Allure of the Seas transatlantic from Rome, October 22 to November 6, 2015

I’ll establish a thread now although it will be pretty much dormant for a couple of weeks. I leave home tomorrow and board Queen Mary 2 on Sunday. Arriving in Southampton October 18 I have 4 days in Rome before boarding Allure of the Seas. It is technically a B2B composed of a mini-cruise Rome-Naples-Barcelona and then 12 days Barcelona-Malaga-FTL. Once on board I will normally post once a day, and will respond to questions but answers will likely require a bit of patience.

My normal cruise line of choice is Crystal and Allure is something of a stretch for me. Another Crystal regular sailed the Oasis TA last year and the result was something of a disaster (you can search titles for “eyes” to see that thread). Several things will be different this time:

1. The other poster was an RCI newbie. It’s not my cruise line of choice but I have a pretty good idea what to expect. I sail RCI mostly in a niche role as my preferred Baltimore based cruise line but I have strayed from that role before. It will be my first time on the big ships, I’ve only been on Sovereign, Vision, and Radiance class ships. My last RCI cruise was a March B2B on Grandeur and I left the ship Diamond (love those double points for solos).

2. My understanding is that Oasis/Allure are warm weather ships. I think leaving from Rome/Barcelona will be better than leaving from Rotterdam/Southampton.

3. Allure has had plenty of opportunity to work out any post drydock bugs by now.

4. Disembarkation last year was a disaster. I think RCI has disembarkation from a short closed loop cruise down to a science but that doesn’t seem like the case for a cruise that starts in a foreign land. I doubt that they learned much from the last disembarkation but I hope I have. I’m staying in Miami overnight and have booked a Royal disembarkation tour. I hope that will mean I’m left less on my own.

We have a great roll call and I’m expecting a wonderful cruise. I won’t sweep problems under the rug but will focus on the positive.

One little question. My normal practice here would be to start posting when I get to Rome (with Choice Air). This forum seems to try to keep things very Royal specific. Should I wait until I board to start posting here or start when I get to Rome.

Most of my pictures (along with menus and compasses) will be posted to my companion blog:

http://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com

Until I get to Rome I am also posting to 2 Cruise Critic threads:

Cunard (until 11/18)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2267436

Maryland cruisers (the entire trip)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2267306

Roy

Have a fantastic cruise, and thanks for sharing your experience.

We always try to arrive a couple days before our cruise departs, so we would enjoy reading about your pre-cruise experience in Rome.

I will look forward to your report on Allure. Having been on Oasis TA last fall, I'm hoping you are right about warmer weather from Barcelona, and also that our route stays south of the Azores, as we also had to alter our course last fall, due to the remnants of a tropical storm that moved to sea.

Also, praying for a better experience disembarking in Fort Laudedale.

Here's to a great group of cruisers, and a wonderful sailing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Subscribing. A TA and a B2B are both on my bucket lists. I will live vicariously through your experiences!

Subscribing. A TA and a B2B are both on my bucket lists. I will live vicariously through your experiences!

They were on mine until I retired last year! This is my second.

Roy, looking forward to your review!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi, I join Allure in Barcelona on Oct 18th for a seven day cruise. Previously sailed on QM2 Queen's Q5 Cabin. Love to hear your views on both. I will subscribe to this post and suggest you use periscope for one or two times. Please keep in touch . Ed Larkin

Subscribing as I will also be on this TA!

What is a royal disembarkation tour?

What is a royal disembarkation tour?

Thanks, all. EDL, I don't think my phone supports periscope. dbali, in Fort Lauderdale I have booked a tour with Royal which leaves the ship, tours the area, and drops me and my luggage at Miami airport, near my hotel for the night. I booked it quite a long time ago but I think I remember that we tour some city sights and also a boat trip on Ft. Lauderdale's canal system. I'm hoping that still being a customer after leaving the ship I'll be a little less on my own for disembarkation.

Roy

Roy,

I hope you have a fantastic cruise, especially since we will also be on the same sailing! Enjoy!

Roy,

 

I hope you have a fantastic cruise, especially since we will also be on the same sailing! Enjoy!

12, 15, or 19 days. In any case, have a pleasant trip to the cruise.

Roy

Have a wonderful cruise! Doing a TA is on my bucket list so I will be keeping a close eye on this thread!

Thank you in advance for keeping us updated while on board as well. I always am grateful to posters here who choose to report on their sailings whilst still on board. Such a selfless thing to do and I thank you :)

Thank you Rodenboy

My day was a combination of Cunard and Royal Caribbean Services. I had booked a Cunard transfer to Heathrow, and was told to wait in Royal Court Theater for a call off about 8:20. The call actually came at 8:25, and a long line of people waiting to disembark moved quickly and I reached the terminal, picked up a trolley and my luggage with no difficulty and was at the coach about 8:45.

