Middle Aged Drama Queen Goes BIG: Solo & Last Minute on the ALLURE!!!

[roebud]

WHOA!.... Where the heck have I been that I missed this gem of a thread. Sailing on the Oasis in June and am so unbelievably glad I came across this thread. It will be so helpful especially since we are fairly new to cruising.

 

My heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all the pictures, comments, time and effort you are putting forth in this thread. YOU are truly an asset to Cruise Critic!

 

Rose

[CruiserTK]

My next adventure after that will be a 10-day vacation to NYC; we leave on June 21. We have four Broadway shows planned, and numerous food tours of the city. Can't wait to post a review of that - but of course, that won't be on Cruise Critic. :(

 

Where will we be able to read your review of NYC? I LOVE NYC!

 

You are such a good writer!

[alaska_planner]

 

Our waiter, Iputu, arrived and took our drink order. We all ordered a round of virgin Pina Coladas…and oh my. They were YUMMY! They were just what we needed while we waited for the appetizer to arrive.

 

For the fiesta, you don’t order off the menu. It’s a pre-fix menu, and it is served ‘family style.' This means it’s set down in the middle of the table, and everyone dives in. The appetizer consisted of Chipotle-style flautas, and quesadillas, and they were both delicious:

 

 

I apologize for these photos…the lights were somewhat low, and we were sitting outside, on the Boardwalk…and it was dark. So…the photos aren’t the best quality, but they give you an idea of what we had to eat that night.

 

We also had some traditional chips with salsa, although there was some to-die-for guacamole, as well:

 

 

 

Soon, it was time for our entrée…which was chicken and beef fajitas! Complete with peppers, onions, guacamole, sour cream, refried beans, and cheese:

 

It’s a Mexican FEAST!

 

Just when you think you can’t possibly have another bite, they bring out the dessert…which is a tray of cinnamon sugar churros (with chocolate dipping sauce), banana enchiladas, and Mexican flan.

 

The dark stuff is the chocolate dipping sauce...YUM!

 

Between courses, during courses – heck, the ENTIRE course – there was (VERY LOUD) music blaring, people dancing, and just all-around fun. Our servers would come grab us and take us out to the Boardwalk for the Electric Slide dance…or other variations of…and the servers across the way at Johnny Rockets weren’t going to be left out… they’d jump over and start dancing with us, as well…in fact, at one point, it looked like a dance-off scene from West Side Story – between the Sharks and the Jets – only in our case, it was the Johnnys vs the Ritas…dueling it out in dance. The passers-by on the Boardwalk that evening probably got quite the show....!

 

 

This was an extremely fun evening…I found the food very tasty and very plentiful. Is it gourmet? Snort. No. It's Mexican. It's fun. Don't go to Rita's Fiesta for a gourmet meal - you go for the EXPERIENCE!

 

This is what the evening cost me:

 

THREE generous-sized virgin Pina Colada’s

Chips & Salsa

Flautas

Quesadillas

Fajitas – complete with all the toppings

Churros & chocolate sauce

Banana enchiladas with chocolate sauce

Mexican flan with fruit salsa

Dancing, dancing, and more dancing

Laughing, laughing, and more laughing

A blinkie necklace

…and a sombrero

 

All for $10.

 

Spending it with three amazing women…from different countries…different backgrounds…different cultures….? Priceless.

 

 

i wonder if i could eat at rita's fiesta as a vegetarian.... hmmm...

looks like a lot of fun!!:)

[Fisherlady48]

what an amazing last day at sea. You would certaintly not be bored. I would love to learn how to mix some of the drinks on board. Looking forward to your tour review of the ships areas.

 

K

[janeyzee]

Who needs Stretch Class when you can go on an Art Expedition?!

 

it’s entitled “Observances – Air, Clouds, Rain, Stars, Dust, Night, Lilypads.” But here’s a challenge – to any future Allure cruisers, or those who have been on it already – can you guess where these are? Or can you find them?

 

the “Hanging Dresses” – but I’m sure that’s not the official name!

 

Sherri - I will take that challenge and find those art pieces. I planned on walking all the halls and all the stairs in November to see the art hanging there so I will keep an eye out for those words. It'll be good exercise and I will never have to meet Ms. Cameron Diaz's evil twin.

 

The Hanging Dresses - according to the Live the Allure book they were made by Ms. Keysook Geum, a PhD in textile design to her credit and past experiences as a costume designer for theatrical productions inspired her to make this installation. They are officially called Dream of Utopia. They are 34 individually handmade dresses created by sculpting wrapped wire structures covered in thousands of tiny sparkling gems.

