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

[Babyrocko1908]

Thanks

 

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[Stephluva2711]

The photo booth is on Deck 5. I think that's the next deck she'll cover:)

 

They used to have it at On Air, sadly they stopped doing it.

[barbeaujo]

Just amazing ! What a nice and complete review. Thank you very much for taking the time to do it.

Leaving on Allure april 13th, and, after reading for the last few days this review, i have added quite a few pages to my folder :D

I wish i could bring you back a cupcake, if there is anything else you need, let me know, it will be my pleasure.

Josee

[paperkrazie]

You were in 10131??!!

 

 

 

I had Norman Smith as a room steward - did you have him? I loved him! :)

 

We just had Norman Smith as our room steward on the Feb. 22nd sailing on the Oasis! If he's the same one you had, we loved him as well! We'd even book any cabin we could if we knew he'd be our steward again!

[KansCocoa]

I know this TR is about a year old now' date=' but I just ran across it. Fun writing and great photos. Thanks for sharing! :)[/quote']

 

Thank YOU for commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed it - it was a labor of love, for sure! :)

[KansCocoa]

Great review. I have taken the last three days to read it. I have taken notes of the must-haves and must-do's. We leave a week from today. My DH and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary on this trip. I suspect we will never want to sail on a small ship again. Thanks for taking the time. I know it was a commitment. Your time is appreciated.

 

 

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I've been out of the country for a week, so I'm just now getting to my emails - I hope you're having a fabulous time on your cruise - and congratulations! I'm glad my review was able to help you! :)

[KansCocoa]

Really fun review but now I have to spend the morning reading your other ones.

 

Ha ha - I bet it took you longer than just a morning to read them!! If I remember, they're pretty long novels…hee hee!

 

 

So are you a diamond member is that why you were able to board early or you just kinda of talked your way to the diamond line?

 

Yes - I'm a diamond member - but I could probably talk my way into anything…. ;)

[BillOh]

Thank YOU for commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed it - it was a labor of love, for sure! :)

 

Did you review your Celebrity Cruise? Once I make Diamond next year, I may give them a try.

[MeandHer1968]

Best review HANDS DOWN...Love your writing style..I will be coming back to this review for tips and hints right up till we get to sail on the Allure in a mere 208 days... :(

Again thanx Scott & Chris

[Ramblin' Ma'am]

Sherri, I read some of this review when it was first posted, but now that I've just booked Oasis as a solo cruiser, I'll definitely be going back and reading more carefully! Thanks!

[SAD]

Loving your review!

[rlthng]

Just wondering about Rita's. What are the times and days of the fiesta? Sorry I can't find the original post. Love your review! Thanks for your hard work!

[modes]

Best review HANDS DOWN...Love your writing style..I will be coming back to this review for tips and hints right up till we get to sail on the Allure in a mere 208 days... :(

Again thanx Scott & Chris

 

Try reading Gambees if you think this one is good.

[Cruisin'Kim]

Thank you for the response. Does this apply to purchases on the ship too?

 

 

The ship will beat the prices on the Islands, but you have to have a business card with the piece, the price and the persons initials to get it. Other then that, we've had them come down a bit on price, but nowhere near the haggling you can do on the islands!

 

 

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[Cruisin'Kim]

Hi Sherri or anybody else that could answer :D,

 

 

 

Great trip reports. I read all of them.

 

I'm so sorry to intrude. I'm about to book a cruise for March 2nd 2014 on the Allure of the Seas. This trip report got me too excited. But I'm wondering about the weather. We went on a cruise at the end of October (27th), just after Sandy, and it was a little chilly when we left Orlando on the Disney Fantasy (which was totally fabulous by the way). The weather really improved as we moved South (even on the way back). So I'm afraid that March might be a little chilly also. We were in Turks and Caicos last March and the weather was between 75 an 80oF. My idea of a vacation is to go to the beach and to the pool and I think 75oF is a little chilly. And since Sherri went on a cruise in January, she might know a thing or two about the weather. I also booked a med cruise on the ncl epic in July but I now would have preferred going on the liberty OTS after reading about the trip report on the freedom... decisions decisions!!

 

 

 

I'm also looking at a June 2014 cruise on the Allure (it is a bit more pricey and tooooo far away, but hey if the weather can be warmer). And hubby wants to go back to Turks and Caicos :confused:, so I really need good arguments to be able to book the Allure in March!

 

 

We always cruise in January/February, (Canadians getting away from the snow), and we are always in the water or on the beach. Depending on where you're leaving from you should be fine. (We left from Galveston one January, and if was cool leaving port, but by the next morning we were basking in the sun!

 

Happy cruising!

 

 

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[Cruisin'Kim]

Hi Sherri,

 

I have been religiously following your review - going on the Allure January 2016, (sigh....such a long wait) - but your review is helping me get through it!

