ALLURE // LIVE REVIEW / Sept. 2-9 Sail Away With Meee?

[Clarea]

You can definitely go in *just* to get the milkshake and NOT eat. ...

Did you ever get the milkshakes to go, and did not get charged for them?

[laurasue]

ALASKAAAAAH! Woot! We’re SO stoked. It’s always been a dream of ours to go. And we got a pretty decent deal - I think - too, so now I’m looking forward to getting back and doing tons of research for THAT cruise. But, that doesn’t need to come too early... I’m enjoying my time now, haha. Let me know if you have any pro tips! I’d love to hear. :)

Best excursion we’ve ever done: Private whale watching in Juneau. We actually rented a car by the dock, did Mendenhall on our own, then drove to where the Whale Watching leaves from. We got incredibly lucky and watched a mother and it’s calf breach for 30 minutes straight. But the private charter made it too notch. We loved who we booked with - they had a whale watching dog on board which really added to the experience. Check out Rum Runners Charters in Juneau.

 

Ok, now carry on with the Caribbean!

[Megtheblackbelt]

Did you ever get the milkshakes to go, and did not get charged for them?

 

 

 

Yup, twice now! They (Lebron) offered this up-front, asking if we wanted to drink at the bar or take to go. There were 4 of us (2 with deluxe, 2 with refreshment) and he did it all happily. :)

 

 

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[Clarea]

Yup, twice now! They (Lebron) offered this up-front, asking if we wanted to drink at the bar or take to go. There were 4 of us (2 with deluxe, 2 with refreshment) and he did it all happily. :)

Good to hear, thanks for the updated info.:)

[happilyafterever]

Yup, twice now! They (Lebron) offered this up-front, asking if we wanted to drink at the bar or take to go. There were 4 of us (2 with deluxe, 2 with refreshment) and he did it all happily. :)

 

 

That's awesome to hear! Hopefully it's still this way next month when we're on the Allure :)

[Megtheblackbelt]

Best excursion we’ve ever done: Private whale watching in Juneau. We actually rented a car by the dock, did Mendenhall on our own, then drove to where the Whale Watching leaves from. We got incredibly lucky and watched a mother and it’s calf breach for 30 minutes straight. But the private charter made it too notch. We loved who we booked with - they had a whale watching dog on board which really added to the experience. Check out Rum Runners Charters in Juneau.

 

 

 

Ok, now carry on with the Caribbean!

 

 

Ugh, #GOALS right here. Thank you for sharing. [emoji846]

 

Enjoying your review. We will be boarding in less than 2 weeks with the same itinerary so following closely!

 

If you booked the Radiance for 8/30/19 (as your signature says) then you will be sailing with our good friends Bill and Christy. Bill is the master private excursion organizer - best I have ever met. If you are sailing with him and he offers private excursions that interest you, jump at them. They are amazing, inexpensive and Bill is super organized. They will fill up quickly.

 

 

Thanks so much for following along! We actually ended up on the 08-23-19 sailing. We didn’t have a preference as to whether we go North or South, and the prices came out significantly (over $1,000) cheaper for the week of the 23’rd. I will need to update my signature when we get back to land. We went in wanting to book the 30’th, but the price we just couldn’t pass up. Wish we could’ve sailed with your friends! They sound fantastic.

 

Love the “hauling aft” and will totally steal that one! Eastern is totally worth it though. DH and I use the “drink more beer” seasickness cure but I’ve heard really good things about the ginger Dramamine. Enjoy your cruise. I’m loving your review and humor.

 

 

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We’ve never done Eastern, so fingers crossed! I don’t drink coz of medical stuff, so my “seasickness cure” is milkshakes. :P

 

I have a feeling we’d have a blast if we sailed together, let’s be friends!

 

 

 

 

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[A&L_Ont]

Update: WE OFFICIALLY BOOKED OUR ALASKA CRUISE (on board)!!!! Radiance of the Seas, Northbound. *dramatic tear* Currently have an OV balcony booked, but are hoping to upgrade to a JS by watching prices and hoping they come down.

 

*squeals*

 

 

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I see you have already adapted your signature for Alaska. When this cruise is done, check my signature for my Alaska Southbound review from July. It will help your PCD.

 

FYI, just so you know I’m not responsible for any weight gained by JR milkshakes. :)

[Megtheblackbelt]

I see you have already adapted your signature for Alaska. When this cruise is done, check my signature for my Alaska Southbound review from July. It will help your PCD.

 

 

 

FYI, just so you know I’m not responsible for any weight gained by JR milkshakes. :)

 

 

 

It’s like you think I haven’t already read that review! Silly.

 

Totally blaming you. 11/10 blaming you.

