Trying to to reassure family about crowdedness on allure?

[colesc15]

I don't know how to reassure them. Let them be pleasantly surprised!

 

That's my plan. They can't understand why I kept bragging up my Freedom of the Seas trip and how great and layed out the ship is. They've never been on a Royal Caribbean ship so they're in for a good surprise of how easy and layed out their ships are compared to Carnival. :)

[Eriksgarden]

We are taking my mom and niece on Freedom in about 6 weeks. My mom was on Radiance and my niece has never been on a cruise. We just tell them, "It's big enough to have an ice skating rink. You'll see!"

[Swath]

I hate to disagree but we were on the Allure last spring and I found it to be extremely crowded especially in food areas, elevators and around the pool. So much so that I doubt I will ever cruise on those ships again. Another downer was the rudeness I encountered in most areas especially the elevators...pushing shoving and teens who had no repect to anyone. If I was agressive so my wife and I could have our turn I received dirty looks and snide remarks from the teens:mad:.

The Windjammer Marketplace on Oasis & Allure Could be bigger

Did You Go During Spring Break?

[holden0301]

When did you disembark? We walked off the ship at 6:45am and were in a cab by 7am.

 

We could have (and should have) disembarked at 7am but chose to have a leisurely morning becuse our flight didn't leave until 1:35pm. Needless to say we learned from our mistake:)

[Langley Cruisers]

Why is it that anyone who dares to say they found Oasis or Allure to be crowded is called out for it? I said this in another thread and I was questioned about it just like some here are. It sucks, frankly. My opinion and the opinion of some others is that we found the ship to be crowded. Yes, I have been on other ships. Yes, I found Oasis crowded, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy my cruise. I (we) should be allowed to express our opinions here without being lambasted. :( Oh well.

 

OP, enjoy your cruise, and I mean that sincerely. :)

[holden0301]

Wanted to add: Solarium is nice option for lunch. We ate there 2 out of the 3 days we were on board. The other day we weren't at the pool so we went to Rita's for a drink and wound up ordering food from there and Johnny Rocket's (the Rita's staff brought the food from Johnny's for us - very nice of them!).

[cruiseturbo]

As you can see from my signature, we were on the Oasis once and the Allure three times. We are sailing on the Allure again in less than 89 days because it is our favorite ship.

 

We love how well the ships are laid out to avoid any crowding issues. The only places we have really been able to tell how many people are on the ship is in the Windjammer during peak hours and on the promenade during the parades or dance parties. There are soooo many great places to eat that we don't even go to the Windjammer anymore. Also we have been so many times that we don't need to see the parades or attend the dance parties(not our scene).

 

You and your friends and families will have a great cruise either way!

[warm47]

We sailed the Oasis in October. It was the fastest embarking and disembarking we have ever experienced and no lines. The ship is so well marked that you are never lost. I never felt crowded. There no lines anywhere, not even to ride the carousal. We had heard that we should eat in areas other than the WJ because of the smaller size, but everytime we wanted to eat there it was not a problem. The service was some of the best on any ship. The Brilliance has always been my favorite ship, but the Oasis came in a close second. We hope to find the right time to sail the Allure and see different shows and still experience all the wonderful new neighborhoods. I watched the Oasis sail today on the Port Everglades webcam. Would watch you sail next week except that I will on the Enchantment next Saturday. Have a wonderful cruise....you and your companions won't be able to help it!!!!!!:)

[Swath]

It was the fastest embarking and disembarking we have ever experienced and no lines. The ship is so well marked that you are never lost. I never felt crowded.

 

Agreed

Royal had Cruise Terminal#18 in Port Everglades Re-Built For Oasis & Allure

Things are WELL spaced Out on the OASIS Class Most of the Time I did NOT feel crowded aboard ship, BUT Royal could/should have put more thought into the size & spacing of the Windjammer Marketplace

[smoosh21]

Hi everyone. Boarding the allure in a week and the people I'm going with insist that the allure is going to be so crowded and there will be massive lines for everything. I've been trying to tell them it won't be based on people's reviews. I was hoping to get a thread from people who have been on the allure/oasis that it isn't any more crowded than any other cruise ship. The most recent ship they were on was carnivalffreedom so I've been telling them it'll be less crowded than that even.. People who have been on allure or oasis, chime in and back me up with your opinions from your experience so I can show them this thread and prove my point. Opinions opinions opinions please :)

 

The only place that Allure and Oasis seemed more crowded than average to me was the Windjammer. Everything else seemed to be spacious. Of course you will see crowds as you enter and leave theaters, but overall, it doesnt seem that there are as many people on that ship as there really are.

[Langley Cruisers]

BUT Royal could/should have put more thought into the size & spacing of the Windjammer Marketplace

 

They actually did. There are many options for included meals on this class of ship and they are hoping passengers will use them.

[dwjoe]

There is a measurement for this called space ratio available online.

Yes. It measures how much space onboard vs how many pax onboard. The higher the number, the better.