[EMED2010]

Time to get dressed for the evening, and this was the dress of the night:

 

 

Do I look festive? I hope so...I had not one, but TWO parties to go to!

 

 

Sherri - LOVE this dress!!!!! This is SO me. Would you mind telling me where you got it? Here's me hoping that it is a store that is also in my location:p

 

Loved you cat picture - you need to take many more to compete with Brad bird pictures!:D

 

The little rum shack looked like fun. We will be in St. Martin in less that 3 weeks!!!!!:D

[knittinggirl]

You probably already know the, but increase the ISO or try exposure compensation in program mode. That may help you with those low light situations. Unless I'm at around 1/100th of a second on the shutter speed, I know I can't hold the camera steady enough. IS or VR Lets me shoot at lower speeds.

 

 

 

Love your review and pictures! They give us a real feel for the place. Do you tip people like William? I guess they automatically added the fifteen percent gratuity. Was your rum trip through RCI?

 

Sent from my KFJWA using Tapatalk HD

Edited March 29, 2013 by knittinggirl

[Buffettfan 225]

Sherri - I will take that challenge and find those art pieces. I planned on walking all the halls and all the stairs in November to see the art hanging there so I will keep an eye out for those words. It'll be good exercise and I will never have to meet Ms. Cameron Diaz's evil twin.

 

The Hanging Dresses - according to the Live the Allure book they were made by Ms. Keysook Geum, a PhD in textile design to her credit and past experiences as a costume designer for theatrical productions inspired her to make this installation. They are officially called Dream of Utopia. They are 34 individually handmade dresses created by sculpting wrapped wire structures covered in thousands of tiny sparkling gems.

Thanks for the art info - where did you get the book?

[janeyzee]

Thanks for the art info - where did you get the book?

 

I got Live the Allure on the Allure in May 2011, at the Rising Tides Bar. I have one from the Oasis too, but as most posters have said, they can't find them on the ship anymore. One poster got one as a prize in a contest, but no one seems to sell them now. They do say "Collector's Limited Edition" on the front so I'm happy I got both books while they were available.

 

Live the City partnered with RCI to make the books, they have a website: http://www.livethecity.com but I didn't see any cruise book info on there. You might try contacting them if you're interested in the book and can't find one on the ships.

[KansCocoa]

 

So…we’re up to Day #7…our last full day onboard the Allure. Today was a sea day, and I had lots of exciting things planned…

 

After my usual breakfast at the Café Promenade, I headed to the Dining Room at 9:00 am, as it was time for the All Access Tour. This is an extremely-limited tour that is open to guests willing to fork over $150 for the ‘privilege’ of touring some exclusive areas onboard. It’s not advertised in their Cruise Compass – but to snag a spot, you need to head to Guest Services within the first day – or two – while onboard, and make your reservation. It is normally held at the very end of the tour, as it’s easier to get guests into some areas of the galley after most of the stock & provisions have been consumed during the week.

 

My daughter and I had tried to do this tour last summer while on the Freedom of the Seas – but we had not packed long pants…and that is one of the requirements, along with closed-toe shoes. They are VERY strict about this – and long pants means pants down to your feet – not just Capris pants that are below the knee. So...I had packed a pair of jeans SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS TOUR! I was not going to be denied this time! Cameras are allowed – but no video cameras. Also - this tour DOES require going up and down lots and lots of stairs...so you must be able to do that to participate. I felt like I'd walked a Stairmaster for 100 floors after this tour was done!

 

 

After gathering up our paperwork, we were split into two groups, and our tour began. It was led by ….someone…from Guest Services. Drat. I can’t BELIEVE that I didn’t write down her name! Oh well…just an FYI – your tours are led by someone from the Guest Services staff. Or was it the Cruise Director’s staff? Drat. I can’t BELIEVE that I can’t remember! This, folks, can be blamed on two things: #1. Waiting FOREVER to write the review…and #2. Getting old. Gah.

 

Anyway, after you turn in your paperwork and such, you get these really cool All Access lanyards/badges that Steve and Amy’s dad, Jerry, are modeling for us:

 

 

 

They let us keep these badges afterwards. Cool. I’m not sure what I can DO with it, but it was a nice momento. It made us feel very important. For the day, anyway!

