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

[cruisinmom1]

Thanks for a great review and fantastic pictures! We're going in 2 weeks and we can't wait!!

[JamesEM]

Regarding Rita's Fiesta, how many Fiesta Nights are help each week and do you make reservations or is it first come first served?

[anandaindonesia]

Regarding Rita's Fiesta, how many Fiesta Nights are help each week and do you make reservations or is it first come first served?

 

Three times in the week, if I remember correctly. My suggestion is to do the first (embarkation day).

 

Reservation is better but you can also just show up.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sent using Tapatalk. Sorry for typho.

[AZAficionado]

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

Thanks for the very kind words.

Thanks for a great review and fantastic pictures! We're going in 2 weeks and we can't wait!!

Enjoy!

Regarding Rita's Fiesta, how many Fiesta Nights are help each week and do you make reservations or is it first come first served?

Three nights - Days 1 , 4, and 5 for both itineraries. I believe you have to make reservations (they were checking us off a list) and they were turning people away who just walked up on the night we went.

[AZAficionado]

Day 12(5) - Philipsburg, St. Maarten

 

 

Oh look! More paperwork.

 

 

[AZAficionado]

 

 

We woke up to a beautiful day in St. Maarten. I was excited for this port as the weather was terrible the last time we came here.

 

 

<cue Sir Mix Alot> Yep. Lady Allure’s got back…

 

 

So, the plan was to do Dawn Beach like we tried to do last time. Our cab driver, who seemed nice, pulled a jerk move and dropped us off at the Dawn Beach Club and Westin Resort. It looked really beautiful. Here’s the problem: That stretch of Dawn Beach isn’t public and you can’t get a lounger or umbrella without paying a day fee at the Westin. Also, you can’t just walk down the beach as there is an outcropping of rocks that extended into the water. So, you have to climb a very steep hill to get back over to the public side. Lesson learned – ask to go to Mr. Busby’s at Dawn Beach or to the Oyster Bay Marina or specifically say “not the Westin”.

[AZAficionado]

 

Even with the hill climbing workout, the beach was well worth it. The water was simply perfect – crystal clear and nicely cold. This beach is the best of both itineraries. The only beach that might be better is Doctor’s Cave Beach in Jamaica.

 

 

Mr. Busby’s (which becomes a high-end seafood place called Daniel’s after sunset) offers a beer special from 11 am til 4pm: $1 Amstel Brights. You can’t beat that. There were quite a few loungers, but the beach wasn’t overly crowded.

[AZAficionado]

 

For lunch we did the jerk chicken and BBQ chicken sandwiches. Both were really good and a good value.

 

 

After having our fill of sun and fun, we headed back into town to wander around and see the sights, including the beach in downtown Philipsburg.

 

 

At the port area, we grabbed a farewell drink (very good) and macaroons (OMG, yum).

[AZAficionado]

 

Dinner was our third visit to Izumi (I told you I liked that place). We did a collection of “appetizers” rather than anything substantial. Vegetable tempura, chicken kara-age, and steamed shrimp and pork shu mai. All were very good.

 

 

Of course, there was sake, which was excellent for the price. After dinner, we rode the rising tide bar several times before heading to bed a little early. All this vacation was catching up with us and I’ll tell you how that worked out tomorrow…

[SolsticeAZ]

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

I'd certainly never accept a kickback :rolleyes:, but I'd also never turn down a free drink. RCI, are you listening?

 

Thanks for a great review and fantastic pictures! We're going in 2 weeks and we can't wait!!

Thank you very much -- hope you have a great time!

[SolsticeAZ]

Day 12/5: In Which I Learn to Love St. Maarten

 

AZAficionado has done a great job describing our perfect day in St. Maarten, but I will chime in to say this: after our experience last year, I expected St. Maarten to be my least favorite port. It turned out to be my most favorite stop. Dawn Beach is truly beautiful, and the fact that my lounger was mere steps from some of the best food I’ve had in the islands was a nice touch.

 

Some sights in town:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will also share a quick tip: assuming you don’t have any mobility issues, you can choose to ignore the “water taxi” to town which costs $7 round trip and is basically an ad for Diamonds International and just follow the signs at the port to walk into town – it’s maybe a five or ten minute walk.

[SolsticeAZ]

Some shots of Dawn Beach

 

 

 

 

Dinner was at Izumi. We paired our dinner with a bottle of the Bride of the Fox sake. It was not nearly as spectacular as the Ty-Ku Ulta Premium sake we enjoyed the previous week, but it had a mellow, clean flavor that paired well with all the dishes we had.

 

SolsticeAZ's Art Corner

 

 

 

[rachlovesfm]

hello! i'm new to this thread, but not exactly new to the forum because i did sign up and browsed through a few threads a bit last year :) initially, i wanted to try a short cruise here in the west coast this year supposedly, but that didn't pull through. now i am sort of thinking of doing the caribbean in 2 years for my 40th birthday, and i keep coming up with Allure of the Seas on every google search:) so as you can see, i'm a brand new wanna be cruiser right now! hehe and i do have a couple of questions for you since you went in this cruise. if this question is stupid, please forgive me LOL. okay, as far as i know, when you go on this (or any other) cruise, it is all inclusive right? with the exception of the drink packages. so if that's the case, why do the menus on the restaurants have prices on the items?

 

thank you for your time!

and thank you for your awesome review! :)

[rachlovesfm]

also...

why do you like Western better than Eastern? just thought i'd ask since i'm actually thinking of doing the eastern one :)

 

thanks again!

[papcx]

hello! i'm new to this thread, but not exactly new to the forum because i did sign up and browsed through a few threads a bit last year :) initially, i wanted to try a short cruise here in the west coast this year supposedly, but that didn't pull through. now i am sort of thinking of doing the caribbean in 2 years for my 40th birthday, and i keep coming up with Allure of the Seas on every google search:) so as you can see, i'm a brand new wanna be cruiser right now! hehe and i do have a couple of questions for you since you went in this cruise. if this question is stupid, please forgive me LOL. okay, as far as i know, when you go on this (or any other) cruise, it is all inclusive right? with the exception of the drink packages. so if that's the case, why do the menus on the restaurants have prices on the items?

 

 

 

thank you for your time!

 

and thank you for your awesome review! :)

 

 

Hi there.

 

Loads of info to gain on CC, but be warned, CC and cruising may take over your life.

 

As you say, cruising is all-inclusive (other than drinks packages) So that means food in the buffet and MDR (main dining room) is free. However, most ships now have speciality restaurants that have either a cover charge or, more typically, al-a-carte pricing. Many people manage to cruise without using a speciality restaurant, but they are very good.

Edited June 3, 2014 by papcx

[rachlovesfm]

thank you so much ! ok that makes sense now. so basically you do have the option of dining the specialty restaurants if you choose to. i'm sure most, if not all of them, are worth a try!

[alishac]

Great review! Do you remember the name of the place where you got the macaroons from in St. Maarten?

[theanniepham]

 

For lunch we did the jerk chicken and BBQ chicken sandwiches. Both were really good and a good value.

 

 

After having our fill of sun and fun, we headed back into town to wander around and see the sights, including the beach in downtown Philipsburg.

 

 

At the port area, we grabbed a farewell drink (very good) and macaroons (OMG, yum).

 

 

Do you remember the store you went for the macarons?

[lovesthebeach2]

hello! i'm new to this thread, but not exactly new to the forum because i did sign up and browsed through a few threads a bit last year :) initially, i wanted to try a short cruise here in the west coast this year supposedly, but that didn't pull through. now i am sort of thinking of doing the caribbean in 2 years for my 40th birthday, and i keep coming up with Allure of the Seas on every google search:) so as you can see, i'm a brand new wanna be cruiser right now! hehe and i do have a couple of questions for you since you went in this cruise. if this question is stupid, please forgive me LOL. okay, as far as i know, when you go on this (or any other) cruise, it is all inclusive right? with the exception of the drink packages. so if that's the case, why do the menus on the restaurants have prices on the items?

 

thank you for your time!

and thank you for your awesome review! :)

 

We just got off Allure Sunday and we didn't do any specialty restaurants this time. We never ate at the windjammer, but had most breakfasts and lunches at The Solarium Bistro and one at Park Cafe. We ate one breakfast in the MDR but it was the least enjoyable of the cruise. My DH had the drink package and I brought two bottles of wine for myself and since I had pre-paid the Gratuties and the Liquor package, our entire bill when we departed was under 50.00.

[SolsticeAZ]

hello! i'm new to this thread, but not exactly new to the forum because i did sign up and browsed through a few threads a bit last year initially, i wanted to try a short cruise here in the west coast this year supposedly, but that didn't pull through. now i am sort of thinking of doing the caribbean in 2 years for my 40th birthday, and i keep coming up with Allure of the Seas on every google search so as you can see, i'm a brand new wanna be cruiser right now! hehe and i do have a couple of questions for you since you went in this cruise. if this question is stupid, please forgive me LOL. okay, as far as i know, when you go on this (or any other) cruise, it is all inclusive right? with the exception of the drink packages. so if that's the case, why do the menus on the restaurants have prices on the items?

 

thank you for your time!

and thank you for your awesome review!

No such thing as a stupid question. Hopefully I will manage not to give any stupid answers, because those do exist!! As Papcx pointed out, "all inclusive" is not totally accurate. Your cruise fare includes food at the main dining room, the buffet, and other free venues around the ship. It also includes some non-alcoholic beverages (like iced tea, for example), and entertainment (shows, the nightclub). But alcohol and many other beverages are not included and there are specialty restaurants on many ships (lots of them on the Allure) that have an up-charge and/or a la carte pricing. So, "all inclusive" is more like "sorta inclusive."

 

also...

why do you like Western better than Eastern? just thought i'd ask since i'm actually thinking of doing the eastern one

 

thanks again!

