Just off the Allure!

[TryingCruising]

We had the most amazing week on Allure. Our goal for this cruise was relaxation and we achieved it! This board was an important part of my planning, so I'm happy to pay it forward and try to answer some questions about this incredible ship. Ill be in and offline today as we enjoy a little more sunshine before our flight home.

[Cruisegirl6]

Sorry your back I know you want to be on that great ship, we do have lots of questions and any help you can give me would be gratefully appreciated.

 

1- (excluding Johnny Rockets as we don't care for this place) where is the best place to have lunch and breakfast at. (I basically like salads, veggies, meat carvings and meat entrees for lunch)?

 

2- What time was the MDR open for lunch and breakast in sea and port days?

 

3- Did you go to any specialty restaurants any advice/comments?

 

4- What time did you arrive at the ship and actually board?

 

5- Was disembarkation hectic?

 

6- Were there any live bands playing at night and where are they located?

 

7- In the lifeboat drill do they put you outside or its just in your designated interior area?

 

8- What did you not care for or not like on this ship?

 

9- If we go to the specialty restaurants I assume since the deck is outdoors and if its raining I gather we get all wet?

 

10- What was your favorite area to sit?

[thjeepster]

Hope you had a great time!!!!

 

I'll be on it in 33 days!!!...Can't wait.

 

 

Will you be posting any pics?

 

Who was the Headliner Show and what was it?

 

What ports did you go to?....and which were your favorites?

 

 

Thanks!!!

Edited March 17, 2014 by thjeepster

[BillOh]

We had the most amazing week on Allure. Our goal for this cruise was relaxation and we achieved it! This board was an important part of my planning, so I'm happy to pay it forward and try to answer some questions about this incredible ship. Ill be in and offline today as we enjoy a little more sunshine before our flight home.

 

This is definitely a ship that you can benefit learning about here before hand. Welcome to the list of people who loved and and love to share it and pay it forward :)

[TryingCruising]

Sorry your back I know you want to be on that great ship, we do have lots of questions and any help you can give me would be gratefully appreciated.

 

1- (excluding Johnny Rockets as we don't care for this place) where is the best place to have lunch and breakfast at. (I basically like salads, veggies, meat carvings and meat entrees for lunch)?

 

Park cafe was our favorite lunch spot. I loved the made to order salads and we enjoyed the roast beef sandwiches.

We ended up doing room service breakfast almost every morning. Coffee, yogurt, and fruit is enough for me in the morning.

 

2- What time was the MDR open for lunch and breakast in sea and port days?

I'm hoping to post compasses once I'm home. We never went to MDR besides dinner so I'm not certain.

 

3- Did you go to any specialty restaurants any advice/comments?

We went to Giovanni's table and loved the food, atmosphere and our waiter! We both agree it was our best meal of the trip.

 

4- What time did you arrive at the ship and actually board?

We arrived about 11:45 and weren't onboard til 1.

 

5- Was disembarkation hectic?

Hectic, no. Long, yes. We were due to depart at 8:30 but didn't leave til almost 2 hours later into a long customs line. The departure lounges were ridiculously packed and crowded with people worrying about their flights. This resulted in a lot of people trying to get off the ship regardless of group number. We relaxed in Central Park til 8:20 then the Schooner bar with some cruisers doing a back to back.

 

6- Were there any live bands playing at night and where are they located?

We loved a jazz quartet onboard from NYC that played a couple nights in jazz on 4. We also enjoyed the funny guitar player, Jimmy in the pub. There was a band (or bands) in Dazzles, but we never went.

 

7- In the lifeboat drill do they put you outside or its just in your designated interior area?

Your designated area. For us that was the aqua theater.

 

8- What did you not care for or not like on this ship?

Honestly, nothing!

 

9- If we go to the specialty restaurants I assume since the deck is outdoors and if its raining I gather we get all wet?

Not if you dine inside. Central Park was often windy at night.

 

10- What was your favorite area to sit?

