Allure - which balcony?

We're looking at a Caribbean cruise in April on the Allure, 2 adults / 2 kids. There is a single boardwalk balcony available on deck 14 aft, and many ocean balconies from decks 6-8. Would the boardwalk balcony be bad because it's so high up?

We're also looking at the Liberty from Galveston.

Pro - better itinerary (snorkeling, Belize); cheaper overall (we're in California)

Con - not as cool as the Allure.

Any tips?

We're looking at a Caribbean cruise in April on the Allure, 2 adults / 2 kids. There is a single boardwalk balcony available on deck 14 aft, and many ocean balconies from decks 6-8. Would the boardwalk balcony be bad because it's so high up?

 

We're also looking at the Liberty from Galveston.

Pro - better itinerary (snorkeling, Belize); cheaper overall (we're in California)

Con - not as cool as the Allure.

 

 

Any tips?

Boardwalk balconies aren't as private as Ocean view balconies as they face each other so you will need to keep that in mind while you are dressing, etc.

The deck level is not an issue.

We were on the Allure two weeks ago with an ocean view balcony on Deck 11 and it was good. Personally we much prefer the Freedom class ships (Liberty, Freedom and Independence) over the Oasis Class (Allure/Oasis). The Freedom class still has the rock wall and flow rider, the mini-putt is much better, the Windjammer Buffet is much better, the dining rooms are similar, the cabins are slightly larger, and unless you want to the high end shops - Kate Spade, Tiffany, etc. then you have everything else on the Freedom Class.

Whichever you choose -- have a wonderful cruise.

Kathy

The boardwalk balconies are cheaper but you have little privacy and it is noisy but the kids might like the view.I would pick an ocean view everytime especially in the carribean for the views and privacy.

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Thanx for the feedback.

This is what I've read about the Allure:

- 2x rock wall, wave rider = less wait

- zip line

- Boardwalk / Central Park are nicer to hang out in than Freedom common areas

- Better kids activities ('daycare')

- water park

- Better restaurants

- Aqua theater.

We don't care about shopping. We typically spend the whole day off the ship on port days. However, with 3 ocean days, I'm wondering if we shouldn't try out the Allure for the experience.

If the Allure isn't that much better than the Liberty, then we'll take the Liberty for better port days (snorkeling, ruins, etc)

We are booked on the Allure in April. Our first cruise with the kids was 4 years ago on Freedom class ship. At the time our kids were 12 and 10 and the ship was great- plenty of bells and whistles. The dining was great on this smaller class of ship, but the entertainment was TERRIBLE- beyond amateur.

This time we're trying out Allure, kids are now 14 and 16 and we think the entertainment (aqua theatre, main theatre) will be a lot better. There are more dining options, which will be nice, and I am *hoping* that the pool areas will not be so crowded on sea days. I don't expect as intimate a dining experience as we had on freedom class, but that's ok- we'll probably do more speciality dining.

Overall, everyone seems to love Oasis/Allure and we thought it would be a fun ship to try once!

I would always book an ocean view balcony. I am at sea and want the peace and tranquility of looking at the ocean.

I would always book an ocean view balcony. I am at sea and want the peace and tranquility of looking at the ocean.

Any of you folks remember the "criticism" of the Oasis after it was launched? That is was "so big" it was "hard to see the ocean?"

I'm serious; people actually said that as some sort of rationale for not booking.

We were on the Allure this past Oct..2 adults and 2 kids in boardwalk balcony and enjoyed it. We were on deck 8 which is even lower to the boardwalk. We didn't have any issues with noise except for the night of the aqua show and we were in bed early and I didn't hear a thing but my husband said he could hear it and it did not bother my kids. You do have to be aware of your neighbors across from you and remember the curtains. Overall we enjoyed the room and had no issues..already booked another for the oasis in Oct 2017. Price is better and you get perks now for booking boardwalk balcony.

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Actually it is still true for the Oasis class not because it is so big, but because there is few public indoor places to watch the ocean go by. Even more so now since the Royal Viking Crown Lounge has been converted.

If viewing the ocean from an indoor space (like a lounge) is almost impossible. Your only option is to book an outward facing balcony cabin.

Any of you folks remember the "criticism" of the Oasis after it was launched? That is was "so big" it was "hard to see the ocean?"

 

I'm serious; people actually said that as some sort of rationale for not booking.

If you decide to go on the Allure, do make sure and pre-book your shows and any specialty dining well before you sail, e.g. 90 days out. Some shows sell out and the time you want to dine in the specialty restaurants may be gone before you board.

That deck 14 aft balcony, if it is one of the last cabins, may be next to a large structure across the ship which limits your view.

