My two cents on the Allure

[Canusa02]

We just finished sailing the Allure, our third Royal Caribbean and fourth cruise overall since we began cruising in 2005.

The Allure is beyond comparison on some levels, so much so that the Allure and Oasis probably should be reserved for 10 day or longer cruises.

I have found that the general population food is not as good as Royal's food was in 2005 & 2006.

To walk out of Vintages with a glass of Malbec, sit in Central Park, and listen to the live music (or the sounds of crickets) was probably one of my favorite evening activities.

I'd most likely sail with Royal again, but probably not on Allure or Oasis. I liked Allure, but not enough to justify the extra cost.

[traveling1969]

We just finished sailing the Allure, our third Royal Caribbean and fourth cruise overall since we began cruising in 2005.

The Allure is beyond comparison on some levels, so much so that the Allure and Oasis probably should be reserved for 10 day or longer cruises.

I have found that the general population food is not as good as Royal's food was in 2005 & 2006.

To walk out of Vintages with a glass of Malbec, sit in Central Park, and listen to the live music (or the sounds of crickets) was probably one of my favorite evening activities.

I'd most likely sail with Royal again, but probably not on Allure or Oasis. I liked Allure, but not enough to justify the extra cost.

Thanks for your observations. We want to try one of the mega ships but the prices are a bit daunting. Oh well, we'll just have to wait for the launching of the Behemoth of the Seas. Then Allure and Oasis prices ought to come down.:)

[Cruising89143]

The Oasis class ships are not for everyone which is why RCI has so many different size ships to enjoy. I for one will always take an Oasis class ship for a standard Caribbean cruise. They are my favorite by far. When it comes to the itinerary being more important then I will step down to a smaller ship.:)

[janetz]

We did our first RC cruise on the Oasis and our first NCL on the Dawn 6 months later. Loved both. Demand is great for the mega ships and that is why the price stays up. We reserved a year and a half out for the Oasis. Looking at the Allure for next year. Prices seem to be about the same as when we did our first RC cruise. I agree to the 10 day cruise for these mega ships. :)

[phoenix1181]

Price & time are the two things that keep us from booking Oasis or Allure. I know 7 days won't be enough for me to enjoy everything so until the prices come down enough for us to be able to do a B2B, we'll stick with the smaller ships.

[storm1of4]

It's not just the cruise fare that is higher on the Oasis class.......we always seem to spend more on board too

[truffles2]

I guess it just depends on when you are cruising but we are paying more for Freedom class than Allure on upcoming cruises. Check around and you should be able to find comparable prices for Allure.

[Phillies14]

Thanks for your observations. We want to try one of the mega ships but the prices are a bit daunting. Oh well, we'll just have to wait for the launching of the Behemoth of the Seas. Then Allure and Oasis prices ought to come down.:)

And Both ships have balconies that are not so bad. As far as waiting for them to launch something bigger...good luck you'll be waiting a long time:rolleyes:

[truffles2]

And Both ships have balconies that are not so bad. As far as waiting for them to launch something bigger...good luck you'll be waiting a long time:rolleyes:

 

Not so long.

[will773]

Not so long.

 

The new ships aren't going to be larger than the Oasis class.

[lori450]

price has held me back from booking Oasis or Allure. I check every now and then, but a real balcony (water view) cabin still is too expensive for me. I know it's probably just me. I think I have gotten used to paying only a certain amount and have trouble paying more.

[KGSB11]

It's not just the cruise fare that is higher on the Oasis class.......we always seem to spend more on board too

 

Sounds to me like RCCL has found a winning formula!

 

I plan to sail on Oasis in summer if 2013 :D(first RCCL Cruise)...looking forward to it, lest something major changes my plans.:D

[yarlenna]

We just finished sailing the Allure, our third Royal Caribbean and fourth cruise overall since we began cruising in 2005.

The Allure is beyond comparison on some levels, so much so that the Allure and Oasis probably should be reserved for 10 day or longer cruises.

I have found that the general population food is not as good as Royal's food was in 2005 & 2006.

To walk out of Vintages with a glass of Malbec, sit in Central Park, and listen to the live music (or the sounds of crickets) was probably one of my favorite evening activities.

