A Week on The World's Largest Cruise Ship: A Photo/Video Allure (Western) Review

[Nicole721]

 

 

 

 

Once we were set loose to explore on our own, I searched for something to climb. A lot of my fun in exploring the Mayan ruins is climbing the biggest one I can find. There is nothing to climb at Tulum. They’re all roped off and none of them are that tall, anyways. So I did the next best thing: I went to the beach lookout where 98 Degrees filmed Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche).

 

 

[Nicole721]

 

 

 

While I didn’t care for the incredibly commercialized set up at Tulum (or the fact there was nothing for me to climb), I will say this – it is absolutely stunning out there. We were free to go to the beach if we wanted to, but it was at least a hundred steps down to the beach from where we were, which only meant 100 steps back up. Getting wet and dealing with sticky clothes in the already intense humidity wasn’t appealing in any way, shape or form, so we just kind of admired it from afar.

 

 

We headed back to the bus a little early because it was going to be a long walk and we wanted to ensure we’d make it back on time.

 

 

We were handed boxed lunches and cold bottled water as we re-boarded the bus. All of the boxes were filled with food by American brands, but on the downside of that, the main part of that was a Bumblebee tuna kit. Being stuck in a confined area with three dozen people eating tuna fish right before a long bus ride that will culminate in a tender ride where at least a third of my excursion mates will get sea sick is the kind of stuff my (admittedly neurotic) nightmares are made of.

 

[Nicole721]

Two of our bus mates didn’t make it back to the bus on time and Andres held off as long as he could before directing the driver to leave. And after we left, he spent most of our bus ride trying to locate the two missing people (hoping that they had, perhaps, boarded another bus), but Andres never located them. We were running very late because he had waited so long for them and our bus driver was booking it back to Playa del Carmen. The tender is a public tender (it’s the same one locals take to travel in between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen), and so we were on its schedule. It wouldn’t wait for us.

 

 

 

 

We bid adieu to Andres, who wouldn’t be making the journey back with us, as we boarded the tender. The tender ride was even more choppy than it was on the way there, and this time, we were hassled by vendors trying to unload silver chains and the pictures we were stopped to take that morning. When the attendants started freely handing out plastic baggies to everyone around us who reached their hands out, I plugged my headphones into my iPhone and tuned out. My OCD tendencies can’t deal with a boatload of sea sick people around me.

 

 

Our excursion didn’t provide for return transportation from the tender launch back to the ship, but we found plenty of cabs lined up at the terminal, and we were quoted a $7 flat rate for the 10 minute drive back to the pier.

 

 

We wanted to do some shopping on our way back to the ship for some souvenirs and there was plenty of shopping at the pier. All the good shopping is at the pier. The shops inside the terminal have higher prices. And much to my delight, there was a Los Cinco Soles at this pier, too, for us to stock up on our vanilla extract.

 

[Nicole721]

We headed back to the ship after we paid for our souvenirs and vanilla. Mom and Stephanie made a beeline for the Coke machines while I went straight to the room to shower. And despite an application of SPF 30 in the morning followed by subsequent applications of SPF 50 throughout the afternoon, I burned again! I can’t win! No sunscreen? Burn. Lots of sunscreen? Burn. Next time? Tee shirts or bust.

 

All of us were exhausted so we took short naps in the room before we had to get ready for dinner. One of the throw ins from our TA was dinner for two at a specialty restaurant, and we chose to redeem with dinner at Chops.

 

 

 

Dinner began with bread and butter, and some sort of cream cheese spread that I didn’t care to try but that Mom and Stephanie enjoyed.

 

 

Unlike Carnival, which has a very structured dining experience in their steak houses (you generally order one appetizer, one salad, one entrée, one side and one dessert. If they’re feeling nice, you can talk them into letting you order an extra appetizer or side, but we’re usually too full to try), Chops allows you to order however much of whatever you want of appetizers, salads, sides and desserts. We stuck to one each and then ordered multiple sides to the table. I felt like the quality of meat was the same across Chops and the Carnival steakhouses, but Carnival has richer soups and sauces. The French onion soup at Chops didn’t come close to the rich, delicate broth Carnival serves at their steakhouse, but my filet mignon was tender and perfectly cooked and seasoned, and Mom and Stephanie echoed similar sentiments with their meals. All in all, it was a solid and enjoyable meal.