 

I have a lost photos, and lost camera story! On our last cruise, there were a bunch of us lazing the morning away on the beach in St. Maarten. The guys decided to go on the seadoo's and hubby took the camera with him for some action shots! They were bombing around the ocean like big kids when my husband fell off as they were performing the daring passenger transfer from one sea do to another. No problem, he jumped right back on, then looked at the floating strap thingy that the camera was attached to.....strap was still there, camera - not so much. Now I have to explain why my hubby so lucky to be alive today - this was MY camera, MY underwater camera that I'm never without on a cruise - complete with some insanely beautiful underwater pics on it - now sitting at the bottom of the ocean "somewhere over there" (that was how it was described to me as the guys pointed to the ocean to the right of where we were on the beach).....I'm over it now, especially since my hubby and daughter bought me a new underwater camera for Mother's Day this year. I'll be happily snapping away under water again next cruise - but someone else in our group can take their camera on the Sea Doo's! 😄

 

 

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[jzad]

Absolutely brilliant, funny review! Thank you so much!

 

 

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[KansCocoa]

Best review HANDS DOWN...Love your writing style..I will be coming back to this review for tips and hints right up till we get to sail on the Allure in a mere 208 days... :(

Again thanx Scott & Chris

 

Aw, thank you!!! I'm glad you enjoyed it - and YES, feel free to get tips and hints!

 

If you need to ask questions, find me on Facebook, and I can answer (in a more timely manner than I do on Cruise Critic, hee hee!)

 

That "mere" 208 days will go quickly - use this time to relax and research and plan and dream….! :)

[KansCocoa]

Sherri' date=' I read some of this review when it was first posted, but now that I've just booked Oasis as a solo cruiser, I'll definitely be going back and reading more carefully! Thanks![/quote']

 

Yay - a SOLO cruiser! Power to the Solos!!!! Awesome - I hope you have an amazing time!!!

 

Loving your review!

 

Thank you!!!

[KansCocoa]

Just wondering about Rita's. What are the times and days of the fiesta? Sorry I can't find the original post. Love your review! Thanks for your hard work!

 

Oh gosh - they probably change dates and times on every cruise, so I would check the Cruise Compass the first thing when you get onboard…!

[KansCocoa]

Hi Sherri' date='

 

I have been religiously following your review - going on the Allure January 2016, (sigh....such a long wait) - but your review is helping me get through it!

 

I have a lost photos, and lost camera story! On our last cruise, there were a bunch of us lazing the morning away on the beach in St. Maarten. The guys decided to go on the seadoo's and hubby took the camera with him for some action shots! They were bombing around the ocean like big kids when my husband fell off as they were performing the daring passenger transfer from one sea do to another. No problem, he jumped right back on, then looked at the floating strap thingy that the camera was attached to.....strap was still there, camera - not so much. Now I have to explain why my hubby so lucky to be alive today - this was MY camera, MY underwater camera that I'm never without on a cruise - complete with some insanely beautiful underwater pics on it - now sitting at the bottom of the ocean "somewhere over there" (that was how it was described to me as the guys pointed to the ocean to the right of where we were on the beach).....I'm over it now, especially since my hubby and daughter bought me a new underwater camera for Mother's Day this year. I'll be happily snapping away under water again next cruise - but someone else in our group can take their camera on the Sea Doo's! 😄

[/quote']

 

 

OMG, I would have killed him!!! And here I thought it was just me who had the World's Worst Luck with Cameras….!!! I'm glad they rectified it by getting you a new camera for Mother's Day - but that should have been a BONUS gift!!!

[Ramblin' Ma'am]

Yay - a SOLO cruiser! Power to the Solos!!!! Awesome - I hope you have an amazing time!!!

 

Thanks! I did Liberty solo this year, but obviously that wasn't quite as big (but still huge!)

[cruisingis1]

Before I talk about my afternoon, I want to put a few more photos here:

 

 

You don’t really get a sense of just how BIG the Allure is until you see another ship docked next to it. Here, we’re docked next to the Carnival Miracle…so named because it’s a miracle that it’s one of the few Carnival ships left that hasn’t had any engine or electrical issues in the last few months.

 

 

 

Just a note that since this was posted, The Allure had propulsion issues of it's own that forced the company to cancel a sailing in February of'14 to fix. And it's a much newer ship. Just sayin' since we are bashing another cruiseline...lol. Will be enjoying the Allure in 4 weeks and loving your review!

[Pacificlander]

Late comer trying to bookmark where I left off.

[Pacificlander]

So I know I read this a year after it happened but I so enjoyed it! It's helped the waiting for our cruise in October! But I still don't see a link to your Top Chef cruise, am I missing something or did you not write one????