A Young Couple's Post-Turkey Allure Review!

[Clarea]

2 hours ago, Falaimalandro said:

Hello, this is Flavio, the Activities Manager, I would like to thank you for the great comment.

This is the first time I am posting on Cruise Critic, hope it goes well.

Happy Christmas

 

 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic Flavio.   Please feel free to post anytime,  we enjoy hearing from crewmembers.

[zdad59]

OP......really enjoyed your review.    Wife and I are also from the Philly area and we'll be on Allure in February.    Also flying into Ft. Lauderdale and Ubering to Miami.   We were on Harmony, a similar ship,  last year but your review gave us great tips and insights on Allure.   The Mrs. is really looking forward to sushi making class.   I'm really looking forward to the pools and spas in the Solarium.    That's our go to spot too.

 

[SilveryRiver]

Thank you so much for the pictures and review!  We sail on Allure this June.  Can you tell us a little about your cabin?  Also, was the room service included or was there an extra fee?

[dwayneb236]

Good review. Sailing on Allure in Feb.

[fsuhockette]

On 12/5/2018 at 8:25 PM, mattb31 said:

Puerto Rico

 

I originally wasn't very sure what we would do in San Juan since it's not really a beach stop. We decided to pass on any excursions here and we scoped out places on Google Maps beforehand. I book marked different sites and we walked around the city. If you are fine with walking around, Old San Juan is very walkable, and you'll be able to see a lot of the city in the time the ship is there. I was surprised how hot it actually was. We probably walked around from 9am - 12pm and the heat index had to be around 90-95 degrees.

 

One thing I learned pretty quickly was that there are A LOT of stray cats in Old San Juan.

 

 

 

I think I was most impressed with the architecture and colors of Old San Juan. The city was just a pleasant place to be and on top of that it was super clean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also came across the famous Puerto Rican flag door. We've seen many pictures of it and it had intrigued me because the building itself is abandoned but the door was painted with the Puerto Rican flag. When we arrived we found the door was painted with the flag but devoid of color.

 

Because of the economic and social problems, as well as the recovery from Hurricane Maria, the flag is being left without color as a symbol of solidarity. The idea is that by Puerto Ricans coming together, the colors will shine brighter than ever. I thought that was pretty cool.

 

 

This was one of the first stops I had been at on any cruise that wasn't really a beach stop, and I thought it was great. Old San Juan has so much history, so many great restaurants, and so many cool sites that it was a nice break from the norm.

 Hi there- any chance you could send me info on your walking tour that you did?  Your pics look great and we're headed to San Juan in a few weeks - would love to do a walking tour with my family (2 adults 3 kids - 11, 10 & 5) and this looks perfect.  

[zdad59]

19 minutes ago, fsuhockette said:

 Hi there- any chance you could send me info on your walking tour that you did?  Your pics look great and we're headed to San Juan in a few weeks - would love to do a walking tour with my family (2 adults 3 kids - 11, 10 & 5) and this looks perfect.  

 

We sailed out of San Juan a couple year ago and spent a couple of days pre-cruise in OSJ.    We booked a walking tour with a gentleman named David Rodríguez.   You can find his tour on Viator.    Not expensive and he is incredibly knowledgeable.   Keeps his groups very small.   

 

If you go on your own, a simple suggestion is the fort at San Christobal, then a stroll down Calle Forteleza.to Plaza de Armas, then finally a short walk to The San Juan Cathedral and El Convento.    There are other options for stops as well.     For a nice lunch we like La Mallorquina, just off Calle Forteleza on Calle San Justo.

 

I will say watch your time, you could spend a whole lot of day touring OSJ.  You can spend a lot of time at the Fort if you're really into it.  That's one reason we liked the guided tour.   The tour though does not include the fort.

Edited December 27, 2018 by zdad59

[mattb31]

On 12/27/2018 at 9:59 AM, SilveryRiver said:

Thank you so much for the pictures and review!  We sail on Allure this June.  Can you tell us a little about your cabin?  Also, was the room service included or was there an extra fee?

Sorry, just seeing this! 

 

Cabin was great. It was clean, no issues with noise, and it was pretty spacious. The basic breakfast is included but generally any other room service had a fee attached to it (I believe $7.95).

[mattb31]

On 12/27/2018 at 1:44 PM, fsuhockette said:

 Hi there- any chance you could send me info on your walking tour that you did?  Your pics look great and we're headed to San Juan in a few weeks - would love to do a walking tour with my family (2 adults 3 kids - 11, 10 & 5) and this looks perfect.  

 

We just looked up the top sights in San Juan and plotted them on Google Maps and followed the walking directions. It's a very nice little city. Do be forewarned, there is a LOT of hills and it is very hot even early on in the day. We were drenched in sweat by the time we got back to the boat.

[parsnip1]

Hi Matt, you mentioned you had food in the italian as you had a central park room? can you clarify this and how this works as we have a central park balcony room booked.

[katiel53]

25 minutes ago, parsnip1 said:

Hi Matt, you mentioned you had food in the italian as you had a central park room? can you clarify this and how this works as we have a central park balcony room booked.

I'm not Matt, but this is taken from the Royal Caribbean booking site:

 

Dine.Drink.Discover Perks

• Savor a complimentary lunch for two at Jamie's Italian, Sabor or Johnny Rockets®.
• A complimentary bottle of red wine welcomes your arrival.
• Step up your game with casino gaming lessons from an onboard expert.

 

These are the perks for having a Central Park Balcony.  There are different ones for Boardwalk Balconies.  You will need to book the restaurant once onboard.  There is no Jamie's on Allure.  Your bottle of red wine should be in your cabin upon arrival or soon thereafter.  Enjoy!

[mattb31]

15 hours ago, parsnip1 said:

Hi Matt, you mentioned you had food in the italian as you had a central park room? can you clarify this and how this works as we have a central park balcony room booked.

 

There is a piece of paper when you get into your room and we took it to the Giovanni's and booked a time for the free lunch. It is included as part of the Neighborhood Balcony Perks.