I'd most likely sail with Royal again, but probably not on Allure or Oasis. I liked Allure, but not enough to justify the extra cost.

 

Try the food in the 70s. Now that was great food. Of course things were different then. The "casino" was a few slots and that was it. The entertament was tiny - no production shows, no ice shows, no musicals - - - you get the picture. Things change. Sometimes for the best and other times not so much.

[CruiseAwayWithMe]

I'm debating sailing Allure, sometimes I say that I should book it right now but other times I wonder if I should. I've been on Royal Caribbean before, but they are making the ship like an indoor ship. I prefer the ocean. :D I agree about making the mega ships 10 days long, 7 is never enough.

[praline3001]

We just finished sailing the Allure, our third Royal Caribbean and fourth cruise overall since we began cruising in 2005.

The Allure is beyond comparison on some levels, so much so that the Allure and Oasis probably should be reserved for 10 day or longer cruises.

I have found that the general population food is not as good as Royal's food was in 2005 & 2006.

To walk out of Vintages with a glass of Malbec, sit in Central Park, and listen to the live music (or the sounds of crickets) was probably one of my favorite evening activities.

I'd most likely sail with Royal again, but probably not on Allure or Oasis. I liked Allure, but not enough to justify the extra cost.

 

I think it depends on the people in your party. We are bringing 3 kids on the Allure. We never have brought them cruising due to the boredom factor. There wasn't enough to do (IMO) to justify the cost of bringing them. If there are folks in the party who love to ice skate, surf, zip line and especially if you have teenagers the Allure will be worth the cost. If it were only hubby and I sailing I would have picked a smaller, more intimate ship.

[vivavegas]

The new ships aren't going to be larger than the Oasis class.

 

I sure hope not! It's impossible to see everything in 7 days...

[praline3001]

I sure hope not! It's impossible to see everything in 7 days...

 

They won't be and they have already stated that the sunshine class will be smaller. I am throwing the gauntlet in saying the Oasis class will be the biggest ship RC has. I was watching an interview and read a few with the engineers and CEO and the problem comes in with the lack of ports they have for options. There are very few places the Allure and Oasis can port making options limited. I think we will see smaller ships in the future but smarter ships... better use of space.

[Canusa02]

I think it depends on the people in your party. We are bringing 3 kids on the Allure. We never have brought them cruising due to the boredom factor. There wasn't enough to do (IMO) to justify the cost of bringing them. If there are folks in the party who love to ice skate, surf, zip line and especially if you have teenagers the Allure will be worth the cost. If it were only hubby and I sailing I would have picked a smaller, more intimate ship.

 

We had a little bit of every type of person in our group and, as my post's title states, I was just offering a brief opinion of my own. As much fun stuff as there is to do and see on the ship (and I did as much as I could squeeze into a week), I think the benefits do not outweigh the costs.

I do think that, if possible, everyone should try Allure/Oasis at least once. It's just with our airline travel costs being triple that of U.S. rates, and that we only get to cruise once every 2-3 years, I would have been that much closer to saving for the 2014 trip.

I know you and your family will absolutely love the ship. Get to the zip line early, as they will let you keep the harness on if there is not a big line-up. It allows you a few extra rides without waiting in the heat. Of course, if you get to hot, there is soft-serve ice cream waiting nearby.

[praline3001]

We had a little bit of every type of person in our group and, as my post's title states, I was just offering a brief opinion of my own. As much fun stuff as there is to do and see on the ship (and I did as much as I could squeeze into a week), I think the benefits do not outweigh the costs.

I do think that, if possible, everyone should try Allure/Oasis at least once. It's just with our airline travel costs being triple that of U.S. rates, and that we only get to cruise once every 2-3 years, I would have been that much closer to saving for the 2014 trip.

I know you and your family will absolutely love the ship. Get to the zip line early, as they will let you keep the harness on if there is not a big line-up. It allows you a few extra rides without waiting in the heat. Of course, if you get to hot, there is soft-serve ice cream waiting nearby.

