Allure With 6 Yr Old - 11/4/12 Review

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This will be my review of the Allure of the Seas, sailing November 4th on the Western Itenerary. Pre-cruise I read everything I could about cruising with a child and I wanted to thank everyone by posting a little review of my own.

 

It was me (36), my husband (41), son (turned 6 on this cruise), and my parents (early 60’s), DH and I have cruised several times, mostly on RCCL but this was our first time taking our son. We pulled our son from school for the vacation because it is nearly impossible for me to travel during the summer due to my job. We did pick a week where the schools were already closed for one day.

 

I’ll admit it – it was not NEARLY as relaxing with DS along. There were the usual whines when having to wait or wanting to do something other than what was available, but he was great overall. And it was fun seeing it through his eyes. I just need to get used to what is “normal” for DH and I on a cruise needs to be adjusted with traveling with a child. I’ll include our highs and lows within the review and do my best.

 

Pre-Cruise

We flew down the night before because I am always worried our flight will be cancelled. We flew in to FLL and caught the free hotel shuttle to the local Fairfield Inn. We have Marriott points so always stay somewhere we can get a free hotel night. The hotel was fine. We had a king room with pull out couch and it worked fine. The pool was quite large and very warm. Breakfast was a basic spread as is typical at Fairfield. For $8 a person there is a shuttle to the cruise line so we bought a ride on the 10 am shuttle because we did not want to wait for the next one at 11:45.

 

SOrry the pics are so big. I thought I had shrunk them enough and just don't have the energy to redo them all again.

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Day 1

 

There were a lot of cruise people taking the shuttle to Ruby Princess and Allure, but they loaded us up quick and it was an easy ride to the cruise port. We left our bags with a porter who attached luggage tags for us and we breezed through the terminal/check-in. There was a mandatory Coast Guard drill which delayed boarding. DS amused himself in the playground (nice feature!).

 

 

He was of course a little whiney with the waiting, but I think we got on about 11:30 when they called the Platinum group.

 

DS was so excited to be on board, but I will admit we rushed him along to lunch as we knew we were ahead of the crowd. We easily found a table in the Windjammer. After the first day we realized the easiest way to handle food was to find a table and hold it by putting down our stuff. I took DS to pick out his food and hold his plate while DH got his food. Then I left DS with DH at the table and went and collected my own food. While DS was usually almost done eating by the time I returned, he was patient while I ate because we allowed him to use his DS during meals when he was done which is a NO NO at all times at home. We are VERY scheduled at home but really try hard to go with the flow and relax the rules when on vacation.

 

During our first lunch was what I consider one of the greatest highlights of the trip. The staff treated DS like a king. I always laughed when I read about similar stories in other reviews. Sort of a “sure they did – they just wanted a tip”. But for the most part - they truly didn’t seem to be angling for a tip. One of the waiters engaged Cole in talking and within 5 minutes knew our entire story (my DS is a people person – what can I say – his shy parents don’t understand where he came from!). Cole loved chatting with Renae from Jamaica and it just set such a great tone for the cruise. Renae ended up working on the 5th floor of the dining room where we ate and made a point to stop by to visit Cole during every meal. Cole also made sure to seek her out every morning during breakfast to say hi.

 

After lunch we put on the swim suits we had packed in our carryon bag and hit the H20 Zone. DS had a great time and we basically had it to ourselves. We had several people comment they wished they had thought to bring aboard their suits instead of packing in their suitcase. The circle pool that moves you without doing anything was a definite highlight for DS and very warm on day one. We also found the hot tub not too hot in the kids area so we let DS get in there a few times which I’m usually hesitant to allow.

 

 

Around this time my parents arrived. They flew in around 12pm, but got stuck in terrible traffic they assume was a result of the fact President Obama was in town. We warned them that the Windjammer was packed and instead they popped in to the Wipeout café which is just down from the H2O zone. They enjoyed their meal and not having to fight the crowds.

 

We then headed to the Flow Rider so DH could try it. We had done our waivers online pre-cruise so it only took a minute for him to get his band. There was a tiny line so DH got on quickly. It seemed like for most of the cruise the flow rider on the right was only for boogie boarding and the flow rider on the left was for standup surfing. The stands for the left flow rider were in the shade a lot more of the cruise (for those of us who burn thinking about sun this is important). DH managed to get up on his knees and is glad he tried it but the flow rider does not interest him as an every day activity.

