First time cruiser advice please - Allure of the Seas

[Skyeblue13]

Hi all,

 

I am from Western Australia and have booked my family on the Allure of Seas, Western Caribbean for April 2013. We can't wait, so excited but I have been looking around the forums and am finding it all a bit daunting lol

 

Can anyone please offer any advice re cruising with RCI, any hints or tips would be very much appreciated. I noticed that I have an option to purchase beverage packages, I though that soft drinks were included in the cruise price but does that me that you have to pay for Coke etc and other standard soft drinks are free?

 

Is it a necessity to prebook at the specialty restaurants or can you leave it until you are onboard?

 

Sorry if I sound stupid! Just trying to get me head around it all :p

 

Thanks in advance :D

[macruisefan]

Hi!

 

It can seem a bit daunting, but no worries, you have lots of time!

 

First, don't sweat the details. This board is a great source of information, but you need to put a lot of it in context. A lot of the posts here are from very seasoned cruisers who have fine tuned their own expectations of exactly what they want their cruise vacation to be based on past experiences. As such, to a first timer, it can make relatively small details sound huge.

 

First, a clarification on beverages. The only beverages that are included are water, coffee, tea, and orange juice/ iced tea/ apple juice, or whatever other fountain beverage they pot in machines in the cafe and MDR (sometimes a fruit punch, etc...).

 

Sodas are NOT included. You can purchase a beverage package in advance or once you board that will include unlimited fountain sodas. A search of the RCI sight will reveal the price (or someone here can chime in).

 

As for specialty restaurants, you do not have to book in advance. However, you will have a bit more flexibility regarding nights and times the sooner you do so. I tend to, but that's because I know when I want to go where before I even set sail.

 

Happy planning!

[Merion_Mom]

Hi all,

 

I am from Western Australia and have booked my family on the Allure of Seas, Western Caribbean for April 2013. We can't wait, so excited but I have been looking around the forums and am finding it all a bit daunting lol

 

Can anyone please offer any advice re cruising with RCI, any hints or tips would be very much appreciated. I noticed that I have an option to purchase beverage packages, I though that soft drinks were included in the cruise price but does that me that you have to pay for Coke etc and other standard soft drinks are free?

 

Is it a necessity to prebook at the specialty restaurants or can you leave it until you are onboard?

 

Sorry if I sound stupid! Just trying to get me head around it all :p

 

Thanks in advance :D

 

The Allure also has some delicious "flavored waters" available in several food venues.

 

You will find coffee, tea and water 24/7 in the Café Promenade on Deck 5.

 

The soda package is priced per day, but you must buy for the week - 7 x $6.50 for 18 and older, $4.50 for anyone before the 18th birthday. They add 15% gratuity when you purchase the package.

 

If you purchase a soda package or excursion or specialty restaurant or gratuities before your cruise, it will be charged immediately to your credit card.

 

If you wait until you board, it will go on your SeaPass and you will pay for it with your credit card or cash, however you secure your SeaPass account.

 

Thus, if you have any onboard credit (OBC), it is best to wait until you board to pay for some of these things.

 

:)

[BekkaW]

Hi there, I'm also Australian and sailing on Oasis for the first time in November. Some things have been a bit hard to work out but my roll call group has been a great help!

 

Re drinks: as some have mentioned above water, tea & coffee are included. Also lemonade - but the American kind not like sprite. Also there are apparently flavored waters which I think are like cordial or vitamin water. Anything that comes under the Australian definition of 'soft drink' is an extra charge. We chose to pre-pay this online at about $6 Australian a day - depends on the exchange rate on the day you buy it but it's pretty good at the moment :) you can wait until you board but we decided it was less hassle to do it in advance so that it will be printed on our sea-pass cards

 

re dining: again this is something you can book once you're onboard or can do in advance. We had a look at some threads that had the MDR menus to work out how many times we would likely eat there. The MDR mostly looks pretty good, but I was still keen to try some of the specialties so we booked the central park dining package which includes Giovanni's table on first night, then chops and 150 central park which you book the day/time after you board.

 

Hope this helps! Enjoy your cruise :)

[janetz]

Here are a couple of links to info on the Allure you might enjoy.

http://www.thepreismans.com/Allure_2012.htm

 

 

http://beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-Profile.html

[OTownNick]

Here are some general tips:

 

Wow, what a first cruise! It will be like culture shock when you get onboard. This ship is a beast! Many think this ship is too big and it will be overwhelming to a first time cruiser. Definitely your Roll Call message board will be a great source of information.

 

Wait til you get onboard to decide if you really want the soda package. Many of your group may not need it. The Vitality water they serve is awesome, and all juices are free too.

 

Make sure you book all the shows in advance during the online check in process.