 

Our first stop were the Kitchen Galleys…of which there are three main galleys. One galley will handle bread…one handles the meat…and one handles the fruits and vegetables and appetizers. Your servers do a lot of running up and down the stairs in the galleys behind the scenes during dinner – and those staircases were not only narrow, but STEEP! I had a whole new appreciation for the "physicality" required to be a waiter in the MDR...they EARN those tips, trust me!

 

We would eventually visit all three galleys, while the kitchen supervisors and managers explained what was going on, and how they get the meals prepped and served. Our first stop was the galley on Deck 5, the Fruits/Vegetables/Appetizers:

 

Thanks to Amy/Steve for this photo…this is the shrimp cocktail getting prepared for tonight’s dinner in the MDR….

 

 

Fruit cocktail, anyone?

 

 

If you look closely in the photo above, you’ll notice different colored neckties around the kitchen staff…some are in yellow, some red…and there’s a third color, blue. The color designates your “level” in the kitchen – whether you’re management or not.

 

I think what amazed me the most here in the galleys was the sheer size…not only of the galleys themselves, but of some of the vats and bowls they were using to prepare stuff…

 

 

Some of these vats - especially the soup vats - were as big as a hot tub!

 

 

I'm not going to give away very many secrets of this tour, as I don't wait to ruin it for anyone who will take it in the future...but I'll post some pics...some of which I have to give credit to Amy & Steve, as they are both MUCH better photographers than I am!

 

Next up: the bread & pastry galley…

[KansCocoa]

 

We went down the stairs to Deck Four, where we visited the bread and pastry galley…

 

…we saw this GIANT machine, that was kneading a HUGE ball of dough:

 

 

Then, a worker would take the dough and drop it into another machine…and out spit these little perfectly-formed bread rolls:

 

 

So cool!

 

They have technology for lots of things that you’d never dream of…and yet, there are still some things done the old-fashioned way…like slicing bread:

 

 

We were then shown the pastry area, where we saw homemade pies being made…complete with someone standing there and breaking open dozens and dozens of eggs for the filling:

 

 

Once the pies are baked, they have other workers who get to frost them:

 

I want this job.

It was while we were in this galley that we received an unexpected treat: chocolate-covered strawberries and chocolate ice-cream:

 

Yummy!

 

Again…besides just the sheer VOLUME of what they are working with…I was also blown away by how homemade everything is…they’re not popping frozen Mrs. Smith pies into the ovens here…they are making everything from SCRATCH!!!!

 

Next up: Deck 3…the meat galley…

 

[KansCocoa]

Down the steep, narrow stairs to Deck 3…where we went to the Prepared Meat Galley…and just a warning…if the sight of raw meat disturbs you, you may want to skip this post…and the tour, as well – because we saw lots of raw meat….Needless to say, the floor in this galley was a bit slippery and dangerous. Have good walking shoes on so you don’t slip and fall. Ew.

 

 

 

Here is where the freezers are located…for the meat, as well as everything else…

 

 

They invited us to go into the freezers, and they were…well… FREEZING! Especially the meat locker…man. It had a temperature of below zero, according to the thermometer on the outside.

 

Fruits and vegetables…

 

Potatoes, anyone?

It’s because of these refrigerators and freezers that the tour isn’t held earlier in the week…there would be no room for us to visit, because it’s normally stacked to the ceiling with provisions at the beginning of each cruise.

 

Soon, it was time to move on to the next stop on the tour…but again, here’s a few impressions I had:

 

1. Wow…so much prep work going on below…by so many workers that we never get to see or say thank-you to!

2. The kitchen galley workers were extremely proud of what they do – you could see the pride as they worked…

3. Everything is made from scratch…for 6,000 people, if you count the crew, who have to eat, as well! That is amazing!!!

4. I could never do this job…but I have a whole new appreciation for those that do!

[Halftocruz]

Sherry

 

I know this is a little off topic but I just want to say I'm a huge fan and we are doing the same cruise on the Serenade as you did last summer! I have read every one of your reviews and we are only 1 day apart in age!!! I will be 51 on June 19th and we will be in Ephesus!

 

One question, my husbands boss is very active with Red Cross here in Minnesota. His name is Steve Hartman. Know him?

 

Anyway thanks!!!

 

Kellie

[Steppy08]

I think the people leading the tour were part of the Cruise Director's Staff...

 

I don't remember the name of the young lady that led us... I DO remember that she was from a Caribbean island and wanted NO PART of the freezer areas! Us northern folk had no problem walking around sans jackets... we were just trying to re-acclimate to the temps we would find at home the next day... :(

[KansCocoa]

Sherry

 

I know this is a little off topic but I just want to say I'm a huge fan and we are doing the same cruise on the Serenade as you did last summer! I have read every one of your reviews and we are only 1 day apart in age!!! I will be 51 on June 19th and we will be in Ephesus!

