Live Review Allure 4/10/22-4/16/22

[CatLadyFemme]

9 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

Which Phryne Fisher? I'm halfway through Ruddy Gore.

 

Death in Dayleford. Just came out a few months ago and have been holding onto it to read on this trip. I usually read the cruise ship one on my cruises as a nice ritual, but it was nice to mix it up. Also, if you love Phryne, hopefully you like my Miss Fisher inspired headwear from last night (to cover up messy hair from the monkey!)

[CatLadyFemme]

My hair was a total mess yesterday and we had to run between getting back on the ship and dressing for the MDR (we dined later at Chops and I wanted to make sure I got something to eat!), so I took a very quick rinse off in the shower and looked to the Miss Fisher style 1920s look to deal with my hair. Added some of the earrings I bought in Roatan. Even with powder, you can see how red my face is from overheating.

Also since y’all seem to like my fashion, here is me trying to match my mask for our excursion, complete with 1940s British land girl style hat. Neck tie is one of the ones you soak in water to stay cool; to be honest, I think it was the only reason I didn’t pass out in the heat by the end of the tour yesterday.

[gonole1972]

37 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

This was the speed test results we had on Allure last month for a couple times.  

 

Wonder if anyone has a current speed test?

 

Will test it again when we are back aboard in 30 days. 

 

Here is our speed at home in Florida.  Huge difference.

 

[kfnesq]

12 minutes ago, CatLadyFemme said:

The mammals and birds (plus more of several other animals we didn’t get to meet because it was not safe for them) were at the Daniel Johnson sloth and monkey sanctuary, and the Iguanas were at the iguana reserve run by the Arch family. Choose the easy or accessible (depending on your needs) monkey, sloth, and iguana interaction.

 

I did this excursion (Daniel Johnson) a couple of years ago and it was by far the best excursion of the whole cruise.  

[CatLadyFemme]

Ok, just ran a test (noon ship time, in port). Not sure what this means, but it takes about 3-5 minutes to even refresh this page or reload CNN. It is definitely not “surfable.” If I remember, will try to do one tonight as well.

[erber]

Speed test from my phone on the Allure in my room. 

[h20skibum]

31 minutes ago, topnole said:

Was this am or pm?  Might make a big difference.  

Top one 5:27 am.  Bottom one 3:00 pm

[topnole]

10 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

Top one 5:27 am.  Bottom one 3:00 pm

Somehow I missed that.  My bad.   I saw the 11:15 and that was it.  
 

Wow this is bad wifi.  Can’t believe what they charge for that low of quality.  Sure hope our basic iPhone  text messages come through in real time while onboard.  I’m happy being disconnected other than that.  Being with kids, the wife and I need the ability to text each other onboard.   

[CatLadyFemme]

We rushed back onto the ship last night, ringed off and changed super quickly before heading to the MDR. I had pre ordered the beet and orange salad (fine, but the cheese in here was ricotta or marscapone? Very odd), the parsnip coconut soup from the vegan menu (one of my favs soups on board so far), some Indian veg food (good but waaaaay too much food and fairly spicy, even with the requested raita) and a GF almond cake I had gotten the last time I on in the Allure (which was served with berries and was SUPER yummy). MxCatLady had the coconut shrimp and the cheese tortellini, wait for our Chop meal. They said both were pretty solid options. I had another virgin mojito and they had a virgin frozen margarita. We chatted more with the few tables who showed up last night, including a lovely woman and her son all the way from Ireland, and some folks nearby currently from one of the Carolina, but having lived in Ann Arbor.

 

After this, we rested for a while, took a nicer shower, and just delighted in how amazing our day had been. Eventually, we re-dressed for Chops. Compared to the other restaurants we had been too, it was a lot more crowded, which we didn’t love. Our server was fine, but when I explained my stuff, she was basically like “there is nothing you can eat here” (which I had prepared for, but other reviewers had said that all the sides other that the Mac & cheese had been made specially GF for them) while all of the other places I felt had bent over backwards to make sure I felt like my needs were met. She did grab us GF bread, but my Shirley Temple request took three tries.  I ate the goat cheese salad (not crispy, and originally served without any dressing; when I caught her again, she brought just olive oil and vinegar), some quasi sides (I asked for the creamed spinach but they just sautéed some plain, mushrooms, and asparagus), and mango sorbet. Let me emphasize that it was *fine* and no issues (and I didn’t get glutened; the important part), but I was starting to feel like a rabbit. MxCatLady had the colossal shrimp cocktail (good), the mushroom soup (upon CC recommendations. They were skeptical because they wanted the lobster bisque, but y’all steered them correctly with the Giovanni’s filet and the 150 CP short rib, so went for it. They said it was the best item they have had on board so far and just wanted three servings of that for dinner), the petite filet (good but not as good as Giovanni’s), the Gouda tots and truffle fries (fine, but our resident potato loving Midwesterner only ate one of each, which should say something!), and for the key lime meringue pie to go (also good, but tasted the same as the dining room one). 
 