 

Transportation to the port is a big consideration. We live within a days drive from the port and will be driving it rather then flying. For the 5 of us to fly we were looking at over $1000.00. Granted gas isn't cheap but nowhere near that cost for us to drive the 11 hours. I was able to book a room the night before at the Hyatt North. They have a cruise special where you can stay 5 to a room (2 double beds and a queen sofa sleeper) and park your car there for up to 14 days (included in the cost of the room) and transfer to the port, less then 2 miles away. The cost was $139 total. The Hyatt is a nice hotel and will be a cheap, clean place to sleep the night before the cruise. So for us transportation was not as big of a consideration as it is for some. If I had to spend $2000.00 on plane tickets chances are we would have picked a cheaper cruise. lol

[firefly333]

I found that Oasis had better food in the MDR and other venues than other RCL ships. Bigger lobsters for instance, not the tiny ones on other ships.

 

If you thought the food was not as good as 2005 and not worth the extra cost .. you will think that even more on other RCL cruises.

[janetz]

I have been watching the prices on the Allure for May 2013 which us pretty far out. Three days ago the prices jumped...ugh

Yes, flying into FLL, staying at a hotel tacks on at least another 800 to 1000 for us.

[Big_G]

Price & time are the two things that keep us from booking Oasis or Allure. I know 7 days won't be enough for me to enjoy everything so until the prices come down enough for us to be able to do a B2B, we'll stick with the smaller ships.

 

I guess it just depends on when you are cruising but we are paying more for Freedom class than Allure on upcoming cruises. Check around and you should be able to find comparable prices for Allure.

 

You definitely should book early. We booked 11 months out and got a D4 for under $1300 pp. It's one of the few times I used a TA and got a $100 OBC.

 

I'm debating sailing Allure, sometimes I say that I should book it right now but other times I wonder if I should. I've been on Royal Caribbean before, but they are making the ship like an indoor ship. I prefer the ocean. :D I agree about making the mega ships 10 days long, 7 is never enough.

 

That's pretty much a fallacy. While there is a ton more inside the ship, there's no less outdoor space.

[maxxedout2]

We just finished sailing the Allure, our third Royal Caribbean and fourth cruise overall since we began cruising in 2005.

The Allure is beyond comparison on some levels, so much so that the Allure and Oasis probably should be reserved for 10 day or longer cruises.

I have found that the general population food is not as good as Royal's food was in 2005 & 2006.

To walk out of Vintages with a glass of Malbec, sit in Central Park, and listen to the live music (or the sounds of crickets) was probably one of my favorite evening activities.

I'd most likely sail with Royal again, but probably not on Allure or Oasis. I liked Allure, but not enough to justify the extra cost.

 

Thanks for the confirmation. I mean I've that from others. Nice...once, but

better value elsewhere. Funny that the better value can mean other Royal

ships such as Liberty or Indy.

 

Oh well. Never say never. Just not ready to spend that kind of money yet...

maybe try Oasis/Allure if they would do a 4 or 5 day trip sometime...since we are local

the 4/5 dayers are easy.

 

:cool::cool:

[ministerb]

Booked a cruise on Allure for 04/2013 for my 40th birthday and my son's 16th. I've been planning since 02/2011 and finally booked it this past September and paid it off a little before Christmas. Because of the cost of the rooms (Jr suite with connecting ocean view balcony for the kids) me and the DW seriously considered other ships. But because I have other family members who are going and they really wanted to expirence this ship at least once and because it is a special occasion I said what the heck. Since we had the means why not go and if I feel it was worth it I'll go back.

[BillOh]

Booked a cruise on Allure for 04/2013 for my 40th birthday and my son's 16th. I've been planning since 02/2011 and finally booked it this past September and paid it off a little before Christmas. Because of the cost of the rooms (Jr suite with connecting ocean view balcony for the kids) me and the DW seriously considered other ships. But because I have other family members who are going and they really wanted to expirence this ship at least once and because it is a special occasion I said what the heck. Since we had the means why not go and if I feel it was worth it I'll go back.

 

Just in case you missed it in the other thread, I wanted to invite you to join our roll call group, all of people traveling on the same cruise. It might help pass the year plus we have to wait.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1519365