The driver indicated the trip was about 90 minutes and Sunday morning was a good time to take it, and we left promptly at 9 as advertised. The drive was easy and we were dropped off in front of terminal 5 at 10:15. There were ample luggage trolleys at the bus stop.

My flight was on Royal Caribbean’s Choice Air, a BA nonstop to Rome leaving at 3:40. There was time to kill as the bag drop for flight 554 did not open until 12:40. In the past I have never had a cell phone that worked outside North America, but I recently purchased an unlocked phone and my first stop was WH Smith where I got a SIM card and some phone minutes. I had a phone but a great deal of difficulty getting it to work (I think I learned Monday morning that the trick is that a + before the number is mandatory). The next hour or 2 was spent reading (a book on Sir Francis Drake on the reading list for my Crystal Antarctica voyage), and then time to check my bag. It was just under the 50 pound limit.

Security went reasonably well (spreading out my laptops, IPAD, and American and travel cell phones was a pain but then things went flawlessly), and I was soon in the terminal area. The actual gate would not be posted for another hour, so time for some more reading. The Cunard forum on Cruise Critic recently had comments about Walkers Crisps and I got some; they were good but I didn’t think special. At 2:50 the gate was posted, it was at the end of the primary part of the terminal.

My A321 plane was probably about 90% full. Legroom seemed minimal but a sandwich and roll were served along with coffee and soda. We landed 15 minutes ahead of schedule but then waited for a gate to become available. We reached the gate precisely at 7:10 and were met (in a slight rain) by a bus to take us to the international arrivals area. There was a long line at passport control but it moved quickly, and then another 10 minutes of so for my bag to arrive.

My driver was waiting at the arrivals hall exit and we were on the road about 7:45 for the 40-minute drive to MyNavona Bed and Breakfast, where I will be until the Allure of the Seas arrives Thursday. I took a walk out for ice cream and pizza but did little else that evening. The area has a lot of narrow winding areas but looks pretty nice.

Today’s parting shot is a tip for Heathrow terminal 5. I normally approach airports with an empty water bottle which I fill after security. Most of the bathrooms in Heathrow do not have water fountains, but the one immediately after passing through security on the upper level of the concourse does have one.

Roy

Roy, looking forward to continuing to follow your travels on this thread.

Bon Voyage!

Keith

Looking forward to the next part of your adventure.

Thank you Keith and snookymom.

I slept late (until about 8:15) and was up just in time for the knock on my door with breakfast. I stayed in my room mostly catching up on some internet matters until about 10. My timing was probably right as when I left the hostess offered me an umbrella, saying it was raining, but when I got to the street the rain had stopped.

My plan for the first day in Rome was the hop on hop off bus. I was midway between 2 stops, each about a half mile away in opposite directions. MyNavona is just off the Piazza Navona, and the Eternal City bears reminders of it’s age with a lot of narrow meandering alleys. I found the map not very precise but did eventually find my way to Piazza Venezia with the Pantheon a major landmark along the way. At Piazza Venezia I decided my best bet was a 3-day ticket which was not a lot more expensive than a one day. I questioned that decision when the time came to board the bus. There was a long line and the first bus that arrived took only 12 people and the second even less. My break came when the guy announced there was 1 seat left and there were no other solos in the line. That seat was lower level back row, directly over the motor and I heard very little of the commentary.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/pantheon.jpg

Our route took us past the B&B and on to the edge of Vatican City. At the stop for the Vatican about half the people on the bus got off and I got a seat on the upper level. The return trip across the North side of Rome was lovely, but the train station was the end point of the loop and the bus would be sitting for a while. I got off and got a bit of lunch. I also got some skim milk at the station to go back to the room. The bus was again crowded and I got only a backward facing seat but eventually moved to the upper level and then to an outer seat. I disembarked at Vatican City and walked back to the B&B crossing the Tiber river on the way. Right next to that stop a Canadian Flag proudly announces their Embassy to the Holy See.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/canada.jpg

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tiber.jpg

I spent a couple hours in the room, going back out for a walk around 4. I stopped at the Pantheon. Somehow I had pictured it as ruins of something ancient, but in fact it is an active Basilica with weekly services. It is obviously very nice inside (sadly, I forgot my camera on that walk).

Dinner was at an outside restaurant on Piazza Navona, followed by a nice gelatto.

Today’s parting shot will be a bit about technology. I generally travel with a small GPS and it has become particularly useful on this trip. My B&B is basically just a door in a block of buildings in a maze of wandering alleys. The GPS sometimes has difficulty in these conditions but still has been the only way I’ve been able to find my back “home”.