 

 

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[Megtheblackbelt]

Regarding Ocean Aria:

 

We had reservations for the 6 of us for tonight (the first showing). We showed up a half hour before show time began, and all seats were filled. I’m not just talking “oh, we can break up and not have all 6 sit together,” I’m talking there’s literally not a single seat left. SO - If you have reservations and want a seat... I’m unsure what time you’d have to arrive at to do so, but it’s certainly more than a half hour ahead.

 

BUT! If you do end up without a seat, just climb the stairs up to the rock climbing deck, and you can sit/stand there. That’s what we did.

 

 

 

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[Megtheblackbelt]

Managed to get down to the dining room to take a photo of night #2 MDR menu (hopefully the print is legible?):

 

 

 

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[Megtheblackbelt]

Regarding good ole Johnny Rockets:

 

At $23 for 2 people, I thought this was pretty steep. Family members wanted to try it out, so we partook. Josh says his double burger was better than “make your own” in the Windjammer. I’m not so easily swayed on this thought. It was meh. Fries were meh. Onion rings - in my opinion - were on the icky side. The redeeming factors for JR are that 1. Barely anyone is ever in here. Honest. We’ve probably been in a half dozen times in the last 2 days for milkshakes, and no one is there (or comes in!) when we are at the bar for 20 minutes finishing our shakes and chatting. 2. Service is amazing. Could it be because no one else is in there besides us? Maybe. But everyone in there has been over the top kind and attentive. 3. I don’t think many people know JR milkshakes are included in the packages. See point #1 for why this is a perk.

 

Once errybody and their momma knows milkshakes are free, I assume it’ll be a mad house.

 

Overall opinion: I wouldn’t spend the cover charge on the meal. But that’s just me, personally. I’m not a huge burger fan. Some people are, and that’s perfect! Service in here, though, is freaking amazing.

 

“Starters”:

“Smokehouse”:

 

FYI the “Smokehouse” comes as a double. I’ve never ordered/eaten a double in the entirety of my existence, but I guess if there’s a time to do it, it’s on a cruise! I honestly couldn’t finish half of it because it was so large.

 

 

 

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[Megtheblackbelt]

I’m also really digging these robes. #want

 

Am considering pulling a CLR and doing the whole riding a deer thing in Central Park (?).

 

 

 

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[eel]

 

Thanks so much for following along! We actually ended up on the 08-23-19 sailing. We didn’t have a preference as to whether we go North or South, and the prices came out significantly (over $1,000) cheaper for the week of the 23’rd. I will need to update my signature when we get back to land. We went in wanting to book the 30’th, but the price we just couldn’t pass up. Wish we could’ve sailed with your friends! They sound fantastic.

 

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Believe it or not Bill & Christy are doing a B2B so are on the 8/23/19 sailing as well! They are trying to get us to join them but we are resisting (so far).

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and looking forward to your continued review.

 

 

 

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[prekteacher]

Really enjoying your review. You have a great way of writing your thoughts and being very honest about all that you experience. I will be on Allure in April next year after her move to Miami although Ft. Lauderdale is our favorite port so far. I hope the third time is better than the last two for me but hubby and DD love Allure so we are making another go before Anthem next June. Enjoy the rest of your cruise. I will be reading along after I go back to work tomorrow for the first time in 2 months!

Happy sailing,

Barbara

[Megtheblackbelt]

Believe it or not Bill & Christy are doing a B2B so are on the 8/23/19 sailing as well! They are trying to get us to join them but we are resisting (so far).

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and looking forward to your continued review.

 

 

 

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Noooo, don’t resist, you should do it! Think of the fun! And the bears!

 

 

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[Megtheblackbelt]

Really enjoying your review. You have a great way of writing your thoughts and being very honest about all that you experience. I will be on Allure in April next year after her move to Miami although Ft. Lauderdale is our favorite port so far. I hope the third time is better than the last two for me but hubby and DD love Allure so we are making another go before Anthem next June. Enjoy the rest of your cruise. I will be reading along after I go back to work tomorrow for the first time in 2 months!

Happy sailing,

Barbara

 

 

 

Thank you so much for following along, Barbara! I hope you have a great first day back to work tomorrow! I’m positive your 3rd sailing out of the Fort will be amazing!

 

 

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[Megtheblackbelt]

This morning is the “all access ship tour,” so there’s that. Woot.

 

I’m at the point in the cruise where the novelty of junk food is wearing off, and I’m skipping meals, and/or just eating fruit. Boo.

 

 

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[ramja96]

I'm a little late to the party - but like I say - better late than never. Unless you're trying to get back to the ship after a non-Royal excursion in a distant port-of-call.:eek: Looking forward to reading your review as we board Allure in 89 days! :D

[cruiser123!]

My only complaint about this room is that there is a sizable gap (probably about a foot) from the railing to the divided on our balcony, which allows the suite next to us to look into our balcony and vice versa. AKA wearing pants on the balcony is a must. Boo.

 

 

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and here I thought those cameras would have made pants a requirement :cool::cool::cool: Loving the review!!

[accio_7]

Hello Meg,

 

I hope you, Josh, and the rest of your family are having an amazing time onboard Allure! What is your first port of call?

 

Looking forward to seeing your pictures of the all access ship tour and keep up the great work!

[Megtheblackbelt]

Alright. All Access Tour Review/Thoughts (Part #1):

 

TLDR version:

- Don’t bring your kids, they will be far too bored

- Elderly people had a hard time on this tour. It is very walking/stair climbing intensive

- If you have ever taken the old version of this tour, you will probably be disappointed (they show you much less than they used to)

- I’m not sure the $120 USD asking price is worth it, but I’m glad I did it this one time

- Wear slip-proof shoes if you have them, because the kitchen portion is incredibly slippery

 

My FIL has done this tour - on Allure - before. So this was his second time doing the tour within a few years time, the first time he did the tour being when they were still operating the old tours (where he got to go on to the Helipad, into the crew mess/bar, etc). I’ll try to give as detailed a run-down as I can about how the tour went, as well as include some photos. I’m typing all of this on my phone, though, so bare with me.

 

Tour started promptly at 9 A.M. Everyone was asked to arrive by 8:45 A.M. so that the tour leader could get us all set up. We met in the Silk dining room, and turned in our tickets for the tour (which we received in our stateroom the first day), as well as a signed waiver that essentially releases RCL from any liability should you hurt yourself/get injured on the tour.

 

So you turn in all this stuff and the tour operator gives you 2 things: 1. A little mini, cheap, microphone to put into your ear. It is uncomfortable, doesn’t work well, and if you have small or larger ears, won’t fit well. I appreciate the concept that they were trying to spring to life - helping people be able to hear the different station leaders throughout the tour speaking even if they were in the very back - but this needs a lot of practice. The different station speakers would wear a mic that theoretically SHOULD HAVE transmitted to our ear pieces... but it stopped working about half way through. Ugh. The second thing you receive is an “ALL ACCESS” lanyard that has a badge on the bottom that permits you to enter the certain off-limits zones. You are required to wear this during the tour.

 

Our first stop was the galley/kitchen area. We spent OVER AN HOUR in here. *bangs head against wall* We did walk around to the different parts of the kitchens - from where they did meats, seafoods, veggies, the bakery, etc., - but this portion was just too long. On top of it, the gentleman who spoke for the entirety of these stops had an incredibly strong Indian accent that made it very challenging to understand what was being said.

 

I also want to note that the areas inside of the kitchen are incredibly slippery. You are required to wear both long pants, as well as closed-toed shoes. I wore a pair of chucks, and was slippin’-slidin’ all over the place. Be warned.

 

Here are some photos from the various areas of the kitchens:

 

 

 

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[Megtheblackbelt]

and here I thought those cameras would have made pants a requirement :cool::cool::cool: Loving the review!!

 

 

Nawwww, cameras don’t bother me! [emoji6]

 

Hello Meg,

 

I hope you, Josh, and the rest of your family are having an amazing time onboard Allure! What is your first port of call?

 

Looking forward to seeing your pictures of the all access ship tour and keep up the great work!

 

 

Hey, there! Thanks so much for following along! Tomorrow we’ll be in St. Marten! Woot. We’re excited!

 

I'm a little late to the party - but like I say - better late than never. Unless you're trying to get back to the ship after a non-Royal excursion in a distant port-of-call.:eek: Looking forward to reading your review as we board Allure in 89 days! :D

 

 

 

LOL, I love your saying there. That is great. Thanks for following along, and 89 days will pass so quickly! :)

 

 

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[Megtheblackbelt]

So everyone’s aware - it’s going to take me a little to finish the “all access” ship tour review. I have a lot of thoughts/photos/information to share, which is a bit hard to do in between trying to write the normal cruise review and, well, cruise. Haha. :)

 

 

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[lcookie]

What is the cover for the milkshake if you don't have a drink package? Never crossed my mind until I saw your pic. Now I just gotta have one or two or more :-).

[Megtheblackbelt]

What is the cover for the milkshake if you don't have a drink package? Never crossed my mind until I saw your pic. Now I just gotta have one or two or more :-).

 

 

 

I think it’s $5, and then they leave you room to tip! I don’t think the 18% gratuity is auto added on. Buttt, since I haven’t had to pay, I’m not 100% positive about this.

 

 

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