 

Dungeness Crab and Shrimp Cake

 

Warm Goat Cheese and Basil Souffle

 

Cheese N’ Onion Soup

[Nicole721]

Not So Traditional Caesar Salad

 

Beefsteak Tomato and Purple Onions

 

Chops Signature Salad

 

Filet Mignon

 

New York Strip Steak

 

Steamed Asparagus

[Nicole721]

Crimini Mushrooms and Leek

 

Fried Onion Rings

 

Roasted Potatoes with Prosciutto and Parmesan

 

Double Whipped Mashed Potatoes

 

Green Beans with Dijon Mustard Sabayon and Feta Cheese Crumbles

 

Crème Brulee

[Nicole721]

Chocolate Mud Pie

 

Red Velvet Cake

 

When we got back to our room to change after dinner, Wendy had a new friend waiting to greet us.

 

 

We felt like the piece missing from our dinner at Chops was the lack of sea views from the restaurant, so we took some time after dinner to sit out on the balcony.

 

[Nicole721]

We had reserved Blue Planet as our show for the evening and headed out to the Amber Palace about a half hour before show time and the theater was already packed. The show is a self-starting show (the cruise director recorded an announcement that played before the show), but Ken Rush came out to chat with the crowd before the show anyways. And Blue Planet? Best show we’ve seen at sea. Bar none. Even better than (and it pains me to say it) my beloved Rock Down Broadway. The show combined the performers from Chicago and the acrobats from Oceanaria and was really well choreographed, had fantastic sets and excellent effects.

 

 

 

 

After the show, none of us were really up to doing…anything…so we headed back to the room. Mom and Stephanie fell asleep as soon as their makeup was off. I grabbed Mom’s Coke cup to grab some fruit punch and noticed that Sorrento’s was offering a Mexican pizza on special that I just couldn’t say no to. Tomatoes, onions, chorizo, jalepenos and a dollop of guacamole. It was legitimately the best slice of pizza I’ve ever had on a cruise ship.

 

 

I sat in the Promenade sipping on my fruit punch for a bit. It gets really nice and peaceful after midnight out there and it was the perfect way to wind down after an active day.

[BobbyD]

Thanks for the review! We will be heading out on the Allure next August. We prefer Royal but also enjoy Carnival as well. On the Glory last March, my wife and I really enjoyed the Steakhouse. Service and food was exceptional. In some people's opinions, that is where Carnival surpasses Royal. Are they comparable or do you feel that Carnival puts out a better product in their steakhouse? I know that opinions on food are so subjective, but looking to get your thoughts.

[Nicole721]

Thanks for the review! We will be heading out on the Allure next August. We prefer Royal but also enjoy Carnival as well. On the Glory last March, my wife and I really enjoyed the Steakhouse. Service and food was exceptional. In some people's opinions, that is where Carnival surpasses Royal. Are they comparable or do you feel that Carnival puts out a better product in their steakhouse? I know that opinions on food are so subjective, but looking to get your thoughts.

 

I think Carnival puts a better product in their steakhouses. I think the Carnival steakhouses feel a bit more upscale than Chops and while more limited in selection, I think the apps, sides, sauces and desserts were better on Carnival. I felt the steaks were comparable quality.

 

That said, I think Chops was very good. I just happen to prefer Carnival's steakhouses a little more :)

[Nicole721]

We let ourselves sleep in a bit on our last sea day but made sure we were up and out of the room in time to grab breakfast in the Adagio since it was the last breakfast venue on the ship that we’d wanted to try and hadn’t yet.

 

 

 

The offerings were generally standard breakfast fare, but they did offer a selection of chocolate infused items that really elevated the selection. Who doesn’t love a chocolate milkshake with their breakfast?

 

Cheese Danish

 

Chocolate Milkshake and Coffee

 

Fresh Fruit Plate

 

Eggs Benedict

[Nicole721]

Smoked Salmon Plate

 

Ham and Cheese Omelet

 

We headed straight to the pool after breakfast. While the pool area got progressively more crowded as the week passed (no more pool to ourselves like on the first day!), we still didn’t feel like it was traditionally crowded. We swam and laid out for a few hours trying to take it all in.

 

 

Around noon, we headed back to the room to shower and start packing a little. Mom went to check her onboard account and noticed that we were charged an extra $60 at Chops two hours after we left that wasn’t on our receipt. While Mom hashed it out with the Purser (they told her to call Chops directly and the manager there said they’d take care of it), I spent some quality time on the balcony.

 

 

We headed out to Central Park to stroll around a bit before our late lunch reservations at Giovanni’s Table.

