Allure of the Seas
Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Jan 23–30, 2011
by Mary & Vincent Finelli
Every year Vincent books our wedding anniversary cruise and this,
our 42nd we sailed on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas. He
chose the terrific Allure because we had taken a 3 day
trip-to-nowhere cruise in November, during which we decided three
days was not enough to even tap the Allure's possibilities, for she
is a floating City. On this cruise she was filled to capacity with
5,400 guests and a crew of 2,384 from all over the world. The
passengers of all ages were poised to enjoy everything from riding
the Zip Line to attending Broadway shows like “Chicago.” However,
being individualists, we spend a lot of time avoiding crowds and
touring the ship on our own. What a delight the Allure is with her
eclectic and spectacular art work, such as the “Eclipse 2 “ by the
English artist Terry New, a fantastic work in cast iron that evokes
thoughts of wood and harmony. At least to us, but perhaps not to the
bather who used it as a hanger for his beach towel. This piece is
located near the cantilevered whirlpool on deck 15 portside forward.
There are also a group of mixed media photographs in the main stairs
by Jose Davila “Buildings you have to see before you die.” The
buildings themselves are removed from the photos and become for the
erudite an interesting game to identify the silhouetted building.
There is so much aboard that there is very little chance for
boredom. We were warmly welcomed back by Hotel Director Richard
Nentwich, also part of Allure's start up team. We first met Richard
in 2004 on the Mariner of the Seas and sailed with him several times
since. Each time we find him looking younger and healthier. It must
be the sea air!
EMBARKATION
Since we live in Boca Raton, FL, Port Everglades is only a 30
minute ride from home. Ft. Lauderdale is the home port for the
Allure. We arrived at the pier 12:30pm and using the
Suite/wheelchair line, we had only 2 minutes wait and check-in was
another 5 minutes. Superb! However there was a slight glitch since
only one of the two gangways was operational, but we were assured
that the second gangway was to be back in use soon. Thus, we were in
Crown Loft Suite #1742 only fifteen minutes after our arrival.
Considering the size of the ship and the multitude of passengers,
this was one of the easiest and fastest embarkation procedure we
have ever had.
SHIP
The passengers who came aboard without any knowledge of the
Allure had a bit of a problem in orientation, since no ship plans
were given at embarkation. However, there were deck plans on every
deck at the elevators and with a quick check one could orient
oneself easily. Also available were touch screens showing exactly
where you were. A simple aid was the knowledge that stateroom
locations were divided into quadrants as follows: Pink quadrant is
portside-forward; blue quadrant is portside-aft; green quadrant is
starboard-forward; and finally, yellow quadrant is starboard-aft.
The Allure is only two inches longer than the Oasis, but that is
enough to give her the title of “Largest Cruise Ship Afloat.” She
was built at the STX Europe shipyards in Turku, Finland. Her
dimensions are 225,282 gross tons, 1,187 ft (360 meters) long, 208
ft (64 meters) wide, 213 ft (65 meters) high from the water line and
30 ft (9.1 meters) draft. She has a total of 2,706 staterooms, of
which 1,956 are with balcony, 254 outside and 496 interior. There
are 46 wheelchair accessible staterooms.
We have received from our friend Richard Nentwich an interesting
gift, “Wonderbook–the Art on Allure of the Seas,” describing the
vast collection of art pieces on the ship. This book was a guide for
us to visit the various art work throughout the ship. It made us
more appreciative in opening our eyes to the diversity of media,
style and artistry: Most of the art work aboard, paintings,
sculptures, photographs, etc. is modern in style, but a few in
traditional style. There are a total of over 9800 art pieces aboard
of which 1200 are in public areas. One dramatic sculpture that
impressed us is that of the Korean artist Keysook Geum which fills
the enormous aft elevator lobby, from the lower decks to deck 17,
“Dream of Utopia,” a wire and bead work consisting of 36 dresses in
4 different styles. This is a really impressive view from any of the
panoramic elevators which were our main means of transportation,
since we don't do stairs! We also were very pleased with some of the
traditional sculptures seen on the Royal Promenade, such as “A Magic
Kiss” or at the pool area, such as “Swimmers.”
There are seven neighborhoods on board, which are very similar to
the Oasis, on which we reported in 2009. The following insert
repeats that information with only some updating of personnel.
