I love Princess, would I like Royal Caribbean Allure?

[newfielover]

I have sailed 2 times on the Ruby and 1 time on the Sapphire and love these ships. I don't have any complaints about Princess, but am curious about Royal Caribbean's Allure. The size and things it has to offer is tempting. If anyone has sailed on Royal Caribbean or the Allure, can you tell me the differences? I am 42 and my mom is 67. We love Princess for their food, entertainment, MUTS and overall apperance.

[suzyed]

I have sailed 2 times on the Ruby and 1 time on the Sapphire and love these ships. I don't have any complaints about Princess, but am curious about Royal Caribbean's Allure. The size and things it has to offer is tempting. If anyone has sailed on Royal Caribbean or the Allure, can you tell me the differences? I am 42 and my mom is 67. We love Princess for their food, entertainment, MUTS and overall apperance.

 

We have never been on the Allure, but we have sailed on Royal Caribbean. We have been on the Sovereign of the Seas (5 times...it's no longer in the fleet however), Majesty of the Seas, Monarch of the Seas and the Mariner of the Seas. Really enjoyed all of our sailings, especially loved the Mariner! The ships are beautiful and I think compare favorably with the Ruby(esp. the Mariner, which is closest in size to the Ruby).

[JimmyVWine]

I have sailed 2 times on the Ruby and 1 time on the Sapphire and love these ships. I don't have any complaints about Princess, but am curious about Royal Caribbean's Allure. The size and things it has to offer is tempting. If anyone has sailed on Royal Caribbean or the Allure, can you tell me the differences? I am 42 and my mom is 67. We love Princess for their food, entertainment, MUTS and overall apperance.

I have not been on the Allure, but my brother has. While his observation may have nothing whatsoever to do with your overall enjoyment of the ship or a cruise on it, I will share it for what it is worth. He said that from an atmospherics standpoint, it seems and feels as if RC has done everything it can to turn your attention inward, whereas most ships are designed to turn your attention outward, toward the sea. The whole atrium design of the Allure brings the heartbeat of the ship into the center and away from the rails. And when he was on his cruise, he hardly felt that he was on a ship at all. Part of this may be a function of having an atrium view room instead of an ocean balcony. But he just thought that RC had gone just a bit too far in making a floating city instead of a ship. Take that for what it is worth.

[A Sixth?]

I am Elite with Princess (and Celebrity) and sailed Royal only once, on the Mariner.

 

The Mariner had a 'wow" factor for sure, and I actually liked the ice rink, but I found the ship more designed around a shopping mall than the Caribbean.

 

Princess Grand class ships make you feel the outdoors more IMHO

 

I can only imagine that the Allure would be like the Mariner on steroids... I'd like to try her, once, but don't expect to turn into a mall rat after all these years of treating my Caribbean soul to the joys of cruising

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is fun going on those big ships ...

[suzyed]

It is fun going on those big ships ...

 

I agree! We loved the Mariner! We also enjoyed the central atrium concept...the city/hotel at sea idea! I would get board with exactly the same experience on every ship. It's nice to mix it up! ;)

 

Oh and Capt. Johnny was a hoot!! Is he still on the Mariner?

[mailmama]

Have been on the Allure and the Oasis. Wonderful ships if you like crowds, people and constant stimulation!!! It's a ship for activities. Food is comparable to Princess. Pizza is better on Princess, tho !! RC is great for family groups and such. Princess is better for the relaxing down time - sea atmosphere. MUTS is much better on Princess because its every night. On RC its only when no water show. Both are great......depends on what you are looking for.

[TRINK]

Well we are sailing with Princess for the first time next week, so I can't compare the two. I have been on 6 Royal cruises including the Oasis. We absolutely loved it. There were 14 of us including our grown children. You never have to worry about getting bored but if you wish just to relax to certainly can. I can let you know more when we return from this cruise. I don't think you would go wrong on the Allure though.

[hubofhockey]

I have not been on the Allure, but my brother has. While his observation may have nothing whatsoever to do with your overall enjoyment of the ship or a cruise on it, I will share it for what it is worth. He said that from an atmospherics standpoint, it seems and feels as if RC has done everything it can to turn your attention inward, whereas most ships are designed to turn your attention outward, toward the sea. The whole atrium design of the Allure brings the heartbeat of the ship into the center and away from the rails. And when he was on his cruise, he hardly felt that he was on a ship at all. Part of this may be a function of having an atrium view room instead of an ocean balcony. But he just thought that RC had gone just a bit too far in making a floating city instead of a ship. Take that for what it is worth.

 

We are booked on the Allure for next Spring and I feared just what your brother seemed to confirm. We booked an ocean balcony cabin (the kids have an inside opposite our cabin). Looking forward to that cruise.

