mtmomof3

Thank you for the great review and sharing your experiences!  We are on a similar itinerary in June and still deciding what to do in a few ports.  Love seeing all the different things people do.  Also looking forward to singinalot's review!

We were on Allure this summer and Evian was included.  We would stop and get 1 L bottles from the carts they had strategically placed to purchase water when disembarking in ports.  We were allowed one Poweraid and one bottle of water for each person with the package per transaction.  San Juan was so hot that we ended up refilling the water bottles from the drinking fountains at San Cristobel!  Smoothies in the spa were also covered.

10 hours ago, MsPoppadom said:

 Oh this looks wonderful considering the struggle I've had in the past in obtaining vegan food. Could I share this on my blog, please mtmomof3?

Of course, feel free to share!

What was the cost of the high speed train from Rome and was the Rome train station easy to navigate?  We will have a group of 6 starting from a yet to be selected hotel in Rome next June.  Traveling with teens/young adults so prefer to immerse them in culture but weighing adventure/cost vs convenience of private transfer.

Just off Allure and thought I'd share info on vegan options.  My 20 yo DD has been strictly vegan for a year and eating away from home can be very challenging at times, especially as she is also very picky.  We chose main dining and indicated need for a vegan diet hoping that having a consistent wait staff would make this request easier.  Yes, there were "bumps" but she was delighted that there was a vegan menu and she enjoyed all but one or two of the offerings.  Several of the rolls are vegan and she was brought her own basket of bread and a plate of vegan "butter" each night.  Eating at other venues was more challenging.  Park Cafe had a hummus wrap, Johnny Rockets has a Boca burger that is available and for breakfast the patty is also offered and we were told that the pasta and marinara sauce were dairy and egg free. Couldn't get a clear answer if the steamed veggies had butter so she passed but was frustrated as that could easily be an option if not buttered. Fruit and green salad were always an option but can get a little boring.  We knew that fruit would be her only option at lunch on Labadee so planned ahead and carried off snacks for her.  We tried main dining room for lunch one day but were told there was not a vegan menu available for lunch (I suspect that they may have been willing to prepare something if she ordered a day ahead and planned to eat there daily but she did not want to commit to either a lunch time or venue).  Menu is posted below.  The crunchy tofu tacos were her favorite and she requested them again later in the week.  Happy to answer any questions.

We have sailed in both an ocean view and aft boardwalk balcony cabin. As many others have said the boardwalk is fun for people watching and watching the movies and aquashow at night.  Maybe a little noise but was not bothered by it.  Happy to have experienced it but personally prefer the ocean view and the quiet retreat the balcony offers.  Next cruise we booked the ocean view and the kids into the boardwalk across the hall  - may just need to hang out on their balcony a few evenings!

I can confirm that in the past (pre Irma) you could not access Maho beach from behind the hotels and back side of the golf course when walking from Mullet Bay - the attempt at the short cut turned into a nice tour of the golf course!  It is a very easy walk however to Maho.  Just walk back to the main road from the Mullet Bay parking lot and follow the road to the right and stay right and it will lead you to Maho! 

I too would be interested if this has changed as we will be visiting in July.  Mullet Bay is our favorite beach but it is easier to catch a taxi back to the port from Maho!

We have a teenage son and know exactly how much a growing boy can eat!  We sailed on Oasis 2 years ago and he ordered 2 to 3 appetizers , 2 entrees, and 2 to 3 desserts nightly (and ate it all) without any issues.  After a few nights our waiter would skip his dessert order and just bring him a sampler plate of each dessert selection!  By 11 pm he was in line at Sorrento's for Pizza and looking for cookies at Cafe Promenade.  There is so much to do he just burns through the calories!

You will love Allure.  DH and I sailed last March and the food was very good.  The main dining room has scaled back on the number of choices available at each meal but to me it is still a luxury to be able to have a choice and be served a 3 course meal!  We are sailing Allure again in July with DS, now 16, and he is already looking forward to the food.  Unlimited meals and a full gym to maintain his summer football training schedule make this a win win vacation for everyone!

Thank you for the update on Mullet Bay! It is our favorite beach on St. Marten - so happy to hear that it is open AND has umbrellas, chairs, and food. The water is beautiful and in the past the beach has not been crowded. Food at Mullet Bay has always been "adventurous" but some of the best Caribbean BBQ we have had while cruising. Can't wait to visit in March!

We sailed at Christmas a few years ago and closer to sailing there were options for holiday decorations. If I remember correctly, they were similar to the examples for birthdays or anniversaries but holiday themed. Nothing very elaborate. My suggestion would be to get window clings or the large holiday magnets from the dollar store. Easy to pack, easy on the budget, and easy to leave behind if you so choose.

Thinking of booking this tour in December and wondering if anyone else has taken this excursion lately and could provide more info. It looks like the kayaking is at Rio's Lagoon Eco Park but I can't figure out where the beach may be located. It looks like Roi's is associated with Blue Waters Beach Club (also a RCCL excursion) so am curious if that is the beach location.

We spent a the day at Cane Garden Bay Beach last Monday and would definitely go back. We decided to do this on our own rather than booking the cruise ship excursion and were very glad we did. Much less expensive and we were able to spend a little longer at the beach. Shared "cab" (bus) was $8 per person each way and easily obtained right at the port. The drive over the mountain was fun (narrow roads, tight turns and great views -- drivers slowed at top so we could take quick pictures). Public entrance to the beach had restroom facilities as well as several vendors selling island trinkets/clothes. The vendors were not aggressive or pushy. Beach chairs and umbrellas were easily obtained ($15 for 2 chairs and an umbrella). We arrived around 9:30 and beach was still very quiet. Several bars along the beach for drinks and there are also also a couple of restaurants which will serve take out food ($10 for plate of jerk chicken, salad, and peas and rice) if you do not wish to go in and sit at the table. Beach was busy by 1 pm but we left around 2:30 so really weren't bothered by "too many people." Easy to get ride back to port. Would not hesitate to go again!

We booked this excursion through Royal Caribbean for our day in Antigua last week and it was canceled due to a "tour operational issue". Not sure if this was cancelled due to low booking numbers or some other issue. I too had read the reviews and wondered if maybe it wasn't living up to RC tour standards. I personally was intrigued by the "rustic" surroundings and authentic island food but I can see where others may not find this appealing. Good to know that this is still available but I would suggest having a back up option for Antigua if you book this tour.

Spent a wonderful day at Carambola last week and agree with all that has been said. Cab was $4 per person from the port and it was very easy to get a cab back in the afternoon. Transportation time was about 15 minutes. The beach and facilities are updated and clean. The staff was very friendly and professional. We reserved chairs and umbrellas online from the online reservation link on their facebook page ahead of time although it was not a problem for those without reservations to get a chair the day we were there. The restrooms were very nice and did have freshwater showers as well as changing rooms in addition to a freshwater foot rinse area outside. Credit cards were accepted and they let us run a tab at the bar. Lunch was very good and served on china with linen napkins and silverware right to your beach chair! The club sandwich came with fries -- portion was very generous and easily could have been shared. Beer bucket was $15 for selection of 6 local beers. The bay is protected so water and waves were very gentle -- easy place to swim. Free Wifi available but as previously mentioned it was slow and signal was not always strong (but it was free....). Would definitely recommend to others!

lucigo,

Thanks for the video! We are taking this excursion next week -- can't wait!