Cheapo dad’s trip report on Allure of the Seas sailing December 14, 2014

[harryfat1]

While this was going on, they are having a street festival down on the boardwalk with the marching band playing. Took couple pictures from the balcony.

 

No need to adjust the screen resolution. Used the “pencil sketch” app from cell phone to convert picture to look like a pencil sketch. Just something different

 

 

[harryfat1]

OK, time to go down for the first organized event of the day – Madagascar’s “Let You Entertain Me” (No, I didn’t transpose the words). This is another one of those shows you CAN NOT reserve ahead of time. Either you know about the show ahead of time via reading these trip reports/daily compasses from previous cruisers or it just pops up on the daily schedule. Keep an eye for it on your cruise.

 

Note this is the ONE TIME only show. No repeats. So if you have little ones, be sure to pencil this in on your schedule to look for it as it’s not in the online reservation schedule ahead of time. Thus, it’s a “surprise” when you see it if you didn’t have a heads up. Since it’s not part of the online thing, nobody has a guaranteed spot for the show. Which means ARRIVE EARLY for a decent seat.

 

I will let you do the simple math. Aqua theater seats max of 735 people. Ship has 6,200 people so what % of people can watch this show sitting down? Granted, many won’t come as they think it’s a kid’s show but I don’t like that ratio.

 

So we made it downstairs to see/hear the band close up and personal. Recorded the “Stars & Stripes Forever” on my camera as we took pictures. You can play the song from YouTube as you look at the pictures to get a more live feel to it.

 

 

 

Typically you see a big guy playing the tuba

 

 

[harryfat1]

So as the band played, the rest of the clan rode the carousel (again). Something special about riding the carousel with the band playing right next to you

 

 

 

 

From 12:30 to 1, the band switched music to Dixieland Jazz if that’s your type of music. For us, it’s time to go to the show

 

OK. This picture requires a bit of explanation. You see the younger one and my wife laughing? That’s the brand spanking new $10 t-shirt we just bought 1 hour ago and he had to go back to the cabin and put it on right away. Why is he turning his back to the camera and then twisting his neck? The design of the shirt as RCI anchor logo and within the space of the logo, they displayed the name of every ship in the Royal fleet. He really liked the shirt design & material so he got one while visiting the uncle. They sell a pink one for the ladies and that one has the anchor in the front and my wife bought one for herself.

 

As she was looking at the shirt in RP – I mentioned that this is NOT a good design for a woman as it has all the name on it in the front and someone with bad nearsighted issues like myself, would need to walk up within inches of her chest to read each ship and then point (or poke) at each name to say “hey, I have been on the Allure”. Then say “hey, I have been on the Mariner too” and so on poking at each ship they have cruised on. Didn’t think too many women would appreciate being poked at up close and personal like the Pillsbury dough boy. My wife just scoffed at that thought and ignored me and bought one for herself…

 

[harryfat1]

OK, if you read my previous info on the aqua theater, I mentioned I didn’t like people’s heads in my pictures? So for this show, I wanted to sit in the bench seats to have more clear view of the stage without the heads.

 

 

As before, it helps if you have seen the Madagascar movie pre cruise so you know the characters.

 

 

10 minutes prior to show time, not too many empty seats to be found so don’t be late or you wil be standing in the back

 

[harryfat1]

Here is the pre-show “warm up act” with Cuddy, the assistant CD, and the leopard girl to teach everyone some dance moves – important in that this is an interactive show with the audience participation required at the end. If you read my day 1 trip report, you will see that I suggested Cuddy and the leopard girl come out to warm up the audience waiting to board the ship. Same idea. Gets people off their chairs and move it, move it.

 

 

 

OK, everyone follow along

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Wife and younger one following also. The hand you see I the picture is from my older one as he is dancing also

 

 

Time to bend down

 

 

 

Lean to the right

 

[harryfat1]

Bring it back

 

 

 

Different filter using pencil sketch

 

 

Think we got it now

 

 

[janeyzee]

Hey, wow, more plants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And dirt ... as promised! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Miryam1234]

By now those of you reading all my posts are probably thinking this weirdo takes pictures of everything except the men’s urinal. Haha, you don’t know me well – here it is

 

 

 

Now, I didn’t take a picture of one just for the sake of doing so. I did it for the artwork above it. Being slightly whacky in my humor, I just find it hysterical to have a movie theater full of elephant people sitting there looking at us using men’s room. I bow down to the person that did this artwork/bathroom design.

 

]

 

I sincerely thank you! Being a woman I would never have seen this fabulous piece of art unless you were the anal (no pun intended) photographer. :D

 

I need to check the ladies rooms - maybe there is something hidden for us gals only...