[Megalon]

I have not been on the Allure, but my brother has. While his observation may have nothing whatsoever to do with your overall enjoyment of the ship or a cruise on it, I will share it for what it is worth. He said that from an atmospherics standpoint, it seems and feels as if RC has done everything it can to turn your attention inward, whereas most ships are designed to turn your attention outward, toward the sea. The whole atrium design of the Allure brings the heartbeat of the ship into the center and away from the rails. And when he was on his cruise, he hardly felt that he was on a ship at all. Part of this may be a function of having an atrium view room instead of an ocean balcony. But he just thought that RC had gone just a bit too far in making a floating city instead of a ship. Take that for what it is worth.

 

I believe this post is very insightful. I have cruised Freedom of the Seas and enjoyed it. But it was very different than my three Princess cruises. Attention was definitely turned inward. In the same vein, Allure/Oasis cruises seem to be "port poor" in comparison to Princess Caribbean choices, further turning attention to the ship. Again, not saying the Allure would not be enjoyable, but these are some possibly relevant differences.

[RoePost]

We are princess elite...but sailed on Allure this past November....The Allure is a wonder..really worth sailing on...the entertainment and activities never stop..so I would say it is more lively than Princess.. IMHO food is far better on Princess, but with so many places to eat on Allure, you will never go hungry! I say go for it...think you will enjoy....as a matter of fact, we booked Grand Princess Thanksgiving week and hoping on the Oasis the next week.....

[eroller]

I'm a long time Platinum cruiser on Princess, and I've sailed on both OASIS and ALLURE. I think they are amazing ships and an awesome experience.

 

I wrote an extensive review and took over 300 pics of the ship. You can find them here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=28142962

 

Regarding the ship itself and the entertainment ... I don't think anything compares at sea, Princess or otherwise. The ship is absolutely gorgeous and there is really something for everyone. Lots of activity and plenty of places to escape. I really loved Dazzles, which was like a 30's inspired dance club (big band) that looks over the back of the ship. It's lovely.

 

Ernie

[Leanne3c]

I have been on Oasis once and Allure twice! Both ships are wonderful!! I wouldn't hesitate recommending either one. The theatre shows equal that of a broadway production... There is always something going on!! I will be taking my first Princess cruise next week, von the Crown I'm looking forward to seeing what Princess has to offer as I have 6 RC's under my belt!!

[lovevacadays]

I have not been on the Allure, but my brother has. While his observation may have nothing whatsoever to do with your overall enjoyment of the ship or a cruise on it, I will share it for what it is worth. He said that from an atmospherics standpoint, it seems and feels as if RC has done everything it can to turn your attention inward, whereas most ships are designed to turn your attention outward, toward the sea. The whole atrium design of the Allure brings the heartbeat of the ship into the center and away from the rails. And when he was on his cruise, he hardly felt that he was on a ship at all. Part of this may be a function of having an atrium view room instead of an ocean balcony. But he just thought that RC had gone just a bit too far in making a floating city instead of a ship. Take that for what it is worth.

 

I wondered if this would be the case. I've sailed older RCI ships and liked RCI just fine. However, I haven't even felt the need to try the Allure or Oasis for the reason above and because it seems like there would be so many more kids on board due to the many family oriented features.

[lovevacadays]

I have been on Oasis once and Allure twice! Both ships are wonderful!! I wouldn't hesitate recommending either one. The theatre shows equal that of a broadway production... There is always something going on!! I will be taking my first Princess cruise next week, von the Crown I'm looking forward to seeing what Princess has to offer as I have 6 RC's under my belt!!

 

Please come back and post a comparison review on Princess boards. I'd love to hear what you have to say.

 

Enjoy your cruise on the Crown

[littlesteelo]

The space to passenger ratio is very high on the Oasis Class, so despite the number of passengers, they will likely feel less crowded than the Caribbean/Crown/Emerald/Ruby.

[tobyt]

We did RC with the entire family in June, it was a fab trip and ship was wonderful. Food was less thoughtful from my point of view, activites and shows beat Princess due to variety and quality but the reservations made the whole trip very planned just to get into the venue productions. Princess wins on cabin service and RC had no hair conditioner in the baths and the entire family had tangled locks!

Adult area was very posh and it was nice to get away without paying for the Sancuary.

 

Price per person was much higher than Princess. Overall, both great products I would do either in a heartbeat but do understand that because of size RC is limited on ports for Allure and Oasis. Enjoy whatever you decide!

[Ginnyfyr]

I have sailed 2 times on the Ruby and 1 time on the Sapphire and love these ships. I don't have any complaints about Princess, but am curious about Royal Caribbean's Allure. The size and things it has to offer is tempting. If anyone has sailed on Royal Caribbean or the Allure, can you tell me the differences? I am 42 and my mom is 67. We love Princess for their food, entertainment, MUTS and overall apperance.

