Live from Allure of the Seas - August 25, 2013

[Daghis]

Please, please, please...I'm on my knees...Will you post the cruise compass from your trip. :o:):D

 

Yes, I have the Cruise Compasses and will be bringing them home to scan in and share with everyone.

 

pictures from nachi cocum?:D

 

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures there. I meant to at one point, but I was a bit frustrated that I had to seek out my lunch.

[Daghis]

And a big day! Today's the slot tournament finals. Here's hoping for a free cruise!!

I ended up getting 6th place, so no cruise for me. I also discovered today that the free cruise would have been on Liberty of the Seas. I know that there are some slot tournament cruises on Oasis and Allure, so I was hoping it was one of them.

[cruzegurl104]

Yes, I have the Cruise Compasses and will be bringing them home to scan in and share with everyone.

 

 

 

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures there. I meant to at one point, but I was a bit frustrated that I had to seek out my lunch.

 

 

 

I understand... I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as you hoped! Just another reason to book another cruise, and try another spot:)

[anandaindonesia]

Yes, I have the Cruise Compasses and will be bringing them home to scan in and share with everyone....

 

Hooray...!

Looking forward!

[Daghis]

Well, we are off the ship and at the airport, waiting for our plane to begin boarding in a bit over an hour.

 

For those curious about the timing of our disembarkation, we chose the "Express" (self-assist) departure:

 

• 7:20 - Leave cabin with bags in hand
  
• 7:30 - Enter terminal
  
• 7:45 - Through customs and outside the terminal
  
• 8:00 - Arrive at airport
  
• 8:06 - Checked in with baggage
  
• 8:30 - Through TSA security and now waiting at the gate
  

[Daghis]

Well, we are sorry to see the end of the cruise, but all good things... as they say.

 

We got one last chance to see and say goodbye to Bojan and Michelle and get some final drinks at various venues we'd enjoyed during the week.

 

Dinner at Chops Grille was too much food and I couldn't finish it all. I tried the porterhouse this time and it was good, but I think I'd rather have had the petite filet. The mud pie was nice and creamy and very chocolatey.

 

Overall, we had a fantastic time onboard and seeing favorite crew members from prior cruises was a real enhancement to the week.

 

Some less positive things: Our stateroom attendant seemed to be confused about how to handle wine in our cabin. We asked him for ice in a bucket for the wine, and he instead brought a regular ice bucket which he only filled once a day. The bucket we did get from room service, once the ice had melted, was never refilled. Dirty glasses weren't removed/replaced.

 

Dinner in the main dining room (My Time Dining) was a bit odd at first, but got better. We were seated for about fifteen minutes before our waiter came over to take our order. He seemed to be missing for a little while.

 

Most positive memories: stepping onboard into the Royal Promenade and feeling that sense of relief that I've been here before and it's a happy place, being able to get our cabana and our show reservations immediately after boarding without any difficulty, riding the Rising Tide Bar and the Carousel (my first time onboard!), meeting crew members who genuinely wanted to interact with us and help improve our vacation experience, the view from our boardwalk balcony, and many more.

 

And now begins the countdown to the next cruise on Independence of the Seas in March.

[Lloyd555]

Going down to the beach to watch Oasis sail away was a really great idea and a lot of fun. We parked in the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park parking ($1.75/hour, prepaid at an automated kiosk) and walked down to the end of the beach. It's about a mile walk and through the sand, it took us about 30 minutes to get to the rocks at the end of the beach.

 

We got there just as Carnival Freedom was pulling out of port.

 

 

Then, not too long afterward, Oasis of the Seas started backing up from her berth.

 

 

Soon, she had turned and started heading down the channel.

 

 

And after a long while of her sailing by slowly, she started heading away from us.

 

 

After she left, we headed back to the car (another half hour walk :)) and drove around to find something for dinner. We found a sushi place (Tokyo Sushi) relatively near the Total Wine shop at which we wanted to browse to pick up a bottle to bring with us tomorrow. The sushi was quite good and we were very satisfied after our meal.

 

A quick stop at Total Wine and we picked up a recommended Pinot Grigio to enjoy on our Boardwalk Balcony, and now we're back at the hotel, relaxing for the evening.

 

Tomorrow's going to be an exciting and busy day! We're planning on leaving the hotel around 9 AM so we can hopefully get to the port between 10:00 and 10:30, depending on Avis's shuttle. The cruise is almost here!!

 

 

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I plan on watching the Oasis of the Seas leave before my Allure of the Seas cruise as well. Hoping to be able to drag my fellow travellers down the beach to the rocks. Thanks for mentioning the sushi place! Will check it out!

[laedw]

Well, we are off the ship and at the airport, waiting for our plane to begin boarding in a bit over an hour.

