Allure of the Seas transatlantic from Rome, October 22 to November 6, 2015

[rafinmd]

Sooooooo....how is it? No update yet, so you must be spending all your time on the zipline...:)

 

Sorry to be so late. No zipline but it's been EXTREMELY busy.

 

I was up this morning at 5 and spent a fair amount of time on the internet and organizing my bags for the transfer to the Allure. My watch battery was showing signs of failing and my land lady recommended a little shop. I was still having trouble with the winding, narrow streets but found it without too much difficulty, and in a few minutes I had my revitalized watch. I returned by main streets following along the Tiber and then the main street from the Vatican and walked a few blocks past the B&B looking for an ATM. I had checked one bank Wednesday and the ATM lacked the logos for the interbank networks so I assumed it would not work. I stopped today at Deutsche Bank and still no logos. I tried the ATM anyway and it worked, I suspect the interbank logos just aren’t used in Italy. I returned to the B&B a little before 11.

 

Our driver for the port was due at noon. The maid knocked on the door at 11:45 to take my luggage. The driver showed up a little before noon and we loaded the van and were soon on our way. I saw the ocean about 12:50, ships anchored in the harbor at 12:55, and the open stern of the Allure soon thereafter. We had another 10-15 minutes in Civitavecchia traffic and arrived at the terminal (looked like a tent) about 1:15. Checkin was quick an soon I stepped aboard.

 

I generally shun ship’s elevators and I took the steps a few flights at a time. About halfway up the stairs the announcement came that rooms were ready for occupancy. I dropped my carryon in my room and explored a bit before continuing up the stairs to the WJ. I am accustomed to the WJ being very chaotic on boarding day and had mostly snacks and was not really counting on lunch. I found the place much more civilized than expected, possibly because as an interport a lot of people may have been ashore visiting Rome. In any case it was a very nice time as I just got ice cream and coffee and then explored the upper decks a bit and took at the other ships in port (Vision, Mein Schiff, Costa Favolosa, and 2 I couldn’t identify).

 

My checked bags were in the room about 2, and after lunch I organized my stuff for the 3-day cruise, with most of my big bag to remain unpacked. The muster drill was at 5PM. Lifeboats on the Allure are on deck 5 (18boats * 370 pax total 6660 souls) and the muster stations are spread among lounges on decks 4-6. Mine was on deck 4, and with only 1600 getting on getting there was easy. There was a video and message from the Captain but no use of life jackets. I made a point of asking the muster commander on leaving about Barcelona. I should not go there but should make sure I know where my new muster station is.

 

I normally prefer early fixed dining. When I booked these cruises (8/14) only My Time was available. Since then early fixed was cleared for the transatlantic but still My Time for the 3-day prelude. I don’t normally skip the MDR for speciality restaurants so these early days seemed to be the time to try a couple of them. Tonight it was Chops Grille, down on Central Park. I’ve dined there twice on Enchantment so I had some idea what to expect. I think I prefer Enchantment with it’s picture windows, but was surprised that Chops was a very intimate setting for such a big ship. Perhaps with a lot of specialty restaurants rather than just a couple they can stay smaller.

 

I was surprised by a few things when I first entered my room. I had booked several things before the cruise and there was no evidence of any of them. I also noted that there was a Diamond Pin waiting on my desk but still an Emerald list of discounts. The Diamond list was there when I returned from dinner. I had booked a show for tonight but there was no ticket or any kind of confirmation, and nothing about my pre-paid All Access Tour. It wasn’t clear that the show required reservations and went anyway. When I got there staff was only allowing people with reservations and I explained I thought I was booked but had nothing to prove it. She swiped my seapass and “Mr. Roy, you’re good to go”.

 

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After introductory remarks by Cruise Director Bobby Brown and Activities Manager Hugo and a few statistics. 1600 got on in Rome, just about 1/4 of the total, and I was surprised that less than 500 are staying on for the transatlantic. The show itself was “The Magnets”, an acapella group of 6 young men who produced vocally what sure sounded like a band with a full percussion section. I felt they were a bit more novelty than substance but enjoyed the show.

 

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It was a hectic day and by the time bedtime (11PM) came I had finished less than half of today’s post and Friday was an extremely busy tour day so I apologize for being at least 24 hours behind. As today’s parting shot, I think I said in my opening Cruise Critic post I followed last year’s Oasis TA pretty closely. One thing noted there were that embarkation/disembarkation were all a debacle in Rotterdam, Southampton, AND Florida. I could not imagine an easer embarkation than I had in Civitavecchia, so things are off to a good start.

