Allure of the Seas Review 8th September - Western Caribbean

[novicetraveller]

Ok... it's the Scavenge Hunt one. I will check it out over the next couple of days. If you don't see an update, please hassle me for it.

[DonnaK]

Excellent review, Novice! Love your photos! Thanks for sharing!

[novicetraveller]

I have placed a new version of the Scavenger Hunt PDF file which is slightly larger. It maybe possible that Dropbox has an issue with PDF's which are smaller than 1MB in size. Give that a go, and let me know if you still have problems.

[novicetraveller]

Excellent review, Novice! Love your photos! Thanks for sharing!

 

Thanks for the comment. :)

[#1TravelMom]

I have placed a new version of the Scavenger Hunt PDF file which is slightly larger. It maybe possible that Dropbox has an issue with PDF's which are smaller than 1MB in size. Give that a go, and let me know if you still have problems.

 

Thanks so much - new one opened just fine. I appreciate your time.

[elktoncruiser]

novice,

I really enjoyed your review and pictures, we leave Sunday and can't wait.

[Shippy]

The compasses are on https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9e3nhv9a4us03iy/uiRJrsLErd. If the link doesn't work, look at post 27. If that doesn't work, let me know.

 

And thank you for your comment.

 

I have never seen where you can get a list of the whole weeks dining on one page.

Not that we intend to go to a pay restaurant, but nice to know ahead which night you might not mind missing.

thanks....

We leave for the allure this weekend? I would assume it is probably the same.

[Lejardin]

No questions, just wanted to tell you how wonderful your review and pictures are; great job!

 

 

just needed to agree.. love the photos and these are some of the best.

[novicetraveller]

I have never seen where you can get a list of the whole weeks dining on one page.

Not that we intend to go to a pay restaurant, but nice to know ahead which night you might not mind missing.

thanks....

We leave for the allure this weekend? I would assume it is probably the same.

 

The menu is constant week in and out. However, from what I gather from other threads, there are no escargots. Scollops are in force.

 

Also, don't dismiss the paid restaurants too quicly.

[bigque]

Very Very Nice! Pictures were Awesome!

[flyawayca]

Amazing photos! I'm not even finished with the review yet and wanted to say that. Thanks for posting! :D

[texas.travelers]

The excursion covered the following locations:

 

Secret Falls / Irie Blue Falls.

Shaw Park

Enchantment Gardens (Now known as Turtle Waterfalls and Gardens)

Runaway Bay

 

 

Hi there,

Thanks for the review. We are going to be stopping in Falmouth at the end of November and I am still looking at what to do there. I am wondering which stop you would have cut out in order to still go to the Fire Water? I would also like to have lunch at Scotchies but not sure if this is near any of the places you stopped? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[novicetraveller]

The excursion covered the following locations:

 

Secret Falls / Irie Blue Falls.

Shaw Park

Enchantment Gardens (Now known as Turtle Waterfalls and Gardens)

Runaway Bay

 

 

Hi there,

Thanks for the review. We are going to be stopping in Falmouth at the end of November and I am still looking at what to do there. I am wondering which stop you would have cut out in order to still go to the Fire Water? I would also like to have lunch at Scotchies but not sure if this is near any of the places you stopped? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

Hi Texas Travelers,

 

I would have dropped the Turtle Waterfalls and Gardens to see the Fire Water. Whilst the Turtle Waterfalls and Gardens is a nice place to go to, it does require a lot of time, and there isn't much to do other than to admire the waterfalls and the Aviary. Scotchies is near Shaw Park and the Secret Falls. Sadly I missed out on Scotchies because of the Turtle Waterfalls. As I was not hungry on the day, it was no big loss for me, but maybe next time I will make a visit.

Edited October 3, 2013 by novicetraveller

[rpettus]

Novice, thanks for such a great review. It was good to be able to relive the joys of the trip as well as get a glimps of what we missed.

 

Thanks:D

[novicetraveller]

Novice, thanks for such a great review. It was good to be able to relive the joys of the trip as well as get a glimps of what we missed.

 

Thanks:D

 

Reg, it was an absolute pleasure meeting you on the ship. I hope that one day our paths cross again.

[Mypascalina]

Ladies and Gentlemen, and folks of Cruise Critic.... Welcome to Yo Mon day. AKA The Falmouth Port.

