Can't Wait for my Next Cruise!

Allure of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 76

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5
Allure of the Seas

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 29, 2018

Ship: Allure of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 14198

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

All in all I truly loved this vacation! There were a couple of things that could have been better but I was very pleased with my experience. I think this was a great cruise for families or friends! I do think this cruise was a tad too large for me as there were about 6,000 people onboard. I am excited to plan my next adventure and encourage anyone thinking about the Allure of the Seas to go for it! You'll have an amazing time!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
Dinner service in the main dining room was almost always wonderful (ask to sit with Gede)!! Breakfast in the main dining room was my least favorite experience of the cruise. We ordered room service and ate out on the balcony instead and that was very pleasant. I had a couple instances of food not being carefully cleaned or butchered properly in the specialty restaurants but the other food was quite tasty. I would pass on the Brazilian steakhouse restaurant, it wasn't a true Brazilian Steakhouse and the food in the other restaurants was a lot better!

Chop's Grille

5 out of 5

Dinner was delicious and the venue was really beautiful!

Solarium Bistro Restaurant

3 out of 5

The solarium bistro is a gorgeous space and the food was delicious but its way to small for this boat. There was always a long line and never an open table even during off hours. I would have eaten here more frequently but I didn't want to wait more than 15 mins for lunch.

Candy Beach

3 out of 5

The store was a lot smaller than I expected. I think they could really build it up to make it more exciting!

Park Cafe

5 out of 5

This was the best spot for lunch on board. They had salads, sandwiches, and a dessert/coffee bar. It can get a tad crowded but definitely worth checking out.

Rising Tide Bar

5 out of 5

Such a cool bar!! The bar rises from the 5th floor to the 8th and back again. Loved it! Highly recommend getting a drink here.

Giovanni's Table

5 out of 5

Food was delicious and the staff were wonderful. One of my mussels wasn't cleaned as well as it could have been but otherwise a perfect meal!

Boardwalk Donut Shop

3 out of 5

This was adorable but the donuts were a little stale.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
There were a ton of things to-do onboard! I didn't always partake as there was almost always a line or a wait.

Swimming Pools

3 out of 5

I wish the swimming pools were open later! During the day the pools get very crowded (as to be expected) so I usually like to swim later in the afternoon/ evening. The pools were frequently closed before 8:00pm and I would have enjoyed a few more dips under the stars.

Picture This

1 out of 5

Our photography experience was awful! My mom and I got dressed up for formal night (partially with the intention of taking photos) and after waiting in line for more than 15 mins the photographer took awful pictures!! She had us stand in romantic poses and suggested very awkward postures. We felt very uncomfortable and at one point had to tell her the pose wasn't appropriate. We had planned to buy the photo package as a souvenir on-board and were appalled when we saw the end result. We looked humongous and uncomfortable. She asked me to adjust my dress and the end result was almost obscene. I was very disappointed by the experience and end result. I'm glad we were able to get a few nice pictures on our cell phones. It could not have been a worse experience!

Parkside Gallery

4 out of 5

Parkside Gallery was fine.

Smile

1 out of 5

I really hated the photography experience.

Guest Services and Explorations!

4 out of 5

Guest Services was amazing! They were always helpful and knowledgeable. They had a great team! The gentleman who helped us book our excursion (I believe at Explorations) wasn't very pleasant and I would have preferred to book something on a computer.

Center Ice Rink

5 out of 5

How cool is an ice rink on a cruise ship!! I don't skate but the families and kids that were skating had a blast!

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Library

2 out of 5

This wasn't so much of a library as a room filled with books passengers left behind. I recommend bringing your own reading material.

Blaze Comedy Club

4 out of 5

The comedians were funny though we didn't stay for the entire show.

Central Park

5 out of 5

This was my favorite neighborhood on the ship!! Beautiful space with a wine bar and places to get coffee. We frequently had lunch here.

Aqua Theater

5 out of 5

Oceanaria was amazing!! I'm so glad we got to see it on the first night. Highly recommend booking the free tickets before your cruise!

Service and Staff

3 out of 5
Our stateroom attendant, waiter in the main dining room, and specialty restaurant dining staff were all amazing!! There were a few people who weren't as friendly as we expected and a couple of people that were downright rude. Overall we had a pleasant experience but there were a few staff members who made the experience less than perfect.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The boat was extremely clean!! I was incredibly impressed at how the staff maintained the ship with 6000 people onboard.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

Explore the boat! There were lots of beautiful places and spaces on-board to check out!

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

5 out of 5
We explored Hollywood beach on our last day in Fort Lauderdale and it was a really nice beach. A lot less chaotic than some other beaches in Florida. You can rent chairs and umbrellas and explore the Broadwalk. It was a wonderful way to end our vacation.

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5
Absolutely gorgeous!!! We booked an excursion through a third party, got a great deal and went to Balmoral Island. It was breath taking! I didn't want to leave. The beach wasn't crowded, the locals were so friendly and polite, the drinks were strong and the beach was so clean! I wish I could go back right now!

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

3 out of 5
We booked an excursion through a 3rd party and had a great time on our tour. We shopped and then went for a tour and ended at the beach. The driver was nice and the island is beautiful! My only issue with this port was that the locals weren't a pleasant to interact with. We went to Meagans Bay and there weren't any chairs or umbrellas left to rent which we weren't really prepared for. The women at the restaurant and gift shop were quite rude. This wasn't my favorite beach of the trip but it was still quite beautiful. Maybe going earlier in the day when there are fewer people would have been a more pleasant experience.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

5 out of 5
I LOVE St. Maarten! We booked a day at the beach excursion. Though I appreciate the security an arranged excursion offers, I highly recommend just getting a water taxi pass and heading over to the beach yourself (its $14 round trip). Once at the beach most bars or hotels offer 2 beach chairs with umbrellas and drinks for $20-$25. The excursion we booked through Royal Caribbean was $37 per person so not a complete waste but we ended up leaving the group b/c we wanted nicer chairs on the waters edge. It was absolutely worth it!

Disembarkation

3 out of 5
Was this review helpful? 53

1 Comment

MarineVet71    6 years ago

Glad you enjoyed yourself

Other reviews of this sailing