Too much of a good thing?

Allure of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 11
Helpful Votes: 463

Overall rating:

3.6 out of 5
Allure of the Seas

7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 03, 2017

Ship: Allure of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 12278

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

The Allure is a gorgeous ship and I believe everyone should try to see an Oasis class vessel. If you're one that likes exciting activities, excellent shows, and a variety of options for food, beverages, and things to do, you should love it. However, I value service and take cruises to unwind. The level of service received on the Allure was below my expectations in many areas and, in some places, completely absent. The Windjammer, for example, was completely self service. I enjoy being offered a beverage when in the Windjammer or elsewhere, but this only happened once during our 8 day trip! I think the Oasis class may be too much of a good thing. Perhaps over 6000 guests is too many to maintain excellent service.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Very quick, smooth embarkation at Port Everglades despite a packed ship.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Food and service at Chops and Samba Grill were amazing. The Windjammer and main dining room were okay, but nothing special, in terms of food. We were very pleased with the service received in the main dining room, but all staff in the Windjammer only seemed concerned with clearing plates and getting people out the door to make more room. In fact, they even had announcements to vacate the Windjammer when done eating.

Chop's Grille

4 out of 5

Perfectly prepared main courses with excellent service. The side dishes were good, but not to the typical high Chops standard of other RCI ships that I have been on.

Windjammer Cafe

1 out of 5

Good selection of flavorful foods, but consistently crowded and offering no service except table clearance. The need for turnover is apparent and ruined the dining experience.

Boardwalk Donut Shop

1 out of 5

Free donuts on the Boardwalk! The one I had was crusty and made me miss Dunkin Donuts.

Schooner Bar

2 out of 5

Whether lounging or attending trivia games on Allure, waitstaff would walk right by and we had to summon them to get drinks. If we went to the bar, the service is strictly "What can I get you?"..."Here you go." with a receipt plopped down hoping for an additional tip beyond prepaid gratuities.

Ice Cream Parlor

3 out of 5

Good ice cream and toppings selection, but pricey.

Boleros Lounge

2 out of 5

Sporadically open during the 7-night cruise with wait times and impersonal interaction.

Boardwalk Bar

5 out of 5

Great service and cocktails with a nice view of the Aqua Theatre and Boardwalk. This was our favorite bar on the Allure.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
I tried the Zip Line, which was great and offered no wait time when I went. Pools were always accessible, though there was often a wait for a hot tub. A plethora of activities are offered on the Allure.

Vitality at Sea Spa

2 out of 5

Advertised a special and then changed to a more expensive service half way through. Extremely overpriced for what was received.

Regalia

2 out of 5

Don't sign up for the watch giveaway. They advertised some high end pieces and said a watch would be given away. I "won" the watch...and gave it to my 7 year old. It looks like it came out of the gift shop.

Whirlpools

3 out of 5

Crowded and usually required a wait to get in.

Swimming Pools

4 out of 5

Chilly, but not overcrowded and with plenty of chairs nearby.

Zipline

5 out of 5

A lot of fun and staff was very friendly while assisting a first timer.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
Amazing entertainment on the Allure with several offerings to align with dining times. Reserve your seats in advance and arrive early as these venues do sell out and fill up fast!

Studio B

5 out of 5

Ample seating and attentive service during the shows.

Amber Theater

3 out of 5

Typical theater with lack of drink service during the shows. Good lighting and sound for live shows and the 3D movies. Want popcorn? If you can find it, RCI charged for it on Allure.

On Air Club

1 out of 5

Always crowded with standing room only and I couldn't get bar service on several occasions.

Aqua Theater

5 out of 5

Oceana was an amazing water show. Hats off to all the performers.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5
Waiters' service ranged from absent to excellent according to venue. Room steward was very kind and attentive to our needs. Most interactions with staff seemed obligatory, though. No one really tried to make or carry on a conversation. Overall, very disappointed with service on Allure.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Allure is very easy to navigate and kept impeccably clean.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Nice oceanview balcony with space for two, including two nights of formal wear each. The cabin steward did an excellent job keeping the room clean. Shower was enclosed, which is a nice touch. The only downside was a whistling noise coming from the balcony doors while at sea. We readjusted the latch several times, but it seemed to be a design flaw.

Ship tip

The Allure is a beautiful ship that is a must see. The activities and entertainment are top notch. We had over 6,000 guests on our cruise and getting bar and restaurant service was sometimes impossible. As someone who prefers a cruise to relax and converse with friendly folks and staff, I prefer a smaller ship.

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida Did not visit port

Drove directly to the terminal and left right afterward. We live in Florida, so this wasn't a stop for us.

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

2 out of 5
Pushy sales in the market and asking very high prices, but very negotiable. The guy wanted $165 for several items that we got for $60. Probably could have been less, but we just wanted to get out of there. We returned to the beach to find a 20+ minute line for the barbeque, so we just headed back to the ship to eat.

Falmouth, Jamaica

4 out of 5
We took the trolley tour of Falmouth, which was a great experience. Folks at roadside stands are willing to negotiate, but prices at the Port seemed high.

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
Always love Cozumel. Friendly folks and a great selection of food, jewelry, and tequila.

Disembarkation

2 out of 5
While the baggage was neatly organized, it took about an hour from off the ship to parking lot.
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9 Comments

cruisereckoning    4 years ago

Thanks for the review

Medic9701    6 years ago

Dottie, Staff in the MDR on deck 3 were great. Didn't receive any service while lounging on the pool deck when we were there, but the bartenders on deck 16 were friendly...deck 15 not so much.

DottieDiehl    6 years ago

Checking on The staff in the MDR and up on deck...how were they?

Medic9701    6 years ago

Gracielou, you make a good point that, while idealistic, is a two way street. If the staff displayed happiness I would have felt happiness and enjoyed this cruise much more. Enter with a smile, say please and thank you, introduce yourself, and get nothing but a receipt in return...not really a display of happiness IMHO.

Medic9701    6 years ago

Magic, that's a good point. The handle does have to be down. Ours continued to whistle despite being closed and sealed.

Magicsneakers    6 years ago

We just did oasis western Carribean and looking at allure eastern carribean. We loved our trip and the balcony door we had a whistle and the room attendant showed us we had to shit it tight and handle had to be all the down and clicked in to close tight then never had the noise again. Loved the crew on Oasis!

Gracielou7    6 years ago

we loved Allure, and are returning, when you give happiness you receive happiness,

Medic9701    6 years ago

Never a BAD cruise.

IkeDeb    6 years ago

Sound like a good cruise!

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