 

Roy

Edited October 23, 2015 by rafinmd

[rafinmd]

Just FYI, I have posted the first 3 days Compasses here:

 

https://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com/programs/allurecompass/

 

The menu setup is a little different from what I expected and I am reworking my framework for them. Menu posting will be delayed, I expect at least until I start the Transatlantic.

 

Roy

Edited October 23, 2015 by rafinmd

[internetwhiz]

Love seeing the Compasses.

Edited October 23, 2015 by internetwhiz

[internetwhiz]

Did you see Blue Planet? It's one of my favorite productions.

 

Just FYI: There will not be tickets for any of the booked performances on Allure. They are all on your Seapass.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SteelMagnolia9]

Love seeing the Compasses.

 

Yes, I enjoyed reading them also, thank you for posting the Compasses.

[jimbri]

Enjoying your review. Thank you for taking the time to share.

[rafinmd]

Thank you Karen, steelmagnolia9, and jimbri. Karen, I did not see Blue Planet but have it reserved for tonight and again on the TA. Also, despite my penchant for cruising on Crystal, I'm a cheapskate at heart. I only booked the one day of free Diamond internet on this voyage so I will be offline from 8PM tonight (2 PM EDT) until Barcelona.

 

Up at 5:30 I walked a quick 3 ½ laps on the jogging track. It lacks the sweeping sea vistas of HAL, Cunard, and Crystal ships but is far more adequate than the facilities I’ve seen on other mass market ships. There was a quick breakfast in the WJ (pretty tough pancakes) followed by a full day of touring. My one previous visit to Naples was about 5 years ago on the Crystal Serenity. Today we were the only ship in port.

 

I was part of a private tour among Cruise Critic members. 3 couples, one of their daughters, and I met at Starbucks at 7:30 and set ashore about 7:45. Ship’s buses come right up to the pier but we needed to pass through the terminal building (up and down a fairly long flight of stairs) to get to the parking lot for private vehicles. Our driver Sergio was waiting for us and soon we were settled into a Mercedes Sprinter van (quite roomy) and as we headed into town we first encountered heavy traffic but could soon see Mt. Vesuvius through the windshield. We passed through a couple of tunnels and veered off to the Amalfi Coast. We pulled off at an overlook for some preliminary views of our first stop, Sorrento. Soon Sergio let us off in the center of town and we were given 45-60 minutes to explore. I browsed a few shops and then explored the city’s narrow alleys. One ended in what appeared to be a very narrow church but in fact the Cathedral was next door. I saw a little of the lovely inside and had to turn down the offer of a 35-minute movie. People arrived back at the van towards the tail end of the 45-60 minute window.

 

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The road to our next stop of Positano was narrower and we had to stop a number of places to let traffic by. We had one photo stop at an overlook and then parked at a garage at the edge of town. While Sorrento was pretty level Positano was positively on a hillside. The center of town was well below us, and as Sergio dismissed us for an hour of exploring he reminded us “Remember as you walk that you have to return”. The streets were very narrow (and I think just about all one way) and steep grades. I walked down almost to the ocean, where the Cathedral was facing the ocean. It was quite nice inside. After the cathedral I walked back towards the meeting point and about the halfway point there had been a fork in the road where I had gone down the first time. I took the fork away from the meeting point where the road went up and in a few hundred yards came to an overlook where I got a view of the Cathedral Dome and the beach. The view of the beach was a bit obstructed by trees but appeared to be a decent black sand beach. There were people on the beach but did not appear to be anybody in the water. With the wind it was a bit chilly.

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Back on the road towards the garage there was a second church. The hours were listed as 8-12 and it was about 11:45 so I went in for a quick look. With the steep, narrow streets there was a guy with an electric golf cart in business as “Positano Porter” and he appeared to be doing a pretty brisk business. He was moving mostly luggage and store merchandise but I did see one couple on the back of the cart with their luggage.

 

We continued up an even narrower road to Fattoria la Tagliata, a restaurant on a cliff overlooking the sea for a meal of starters, pasta, and a lovely array of deserts.

