Mini “LIVE” , Allure from Galveston 12/4

[Ozark_Kid]

Thanks again for taking the time to do a "mini" review.   Great job.  👍 

[YadaYadaJodi]

Hi! Just wanted to add my thanks to the OP too! Really enjoyed your review and pics!

We have the Allure booked & haven't yet cruised on this class yet.

Especially enjoyed the info on the recent changes on the Allure!

[YadaYadaJodi]

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Edited December 12, 2022 by YadaYadaJodi
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[niksmom630]

2 hours ago, Jingerwoppy said:

 From getting in line to disembark on deck 5, it took us 1 hour and 37 minutes to get to our car at Indoor Parking. 

 

 

ouch, that sounds rough. Our shuttle driver encouraged everyone to note the issue on their survey. My BIL and SIL  have cruised out of the older terminal a few times and had zero complaints. They are definitely still working the kinks out, and it seems to be a timing thing for some who have great experiences and some not so great…. 

[niksmom630]

7 hours ago, BonTexasNY said:

Thank you for posting such a wonderful review.  Pictures outstanding.

What did you think of the new Galveston terminal?  

I liked it. Debarkation for us was awesome. Embarkation,  not so much but I think the issues were isolated. We’ve been doing walk off with luggage the last few years and the Galveston terminal is far superior and less schlepping effort  and weaving thru lines than either FFL  or Miami. 
 

there is an escalator down to the baggage area, and you need a free hand otherwise must take the elevator, which I did anyway . The biggest issue with Galveston for us is the distance to the airport-we had to go out of IAH….since we were visiting family, they graciously handled all of our transportation. On our one and only other cruise out of Galveston, we used Galveston limo, and they were great. But the airport transfers and pre-cruise hotel stay added up, probably negating and savings we realized on the actual cruise booking itself. 

[niksmom630]

Biggest surprise? washy washy seems to be a thing of the past, at least on Allure. 

Other than the windjammer where you are actually directed through the hand washing stations, not a single crew member stopped me entering any venue, including the MDR, to sanitize my hands. 

 

Having cruised a few times post Covid, the staff was stationed like guards outside EVERY venue where food was served. 

 

Remember the pre Covid days?  where Norovirus was your biggest worry, but you still were encouraged to sanitize your hands almost everywhere? 

 
 

Final highlights for me from Day 7 ….Photo worthy reflections…. 🥰 

 

 

 

A photo worthy dessert …

 

 

 

And, a final “until we meet again” shot 

 

 

and if you ever feel the urge to complain about “cruise” food again , catch a glimpse of what the airlines are serving theses days …. 🤢
 

 

 

[Doug S]

We were also on this sailing. Good times. Enjoyed reading your review after our 4 hour drive home. A few of my thoughts to throw in the mix...

 

As said a few posts earlier, each shuttle service is assigned a parking slot, so a given company's shuttle has to leave for the next to pull in. Compound that with the line of private drop off traffic the shuttles must wait in to get to their assigned slot. I think since the shuttles pay a fee per vehicle (which is why they try to run only full shuttles) they should have a dedicated lane to expedite their round trips. I know our biggest delay departing this morning was not loading or unloading, it was waiting for the next shuttle to work through traffic and get to the pickup spot. And the rain did not help

 

Our boarding on the 4th was easier than ever, and we've gone out of Galveston about 20 times. New terminal was very nice, but I can see they can still work out a few kinks on the parking side. From getting off the shuttle to entering our cabin was about 15 minutes. 

 

We spent most mornings in the Solarium as well, and it was not very crowded as you pointed out. I know the cruise was not sold out, which I imagine kept numbers down a little. But we also noticed a very large contingent of Asian guests on board, but never saw any Asian guests around the pools. Maybe that contributed more than us Texans not soaking up some sun. Other sailings I've been on out of Galveston (predominantly Texas cruisers) always had crowding and chair hogging issues around the pools. Just throwing this out there, but maybe Cruisers from Asia prefer to spend their time in the casinos or other venues rather than poolside. That would explain the crowding/non crowding. As a side note, we had the UDP and the specialty restaurants appeared under-utilized. I saw few, if any Asian guests in any specialty dining. Please don't take this as racial commentary. It is not meant to be at all. Just pointing out that cruisers from different cultures (like Texans😁) may use different amenities, and crowding issues may vary accordingly. In any case, I enjoy the Solarium and have no use for the casino, so whatever the reason it worked well for me...

 

Sail on...

Doug 

[niksmom630]

7 minutes ago, Doug S said:

We were also on this sailing. Good times. Enjoyed reading your review after our 4 hour drive home. A few of my thoughts to throw in the mix...

 

As said a few posts earlier, each shuttle service is assigned a parking slot, so a given company's shuttle has to leave for the next to pull in. Compound that with the line of private drop off traffic the shuttles must wait in to get to their assigned slot. I think since the shuttles pay a fee per vehicle (which is why they try to run only full shuttles) they should have a dedicated lane to expedite their round trips. I know our biggest delay departing this morning was not loading or unloading, it was waiting for the next shuttle to work through traffic and get to the pickup spot. And the rain did not help

 

Our boarding on the 4th was easier than ever, and we've gone out of Galveston about 20 times. New terminal was very nice, but I can see they can still work out a few kinks on the parking side. From getting off the shuttle to entering our cabin was about 15 minutes. 

