Solo on the Allure - My Thoughts

[maureencruiser]

 

 

 

 

[maureencruiser]

 

 

 

 

 

So, after the show, they came on and announced what was going on and that we were going back to investigate. The Belly Flop was postponed to a later date. I went to both sides and looked out, but, I didn't see anything.

[maureencruiser]

Discouraged, I went back to my room. I knew my friends back home would get a kick out of the fact that I was on vacation looking for dead/alive bodies. I'm a fan of true crime, etc. A loyal viewer of Nancy Grace and that kind of show. I also belong to Websleuths, a message board just like this one, except we try to solve crimes, find missing people, match unidentified bodies to missing people, that sort of thing. So, I went back and decided to look out from my balcony just to see if I could see anything and look what I found dangling beneath me in my previously unoccupied spot, remember, Weisenheimers?

 

 

 

The Search and Rescue boat!

 

 

 

 

Apparently, they had gone out and discovered the "person" was a tree trunk with a bird on it. Hilarious!! But, a good job by the passengers and crew, regardless. Better safe than sorry. The comedians, of course, had a field day with it. One said he had bought his wife a wood carving in Jamaica , but, now he couldn't find it. Had anybody seen it? It was a tree trunk with a bird on it. The other said, OK, show of hands, how many of you were hoping it was a dead body? :D

[tinaky1114]

Do you happen to know what the cost of the massages are on Labadee? I am a spa junkie but hate spending so much at the ship spa! Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Tina

 

Counting down the 60 days till the Allure! Just booked today!

[PattiHere]

Day 5 - At Sea -The Day I learned what Oscar, Oscar, Oscar means.

 

 

Another sea day, another Park Cafe breakfast - 2 Egg McMuff - 2 breakfast sandwiches.

 

And some fruit, with what I really wanted behind it.

 

 

And then, since I had so much fun at the Aqua Theater, I went on the Backstage Tour.

 

The floor of the Aqua Theater, kind of looks like where the spaceship from Close Encounters would land, if you ask me.

 

When the divers go under water and don't come back, it turns out they really don't drown, they climb out of this hatch.

 

 

Sounds official

 

 

Now that I see how it's done, I'm sure I could do it! Step one, learn to swim!

 

 

 

Do you have to make reservations for this tour?

 

I will be sailing on the Allure in 46 days and would like to see this.

 

I am loving your review. I am a recent widow and this will be the first time I have cruised on my own, your review is helping so much! I hope that one day we will meet on a cruise.

[elvismeggi]

Elvi, Come join the Facebook page, do you know :D

 

I' m in the Facebook page : Name Meggi J....... :-)

 

 

Elvi

[A&L_Ont]

Wrona, Don't pay any attention to A&L, he doesn't even know if he lives in England or Canada. ;) By the way A&L, here in America, we call you Al - not A and L. :eek:

 

 

 

Do you like them chunky?

 

 

OK, now that I have wiped my computer of my coffee I shall continue on. Oh, and not that chunky.:D

[graphicguy]

Maureen....thanks ever so much. I haven't been on the Allure for a little while, and your review brings back fun memories.

 

Loving your humor.:D

Edited October 16, 2013 by graphicguy

[A&L_Ont]

Maureen, thanks for posting those photos that you weren't supposed to take. Interesting reading the expectations compared to actuals.

 

Andrew

[mrlddst]

Thanks for the review! Your commentary is hilarious!

[Ourusualbeach]

Best 45 minutes I spent today was reading this review. Great pics.

[maureencruiser]

Do you have to make reservations for this tour?

 

 

I am loving your review. I am a recent widow and this will be the first time I have cruised on my own, your review is helping so much! .

 

I'm sorry for your loss. Go and have a great time and say a little toast to your late husband. No reservations needed, just show up. Make sure you go to all the shows.

 

Best 45 minutes I spent today was reading this review. Great pics.

 

45 Minutes! Dang, I've been working on it for five days. Can you go back and read it a little slower, so, I feel like my efforts are worth it? I will resume posting tomorrow, today just got away from me. My coworker and my boss are both on vacation, so, guess who is struggling to do all the work.

 

Here, just for fun, I will post a pic or two of me and the aforementioned coworker, Rhonda. I took her on her first cruise on the Enchantment over Labor Day weekend.

 

Here are the shirts I made for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we are at the Muster, happy and smiling.

 

 

 

 

Here we are, after they told us all the things that could go wrong.

 

 

[Sea Turtle]

You did a transatlantic on the NCL Epic?????

 

You can handle the Allure!!!!!

 

haha, M_M! ;) Well, I didn't really pick the Epic. It picked me with a fare much, much lower than one-way airfare to get me home after three weeks in Greece and Spain. Perhaps if I can snag an excellent Allure (or other big-ass ship) deal like Maureen and a few other solos did back in August/September, I'll give her a try! :)

 

Pamela, I can't believe I'm going on another cruise. I need to check in on that roll call soon. I'm completely out of the loop. I'm excited about the train. WoooooWoooooo!!

