LIVE: Allure Western 7/1-7/8/12 with SilentBob007 and family

[silentbob007]

Pictures are up of the bridge tour and the Prohibition Party. I also put on some more Oceanaria pics.

[cruisinfanatic]

Pictures are up of the bridge tour and the Prohibition Party. I also put on some more Oceanaria pics.

I don't see where to get your pictures

[Host Faith]

I don't see where to get your pictures

 

Here you go: :)

 

Try this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16799473@N00/archives/date-posted/2012/

 

 

Great job so far, silentbob007! Thank you for sharing your vacation with us :)

[jarz85]

Pictures are up of the bridge tour and the Prohibition Party. I also put on some more Oceanaria pics.

 

Great pics! Do you know if the bridge tour is free for suite guests? Or is it only for the diamond etc cruisers?

[Coolcruise02]

Great review! :)

[SailingSiren]

We would have been fine except for comedy and the top tier event. Only other show was late love md marriage.

 

Now I'm confused, from info. gathered from other views and posts, Quest is supposed to be this night and Love & Marriage on the night before (the night in Labadee). Is that not the case? Sorry, but my reservations for shows will open soon and I want to be prepared! :)

[LBumb]

enjoy the rest of your cruise

[silentbob007]

Now I'm confused, from info. gathered from other views and posts, Quest is supposed to be this night and Love & Marriage on the night before (the night in Labadee). Is that not the case? Sorry, but my reservations for shows will open soon and I want to be prepared! :)

 

No I believe you are right ... sorry ... I didn't go to either so it's not firm in my head. L&M was Labadee and Quest was near midnight on Wednesday (Jamaica).

[Clamett]

Great pics! Do you know if the bridge tour is free for suite guests? Or is it only for the diamond etc cruisers?

Yes suite quests are also invited.

[silentbob007]

Day 5: At Sea

 

After two port days in a row, it was time for a sea day. We started the day with our now usual routine of my mom, dad, and I going to the Concierge Lounge for breakfast round 8 AM, then my mom and my niece returning around 9:30 for her to get something. I’ve kept to omelets, though there are also some very good fruit and cream pastries available. You can really tell a difference when the donuts are “fresh” at breakfast when compared to the ones on the Boardwalk … the icing has a nice sheen if it is fresh where it is dull and hard if it is not.

 

I would love to say that my sea day routine is super-interesting, but it really isn’t. We attended several trivias, visited the Viking Crown, went shopping, went on a bridge tour (Suite/D+/Pinnacle perk), and visited the casino. This ship is a monster revenue machine with lines for Starbucks coffee and huge crowds gathered around sale specials on the Promenade. I noticed that they did not have any of the “of the Seas” shirts like we wore on embarkation. So far, I’ve only seen them on the Voyager (in December) and the Serenade (in May). They do have the “famous” beer bags onboard though. I asked one of the Schooner Bar waiters about them and the deal is … buy 8 beers (mix/match or all the same) and get the back. When you return, you can use the bag to buy 7 beers and get the 8th free. As for pricing, 8 12-ounce Miller Lites runs about $40 after gratuity. Other or bigger beers would of course run you more.

 

We opted for a quiet, easy lunch in the Concierge Lounge. I ordered a club sandwich and fried shrimp/calamari. They were both quite good, and the shrimp surprised me as it was one of the “big” tempura shrimp as opposed to the standard small fried shrimp. The sliders are and pasta are also tasty according to our group.

 

This was also the second formal night, so once again I donned the tuxedo. We ate dinner in the MDR and have consistently been placed in the same section which is nice for continuity with the wait staff. The MDR manager knows us by name now, so evidently we are big complainers. ;) The oft-mentioned fisherman’s platter made its appearance tonight, though I opted for the prime rib and asked the waiter to just bring out a lobster tail instead of the whole plate. We were offered extra lobster if we wanted, but we declined … it was definitely good looking (still non-Maine) lobster though, so I do give some credence to the thought that the Oasis and Allure get the best selection of lobster.

 

After dinner we had reservations for the headliner act in the Amber Theater. The show was a Beatles tribute called Revolution. I thought it was pretty good with the guys staying in character and treating it more like a concert. Some were disappointed that it wasn’t more of a “show” with variety, but I much prefer this to a disappointing magic or juggling act.