 

 

We headed down to our room after the pool. They said they opened at 2pm, but it may have been earlier? 3 of our 4 bags had already arrived. Because we’re cheap and like to vacation as much as the budget allows, we had booked an inside room with a pullout couch on deck 10. About a month before our trip we received a gift from the “Upgrade Fairy” to an inside family suite on deck 11 (11147) which is 100 sq feet bigger than what we booked. DS has no idea how good he had it on this cruise. We’ve never received an upgrade before, but we were super excited. The room was HUGE compared to what we’ve had before. The bed was by the closet which left a huge area for DS to play. We had 2 closets and more hangers than we needed which I’ve never said before on a cruise. The bathroom seemed the same size. There was also a nook with 2 permanent bunk beds where a curtain could be drawn across and a small closet. The ladder came off which we kept under the bed since DS slept on the bottom and it made it easier to get out without the ladder.

 

My only complaint is the walls were paper thin. This is the only cruise I’ve ever heard our neighbors. I’m sure in part it was because we’re going to bed when most people are getting ready for dinner, but either our neighbors were really loud or the walls are thin on this room. I always felt I needed to “shush” DS to ensure we weren’t bothering others either.

 

My parents booked an outside view down on Deck 3 (3206) with bed near window. They really liked their room and found it quiet despite the fact Deck 3 is used as the gangway. DS kept asking where our window was so he was much more impressed with the room with the view than with the room with the size! He spent a hour each day having “quiet time” with the grandparents and his favorite seat was in their window.

 

 

 

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As we were settling in, our room steward Omega checked on us. When he learned we were missing a bag we described it and 2 minutes later he had found it and delivered it. Omega treated us well. We did not see him much, but the room was always clean, always prepared quickly, and he took great care of us. I like not being bothered by the room steward. Once DS thanked him for the towel animal on day 2 we got a towel animal each day with a chocolate on our pillow which was so sweet of Omega. My parents received a towel animal every other day which seems standard according to this board.

 

 

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the ship. We walked around the entire jogging track and DS was amazed it had a “hill”. This is the one place where we felt the Oasis class ship is lacking. On all other RCCL ships either deck 4, 5 or 6 has a ton of chairs throughout the entire deck. They are always in the shade and the favorite place for DH and I to sit and read since we avoid full sun like the plague. It was harder to find chairs in the shade for reading on Allure.

 

 

We stumbled in to the welcome show in the Aqua Theater with DreamWorks characters. DS loved it so I wish we had thought to get there at the start. We also visited Adventure Ocean (AO) to sign DS up for kids club. We were disappointed that the 2 counselors present did not speak English very well and were not very welcoming. We filled out the paper and they did not explain anything. More on my AO thoughts later.

 

 

We signed up for MTD as we weren’t sure when DS would want to eat and DH and I had enjoyed the MTD flexibility when we did it on the Freedom. I had made a reservation for 5:45 the first day. We pretty much walked up to the hostess and were seated immediately. By the time we left it was PACKED with tons of groups waiting for a table. I would not judge your experience on the first night. We never saw a wait like that again after the first night. I guess everyone just needed to eat at the same time.

 

We had a great table near the front of the dining room where we could look down and see the piano player. MTD is the entire 5th floor of the dining room with regular seating on the 3rd and 4th floor. Mejdi was our waiter with Sashko as Asst Waiter. On night one they were fine, but a little slow. I will admit I was pretty judgmental and thought they were just “ok.” We had such a fantastic waiter on the Freedom that I think I was setting a high bar. Thankfully my initial impression was wrong. They ended up being a FANTASTIC serving team and Mejdi was one of our highlights. The first night was just crazy for them.

 

We do not pay for specialty restaurants. Partly on principal – I’m already paying for the cruise – all food venues should be free, but mostly because I’m not much of a foody so the fee to dine there is wasted on me. We’ve always enjoyed the main dining room food and this cruise was no exception. We’re pretty easy to please and enjoyed all of our meals. We had the new menus and my dad and DH said they found it better than the old menu. They loved getting shrimp cocktail every night. No photos of menus or the food I’m afraid.

 

I had read complaints that main dining food came out cold. We were sitting at one of the tables furthest from the kitchen and we never found this to be true. Every meal and course was served perfect temp.

 

Dinner took 1 ½ hours most nights but on the 2 nights we had 7:30 shows Mejdi sped us up so we were out in plenty of time to get good seats. DS is a really well behaved kid but I was nervous about the long dinners. He did great. We did make sure to have some coloring books and let him play his DS after dinner which we would never allow at home. We really had no issues at all with the dinner length.

 

It was during dinner that DS spotted Renae again and the nightly ritual began. She was so tickled by DS she started talking about him with her fellow co-workers so every night more and more people stopped by to meet the “famous child.” DS sure did love the attention.

We made a reservation as we were leaving for 6:00 the next night with no problems.

 

We then headed to bed. At home DS goes to bed by 8pm and wakes up by 7am. In six years he has NEVER slept past 7:30 no matter how tired he was or how late he stayed up. So this was one of the biggest changes for us. On past cruises DH and I ate late and always did something into late evening like a show or the casino. Every night this cruise we were all in bed by 8:30 pm to ensure DS was as well rested as possible since we ALL enjoy the days more when we’re not tired. It just seems to work for us on vacations. DH usually falls asleep the same time and I read by my kindle light until a more reasonable hour. In the family suite I could have pulled the curtain between the bed and couch to read, but I didn’t feel the need.