 

We spent most mornings in the Solarium as well, and it was not very crowded as you pointed out. I know the cruise was not sold out, which I imagine kept numbers down a little. But we also noticed a very large contingent of Asian guests on board, but never saw any Asian guests around the pools. Maybe that contributed more than us Texans not soaking up some sun. Other sailings I've been on out of Galveston (predominantly Texas cruisers) always had crowding and chair hogging issues around the pools. Just throwing this out there, but maybe Cruisers from Asia prefer to spend their time in the casinos or other venues rather than poolside. That would explain the crowding/non crowding. As a side note, we had the UDP and the specialty restaurants appeared under-utilized. I saw few, if any Asian guests in any specialty dining. Please don't take this as racial commentary. It is not meant to be at all. Just pointing out that cruisers from different cultures (like Texans😁) may use different amenities, and crowding issues may vary accordingly. In any case, I enjoy the Solarium and have no use for the casino, so whatever the reason it worked well for me...

 

Sail on...

Doug 

thanks for sharing , Doug! And this is a great perspective! You are right that certain venues may be a bit more crowded depending on the cruise population. I happen to like both the solarium and casino! 😂 

 

But, and I also noticed a larger presence of Asian guests on this sailing. 

 

I’ve had some cruise experiences in my lifetime. College spring break cruise? I’ve been there! Where 30 percent of the passengers are under 25 🤪 it was Crazy! 
 

 

 

 

[perfect match]

Thank you for taking the time to share this not so mini review with us, @niksmom630. Allure is my current favorite ship, so it was good to see her again. 

[JamesEM]

Thanks for the review and great photos.

[Doug S]

9 hours ago, niksmom630 said:

thanks for sharing , Doug! And this is a great perspective! You are right that certain venues may be a bit more crowded depending on the cruise population. I happen to like both the solarium and casino! 😂 

 

But, and I also noticed a larger presence of Asian guests on this sailing. 

 

I’ve had some cruise experiences in my lifetime. College spring break cruise? I’ve been there! Where 30 percent of the passengers are under 25 🤪 it was Crazy! 
 

 

 

 

I am highly allergic to spring break cruises 😁. Did one New Years cruise and it was like a week in a mosh pit... We try to book the in-between, lower demand times like the gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[A&L_Ont]

Thanks so much for bringing us along.
 

I have a question for you.  As you have to fly to your departure port, if the cruise cost the same would you sail from Houston again or would you tend to stay with FL departures? 

[Djsmrs]

answered

Edited December 12, 2022 by Djsmrs

[niksmom630]

10 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Thanks so much for bringing us along.
 

I have a question for you.  As you have to fly to your departure port, if the cruise cost the same would you sail from Houston again or would you tend to stay with FL departures? 

FL departures. Weather being a major factor so

time of year important. We typically want to get out of town November thru March. It was 80 degrees in Fort Lauderdale and sunny on the day we left, vs. 65, fog and gloom in Galveston.  That created more packing issues. I needed cold weather, in between weather, and hot weather. 😳 Thankful this holiday season for for my business class ticket that afforded me an extra 20 pounds in suitcase weight. 

 

Best part of Galveston sailing was getting to see and spend time with our family 💕 

 
 

 

[niksmom630]

After 34 cruises on Royal, and a single one on Disney and Celebrity. I’m feeling the need to branch out 😊

 

our next sailing will be on Oasis next March. Which reminds me. 😎 Need to hop

over to the M&M forum and catch up!

 

Looking forward to seeing (again) some CC friends and finally meeting some others . What a great community we have here 💕

 

I was fortunate enough to be able to retire last November, and with that brings bucket list trips! Last May was Rome and Greek Isles on the Celebrity Edge. This May will be a two week

trip, a 9 night Spain and Portugal also on Celebrity. 
 

than wrapping up 2023 in December on Apex. 
 

I think I need to start working on 2024. 🤶 My amazing TA is probably already on it. Alaska? 

 

 

[Lionesss]

TY for sharing your travels.

 

Enjoyed following.

 

Take care

[Jingerwoppy]

On 12/11/2022 at 7:50 PM, longhorn2004 said:

Next time get the North Lot. A little more expensive but the walk to the car beats waiting for a shuttle.

They assigned us to Lot 4 when we reserved our spot.

[longhorn2004]

On 12/11/2022 at 10:39 PM, Doug S said:

We were also on this sailing. Good times. Enjoyed reading your review after our 4 hour drive home. A few of my thoughts to throw in the mix...