We loved having a drink at the wipeout bar on sea days and watched the flow riders or lounged by the wake. At night, Central park's trellis bar was great and there would be a great string duo some nights. We splurged on a balcony room and loved sitting there. We also liked reading in the solarium bar areas shady, comfy seats.

 

Hope those answers help! The ship was amazing. We truly enjoyed every moment of our vacation!

[TryingCruising]

Hope you had a great time!!!!

 

I'll be on it in 33 days!!!...Can't wait.

 

 

Will you be posting any pics?

 

Who was the Headliner Show and what was it?

 

What ports did you go to?....and which were your favorites?

 

 

Thanks!!!

 

I'm jealous of your countdown because I want to go back.

 

I hope to share pics later this week once we're settled at home.

 

Headliner was mo5aic. They were pretty good!

 

We were on the western itinerary. I love Cozumel! Labs fee was a great beach day. In Falmouth we drank a couple Red Stripes in port then enjoyed pool time onboard.

[TryingCruising]

This is definitely a ship that you can benefit learning about here before hand. Welcome to the list of people who loved and and love to share it and pay it forward :)

 

Thanks! Happy to join :)

[drarill]

Welcome back!! Good to know you had a great time on the beautiful Allure!!:):)

[topnole]

Sorry your back I know you want to be on that great ship, we do have lots of questions and any help you can give me would be gratefully appreciated.

 

1- (excluding Johnny Rockets as we don't care for this place) where is the best place to have lunch and breakfast at. (I basically like salads, veggies, meat carvings and meat entrees for lunch)?

 

Agreed Park Cafe is great for lunch but we also like it best for breakfast too. Nice Egg Muffin sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, fruit, etc.

 

2- What time was the MDR open for lunch and breakast in sea and port days?

 

Didn't go.

 

3- Did you go to any specialty restaurants any advice/comments?

 

Only Rita's Fiesta which isn't really for the food but for the fun. Worth the $20 if you drink but otherwise just a night off from the typical stuff.

 

4- What time did you arrive at the ship and actually board?

 

Parked the car at 1:30 and in the cabin by 2.

 

5- Was disembarkation hectic?

 

Not for us. Got off around 10 and it took about 45-50 minutes. There are often pretty long lines. I would plan on an hour after you step foot off the ship just to be conservative. Customs has been slower in the past year it seems to me.

 

6- Were there any live bands playing at night and where are they located?

 

Schooner has the piano player (Ansel who is pretty good but generally slower stuff). Pub is Jimmy which is usually fun and more up beat. He likes to have audience participation so if you like to sign he is happy for you to join him for a song. Dazzles dance club has a live band almost every night doing top songs from given eras depending on the night (ex. 70's night) and some nights just popular dance music.

 

7- In the lifeboat drill do they put you outside or its just in your designated interior area?

 

Depends on your stations. Some are outside I think and some are indoors. You only go to your station. The drill takes a while and felt crowded to the point that it was annoying.

 

8- What did you not care for or not like on this ship?

 

The casino is now very smokey compared to past cruises due to the new smoking policy. So is one side of the pool deck. Minor issue as you can avoid these areas if you don't gamble, but since you asked.

 

9- If we go to the specialty restaurants I assume since the deck is outdoors and if its raining I gather we get all wet?

 

They have umbrellas to use for walking in Central Park so if it did rain (never did once on our trip) you could get to your restaurant without getting wet I'm sure.

 

10- What was your favorite area to sit?

 

The back of the ship on the jogging track has chairs (use the chairs on sides not in them middle as it is much more quite. Also, go aft on deck 12 and 14 I think it is and there are public decks with great views of the ocean and aqua theater.

 

See above for another set of answers to your questions. We just got off Allure Sunday and have been on prior as well

[Cruisegirl6]

You all are great answering my questions..so Park Cafe wins for breakfast and lunch so far lol. :)

[loungelady55]

Are there directions on how to book the all access tour, such as where to go to sign up or who is it limited to?

Thanks for doing this!