 

We all slept really well on this cruise. I think our mattress may have had an egg crate under it. It was all very comfy.

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Day 2 – Sea Day

I had pre-booked the Character Breakfasts for all 3 sea days since I learned on these boards there are different characters each day. I suggest arriving 7:40 or 7:45 because the characters really do start coming out at 8am. We were seated at a great table where the characters are brought to dance after they come out so DS had great fun watching. We were also the second table to get our photo.

 

 

On this day we saw Alex, Morton, and King Julien. Partway through they invite all the birthday kids in that month to join them for a dance. DS was so excited to pop over and do the special birthday dance each time.

 

 

The servers mentioned several times during the week it was nice to have kids on board. I guess for a few weeks there were no kids. I didn’t feel like there were a ton of kids on board, but definitely most tables at the character breakfast had a child.

 

There was a snafoo this morning that all of our servers tickets did not print in the kitchen so we didn’t get our food until almost 9am. But DS was happy as a clam and it worked out. We heard a ton of complaints around us and a huge line formed with people trying to come in to eat on the other side of the dining room since tables weren’t leaving. We were not the only table to experience this but thankfully had no other issues the rest of the trip. They have a nice menu of pancakes, eggs etc. We declined the tray of chocolate goodies. There is a small buffet set up on the non-character side and we saw several people go over there for some food so you can do that too. I was even able to get a couple of things not on the menu just by asking the server. We ALL enjoyed the character meals and considered it a highlight of the trip.

 

After breakfast my mother went on a walking tour of Central Park with the landscaper. She LOVED this tour and said it was a highlight of her week. It took about 1 ½ hours and she really just raved about it.

 

After breakfast we took DS up for his first AO experience. It did not go well. We had decided to put him in 6-8 group with AO’s approval because that is the group he gravitates to when at after school and summer camp. It took a long time to check in and there were only 2 staff members present. One with the kids and one checking kids in. I didn’t feel like they really greeted DS warmly or made any move to help him acclimate. We mentioned it was his first time and he was nervous. We left DS for one hour and enjoyed the casino.

 

When I returned to pick DS up he was lying on a bench crying hysterically and neither counselor knew it. One counselor was playing dodgeball with the kids while the other was checking kids in/out. I felt like the worst parent ever to have left my child with these uncaring people and DS had trusted us that it would be fun.

 

Now I will say that when the counselor checking kids out finally figured out which one was my DS (she tried bringing over another kid b/c she didn’t know who I was talking about) and saw he was crying she asked what happened and learned that DS got hit hard in dodgeball then she made the other child apologize. But if I hadn’t come, how long would DS have cried unnoticed? What if he had been injured?

 

I was also surprised by how bad their English was. How are young kids going to interact? I understand that most of the staff come from countries where English is not the first language, but I just thought it would be a better English on a boat leaving from the USA in the kids section. The staff said as we can see the 6-8 room is very loud and rough. She suggested we try the 3-5 room next time. This is all well and good this time when DS could still do the 3-5 room, but what about next time we cruise? What about kids who aren’t rough/tumble? Why not a variety of activities for all types of kids?

 

I don’t know what child/staff ratio AO has, but I never thought it was adequately staffed when one of the two spends most of their time checking children in/out.

I had such high hopes for AO and was so disappointed, especially after reading such good reviews on this board. We’ve used a lot of childcare between daycare, summer camps, and after school and this was truly my first bad experience. The staff seemed tired, uninterested and not the friendly group I was hoping for. I was also surprised by the lack of structured activity, but in all fairness DS only spent one hour a day in kids club so maybe he just left before they settled in to real activities.

 

Thankfully the “Move It Move It” parade was starting so we could put our first AO experience behind us. I went up early and snagged seats in the Schooner Bar on the 6th floor that overlooked the promenade. We had a great view and had a front row seat when Puss N Boots descended on the Rising Tides bar. DS LOVED this parade.

 

 

I know we had a nice lunch in the Windjammer and spent time at the pool in the afternoon where DS had his first of many ice creams. He was amazed that free ice cream (usually chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt) was by the pool anytime.

 

It was a bit cloudy this day so we also enjoyed things like mini-golf without baking in the sun. We also watched the Belly Flop competition in the Aqua Theater. It was amazing to see it in this venue. The side screens, replays, and fun sound effects really improve this show. This was a highlight for DS. And I guess why not. Grown men flopping in to the pool and the audience gets to rate it. We all (my parents included) enjoyed this event.

