mkam2821

The wife and I have been on a dozen cruises thus far but we have some trepidation in regards to these big ships. We've read postings before that customer service is perhaps worse on a larger ship vs a smaller and the crowds are overwhelming.

 

This thread has helped ease my mind some but the wife still has her doubts.

 

Anyone have concerns when they first went on this large of ship but only to find that things went smooth and without issue? I just can't fathom a sea day with 6000 people on board...seems like a nightmare when adding in trying to navigate such a large ship.

After cruising a variety of lines on medium sized ships we did Allure in December 2016. Only issue due to ship's size was lunch on embarkation day (everyone wants to eat at the same time and can't get into their cabins yet). Other than that the trip was enjoyable enough that we're going on Allure again this December! We loved the Central Park view balcony, the specialty restaurants, the shows and the service. MDR food was so so, so we'll be splurging on the Ultimate dining package which not only will give us better food and service but will eliminate the lunch isue on embarkation day.

I've had quiet connecting cabins and noisy neighbors that I could hear even when the cabins weren't connecting. Much depends upon the behavior of your neighbors. Enjoy your trip

Good for you !

I like your family’s spunk !Just the other day, I was having l lunch with three retired friends after our weekly game of golf.

We were talking about work loads and corporate demands that our children are facing and how difficult it can be raising a family these days.

One friend made the comment that if she had to choose between time or money,she would choose time as that once it is spent, it is gone. Money,thankfully for us,can be replenished.

Very glad to hear that you are taking this opportunity !

I hope that your wife,son and you totally enjoy this cruise !:cool::cool::cool:

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I agree with Victor Bodden for Roatan. They are great

Also used them and concur

We've done 6 HAL, 4 Carnival and will be taking our 5th Royal (one each on Princess, Celebrity & Costa as well). As stated by others, much depends upon your priorities and preferences. We too never cruise when school is out regardless of the line. I have 3 grandchildren who live with me, I don't go on vacation to be with other people's children! We always found the service superior on HAL, but like most of the moderately priced lines, food quality has declined (to get you to go to the pay-for dining???). However last time we did Carnival with a spa cabin (their thermal suites are the BEST), and we paid extra for faster to the fun, we found dirty undies on the shelf in the closet when we were unpacking (UGH!, and not even an apology from the room steward).

Some trips we choose for itinerary, (Med, Alaska etc.) some for service, some for price (we live within easy driving distance of 4 ports!) and some just to get away and relax. IMHO it all depends upon your tastes and priorities

When cruising the Caribbean, I only choose ships that offer the thermal suite (or something similar depending upon the cruise line--in fact I think the best of them are on Carnival) because I take Caribbean cruises to relax and the heated beds and steam room really help me unwind. My husband doesn't partake unless it's a Carnival spa Cabinwhich includes the amenities for us both.

The size of the thermal suite and number of beds on Allure is really not enuogh for a ship of this size but in December 2016 rarely had to wait for a heated bed more than a few minutes and plan to use them again this December when we again cruise on Allure.

For me a benefit of paying a few extra dollars is not having children in what should be an adults only area

With another couple that we met on our role call a few years back we booked a half day tour (I think it was with Barcelona Day tours). They picked us up, gave us an overview of the city and then brought us and all of our luggage to our hotel right in time for check in. The cost was only minimally more than a taxi and we got to see the city and not have to worry about what to do with ourselves or our luggage until we could check in!

I'm not sure what we were thinking' date=' but after 30 ocean cruises, we are trying a Vantage river cruise aboard the River Venture on September 4th. We will be spending four days in Versailles before the cruise leaves Paris for Normandy and then returning to Paris. I'm especially concerned that I am seeing so very little about Vantage river cruises and so much about Viking.

 

If anyone has any insights or (REALLY a long shot) will be on this cruise, please let us know. We have wanted to try river cruising for a number of years so this is it. I'm just hoping we don't regret it![/quote']

 

Hi, we did the Paris to Normandy trip in 2017 following 5 days independently in Paris and we had a FABULOUS time. No complaints. Our cabin was clean and spacious (and we booked the least expensive one), service was wonderful, we found one waiter we really liked and made sure to eat within his station every evening. The guides were pleasant and knowledgable, you could choose your excursion pace, we did the extra one in the footsteps of Van Gogh, Good choice of food. Terrific trip, I would do it again in a hearbeat. Go, enjoy it will be wonderful

I'm going to chime in. We did a cruise for our honeymoon in 1985 on a ship with a now-defunct line. The ship picked up stablilizers to make up time and even the crew got sea sick. Port of Aruba was closed for a once-every-four years election, we were told it was a new ship when in fact it was an old ship that had sunk during renovation and had to be re-reronovated....I could go on and on about how awful everything was but we took the lemons and made lemonade. We made friends with others and made the best of it which made for a memorable trip. Somehow I actually managed to get my husband back on a ship and we've now done 20+ cruises. Yes the food has gone down but realistically the prices haven't gone up (especially factoring in inflation). I paid less for a balcony now than I did 10 years ago!!. Some times we cruise for the ports (Alaska, Europe), sometimes for the ship (Allure) and sometimes just because we need to get away (whatever is least expensive when we can get away). But no matter what, as long as no one gets sick, we have a great time. To quote my friend Bob Bitchin'

ATTITUDE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORDEAL & ADVENTURE.

