We sailed on the Allure in July. All of our expectations were surpassed. The staff were amazing with many greeting us by name after the first day. The food at all of the restaurants was great and all of the entertainment was well done
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived at port Everglades at 12 noon and were on the ship within 90 minutes. A very smooth, well run process. As soon as we arrived, our bags were taken to be loaded into a cart marked with our deck number. Then the line up to go through security followed by getting our "sea pass" cards. Online check in helped to streamline this process. They told us to not expect our bags to be delivered until the evening but they were outside of our cabin soon after check in. We checked out our cabin then had time to wander around a little before joining the sail off party on the top deck.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We were spoiled by all restaurant staff no matter which food venue that we went to. We had suppers 4 of the 7 nights in the American Icon (my time dining) restaurant. Formal night was very nice with champagne being served as we entered to formal pictures being taken. Each night the menu offered different choices.We mentioned that it was a birthday for one of our party. Cake with a candle was brought to our table with staff singing Happy Birthday! The Windjammer buffet was equally as good. Lots of food choices and great ocean views while seated, For port days we went to either the Café Promade or Wipe out Café for a quick breakfast. Neither of these breakfast locations ev er had a line up.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
All scheduled shows were amazing. We suggest that you pre book reservations for shows before you cruise as some of the shows sell out fast. (you can always cancel of not show up) . There are enough shows to book something different each night. The pools are small but enjoyable with many activities held in them like volleyball games, splashing contests etc. Lots of hot tubs, some reserved for the over 16 crowd. We didn't do the rock climbing or flow master but we did do the zip line and we used the mini golf course several times as an evening activity. There is a jogging/walking track on deck 5 would goes all around the deck. A hidden gem was that at the back of the ship on this deck we found deck chairs that overlooked the stern. This is a quiet area that few seamed to find.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
All shows were superior to anything that we have attended to elsewhere. The musicals, live bands, an amazing ice show. We recommend them all. We also did the "wine tasting" We are not really wine drinkers but this venue was worth the experience. We were seated with others and enjoyed the conversations as much as the venue.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
On a ship of 3000 plus guests we were amazed as to how many of the ship's staff called us by name. The room steward really made our trip special. She took the time to chat, made nightly towel animals for our girls, and tidied our room up at least twice a day. The restaurant managers in both the American Icon and the Wind Jammer took the time more then once to visit our table. We were definitely spoiled.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Excellent! Every detail from washrooms to hand rails was covered. We always saw staff cleaning. There are 24 elevators and four stair wells. It was easy to get to all decks and parts of the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We were on the starboard side towards the rear of deck 12. Other then the Everglades port this would be the best side of the ship for shore/port views. There were four of us (two teenage girls) sharing this room. When the pull out bed was down for them the room was quite crowded but other then sleeping, we were not in the room that much. There was lots of closet space and under the bed storage. We enjoyed the balcony spending a portion of each morning and evening sitting enjoying the sights and sounds of the ports or oean. The bathroom was functional with a small shower. Our steward did a commendable job looking after all of our needs.
Ship tip
The Allure operates on a cash less system.. Everything is charged to you Sea Pass. We were not informed about this so ensure that all parties are linked up to a credit card as nothing, not even a soda, can be bought with cash.
We did the Water Taxi excursion through this port. A day pass allows you to get on and off at 21 different stops. Be prepared to spend several hours on this outting. You get to see the port, lots of yachts and millionaire homes as well as access to Hollywood beach.
Intersting, a beach within walking distance but be prepared to have the locals trying to sell you everything and anything from drinks to beach chair use. We did the rainbow reef sknorkling excursion booked through Carnival. Very weel organized and it was like swimming in an aquarium. We saw lots of small fish.
Probable the best of the three stops. An interesting downtown right beside the port. We did the excurision to Paradise point where one takes a cable car to the top. Great views and a great restaurant at the top landing. We also went on the Kon Tike glass bottom party boat tour to Honeymoon Beach. A great outing, cruised over coral reefs, then 1hr at a pleasant, controlled area, beach.
Lots of history here. We took the Scenic and Shopping tour. We travelled on a small bus and got to see a lot of the Island. Some of which was sad due to the poverty of some of the villages that we drove through. We visited a former (slave) plantation which was very scenic but a terrible part of our history. Even though the tour said shopping, the only shopping was clothing or dyed goods made at this tourist location by the locals using ancient methods. Still worth the visit!
Wee organized. We chose the latest departure time which allowed us to have a non rushed breakfast. Even with this, we were at our hotel within 2 hrs of the time that we started the disembarkment process. This included collecting our bags, going through customs and hailing a taxi to get to our hotel.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