 

 

I had pre-booked the Ice Games ice show so we got ready for dinner early and headed down for the 5pm show. It was not full so the standby folks had no problem getting in. We enjoyed this show, but it is not the best RCCL ice show production I’ve seen. DS enjoyed it but I think found it a little long and very loud (I forgot his noise reducing headphones that normally help).

 

 

We then went to MTD and got placed at the same table. It was formal night and on our way to the dining room we ran into Shrek! We actually only sought out a few character meet and greets since we saw all the rest during the Character breakfasts. I was surprised more Character meet and greets were late at night instead of during the day. Maybe my kid is the only one who goes to bed by 8pm.

 

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Tonight the dining room was empty and our waiter was so much more attentive. He had time to stop and chat and tonight started his rapor with DS. DS was FASCINATED by the crumber and after a couple of days our waiter let DS crumb the table every night. Our waiter could not believe DS declined desert so he brought him what he asked for….

 

 

After dinner we got changed and headed up for a quick game of ping pong. We were able to play mini-golf and ping pong everynight and have the place to ourselves. I guess most people were at dinner or a show about 7:30. DS loved these nightly outings.

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Day 3 - Labadee

 

We woke up and headed up to the Windjammer for breakfast. We always found something we enjoyed up there and I always love the RCCL potatos. DS was able to get a hug from his new friend Renae.

 

We watched the Allure pull in to Labadee and puttered around waiting for the mass exit to finish. About an hour later we got off the boat. You realize how big this ship is once you get off and see it docked. It is really an amazing ship.

 

 

It was HOT and very sunny. A beach goers dream weather – for those of us who aren’t beach people it was just HOT. We walked down a ways before DS was complaining it was too hot, too far, etc. We caught one of the trams and rode down to the spray area where they have water you can shoot at each other, dumping buckets, etc. DS really enjoyed it but after 20 minutes was really complaining of being itchy. We were planning to try one of the beaches but he was miserable.

 

 

Parenting fail #2 – We thought he was faking because we weren’t doing what HE wanted. We decided we didn’t want to stay on Labadee with a kid who was miserable and while waiting for return tram he complained more. We took off his swim shirt and he was covered in a red rash. We still have no idea what caused it. He was wearing the same sunblock he did all week and same suit. It had to be the heat or the water (which had a smell) at the splashpad. I poured some water from my bottle over him and he was instantly less itchy. We never experienced this again in the week.

So we were back on the ship within a hour. Not quite the same experience DH and I would have had traveling alone, but one of those things you have to learn to go along with when you travel with your kid!

 

We had a nice lunch in the Windjammer where we pretty much had it to ourselves. And spent the weekend around the ship, pool, mini golf, etc.

 

After another great dinner in MTD we headed to the 7:30 aqua water show. We told our MTD waiter we wanted to be there by 7:00 so he made sure we were done dinner by then. We had no problem getting the beach chair seating, but it was definitely a full house by show time.

 

Other reviews do not lie – this show was AMAZING. The headliner made looking bad look easy. He was amazing. We had actually gotten glimpses of their practice throughout the week since the aqua theater is so open, but it is nothing like the show. This is a must see. We wished there were more shows so we could have tried to do standby. We all loved it.

After the show they actually drained the 15 foot pool and did 2 days of full maintenance. But had it refilled by Saturday.

 

After that it was off to bed for us.

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Day 4- Jamaica

 

Today was DS’s 6th birthday! He woke us up at 2am raring to go. We convinced him to go back to bed and he slept until 6am - sigh – better at least.

 

I bought magnetic Happy Birthday decorations from Amazon and put them up after DS fell asleep. There were some on the front door (cake, hat, etc) but I forgot to get a picture which helped make it festive and it wasn’t too expensive.

 

 

After a few small presents we went off to breakfast. We were planning to avoid the crowds by eating at Johnny Rockets (free for breakfast) but the Boardwalk was closed for some reason and only the inside booths were available (and full). So we went up to the Windjammer and had a fine breakfast. DS made sure everyone knew it was his birthday.

After breakfast we went up to the arcade. We told DS he could do the arcade as his birthday treat so he wasn’t begging for it all cruise. We spent $20 in there and it goes fast which we expected. There was one game that was so loud it was overwhelming. We actually got DS’s noise reducing headphones as he could not stand it and to be honest I wish I had a pair. He had fun and never asked to go in again.

 

 

Having been to Jamaica several times on other cruises we had no desire to do much. We got off after lunch and visited the shops. They have a nice little area in Falmouth where you really aren’t hassled like I remember in the real Jamaica towns. We got a good view of the back of the boat.

 

 

 

After we got back on the boat DS wanted to try AO again. We took him to the 3-5 group this time and it was a MUCH better fit. I still thought it was strange that there are only 2 counselors when one has to spend so much time checking someone in/out. There was no problem switching to the 3-5 group, but they did tell us he could not go back up to 6-8 which we said was no problem. They had to go to the 6-8 room to get our signed consent form which seemed to annoy them a bit, even though I offered to fill out another one again.

