Spring break on the Allure...a photo review

Sigh. Here I am, just a few hours off the Allure of the Seas, stuffed into the center plane seat between two sleeping teenagers, with a 5-year old sitting behind me kicking the back of my seat every eleven seconds (in between his bouts of nasty, wet, hacks coughing which makes me concerned for everyone on the plane). My husband is across the aisle - somehow he managed to ditch sitting with the kids AND scored the Bose noise-cancelling headphones for this flight..grrrr. I figure rather than try and sleep myself (never will happen), instead I'll start a review of our spring break on the Allure.

Bear in mind that I will not have the wonderful photos of Gambee, or the rich detail of CheapoDad, or the wry commentary of SailorJack. I also don't take pictures of my food, every sign I walk by, OR the faucet handles in the ladies bathroom on the port side of the 8th floor, although I appreciate the folks who do. But I WILL do my best and try to share some photos and stuff that I thought was interesting, and my observations of the week...in my own weird way. So you can look forward to my covering at the very least the following topics:

- Spanish women, and how they dress so much better than we do :hearteyes:

- Surviving spring break with 1,900 kids on board (of which only 2 are yours) and how well those kids behave until approximately day five, when the parents give up and allow the over-sugared screaming little tyrants to run loose throughout the ship :eek:

- Thwarting chair hogs in the Solarium on sea days (yes, I did it, and you can, too!) :evilsmile:

- Vomit in the MDR and the RCCL hazmat team (now THAT made me whip out my camera) :confused:

...and other random thoughts as they come to me.

BOOKING AND PLANNING

We booked this trip about 15 months out, because I am super picky about cabins, and we specifically wanted an Oceanview balcony with the kids across the hall in a Boardwalk balcony (and not just any Boardwalk balcony, but one of the ones waaaay in the back so you can also see the ocean.) On our last cruise, we all four shared a room (one of those big aft corner cabins on Freedom class) but this time, 4 years later, the kids are much bigger, smellier, crankier, and take much longer showers. So: separate cabins it is! Once we decided on the cruise we wanted, I used Cruise Compete (I think it's ok to say that, because it isn't a travel agent- it's a website where you plug in your cruise info and a bunch of different travel agencies email you their best offer. By doing it this way we scored OBC of $400 on the kids cabins and $425 on ours while paying the same price listed on the RCCL website. Cruise booked...then we waited and waited.

The only things I pre-booked through the cruise planner was all of the entertainment (seriously, you have to, trust me on this) and the Internet package for 2 devices. Obviously, both of our teenagers need to stay connected to the Internet while away; you know, in case there is some sort of limited edition mascara release at Sephora while we're gone, or a flash sale at Game Stop online. Go ahead and comment on how important you think it is for kids to disconnect and families to re-engage. I admit it...I'm a bad mother and let them get the Internet...but at least they weren't like some of the other kids bouncing a soccer ball in one of the lounges or LAYING ON THE FLOOR AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS BLOCKING PEOPLE FROM WALKING UP (yes, that happened, and yes, I will discipline other people's kids because I am that mean). But more on that later, guys!

So...this time we decided to fly to Fort Lauderdale two days early, on a Friday afternoon. You know, so we could relax and unwind a little before relaxing and unwinding on the ship. But we make plans and the airlines laugh...storms in Atlanta meant our 4pm flight didn't take off until 8pm. That's okay...we won't arrive at the hotel until midnight, but we'll have a nice comfy room at the Hyatt Place 17th Street. Right? Right? Riiight???

Looking forward to reading more! Hope nobody ends up getting sick.

Following for sure

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What don't leave us hanging

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Great start and looking forward to the rest of the review as we sail next month!!

We had booked Hyatt Place about 8 months ago through Value Trips, as recommended by the fine folks here at Cruise Critic. The rate was $215/night which was pretty darn good, considering it was spring break week and I was having a hard time finding rooms less than $300.

It did occur to me - briefly, fleetingly - to call Hyatt Place and tell them that we were getting in late...but then I thought, nah, I confirmed it two weeks ago, I have the confirmation email printed out, what could go wrong? Well, lots.