 

One question, my husbands boss is very active with Red Cross here in Minnesota. His name is Steve Hartman. Know him?

 

Anyway thanks!!!

 

Kellie

 

Hi, Kellie! That is SO cool! Happy early birthday, fellow Gemini! :) I bet you are so excited for the cruise...I hope you have an amazing time! Are you using any of the same tour guides that we did? They were all very good - especially RomeInLimo...tell Duman hello, if you use them!

 

The name rings a bell...do you know what area he works with, within ARC? For instance, I used to be in Mass Care...but recently moved to Logistics...there are several areas - or activities - within ARC, so that would help me narrow it down to see if I've worked with him in the past....!

[KansCocoa]

I think the people leading the tour were part of the Cruise Director's Staff...

 

I don't remember the name of the young lady that led us... I DO remember that she was from a Caribbean island and wanted NO PART of the freezer areas! Us northern folk had no problem walking around sans jackets... we were just trying to re-acclimate to the temps we would find at home the next day... :(

 

Thank you for clarifying! I couldn't remember...drat. The joys of getting older! However...I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't remember her name...it was a different name, wasn't it? It wasn't common....

[KansCocoa]

Down on Deck 3…there is a corridor that runs the entire length of the ship – from the front to the back. It’s the famous I-95 Corridor, as it’s called…and it is the main “highway” that the crew uses to move things back and forth on the ship. The luggage carriers, the forklifts – everything goes back and forth on this corridor. It was pretty amazing to see how long it stretched:

 

Look - it even has highway markings! I bet there's a radar trap along there, somewhere...and perhaps a rest stop....!

 

 

Our next stop was the Engine Control Room, but before going, we had to be “wanded” by Security:

 

 

Luckily, I didn’t inadvertently have any Personal Security Alarms with me. (inside joke for everyone who’s read my European trip review!)

 

Once everyone had been wanded, we were led into the Control Room…a pretty-tight room that had lots and lots of machines and computers and monitors that reminded me of Mission Control at NASA:

 

 

There was an officer here who explained what some of that electronic stuff all did – but I’m not an electronicy-person, so it went – WHOOSH – right over my head. Hubby's the engineer...I'm not. I just liked the lights and buttons and such - pretty!

 

Midway through the spiel, a door behind me opened, and in walked someone - HOLY SMOKES! IS THAT GISELE? THE SUPER MODEL?

 

No. It wasn't Gisele...but it might as well have been. It was an officer who works in the Control Room...but she was easily 6'3" tall...and looked more like a model than an officer. Leave it to Steve to get a picture of not only the Control Room, but Miss Fashion Model, as well:

 

Hmmm…don’t think it was accidental that he took this shot…hee hee!

 

Needless to say, every man in the room was now paying more attention to Miss Gisele than they were to the speaker. Time to move on.

 

Since cold showers weren’t on the tour, our guide took us to the next best thing: the laundry room. Way, way down in the bowels of the ship – where it’s hot. It’s sticky. And visions of Leggy Super Model Officers are lost in the steam and starch of dirty laundry:

 

One of the SMALL washing machines….

 

 

And the BIG DADDY of washing machines:

 

 

This monster can wash up to 1,000 pieces of laundry in a mere 2 minutes. I need one of those for my home.

 

And when I say it's way down...I mean WAAAAY down. Below Deck Zero. Yes. There's a Deck Zero. And there's a deck below that...which was called TW. Anyone know why?

 

I don't. Really. So I'm seriously wondering why the deck below Zero would be called TW....?? That's been driving me crazy for months now.

 

Anyway. Moving on....

 

Edited March 29, 2013 by KansCocoa

[Halftocruz]

Hi, Kellie! That is SO cool! Happy early birthday, fellow Gemini! :) I bet you are so excited for the cruise...I hope you have an amazing time! Are you using any of the same tour guides that we did? They were all very good - especially RomeInLimo...tell Duman hello, if you use them!

 

The name rings a bell...do you know what area he works with, within ARC? For instance, I used to be in Mass Care...but recently moved to Logistics...there are several areas - or activities - within ARC, so that would help me narrow it down to see if I've worked with him in the past....!

 

We are using Rome in Limo for all three ports in Italy! Thanks to your recommendation. Also just finished my cruise binder and have watched many of your movies suggested.

 

I'm also buying a phone from the company suggested by you so I can keep track of my 12 year old Barbarian!!