Roy

Roy, I've enjoyed your posts to date and will be following your TA. I'm booked on the Allure mini-cruise Nov. 6th-8th, following your cruise, mainly to experience the ship. Easy personal getaway as I live 2 1/2 hours from the port. I'm hoping the TA disembarkation will be fast, so I can be onboard early, although my docs indicate a 3:00 p.m. check in time.

Looking forward to your daily report, menus, and the Compasses.

Enjoy!

Roy, just wishing you a great trip. I have a weird feeling you're actually going to enjoy Allure quite a bit.

Roy, I've enjoyed your posts to date and will be following your TA. I'm booked on the Allure mini-cruise Nov. 6th-8th, following your cruise, mainly to experience the ship. Easy personal getaway as I live 2 1/2 hours from the port. I'm hoping the TA disembarkation will be fast, so I can be onboard early, although my docs indicate a 3:00 p.m. check in time.

 

Looking forward to your daily report, menus, and the Compasses.

 

Enjoy!

Well, we are both hoping for a smooth disembarkation. I've set up the framework for menus and compasses on my blog:

Compasses:

https://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com/programs/allurecompass/

Menus:

https://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com/menus/alluremenu/

Obviously the links there will become active more or less day by day as they become available to me. I will likely not start posting the until the 25th; I think as Diamond I get an hour of free internet and will squeak by with that and then buy the unlimited after Barcelona. Just over a day now until I board, and thank you, sppunk, I'm sure I will enjoy it.

Roy

A little less lazy today. I was up at 6:30, breakfast arrived at 8:15 and out about 9:30. An oddity of MyNavona B&B is that it was built without an elevator and a tiny one was tacked on later. It’s a bit awkward as it was built into an inner courtyard at the midpoint of a stair landing so you have to go to the landing above your floor and walk down. On the way out I also stopped for a photo of the Piazza Navona.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/elevator.jpg

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/navona.jpg

My main plan for the day was the Forum and Coliseum. I am starting to get some bearings and the walk to the Forum was fairly straight forward. I stopped in at the HOHO bus visitor center and was offered a “Skip the Lines” ticket, e16 compared to e12 for a regular ticket. What I actually got was a voucher to be exchanged for an actual ticket. When I got to the ticket counter mentioned there was a long line, but soon I saw a shorter “reservations” line. After about a 10-minute wait I was given a ticket and a 1PM entry time for the Coliseum. I looked quickly at the ticket which mentioned no entry time, but was told it would not be a problem. A school group was taking some time going through security to get into the Forum, but I entered about 10:45. It was a massive place and I saw perhaps half of it before leaving about 12:30.

Some of my highlights were the ruins of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina and the Temple of Romulus (307), with massive bronze doors with original locks that still work.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/antoninus.jpg

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/brassdoor.jpg

After the Arch of Titus steps led to an upper level with ruins of 3000 year old temples (primarily the Magna Mater) and beautiful views of the city in one direction and the Coliseum in another. Other areas included gardens. I left the Forum by the exit nearest the Coliseum about 12:30.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/titus.jpg

There were long lines at the Coliseum. I inquired about my ticket and was directed to an inner lane which was hundreds of yards/meters long parallel to the packed general line, and walked at a normal pace up to the ticket gate. When I put my ticket (without a time stamp) under the scanner. The guard flipped my ticket right side up and the gate opened. Having seen the line I think it was an extra 4 euros well spent.

The Coliseum was begun in 72AD. It has served many uses over the centuries, has had periods of decline and revival, and is largely ruin today. In the early years it was home to day-long events with gladitoral contests, fights with beasts and gambling and other amusement between acts. Often it started with some unarmed condemned victims being left with wild animals to be torn up and devoured. Others with suitable weapons would face combat either with human foes or with animals. It is rumored but not documented that in some period Christians were martyred there.

My tour started with stairs to the upper level, probably a total of 40 steps with 1-foot risers. It was a bit of an arduous climb. The walkway on that level was open for a full circle with many nice vantage points of the facilities below.

The huge oval had a capacity of 50-70 thousand stratified by all levels of society. Sections in the ends and in the middle of the sides were reserved for the elite while various levels served all levels of society. There was (still is) a large stage at one end. In my walk around the upper level I only saw one small section of what looked like original seating. A very upper level had boxes for the elite.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/stageview.jpg

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/bleachers.jpg

The base of the Coliseum is actually below street level and the lower walkway is on street level. There is only one section of this level open roughly halfway around the structure at the end opposite the stage. It has good views of the maze below the stairs and of a cross used in modern times as the Coliseum is a stop on the Pope’s Easter ritual.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/groundworks2.jpg

My tour of the Coliseum was about an hour but I think my ticket is good for a second day at the Forum and I will return if time allows. It was about 200 yards from the Coliseum exit to the HOHO bus stop. A bus passed just as I was leaving but they have a fairly extended stop and I just made it before the bus left. I rode around the section to the Vatican (I plan to visit there in the morning), and continued past the Palace of Justice (Italy’s Supreme Court) and disembarked at the Fountain of Trevi, a lovely fountain but stuck in restoration. After lunch I returned to the B&B, stopping at the Pantheon (this time with camera) and at a market for additional skim milk and diet coke.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/justice.jpg

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/trevi.jpg

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/pantheon2.jpg

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/pantheon4.jpg

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/pantheon5.jpg

Dinner was at a small restaurant steps from the B&B followed by an ice cone and unwinding at the B&B. I’m not sure how far I walked, with much of it under uneven surfaces, but I ended up suitably tired.