 

For those curious about the timing of our disembarkation, we chose the "Express" (self-assist) departure:

 

• 7:20 - Leave cabin with bags in hand
  
• 7:30 - Enter terminal
  
• 7:45 - Through customs and outside the terminal
  
• 8:00 - Arrive at airport
  
• 8:06 - Checked in with baggage
  
• 8:30 - Through TSA security and now waiting at the gate
  

I really enjoyed reading your review and loved the pics. How did you get from the ship to the airport? Did you fly out of FLL? Did you hear of any norovirus cases on the ship? I recently read a March 2013 review of the Allure and the OP said she contracted the virus and so did several others.

[Quilting Queen]

Thank you so much Marc for your daily time posting. It has been enjoyable reading and remembering the Allure. We will be doing the Oasis in 2015 with the Arizona Cruisers group.

 

Norine

[MrFunInTheSun]

Welcome back to land. Thanks for bringing us along live with you. Sounds like you had a great week.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

[Colorado Babe]

Thank you for the review. We are getting ready to board on the Allure today. Looking forward to sailing on this magnificent ship.

[prekteacher]

I have enjoyed reading your review. Still hoping to get the family on Allure one day. Thank you for all the time you put into this report!

 

Barb

[Pebbles468]

Thank you so much for the Live posting throughout your vacation. You answered every question posed to you.. I look forward to going through all the Cruise Compass' from beginning to end and planning our trip in December!

 

I hope you enjoyed your week ~ it seemed to go by so fast for me, so I can only hope you were able to savor it and enjoy the week on the Allure.

 

You really did a fabulous job... THANK YOU!!

[Daghis]

I really enjoyed reading your review and loved the pics. How did you get from the ship to the airport? Did you fly out of FLL? Did you hear of any norovirus cases on the ship? I recently read a March 2013 review of the Allure and the OP said she contracted the virus and so did several others.

We took a taxi from the terminal to Fort Lauderdale Airport.

 

I didn't hear or suspect anything related to norovirus. Everyone seemed perfectly healthy.

[Daghis]

You are all very welcome, and thank you for following along! I'm glad that I could share the experience with you and let you join me on the cruise vicariously.

 

I still have a few more updates for this thread including some balcony pictures and the scanned Cruise Compasses and such. Later on, when I finish putting together my scavenger hunt photos, I'll post a separate thread for those that may be interested in that.

[leaveitallbehind]

You are all very welcome, and thank you for following along! I'm glad that I could share the experience with you and let you join me on the cruise vicariously.

 

I still have a few more updates for this thread including some balcony pictures and the scanned Cruise Compasses and such. Later on, when I finish putting together my scavenger hunt photos, I'll post a separate thread for those that may be interested in that.

 

Great thread, Marc. Sounds like a great time! Look forward to the rest of your pictures.

[crackycruiser]

Thank you!! So exciting. Cant wait for my Allure cruise.

[EDHFamily]

Well, we are off the ship and at the airport, waiting for our plane to begin boarding in a bit over an hour.

 

For those curious about the timing of our disembarkation, we chose the "Express" (self-assist) departure:

 

• 7:20 - Leave cabin with bags in hand
  
• 7:30 - Enter terminal
  
• 7:45 - Through customs and outside the terminal
  
• 8:00 - Arrive at airport
  
• 8:06 - Checked in with baggage
  
• 8:30 - Through TSA security and now waiting at the gate
  

 

Marc,

 

Was 7:20 the earliest time you could disembark or were people disembarking sooner?

 

Thank you, Chris

[Hozhoni]

Thank you so much I have been reading all week :) some day I will be on the big ships.....so looking forward to it.....right now I have too many kids at home and cannot be gone from home and farm animals that long....its took expensive to take 7 of us :( SOME DAY!!!

 

we are on Liberty for Thanksgiving and I'm so looking forward to that...hope to find the rocks to watch the ships leave, as we are there a day early...

 

Take care and maybe I will see you someday on the seas :)

Dawn

 

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[MedicKen]

Marc,

Thanks for your review and WELCOME BACK TO THE 'BURGH.

[FTD]

we were also on this cruise. In response to Chris. I was up at 5:15 and watched the Ft. Laud. condos go by...we were docked around 5:40. We headed to the staging area (Dining room deck 5) at 6:15 but no one was there as they had departed already. We walked off (no lines) and were leaving Park n Go by around 6:45. Back hime in Orlando by 11:00...not bad.

 

Frank

[TXMary]

Thank you so much for doing this. It was a pleasure to sail along with you! Really makes me excited for our October Allure cruise!!

[joand452]

Thank you for taking the time out of your vacation to keep the "cruise addicted" happy!

[Daghis]

Was 7:20 the earliest time you could disembark or were people disembarking sooner?

You've already been given an answer to this, but I wanted to add that the general window for the express (self-assist) disembarkation go until 7:30. The regular tagged luggage disembarkation starts around 7:15.

[hazeleyes35]

We had the cabana next to you in Labadee :D