The Allure Issac Cruise - Our Views

[fisherguy]

My family (DW, DD (11) and I) with my inlaws cruised on the now infamous 5 day Issac cruise. I won't re-hash the details of what we got from RCCL as compensation but we were quite satisfied with the outcome. Planning for this cruise started last year when we were on the Disney Dream (on the infamous Irene Cruise!!) and saw the Allure pull up beside us while docked at Nassau.

 

As nice and big as the Dream was, it was no comparison to the Allure, not even close. We booked our cruise on the Allure not too long after.

 

Here are some of my thoughts on the cruise:

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation:

 

No complaints here. Very little wait time to get on the ship. We arrived at the pier around 10:00 and got on not too long afterwards. A big contrast from our Carnival Splendor cruise in which we were herded like cattle into numerous groups and made to sit in the hot sun for an hour or so. At the end of the cruise, disembarkation was even smoother. We elected to take our luggage off ourselves and quickly got off the ship. Our flight was in the afternoon but we could have easily booked a mid morning flight.

 

Dining:

 

We did not try any pay restaurants (thought we'd save that for a future cruise on the allure). Overall, I thought the food in the dining room was on par with all the other mainstream cruiselines we have gone on. Really not that much different although on the second to last dinner in the MDR, I had probably the best Prime Rib I have ever eaten on any cruise ship. What really sets the Oasis Class ships apart from all the other large ships on other lines, are the choices. We spent very little time in the Windjammer choosing instead to dine in the Park Cafe and the Solarium. I was impressed with the amount of healthy choices that the ship had to offer. My favorite spot for breakfast was the Solarium. I like to eat healthy, and the Solarium seemed to have a lot of choices for me; Smoked salmon, variety of tropical fruits, Oatmeal, Turkey Sausage and Turkey Bacon. I loved the made to order Salads in the Park Cafe and it was my favorite venue for lunch. We went to the Cafe Promenade and Sorrento's a couple of times for a late night snack after the shows.

 

 

Service:

 

No complaints here as well. Our room steward Roberto was friendly and very efficient. He told us that they only did Towel animals every other day. On one morning, my daughter (who took towel folding lessons on cruises in the past) surprise our steward by creating one on her own. He got a big chuckle out of that.

 

We loved our wait staff. We had my time dining but made reservations for 5:30 every day. Hera and Tatiana were terrific. Hera especially worked very hard and seem to anticipate what we wanted. My MIL always like to try more than one desert but was always too embarrased to ask for more. Hera sensed this and brought out more desserts in addition to what we ordered. We finished dinner with plenty of time to walk around and relax before our shows. In the end, we tipped more on top of our prepaid gratuities.

 

 

Entertainment:

 

This was what sets the Allure and Oasis apart from every other cruise ship out there. The entertainment was terrific. I normally don't go to many shows (other than comedy) on other cruises but on the Allure, I went to every one of them. I can't say for sure whether they were "Vegas" quality but they were good enough for me. I loved the reservation system which I think other cruise lines should look towards implementing. We always went about a half hour before start time and was able to get prime seating for all of us. A quick tip for those going to the Ice show, try and get front row seats. I was amazed at how close you get to the action. You can hear the blades cutting through the ice and sometimes feel the spray of snow when they stop. A totally different perspective than sitting higher up in the stands.

 

 

 

I would have to rank this cruise up there with some of my best ones. We did more in 5 days than we have on 7 day cruises that we have taken and we still didn't try everything we wanted (zip line, flow rider, mini golf, rock wall etc..)

 

To be honest, before we took the cruise a part of me thought that a ship like the Allure would be a bit gimmicky what with all the stuff on there that didn't have much to do with cruising. But when I walked through the doors to Central Park on deck 8, those thoughts were quickly dispelled. The peaceful, soothing setting of central park was like nothing that I have ever experienced before on a cruise ship.

 

We dropped off our next cruise deposit at the end of our cruise and look forward to cruising with her again.

[utkikr21]

We were on this sailing with you and I couldnt agree more with your review. It was dissapointing to miss out on two days on this wonderful ship but to me RCI went above and beyond what they had to do to make us happy. We too look forward to sailing on her again in the future!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for the great review. I am sorry your cruise was cut short, but I hope that you are able to make up for it with a future cruise. We are looking forward to our April 28 cruise, hopefully without a hurricane!:eek: