Allure B2B **Double** Trip Review 5/4/14 - 5/18/14 (lots o' pics)!!!

[Deeliteful]

I glad you are enjoying it. Vegas then Allure - going all out! Have fun.

 

Oh, wait...I think you mean the Chef's Table, which is entirely different. You can book that online, or once on the ship.

 

:D I will and yes Chef's Table of course!:confused: will have to try when we are onboard as it's not online.

 

Thanks for the help. Carry on enjoying!

[AZAficionado]

:D I will and yes Chef's Table of course!:confused: will have to try when we are onboard as it's not online.

That's very strange that it doesn't appear online. I booked it through Royal's web site like any other specialty restaurant. Could be Yet Another RCI Website Glitch. Or it could be full - there is limited seating (16-18 max and only one seating per night).

[mrlddst]

Loving your review! Thanks for putting in the time and work!

[fairweather]

This has to be the most complete and organized guide I've ever seen on Cruise Critic of any ship and I've seen some great ones like Gambee's of Allure. Thank you so much for your time and efforts. They will be much appreciated by those about to embark on Allure this summer. We sailed her last fall and learned that you really need to have some fore knowledge before sailing on such a large ship with so many things to do. Bravo. Happy cruising to you in the future.

[SolsticeAZ]

Loving your review! Thanks for putting in the time and work!

Thank you so much -- glad you are enjoying!

 

This has to be the most complete and organized guide I've ever seen on Cruise Critic of any ship and I've seen some great ones like Gambee's of Allure. Thank you so much for your time and efforts. They will be much appreciated by those about to embark on Allure this summer. We sailed her last fall and learned that you really need to have some fore knowledge before sailing on such a large ship with so many things to do. Bravo. Happy cruising to you in the future.

Wow...I'm quite a fan of Gambee, so to be mentioned in the same sentence is quite a compliment!! Glad to hear that our review has been helpful, and happy cruising to you as well.

[AZAficionado]

Loving your review! Thanks for putting in the time and work!

You are most welcome!

This has to be the most complete and organized guide I've ever seen on Cruise Critic of any ship and I've seen some great ones like Gambee's of Allure. Thank you so much for your time and efforts. They will be much appreciated by those about to embark on Allure this summer. We sailed her last fall and learned that you really need to have some fore knowledge before sailing on such a large ship with so many things to do. Bravo. Happy cruising to you in the future.

Thank you for the very high praise. I agree that especially with Oasis class ships, you really need to do your homework before planning your cruise. And if you're only cruising for one week, you'll also have to make some very hard decisions about what to see and what to miss. Enjoy, there is still more to come.

[mjwcruising]

The early alarm (8:00 am) was not welcomed, but it was necessary as we booked the All Access Tour at 9:00 am. This is a chance to see what happens behind the scenes and even allows access to secure areas that most crew members never get to see.

 

AZAficionado or SolsticeAZ, Is there a fee for this tour? Also, how do I go about booking the All Access Tour?

[SolsticeAZ]

 

AZAficionado or SolsticeAZ, Is there a fee for this tour? Also, how do I go about booking the All Access Tour?

The All Access Tour costs $150 per person (well worth it in my opinion) and you can book it through Guest Services.

[Michyfis]

if you call the main number for RCI you can book it. we did last week for our November cruise, We were told that if we book the first night, we will get a 20% OBC. WE did so we'll see if we get the credit

[AZAficionado]

if you call the main number for RCI you can book it. we did last week for our November cruise, We were told that if we book the first night, we will get a 20% OBC. WE did so we'll see if we get the credit

I think you are referring to specialty restaurants (maybe Chef's Table?), which if booked on the first night of a cruise provides 20% off in the form of OBC.

 

The All Access Tour is only available on Sea Days, during the day - the exact times aren't published (to my knowledge) and I expect it varies from ship to ship and even sailing to sailing. I'm not sure you can book the All Access Tour by calling RCI, but I could be wrong.

[AZAficionado]

Day 11(4) - Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

 

 

In case you were wonder what there is to do today...

 

 

[AZAficionado]

 

For those of you who haven’t been to the Caribbean, here’s a little info about the weather: It changes, often. It also rains, a lot. When we arrived, it was overcast and gloomy. Not the best weather for breakfast on the balcony, but we stuck it out.

 

 

Bloody Marys and a light breakfast selection on the balcony (duh).

 

 

Once we hit the ground, it was off to Coki Beach. We did Magen’s Bay last year and wanted to try something else. The trip up gave us an amazing view. The beach itself was fantastic.