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We have done ov balcony, Central Park balcony and boardwalk balcony on Oasis and Allure. Although I prefer ov balcony, I don't think it was worth the extra money bc we didn't spend much time on our balcony as there is so much to do on this class of ships. I just got off Allure last Sun. And the only thing I would really suggest is not to book in the forward part of the ship. We were all the way forward inside cabin this time and felt a lot of vibration and noise when docking. Also, felt more motion in general. We hadn't had a forward cabin in many yrs. and I had forgot about the increased motion which bothers my husband. I was just going for the cheapest room this cruise. Also, we were on deck 7 and could here he music from gym below but didn't bother since didn't here it until 8 or later and we were always awake and out of cabin then

Have done Liberty and Freedom in ocean view, promenade view and inside cabins, enjoyed them all. Just got off of Allure Central Park balcony and loved that too. (Any cruise to me is a great cruise as long as no one gets sick!) Allure has more specialty restaurants (will add to your overall cost if you go), Mamma Mia and Aqua Theater as well as the Central Park and Boardwalk neighborhoods for hanging out and peoplewatching (I don't shop on a cruise onboard or ashore). So much depends upon what's important to you, the price differential and your budget. BTW I snorkeled n both Belize and Cozumel, Belize wins hands down especially since we did it with the sharks!

Thanx for all the feedback.

I put it to the kids. My daughter said "Aren't we going to see places?" That clinched it. I got a Jr suite on the Liberty for less than an Allure balcony.

Maybe we'll do an oasis class in the future, or even the new quantum.

Thanx for all the feedback.

 

I put it to the kids. My daughter said "Aren't we going to see places?" That clinched it. I got a Jr suite on the Liberty for less than an Allure balcony.

Maybe we'll do an oasis class in the future, or even the new quantum.

You are one smart cookie! I think you will be very happy with your decision.

Have a wonderful cruise.

Kathy

We were on the Allure in June. Deck 8 aft boardwalk balcony. We absolutely loved it...booked the same room for this June. The noise was never really a issue..we brought along a travel fan anyways. My inlaws are actually going on the next cruise and got the balcony next to ours.

Actually it is still true for the Oasis class not because it is so big, but because there is few public indoor places to watch the ocean go by. Even more so now since the Royal Viking Crown Lounge has been converted.

 

If viewing the ocean from an indoor space (like a lounge) is almost impossible. Your only option is to book an outward facing balcony cabin.

This is exactly correct. We originally booked a CP Balcony for our Allure cruise, but changed to an OV Balcony when those prices dropped. And I was so glad we did. I was able to get my sea views whenever I wanted.

Thanx for all the feedback.

 

I put it to the kids. My daughter said "Aren't we going to see places?" That clinched it. I got a Jr suite on the Liberty for less than an Allure balcony.

Maybe we'll do an oasis class in the future, or even the new quantum.

Good choice for YOUR family. :)

I've never done a boardwalk balcony so I can't comment completely but we have done an ocean view on deck 14 on the Allure-two things to keep in mind..deck 14 is the top deck for cabins (aside from the suite class higher up) so if your family likes taking the stairs be prepared for exercise other then going to the pool deck and the Windjammer. Not saying that's a bad thing always, but we like to avoid the elevators when coming back from shore...that's a llloooonnnnnnggggg hike from the lower decks :p Also, the aft boardwalk cabins wouldn't be under the pools (good thing by far) but it's a bit of a hike to the stairs/elevators. Again, not always a bad thing but could get old when you just want to run to the cabin for something.

Personally, I think you made a good decision w/ the Liberty if you're looking for itinerary at this point. We don't sail her until April but we've been on the Freedom and LOVED it. That class is really a great size-big but still feels a little more cozy then her big sisters. Plus there's still a ton to do, especially for kids. Have a blast!! And still plan for the Oasis class someday....hopefully the itineraries improve in years to come to appeal to both ship and itinerary types alike.

We're looking at a Caribbean cruise in April on the Allure, 2 adults / 2 kids. There is a single boardwalk balcony available on deck 14 aft, and many ocean balconies from decks 6-8. Would the boardwalk balcony be bad because it's so high up?

 

We're also looking at the Liberty from Galveston.

Pro - better itinerary (snorkeling, Belize); cheaper overall (we're in California)

Con - not as cool as the Allure.

 

 

Any tips?