These websites are great, but they also have 800 numbers to call and the people are very knowledgeable and will walk you through the best policy for your needs.

 

:)

 

another site is squaremouth.com

I've used squaremout for almost all of our trips. All of the different insurance websites offer the same insurance and rates. I have found the squaremouth agents helpful and knowledgeable whether it be by IM or telephone. Since our last river cruise was refundable up until departure we elected to only take medical coverage and purchased it right before we left. As stated above you can get everything except pre-existing condition coverage up until departure. Pre-existingcondition coverage must be purchased within the 15 day of booking window.

Mine have all gone the other way unfortunately.

Not sure why you say unfortunately if it seems that you booked at the lowest rate and it went up from there then you obviously got a good buy!

We did Allure 12/16 and are doing her again 12/18. I thought about HOS but didn't want to see Grease LOL. FYI Allure is moving to Miami this November

Let me edit my reply as I read your post too quickly and didn't realize that though you are flying into Miami you are staying at a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale so thereforeyou would have time on Satuirday to sightsee. Beaches in FTL are dfeintelymore family friendly. Enjoy

The balconies on the Regal Princess are extremely shallow, about 40 inches tops. People have reported being unable to sit facing the sea without their knees touching the railing. Some with long legs have reported that this is impossible for them. We avoid Regal/Royal for this very good reason.

 

Have you considered Holland? Your father might be even more pleased with the atmosphere on Holland. The ships are smaller and less crowded. Probably many people of his on age. And, Holland does have some nice balconies and I'm sure the prices will be cheaper than Princess.

Ihave to concur with regard to Holland. It's quieter, less kids and yet still offers something for everyone. Though we love Royal we have also cruised on Holland 6 times (beginning when we were in our mid 50;s)

Much depends upon the embarkation time that you are assigned. You won't have very much time to explore South Florida if you're expected to check in late morning. And you will have to get transportation from the rental return to the ship..with luggage. As a South Floridian I don't think it's worth the effort. Take a taxi or call Uber and not worry about refilling the gas tank etc. You won't have enough time to explore and as far as beaches, yes, Ft. Lauderdale is more family friendly but how are you gong to get the sand off and cleaned up so that you don't get a rental car filthy prior to returning it?

I repeat, take a cab!

I wouldn't wait until you are onboard as tables will already be assigned and you can't expect them to swap out someone else's table. As you mentioned, I would contact the special needs department and discuss your needs and concerns with them.

Some people like vanilla, some like chocolate!. When cruising in the Caribbean I don't spend the extra for an OV balcony as I don't find he views of the islands particularly interesting (of course this is after 20+ cruises) and we live in South Florida and the ocean in winter isn't a novelty for me. Now when we cruised Alaska and the Med we took ocean view balconies as there was what to see!!

I enjoy the Central Park balcony, I hear birds and music and have a view of a Park when I sit out on the balcony reading a book etc. Some people like the more active boardwalk view (which can include the water show and a sliver of the ocean view). It's a personal choice or one that could be determined by which perks you prefer.

Day 5 – Roatan

 

 

Interesting side note. While standing at the gate waiting for Johan to return I was chatting with a few of the tour operators who were standing there trying to get Allure's passengers to buy from them. One gentleman asked which ports this cruise had been on so far and commented that he was glad we hadn't gone to Belize. I asked him why, and the gist of his answer is that the tour operators there are very unethical and pushy. When I told him I would be going to Belize on my next cruise, he told me in no uncertain terms that while in most ports, including Roatan, it is fine to plan tours directly and not through the cruise line, do NOT do that in Belize. He made me promise him that I would ONLY book through the cruise line next year. Has anyone reading this had any experiences in Belize to share?

I strongly disagree. have ben to Belize twice, booked private tours both times. Last time was a 3 stop snorkleing tour that included snorkeling with nurse sharks and it was TERRIFIC. Small group, excellent guide who made sure we weren't swindled at lunch with the exchange rate, took special pics for us and kpet us very safe. Much better than any ship

 

s tour

The massage I have had on board have been very good. And very expensive compared to land ones.

 

But well worth it for a nice gift.