Now I can see myself going around Allure with the map of Small wonders and from toilet to toilet with a camera with poor Dear Husband following sheepishly behind. (Dont' worry for him, that will happen no way; he'll be sitting in any bar exploiting ruthlessly his drink package).

[harryfat1]

And dirt ... as promised! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Haha, good memory.

 

Should I stand to the left or right of the dirt?

[harryfat1]

I sincerely thank you! Being a woman I would never have seen this fabulous piece of art unless you were the anal (no pun intended) photographer. :D

 

I need to check the ladies rooms - maybe there is something hidden for us gals only...

Now I can see myself going around Allure with the map of Small wonders and from toilet to toilet with a camera with poor Dear Husband following sheepishly behind. (Dont' worry for him, that will happen no way; he'll be sitting in any bar exploiting ruthlessly his drink package).

 

You are welcome. As I said, I got the idea from Mike’s web site so it’s not my personal discovery.

 

Give your husband the camera to take a picture. If he will be using the drinks package to its fullest extent, think he will be using the facilities frequently given the amount of liquid he will be consuming. Just ask him to go to each deck’s restrooms and take a picture…

[harryfat1]

Start of the show – I won’t try to insult your intelligence by trying to explain the plot of the show because there’s isn’t really a good explanation. Think a 8 year old can come up with a more logical story line but just watch it for the technical/fun part of events

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

Gloria in the house – if there’s one animal I like to be, it’s hippo. Big and round.

 

 

Alex comes in from the port side

 

 

[harryfat1]

The muscle guys from Ocean aria are back for another performance

 

 

 

So you have people swinging in rope and diving into water. Then you also have the muscle guys in the middle doing their stuff

 

 

Then you also have guys jumping from the diving board

 

 

Here’s Mort

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

Sir Mix A Lot – Just look for that YouTube video

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

More trampoline guys

 

 

 

People flying in air

 

 

 

 

Lifting up Mort in the air, trampoline guys in the back and people flying in air with green ropes

 

[harryfat1]

OK, now is where the audience part comes in. Remember the dance moves we learned earlier with Cuddy? Now it’s show time! Look up the big screen on top – Look, ma, I’m on the big TV

 

 

 

 

 

A lot of lazy buggers not participating in the dance but not my wife and kids – they are all into it

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

Here come the diving board folks

 

 

 

Performers get shoved into the water

 

[harryfat1]

At this point of the show, things get really hectic. You have animal characters dancing, divers doing flips in the back and jumping into the water and then you have the 2 strong men in the back doing their things. As photographer/viewer, you don’t know where to focus on the 3 ring circus

 

 

 

 

More rope people, more trampolines and more divers coming out – where do I focus the camera?

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

Big Finale of the water spewing out – remember the port side high fountain was broken so only works on one side

 

 

Overall, I think this was a good show. Good mix of Madagascar characters with the acrobats from the Ocean aria show but don’t expect a plot that really makes sense. Wish I could watch it second time as then I can just enjoy the show as is. Too many things happening all at once in the end and I kept moving the camera trying to chase the action.

 

Remember you can not reserve this show in advance. Just look for it on the daily schedule and don't miss it.

[janeyzee]

Haha, good memory.

 

Should I stand to the left or right of the dirt?

 

Right in the middle!

 

Loved all your pictures in this review, brought back good memories of our cruises and gave me ideas on how to shoot a few pics next time. I found the Mini setting on my camera, somehow had overlooked it before, so thanks for that!

[Disney Sheep]

Still following your great review Harry. Especially liked the audience of elephants :). Hopefully you can answer a quick question for me, since you did not buy the soda or drink packages, what liquids are available free of charge and where, and especially outside of dining times. A friend of mine will be sailing on Allure in the near future, and she and her family are more inclined to drink water than pop. Is water readily available for free?

[Irish Cath]

Harry,

 

I have spent waaaay too long today reading your review to the detriment of lots of other things ( including continuing with my own review). I have no plans ( rather unfortunately ) to either sail this ship or itinerary and I am following along purely for the entertainment value. You are an absolute hoot and from your pictures it looks like you and your family had a really great time. I look forward to reading the rest of it later.

[micmacmissy]

They sell a pink one for the ladies and that one has the anchor in the front and my wife bought one for herself.

 

As she was looking at the shirt in RP – I mentioned that this is NOT a good design for a woman as it has all the name on it in the front and someone with bad nearsighted issues like myself, would need to walk up within inches of her chest to read each ship and then point (or poke) at each name to say “hey, I have been on the Allure”. Then say “hey, I have been on the Mariner too” and so on poking at each ship they have cruised on.

 

Way to keep the romance alive, Harry! Keep poking! :p