One thing I really miss across restaurants is fresh ground pepper. The only place that has done it is Giovanni’s. Otherwise, both MDR and speciality have this super fine pepper powder that has almost no flavor. Seems silly, but some of these dishes are SO good, and the pepper powder just doesn’t do them justice. Not a big issue of course, just my “back in the day” reflections (I also wish they could separate the dining room into one level for people to dress up and one level for folks who want to wear tshirt and shorts, which is fine but feels so weird when we are all fancy).

 

After this, we debated doing the Adele show, but were worried about how crowded it would be , and were also tired and hurting after a long day, so we back to our room, put pain cream all over, and listened to more of our book. After MxCatLady fell asleep, I read much of a new dystopian pandemic novel (so apropos, no?), looked at the room over the ocean, and fell asleep, dreaming of meeting so many animals.

[erber]

5 minutes ago, topnole said:

 Sure hope our basic iPhone  text messages come through in real time while onboard.  I’m happy being disconnected other than that. 

Interestingly, I am sending and receiving texts with no problem. I have a Pixel 5a and use both Google messages and WhatsApp. Both work fine. I have not tried to do any video calling. That would probably be impossible.

Edited April 14, 2022 by erber

[CatLadyFemme]

4 minutes ago, topnole said:

Somehow I missed that.  My bad.   I saw the 11:15 and that was it.  
 

Wow this is bad wifi.  Can’t believe what they charge for that low of quality.  Sure hope our basic iPhone  text messages come through in real time while onboard.  I’m happy being disconnected other than that.  Being with kids, the wife and I need the ability to text each other onboard.   

We both have iPhones. Regular texts seem to connect ok (if not pictures) both between us on board and also to MrCatLady on land. If doing pictures, I have to take the pic, take a screen shot of it to make it smaller, and then send that.

[Biker19]

22 minutes ago, CatLadyFemme said:

Not sure what this means,

Assuming you bought the Surf tier of VOOM, that is normal. 

[CatLadyFemme]

[CatLadyFemme]

15 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Assuming you bought the Surf tier of VOOM, that is normal. 

Wow. I have only had Surf before ( pre pandemic) and it has never been this slow for me, even on this ship. Must be the new normal.

[Jenglish711]

Oh my goodness I am crying happy tears at seeing you both with the animals! That is totally a bucket list item for me now. I may have missed this but was it an independent excursion or through RC? 

 

I recall you mentioning the towel - I'm glad it worked for you and I have to tell you it looked super appropriate with your overall style (I'm used to walking around Disney World seeing folks wearing like bright blue or yellow ones that look more utilitarian and less fashionable lol)

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, CatLadyFemme said:

Wow. I have only had Surf before ( pre pandemic) and it has never been this slow for me, even on this ship. Must be the new normal.

  Surf has been throttled at .5Mbps almost since the start of the two VOOM tiers (6+ years). The internet speed measuring apps don’t account for all other issues, nor provide a performance rating - just raw numbers, which are normal. 

[bjlbbk]

25 minutes ago, CatLadyFemme said:

GF almond cake I had gotten the last time I on in the Allure (which was served with berries and was SUPER yummy).

Mmmm....I want to try this! Was this on the menu or a special request?

 

Have you explored any GF options at Central Park Cafe? My last experience there on Allure (several years ago) was not so great. Hoping they will have more to offer when we we sail in July!

[topnole]

1 hour ago, CatLadyFemme said:

We both have iPhones. Regular texts seem to connect ok (if not pictures) both between us on board and also to MrCatLady on land. If doing pictures, I have to take the pic, take a screen shot of it to make it smaller, and then send that.

Tnx for the info.  

[CatLadyFemme]

1 hour ago, bjlbbk said:

Mmmm....I want to try this! Was this on the menu or a special request?

 

Have you explored any GF options at Central Park Cafe? My last experience there on Allure (several years ago) was not so great. Hoping they will have more to offer when we we sail in July!

Special request but seemed to be no problem! I called it GF almond cake but someone else walked by and called it almond polenta, if that helps.

 

I had a salad in the Park Cafe (raspberry vinaigrette is the only GF option). I will try to pop by and ask about sandwich options!

[CatLadyFemme]

1 hour ago, Jenglish711 said:

Oh my goodness I am crying happy tears at seeing you both with the animals! That is totally a bucket list item for me now. I may have missed this but was it an independent excursion or through RC? 

 

I recall you mentioning the towel - I'm glad it worked for you and I have to tell you it looked super appropriate with your overall style (I'm used to walking around Disney World seeing folks wearing like bright blue or yellow ones that look more utilitarian and less fashionable lol)

Awww thank you! 
 

it was a Royal excursion, though I think you may be able to do it independently, though would have to do each individual one.