[LBumb]

Park café is awesome. no longer a secret spot

chops is my choice for specialty

[BillOh]

Hope those answers help! The ship was amazing. We truly enjoyed every moment of our vacation!

 

Where was your muster held at? I used one of my own tips this past May. Both times I've mustered in the Aqua theater which is deck 6 far back of the ship and I wanted to be on the port Bridge wing for sailaway. My tip was to get there early and take a seat in the far back row along the aisle so I could bolt out the moment it was over and get to deck 14 port forward, which I did both times thanks to knowing the fastest route!

[BillOh]

Park café is awesome. no longer a secret spot

chops is my choice for specialty

 

Your right, this past May, I was Emerald, so suites, and Diamond and above boarded ahead of me and it was already crowded. We do the Dog Haus for lunch the first day.

 

The new secret with the Park Cafe is they serve their same lunch menu till 6pm and we didn't have dinner till 8:30. We got a great Roast Beef and salad at around 5:30 with no lines what so ever.

[jsquaredfl]

Are there directions on how to book the all access tour, such as where to go to sign up or who is it limited to?

Thanks for doing this!

 

 

I booked my all access tour for my upcoming allure cruise almost 3 months before departure. I just called royal and asked the excursion department (i think) to sign me up and prepaid for it as well.

[Havingfun2010]

Sorry your back I know you want to be on that great ship, we do have lots of questions and any help you can give me would be gratefully appreciated.

 

This is based on the Oasis of the Seas - and I will soon be on Allure of the Seas!

 

1- (excluding Johnny Rockets as we don't care for this place) where is the best place to have lunch and breakfast at. (I basically like salads, veggies, meat carvings and meat entrees for lunch)?

 

For breakfast, Johnny Rockets was my favorite. Nice outside seating, quite, and fast. Note for breakfast, you have a basic menu of eggs and fixings to go with it. Pancakes and french toast. There is no charge for this.

 

2- What time was the MDR open for lunch and breakast in sea and port days?

 

I never really needed to check the times since we just went when we were ready. However, they had a very nice lunch which was much better than eating in the Windjammer!

 

3- Did you go to any specialty restaurants any advice/comments?

 

150 Central Park, Giovani's Table - Giovani's Table is really good, and I will be going again. 150 Central Park is a very unique experience, so if you decide on it, make sure you understand, that you have a samppling menu, and you do not have choices. I recommend it, but it is not for everyone.

 

4- What time did you arrive at the ship and actually board?

 

Checked out of hotel about 10:00-10:15, dropping off luggage at 10:15-10:30 and got on the ship really quick after the process started. Note if you arrive before 11:00, you will need to wait until they start boarding. Was not a big deal, since we had no place to go anyway!

 

5- Was disembarkation hectic?

 

We had our own car, so we went as slow as possible. Breakfast, sat around with a couple cups of coffee and got off when the crowds died down. There is always a "peak" on any ship when things are hectic, and we avoid it.

 

6- Were there any live bands playing at night and where are they located?

 

Several locations every night.....just check the compass for details. We enjoyed the Pub several nights.

 

7- In the lifeboat drill do they put you outside or its just in your designated interior area?

 

We were in the Ice Arena. I believer they have it in all the show areas and dining rooms. I don't believe they used any outside areas except the aqua theatre. The drill was a "movie" shown on screens.

 

8- What did you not care for or not like on this ship?

 

On the Oasis, it was the fact they made me get off.....and was hoping the Allure would be kinder.

 

9- If we go to the specialty restaurants I assume since the deck is outdoors and if its raining I gather we get all wet?

 

Umbrellas are available to use. It's a nice touch.

 

10- What was your favorite area to sit?

 

These ships are awesome, and it takes more than one visit to really experience it.

[Clarea]

Are there directions on how to book the all access tour, such as where to go to sign up or who is it limited to?

Thanks for doing this!

You can get info on the All-Access Tour at Guest Services.

[TryingCruising]

Are there directions on how to book the all access tour, such as where to go to sign up or who is it limited to?