 

Parenting Relief - DS had a great time playing with the toys and computer. We only left him in there an hour in case there were issues. But he left happy. Phew!

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool and eating ice cream of course. DS was disappointed that the circle pool in H20 zone was closed. I guess someone got sick so they had to clean it – yuck – we understood. DS had a nice chicken finger dinner in MTD. He got his much wanted “birthday song” and his new friend Renae (left) made sure to be there to sing.

 

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Our waiter Mejdi let DS serve all the deserts (Mejdi’s idea) which DS thought was so neat. He enjoyed it so much that he asked Mejdi each night if he could do it. I really appreciate Mejdi’s patience to let DS do it, even on the last night when he was really busy.

 

 

Renae also gave Cole a birthday present of a Jamaican shirt – so sweet of her.

There was a “How to train your dragon” ice show that night that required no reservations. Again Mejdi made sure our dinner was done in time for us to get there about 30 minutes early. I think they had 2 shows at 7:30 and 9:30. It was not offered any other day. DS LOVED this show. They show pieces of the movie behind the skating so it is easier to follow along. It could easily be a longer show it was so good. It was a great way to end DS’s birthday. Don’t miss this show!

 

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Day 5 – Sea Day

 

DS slept until we had to wake him to head to the character breakfast which DH and I were grateful for. My parents got in line about 7:40 and were first. By the time we got there at 7:45 there were quite a few in line. There was a woman there who was waiting on standby. On the first day someone in guest services told her all the breakfasts had the same characters so she only reserved the first morning. When she found out differently all reservations were gone. My parents let her in first and she got on the standby list. Today and Saturday she and her family were able to get in.

 

We got the same great table again and no issues getting food this time. We saw SHREK, Fiona, and Puss In Boots.

 

 

After breakfast DS asked to go back AO. I had yet another snafu. The person working there could not find him in the system and said he is supposed to be in the 6-8 group. I said he had been in the 3-5 room yesterday and it was not a problem and they even told us we couldn’t go back up to 6-8. After 10 minutes she finally found what she needed and off he went. He had another nice time. We picked him up in time for Bingo.

 

They did a nice Bingo game where kids get to play free. Unfortunately DS has my luck in BINGO and had terrible cards. We all had fun though. The raffled off 2 free Pets at Sea, a free flowrider lesson and an Aqua Suite for the rest of your stay. DS made us laugh by saying he didn’t need the Pets At Sea certificate because Grampa was buying him one for his birthday present. Grampa reminded Cole that Grampa wouldn’t turn down the chance to get it free!

 

I have to mention how I continue to be disappointed by BINGO. I remember playing 6 games for less than $20 when I first started cruising. It’s now $32 for 4 games and 6 little paper cards. Or $55+ for the machines that play 30+ cards a game. I wish people would stop buying the machines so the cruise line would go back to just paper cards for all. We used to play BINGO every day but now it is so expensive we do it once a cruise.

 

 

We had another nice lunch in the Windjammer and then spent the afternoon doing the same things such as the pool, ice cream, mini golf, etc. DS enjoyed some taco chips in the Wipeout Cafe. The Wipeout Cafe always had tacos, hot dogs, and sandwiches, lemonade, water, and ice cream. I only wish the Wipeout had longer hours.

 

 

We finally made it up to deck 14 and DS was freaked out by how windy it was. We did convince him to stay long enough for a couple of pictures.

 

 

At some point that afternoon my parents took DS to Pets At Sea. They didn’t take any pictures, but DS took us back later to show us what he did. They have a lot of pets and outfits to choose from. No idea the cost. DS loves his “pointy” – at least for today.

 

 

We went to the Boardwalk for the Circus Family Festival. I don’t know if all the family festivals were the same but we were disappointed and did not try to attend any others. The AO staff didn’t really interact with the kids and it was just a few tiny games on the ground. I have no idea what I was expecting but after you’ve seen things like the “Move It Move It” parade I guess you start expecting a little more.

 

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We ran into Morton as we left the festival so of course DS needed another picture. When we were done the Rising Tides bar was about to depart so we jumped on. We had it to ourselves on the way up. A member of the activities staff is on board and this time he danced the whole way up.

 

 

DS thought it was very neat, but a bit slow. We ordered a coke and told DS we had to stay on long enough for me to finish it. I decided not to order the coke package this trip. Having more than 3 sodas a day when I like milk and lemonade too is a stretch. It was definitely cheaper for me to go without. I only had 1-2 cokes a day. DS entertained himself by dancing around. He then worked on his reading by reading the drinks menu – hey – at least he was reading! I hope his kindergarten teacher doesn’t wonder why he can now spell Martini! The bar goes back down after about 15 minutes so we stayed on and rode it down.