 

After the headliner, my dad and I went back to the cabin and changed into our Prohibition Party outfits. We brought special hats, ties, and shirts for the event. Evidently they were having trouble selling it as it was advertised quite heavily once we were onboard. At 10:30 we joined a line down by Jazz on 4 (which was horrible timing since the ice show was just letting out before that) and were slowly let into the club through the side entrance after showing a pin we had received in our stateroom and saying the password (and getting checked off of the list). Once inside, we choose a seat on the far side near a table for the evening. Drinks flowed very heavily with waiters pushing pre-made cocktails such as a Gin Fizz or Temperance Tea. You could also order off menu, and we had several Hendrick’s Gin and tonics (no lime, but still very good). The jazz group played with one break during the 2-hour event. I wish the group had a sax, but it was pretty good with a singer, bass, piano, and drummer. Some other guests were very dressed up (flapper outfits or pinstripes) while others just came in their normal clothes. The hosts were all in period attire. There were several “activities” during the event such as betting on horses (which made very little sense and was not really worth the time and props used for the setup), a bachelor auction (featuring yours truly much to my surprise … always be nervous when the hosts start asking you personal questions), and two women doing face painting and creating balloon tommy guns.

 

In the end, the party was fun, especially if you like getting into it by dressing up and hearing some good period music. If you don’t like the music or the drinks, I doubt it would be worth $35 to you. Otherwise, it was a good way to spend a few hours … though I’ve been paying for it a little bit today (thankfully not too much). I’ve included some photos on Flickr for your enjoyment. ☺

[irishgal432]

Yes suite quests are also invited.

 

I was in a Grand Suite and inquired about the bridge tour and told it would cost money and was not complementary.

[silentbob007]

I was in a Grand Suite and inquired about the bridge tour and told it would cost money and was not complementary.

 

Which ship were you on? Full suite guests (GS and above) should be able to get a bridge tour arranged through the concierge if there is one on your ship. There is the "All Access" tour that costs $150 as well.

 

I was a little surprised there was not a suite/D+/Pinnacle party on the helipad during sailaway from Labadee. Is that only an Oasis thing? Or did they can the C&A member?

[Clarea]

...I was a little surprised there was not a suite/D+/Pinnacle party on the helipad during sailaway from Labadee. Is that only an Oasis thing? Or did they can the C&A member?

We also heard nothing about any events on the helipad on our Allure cruise last September. We were not in a suite, but are D+.

[SailingSiren]

No I believe you are right ... sorry ... I didn't go to either so it's not firm in my head. L&M was Labadee and Quest was near midnight on Wednesday (Jamaica).

 

No worries! Thanks for setting me straight. I'm Type A, so I have to obsessively plan everything :D

[irishgal432]

Which ship were you on? Full suite guests (GS and above) should be able to get a bridge tour arranged through the concierge if there is one on your ship. There is the "All Access" tour that costs $150 as well.

 

I was a little surprised there was not a suite/D+/Pinnacle party on the helipad during sailaway from Labadee. Is that only an Oasis thing? Or did they can the C&A member?

 

We were in A grand Suite on Oasis in May and specifically asked Francois about a bridge tour and said only the all-access tour was available.

 

Bummer, I will have to be more insistent next time.

[silentbob007]

I guess it could depend on the ship ... I know on Freedom almost everyone else on my tour had a gold card.

[JamesEM]

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to your next report.

[LBumb]

great job

[silentbob007]

Our last day on the ship. :( Cozumel report coming later. Safe travels to everyone on their way. :)

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Our last day on the ship. :( Cozumel report coming later. Safe travels to everyone on their way. :)

 

 

WOW, this sure went by fast!!! :eek:

 

Enjoy your last day and have safe travels home. Standing-by for your pictures.

 

***

[Familygoboston]

Thanks for the info on the prohibition party. Sounds like fun and you looked great, like a real gangster, and did you get to keep the girl?;):p I can't believe this isn't more popular...maybe it's not well advertised, sort of secretive and there are so many new pax on this ships that word of mouth never really happens. I can't wait...sounds like a fun night...I've got to find out when to expect it on the Eastern, so I can plan around it.