Agreed. They do cost more than on land but every one I have ever had on any line has been good. Personally I love the hot stone massage, but it's a personal choice. Note that there will be an 10% gratuity added on after the massage

Alaska, River Cruise, Hawaii, Russia, Mediterranean, the list can go on and on

I'd like to know why Chops on Allure feels they can refuse to honor the First Night Done Right (FNDR) promo.

 

The promo itself states "No restrictions" and, according to the additional terms, the only things excluded are "special experiences like Chef's Table, Hibachi, Mystery Theater or Wine Pairings".

 

In addition, on February 27, 2017 on Royal's official Twitter page, when specifically asked "Which restaurants on Allure are eligible for First Night Done Right?", Royal responded "Any specialty restaurant onboard is eligible".

 

Personally, I intend to first see if Chops has reservations available for when I want to dine the first night and, if so, then tell them "Great! By the way, I'll be using my FNDR promo."

 

P.S. Glad to hear good things about Giovanni's as I plan to eat there on a later night in my upcoming cruise.

 

~ Judy

Interesting since we did First Night Done Right in December and once onboard switched to Chops. Perhaps because we choose to eat late or that there were still spaces available and there may not be now

We too need transportation from Paris to Conflans as we also booked airfare independently for our May Seine cruise.We will be arriving 4 days early to enjoy Paris first so it won't pay for us to do the Vantage transfers as they won't offer only one way. I am thinking of asking our hotel to arrange transportation (taxi or car service) to the ship and perhaps ask the concierge on the ship to arrange transportation from ship to CDG at end of cruise. Probably will take car service from CDG to hotel upon arrival as it appears to be most cost effective

We purchased first night done right for our 12/11 cruise on Allure. Founnd a message when we board confirming dinner at Sabor (which we didn't want since we had a comp lunch at Sabor) so we went over to Chops and asked if we could switch the reservation there and they said as long as we were willing to dine at 8:30, which we were, and we had a great first night at Chops for !5 per person (yes we tipped extra)

I have to preface this review by stating that I disposed of my notes when we returned home and may not be recalling exactly what day we did what so please check your cruise planner and don't rely on my memory for what show, meal or event is offered on what day LOL.

 

We'd never been on a mega-ship before and we got an offer too good to pass up. So way back in February we booked a neighborhood guaranty cabin and were assigned cabin 11211 centrally located on the 11th floor overlooking Central Park. We are fortunate to live within a half hour drive of the port so we dropped our dog off at our daughter's drove down, parked the car, took the shuttle over, deposited our luggage and promptly checked in and boarded the ship. With our cabin not yet ready and having been forewarned about the crowds on embarkation day, we grabbed lunch at the Central Park Cafe. It was fine. Not memorable but fine and we met a few nice people while sharing a table. When we were able to access our cabin we found it clean and serviceable and the view was lovely. Minor complaint only that we had a cabin adjoining another and whoever was in it (never saw them and the do not disturb sign was always up) had a tv going most of the time that we could hear. Not loud enough to make an issue out of it, but loud enough to remind us we could be heard as well.

We ate in specialty restaurants more nights than we originally planned. First off, though we were confirmed for late seating and a large table, when on-board we realized we were assigned any time dining but we had made our show reservations based upon late dining. Having chosen "first night done right", embarkation night wasn't an issue. There was a voicemail message for us advising that we'd been assigned to Sabor. However we had a comp lunch and had planned to use that at Sabor so we visited Chops and asked if it could be switched and they said as long as we could come at 8:30. As we prefer to eat late, this worked out fine.

 

Our luggage arrived on the later side (after 6) but it still gave me time to change into a bathing suit and head for the thermal suite. Yes, for a ship the size of the Allure, the thermal suite is small, but I try to choose ships that have them as the heated beds and steam rooms really help me to de-stress and relax. I rarely had to wait more than 2-3 minutes for a ceramic bed Competing cruise lines do a better and bigger job often incorporating a thermal soaking pool as well, but the ceramic beds and steam rooms did their job of soaking the stress out of me. (By the time I usually get to take a cruise I'm about 6 months past really needing one!!). Our cabin attendant, Shirley, took good care of us, keeping the ice and towels stacked and the cabin clean.(Our requests are pretty minimal).

 

After relaxing in the thermal I showered and dressed for dinner. Our meal at Chops was lovely, food and service were excellent as was my pinot noir that I had them uncork. The aqua show which we had reserved was cancelled due to too much motion for the performers so we toured the ship and listened to a little music before bed. Our first sea day was spent mostly relaxing...reading etc. Though many complain about the Windjammer buffet we like ethnic food as it always gives us the opportunity to taste a variety of foods without wasting full portions.