First off, we had to wait about 40 minutes at the FLL airport for the shuttle to the rental car area. There was a huge long line, and we were exhausted, and I wanted to skip the rental car and just jump on the Hyatt Place shuttle bus (which was sitting right there), but my husband in all his wisdom insisted we be patient and get the rental car. Good thing, because when we arrived at Hyatt Place there was no room for us.

That's right- I showed the lady my confirmation and she whispered to the guy next to her, and he whispered back, and she clicked around on her computer, and said she didn't have a reservation for us. Okay, clearly a mistake. Here is my confirmation. She said, "That reservation was cancelled." What the what?! She went on to explain that they had cancelled our reservation 3 days earlier because my credit card declined. (Ohhhh...yeah...my credit card was hacked the week before and the bank issued me a new one. Do you remember which credit card you use to make each reservation? If you do, you are a better person than me!)

So....why didn't someone call me when it declined? She said, "We had no way to get in touch with you." I leaned over the counter (they have the monitors built in under the counters there, so they look down through the glass) and I clearly see the info screen which shows not just my name, address, email, but also our THREE PHONE NUMBERS and I say to the woman, "Seriously?!" I will say that the staff there was not that apologetic. Yep, the credit card thing was totally my fault, but this is what got me: she said, "Well this was a THIRD PARTY BOOKING," as if people who book that way are a bunch of degenerates. A simple apology would have gone a long way. Not impressed Hyatt Place 17th Street, not impressed.

So like Mary and Joseph, there was no room at the inn (the place?) for us. (No, really, we are JUST LIKE Mary and Joseph and our son is positively angelic, trust me). Despite our being degenerate third party bookers, the desk staff called over to the Residence Inn near the airport to see if they had room for us, and we had to hop in the rental car and drive back that way (thank goodness for the rental car). Luckily the Residence Inn had a room open - with one king bed. But beggars can't be choosers so I broke the news to the kids that they would be on the sofa and floor while dad and I enjoyed a delightful night's rest in a big comfy bed.

Honestly though I was bummed, because the Residence Inn is NOT near the 17th street corridor where we like to stay, and it meant we were driving all over in the rental car instead of just walking. In the end, we had the option to spend the 2nd night at the Hyatt Place where a room opened up, but we decided not to move again, because it just seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

I did hop on the Cruise Critic Florida departures board to post a little cautionary tale about confirming reservations, and the fine folks over there ripped me a new one, like only Cruise Critic members can. Yes, yes, I know, the credit card thing was my fault- I admit it! But really, no sympathy over the mean treatment and snotty desk clerk? Not even for Hyatt cardholders? Not even when nobody bothered to even try and reach us? Nope- you want sympathy, call your mama, cause the folks on the CC boards are NOT HAVING IT. You know how it is. Le sigh.

So clearly, not the best start to our vacation- but my husband feels like the more stressed you are getting there, the more relaxing the vacation will feel. (Yeah, I know. He's weird.)

The saga will continue tomorrow, friends...when we hit the Everglades!

Feeling your pain, and hoping that everything is better from here on

Totally sucks about the Hyatt. I had looked at booking them for upcoming cruise but I think we will stay put. Looking forward to the rest of your review. [emoji846]

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I agree with you on the Hyatt. They should have called. We have a credit card compromised twice a year. They were overbooked anyway and just did not bother. Shame on them!

We cruised last month and called our hotel to tell them we would be checking in late, the day of check in. We were told no problem. When we checked in, we were told we are full at first. Then they pulled up our name and said "OH it is good you called earlier since we did save your room." WOW, I was shocked. If we had not called to tell them of our delay, they would have given our confirmed and prepaid room away. I will be calling day of check in from now on.

So for some reason, my only photo of the hotel (I told you I was bad at photos, you guys) is of this little guy sitting outside our window.

Those of you who remember our Celebrity Silhouette review will recall how grossed out I am by reptiles. In Grand Cayman they are such a nuisance it's legal to kill them. I could never live there...give me NYC and chihuahua sized rats any day of the week over these nasty things!) I proposed a new shore excursion for GC, Deluxe Lizard Shoot and Beach Break...for some reason it's still not being offered by the cruise line.

