Allure of the Seas
Sail date: June 01, 2014
My 11 year old and I couldnt have been more excited to spend a week together to celebrate his 5th year graduation. This trip was important as it also represented an opportunity to connect more deeply prior to moving away to another country with his mother. The week could not have been more perfect. The ship is simply magnificent with all its size, activities and glory. It is indeed a destination that seduces passengers away from leaving the ship for excursions. We had so much fun; the large swimming area, the family shows, the shopping, the ice cream and cotton candy, the Dream Works characters, not to mention the great food and specialty dining. Off the ship (Western Caribbean), we did take advantage of the private island, Labardee, Haiti, waterfalls and bobsledding in Jamaica and swimming with dolphins in Cozumel. And I even felt safe to let him run around while using beautiful facilities at the spa. I have cruised many times, even taking a few hundred employees from my company on cruise excursions and felt that Royal Caribbean was one of the best. Sadly, one event on the last day ruined everything. My son was excited to attend the final Dream Works parade and camped out for almost an hour (standing up on chair and all) to make sure he had the best position to film the event. As the parade began, people, noise and excitement filled the forum. A crew member, I suppose a security guard and very imposing, came up to my son and asked him to sit down. For a brief moment, I had left my son as I had to go to the bathroom. Upon return, I came back to see this crew member scolding my son as he was melting down and crying. I confronted the security guard who easily admitted that my son was defiant and that as a father of four, I should understand the importance of teaching and educating our children to be respectful. Unfortunately, what the guard didnt understand is that my son suffers from a learning disability, both an auditory and