 

[AZAficionado]

 

It was a little crowded, but the beach is rather small.

 

 

Some rum punches (Cruzan Confusions) really hit the spot and lived up to their name - they were sneaky strong.

 

Ok, now for a comparison. Magen’s Bay is very beautiful. It is huge, but also private, so they charge you to get in. It is also famous and can get crowded despite its size. Coki Beach is just as beautiful, but smaller. The water is crystal clear and has very good snorkeling. The taxi rides cost the same. If you want something more private, go to Magen’s but be prepared to be really far from the facilities. Otherwise, I’d recommend Coki.

 

 

 

We ate a late lunch at the Green House. I had to get a Mojito (excellent) and SolsticeAZ had wine.

[AZAficionado]

 

We got the Jerk Chicken Wrap and Bang Bang Chicken Wrap. The jerk was quite good, but I think the Bang Bang chicken won out. The strange looking brown things are plantains which were fantastic - they were not crispy, just tender.

 

 

Dinner was at Rita’s Fiesta, so we started with something Latin from Boleros beforehand: a pineapple mojito and royal mojito. Both were very good.

 

 

When we got off the ship, we saw two ambulances waiting at the pier, no doubt for the “alpha, alpha, alpha” from a day or two earlier. An hour or so after setting sail, Captain Johnny comes on and says we have to go back to drop off another medical emergency. I feel for the people involved, but it gave us a chance to see the lights of St. Thomas at night.

 

 

Rita’s Fiesta was actually pretty good and not a bad value. On a Fiesta night, there is only one seating and anyone not in the Fiesta is turned away. The place was full, which made it lots of fun.

[AZAficionado]

 

They started with traditional chips and salsa (I swear it was Pace Picante, but I could be wrong). Then moved on to chimichangas, quesadillas, and fried shrimp. All were very good, considering. I’m not going to compare Mexican food on the Allure to something like Pancho’s in Cozumel. That would be comparing apples to burritos.

 

 

There was some line dancing to work off the food we’d had so far. There was the Cuban Shuffle, a song that tells you what to do and includes the Cha-cha, and of course, the Macarena. It doesn’t sound that great now, but after two margaritas, everyone was having fun – even our servers dancing the Wobble.

 

 

We stuck with the Patron Perfect Magarita (two out of three ain’t bad – it had Patron and was a Margarita), but you could order pretty much any drink they could pour. The main course was beef and chicken fajitas. They were very good, but way too much for two people.

[AZAficionado]

 

Last was dessert – churros, flan, and banana crepes with chocolate dipping sauce. The flan was so-so, but the churros and crepes were amazing.

 

 

We went to the headliner show, starring Ronn Lucas who is a comedian and ventriloquist. The show was very PG and clearly many current joke topics were “off limits”. However, he was amazing, very talented, and quite funny. I enjoyed the entire show and I think most of the audience did as well, even though the applause was subdued. We called it an early night because St. Maarten was going to be an early day. Looks like an alligator got into our cabin and tried to eat the TV remote. I’ll tell you how St. Maarten went tomorrow…

[SolsticeAZ]

Day 11/3: In Which We Meet The Local Wildlife

 

Day 3 of the second week was St. Thomas, where we lounged at Coki Point Beach, which was a great deal and a lot of fun. About mid-day, there was a sudden flurry of activity, and a decent-sized iguana bolted under the beach chair next to us and went down to lounge in the shallow surf.

 

 

 

He hung out there for quite some time while everyone flocked over to take a picture, but eventually got frustrated with the folks who tried to pet him (probably not wise – I hear iguanas will whip you with their tail, which looks nasty) and wandered off, looking disgruntled. Between the iguana, the cat (really, I have never seen a cat on a beach), and some locals who were clearly enjoying “herbal” smoking materials (where are we – Colorado??), I think we got to see the wild side of St. Thomas.

 

Headliner Show

 

The headliner for this week was Ronn Lucas, a comedian/ventriloquist. I’m not a huge fan of ventriloquists, but he was really exceptionally good, and very funny. The whole show was kind of old-school comedy. He used one very elaborate cowboy puppet, but later showed how to use just a sock and some pieces of fabric to create another puppet, all while telling a rather touching story about how his grandfather had inspired him to become a ventriloquist. He also included plenty of audience participation, bringing one guy up on stage and using him as a “puppet” by putting a movable “mouth” mask on him. The guy was a great sport, and the whole bit was quite funny. Overall, I would recommend the show – it would be very good for families.