 

 

I thought the interior of Giovanni’s was incredibly charming. It felt like a small bistro. All of the servers at Giovanni’s were from various regions of Italy, but it worked a bit to our disadvantage, as our server didn’t speak much English and communicating with him was difficult (and resulted in our appetizers coming out wrong).

 

[Nicole721]

 

 

 

It was recommended we order two appetizers and a pasta for the table, and then an entrée for each person. Our server prepared us a plate of olive oil and vinegar and brought out some crusty bread while we perused the menus.

 

 

 

The standouts in our meal were the prosciutto (which is cut fresh on an old fashioned hand cranked machine) and the tiramisu. My steak was far past well on an order of medium, but we all really enjoyed our meals here.

 

Antipasti Per Due

 

[Nicole721]

Risotto al Fungi Trifolati

 

Lasagna Tradizionale al Sugo de Carne

 

Bistecca di Manzo alla Griglia

 

Filetto di Pollo Ripieno di Ricotta e Funghi

 

Cannoli and a half portion of Tiramisu

 

The meal was well worth the $15 per person charge to dine and despite some hiccups in the service, it was a really enjoyable meal. The ambiance of the restaurant was just fantastic and the food was delicious.

 

[Nicole721]

We decided to walk our meal off with a stroll along the ship capped off by a drink at the Boardwalk Bar, where the bartender was only willing to make the drinks on the menu (so much for my Miami Vice!).

 

 

 

 

 

And then after we couldn’t procrastinate anymore, we headed back to the room to pack.

 

 

It took a few hours for all of us to get everything we’d overpacked and unpacked back re-packed and we eventually got to the point where we were just throwing stuff in bags with the intent of sorting it out once we got to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale. By the time we finished packing, it was dinner time.

 

[Nicole721]

Tonight’s menu in the Adagio wasn’t all that appealing to us and we would have gone to 150 Central Park if not for John and Daniel. We didn’t feel right skipping out to a specialty restaurant without saying goodbye to them and thanking them for making our week so enjoyable. Manuel, the head waiter, stopped by for one last chat with us, too. He told us about his former role for Celebrity going undercover on other cruises to see how other lines fare with food and entertainment. Where do I sign up for that job?! He gave us his business card and told us that if we ever needed anything to let him know and if we ever sailed on another Royal Caribbean ship, to have their head waiter send him our regards. I know I’ve said it a million times throughout this review, but the dining staff on this ship was heads and shoulders above any service we’ve ever received on any other ship. It was truly something special. So we took our time with our meal so we could chat with them before we had to say goodbye.

 

Spanish Tapas Plate

 

Royal Shrimp Cocktail

 

Eggplant and Kalamata Olive Tartare

 

French Onion Soup

 

Chilled Pineapple and Lychee Soup

 

Tomato and Baked Feta Cheese Salad

[Nicole721]

Roasted Turkey

 

Rosemary Lamb Shank

 

Rigatoni Pasta

 

Low-Fat Warm Apple Dome

 

Williams Pear Chocolate Crisp

 

Frozen Strawberry Souffle

[Nicole721]

Cheese Plate

 

Mom headed to the Purser’s desk after dinner to get more luggage tags and to check on the status of the charge from Chops and it still hadn’t been taken off Mom’s account. The Purser called Chops herself and the manager on call at the restaurant gave the Purser a bit of attitude and wouldn’t provide a receipt where Mom signed for that charge. The Purser was lovely and promised Mom that it would be resolved by morning and if it weren’t, she’d be there in the morning and would personally see it resolved.

 

 

Meanwhile, while Mom was settling that, Stephanie and I headed back to the room to watch the sunset on the balcony.

 

 

And then once Mom was back, we all took another walk around the ship.

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

 

We ended up back in the Promenade and took a ride on the Rising Tide Bar as we enjoyed some martini’s.

 

 

I figured since it was the last night, it was a good time to do a walking tour of Central Park (

). And when we were done with Central Park? I dragged Mom and Stephanie along and did a walking tour of the Boardwalk (

).

 

We capped off our evening at our favorite hang, the Champagne and Martini bar.

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

We headed back to the room for that dreaded deadline where you have to have your luggage in the hallway by.

 

 

Mom went to bed, Stephanie watched some Style Network and I headed to the Purser to settle my account. It was incredibly slow because there were SO MANY people. I never missed Carnival during the week as much as I did in that moment. We almost never wait in line for the Purser on the last night because we’re Platinum. It’s a small thing but it’s probably the perk I appreciate the most.