 

That afternoon we had reservations for the ice show. I have to admit that I didn't feel it compared with previous ice shows on Royal. Too many costume changes and gimmicks and not enough skating. But it was still entertaining.

 

After naps and cocktails we headed off to the MDR to find out that we had a table for 2. So much for meeting and making new friends. Dinner was acceptable, but unremarkable. Duck's been replaced by chicken, lamb by pork etc, etc. and the escargot tasted more like "es-car-went". The butter and garlic tasted more like old motor oil. First time I didn't use bread to mop up and eat the sauce.

Seems like all of the major lines are cutting back on the MDR food to push guests to specialty dining.

 

The next day was Labadee. Been there done that (living in South Florida warm weather in the winter isn't a novelty and my brush with skin reminds me that the sun can be dangerous). We did however take advantage of some quiet time at the pool. Lots of sun screen and a few dips in the water was enough for us!. We did lunch at Samba. Yes the guacamole is as good as has been reported as was most of the food (did have to send back one item that was too salty to eat), The white sangria is also a must-have. Not too sweet and really fairly priced!

Insert --I have to admit that I can't remember whether we did this on Tuesday or Wednesday but we did see Mama Mia and thoroughly enjoyed it. I grew up on Broadway musicals and the cast here did a fine job.

 

We took advantage of the complimentary dinner give by our TA and dined at Giovanni's that evening. Perhaps it was because the waiter thought with a check of zero, we wouldn't be tipping (not true, as former restaurant owners we usually tip very well) but our service was only adequate. Our waiter seemed annoyed at having to serve us (we had an 8:30 reservation). He was curt, didn't tell us about specials until we inquired and despite there being only 3 other tables occupied, brought out our pasta with the main course(saying the kitchen was backed up??) and by that time it was hard and dry. Unfortunately for us, the food did not live up to the hype. But heck I didn't have to shop for it, prepare it, serve it or clean up after so....

 

Next day was Falmouth. Having been there numerous times we were tempted to again not get off the ship. We've done most of the attractions (the falls, river tubing, culinary tour etc.) and we're getting a bit on in years to do the more. physical things but we decided to just stretch our legs in the port shopping area. I hadn't intended on making a purchase but couldn't resist the "buy 2 and take an additional 20% off" of my favorite single malt scotch at the duty free shop.

 

That afternoon I took advantage of my complimentary massage (thank you again TA). Definitely worth the $20 to upgrade to hot stones. "Calgon take me away!" Feeling rejuvenated and relaxed I was ready for the Chef's table that evening. The 12 of us with reservations met in the library (just down the hall from our cabin) where Sommelier Baba educated us about wine and the pairings he chose to accompany the dinner and entertained us with his excited and passionate delivery while the chef tantalized our senses. The food was delicious and attractively presented. Our meal didn't end until midnight!!! So much for going to the headliner show!!

 

After the rich meal Wednesday night we definitely needed the laps we did around the track on Thursday (only one mile!). The rest of the day was a day of rest and relaxation, reading and enjoying the ship and in the afternoon a private scotch tasting in the shops! That evening was the second formal night and our server took very good care of us and I must admit I gorged on lobster tail!

After such a rich meal we needed to stay up a while and we had reservations for the comedy club. Comedian was definitely funny and we had a good time.

 

Friday was Cozumel and my snorkeling shore excursion with a friend --someone who I had originally met online through the Cruise Critic roll call but who lives near me and has become my friend. I usually book private excursions but as I was going with my (also female) friend and not my spouse I didn't want to have to deal with transportation etc. and booked Royal's 3 reef snorkel. It was fine but not great. The 3 reefs were all very similar (and close) and the group large (50+ people). Will go back to private excursions in the future.

 

When walking through the promenade when back onboard a server/salesperson offered us 30% to dine at 150 Central Park. (we were originally going to book the wine pairing there and not the Chef's table but about a month prior to sailing, when I went to book the pairing it wasn't offered...hence the Chef's Table). We took him up on the offer and that evening we had a wonderful meal with professional service.

 

Saturday was a sea day. We took advantage of a 20% off offer made by a drink server at the buffet for a wine tasting offered in one of the dining rooms. It may not have been as glamorous as the ones offered in Vintages but it was a lot less expensive and we enjoyed it. We finished up the afternoon with a performance of Blue Planet...entertaining

 

We spent our last evening dining in the MDR and then after packing walked around the ship a bit. Was tempted by a great offer in one of the jewelry shops but in the end decided that I'd rather do another cruise than have another bauble.

Disembarkation was fine. Luggage retrieved easily, breezed through customs and by 10:30 am was picking up my puppy from my daughter's house.

 

Each of the different cruise lines excels in a different area which is why we haven't been loyal to any one brand. But I admit that this cruise ranks up there on my list.

Edit..lunch was Sanbor not Samba, sorry

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