Anyway, the Residence Inn turned out to be a very nice place to stay. Their breakfast was really good- and free. Room rate was $299. Figure about a ten to fifteen minute drive if you want to go into the main Fort Lauderdale/17th Street area.

I agree with you on the Hyatt. They should have called. We have a credit card compromised twice a year. They were overbooked anyway and just did not bother. Shame on them!

That's how I felt...don't act like you couldn't reach me, when in reality you were able to resell my room for probably double what I paid for it.

Over on the Florida departures board, I was scolded for not knowing it was the weekend of the "Tortuga Music Festival" which was likely the reason for all the hotels being oversold. Um, sorry Fort Lauderdale residents...that is not really a world-renowned event that would be on the radar of most folks from (ahem) larger cities. :rolleyes:

And really, how many people research OTHER events going on in town when they're planning their vacation? I was too busy researching the events I was actually going to be participating in! Okay...rant over. Seriously: love and shout outs to the Florida departure board people. You guys are helpful and awesome 99% of the time. :*

Residence Inn Dania Beach - photo creds to Marriott's website

Yes, I made my kids sleep on that sofa.

The bathrooms were really nice...ahh, great water pressure...

And they had those backlit mirrors that will seriously make you look like JLo while you're standing in front of them. (Then you go outside and catch a glimpse of your usual haggy 44-year old self and you try to convince your husband to install a backlit mirror in your own home).

Okay. So it's Saturday morning, we got a good night's sleep, and we're headed off to explore the Everglades on an airboat tour booked through Everglades Holiday Park. This place is about a half hour away from the airport. You can either rent a car or pay for their pickup/drop off service which was $60 per person. The actual tickets to do the tour are $30.

There is no need to book in advance (although you can) as they have airboats leaving every 15 minutes or so. If you are getting some sort of discount (we are military - HOOAH - go Army!) and they give you 50% off but it can't be booked ahead of time.

So a quick ride there and despite it being Saturday of spring break week, it was pretty quiet there. Within ten minutes we were on the airboat starting our ride. And guess what? This time I have pictures!!!

See the other airboat across the way?

We saw some good wildlife...lots of cool birds including this Great Blue Heron...

So, for those who are wondering, these airboats are covered and pretty easy to get into/out of. However, when you're going full speed, they are LOUD. They do not give out ear protection. I should have brought my earplugs (because sometimes I am more 80ish than 40ish). If you have little kids, you definitely should bring earplugs for them to protect their hearing.

They do not promise you alligators on your tour, but they do their best to find them. Whenever our boat driver saw something, he would spin the boat around so everyone could see it. Thoughtful! Of course he had the usual pun-filled cheesy tour guide script...but it was enjoyable overall. I figure we were on the boat for about an hour- which was plenty of time.

And then we saw...two gators!

Honestly, it was cool to see them- but they were just laying there. (They could've been fiberglass a la Disney's Jungle Cruise for all we knew.)

After the airboat tour, they have a short (15-20 minute) exhibition/show. There are about 7 or 8 rescued alligators in a big sand/water pit, and this guy (apparently he is famous from some TV show called Gator Boys? I don't know...I'm too busy catching up on The Walking Dead...no spoilers, people!) Anyway, this guy is a nuisance alligator trapper and works for the state of Florida and rescues alligators rather than selling them off to be killed and used for their hides.

A very noble cause. Although I do love a good alligator trim on a purse. Louis Vuitton makes one that is dreamy and costs more than my entire cruise did...but I digress.

Alligator rescue guy doing the whole alligator thing:

Thanks for the review. We are daring March break 2019 on Symphony and do worry about the long lineups on the slides, Flowrider, Ziplie etc because of that week. But we don't want to take our kids our of school anymore.

Looking forward to reading more. We were on Allure last April and loved it. Such an amazing fun ship!

Am sorry for your Hyatt issues (and shame on the CC members that were so rude to you. It angers me when people post so harshly back when someone just posts a question or warning to others). Hyatt was totally in the wrong...I mean, your card was compromised and you had multiple contact numbers. Shame on Hyatt. But glad it worked out for you at Residence Inn and Dania beach must be a nice area.

Looking forward to hearing more.