THE SEVEN NEIGHBORHOODS
One: Central Park is based on Deck 8 with five decks of
balcony staterooms opening on to it. It certainly lives up to its
name with trees, vines and flowering plants, beautifully arranged
among winding paths. There are several seating areas – some covered
for when it rains (yes, it is open to the sky like a park). There
are delightful pergolas covered with blooming bougainvilleas and
poles wound with night blooming jasmine. Types of plants are
identified with tags.
This is an ideal spot to sit and read among the flowers and trees or
even dine “al fresco” at Giovanni's Table ($15 fee) for excellent
Italian cuisine under the jovial Senior Executive Chef Marco Morrama
and friendly Maitre d' Alessandro Carlisi, or at 150 Central Park
featuring celebrity Chef Maureen “Molly” Brandt ($35 fee).
There are also fine shops featuring designer handbags, sports wear,
etc. However, it is the wonder of sitting in an endless garden at
sea, which drew us back daily: no crowds, peaceful with an
occasional Strolling Scot bagpiper playing soulfully. In the evening
there are moonlight serenades.
Two: The Boardwalk is on Deck 6 aft and features a Carousel with 18
hand carved animals; in its entrance are several horses in various
stages of carving and painting, both informative and beautiful art.
Along both sides are typical Coney Island style shops and stands:
Johnny Rockets a 1950's hamburger joint, Candy/taffy shops, and a
terrific Boardwalk Dog House, serving hot dogs, brats and sausages.
All the way aft is the Aqua Theater --- with a water extravaganza of
high diving, synchronized swimming, and acrobatic routines:
Stunning! This is also the seat of two rock climbing walls.
Three: The Royal Promenade on Deck 5 is retained from the Voyager
and Freedom classes of ships and features a village center with Cafe
Promenade, Sorrento's Pizza parlor and the Bow & Stern Pub with
music each night. The on board shops located here have the logo
wear, perfumes, jewelry, etc. The Promenade is the site of parades
and entertainments. The innovative Cupcake Cupboard provides a
unique spot for Birthdays and Anniversaries. The biggest attraction
is the “Rising Tide Bar”(capacity 32), an oval shaped spacious glass
enclosed elevator which will lift you up three decks to Central
Park. The automobile attraction for this ship is a replica of a 1936
Mercedes Benz 540K convertible, maroon and with enough chrome to
catch passengers' eyes and those of a little boy (a small bronze
statue) holding the model of the same car behind his back. Many
cruisers took pictures with this beauty.
Four: The Pool & Sports Zones, located on Decks 15 and 16, offer
more sports activities than any other ship at sea: Two “Flow
Riders,” very popular surf simulators, located on Deck 16 aft, are
fun for both surfers and spectators; Dunes Mini Golf, a fun game to
practice putting on deck 15 aft; the Zip Line on Deck 16, suspended
9 decks above Boardwalk, speeding across the atrium, Whee! There is
a basketball court and ping pong (Deck 15 aft). The Solarium is
Vincent's favorite place: Every morning he relaxes in a whirlpool in
the adult only spa among plants and flowers.
Five: Vitality at Sea Fitness Center is forward on Deck 6. There is
a “Thermal Suite,” massage center and the gym with the state-of-art
cardio & fitness machines. The longest jogging track at sea (2.4
laps = 1mile) is the outside promenade on Deck 5. There are classes
in yoga and kick boxing and a Health Spa for adults and children
with juice and snacks.
Six: The Youth Zone is completely dedicated to children and teens
with Adventure Ocean Theater, Science Lab, Video Games and even a
nursery at sea. Teens are treated to their own area with an out door
deck, nightclub, video arcade and even Star Pier a teen clothing
Shop.
Seven: Studio B (Deck 4), where the Ice shows and skating are held,
Jazz on 4, the Comedy Club (don't miss this, seats only 120, so book
early). This grouping of the areas is only good for general
orientation.
CABIN
Crown Loft Suite 1742 is located on Decks 17 & 18, starboard
aft. It is one of the best suites we have had until now. The décor
is a beautiful combination of light oak and dark walnut woods, blue
carpeting and beige walls. There are two pictures to decorate the
suite: The first on the lower floor is a huge hanging mural of blue
and green geometric designs blended in a somewhat pastel color
plaid; the second, in the loft, over the head board of the bed,
shows lovely spring apple blossoms and large leaves.