 

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Our final stop was in Pompey. Pompey was founded about the 7th century BC. It, along with the nearby town of Herculaneum, was destroyed by an eruption of Mt. Vesuvis in 79AD. Pompey was completely buried in ash, killing about 3,000 of perhaps 10,000 inhabitants and completely obliterating the down. It was discovered in the mid-18th century and archeologists have uncovered about 75% of the town in the last 260 years. Herculaneum was covered by lava rather than ash, and only a few areas where the lava was thinner and weaker have been uncovered.

 

I think our earlier sightseeing had gone on longer than planned, and our 2-hour tour was actually about 75 minutes. Our guide escorted us around the highlights of the settlement and explained that the eruption had filled in much of the sea and one building we entered had windows which looked out on the sea in 79AD but were now probably close to a mile inland. Ar one of the first stops we encountered some holes in the walls where a cute little lizard was watching us. By this time the sun was getting pretty low in the sky making viewing and especially photography difficult.

 

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Some of the highlights were the Basilica (before it’s association with the church, a basilica was a place of justice) and the mansion of a very rich person with a lovely mosaic. We started back to the van with a stop at the Temple of Apollo (5th century BC) and our guide paused to take group photos. I think we had planned to return at 5 but it was almost 6.

 

It was technically a formal night although I think the staff expected it would not be observed as such. It is nearly impossible to get 2 true formal nights into a cruise when the only sea day is the last day of the cruise and the ship is in most ports until 8PM. I had a 6PM My Time Dining reservation, and on reboarding headed directly to the dining room in my travel clothes. I was still probably a bit better dressed than average, I saw 1 tux and several t-shirts. Service was excellent and the Thai Chicken and Peach soup were both excellent, as was the pistachio ice cream.

 

I pretty much recovered in my room after dinner. Sailaway was supposed to be 8PM but when I went on deck at 7:45 we were 100 yards away from the pier. I missed the evening show of Blue Planet but plan to attend Saturday and again on the transatlantic.

 

Today’s parting shot is a sad one. This cruise has been marked by a very active, busy, and organized roll call, but the guiding force behind this roll call is not with. us. Instead, she will be having surgery. Fortunately the prognosis sounds good. While the surgery is October 28 (or perhaps October 26) the day before will be a difficult day with the prep and this is likely Karen’s last good day for a while, but it sounds promising that the misery will be brief. May your future cruises be fabulous and may Bill be a helpful and cheerful caregiver.

 

Roy

Edited October 24, 2015 by rafinmd

[rafinmd]

The menu setup is a little different from what I was expecting. It looks like on regular cruises there is a set of 7 menus which are used on the same day each week. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same menus used in the same order on Caribbean cruises although there might be some variation based on which nights are formal. The menus have names like Mojo and Jasmine and that's how I expect to identify them in my list along with the days they are used. I have collected all 7 of those menus from the TV display. The rub is that the deserts are not published and only shown at the end of the meal. Since yesterday was my only day in the MDR on the 3-day cruise that is the only desert menu I have.

 

On the TA I am informed there will be 12 different menus which I assume will include the 7 standard ones. I am on fixed dining for the TA and intend to dine in the MDR each night. Each night (unless I forget) I will photograph the desert menu and post the complete menu for that day.

 

In the meantime I have posted the lunch, October 23, and Chops menus as a blog post on http://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com

 

You may need to be a bit patient, wordpress seems to occasionally delay the availability of pdf files for an hour or so. (ok, I just checked and they are all on line.)

 

Roy

Edited October 24, 2015 by rafinmd

[emeraldcity]

So happy I stumbled upon this detailed review. Thank you for taking the time to post. I'm taking my first TA in April of next year, and I don't expect it to be my last. :)

 

The travel destination at the top of my list is Rome, and next year's trip isn't going to include that. So I'm researching options for a future trip. I know I want to stay in Rome several days either before or after a cruise and I will likely be travelling solo. I'm intrigued that you arranged your land-based portion through Royal. That has a lot of appeal to me since I am breaking new ground here and doubt I will feel comfortable trying to figure out what to book completely on my own.

 

Do you speak Italian? Since I don't, that's another of my concerns about setting off solo.

[LetsGoToDisney]

Amazing, as always. Thank you for taking the time to do these.

[rafinmd]

Thank you, LetsGotoDisney and emeraldcity. I hope I wasn't misleading here. The only part of my Rome trip arranged by Royal was my flight from Southampton. The rest of it was on my own with some cooperation from the 4 others on my roll call who I joined for the transportation to the ship. I also coordinated my B&B arrangements with one of those couples but we each did our own thing in Rome.