 

 

When the bar is not going up and down there is a neat fountain that DS liked to watch from the 5th deck under the rising tides bar.

 

It was formal night again and we had another good meal in MTD. When Mejdi saw how much my father and husband enjoyed the meals he always brought one extra dish they did not order to sample and usually one to two deserts. These dishes did not go to waste and the boys felt very spoiled.

 

After dinner we enjoyed the hot tub and pizza. Pre-cruise DH and DS had been joking about sneaking down to get pizza every night since DH used to love this midnight snack on past cruises. In reality, DS was only awake enough to do it once, but he enjoyed it.

I thought the H20 Zone could be open a little later at night. It was advertised closing at 8pm but it was definitely closed by 7. Maybe in the summer it is open later?

 

 

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Day 6 – Cozumel, Mexico

 

We went to Johnny Rockets this morning to avoid the Windjammer crowds and had the place to ourselves (3 other tables I think)? It was fantastic. A nice menu with eggs, pancakes, French toast, etc. Service was quick and we did not wait long for food. The portions were huge – DS and I should have shared. My parents found us in there as we were almost done and they were so jealous of our nice quiet breakfast. They said the Windjammer was JAMMED at 7am and they only had one side open. We later learned it was an unusually busy day for them up there. Hopefully they will rethink the amount of time they only keep one side open in the future. I know they need time to set-up and prep but if one side can’t handle the people it does not help.

 

I was really nervous to do a beach after our disaster of Labadee. My family convinced me to give it a try. Getting off the boat you again get such a great perspective of how big this boat is. We had the Carnival Magic beside us and downtown Cozumel there were 2 Norwegian boats (DH used the binoculars on deck 14 later in the day to check who it was).

 

We decided to go to Chankanaab National Park as we had been there once before. It was a bit confusing finding the cabs through all the shops but we finally did. It was only $15 for all 5 of us to take a cab to Chankanaab. We were there by 9:30am (8:30 Cozumel time) and I think possibly the first group. It cost DH, DS and I $52 entrance.

 

I am so glad we went. DS had the BEST time. This was the first time I’ve ever been in Cozumel when it was cool. There was no humidity and it was a beautiful cool windy day. Everyone was commenting on how lovely it was. We walked through all their nature trails and DS enjoyed seeing all the statues. We peaked in on the crocodiles and then headed over to the beach. DS & DH had a great time at the little inlet. DH said there was quite a bit of trash in the water but it didn’t bother them.

 

After that we moved over to the pool. It was COLD, but that did not stop DS and DH. We also had a good view of the dolphins. There were always 3-4 groups swimming in the dolphins.

 

At 10:30 we went to the Sea Lion show. It was cute but be warned that it is mostly in Spanish. The tricks are really cute and it’s free with admission. We skipped out on the pictures at the end. I had packed some boxed cereal from breakfast that the family munched on while waiting for the show to start. We all avoid food in Mexico. I’m sure most of it is fine, but we’ve still heard the horror stories.

 

I have to make a note that the bathrooms were amazing. Hotel quality. It is the little things that make me happy ☺ We then spent some time looking for the large iguanas but alas they were hiding. We headed back to the boat about 12pm. If we didn’t have DS we agreed we could spend a couple more hours lounging on the beach, but that is ok – next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a quiet lunch in the Windjammer and spent the rest of the afternoon on the usual stuff. When DS hung with my parents DH and I relaxed in the Solarium. It really is a nice place and if we had been without DS we would have probably spent a ton of time in here. Sorry no pictures.

 

DS played shuffleboard for the first time today as it took us a couple of days to figure out where it was. It was actually closed while they were working on the aqua pool but DS said “why don’t we ask a worker” and sure enough the worker said ok but make sure to close the gate when we leave. My kid sure is a schmoozer!

 

[martikus]

We decided to try the zipline while a lot of the boat was still onshore. I am TERRIFIED of heights but really wanted to say I had ziplined on the ship. We took turns doing it while the other waited with DS and neither of us took more than 5-10 minutes in line. It did not help that the lady in front of me chickened out after she walked up to the launch pad. But I overcome my fears and did it. I said I needed to do it again to actually SEE what I did as I was so nervous I remember nothing, but we never got around to doing it.

 

 

Another good dinner in MTD dining and then I think we all went up at played miniature golf before bed.