 

SolsticeAZ's Art Corner

 

 

 

[readytolose]

Were you seated at a table for 2 at Rita's Fiesta, or did you have to share a table? It sounds like fun but I've heard others have had to share the food with strangers which I'm a little unsure about.

Edited June 2, 2014 by readytolose

[plutotek]

Regarding Rita's Fiesta, would you clarify the pricing, please? If I understand it correctly, you're paying $30 a head + the cost of your meal (which seems awfully inexpensive), and the $30 includes 3 drinks?

 

I've been reading your review w/great delight, especially the 2nd half as that is the itinerary we'll be on in March. Keep up the good work!!

[Zhane's mum]

I remember reading your Freedom review and really enjoying it I recall an incident with some chickens when you were walking to a beach. This review is equally as enjoyable if not better, thanks for taking the time to write it

[SolsticeAZ]

Were you seated at a table for 2 at Rita's Fiesta, or did you have to share a table? It sounds like fun but I've heard others have had to share the food with strangers which I'm a little unsure about.

We were seated at a table for 2 at Rita's, as were many other folks. As best I can recall, it didn't seem like they were doing any shared tables that night.

 

Regarding Rita's Fiesta, would you clarify the pricing, please? If I understand it correctly, you're paying $30 a head + the cost of your meal (which seems awfully inexpensive), and the $30 includes 3 drinks?

 

I've been reading your review w/great delight, especially the 2nd half as that is the itinerary we'll be on in March. Keep up the good work!!

I will defer to AZAficionado on your question, since he handled all the reservations, etc., and just say thanks for the kind words!

I remember reading your Freedom review and really enjoying it I recall an incident with some chickens when you were walking to a beach. This review is equally as enjoyable if not better' date=' thanks for taking the time to write it[/quote']

Good memory! Thankfully, no chicken incidents on this cruise. Thanks very much, and I'm glad you are enjoying.:D

[travellink]

We are sailing on the Allure in Jan. and trying to read all we can about the ship and ports (Western) and I must say that your " tag-team" review is one of the best that I have read. The pictures are great and add so much to the story. Thank you both for taking the time to compose such a wonderfully informative and entertaining review!

[AZAficionado]

Were you seated at a table for 2 at Rita's Fiesta, or did you have to share a table? It sounds like fun but I've heard others have had to share the food with strangers which I'm a little unsure about.

We were and it appeared that larger parties were seated at tables of an appropriate size. I think all their tables are for two and they can combine them as necessary.

Regarding Rita's Fiesta, would you clarify the pricing, please? If I understand it correctly, you're paying $30 a head + the cost of your meal (which seems awfully inexpensive), and the $30 includes 3 drinks?

 

I've been reading your review w/great delight, especially the 2nd half as that is the itinerary we'll be on in March. Keep up the good work!!

Thank you so much. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

 

The price for Rita's Fiesta is all-inclusive and is a pretty good deal. If you go with the alcohol version, it includes entrance, food, 3 drinks, and all the dancing and partying you can handle. If not, it includes everything except the 3 alcoholic drinks. I believe the non-alcoholic version includes 3 non-alcoholic drinks, but I'm not 100% sure of the specifics.

I remember reading your Freedom review and really enjoying it I recall an incident with some chickens when you were walking to a beach. This review is equally as enjoyable if not better' date=' thanks for taking the time to write it[/quote']

I'm happy to hear that the lack of a wild chicken story didn't hurt the review. Whew.

 

Glad you're liking it as much as the last one.

We are sailing on the Allure in Jan. and trying to read all we can about the ship and ports (Western) and I must say that your " tag-team" review is one of the best that I have read. The pictures are great and add so much to the story. Thank you both for taking the time to compose such a wonderfully informative and entertaining review!

Thank you for the very kind words. I thought having two somewhat different perspectives might give the review something special.

[SolsticeAZ]

We are sailing on the Allure in Jan. and trying to read all we can about the ship and ports (Western) and I must say that your " tag-team" review is one of the best that I have read. The pictures are great and add so much to the story. Thank you both for taking the time to compose such a wonderfully informative and entertaining review!

Thank you very much! Enjoy Allure in January -- the Western itinerary is my favorite.

[MooNGaTe27]

I think RCCL should be giving you some kind of kick back or at least a free dinner & drinks for this review

I made me book a cruise on the allure