First Oasis Class Cruise!

Item: Allure of the Seas
Rating: 4.6
Author: AhoyitsMabel

Allure of the Seas Cruise Review

AhoyitsMabel

Contributor Level: Second Mate

14 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 7

Helpful Votes: 82

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 23, 2022

Ship: Allure of the Seas

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 3252

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Different cruising experience but relaxing overall.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

My only complaint of RCI’s new terminal would be the confusion of arriving at the kiosks to get checked in. Although there were columns saying “MOBILE CHECK-IN”, it was not clear what line to get in to do so. There were several desks with attendants but there were also lines to check in with attendants just holding tablets. Upon that arrival, it was unclear who to check in with, especially with so many people crowding all the lines. There needs to be some additional signage. Going through the new terminal and into the ship was easy and smooth.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Overall, food on the ship was great. The MDR is your best option for dinner. Do not go to Windjammer for dinner unless you’re arriving the hour they open. Specialty dining locations were above and beyond from the average menu on MDR and other complimentary spaces. Do not arrive to MDR at 5:00 if you’ve got no reservation. They will sit you at 5:45 instead so save yourself the trouble from arriving too early. The servers really cared about my preferences and how I was feeling, often making sure I was ok and enjoying my experience.

Schooner Bar

3 out of 5

I have only sailed on Grandeur and Enchantment of the Seas prior to this sailing but I’m really disappointed with their approach to Schooner Bar on this ship. The space is rather small, dark and has no view to the ocean. I wish they had approached this bar better. It’s better enjoyable on other ships, I assume. Still a comfortable place to sit down and listen to music or people watch folks on Promenade.

El Loco Fresh℠

4 out of 5

This is also known as Wipeout Cafe/Loco Fresh combined. The quesadillas were amazing and always had me going back for more. They had an ice cream station here conveniently placed. It does take a while to get food here because it’s a small space and people are inconsiderate since it’s a grab-and-go/buffet style venue.

Park Cafe

5 out of 5

My friend really enjoyed their salad. Their pastries are really good, along with all of their sandwich selections. Really good breakfast spot if you want to change things up and get a low calorie breakfast. I met an Italian cruiser on this sailing that really cared about his cappuccinos and he said Park Cafe was the best spot to get it from all the other coffee locations around the ship.

150 Central Park

5 out of 5

The food here was amazing for dinner. Their garlic bread is out of this world and the duck dish was amazing. They had phenomenal service and the space was beautifully decorated.

Johnny Rockets

5 out of 5

This was my spot to go for breakfast every morning. The servers were extremely kind and always checking to make sure my breakfast experience was amazing. There are no hash browns, but they have fried potatoes. They always encouraged to get extra food. It’s complimentary and free. Come eat here early at 8:30. It’s less crowded. I did not eat here for lunch or dinner. I bet their burgers are amazing.

Sorrento's

5 out of 5

Amazing pizza and if you’re in the same cabin as myself on deck 3, this was a quick spot to grab water.

Windjammer Cafe

2 out of 5

The food here was tolerable at most for breakfast. This was not my place to go for lunch or dinner. Absolutely disappointing and left me wanting to get food elsewhere. The space itself is not bad at all. Plenty of seating locations. Food at night needs to be improved.

Giovanni's Table

5 out of 5

Went here for lunch and it was great. I got to enjoy a higher end lunch than normal and it was great for $25pp. Their tiramisu is way better than Main Dining’s tiramisu. Definitely get their charcuterie board alongside another starter. The board serves two people.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Reserve Oceanaria early and reserve at least more than one viewing. They have to cancel these sometimes to weather, high winds, or even members being sick. This show was phenomenal and reminded me of Cirque du Soleil shows. It’s that good! The entertainment overall was amazing and the musicians were very passionate and dedicated.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

The ship clearly needs to be placed into dry-dock. Lot of little areas could use some touch ups. Unfortunately, due to the Texas freeze the day of boarding killed the plants in Central Park. Overall, the ship was still phenomenal, beautiful, and awesome.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Cabin was very spacious and comfortable. I spent a lot of time in my room due to the weather on this cruise. Laying out the beds into twins does it make it a little tight to get past the bed to the vanity/window but nothing impossible. I do not enjoy the bathroom door having an open slit at the top. I assume it has to do with ventilation but it sucks for anybody who needs a bit of privacy. I believe every bathroom door is like this in every cabin. At least the bigger shower and the extra space in there overrides that experience.