Thanks for doing this!

 

It was advertised in the compass and I think we received a message on the tv about it

[TryingCruising]

Where was your muster held at? I used one of my own tips this past May. Both times I've mustered in the Aqua theater which is deck 6 far back of the ship and I wanted to be on the port Bridge wing for sailaway. My tip was to get there early and take a seat in the far back row along the aisle so I could bolt out the moment it was over and get to deck 14 port forward, which I did both times thanks to knowing the fastest route!

 

That's a great idea! We were in the aqua theater and went back up to our balcony on 10 and arrived just as the boat was pulling away.

[Cruisegirl6]

Does anybody have the MDR breakfast menu and know what time it is open at sea and port days for breakfast? I have to be gluten free and just deciding which place is best for me to have breakfast in.

 

Park Cafe what do they have to eat for lunch there?

[Clarea]

Does anybody have the MDR breakfast menu and know what time it is open at sea and port days for breakfast? I have to be gluten free and just deciding which place is best for me to have breakfast in.

 

Park Cafe what do they have to eat for lunch there?

Park Cafe has roast beef sandwiches, other sandwiches, panini, wraps, salads, and fruit cups for lunch.

 

The hours for the food venues will be listed on the Cruise Compass.

 

This is a sample of the breakfast menu. The special changes daily:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=40358692&postcount=9

Edited March 18, 2014 by clarea

[RFPWV]

Thanks for the information. It sounds like you had a great time. We are getting ready to sail on the Allure in May and I am hanging on every word on these boards. Yours is the fourth post or review in which smoking by the pool was referenced in the past week. I am getting a little worried. Are there pools where smoking is not allowed? On the Freedom, it was only permitted on the upper level on the starboard side. Are they smoking poolside on the Allure? that is pretty much where we spend most of our time. Thanks again for posting.

[thjeepster]

I'm jealous of your countdown because I want to go back.

 

I hope to share pics later this week once we're settled at home.

 

Headliner was mo5aic. They were pretty good!

 

We were on the western itinerary. I love Cozumel! Labs fee was a great beach day. In Falmouth we drank a couple Red Stripes in port then enjoyed pool time onboard.

 

It seems the countdown click is not moving!!! I so need a vacation!!

 

Mo5aic is a band? What kind of music? I wonder if they will be still on in 32 days?

 

We are doing the zipline and coaster in labadee can't wait!!

 

Where did u get the red stripes from? What's in them?

 

Can't wait to see pics!!!

 

Thanks!!

[Cruisegirl6]

Great you all been wonderful

 

So with me having to be gluten free and dairy free Park cafe seems to have sandwiches (for the hot foods) so this is not a good place for me to have lunch. (I have to have plain meat entrees, meat carvings, potatoes without dairy such as roasted and baked potato, plain veggies and a salad bar)...sounds like windjammer is best for me unless there are other areas for me to go have lunch besides the park cafe.

 

Clarea thanks for posting the MDR breakfast menu seems to be mostly gluten foods doesn't look like something that will offer me more than what the buffet would have so guess the buffet breakfast be best.....but where now lol, park cafe or windjammer which do you think be best for me?

 

I can't wait for the photos like everybody else. :)

[Clarea]

Great you all been wonderful

 

So with me having to be gluten free and dairy free Park cafe seems to have sandwiches (for the hot foods) so this is not a good place for me to have lunch. (I have to have plain meat entrees, meat carvings, potatoes without dairy such as roasted and baked potato, plain veggies and a salad bar)...sounds like windjammer is best for me unless there are other areas for me to go have lunch besides the park cafe.

 

Clarea thanks for posting the MDR breakfast menu seems to be mostly gluten foods doesn't look like something that will offer me more than what the buffet would have so guess the buffet breakfast be best.....but where now lol, park cafe or windjammer which do you think be best for me?

 

I can't wait for the photos like everybody else. :)

As I mentioned before, you need to be in touch with Special Needs. They will arrange for you to meet with the cooks on board who will tell you the best places for you to eat.