 

We'll do our 3rd Princess cruise in March and have sailed twice with RCI, most recently in Sept 2011 on the Oasis of the Seas (sister ship to the Allure). The shows we saw on Oasis were out of this world...I think they've ruined us for all other entertainment on cruises, lol. Just fantastic productions across the board. We felt the food and service on Princess was superior...not that food/service sucked on Oasis, it just felt more personalized & of better quality (food) on Princess. There was definitely lots more to do on Oasis, but I prefer the relaxing atmosphere of the Princess ships where you can participate if you want to but it's not in-your-face stimulation 24/7. In general, we've always enjoyed 100% of the actual ship on Princess, but Oasis felt really compartmentalized. I recall walking through the promenade on the 5th deck and my husband and I both said we felt like we were in a mall - it really did not feel like we were on a ship at all. That said, we did both love the Central Park area of the ship; it was a great place to relax in the "park" with all the live trees and greenery (in comparison, we avoided the boardwalk end of the ship with the candy shop and carousel...too many kids in one place for our liking!) Oh, the adult only area on Oasis was beautiful, too, and no cost vs Princess charging to use their Sanctuary area.

[kobecat]

We are Princess Elite and in general they are our favourite cruise line.

 

However we also love RCL and went on the Allure in November. It was awesome! CD was the best ever, also the Captain Johny is so funny.

 

We didn't really find it that crowded except for the special nights on the Promenade.

 

Go for the experience - it is amazing.

 

Beryl

[kkorman]

Simple... Yes.

[suzyed]

We are Princess Elite and in general they are our favourite cruise line.

 

However we also love RCL and went on the Allure in November. It was awesome! CD was the best ever, also the Captain Johny is so funny.

 

We didn't really find it that crowded except for the special nights on the Promenade.

 

Go for the experience - it is amazing.

 

Beryl

 

Is that Captain Johnny who used to be on the Mariner? He was a hoot!!

[CMHCruiseCouple]

As a long time Princess cruiser I have always wondered about RCI and question those who have sailed those ships. I’ve heard mostly positive comments.

 

The Allure was two berths down from the Ruby last week; impressive ship at dock and in motion.

 

My biggest reservation about such huge ships (and not just RCIs) is port loading. It is bad enough when Ruby (3,080) arrives in port and her passengers swallow a town. Add a couple more ships of 3,000 and you have a mess.

 

As an example, port loading at Philipsburg (St Maarten) on 2/15 was estimated at 12,126 with just three ships in port: Carnival Dream, Ruby Princess, and Oasis of the Seas (http://cruisett.com/ports.php?PortID=511&date=42). It jumps to over 18,000 Feb 28th.

 

Now we have these stunning RCI monsters (5,400 pax plus some of the 2,100 crew) streaming ashore and many stops are no longer pleasant.

 

Wife and I have grown weary of the larger ships and are striving for a voyage on one of the smaller Princess ships. Size does matter, but in this case we have found smaller is more desirable.

 

In summary, we are tempted by Allure and Oasis. The sailing experience may be wonderful, but hordes of folks ashore is not our idea of fun.

 

Cheers!

[05mak05]

I believe this post is very insightful. I have cruised Freedom of the Seas and enjoyed it. But it was very different than my three Princess cruises. Attention was definitely turned inward. In the same vein, Allure/Oasis cruises seem to be "port poor" in comparison to Princess Caribbean choices, further turning attention to the ship. Again, not saying the Allure would not be enjoyable, but these are some possibly relevant differences.

"Port Poor" is such an apt description. Last year the Mariner was an 8 day Christmas cruise was 4 great ports. This year, we are holding bookings on both the Mariner and the Crown Princess over the holidays. Princess goes to Costa Maya, Cozumel, Belize City and Roatan. RCI is going to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Looks like we'll return to Princess after a 10 or 11 year absence.

[reggielew]

Hi!

 

My husband and I are elite on Princess (23 cruises) and are planning to be on the Ruby in 2 weeks. We went on the Allure in January and absolutely loved it. The shows were the best that we have ever seen, and the ship itself was magnificent. Amazingly enough, nothing was crowded! The ship is huge, and with so many different areas for people to go to, there were no crowds except in the Promenade during the parade and the 70's night. The embarkation was the quickest and most efficient we have ever experienced.

 

The only negative that we found was the food--not bad, but not nearly as good as on Princess which is still our overall favorite. However,we hope to go on more than one cruise next year and are planning to try the Oasis in addition to another Princess cruise. On the Allure we had a balcony cabin overlooking the Boardwalk and thoroughly enjoyed that location as we could watch all the activity going on there and could also overlook the aft of the ship and the water. Although the Allure is a different experience from Princess, they are both great, and I'm sure you'd enjoy both.

[hubofhockey]

"Port Poor" is such an apt description. Last year the Mariner was an 8 day Christmas cruise was 4 great ports. This year, we are holding bookings on both the Mariner and the Crown Princess over the holidays. Princess goes to Costa Maya, Cozumel, Belize City and Roatan. RCI is going to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Looks like we'll return to Princess after a 10 or 11 year absence.

 

I would think that most people booking the Allure really don't care about the ports. To us, the ship is the destination. We have been on too many Caribbean cruises and the ports get tiresome. We will only get off the ship at St Martin and St Thomas (to get the ferry to St John) for a couple of beach days. If it were western Caribbean route, I probably wouldn't even get off the ship.