When entering the suite, on the left is a huge bathroom with sink,
shelves, a commode (a bit too low for the handicapped suite) and a
4' x 4' shower stall with folding seat and safety rails. Next, there
is a long sliding table, excellent for dining, a bar set up with
coffee maker and refrigerator. Then, there is an extra large
hide-a-bed sofa, alas too low for handicapped people to sit on. The
appropriate height would be the same as the seat on a wheel chair,
thus making it possible to get up easily.
On the right of the entrance there is a triple armoire. Next, there
is the wheelchair elevator with a capacity of 400Kg or 5 passengers.
Excellent! Then there is a rock garden below the staircase to the
loft. After that there is a desk with six drawers and a large screen
TV. Two metal chairs, a bench and a single hassock completed the
suite, to which our steward added a more comfortable leather arm
chair. The far wall, two decks tall, is all glass with a sliding
door to a very spacious balcony which has two rattan chaise lounges
and a small table. Alas, once again too low for physically
challenged passengers. Jesus Khan, our steward, brought another
leather chair from which it was easy to arise.
Take the elevator and go up to Deck 18 and the loft. On the left is
another triple armoire with a personal safe. On the opposite wall is
another bathroom, a duplicate of the one below. Then there is a
vanity with lighted mirror, three drawers and a hassock for a seat.
The king size bed (too high for a physically challenged person) is
flanked by two nightstands with drawers and reading lamps. Across
from the bed is a second TV. The edge of the Loft has a stainless
steel railing and long sheer white curtains, which were closed at
night and opened in the day time to allow for a breathtaking view of
the sky and the sea. All this was well kept and made comfortable by
the steward Jesus, who provided excellent service without us having
to ask for anything. BRAVO!
SERVICE & FOOD
Hotel Director Richard Nentwich is in charge of a well
trained staff. Service is excellent and food of very good quality is
readily available all over the ship. Concierge Luca Iorio (Italy)
proved to be a terrific aide in getting reservations for shows, as
well as a congenial host of the Deck 11 concierge lounge. Fernando
Ugalde (Spain) shared responsibilities and made cappuccinos an art.
We'll discuss the food as it is encountered. First, at the all
aboard buffet. There are many islands of food nicely manned and
variety includes the following: Roast beef and sides of mashed
potatoes, salad bars, Asian buffet, Pastas, grilled hamburgers and
hot dogs, soups and fruit and dessert displays. However, for
wheelchair passengers this area was not user friendly, counters too
high and too crowded. For those reasons we only eat at the buffet on
the first day aboard.
The first evening Vincent arranged for a table near the entrance to
the Adagio Dining Room for the entire week. However, the next
evening it was occupied by someone else. We pointed it out to the
greeters at the entrance and they assured us it would not happen
again. Next evening, the same story and our prearranged table was
again occupied by others. Finally, we told the head waiter Johannes
Katze, who took it to heart and it didn't happen again. We always
like a fixed table each evening, so that we get to know the waiters
and even better they get to know us and our likes. This trip our
waiter was the excellent Shimrai Shimrah and his assistant was the
warm and jocular Marlon Holder. Food in the Adagio is quite good and
much improved since November. The menu is both adequate and varied.
RCCL has finally started to portion the plates properly. We don't
like to waste food and are happy to see the correct size portions.
The soups were excellent; cream of Asparagus, and French onion and
the cold ones too, with mango and papaya among them. The meats and
desserts are always great on RCCL.
There are several upscale dining venues which must be tried. At 150
Central Park is a unique dining experience that will appeal to
gourmets. Chef Maureen “Molly” Brandt presents six courses which
were nicely explained to us by Mina our server. The concept is for
several tiny courses selected by Molly. They are served at a nice
pace and plating is interesting. This style has been in vogue in
Italy for more than twenty years, where there are usually about nine
to twelve dishes presented as “assaggini”. The starter was a sampler
of six salts collected from around the world to be tasted with tiny
leaf shaped bread. This was fun. The menu on this particular evening
included fish and duck, the next menu includes a beef duo of short
ribs and filet mignon (which we would have preferred). The service
was delightful and the décor simple elegance ($35 pp).
The next specialty restaurant is Giovanni's Table also in Central
Park ($15 pp) Here the most genial Manager Alessandro Carlisi will
give you the opportunity of dining alfresco or inside. We had a
marvelous meal with Valentina (Sicily) serving us. Watching the
servers slicing prosciutto on the huge red machine in the foyer can
make one drool. The fritto misto was excellent; try the osso buco or
the fabulous moist veal meatballs. Dessert is pure Italian heaven:
Cannoli, tiramisu, panna cotta, etc. It was simply delizioso. Buon
Appetito!