 

I don't speak Italian and it wasn't a big problem. I would suggest arranging a ride from the airport to your hotel in advance; I'm not sure sure how many taxi drivers speak English. I had no trouble in tourist areas or restaurants but it is clear that not everybody speaks English. For example, in the B&B the maids spoke at most limited English and when I had a question beyond their limited vocabulary they had to get the proprietor. The company my group used in Naples was Miles & Miles, they toured with them the previous day in Rome; they are one company you might try if you want more support in Rome than I used.

 

Roy

[emeraldcity]

Thank you, LetsGotoDisney and emeraldcity. I hope I wasn't misleading here. The only part of my Rome trip arranged by Royal was my flight from Southampton. The rest of it was on my own with some cooperation from the 4 others on my roll call who I joined for the transportation to the ship. I also coordinated my B&B arrangements with one of those couples but we each did our own thing in Rome.

 

I don't speak Italian and it wasn't a big problem. I would suggest arranging a ride from the airport to your hotel in advance; I'm not sure sure how many taxi drivers speak English. I had no trouble in tourist areas or restaurants but it is clear that not everybody speaks English. For example, in the B&B the maids spoke at most limited English and when I had a question beyond their limited vocabulary they had to get the proprietor. The company my group used in Naples was Miles & Miles, they toured with them the previous day in Rome; they are one company you might try if you want more support in Rome than I used.

 

Roy

 

Thank you for the update. I like to control my own direction and big tour companies can't fill that need. It was OK for Alaska, because they were going the places I wanted to go anyway, but Rome offers endless possibilities and I love to explore cities by foot. I got along fine in Panama, despite the limited English the hotel staff possessed, so it sounds like I have a realistic chance of getting by.

[rafinmd]

Thank you, and a status report. My Allure wifi expired while I was at Blue Planet last night, and should be getting a package soon after I get back to the ship. I want to wait an hour or 2 until I'm sure a 12-day package will cover me to disembarkation, even with the 6 hours we will still gain on the way.

 

I've wrapped up my post for the sea day but the wifi at McDonalds won't support emailing pictures. I've finished a load of laundry and am heading back to the ship. It's just before noon local time.

 

Roy

[Biker19]

I want to wait an hour or 2 until I'm sure a 12-day package will cover me to disembarkation, even with the 6 hours we will still gain on the way.

 

 

Just in case you and others were not aware - DST started this weekend in Europe so it's only 5 hrs difference for the next week until the US changes as well.

[rafinmd]

Thanks Biker. It's only 5 hours difference but we gain that 6th hour as the US goes back to standard time next week.

 

It was an extremely busy day at sea. Up at 5, I was soon down on the jogging track where I did a 5-lap walk in anticipation of more excercise during the day. Days are rather short now and I was finished well before sunrise (about 7:30) and worked some in my room before heading up top. As we sail East, the sun is behind us and I watched from deck 15 pretty much between the flowriders. It was a clear day with one of the most gorgeous sunrises I have seen on many cruises. After breakfast I went back to my cabin for a while with the morning show on the TV.

 

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The highlight of the day was the All Access tour. We met outside the Silk Restaurant on Deck 5 with 2 tour groups of about 15 people each. Our guide was James of the CD staff, who lives in Italy and is at the end of his contract and going home from Barcelona. We were given (and kept) ID badges for the tour. In our opening conversations I learned that CD staff is assigned a ship for their first 3 contracts and after that has a chance to bid for the ship they want.

 

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We went through the dining room about 9:10 and explored the gaalley. The top level is the entree area where we saw huge vats of lamb getting ready for dinner. The bakery was on deck 4, and the desert section on deck 3. This galley serves the dining room and also is the main galley for the WJ.

 

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Our next stop was the provisioning area on deck 2 where we first got a look at the massive cargo doors and saw stacks of vegetables and fruits. The cupboard was actually rather bare. They usually load supplies in Civitavecchia but with the transatlantic coming up we will get a massive load of supplies in Barcelona. The center of deck 2 is a long corridor known as I95, the main route of travel around the ship for the crew. Up to this time we were using crew stairways which are very steep to save space.