[bjlbbk]

4 minutes ago, CatLadyFemme said:

Special request but seemed to be no problem! I called it GF almond cake but someone else walked by and called it almond polenta, if that helps.

 

I had a salad in the Park Cafe (raspberry vinaigrette is the only GF option). I will try to pop by and ask about sandwich options!

Awesome! Thank you for sharing your experience...I'm taking notes!! I've learned the hard way that it is okay to speak up and make special requests. In a lot of cases I just didn't know what to ask for! It's tough to watch everyone else splurge on vacation and feel like you've got nothing special to look forward to. As silly as it sounds that almond cake might just make my day! 🙂

[topnole]

2 hours ago, CatLadyFemme said:

Wow. I have only had Surf before ( pre pandemic) and it has never been this slow for me, even on this ship. Must be the new normal.

Ship wifi capability is probably the same as before, but every change/update the new software/hardware and websites use more data.  Pretty sure my new phone has much higher picture resolution for example. That might explain why it is slower relative to your last cruise.  
 

You could probably save a few pics in a lower resolution and they might just go through.  I too haven’t cruised since pre pandemic, but I will be soon on Allure.   At this point, I’ll just assume the internet is going to be very poor in speed and consistency based on time of use.  At least you are able to get your posts here to work.  Again, thanks for this information. 

[CatLadyFemme]

1 hour ago, bjlbbk said:

Awesome! Thank you for sharing your experience...I'm taking notes!! I've learned the hard way that it is okay to speak up and make special requests. In a lot of cases I just didn't know what to ask for! It's tough to watch everyone else splurge on vacation and feel like you've got nothing special to look forward to. As silly as it sounds that almond cake might just make my day! 🙂

I totally get this. My first cruise post celiac DX, there were some language barriers (if anyone says “tofu cheese,” what they really mean is just blocks of tofu! 😂), plus I was so anxious about getting glutened, and so for 6 nights,  all I had was some permutation of a salad with oil and vinegar, a baked dish with veggies, tomato sauce and cheese, and mixed berries for dessert. Really lovely the first two nights, and then I was so sick of it. 
 

While it doesn’t *always* work (see my challenges in Chops last night), the more comfortable I feel asking for things, the better my experience has been. I also make sure to tip really well (both speciality and MDR) because I know I am more work, and I appreciate their attentiveness. And of course, more flies with honey (though I did break down crying that first cruise after DX as I was so sick of the same thing and every time I tried to adjust anything, my head waiter pushed me back to the exact same thing. I just gave up). 
 

They also gave me GF flourless chocolate cake (not on any of the menus but they have it always, and any speciality restaurants can get it for you too), so feel free to ask for that too, and the Udi’s cookies at Cafe Promenade can be super tasty with a scoop of ice cream.

 

I hope you have SUCH a lovely time!

[cruisetorelax44]

Three cheers for mushroom soup! It's my favorite thing on any ship, and it hasn't been available on the past two sailings. We're on Allure on May 8th for the first time. Your blog is filled with joy and light and i hope you guys are having as much fun as we are reading it!

 

[bjlbbk]

52 minutes ago, CatLadyFemme said:

I totally get this. My first cruise post celiac DX, there were some language barriers (if anyone says “tofu cheese,” what they really mean is just blocks of tofu! 😂), plus I was so anxious about getting glutened, and so for 6 nights,  all I had was some permutation of a salad with oil and vinegar, a baked dish with veggies, tomato sauce and cheese, and mixed berries for dessert. Really lovely the first two nights, and then I was so sick of it. 
 

While it doesn’t *always* work (see my challenges in Chops last night), the more comfortable I feel asking for things, the better my experience has been. I also make sure to tip really well (both speciality and MDR) because I know I am more work, and I appreciate their attentiveness. And of course, more flies with honey (though I did break down crying that first cruise after DX as I was so sick of the same thing and every time I tried to adjust anything, my head waiter pushed me back to the exact same thing. I just gave up). 
 

They also gave me GF flourless chocolate cake (not on any of the menus but they have it always, and any speciality restaurants can get it for you too), so feel free to ask for that too, and the Udi’s cookies at Cafe Promenade can be super tasty with a scoop of ice cream.

 

I hope you have SUCH a lovely time!

Yep...I can totally relate. Except my breakdown of tears came during a Disney trip many, many years ago before GF options were a common thing. You can only eat so many salads! Grilled chicken breast and veggies can be awesome, but can get boring and are not as fun when the rest of the family is being treated to something more tasty.

 

I appreciate you sharing your challenges as well...all helpful to know ahead of time. Good point on the extra tipping too!

 

I've had the GF flourless cake...was so thankful to have that a couple times on our last cruise. I look forward to hearing what other treasures you might find. Enjoy the rest of your trip and thanks again for sharing!!