Allure of the Seas 1st Time

[mollybax]

I am cruising on Allure in November, this is my first time on the "big" ship.

For those that have sailed on Allure before what do you recommend?

Edited August 14, 2015 by mollybax

[Daveintb]

Book all the shows that you want to see ASAP as they fill up fast. You can book online 90 days out. Search this site as there are numerous posts about Allure

[rilco33647]

Try to get familiar with the layout pre-cruise! It's big! Take advantage of all the different dining venues for breakfast, lunch, dinner for variety instead of only the mdr and wj.

[BillOh]

I am cruising on Allure in November, this is my first time on the "big" ship.

For those that have sailed on Allure before what do you recommend?

 

Love the ship. The windjammer is too small, so I recommend looking for alternatives, especially for breakfast. Study the deck plans to know your way around.

[mimb1]

Park café has really good roast beef sandwiches and build your own salads for lunch. Try the solarium for breakfast. Try to use Windjammer as a backup plan when possible. Dazzles had a great live band in the evenings. Have fun.

[beachnative]

To go from one end of the ship to the other (quickly) avoid Deck 5 Promenade. Use the cabin corridors instead.

 

There are times that we walk down the Promenade but we avoid it if there is a function or parade taking place there.

[dprcan]

Have breakfast at Johnny Rockets, it is very good and is free.

[mollybax]

Thanks, this all great information. I was able to book Oceanair show, but the others are not available yet. I will keep checking.

[BillOh]

To go from one end of the ship to the other (quickly) avoid Deck 5 Promenade. Use the cabin corridors instead.

 

There are times that we walk down the Promenade but we avoid it if there is a function or parade taking place there.

 

That is a good tip. Of course, be quiet walking down those halls. I We scheduled Chicago and it ended right at the time of our dinner seating we made it on time to dinner doing this. So many times the crowds follow the same predictable paths, going one deck up or down can make getting around so much easier.

[CaptData]

The first day instead of going to Windjammer which will be full go to Pack Café as soon as you board. Have lunch outside and enjoy The garden there.

[BillOh]

Try the solarium for breakfast..

 

The food there is good, but somebody needs to do some serious jail time for the Turkey Bacon. That is a crime.

[casinostreer]

Don't miss the Central Park. It's a lovely "outdoor" garden on a ship.

 

The ship is BIG - there's no way around it. Keep .jpegs of the deck plans on your phone. You won't have to use the internet to download them - and they'll be easy to pull up.

 

Avoid the elevators at all cost. Or if you have to use them - use the aft elevators - in the back of the ship. We found them to be less crowded.

 

Oh - and write a review!

[TheTruthCanHurt]

Dont stress out over pre-booking.

If something is not availabel ( except maybe the comedy show)

 

My first allure cruise I booked 5 weeks out. At that point, it told me I had to wait until I was on the ship.

 

When I first got into my stateroom I booked everything from the TV. I had NO problem getting into everything at the times I wanted. The first night the water show was 1/2 full so I walked right in without even a reservation.. While those that have to plan every second of their trip would freak out ... I had no problem... I have sailed her twice with 100% success

[Royal2464]

Check out the Wipeout Cafe on the sports deck for breakfast and lunch. Great casual alternative to the Windjammer or MDR.

[Eng23]

Check out some of the different reviews on here. I did one and the link to it is in my signature. But if you want the best review check out this one:

This review is from Gambee and it is one of the best I have read!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1737751

 

As you can see in my countdowns I am going on the Allure November 8th. If that's your sailing come and check out our roll call in the roll call section!

Edited August 14, 2015 by Eng23

[CruisinAg]

I'd also suggest not stressing too much about booking shows, with the only exception being the comedy club. Small venue so even though there will be no-shows, the standby line more than makes up for the difference so that one is tough to get into without. For the majority of the other shows though, it's like anything else... people book reservations because it's free to do so and then once on board just don't find the time, or forget, to show up for the show. The theater is huge so you might not get a prime seat but you'll most likely get in even if you don't have a reservation.

 

I would suggest finding a place on board that you enjoy and becoming a "regular" there... always tends to be a different place for us depending on the staff ... on Mariner it was the pub where the bartenders felt like old friends by the end of the week, on Oasis it was Jazz on 4 which lead to "Facebook friendships" with band members.

 

Also, I recommend the main dining room for lunch on sea days... solid options and I love the made to order salad bar.

 

If you've ever thought about doing the "behind the scenes tour", what better timing than while on the biggest ship in the fleet? It's $150 per person, and a lot of walking and stair climbing, but lasts almost 3 hours and we all felt it was worth the cost.

[Dinkachu]

We are going back on Allure in 3 months. We tried to do too much the first time and came home exhausted.

 

Pick and choose the things that you really want to do, but leave yourselves time for some relaxing.

 

As everyone said, the ship is magnificent and it is huge.

We studies the Allure deck plans posted on the RCCL site and it really helps us have an idea of where everything was before we boarded.

 

Enjoy your cruise!