I’ll give the parting shot a rest today. I just looked at the length of the post and the number of pictures and decided enough is enough.

Roy

Following along, looking forward to more report and photos.

Roy, I'm sure enjoying your trip. We were in Rome 3 years ago, and we are reliving it through your journey.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you Karen and James. In less than 24 hours Allure will be just 38 miles from me. Karen, I know your countdown clock says 4 days but now mine is just hours. I hope you fly soon. See you in Barcelona.

Roy

I was up earlier than recently (5:50) but had more flexible plans and did not leave the B&B till after 10. My plan had been to start with a visit to Vatican City, then a bit more of the Forum and finally the Circo Massimo. It’s about a mile to the Vatican, and the street I thought the HOHO bus was used was closed, but I walked that way. St Peters Square was obviously quite crowded. As I approached a throng I was met by a massive wave of people leaving the Vatican grounds. I saw one person trying to buck the traffic and enter; he was turned away by the guards and a few minutes later I was told the grounds would open at 1.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/audience1.jpg

I returned to my room for a while and set off about 12:30 for lunch, then went back to the Forum. My ticket said it was good for 2 days but would not work in the entrance turnstile. The guide looked at the ticket, then swiped a card he had and I was inside. I walked mostly around the end of the Forum furthest from the Coliseum, where I had not been yesterday. My wandering started with the ruins of Basilica Julia, sitting along the bed of an ancient road Vicas Iugarius.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/iugarius.jpg

Near the corner of the Forum stood a magnificent arch I couldn’t quite identify and the Column of Phocas. Walking back past the entrance, I got a much different view of the whole Temple of Antoninus and Faustina than yesterday, seeing the full temple rather than just the facade. I continued past the exit I used Tuesday to the one nearest Circo Massimo, near the Arch of Constantine. As I left the Forum I passed under a remnant of an ancient aqueduct.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/constantine.jpg

I was underwhelmed by the Circo Massimo. A venue for events like chariot races there wasn’t really much to see. The end where the facilities were (I’m guessing the finish line) was closed for renovations, and the rest was a pair of tracks separated by a small rise. I walked down the steps to the tracks and walked a bit, but where the bus stop was a crude, steep trodden path was the only visible exit and I returned to the stairs and HOHO stop.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/massimo2.jpg

A bus had just passed but the next one was about 10 minutes behind and was not crowded. I rode it for 2 stops, getting off at the stop for the Vatican. Entrance now was easy but I could see very long lines for the buildings. My goal had been simply to stand on St. Peters Square and that was now easy to do. Crews were collecting huge stacks of chairs (I think about 10,000) from the morning audience. I left the Vatican and walked back to my room about 4:30.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/stpeter.jpg

5 of us had booked a ride to the Allure for Thursday. We met for dinner at a nearby restaurant, Da Armando al Pantheon. 3 of us are staying at MyNavona and met in the lobby at 6:30 while the other 2 joined us at the restaurant. The food, service, and company were all good and after the meal we walked back together and stopped for gelato at a place near the B&B.

There is a group on the Holland America Forum who watch sailaways on the Port Everglades webcam. The Veendam was in Port Everglades and I had planned to watch the departure. The 4PM sailaway there is 10PM here; the Veendam was delayed but I watched the Royal Princess and Oasis of the Seas go out just before retiring. I especially enjoyed the Oasis, knowing I will be on her sister in less than 24 hours.

Today’s parting shot relates to European electricity. I found (a little bit the hard way) there are 2 kinds of outlets in Europe, and also 2 types of adapters to fit US plugs. The outlets can be either a simple 2 holes or a recessed circle with 2 similar holes and a grounding pin built into the outside of the circle. I’ve long used the simple 2 pin adapter and just recently found the one that fits into the circle and takes a grounded US plug. I’ve used the simple adapter in both types of outlets and assumed they were interchangeable. I have just discovered they are not, while the simple adapter will work in both types of outlets, the grounded one will not fit into the simple outlet. I guess now I’ll start to pack several of each type.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/plugs.jpg

Roy

Sooooooo....how is it? No update yet, so you must be spending all your time on the zipline...:)