 

My husband doesn't know the area in ARC that Steve works in but will ask him.

 

Thanks

[KansCocoa]

 

We spent quite a bit of time in the Laundry Room…not only learning how they wash everything, but how it gets ironed and folded, as well. For all of the bed sheets, they have this really cool machine that automatically folds the sheets:

 

 

I want one of these. I’ve never mastered folding bed sheets, and this was pretty darn neat.

 

If you send anything to be pressed, it’s a good chance it’s getting pressed on this:

 

 

And women? If you send your dresses down to get ironed or steamed – check out this machine…they lay your dress over the form:

 

 

They then turn on a button, and one minute later, your dress is fully ironed:

 

Poof. Done!

 

I want one of these, too. (Remember the spoiled character, "Veruca Salt", from the classic, "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"? I was sounding a lot like Veruca this day..."I want one! I want one now!" At least I was only referring to the laundry equipment - unlike some of the men, who were probably having this same thought about Gisele. Giggle.)

 

 

Soon…it was time to move on. Whew. It WAS hot down here…and very sticky. Here we were, on a January day…I can’t even imagine working here in July or August. Wow. Again – it gave me a whole new appreciation for the men and women who work behind the scenes – and below the decks – to insure that we have a great cruise vacation.

 

Next – the Crew Recreation Areas…

 

[mrsfecura]

We did the behind the scenes tour on the Voyager - loved it!! I was actually pretty fascinated with the laundry room! I'd love to do it on an Oasis class ship.

[KansCocoa]

About the time we were all ready to pass out from the heat from the Laundry Room, our tour guide wisely moved us to the next stop on our tour – the Crew Area. Here, we saw pretty much every where the crew can chill when they want to be out of the guest areas – with the exception of a crew cabin.

 

The crew is free to eat at any of the dining venues onboard, although for the specialty restaurants, preferences are given to guests. In other words, the crew doesn't eat at Chops Grille if the guests have taken all the reservations for the evening. And they DO pay regular cover charges, just like the guests.

 

The crew has their own buffet, the Garden Cafe:

 

 

Their buffet was shut down at the time, because it wasn’t dining time…here is where they would take their trays to eat:

 

 

The crew has three lounges below deck, including this one, which is their disco/nightclub:

 

 

 

The crew is required to pay for their alcoholic drinks, although there is a bit of a discount on it. Our guide was open to any and all questions - for the entire tour, actually - so it was fun to ask about any and all that we were curious about. Including if they have to buy their own drinks!

 

It sounds like the crew has a lot of fun while onboard…which is good, because we could see how hard they were working. I'm glad they have areas where they can go and just chillax.

 

We then were taken backstage at the Amber Theater, where we visited the dressing rooms:

 

Wigs creep me out. Seriously - I've always been spooked by wigs that sit on mannequin heads like this.

 

Here, we learned how a production is put together, and what it’s like to be a singer and/or dancer onboard.

 

Next up: more lounge/relaxation areas for the crew...where we get a drink ourselves...woot!

 

Here’s a quiz: Name one object/game that the crew has access to onboard the Allure that the guests don’t?? A hint: you can find this object on the Serenade of the Seas, for instance, but you will NOT find it in ANY guest area onboard the Oasis or the Allure…

 

...and to bring the lurkers out of lurkdom, I'm not posting any more posts until someone posts the answer....Hee Hee. :cool:

 

 

[tahqa]

 

Here’s a quiz: Name one object/game that the crew has access to onboard the Allure that the guests don’t?? A hint: you can find this object on the Serenade of the Seas, for instance, but you will NOT find it in ANY guest area onboard the Oasis or the Allure…

 

...and to bring the lurkers out of lurkdom, I'm not posting any more posts until someone posts the answer....Hee Hee. :cool:

 

 

 

Pool table. Now git postin! :D

[mrsfecura]

Darts??

[NighSkies]

 

Here’s a quiz: Name one object/game that the crew has access to onboard the Allure that the guests don’t?? A hint: you can find this object on the Serenade of the Seas, for instance, but you will NOT find it in ANY guest area onboard the Oasis or the Allure…

 

 

 

Would that be a self-leveling pool table?

 

BTW, love your posts!

[KansCocoa]

Pool table. Now git postin! :D

 

And here I thought I would at least have time to visit the ladies room.... :p

 

Darts??

 

Darts? Good guess...but no. Serenade doesn't offer darts for their guests, that I know of!

 

tahqa was right...it's a pool table...posts to follow!