 

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After a security check we headed down to the engine control room where 2 engineers were monitoring a wide array of monitors and gauges. We are powered by 6 diesel engines with no more than 4 being used at any one time. At the time we were using 2 engines and sailing about 16 knots. There are also steam boilers used in port, when we are cruising the steam comes from the engine cooling system. I’ve been in engine rooms on a freighter and an expedition ship but it just doesn’t happen on cruise ships. The displays did include several monitors focused on actual engines.

 

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Our next stop was the laundry where we saw huge washers, dryers, fast automatic pressing machines. After the laundry (below deck 0) we took a crew elevator up to deck 2 and a regular elevator up to deck 12 and the bridge.

 

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It always surprises me to see how automated a bridge is and how physically easy it is to handle a ship. We were greeted by a second officer who explained things on the bridge and at the center is a pair of consoles. When cruising the helmsman sits in a very elegant Captain’s chair with a joystick (no bigger than a wii system) which he uses to make any adjustments to the ship’s course. The manual maneuvering of the ship is with 4 simple dials (one for each azipod and one for the thrusters in front of the navigation chart. The wings do not have a glass bottom like some ships, but there are still great views both directly below and along the side of the ship. We had just passed between 2 islands (about the time we were in the galley) and our host told us the channel was about .4 mile wide. Captain Johnny’s bikes were on the bridge.

 

 

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From the bridge we visited the crew WJ, the helo landing pad (a crew relaxation area) and a couple of crew bars before the tour ended. While the tour is very nice, I got the feeling the hosts on the smaller ships tried harder.

 

The tour ended just before noon and I went up to the Wipeout café for a hot dog and to hear the noon update. I find Captain Johnny’s accent quite hard to follow. On the way down I found the sundeck above the bridge on deck 14 where some Cruise Critic members will gather for sailaway from Barcelona.

 

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The meeting for Consecutive Cruisers (480 strong) was at 1 in the Amber theater. Both cruises are considered completely separate and we will need to carry our passports and travel docs off the ship. We were given cards to bypass the line when we check in again. We were also given entertainment schedules for the transatlantic and a chance to sign up for the shows (and shorex) of our choice. For those staying on the ship (well on and off quickly as in FTL) there will be an 11:30 lunch in the MDR.

 

I returned to my room to do some work and prepare to change rooms. A knock on the door about 3 brought a plate of goodies, apparently a bonus of the All Access tour.

 

My final dinner of the 3-day was in the Samba Grill, a nighttime conversion or the Solerium Bistro. It was a unique experience. There is not a traditional menu but things start off with a self serve appetizer bar. Bowls of vegitables and ranch fries are delivered and then meats start coming, 9 of them (or 10 counting the bacon the chicken comes wrapped in). There’s a coaster sized chip that’s red on one side and green on the other. Meat keeps coming as long as the chip is green up. When you turn the red side up the meat stops and there are some deserts. It was a lovely dinner but I was totally stuffed at the end.

 

I attended the 9PM Blue Planet show and saw the sets I saw backstage in use. The regular singers and dancers are supplemented by the acrobats from the Aqua show for a very special presentation. After the show I finished preparation for Barcelona and enjoyed a final drink on my Central Park balcony. We are still in the same time zone as Rome but gained an hour as Europe moved back to Daylight Standard time.

 

I hate to have 2 downer parting shots in a row but I will. One of the things I have always loved about Royal is their partnership with Make a Wish and the Walk for Wishes each cruise. I had heard this was ending and on some Compasses posted had seen that there was a sale of shirts but no walk. As far as I can till, there was nothing on this cruise and the end of the program is complete. Nothing is forever, but I am sad to see this ending.

 

Roy

Edited October 25, 2015 by rafinmd
Fix broken and missing links.

[Cruisincricket]

Hello,

 

I am on the November 8th sailing of Allure out of FLL We are all wondering if Bobby Brown is staying on the ship as CD for our sail. If anyone hears anything about the length of his contract, would you post please?

So far we have found out that Captain Johnny is staying, Hugo will stay on as Activities Mgr, and Ana Jimenez is the suite Concierge.

 

Bring Allure home and have a great crossing!

[SteelMagnolia9]

Thank you for the comprehensive review of the All Access Tour. Fascinating. I've always wanted to participate, but never made the time on a cruise to do so.

[rafinmd]

Hello,

 

I am on the November 8th sailing of Allure out of FLL We are all wondering if Bobby Brown is staying on the ship as CD for our sail. If anyone hears anything about the length of his contract, would you post please?