 

Space ratio according to cruisedeckplans.com:

 

Oasis 34

Freedom 36

Voyager 37

Radiance 36

Vision 32

Monarch 26

[steveru621]

Why is it that anyone who dares to say they found Oasis or Allure to be crowded is called out for it? I said this in another thread and I was questioned about it just like some here are. It sucks, frankly. My opinion and the opinion of some others is that we found the ship to be crowded. Yes, I have been on other ships. Yes, I found Oasis crowded, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy my cruise. I (we) should be allowed to express our opinions here without being lambasted. :( Oh well.

 

OP, enjoy your cruise, and I mean that sincerely. :)

 

If it was something I posted, I apologize. None of us should tell you how you should feel about anything. We all get carried away with our personal opinions and there is no getting around the fact that we all try to be cheerleaders for RCCL.

 

We all have a 'lens' that we view the world. LOL; I'm shocked that you would have a different opinion. :eek: But for sure it's only my opinion. The best example I can give is the HUGE debate on tipping.

 

Enjoy your future cruises...

[steveru621]

Agreed

Royal had Cruise Terminal#18 in Port Everglades Re-Built For Oasis & Allure

Things are WELL spaced Out on the OASIS Class Most of the Time I did NOT feel crowded aboard ship, BUT Royal could/should have put more thought into the size & spacing of the Windjammer Marketplace

 

I don't know what the actual size is, but the WJ sure seemed smaller that a Voyager class ship.

[Big_G]

Agreed

Royal had Cruise Terminal#18 in Port Everglades Re-Built For Oasis & Allure

Things are WELL spaced Out on the OASIS Class Most of the Time I did NOT feel crowded aboard ship, BUT Royal could/should have put more thought into the size & spacing of the Windjammer Marketplace

 

I don't know what the actual size is, but the WJ sure seemed smaller that a Voyager class ship.

 

Some times it's tough teaching old cruisers new tricks. There are so many other options, there was no need to add more space to the WJ. I think what was unanticipated was passengers not catching on. On our Allure cruise we hardly ever went to the WJ.

[KMagz]

We've been on Majesty, Mariner, Freedom, Oasis and Allure.

 

Oasis and Allure easily by far had the least crowded embarkation/debarkation. But once on board **FOR US** they were also the most crowded. Worst areas were elevators, the Windjammer (VERY crowded each and every time we were there for breakfast or lunch) and the pool area. Park Cafe also has its periods of congestion. Some of the shows are crowded as well. Even if you have tickets, get there early.

 

But as others have pointed out, there's no backing out now! Make the best of it. Despite the crowds if the right deal came around we'd sail on Oasis/Allure again.

[ehfl]

Why fight with such people? Let them huddle in their cabin if they are afraid to leave because of lines. You just go out an have a great time on board. Except for perhaps the line for the comedy show, there was never a long wait for anything.

[icedzz]

Your family is worried about crowds?? The Windjammer is overcrowed the first day on all RCCI ships. As you embark, the crew invite ALL passengers to go to the Windjammer and enjoy a nice lunch while they wait for their cabins to be available. Use this time to go explore the ship. I promise you it will be empty. ;)

[abridalmaven]

People here are failing to mention the interactive screen near the elevators where you can see how full each eating venue is at that time. If you want to avoid crowds then use this resource.

:)

[London-Calling]

Hi everyone. Boarding the allure in a week and the people I'm going with insist that the allure is going to be so crowded and there will be massive lines for everything.

 

Oasis/Allure may carry 6,000 passengers but they are also incredibly big and well designed! The only busy time was the Royal Prom Procession where everyone ties to get a view.

 

If you do the math (gross tonnage=volume x passenger capacity) Oasis/Allure have more space than many ships that only carry 1,000 passengers.

 

The Fort Lauderdale cruise terminal took me form Kerb to cabin in 15 mins!

 

Book your entertainment in advance. Avoid the buffet when boarding and at peak times, the Garden Café (in Central park) is great.

 

Enjoy!

[Swath]

People here are failing to mention the interactive screen near the elevators where you can see how full each eating venue is at that time. If you want to avoid crowds then use this resource.

:)

Crap I forgot about that :eek:

[cruisingabuela]

This thread has helped me decide. I am going to book a suite on the Allure. I was worried about the same thing but I have made my decision that it's worth the try.

[cruzincurt]

The OP didn't say how many are traveling in their group. If you have a group of 12 trying to do everything together all the time you will be disappointed.

 

Like any ship we've been on, the time you go to the venue will determine the people load. Fortunately, all over the Oasis and Allure are smart screens that tell you the current people load at selected locations.

 

We never found either ship crowed except when everyone tries to go to the parade on the Promenade, and there has always been room for two more. And we generally don't go to eat at peak times. Having reservations in advance for entertainment also helps greatly.

[Carol D]

Coles, I'll be sailing with you next week, can't wait. Was on the Allure three months after it set sail in '11 and you never noticed how many people are on board! We did have problems with the elevators though, that's about the only time I felt the crowds!!

 

Cruisingabuela, did you book your suite??? We have an owner's suite and loved it! Will have the same one again this time! You will love it.

 

Seven days to go!

[Realtor at Sea]

Have cruised on both Allure and Oasis. Windjammer is the only spot which can be very crowded! Find a table first and then get your food in shifts. Go to Park Cafe on "off" hours. Johnny Rockets is great and never really crowded for breakfast. Meals there are always fresh and served hot!!! Otherwise, there are no real problems with crowds. Relax and enjoy!