 

I've been on the Allure twice and never found a need to dine in a specialty restaurant. There are so many free options and they are all good. The biggest problem I've had was it was a little stressful arranging your nightly activities and keeping track of things because of your show reservations. Different shows, different nights, different times. It's just something you have to keep track of. And then if you try to fit in other dining reservations in a specialty restaurant, its too much work. Also, depending on the size of your family, I don't know how many will all want to eat in the same specialty restaurant. To me it's just easier to choose from the free options.

 

The thing you want is for this to be as easy and stress free as possible. Try not to worry about too many details, but definitely see all the shows, then work everything else around them.

 

The Solarium at the front of the ship is a great place to get away from the crowds and we loved eating breakfast in there. Lunch at Park Cafe -get the roast beef sandwiches. This is a must.

 

Use the touch screen boards to see how crowded the different restaurants are and avoid the crowds. In general we didn't eat lunch very much in the Windjammer cafe because it tends to be crowded, but check the touch screen boards and you'll know where it's best. The great thing about the restaurants for breakfast and lunch is the variety of places you can go. Try as many as you can. Even Johnny Rockets for breakfast!

 

I hope you have a great time.

[debshomespun]

The biggest must do ahead of time for the Oasis/Allure is to book your entertainment as soon as possible. Usually they become available about 90 days before your cruise. In order to do this, you can set up an account of your own on the Royal Caribbean website. You can then log in and manage your reservation. This is where you can keep track of reservations you have for shows/entertainment, dining, excursions, etc. If you do not make reservations for the shows, there is a wait line and about 10 minutes before the show, they will start to let people in without reservations. This can take up alot of your time on the cruise, by waiting. Some of the lines start to form 1/2 hour before the shows, if not earlier. It can be confusing at times, but well worth the effort to have the reservations before you cruise. Helps to make for a less stress cruise.

 

In order to help keep track of what you have going on each night of the cruise, write it all out on paper, and take it with you. Tape it to your mirror in your cabin, and use it to follow along. Also, I always bring a highlighter, and use this on the cruise compass to mark what I want to do each day, and highlight what shows I have reservations for.

[Skyeblue13]

some wonderful tips there, thanks so much everyone for taking the time to reply :)

[erbunny]

Yes, there is a lot of great advice here. You are certainly jumping in with you very first cruise on Allure ! The ship can be somewhat intimidating, but just relax as much as you can. Definitely get your show reservations done first, then you can work everything else round them. If your children are younger, they will probably not enjoy Chicago so much, but the other shows are great for all ages. The RCCL web site has a calendar that will post all your reservations. I amsure you will have a wonderful time, just give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the ship itself, she is beautiful. And if you find her too big, as some have, Royal has lots of alternatives for your nex tcruise.

[runnerandme]

If you get the soda package, the soda in the minibar is not included in that package.

[Noral]

Here are a couple of links to info on the Allure you might enjoy.

 

http://www.thepreismans.com/Allure_2012.htm

 

 

http://beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-Profile.html

 

Quite amazing all the details here, thank you so much I am busy printing it all off for our cruise March 3 2012 Eastern Caribean...travelling from Australia and our very first cruise...this review just about anwers everything:)

[mkmom514]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but the menus in the main dining room are changing. The Oasis changed over Sept. 1, not sure about Allure. If you're interested in the menus, the Freedom already has the new menus and someone posted them on the board. Just search for new menu.

[Lionesss]

Wow what a nice start to the thread.

Keep the information coming.

Any other great ideas or hints from those that sailed.

Thank you

Sue and crew

[SoonerGirlOKC]

We did the Eastern sailing on Allure in April of this year. When doing all my research i found a useful thread. But remember things can change, like the compasses and menus as stated above, but some great tips anyway.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1401074

 

Also I agree with the statements above, the more planning you can do ahead of time, I think would help especially when it comes to the show's and specialty dining. There is no cost for the shows, but makes it nice to be able to scan your card and walk in and not have to wait in the line with those who did not and wonder if you will get in to that show. Wasted time if you ask me, and certainly better seat selections if you are already one of those with a reservation.

 

You can look at the new menus being posted and maybe talk it over with your group and when the dining reservations come available (usually 90 to 100 days out) make reservations ahead of time. Just try to remember your days you are in port and work around those times. You will have to pay ahead of time with a credit card to reserve before getting on the ship. And - Yes they certainly do fill up. We had several friends try to go to dinner with us on some of our specialty dining nights and could only get into one of those dinners (we had reserved before getting on the ship). Every night we went, the places were packed. (We visited, Izumis, Chops and Ginnovanis)

 

Hope this helps,

[janetz]

Quite amazing all the details here, thank you so much I am busy printing it all off for our cruise March 3 2012 Eastern Caribean...travelling from Australia and our very first cruise...this review just about anwers everything:)

 

 

Your welcome. :)

[Chicagocrooza]

Hi all,

 

I am from Western Australia and have booked my family on the Allure of Seas, Western Caribbean for April 2013. We can't wait, so excited but I have been looking around the forums and am finding it all a bit daunting lol

 

Can anyone please offer any advice re cruising with RCI, any hints or tips would be very much appreciated. I noticed that I have an option to purchase beverage packages, I though that soft drinks were included in the cruise price but does that me that you have to pay for Coke etc and other standard soft drinks are free?