So far we have found out that Captain Johnny is staying, Hugo will stay on as Activities Mgr, and Ana Jimenez is the suite Concierge.

 

Bring Allure home and have a great crossing!

 

I just got back from the Allure M&M and asked Hugo about this. Somethings are consistent and some aren't. Saturday, Bobby Brown said he was on Allure for "about 9 days after the TA", and his next ship would be the Seranade. Today, Hugo told me Bobby was leaving November 15, and that Luke Arrowsmith would replace him.

 

With Carley Boileau leaving Seranade November 13, there seems to be a bit of a question about roughly November 13-15, perhaps Carley will stay over a bit or an Activities manager will fill in on one ship or the other.

 

While we now have a date for Luke to leave the Anthem, who follows him there is still a mystery.

 

Roy

 

It looks like Bobby should be on your cruise, although he might leave a bit early for the Serenade.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

I was on the jogging deck about 5:30 and found that the central starboard area was roped off for the gangway, and instead of laps walked back and forth around the open section for 30 minutes. As I walked we were sailing parallel to the dock and at the end we had stopped and a small boat was relaying lines to the shore. This is my 4th visit to Barcelona, each of the previous 3 I disembarked and toured the city.

 

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I took a leisurely breakfast and left the ship about 9. The Allure uses 2 terminals in Barcelona, one devoted to forward cabins and the other to aft. I think technically I was supposed to leave by Terminal B and reboard through terminal C, but wanted to drop my gratuity envelope off at guest services and left through C. It didn’t really matter for people with their own bags, but luggage pickup would only be at the designated terminal.

 

My plan for the day was to do some morning laundry in Barcelona and unpack in the afternoon. My GPS said that it was about a mile and a half walk to the laundry but it looked like the pedestrian route led away from town before meeting the road into town. I had pretty much planned on taking the shuttle and that sealed the deal. There was a long line but I just squeezed onto the first bus. I had found Wash and Dry through a combination of Cruise Critic and Google, and loaded the location into my GPS. The shuttle dropped us off at the Columbus Monument at the end of the Ramblas. I thought I remembered the reviews saying Wash and Dry was in a back alley and hard to find but I set off down the Ramblas anyway. At the first traffic light after a long block on the Ramblas the GPS indicated the laundry was to my left. It was a narrow street between tall buildings and the GPS was starting to lose it’s position.. I was just getting discouraged when the laundry appeared to my left.

 

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There were 5 washers and 3 dryers and it must be a very busy day when both the Allure and Epic are in town. I was just in time for the last washer and settled down to edit my photos for half an hour. When the wash cycle ended I had about a 5-minute wait for the first dryer and was on my way out 25 minutes after that. I stopped at McDonalds (1 block further up the Ramblas) for lunch and wifi, then walked back to the Columbus monument. The line for the bus was again long, and I was nearing the front when the second bus fully loaded and set off. I got a seat on the 3rd bus and was headed back to the port about 12:30.

 

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We were given “Consecutive Cruiser” tickets which were supposed to expedite the reboarding process but I couldn’t see where it made any difference. In any case, the lines were short at 1PM and I was soon back onboard. My stuff was all waiting for me when I got to my new room, and unpacking (this time for 12 days) began in earnest. Muster was at 5PM. Perhaps due to some drydock modifications, the card on my door lists my station as “Adagio 5" but it is now the Silk Dining Room. I was confused about sailing time. I think I’ve seen it listed anywhere from 6 to 8 PM but the word on board was 6.

 

About 5:45 Captain Johnny said we would be delayed, and I needed to get to dinner. The first night unfortunately was not good. There were no escorts at the door to get people to the right table and I didn’t find it easy to locate the table. When I did, the table was a 6-top and there were already 6 people there. I had a wait while the Maitre d handled other requests, but he assigned me the table next to it “just for the night”. It was also a 6-top, when I arrived there were 4 empty seats and a couple who spoke only German, and I don’t think they were happy to see me. Twenty minutes later the Maitre d came back and said this was now my permanent table. Perhaps there are some other English speakers who will be back other nights, otherwise I’ll have to wait and see what develops.

 

Service was quite good and we left the table about 7:20. As I walked out along the jogging track we were just backing out of our berth until we get to a turning basin. The evening entertainment was Mama Mia (running for 3 days only). It was excellent but it had me in bed VERY late. I also found the volume extremely loud and moved from about row 5 on deck 4 to the back of the balcony after the first number.