I'm sailing on Allure on March 26th. I've never been on it, but I have been on Oasis & loved it. I sailed on Liberty for the second time last March. The first time we sailed out of Miami. Last March we sailed out out Galveston. The cruise was great. Liberty was refurbished and has some new huge water slides that my 12-year-old granddaughter loved. The H20 zone was completely changed as well & has some smaller slides for younger kids. The only bad experience was disembarkation. It took over 2 hours to get out of the terminal! After spending 2 hours in the terminal with no bathrooms in sight, many people headed straight for the bathrooms at the exit. There were only 2 stalls for women. One was occupied by a person in a wheelchair who had to have her clothes changed by a companion because she couldn't make it through the 2-hour process. So the women standing in line, including myself, started using the men's bathroom. An employee in the terminal told me that they were building a new terminal, so it should hopefully be better now. If you're sailing on Allure, be sure to book your shows before you board. Because of the size of the ship, you need tickets for the different shows. They are free, but it ensures that you'll get in when you want. Otherwise you have to wait to see if there a seats left after the people with tickets are seated. Liberty & Allure are pretty similar, although Allure is bigger. Allure has the aqua show, of course, which Liberty doesn't have; and if you have little kids, they'll love the carousel on the Boardwalk.

Boardwalk balconies aren't as private as Ocean view balconies as they face each other so you will need to keep that in mind while you are dressing, etc.

The deck level is not an issue.

We had Deck 12 cabins with Boardwalk balconies. I think the Deck Level can be an issue if you are trying to watch things in the Aqua Theatre from your balcony. You need to be mindful of the "tail." I don't really know what to call it. There is a solid structure that goes across the ship and can block your view to the Aqua Theatre if you are in some cabins on the upper level Boardwalk balconies. I think it's about the 14th deck or so. It's not a structure where people can sit or move about. It's a horizontal structure.

If you pull up the deck plans on RCCL for Allure, you can look at Deck 12 and Deck 14. On Deck 12- the space between the two most Aft cabins is empty. It shows an open space just as it is.

On the Deck 14 plan, between the two most aft cabins- you see a solid area. If you are at or above that level in the last few aft cabins, it can block your view to the Aqua Theatre.

That may not be a concern for you, but just making you aware of it.

Sorry the picture is so huge. I am not a computer guru by any means. Anyhow, where it says Allure of the Seas- the big area just beneath that goes across the aft of Deck 14. That's what can block your view of the Aqua Theatre at the aftmost cabins (except the Aqua Theatre Suites).

DH and I are booked for Allure next May. We currently have an ocean view cabin on deck 12 which is towards the back of the ship near the stairs. I saw an open cabin on deck 14 that is in the middle. I like the idea of a cabin in the middle of the ship, but i’m wondering if deck 14 is a good choice. Any thoughts?

DH and I are booked for Allure next May. We currently have an ocean view cabin on deck 12 which is towards the back of the ship near the stairs. I saw an open cabin on deck 14 that is in the middle. I like the idea of a cabin in the middle of the ship, but i’m wondering if deck 14 is a good choice. Any thoughts?

My preference would be to avoid the deck directly below the pool deck.

We are booked on the Allure in April. Our first cruise with the kids was 4 years ago on Freedom class ship. At the time our kids were 12 and 10 and the ship was great- plenty of bells and whistles. The dining was great on this smaller class of ship, but the entertainment was TERRIBLE- beyond amateur.

 

This time we're trying out Allure, kids are now 14 and 16 and we think the entertainment (aqua theatre, main theatre) will be a lot better. There are more dining options, which will be nice, and I am *hoping* that the pool areas will not be so crowded on sea days. I don't expect as intimate a dining experience as we had on freedom class, but that's ok- we'll probably do more speciality dining.

 

Overall, everyone seems to love Oasis/Allure and we thought it would be a fun ship to try once!

I'm surprised by your comment. We were on Allure in April 2016 with our kids (6 and 10) and we all absolutely loved it. Moreover, we thought the entertainment was top notch. Mamma Mia was very well done, Aqua shows were 'wow', skating...well, the monopoly theme was a bit odd, but excellent skaters, etc etc. And the Dreamworks ice and aqua shows were also great...especially for kids.

I can't comment from experience but we have a Boardwalk Balcony booked on Symphony. I know our kids will love it...fun to people watch and see what's going on. Noise is a risk, but we really wanted to try them. Privacy is not a big deal as we'll just close the drapes when changing. We were in a Promenade room on Allure, so similar idea of looking at public area and having staterooms across from you (but promenade has just a window overlooking promenade vs balcony overlooking the boardwalk). Had no privacy issues.

The Liberty looks fun with the slides, but Allure sure kept us all occupied and we didn't have time to do it all. The zipline is so much fun, my son loved the flowrider, my younger one loved rock wall, and the pools (many options), minigolf, etc ...and we joined in a few ship activities. Allure is amazing.

P.S. - Sorry...re-reading your post. Maybe you were saying that entertainment on Freedom wasn't great?