 

Is it a necessity to prebook at the specialty restaurants or can you leave it until you are onboard?

 

Sorry if I sound stupid! Just trying to get me head around it all :p

 

Thanks in advance :D

 

 

Home of the black Swan, you are going to love the Bow and Stern Bar in the Promenade, it's great for ppl watching and great beer selection.

Alex from Costa Rica was the nicest bloke there, we had many good conversation.

I had a video from one of the other bar waiter, dancing and balancing a bottle on top of his head

 

http://www.youtube.com/allure08262012

 

:eek:

[CRUIS4ME]

We took the Allure Western Carib in Feb this past year. The most unusual thing I found was definitely planning before you go! The thought of reserving show times seemed odd - but I was very very happy it was done ahead of time. We had My Time Dining (MTD) and once I got the shows reserved, I immediately reserved MTD times and made sure we had at least 1.5 to 2 hours to dine before showtimes. That gave us enough time to dine, walk a bit, and make it to the shows. I also made a spreadsheet on the computer and plugged in the daily information I was compiling to make sure I had no overlaps or underlaps and it helped immensely. We were able to see all the shows and they were very very well done. Planning ahead takes all stress out of the time on ship and having to make decisions about where, when, who, etc.

We booked the Prohibition Party which was very fun. It is opened for reservations about 60 days before sailing and found under the restaurant options although it is not a restaurant event. It occurs on Thursday night about 1030pm and it is a party that is themed like a speakeasy/roaring twenties type event. Only about 75 people go so it is not overcrowded and the ship's staff play the roles quite well. You may want to research this event here on CC also.

We went to two specialty restaurants - Giovanni's and 150 Central Park which we felt were well worth the cost.

Good luck with your planning and I agree with all above - you will find plenty of help here on CC and your role call.

[ducktoon1]

As everyone has said, be sure to book shows before you get on. You can also book shore excursions, spa reservations, etc as soon as you've made final payment. (but if you're not picky about times, you might want to wait on the spa reservations until you get on the ship because they run specials during the cruise). It also saves time if you fill out all your waivers on-line before you board.

 

Other advice is to do a little research on the restaurants before you board and be aware that there are twenty-something dining options, and not all are included. Windjammer tends to be very crowded for late breakfasts (especially on sea days) so we found the Solarium to be the best kept secret on board. When Windjammer was full at lunch time, we hit the wipeout cafe, sorrentos, or park cafe.

 

Also, if you plan to try to rock climbing wall, be sure to bring socks. If you want to go ice skating, you'll need long pants and socks. For the zipline, I think you need close-toed shoes or socks.

 

Have a great time!

[canadiancruiser13]

Here are a couple of links to info on the Allure you might enjoy.

http://www.thepreismans.com/Allure_2012.htm

 

 

http://beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-Profile.html

I really enjoyed looking at the photos and the discription of each. My DW and I, and a friend are planning to sail on the Allure in the Fall of 2013, now after seeing your photos it just makes the waiting time that much longer.

 

Again, thanks for sharing.

[bigkauhuna]

If you purchase pop one glass at a time it will be $2.00 per glass and they are usually small glasses. If you drink three pop a day it is better to purchase the package and with the package you receive a cool carry mug. Enjoy your sailing in the sun

[Skyeblue13]

thank you so very much everyone, some great advice and links there, I really appreciate it :D:D

[Skyeblue13]

thanks so much :)

[Noral]

Thanks so much to all those that posted tips here I have been busily reading most of the day !...We are from Australia and sailing on the March 3rd Eastern Caribbean Cruise...if someone could help with the following :

• Our booking shows "Open" Dining does that mean My Time Dining and if so what does that mean. Also what is the difference between the main dining room and Adagio restaurant and do you have access to both.
  
• Are there DIY Laundry facilities on board?
  
• Wi Fi Access costs ?
  
• On the formal nights is a shirt and tie OK or does it always mean a suit, are open neck shirts an option.
  
• Do you book a wine package before sailing or should we wait till we are on board?
  
• We have pre paid our gratuities already, so do we just tip for individual service when on board ie room service
  
• Any tips on must sees at the various ports of call
  

Again thank you to all of you that have posted such great information, I am in awe of you all:)