 

I know, Maureen. You barely have time to breathe between these cruises!! :p Next one is coming up fast. Nice, mellow roll call for the GOS. See you over there! After reading your review here, I'm even more convinced you're going to like the train--it's all about the journey. :cool:

[Debitoo]

Thoroughly enjoying your writing style and, of course, your report. I'm a soon-to-be new solo cruiser and you are really inspiring me! Thank you soooo much! ;)

[CaLigUrL1216]

Maureencruiser I loved reading your review and seeing all your pictures! methinks I must go solo cruisin some day! :)

[01 Cobra]

I am still enjoying your review!!! I leave tomorrow for a quick 2 night cruise to nowhere, but when I get back from nowhere I'll check back in and catch up on your very entertaining Allure review!!!! :D :)

[maureencruiser]

Hi, I'm back. Thank you all for your kind comments and prayers for my Mom. She was much stronger today, starting to get cranky, so, I know she's on the way to health. Don't get her Irish up, and she's not even Irish, she's Belgian. :rolleyes:

 

The rest of the sea day was just a lazy day, attending a few activities. I didn't take any notes. This was the 60 Seconds or Less game show, similar to Minute to Win it.

 

 

Thes guys had Kleenex boxes filled with ping pong balls and they had to empty them without using their hands. Shake your booty, shake your booty!

 

I hope it is Ok with you guys that I am including all these activities that I did. A lot of the reviews I have read were just like...and then we read books in the Solarium for 19 hours....Snooze! :p I have often said that a cruise is like Summer Camp for adults. We play games, we go to parties, etc. That is what I love about cruising so that is what I do. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea. I figure the more information that is out there, the better informed people will be. Who knows, maybe there is a vintage swimwear scholar out there reading this who had no idea she could see some on the cruise. So, now, back to the half naked men - HAHA!

 

So, I attended a port shopping talk about Cozumel to see if I could win a prize, I didn't. On the way out, I ran into the Beyonce Dance Class, already in progress. The ladies (and one man) were dancing to Single Ladies (and one man).

 

 

I was so exhausted by their efforts, I needed something to eat.

 

[maureencruiser]

Later, I ran into some old friends.

 

 

Then, that night was Quest - those of you that know Quest know the first rule of Quest is you don't talk about Quest. The second rule of Quest is YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT QUEST!

 

For those that don't know, all I can say (legally) is you have to see it for yourself. And, our CD, Allan Brooks, does a very good job with it. Some of the CDs I have seen have all the personality of a wet rag. He was wonderful. And, no, of course, I do not have any pictures of Quest. :(

 

After that, it was time to renew my affair with the Sun Flower Seed Granola Bar and then off to bed.

[maureencruiser]

Wait, I was wrong, I must have wandered around a bit before bed because I found a few more pics.

 

 

The best souvenirs $2 can buy showing off the fact that the walls of the cabin are magnetic. Well, actually, I guess the walls are metal. The MAGNETS are magnetic. :rolleyes: You see my invitation to the Prohibition Party? I actually had cancelled that. I just couldn't see myself being able to drink $35 worth of gin! Another problem was that Quest and the PP were at the same time. You couldn't do both. :(

 

 

Not sure what this is, I think the dessert is called Rum Raisin, but, it sure looked like (and tasted like) Chocolate with nuts to me.

 

 

Did y'all notice how much milk I am drinking? Mom would be proud.

[maureencruiser]

Day 6 - Cozumel or There Goes the Neighborhood!

 

We woke up in Cozumel and discovered we had company.

 

A Carnival ship with two tails?

 

 

No, TWO Carnival ships, the Conquest and the Magic, if memory serves. I promise to take better notes on the Grandeur in December.

 

 

The much coveted water slides.

 

 

Look at that water!

 

 

 

Before I headed out, I snapped a few pics.

 

 

[maureencruiser]

After yesterday's Oscar incident, there was one thing I just had to see.

 

 

Ah, there she was, tucked away so neatly under my balcony. You'd never have known she so proudly and bravely was saving lives just one day prior. Well, lives of birds......and trees.

 

I'm using this registered trademark without permission. :eek:

 

 

I'm heading out to do some window shopping (taking pictures of stuff I don't want to spend money on) and everybody else is heading back.

 

The more I learn about Dia de Muertos , the more I like it.

 

 

[maureencruiser]

OK, I work in a pharmacy, so, I just had to go to the Drugs & Deli.

 

 

 

 

The cashier saw me take a pic of the price and came rushing over to tell me it was in pesos, so, it would be about $10 American. Good price for Mupirocin, if it is real.

 

 

They didn't seem happy about me taking pics, Gee, I'm not John Stossel or someone doing an expose. I just knew my coworkers would find it funny to see prescription drugs for sale over the counter.

 

 

 

I got out of there before they called la policia on me!

[maureencruiser]

Look at all the colors!

 

 

These are the bags made out of candy wrappers.

 

Escapees from the rock climbing wall.

 

 

Their little heads bob around, I bought two of these.

 

 

 

Bumper to bumper traffic.

 

[maureencruiser]

More Cozumel

 

 

Some good info.

 

More skulls!

 

 

Gotta buy Christmas ornaments on vacation.

 

 

 

 

Gotta buy skulls on vacation.

 

 

 

[maureencruiser]

Soon, my three minutes out in the heat were up and it was time to head back.

 

These look pretty sturdy.

 

 

I heade to the WJ for lunch and to take some pics. On the way into the WJ, a man grabbed my arm and yelled, Birmingham! I smiled at him and thought, Umm, no, Maureen. He gestured like I should know what he is talking about and said, Birmingham, Alabama. Oh, I get it, it's a game where you just shout out a random city! Spokane, Washington! Well, it turned out he thought he knew me, that we had worked together 20 years before. They say everyone has a twin, but, could there be two such beauties walking the face of the earth? :eek:

 

Here is some WJ food.

 

 

This guy looks like he would be just as happy to carve me as the meat!