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Item: Allure of the Seas
Rating: 4.8
Author: Baysailorgirl

Allure of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Baysailorgirl

Contributor Level: Second Mate

27 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 9

Helpful Votes: 211

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 24, 2019

Ship: Allure of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 9596

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

My first cruise aboard a really big ship. Allure is beautiful! Very clean and though huge, fairly easy to navigate. Even though this ship had over 6,000 passengers, it never felt crowded. There is so much to do and three days at sea were never boring. Traveling with my 14 year old granddaughter was a delight as she found plenty to do in the Teen Club. Food was good and service very good.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Terminal A: beautiful, easy to navigate, helpful staff, quick embarkation.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

We were changed to Anytime Dining (originally had 8:00 dining) which means the only Main Dining option is the American Icon Grill (deck 3). The Grill is huge and beautiful. Food good and our waiter, Rommel, was excellent. Thankfully we were able to get a table for two at a window...fantastic! Room service is lacking...full breakfast took an hour+ to be delivered (there is a $7.95 fee for hot food) and the Continental Breakfasts (3) was never complete. Staff was apologetic and returned with the completed order but it was still a nuisance.

Cafe Promenade

5 out of 5

With all of the dining options, the Cafe is sometimes overlooked. Although there aren't a lot of options, the sandwiches and deserts are really good It's fun to sit and people watch while have a relaxing snack.

Wipe Out Cafe

5 out of 5

Frozen yogurt...yay!

Windjammer Cafe

5 out of 5

Very popular so there are usually lines. But, they move quickly. Many, many food options and the food is good.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

My granddaughter enjoyed the pool and hot tub.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Phenomenal! We saw Mama Mia and Blue Planet...both Broadway worthy performances and the Aqua Theatre production. Make sure you make reservations when you book your cruise and get there early.

Aqua Theater

5 out of 5

Fun and very entertaining. Make reservations and get there early.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Every staff person we encountered was welcoming, professional and helpful. Our room steward, Darwin, was wonderful, caring and courteous. Our waiter, Rommel, in the American Icon Grill, was a joy. He remembered every person in his area by name. He was attentive, remembering your food preferences (the way you liked your steak, etc.).

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Amazing that this very large ship is so immaculate. Every venue was beautiful: clean carpets, not a spec of trash anywhere, furniture clean and comfortable, spotless public restrooms.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

This is an Ocean View with Large Balcony cabin. Loved our cabin...although it's not as large as cabins on other cruise lines, it was comfortable. Our cabin steward, Darwin, was wonderful...attentive and caring.

Ship tip

1) If you have Anytime Dining (American Icon Grill), be sure to make your reservations immediately. The lines can be long but they move quickly. 2) When ordering the continental breakfast mark each selection with the number of person, i.e., orange juice-2, yogurt-2, etc.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

5 out of 5

We always enjoy sailing from Miami. Although we did not do any tours on this trip, we have on other cruises. The city and boat tours were fun, interesting and entertaining.

Thumbs Up 3

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

5 out of 5

Beautiful beaches, lots to see and do. The independent tour included both the Dutch and French sides of the island with a chance to have a Caribbean lunch. The tour meeting area was a challenge as it's located away from the other tour and taxi pick-up locations. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time by disembarking at least 30-45 minuets before your tour.

Thumbs Up 5

San Juan, Puerto Rico

4 out of 5

Always love visiting San Juan. We chose a ship tour (San Juan Cultural Tour). The cruise line made it easy to find your group with just a short walk from the ship to shore. Although we thoroughly enjoy our tour destinations and our guide, unfortunately, the air-conditioning on the bus stopped working half way through the tour.

Thumbs Up 6

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

5 out of 5

An absolutely beautiful island. The cruise line tour was (Labadee Traditions) great. It included a boat ride to Norm's Place Guest House with cultural information and performances.

Thumbs Up 3

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Disembarkation was quick and easy. We disembarked late and even then there were lines in the terminal. If you're using a pick-up app, I suggest hiring a porter to help with bags and navigation to the pick-up area.

Traveler Photos

Beautiful, clean beaches and lots to do on the island. Loved the tram to move people around the beach area.

Maho Beach...amazing to see these planes land right over you. The beach is crowed but fun!

2 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 5 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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JohnsonL 5 years ago

Glad you had a very nice mega ship experience with your granddaughter! I really appreciate your tips and photographs along with the details. As far as getting switched to anytime dining, we had the same experience on Allure, even though we were confirmed for traditional dining. On embarkation afternoon, once we saw the switch, we went to the maitre d' and got back to our original confirmation. Note: we had all our paperwork and showed that we were confirmed, pre cruise, for traditional early dining. We ended up getting our table for two near a window. That's why we always take a hard copy of our documents just so we have something to point to when there's any dispute or misunderstanding. I also like your tip on using a porter on disembarkation day. That's one of my main tips, pay the Porter and you move quickly. Even if you don't have a lot of luggage it's worth the cost of a couple of drinks to make your day go much smoother.

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