 

As said a few posts earlier, each shuttle service is assigned a parking slot, so a given company's shuttle has to leave for the next to pull in. Compound that with the line of private drop off traffic the shuttles must wait in to get to their assigned slot. I think since the shuttles pay a fee per vehicle (which is why they try to run only full shuttles) they should have a dedicated lane to expedite their round trips. I know our biggest delay departing this morning was not loading or unloading, it was waiting for the next shuttle to work through traffic and get to the pickup spot. And the rain did not help

 

Our boarding on the 4th was easier than ever, and we've gone out of Galveston about 20 times. New terminal was very nice, but I can see they can still work out a few kinks on the parking side. From getting off the shuttle to entering our cabin was about 15 minutes. 

 

We spent most mornings in the Solarium as well, and it was not very crowded as you pointed out. I know the cruise was not sold out, which I imagine kept numbers down a little. But we also noticed a very large contingent of Asian guests on board, but never saw any Asian guests around the pools. Maybe that contributed more than us Texans not soaking up some sun. Other sailings I've been on out of Galveston (predominantly Texas cruisers) always had crowding and chair hogging issues around the pools. Just throwing this out there, but maybe Cruisers from Asia prefer to spend their time in the casinos or other venues rather than poolside. That would explain the crowding/non crowding. As a side note, we had the UDP and the specialty restaurants appeared under-utilized. I saw few, if any Asian guests in any specialty dining. Please don't take this as racial commentary. It is not meant to be at all. Just pointing out that cruisers from different cultures (like Texans😁) may use different amenities, and crowding issues may vary accordingly. In any case, I enjoy the Solarium and have no use for the casino, so whatever the reason it worked well for me...

 

Sail on...

Doug 

 I talked to them in WindJammer, the group I spoke with were Vietnamese. They were a hit in Karaoke.  

[chukli]

On 12/7/2022 at 3:32 PM, mpdog42 said:

Like I said , I not a  Foody, I am a Taco Bell, Hamburger/hot Dog....Pizza Hut guy.....

Mostly ate Hamburgers and Indian Food while i was onboard!!

Hi: was there good vegetarian Indian food choices available in MDR and WJ? 

[Jingerwoppy]

On Monday, after this cruise, I started getting sniffles. On Tuesday they were a little worse. Since we had some Covid tests around, I decided to take one (haven't had Covid before). As soon as I took the test out, it turned positive.  🙂 Not really, but when I put the drops on the test strip, it showed positive in less than 30 seconds - a really bright line at that. Tried a 2nd just to make sure and it did the same. I had a little fever and a runny nose with a little bit of a sore throat but that was it until I went to bed Tuesday night.  I woke up about 11:30pm and my face felt like it was on fire. After drinking some water, I went to bed and I was back to sniffles and a sore throat a couple of hours later. Wednesday the dr put me on Paxlovid. My sniffles have almost subsided now.  Wife is also positive.

 

We believe we got this on one of the elevator rides. There were times when people really crowded in and a few people sneezed in the elevators we were in. 

 

As far as we know, there wasn't some huge outbreak onboard. 

 

I'm glad we finally got it. In the past, we dodged it a few times but I've been curious as to how it would affect us and now we know. And on top of that I won't have to drive into work for a couple of weeks.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[restasured]

On 12/4/2022 at 3:38 PM, niksmom630 said:

Once we FINALY git thru security…. Another mass of people….. apparently lowly gold, who still weren’t allowed to board. 
 

worst boarding experience ever…. Actually, I did have one worse out of Tampa that because of a fog delay we didn’t board until almost 7 pm….,

 

guess I am spoiled after so many sailings out of Miami and FLL 

 

moving on to more positive commentary now…,: just consider yourself forewarned 😉

Try the CCL 14 day from LA round trip to Hawaii.  Boarding out of Long Beach.  Talk about a circus.  3 lines that turned into 4 lines and people had to all move left to the next line from the one they were in and then back right after someone decided to decide that the left line was for priority people.  Took over an hour standing outside the terminal and another 30 minutes inside.  And that was on a small ship.

[GalvestonCruiserx3]

On 12/10/2022 at 3:46 PM, niksmom630 said:

it was served last night. And I also thought that was odd. 
 

I can’t ever recall a Cozumel port day on

ANY sailing that was also a formal night in the MDR. 
 

Cozumel is also usually a long day in port, so always one of the slower ones in the MDR

from my experience. Our all aboard time was 3:30 ship time, so lots of people were still dressed up for the formal night last night. 
 

Or perhaps all part of Royals grand plan to reduce lobster consumption???? 😊😉
 

 

I have a question: do they only serve lobster one formal night, and is it only on the 2nd formal night (the 6th night)?  We are on Allure for the first time next summer and want to reserve some specialty dining and trying to plan it all out.  Thank you!

[footzz]

1 hour ago, GalvestonCruiserx3 said:

I have a question: do they only serve lobster one formal night, and is it only on the 2nd formal night (the 6th night)?  We are on Allure for the first time next summer and want to reserve some specialty dining and trying to plan it all out.  Thank you!

Yes, lobster is served once on a 7 day sailing on the 6th day, or 2nd formal night. 

[GalvestonCruiserx3]

19 hours ago, footzz said:

Yes, lobster is served once on a 7 day sailing on the 6th day, or 2nd formal night. 

Thank you!!!!