Thanks for the review. We are daring March break 2019 on Symphony and do worry about the long lineups on the slides, Flowrider, Ziplie etc because of that week. But we don't want to take our kids our of school anymore.

 

Looking forward to reading more. We were on Allure last April and loved it. Such an amazing fun ship!

 

Am sorry for your Hyatt issues (and shame on the CC members that were so rude to you. It angers me when people post so harshly back when someone just posts a question or warning to others). Hyatt was totally in the wrong...I mean, your card was compromised and you had multiple contact numbers. Shame on Hyatt. But glad it worked out for you at Residence Inn and Dania beach must be a nice area.

 

Looking forward to hearing more.

Honestly I was surprised at how well the crowds dispersed- although we didn't attempt flowrider, or zip line, or stuff like that. Our kids are in HS now and taking them out is out of the question. They don't even want to leave an AP class to go to the bathroom lest they miss a month's worth of work. It's crazy.

Okay...so we finished up at the Everglades and headed back to Fort Lauderdale for lunch. I had read a ton about Gilbert's on these boards and wanted to try it out.

It's located right behind the Embassy Suites in this big strip mall. Sorry I can't remember the name of it, but you'll find it easily enough.

We walked in and were greeted by the owner, Lenore. She's a transplant from Brooklyn and spent about ten minutes telling us all about the restaurant and how everything is made from scratch. They are known for their burgers because they only use really high quality meat, etc etc. Lenore was an absolute hoot and basically told us what to order. Then we sat down to wait...you order at the counter, pay, and they deliver it to your table. They have waitstaff, who were fantastic.

And the food? Well, it was FANTASTIC. The burgers were great, my vegan daughter ordered tomato basil soup and salad which was excellent...a really good meal and reasonably priced. Stop by and see Lenore next time you're in Fort Lauderdale!

 

Alligator rescue guy doing the whole alligator thing:

I did this tour in 2009 and 2013 and enjoyed it both times. On the 2nd time they added this show to the end. I'm probably the only one cheering for the alligator.

After lunch we went to Fort Lauderdale Comics because- well, teenage boy. He needed reading material for the cruise and God forbid the kid actually read a book, you know?!

For those of you out there who are comic lovers (hi, you two), this was a nice store, good selection, right on that main A1A drag.

Lunch...check!

Comic books...check!

Now let's check out the beach...

...so picture a HUGE stage set up right on the beach, and about 20,000 18- to 20- year olds, most wearing bikinis and carrying red Solo cups, clogging up the roads. Traffic was at a near standstill but it was fascinating people watching.

{Side bar: for you parents of daughters out there...NEVER allow them to go to the Tortuga Music Festival...or at the very least, send them with a chaperone and a swimsuit cover up!}

It took us about an hour to go maybe 3 or 4 miles up the beach road, and forget stopping to park anywhere. There were just Young. People. Everywhere! And one of these little drunken bozos had spent the night in MY hotel room.

The rest of the day consisted of: Barnes & Noble stop (we can never seem to have enough reading material)/dinner/hotel downtime/packing for the CRUISE the next day!

I sort of feel like I'm talking to myself in this review. Is anyone out there? Should I keep going?

I did this tour in 2009 and 2013 and enjoyed it both times. On the 2nd time they added this show to the end. I'm probably the only one cheering for the alligator.

Riiight? Me, too. I wanted to see that guy have to hop the wall, maybe lose a toe or two.

Yes, please continue. Very much enjoying your review and sense of humor!

The rest of the day consisted of: Barnes & Noble stop (we can never seem to have enough reading material)/dinner/hotel downtime/packing for the CRUISE the next day!

 

I sort of feel like I'm talking to myself in this review. Is anyone out there? Should I keep going?

I'm here, wanting vindication on why we avoid spring break and holiday cruises.

I'm here, wanting vindication on why we avoid spring break and holiday cruises.

Oh, you'll get it, my friend.

The rest of the day consisted of: Barnes & Noble stop (we can never seem to have enough reading material)/dinner/hotel downtime/packing for the CRUISE the next day!

 

I sort of feel like I'm talking to myself in this review. Is anyone out there? Should I keep going?

Enjoying the read! Please continue.

Harvey