Had a great time aboard the Allure! Lots of activities, entertainment, and things to do. Food was perfectly prepared and wait staff and attendants were friendly & professional. Some guests demonstrated inappropriate behaviors (likely due to too much alcohol consumption) but overall for the thousands of people onboard, most were at least considerate of others.
Quite a few nicer venues and upscaled services were at a cost, but lots of other offerings were free of charge. Many of the entertainment venues are small and provided limited seating...my advice is to arrive early to access the best seats (or a seat)!
Ice-cream machines are few and always crowded. A very popular flavor such as vanilla was limited and not avail at all machines. If you are looking for a light midnight snack such as ice-cream or frozen yogurt you're out of luck as the machines close at 6:00pm!..bummer!
Sea days are crowded and pools are filled to capacity! Perhaps more shows/entertainment can be added to help offset the overflow of guests in some of the more popular areas such as the deck lounges, pools, & activity events.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Our family arrived EARLY to the terminal. Lots of volume, but lines moved fairly quickly. Several of our group members required wheelchair asst, but had no problem as they were given priority treatment.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Main dining experience was EXCELLENT! Our server (Rosary, from India) was very attentive, polite, professional, and friendly. Buffets (ie: Windjammer) were at times very crowded, but dining associates helped to accommodate the guests waiting in lines as well as offer alternative venues (ie: Solarium). The food was plentiful and the buffet offered a variety of cultural food experiences. Fresh fruits & desserts were available as wonderful course offering at each buffet setup in the Windjammer Marketplace. No opportunity however to have egg omelets made to personal specification. Also ice-cream/frozen yogurt machines are few and not available after 6:00pm! Need to add more vanilla ice-cream/frozen yogurt machines.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Lots of activities available on the ship! Something for everyone. Zip lining was a highlight and fun feature we enjoyed aboard the Allure!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Our family's favorite was the Headliner Show, The Mo5aic a cappella musical group, followed by the Ice Show which was very entertaining and fun! Comedy show was just ok. A bit more profane language than necessary. Regarding, Momma Mia- the men in our group were not overly excited about the show. Blue Planet was quite different.. and the Aqua show was interesting to watch the acrobats perform. A few of the venues were way too SMALL for the number of attendees. For example the Battle of the Sexes was held at Dazzles. The showdown between adult males and females was a boatload of fun, BUT many people were standing up alongside the aisles, staircases, and in front the bar areas which made viewing difficult for others who were seated in the front and in the rear of the room to hear & see all the action /activity. The room was hot and uncomfortable during the segment.
The On Air venue that hosted the karaoke & sing along activities were also WAY TOO SMALL for the number of people who attended. Many time seats were already filled by guests who simply hung out and did not leave after sets. On Air provided very limited or NO seating available for newcomers or those who simply dropped by to check things out! Also, popcorn that was available during the theatre shows was at a cost.. REALLY??!! Royal Caribbean couldn't just GIVE their guests popcorn? How cheap!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our stateroom and dining staff were terrific! NO Complaints!
Mark (from the Philippines) and Rosary (from India) were very polite, friendly, and always had a smile and niceties to share.
RE: Photography Services: Cost of the photographs limited the number of prints we could purchase. At $19.99 (for one print), I found this item to be quite expensive! and the kiosk where the cruise photos could be viewed was not very user friendly.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
A suggestion for RC to consider is the elevator situation for those with special needs. There should be DESIGNATED elevators for those with wheelchairs and scooters ONLY! At times it was impossible for my family members to catch an elevator due to the number of occupants who were already on, or waiting to get on, at each deck. For example breakfast / diner times were almost impossible to find an elevator that afforded enough room to accommodate guests (already on, or waiting to get on) with a wheelchair and/or motorized scooter. Perhaps RC should consider slightly larger elevators - one at each floor to accommodate those using wheelchairs/scooters in efforts to navigate the various decks.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin was a reasonable size as my husband and I did not spend much time in the stateroom.
Each day the room was tidied and fresh linen was provided at least twice/ day or per our request.
The disembarkation experience was not terrible, but not the greatest either. Not sure what to do to streamline the process. Family members were seperated and dismissed frome the ship at various times due to the different station numbers assigned to baggage claims. Lines were long and hot! After moving through customs (which was a fairly quick process) it was mayhem outside the port area as hundreds of people gathered in a single place to hail transporation and to complete with incoming guests trying to make their way into the terminal. The experience is liken to cattle prodding
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