I prefer the Western itinerary because I am a big fan of Labadee, Jamaica, and Cozumel, all of which appeal to my love for "beach, sun, and fun." For me, the Eastern is less appealing because I don't particularly enjoy Nassau as a port of call (see earlier in our review for the reasons), and because the beaches on St. Thomas, while very pretty, can be pricy for what you get. But that's definitely my personal opinion...I know many people who love the Eastern itinerary, and I recommend trying both and choosing for yourself.:)

 

Hi there.

 

Loads of info to gain on CC, but be warned, CC and cruising may take over your life.

A very fair and accurate warning!!:D

 

Great review! Do you remember the name of the place where you got the macaroons from in St. Maarten?

Do you remember the store you went for the macarons?

I believe it is called Maison Pradier. It's a stall in the port, right next to the area where you go through security to get back on the ship.

 

We just got off Allure Sunday and we didn't do any specialty restaurants this time. We never ate at the windjammer, but had most breakfasts and lunches at The Solarium Bistro and one at Park Cafe. We ate one breakfast in the MDR but it was the least enjoyable of the cruise. My DH had the drink package and I brought two bottles of wine for myself and since I had pre-paid the Gratuties and the Liquor package, our entire bill when we departed was under 50.00.

Nicely done! I can't say the same for my bill...but I sure had fun.

[wolfganghowell]

Mr and Mrs AZ - First, you are a god and a goddess. (Close to) Best reviewers I've seen - approaching sailorjack status. Forgive me for not rewarding Best in Show - if you have ever read a sailorjack review, I feel you will understand.

 

Hope we cruise with you someday - nothing would give me greater pleasure than to share a NZ pinot and a cuban with you.

 

Great reviews - I recall your past one as well. Now the problem is that you need to cruise more and you are required to always do reviews from here on out.

 

Happy sails.

[AZAficionado]

hello! i'm new to this thread

...stuff...

thank you for your time!

and thank you for your awesome review!

Welcome aboard! You are most welcome and I'm glad you are enjoying it.:)

Great review! Do you remember the name of the place where you got the macaroons from in St. Maarten?

Do you remember the store you went for the macarons?

Nope. But you can't miss it - it's the first shop you'll come to when getting off the ship. Alternatively, it's the last shop before security when getting back on the ship. Either way, you'll see it. I kinda wish I didn't see that place - the macaroons were that good.:D

Mr and Mrs AZ - First, you are a god and a goddess. (Close to) Best reviewers I've seen - approaching sailorjack status. Forgive me for not rewarding Best in Show - if you have ever read a sailorjack review, I feel you will understand.

 

Hope we cruise with you someday - nothing would give me greater pleasure than to share a NZ pinot and a cuban with you.

 

Great reviews - I recall your past one as well. Now the problem is that you need to cruise more and you are required to always do reviews from here on out.

 

Happy sails.

Thank you for the very high praise. It really means a lot to me.

 

I know I need to keep writing reviews. You people are like slave drivers! (just kidding). I plan to do more reviews for as long as I can come up with an interesting approach. The next one is easy - Panal Canal/Suite Life.

 

If we ever cruise together, you're on for the wine and smoke!:cool:

[SolsticeAZ]

Mr and Mrs AZ - First, you are a god and a goddess. (Close to) Best reviewers I've seen - approaching sailorjack status. Forgive me for not rewarding Best in Show - if you have ever read a sailorjack review, I feel you will understand.

 

Hope we cruise with you someday - nothing would give me greater pleasure than to share a NZ pinot and a cuban with you.

 

Great reviews - I recall your past one as well. Now the problem is that you need to cruise more and you are required to always do reviews from here on out.

 

Happy sails.

Wow...I get called a goddess and compared to Sailorjack in one day?? Such high praise will never come my way again (especially since my husband can certainly explain the many ways in which I am not goddess-like, and Sailorjack is, in my opinion, the king of the review). But many thanks, and I'd be delighted to join in on the wine & cuban party (and delighted to cruise more. Wish my employer would sign off on that).

[CaptainD]

After two trips on Allure, I enjoy reading the reviews and looking at the pictures from others, I enjoy learning about or seeing something I didn't see in my two trips,. I haven't found that yet, but I felt compelled to comment on your frequent use of very wide angle lenses. In many cases it adds quite a different perpectives. Its almost like seeing something that I didn't see although I did, I just didn't look at it like that. Quite enjoyable in many cases. I did two meet and mingles in this room, but didn't look at it like this.

 

BillOh - My DH and I were married on the Allure in the Dazzles Lounge while in port @ Ft. Lauderdale on 5/1/11. Your name looks familiar, but based on your signature, your cruise was the week after mine. (?)

[AZAficionado]

BillOh - My DH and I were married on the Allure in the Dazzles Lounge while in port @ Ft. Lauderdale on 5/1/11. Your name looks familiar, but based on your signature, your cruise was the week after mine. (?)

I'm really glad that this review can reunite old friends. Behold the power of the "Pan"!!!:p