mini golf, and more. 

For kids, that may not want to swim, but still want to have water fun there is the H2O Zone Water Park. They can swim or should they choose they can just enjoy the splash pad part of the park. 

One thing I LOVED was the free life jackets readily available onboard next to the pools. Always put a life jacket on your kid!

The fitness center was massive with all the equipment you could want. We were able to get in a solid workout every day thanks to the surplus of cardio equipment and weight machines. We had to pass through the entrance of the spa to get there and I must say the spa looked NICE. Sadly, I didn’t try it out for myself. 

They offered personal training and I think they had a handful of classes you could take but we didn’t do any of those. 

Live Entertainment

The shows on board were unbelievable, by far the best I’ve ever seen on a cruise. They have an Aqua Theater were they put on a diving, acrobat show called Oceanaria. Now this may sound out but when you see it in person it’s excellent. Then there is an ice skating show called Skate Games. I love ice skating and was super impressed with the skaters. There are more shows but these were the only two we saw. I heard their Mama Mia production is quite good as well. 

Ocean Adventure Allure of the Seas

The children’s area is extensive. Obviously, my kids are quite big now so I didn’t experience this firsthand but it looked amazing. There’s also another area of the ship that’s just for teens that looked fun as well. 

Delicious Dining Options

With 22 restaurants onboard ranging from casual fast food eateries to upscale fine dining experiences, every meal became an adventure in itself. We loved trying different cuisines and flavors from around the world—from Italian dishes at Giovanni’s Table to Mexican food at El Loco Fresh. There are also numerous bars scattered throughout the ship offering specialty cocktails, local beers, and wines from around the globe.

There were two we visited that were such standouts I am breaking them down separately. 

150 Central Park

The service was super slow here but worth it considering how excellent the food was overall. I had the braised short rib, paired with creamy mascarpone polenta, crispy onions, roasted heirloom carrots and natural jus. Whatever you do be sure and save room for dessert. They have a fried cheesecake that is a must-try!

This place has phenomenal Italian food. Be sure to get the carbonara. You can do pasta orders half-size if you like so you can try something else as well without being wasteful. We celebrated Eden’s birthday here. 

Main Dining Room

Most of our meals were in one of the Main Dining rooms. All of the food we had there was excellent as well. I basically went with the steak every time because when else can you have a steak dinner this good every night? Only on a cruise! (I always tell myself to eat vegan while traveling but then there’s steak and I completely forget.)

On the weekend they even offer a brunch in the Main Dining that is quite delicious. I had the fried chicken and waffles which were delicious and Eden went with the more traditional eggs benedict. They also serve some pastries that were good too.  

Seriously Sweet Suites

At night we retired to our spacious stateroom with its own balcony overlooking the ocean. The beds were comfortable and clean. Towels were always fluffy and fresh thanks to housekeeping’s daily attention while our room was kept spotless by friendly staff members who went above and beyond during our stay onboard Allure of the Seas Cruise ship. They do not have conditioner in the shower so be sure to bring your own. 

We were in a regualar balcony suite, but we got to take a tour of lots of different rooms and they were all way better than ours! Just check out the photo! A two story suite!

Odyssey of the Seas Cruise review!

4 Tips for Planning a Cruise Holiday with Kids

Get Travel Insurance

Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on any trip. Be prepared for the worst with travel insurance. We use Travelex .

Book Flights

I use Skyscanner to find flights. I use it so much, I wrote an entire guide to finding cheap flights with Skyscanner !

Book a Place to Stay

I recommend using Expedia.com or Hotels.com for most hotel bookings. I prefer to book directly with Marriott when I stay there because of their excellent military discount.

If you prefer staying in a vacation rental instead, I recommend VRBO .

Choose Activities and Tours

To find great activities in any area I use Get Your Guide and Viator . If we are visiting a city with lots of popular attractions I always check CityPass and GoCard to see if they have discount cards available.

When I want to book a full-on multi-day tour I use TourRadar . They’ve got fantastic weekly deals.