First hand review of the Allure of the Seas; good and bad

The GOOD: Of course I enjoyed this cruise. Not only is a bad day cruising is better than a good day working, it was a cruise for heaven's sake.  Who couldn't/ wouldn't enjoy that (I guess there is that one person though).  The best part about the Allure is by far the entertainment.  The shows were amazing, particularly Mama Mia, Blue Planet, and Ocean Aria.  Ice games was cool but not my favorite. The 2 comedians that supplied the supplemental comedy were great.  San Juan was the clear winner as far as a port stop, just wish more time was allotted for that day. The ship is beautiful and laid out in such a way that it never seemed overly crowded unless they were having a "sale" for 1 hour only (everyday and every hour) on the promenade.  The flowriders are amazing and MOST of the staff that works them were extremely helpful.  The rock walls were very cool and a lot of fun with never much of a line. The zip line was a fun little 10 seconds but too short really. We were disappointed that there was no water slide on this ship.  This is a huge draw and very entertaining for the entire family and it was missing. 

The BAD:The soda machines are scarce and the guests have to walk an eternity to find one.  When a guest purchases a drink package the drinks should not be so difficult to obtain.  Most soda machines are located in pairs but should be spread out more for convenience.  There is not one located on the boardwalk at all, only one area on the promenade has a set, one set is in the Windjammer but when that is closed no drinks can be obtained there, and one is located at the burger, fries and hot dog cafe (forgot the name as it is pretty obsolete due to it's location) but it was broken.  The coffee on this ship was HORRIBLE!!!!!  It stinks (doesn't smell like coffee at all) and could possibly be used as jet fuel.  I had to fill 1/3 of my cup with hot water just to try to drink it.  I gave up and drank soda, when I could find it. There is no food to be found near the pool areas. The bars open late and close early, even in the pool/ hot tub area which is open until late.  There is NO music played at the two pools located furthest from the kids area and near the smoking area but there are speakers for such.  The music that is played near the kids area is mostly rap, which is not only inappropriate for the children but annoying as it does not lend to the majority demographic of guests on the Allure who are over the age of 35-40. There should be more Caribbean feel on this ship as far as the music goes but there is not so it is almost as if you are not on a ship at all.  It is a good thing I have cruised before and knew that I could walk off with my luggage.  If not, and I had needed it to be picked up, I would never have known to pack it the night before and leave it outside my cabin door.  The announcements do not make their way down the halls or into the cabins.  The cruise director does not interact with the guests and make the cruise a fun experience so it felt very starched and more for the affluent clientele who do not care to interact. The headliner was NOT funny AT ALL. His show was too late in the evening and we left that show pretty early on as it was a total bore and a waste of time.  The food on this ship was par and along the same lines as other cruise lines, nothing spectacular or to write home about.  The photographers are just present to press a button on the camera that takes pictures as the photos were rushed and looked terrible, the ones we were able to see anyway.  Most of the pictures that were taken at dinner or when we left the ship for port were not ever put in our portfolio, nor were they found on the wall or on the digital kiosk.  There should be more candid photos taken during the day so the guests can look back upon the fun that was had and possibly purchase a couple. The port of St Maarten should be scratched off of every itinerary forever as this port offers little to nothing. 

The END: Overall I enjoyed this cruise because of the people I was with and the ship is amazing in and of itself.  I would most likely try Royal Caribbean again but possibly not until I am in my 50's or so due to the humdrum of the daily activities and the push toward all the shopping, which is not what I go on vacation to do.