 

 

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I am running behind again and posting early Monday afternoon for my parting shot. In his noon update Captain Johnny plugged the “Captain’s Log” on channel 18 and there he mentioned storms and the Canary Islands getting severe floods. Wishing the Canaries a speedy recovery.

 

Roy

[internetwhiz]

Go by and ask for a different table or to be moved to MTD. I have never, in 25 RC cruises walked up to a table that was full.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Keith1010]

Roy, it's always enjoyable to follow your travels and I am enjoying you posts on this thread and your blog.

 

Keith

[rafinmd]

Thank you Karen and Keith. I wanted to give the table one more try. There were 2 additional people tonight, both German speakers. The new couple (from Switzerland) spoke more English than the first but they had a lively conversation between themselves and it was really awkward. I now have a new table; tomorrow will be a new adventure.

 

Roy

[Cruisincricket]

It looks like Bobby should be on your cruise, although he might leave a bit early for the Serenade.

 

Roy

 

Roy,

 

Thanks for checking this out. Our past 3 cruises on Allure, we had Alan Brooks, ken Rush, and I think the third one was named Cuddy?

 

Enjoying your posts as we have not done a TA yet. Guess I will have to add it to the growing bucket list!

 

Jean

[SteelMagnolia9]

I hope you are now at a better suited table. I'm guessing not all who were at your original assigned table when you arrived the first evening were assigned that table, but I'm simply speculating.

 

Was there an announcement regarding the number of passengers on board for the TA?

[rafinmd]

Thanks Cruisincricket and SteelMagnolia9. I think Captain Johnny said about 5100 which I found surprisingly low. I also suspect there were some extras at my original table but am surprised they were allowed to stay there.

 

After Mama Mia I was dragging a bit this morning but was still out on th jogging track by 5:30am for a 5-mile (12-lap) walk. For the first half of my walk a ship was overtaking us on the Starboard side (I think MSC Divina). It was a very cloudy morning, with sunrise due at the beginning of my final lap but very subdued.

 

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I am starting to adjust to life on the Allure. I am accustomed to the Vision Class ships where there is 24-hour coffee right outside the WJ. My first morning I went up there and found nothing; I now know that the spot is the Café Promenade which is extremely convenient to starting my walk. I’ve found many of the breakfast items in the WJ (especially pancakes, waffles, and french toast) very tough and stale. I’ve decided the English muffins in the Diamond breakfast are a good alternative (I thought there would be a good reason to make Diamond before sailing the Oasis class), and I’ve located the frozen yogurt machines now one deck below the WJ.

 

There is one (I think) lecturer on this voyage. He is a retired movie executive, David Kirkpatric, and he spoke this morning on “The Hollywood Star System”. I enjoyed the first 2/3 of his lecture but had to leave early for the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle. There were over 500 people registered and the event was in Studio B (the ice rink), not an ideal location for mingling. CD Bobby Brown and Activities Manager Hugo Arias hosted the event but the Hotel Manager and Captain Johnny also appeared. There were nice refreshments and a lot of door prizes. One of the cruisers who was on QM2 with me was a winner.

 

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For lunch I got fries at Wipeout café and then had a quiet, relaxing afternoon. I am loving my new cabin. While not directly oceanview I do have a view of the ocean out the back and today saw rehearsals for Ocean Aria and a front row seat for the zipline.

 

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This was the first of 3 formal nights on the crossing. The code is called a “suggestion” and I probably saw more golf shirts than tuxes. There were 2 more people at dinner, Swiss but both German speakers, and it was more awkward than boarding day as they were carrying on a lively conversation. After dinner I got changed to a new table. Fingers crossed.

 

The first formal night was also the Captain’s Welcome. He posed for pictures with passengers for a while and then gave his welcome speech at 8:30.

 

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It was held in the Royal Promenade. There’s a globe outside the Schooner bar that unfolds into a platform extending out above the promenade. The start was aptly “This is Captain Johnny from the bridge. I think we must have a lot of solos because I think the cruise was sold out and there are 5,000 of us. My evening entertainment was Ice Games in Studio B, an ice skating production based on the game Monopoly.

 

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Tonight’s parting shot is based on a Fire Department email I got recently. This is Retirement Security Week. I can attest that a secure retirement is a real blessing.

 

Roy