Also located in Central Park is Chops Grille; whereas 150 Central is
for Gourmets, Chops is for Gourmands ($25 pp). The huge beef steaks
and the beautiful veal chops are for the hearty eaters. Deck 15 has
the two tiered Samba Grill featuring Brazilian Churrascaria ($25
pp). This is beautiful dining under the stars Brazilian style--so
lovely. The last special restaurant is Izumi ($5 pp), which consists
of a la carte Asian food, alas we didn't get here, but heard good
things about it.
Now, we have gone from buffet to formal dining in the Adagio and
specialty restaurants, but there are so many other venues like
Rita's Cantina ($7.95 pp) featuring Mexican food and drinks; Johnny
Rockets, with specialty hamburgers and milkshakes ($); and the free
Dog House with hot dogs & brats, etc. These are all located on the
Boardwalk.
On Deck 5 there is the Cafe Promenade with everything from
sandwiches to cookies to hot scones! Sorrento's is also here where
made to order pizzas are served. We used Room Service for breakfast
and it was always punctual and delicious: we ordered from the Suite
menu which included waffles, French toast, pancakes and individually
made omelets.
ENTERTAINMENT
Cruise Director Allan Brooks must be an octopus. He needs
eight arms aboard the Allure, since there are three pages of Daily
Activities. He begins each morning with his TV program “Babbling
Brook”. There is a plethora of doings from physical fitness,
jogging, gyms machines, but also rock climbing wall, ice skating,
table tennis, dance lessons, card games like bridge, plus the huge
Casino with tables and slots, Trivia, and adult Wii, etc.
There are so many shows that the best way to keep track of days and
times is with the Cruise Planner given to each cabin on the first
day; it gives a week's highlights at a glance. On the first day we
had reservations for the Oceanaria Show, but it was cancelled due to
rough seas. We caught it on Wednesday and it is spectacular, don't
miss it. We recommend booking the shows before embarking by computer
or on the first day, as soon as possible; remember you are competing
with about 5,500 other passengers. Show reservations could be made
boarding day from 11:30 am to 4:00pm in Studio B.
Besides the aqua show, there is “Chicago, the Broadway Musical” and
“Blue Planet” in the Amber Theater, both are marvelous. The Comedy
Show (18+) in Comedy Live has very limited seating of 120 persons,
so book it early. “Ice Games, the Ice Show” is a play on the
Monopoly board game: Olympic quality skating by an international
cast of world-class skaters and beautiful costumes. The Allure of
the Seas has something for everyone, from babies to seniors.
PORTS OF CALL
Day 1. Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Depart 5:00pm
Day 2. Nassau, Bahamas Arrive 7:30am, Depart 1:00pm
Day 3. At Sea
Day 4. St. Thomas USVI Arrive 7:30am, Depart 5:00pm
Day 5. St. Maarten Arrive 7:30am, Depart 4:30pm
Days 6 & 7. At Sea
Day 8. FT. Lauderdale, FL Arrive 7:00am, Debark 8:00am
DEBARKATION
There are several ways to debark. The night before, place
your number/color tagged luggage outside your cabin door and then
get them the next day in port. You may have your baggage
automatically transferred to your airline and flight, or you may opt
to carry it off early with you. We always use the first method, put
it out the night before; then with the help of a porter, we collect
it on the dock and go through customs and passport check and in only
a few minutes we are outside. The system worked excellently and we
were on our way home by 8:45am.
CONCLUSION
This was our 90th cruise, our 43rd on RCI ships, showing that
almost half of our cruises have been on RCI, one of our favorite
cruise lines. Just like the cruise we took on the Oasis, this one
was also extraordinary for the many innovations offered by these
ships, not possible on smaller ones: Central Park, Boardwalk, and
the enhanced Royal Promenade.
We will still cruise on other lines, since we are addicted to
cruising, and enjoy the best of what they offer: cuisine,
entertainment, service, relaxation, and, most of all, the joy of
cruising! However, we know that the experiences we have had on the
Oasis and the Allure cannot be matched on any other ship, thus we'll
be back many more times, if we are able. Happy Cruising!
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