 

Stephanie was still awake when I got back from settling my account and we watched some TV before heading to bed.

[Nicole721]

I have this…thing. It’s hard to describe. A cosmic connection to my cell phone, if you will. And on the morning we disembark any ship, I will wake up multiple times throughout the night to see if I have service yet. This time? I was up at two. And then again every half hour until 4:15 am, when my cell phone service was actually restored…and I could see all 150+ work emails waiting for me.

 

We docked next to the Carnival Freedom and we were all up and out of the room bright and early – before 6:30 am. We said goodbye to Wendy as we left and headed to the Adagio for breakfast.

 

 

 

The Adagio offers an abbreviated breakfast menu on debarkation morning. You can choose from a la carte ordering or the buffet they have set up. We all chose to order a la carte.

 

French Toast

 

The Classic

 

The dining room filled up pretty quickly after we were seated and I couldn’t even imagine what the Windjammer looked like. We headed to the Purser after breakfast. Mom was charged for a towel she’d returned and they quickly took care of that charge. Her charge from Chops was also taken care of. Since there weren’t that many people hanging around the Promenade, we just kind of stuck around there until our number was called.

 

 

[Nicole721]

 

 

Our number (zone 20something, I think) was called around 7:30 am. We hung back a bit, but we were off the ship, reunited with our luggage, through customs and in a cab by 8:15 am.

 

 

The cab dropped us off at the car rental at FLL and we quickly got our rental and headed to our hotel (The Sheraton on the beach).

 

 

We called them on our way and asked if they could accommodate an early check in, but they said they were booked solid and had to stick to the normal check in time of 3:00 pm, but offered to let us check in and take our luggage so we could use the amenities.

 

 

The woman who checked us in was incredibly nice (which may have been a result of me being overly polite. It takes nice to get nice!) and she looked up my Starwood Preferred Guest number even though we booked through Priceline. We dropped off our luggage with the hotel and headed towards Boca.

 

We were off the ship so early that by the time we got our luggage dropped off and drove the half hour to Boca, still nothing was open! It was still too early! We drove around for a bit while Mom showed us all the places she and grandma used to take us to when we were little and we wintered in Florida. Once everything opened up, we did a few hours of shopping before stopping at The Shake Shack for a quick lunch.

 

[Nicole721]

We got a call around 1:15 pm that our room was ready, so we headed back to Fort Lauderdale to check in.

 

 

The lobby was packed when we got back, so we weren’t lied to when we checked in – the hotel was at capacity. But on that note, we were stuck in a king room for the three of us. The rooms at the Sheraton were musty and a bit antiquated. The walls are pretty thin (we could hear all the action at the pool outside our room) and we could see light creeping in from the door frame, but the room was clean and it was only one night. That said…we’ll go back to staying in Plantation at the Renaissance the next time we’re in Fort Lauderdale. The beach access wasn’t worth the old rooms.

 

 

 

We had our luggage brought up and reallocated the ballace between our bags so all of our bags were under the weight limit for our flights back before heading out to the beach.

 

 

 

 

The hotel’s private beach access was packed and the sand was thick with sharp rocks and debris, so we ended up walking to the public beach and strolling along there for a bit. We walked a mile or so before heading back to the hotel. It was a holiday weekend, so we kind of expected the crowds, but we didn’t realize how outrageous prices were out there for beach parking. Day parking at the Bahia Mar hotel was $40!

[Nicole721]

We grabbed the car and headed to Sawgrass for some more…shopping. Don’t judge us – it was the last bit of our vacation! The Kate Spade outlet was having an incredible sale, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy another handbag. We made a quick trip to Target for water bottles and muffins for tomorrow’s breakfast and then headed for a quick dinner at TGI Friday’s.

 

 

After dinner, we went back to the hotel and watched some TV. The three of us in the king bed wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t awful, and we managed a couple of hours of sleep before our early wake up for our flight.

 

I spent my pre-flight time obsessing over the Turbulence Forecast while Stephanie and Mom rolled their eyes at me.

 

 

The flight was generally uneventful and before we knew it, we were back in Chicago.

 

 

And I was back home.

 

 

And thatttttt concludes our Allure review! Thanks for sticking in it with me! I hope you guys found it helpful! :)

 

I've got to be up to catch a flight to Miami in...two hours. We're sailing off on the Breeze on Saturday! But if anyone has any questions or comments, I'll check in here when we get back from the Southern Caribbean! :)

[Sinppu]

I just now found your report and it has the best amount of food porn ever.

 

Thank you :D:D