I'd love to hear your nieces take on the teen activities...my girls are older but have heard the teen stuff is a bit blah...

 

Can't believe it's Saturday already...hope you are enjoying your last sea day! :(

[AF-1]

Regarding tours of the bridge. I was in OS on Freedom last year. There were no invitations to tour bridge or galley; I checked with Concierge and he said; the no longer give invitations to suite guests; he said you can request a tour of the bridge or galley; and the captain will make a decision to grant the tour.

[silentbob007]

Day 6: Cozumel

 

The Allure arrived in Cozumel fairly early in the morning (8-9 AM) and was docked until a little after 6 PM. We were joined around 10 by the Carnival Magic (which left at about the same time). We really had few plans for Cozumel, so instead dad and I tried to sleep off some of the booze from the night before. We still woke up around 8 AM and headed down to the Concierge Lounge for breakfast. We stayed on the ship until about 11, then headed off. As has become our usual, we navigated through the port area, headed out the gate, and took a right to Puerta Maya (the Carnival pier). This is a much nicer shopping center than Royal Caribbean’s, though there has been progress made at the mall across the street. Puerta Maya, though, has many of the same shops found downtown (Cinco Soles with Pancho’s Backyard, Ron Jon, Cariloha, Diamonds International, etc). We shopped around for a bit, then grabbed lunch at Pancho’s Backyard.

 

I think that the food at Pancho’s is a bit pricey, but has decent quality (I’ve eaten there a few times without issue). We ordered nachos and chimichangas as well as a few drinks (though my dad and I stuck with bottled water). We saw Ken Rush eating here and waved, though we left him to his own time. There is free wifi in the restaurant, so that’s a plus. I would advise against dessert here, though. They were running a two-for-one promotion on tequila pie, which I ordered. It was an airy pie with little substance that cost $9 (no wonder it was 2-1 … and still not worth it).

 

By the time we were done shopping and eating, it was getting quite warm so we headed back to the ship. There was a very short security line when we got back, though they did insist on going through my bag (I’m not sure why). The rest of the day we spent resting or playing trivia until it was time to head to the Concierge Lounge for pre-dinner drinks (ginger ale for me … still fighting the prohibition after effects). I thought that the pork loin was the stand-out at dinner along with the crab cake.

 

After dinner, we had a 9 PM reservation for Blue Planet. We arrived about 8:40 and sat in the reserved seating. They gave up on reserved seating very quickly tonight, leaving at about 8:45. I thought that the show had some nice set pieces, but it did not astonish me as much as Come Fly with Me on the Oasis … perhaps I’ve just been jaded. Not too give away too much, the tree scene, rock scene, and water scenes were all memorable.

 

Tangent: I really hate it when people don’t know how to act at shows. I suppose that since they are not paying admission, some people feel they have free reign to chat, make derisive comments, and generally be rude. We sat in front of about 3 adults managing what seemed like 10 little kids, all of whom wanted to scream and talk during the show. My dad heard someone making nasty comments about the performers for the entire time. Others insist on using their camera flash after being told not too (which not only distracts the cast but is annoying to other audience members).

 

By this time in the cruise, you can really start to feel the thousands of kids. This is something I’ve noticed that usually stays pretty much close to pattern. At the start of the cruise, they are learning how to get around and meeting each other. Near the end, a sense of urgency starts to kick in and they start forming packs that rove the ship. Last night, there were packs of kids sprinting the stairs, horsing around on the mini-golf course, and otherwise running wild. I’ve done pretty well at avoiding kids, but then again, I rarely venture above deck 12 unless it’s to go to the Viking Crown. The sports and pool deck is where the clubs are located and where they tend to congregate.

 

Next up: Day 7 … otherwise known as the sad packing day

[LBumb]

enjoy the remainder of your cruise

[silentbob007]

I have a bunch of ice show pictures, but they'll probably have to wait until I get a cheaper (or free) wifi connection. The last day has been good but we'll be sad to go. We have a late departure (9:30) as we are getting a rental car and staying at the Marriott Harbor Beach for a night.