 

I booked Ricardo Riley from Liberty Tours Jamaica for the day. It's a private excursion. I don't want this to be a "Why didn't you book a ships excursion" thread, however, I will state that the options available from RCCL wasn't to my liking. Also, it's hard to find a ships excursion that didn't cover beaches, shopping or something that would really interest me and allow me to go at my pace rather than the tour operators pace.

 

The excursion covered the following locations:

 

Secret Falls / Irie Blue Falls.

Shaw Park

Enchantment Gardens (Now known as Turtle Waterfalls and Gardens)

Runaway Bay

 

I wanted to go and see the Fire Water, but sadly, I was beaten by time.

 

Firstly, Let me introduce you to my Tour Guide.

 

Ricardo Riley.

 

 

(To avoid confusion, he's the one on the right). He is from Liberty Tours Jamaica.

 

The first port of call is the Irie Blue Hole (aka The Secret Falls). You can either jump into the waterfall, or admire everyone else doing it. I did the latter. There's also a secret cave under the falls. Because I suffer from vertigo and other issues, I didn't partake in this activity.

 

But if you are wondering what it's like (and you haven't seen my live review), here's what you can do.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you tried doing that in Dunns River Falls? :p

 

The good thing about Irie Blue Hole? It's not crowded! I know if you go at the right time, you can avoid the crowds at Dunns River Falls. However, you might get hounded by some of the street sellers, so make sure you go with some reputable tour operator if you go to Dunns River Falls. However, if you are looking for an amazing experience, go to Irie Blue Hole.

 

I looked over all the excursions you can do from the cruise line and have not found one that fits all of our wants. Did you feel safe? Did you go by yourself or with others?

Thank you

[novicetraveller]

I looked over all the excursions you can do from the cruise line and have not found one that fits all of our wants. Did you feel safe? Did you go by yourself or with others?

Thank you

 

Absolutely. I had used Ricardo before, so there was no issues over my safety.

 

I went to Jamaica last year. Had booked Lindsay McFarlane (sp?) originally based on the recommendations on CruiseCritic, but he had a larger group which he could take. So he had introduced me to Ricardo, who could accommodate me. I had no issues on my first trip and no issues on the 2nd trip.

 

It is important to research and book a private tour guide in advance rather than leaving it until the day, regardless of the port. Granted, some ports are more reliable than others, but when in a foreign country, ones safety and experiences must not be taken for granted.

 

I had booked the excursion for myself and advertised it on my roll call, but had no takers. However, I would have been happy to go alone. Yes, it is more expensive for me to do a private tour compared to a ships excursion, but I got to do what I wanted, and not what the ship thinks I wanted.

[janeyzee]

Cruise Compass, MDR Menu, Beverage Menu (Courtesy of another CC Member), Deck Plans, and other bits of information can be found at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9e3nhv9a4us03iy/uiRJrsLErd. The files are too large to upload to this site. It also includes a Cruise Planner that can be used with the Allure Roll Call. Some information needs to be changed depending on the itinerary

 

Thanks for that link, I'll be searching the Cruise Compasses tonight. We leave on the Allure Western Cruise on 11/17 and I love to plan so the Compasses will help me a lot. Just started your reviews - your photos are wonderful and the commentary is great.

[novicetraveller]

Thanks for that link, I'll be searching the Cruise Compasses tonight. We leave on the Allure Western Cruise on 11/17 and I love to plan so the Compasses will help me a lot. Just started your reviews - your photos are wonderful and the commentary is great.

 

Hi Jayneyzee,

 

I hope you have a lovely cruise. I think you may have Allan Brookes (CD)and Capt. Johnny, but not too sure. There may be slight variations on the cruise compass, but I wouldn't expect there to be much changes. The main shows are generally static throughout.

 

If you are looking for things to do in Jamaica, get in touch with Ricardo Riley of Liberty Tours Jamaica. I've heard some good things about Scotchies in Ocho Rios, but have not experienced it first hand. And also look out for La Choza in Cozumel. I can't post the FB links on here, but I don't think you will be disappointed with some of the authentic foods they do in these restaurant.

 

Again, I hope you have a fantastic holiday, and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

I know there are some room for improvement in terms of my commentary, and hopefully when the Oasis comes to the Med, I will be able to take fewer photos (less than 4,500 I hope!) and be able to make more observations. Also, it will be my first taste of the Med.

 

The Panama cruise will be the biggest challenge for me. 15 days, I hope I get to spend more time outdoors than indoors! And it will be my first time on the Legend.