[martikus]

Day 7 – Sea Day

 

Last character breakfast today. We got the same table and had another great meal. This meal was definitely the least crowded. We saw Morton again, Gloria and 2 penguins. This is where the meal took a terrible turn. The penguins come out together, dance and then split up. One goes right and one goes left. We assumed they would each come around eventually….nope – you only get your picture with one. Now to me the look the same so one is as good as the other. To a 6 year old who has watched the movie they are VASTLY different. DS was DEVASTATED! I mean real tears and everything. By the time we realized it the penguins were mostly gone. DH and DS booked it over there and the waiter near there tried sort of to call the one back but it was too late. That night Fanny (our head waiter) told me I should have come to get her and she would have made it ok. RCCL may want to rethink how they do the penguins. Either explain how they are going to circle so the parents can explain to the kids or have the penguins go around together. To a young kid it matters. DS was so devastated he didn’t even enjoy his picture with Gloria. I know kids need to learn to live with disappointment and can’t get it all, but he just didn’t understand and we couldn’t forewarn him.

 

 

We left the meal with DS still crying – it was such a sad way to end what until that time had been a great experience. The 4 penguins were going to be out at 10:30pm that night so I promised to wake DS to take him down. That helped change his mood. Thankfully – I did not have to do that (more later).

 

DS wanted to go back to AO so we took him up there for a hour and hit the casino one more time. We ended up breaking even for the trip which isn’t bad. We like to just stick $20 in the slots and hope it lasts a while so it was fine for us. The non-smoking side really helped but I’m sure it still smelled smoky when the casino was full. I know there are a lot of smokers out there, but I sure wish they would make all inside venues non-smoking. For a non-smoker you truly can’t avoid smoke unless something is truly non-smoking never allowing it. But obviously we don’t let it bother us as we always enjoy the casino.

 

After AO and the casino we planned to do BINGO one last time since DS had enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the smallest package was $48 (instead of $32 the day before). The signs were advertising “Win A Free Cruise” so we wonder if the games should have been $32 because at one point they talked about them at $32, then read the sign and stuck with $48. I’m sorry but I just can’t justify $48 for 30 minutes so we went and rode the carasoul instead.

 

We had lunch in Johnny Rockets to avoid the Sea Day crowd in the Windjammer and to try something new. It is $4.95 per person (milkshakes extra) and the onion rings and apple pie were as good as I remember. The servers never danced while we were there and service was slow. But it was fun to sit outside and watch all the people. DS didn’t like the grilled cheese so DH ran down and brought him back a slice of pizza. I’m sure the server would have brought him something else but we did not want to wait. They don’t have milk in there at lunch (shrug) but the server was kind enough to get some from Rita’s Cantina for DS. It was nice and I’d do it again.

 

 

After lunch we found seats for the Dreamworks Aqua Show. They offer 2 shows with no reservations. DS loved it and the rest of us thought it was fine.

 

 

After we went up for one last pool visit and ice cream. The cool weather was sticking around so the water was COLD, but DS didn’t seem to mind. Unfortunately the circle pool was too cold so DS was disappointed he couldn’t get one last swim in it, but it was okay.

 

 

The only character we hadn’t seen this trip was Kung Fu Panda so we got ready for dinner early and made a point to be there.

 

 

Afterwards we took DS up to one of the internet spots and let him burn through our 15 free minutes we got as Platinum members. Pulling up an email takes forever, but his game site was so quick.

 

Anyone know if those 2 rooms right outside on deck 7 are loud? They seem like a terrible place to have a door!

 

[martikus]

We had a great last night in the MTD dining. It got quite busy as we were ending but Mejda still let DS serve desert. He also presented DS with his own crumber to take home which I was blown away by. DS was so happy about it but quickly informed Mejda he could not use it because Mommy doesn’t use a tablecloth (there are no secrets with a 6 year old).

 

Even though you have to do pre-paid tips with MTD, we did tip Mejda, Renae, Fanny, our room steward and the Asst Server extra because they really made DS’s first cruise so great. I have no idea if they expect extra tips or are just glad for pre-paid tips, but we felt better giving it.

 

My dad was able to track down the waiter we had during Character dining to tip as well. Since we had him for 3 days we felt guilty not leaving a tip so I’m glad he was able to find him.

 

 

There was another showing of the “Move It Move It” parade at 7:45 and DS really wanted to see it again. I went down to save seats while DH & DS went for one last shuffle board. They were showing BRAVE on the aqua theater screens that night. I scored seats right near Starbucks. It was actually fun to watch the parade from the other end because you see other things. Our seat allowed DS to high five a lot of the characters. The penguins danced right in front of us so DS decided that was good enough and I no longer had to get him up at 10:30pm (yahoo!).

 

 

After the parade we headed back to the room. Put our suitcases in the hall and headed to bed.

[martikus]

Departure Day - ☹

 

Like everyone I hate this day. A few months ago US Air changed our 11am flight so we were now leaving at 1pm. Since we had no reason to rush we chose a later departure. We headed up to breakfast at 7:45 and the Windjammer was no busier than any other day. DS got to give Renae one last hug which was nice. We walked by the Park Café which wasn’t too busy.

 

We packed up our final items and headed to the On Air bar where they were showing cartoons for families. DS had a great time playing on the stage there and watching cartoons. It was weird that there were no announcements like there had been in the past, but you could easily go read their technology board to figure it out. It made it way more relaxing. My parents walked around the boat instead of sitting.

 

We got off about 9:45 and there was a long line to get through customs. It was easy to find our bags and a RCCL worker said the line was very typical each week. DS was impatient (as are all kids) but it was painless. We walked out and hopped in to a taxi.

Check-in at the airport was easy (we had done pre-checkin on the boat – they have Kiosks). Security was busy and one of the workers said it is only busy in the mornings because of cruise ships. The rest of the day it is dead. The FLL airport could REALLY use some better food after security. Our choice was pizza or pre-packaged sandwiches. Ah well, it was good enough. An easy flight home and just like that vacation was over.

[martikus]

Final Thoughts

 

Our cruise director was Ken Rush. We’ve never really cared who the cruise director is but I know this question is asked a lot.

 

The Allure is a fantastic ship for kids. I’m not sure what else a kid could want! I did wish there was some more daytime programming for families on sea days. By late afternoon on sea days we were searching for age appropriate programming. I guess they assume kids will be in AO if they are looking for things to do. The playground on the Boardwalk is a nice touch.

 

 

Allure also does a great job of spreading out the people. I really didn’t feel the ship was anymore crowded than any other ship. Sure there was a jam when a show ended or during lunch on sea days, but nothing worse than on other ships. I was surprised by how willing DS was to walk up and down the stairs. We did not have to use the elevator very much. DS really enjoyed all the glass elevators and we didn’t find the wait bad for them.

 

We went into this cruise with reminders to each other we couldn’t do quite as much as we did without kids, but we were actually surprised how much we fit in. We never got to eat at the Park Café because DS did not like most of the menu, but it sure looked great. We probably would have tried Rita’s Cantina with a couple more days as I love all things Mexican and it was NEVER crowded. We didn’t get to do the backstage tours which I enjoy, or attend the captain’s Q&A, but these all seemed well attended as we strode past. We did not get to see Chicago, Blue Planet, or the Comedy Show. I had reserved the Headliner but we decided 8:30 was too late for DS. Oh well – next time!

 

I do wonder why all RCCL ships have the exact same amenities? They all have ice rinks, mini golf, etc. I wonder if the Dreamworks experience is the same on all boats? I have a feeling when traveling with DS we’ll try other lines to get new fun amenities instead of seeing the same ones. But DH and I do like the service and food we’ve always received on RCCL. We were docked next to a Carnival boat with a fun looking water area so of course DS has already earmarked that ship as the next one we have to try – LOL.

 

All in all it was a great first cruise for DS. The Allure really is an amazing ship and what they can fit on it is astounding. The staff really made this trip special for DS and went out of their to chat with him. We left WOW cards with Renae, Mejda, and my parents did Fanny who was the head waiter in MTD and took a special liking to DS. Fanny and I had some great customer conversations since my job deals with difficult customers too.

 

I hope this review is even just a little helpful to those cruising with kids or those heading out on the Allure. I’m happy to answer any questions you have.

 

Michelle

[slh182]

Anyone know if those 2 rooms right outside on deck 7 are loud? They seem like a terrible place to have a door!

 

May I ask what 2 rooms you are talking about? We will be on the Allure in January and are on deck 7.

 

Great review. Thanks for sharing.

[Erwende]

Perfect review for me I am 38 and my husband is 40 and we have a son who will be turning five when we cruise on the Allure in December. great review I can't wait to experience all the fun that you did thank you so much.

[GranysT]

Great review, thanks for posting. Liked seeing it through the eyes of a child. In 1 week, I will be on Oasis, and I'm going to be as excited as a kid, to see that ship.

 

Your son is so cute, and looked so handsome in his shirt and tie. I can easily see why he had the crew wrapped around his little finger.

 

This is funny. My very first cruise on RCL, I too was so impressed with the waiter sweeping all the crumbs off the table, before dessert. I told him I needed one of those gadgets (didn't know it was called a crumber) at home. He went to the kitchen, and brought one out to me. I also was happy. lol

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review!

[Sky616]

Really nice review. Great to see your young one so happy. Will be taking our almost 5 yr old on the Oasis exactly one year from now today.

[Water_Lelie]

Hi! Thanks for review, so sufficient and detailed!

[Tyler80]

Your son is so adorable. Looks like you all had a great time. Thanks for your review and photos.

[martikus]

May I ask what 2 rooms you are talking about? We will be on the Allure in January and are on deck 7.

 

Great review. Thanks for sharing.

 

I'm afraid I don't have a picture of WHICH rooms they were but there were 2 doors that looked directly into the internet room so I was wondering if they were extra noisy.

[kymmc3]

What a great quick, to the point review Michelle! You gave all the details I would want to know when traveling with my boys!

 

Thanks so much!