[janeyzee]

So I noticed my post had been relegated to the 3rd page on Cruise Critic. I'm surprised there hasn't been any more questions as of yet. No Cabana questions?

 

I'm just now reading your review and have a cabana question. We'll be in a Grand Suite in November and I booked a Nellie's OTW cabana early on since everyone told me that I could change to a Barefoot Beach cabana when I boarded or by contacting the concierge. How did you book yours? Did you wait until you were onboard and book a BB cabana then? I want to switch to a hilltop on BB and hopefully will be able to do that, but I'm curious how you booked yours and what you thought of your location.

[novicetraveller]

I'm just now reading your review and have a cabana question. We'll be in a Grand Suite in November and I booked a Nellie's OTW cabana early on since everyone told me that I could change to a Barefoot Beach cabana when I boarded or by contacting the concierge. How did you book yours? Did you wait until you were onboard and book a BB cabana then? I want to switch to a hilltop on BB and hopefully will be able to do that, but I'm curious how you booked yours and what you thought of your location.

 

I stayed in Nellies in the end as I was too late to book a hilltop. My advice is to contact the Concierge for the Allure as soon as possible, as they tend to go before you set foot on the ship.

[novicetraveller]

I stayed in Nellies in the end as I was too late to book a hilltop. My advice is to contact the Concierge for the Allure as soon as possible, as they tend to go before you set foot on the ship.

 

If you don't have the email address to hand, the Concierge email address is AL_Concierge01@rccl.com. As mentioned in my previous post, it would recommended that you contact them sooner rather than later, as the cabanas tend to get snapped up pretty quickly, as I found out the hard way. My upgrade to the GS suite was pretty much last minute (about a month before the cruise), so I didn't get the opportunity to get a Hilltop cabana.

[janeyzee]

thanks so much, I will do that-

 

We are on the 11/17 cruise also. Are you on our Cruise Critic Roll Call? There are so many on there, I get people mixed up. We took the Liberty of the Seas All Access tour and it was great. I can only imagine the Allure tour would be wonderful.

[janeyzee]

Hi Jayneyzee,

 

I hope you have a lovely cruise. I think you may have Allan Brookes (CD)and Capt. Johnny, but not too sure. There may be slight variations on the cruise compass, but I wouldn't expect there to be much changes. The main shows are generally static throughout.

 

If you are looking for things to do in Jamaica, get in touch with Ricardo Riley of Liberty Tours Jamaica. I've heard some good things about Scotchies in Ocho Rios, but have not experienced it first hand. And also look out for La Choza in Cozumel. I can't post the FB links on here, but I don't think you will be disappointed with some of the authentic foods they do in these restaurant.

 

Again, I hope you have a fantastic holiday, and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

I know there are some room for improvement in terms of my commentary, and hopefully when the Oasis comes to the Med, I will be able to take fewer photos (less than 4,500 I hope!) and be able to make more observations. Also, it will be my first taste of the Med.

 

The Panama cruise will be the biggest challenge for me. 15 days, I hope I get to spend more time outdoors than indoors! And it will be my first time on the Legend.

 

The Cruise Critic thread with updates on CDs says we should have Allan Brooks but they aren't sure of the hand off date between him and Ken Rush. I've never had Allan as a CD so I'm hoping it's him. We've booked all our shows already but I love to check the Compasses to see if there are other fun things that I can plan to do.

 

We already have a tour booked in Falmouth, with another couple, with a stop at Scotchies in Montego Bay I believe. We've been to the Scotchies in Ocho Rios and loved it. Darrell got his first taste of Red Stripe there and has been drinking it ever since. We have a cooking class booked in Cozumel and will eat the food we make, otherwise I'd try to find La Choza, it sounds really good.

 

We will be on the Oasis TA back to the States in October of 2014, so I hope you enjoy her in the Med during her short stay there. If you do a review of that trip I will enjoy reading it. This review of the Allure was wonderful. I'll look for a Panama Canal review from you too. That trip is on our bucket list for sure!

[janeyzee]

I stayed in Nellies in the end as I was too late to book a hilltop. My advice is to contact the Concierge for the Allure as soon as possible, as they tend to go before you set foot on the ship.

 

Great, thanks for that advice. Most people told me to wait until a week before the cruise but maybe I'll email now and see what happens. Thanks for the email address too. Hope we can get a hilltop.