LIVE! Allure of the Seas April 30th 2023 - 7N Western Caribbean out of Galveston TX.

[CruiseMomTX]

Following along and will have to check out your YouTube channel!  We love the Allure and living a few hours from Galveston makes it such an easy drive in the morning of we have been on her twice since November.  Sailed on her the first time in 2019.  We have also been on the Adventure several times this year and the 10nt Radiance, love the new terminal.  Now the funny part we are also early 50's and have 3 boys, oldest is 23 and 19 year old identical twins.  They all love to cruise especially the Oasis class ships and have been cruising since the oldest was 2 and the twins were in my belly, lol.  Enjoy the cruise!

[binro01]

35 minutes ago, CruiseMomTX said:

Following along and will have to check out your YouTube channel!  We love the Allure and living a few hours from Galveston makes it such an easy drive in the morning of we have been on her twice since November.  Sailed on her the first time in 2019.  We have also been on the Adventure several times this year and the 10nt Radiance, love the new terminal.  Now the funny part we are also early 50's and have 3 boys, oldest is 23 and 19 year old identical twins.  They all love to cruise especially the Oasis class ships and have been cruising since the oldest was 2 and the twins were in my belly, lol.  Enjoy the cruise!

Sounds like we have been living parallel lives! Thanks for checking out the YouTube Channel. I just posted a summer deal there on Allure OTS for August 2023 that you might be interested in. I fell off my chair when I saw that deal yesterday come pass my way.

[CruiseMomTX]

12 minutes ago, binro01 said:

Sounds like we have been living parallel lives! Thanks for checking out the YouTube Channel. I just posted a summer deal there on Allure OTS for August 2023 that you might be interested in. I fell off my chair when I saw that deal yesterday come pass my way.

It does sound that way, lol, except for your oldest being 33 instead of 23.  Thanks for the heads up on the Allure deal but we are already booked on her for August and go through the casino to book our "free" cabins.  Yea we know they are not free but that's a running joke between my hubby and I.

[binro01]

1 minute ago, CruiseMomTX said:

Yea we know they are not free but that's a running joke between my hubby and I.

Kinda free is still better than NOT free. LOL

[jbrinkm]

21 hours ago, Tricia28 said:

On the same cruise as you. Went on the Christmas sailing out of Galveston 4 months ago. That was the cruise that all the plants in Central Park froze. I truly hope they have replaced them. It is my favorite place on the ship. This will be my 8th time on Allure. Last time we went in a Crown Loft Suite but this time it's a balcony guarantee for us. We bought the UDP but did not purchase the drink package.

 

We were on Allure the first week of April and it looked like this (below). Trees were still bad and there were some empty spaces but the overall impression was green and it looked about 70% back. I saw another report that more plants were being brought on last week, so perhaps now some of the empty spaces are filled in. 

 

 

21 hours ago, SKSMIKE5 said:

Thank you. How early can you prebook a taxi? Did you do it online? Sounds like that might be a good option. There will be 6 of us in our VRBO about 5 miles from port.

 

21 hours ago, binro01 said:

I would love to know who you prebooked with 🙂

 

We used Ready Set Go taxis (Jim). They were recommended by our hotel. I booked with them 2 days before our cruise (also recommended by our hotel). 

[slyster]

On 4/22/2023 at 2:56 PM, firefly333 said:

I had a 1030 am boarding last 2 times out of Galveston. So probably the earliest time if you get in at midnight the night before. 

I was told a couple of times the earliest time is now 11am.  I believe I even saw a thread about it?  I can't say for sure.  I remember they booked at 12:00am or shortly after.  

[binro01]

17 minutes ago, slyster said:

I was told a couple of times the earliest time is now 11am.  I believe I even saw a thread about it?  I can't say for sure.  I remember they booked at 12:00am or shortly after.  

Yep. Earliest time is now 11:00 AM

[binro01]

4 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

We used Ready Set Go taxis (Jim)

Thanks!!!

[firefly333]

25 minutes ago, slyster said:

I was told a couple of times the earliest time is now 11am.  I believe I even saw a thread about it?  I can't say for sure.  I remember they booked at 12:00am or shortly after.  

I boarded march 27, a few weeks ago at 1030 am. Though 1030 is the arrival not boarding time they told me.

 

Also called by loyalty. After suites diamond plus called. Pinns boarded with suites. So I was called pronto. We will see going forward. I dont think you can make sweeping generalizations.  

 

Mine was for the radiance. I was just commenting in general to a statement about Galveston.. not all ships board at 11 am ... allure might. 

Edited April 23, 2023 by firefly333

[binro01]

4 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

We were on Allure the first week of April and it looked like this (below).

Thanks for the photo! I will report on the ongoing replanting of Central Park when I’m on board.

[slyster]

6 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I boarded march 27, a few weeks ago at 1030 am. Though 1030 is the arrival not boarding time they told me.

 

Also called by loyalty. After suites diamond plus called. Pinns boarded with suites. So I was called pronto. We will see going forward. I dont think you can make sweeping generalizations.  

 

Mine was for the radiance. I was just commenting in general to a statement about Galveston.. not all ships board at 11 am ... allure might. 

OH OH OH....i thought we were talking about Allure in Galveston. Yes, I am aware other ships have check-ins at 10:30.  Allure is the first one I knew of with a 11am check in time.  

[BecciBoo]

On 4/21/2023 at 3:53 PM, binro01 said:

Specialty dining will be relegated to some sea day lunches at Izumi Hibachi and Giovanni's Table. We will also do a Dinner at Samba

Following!  I'll be checkin out your review of Samba, we're doing 3nt pkg and have selected Park150, Samba and Giovanni's as well.  We have to wait a few months...so will be watching your youtube.

[BecciBoo]

4 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

We were on Allure the first week of April and it looked like this (below)

Thanks!  She's looking much better, by Sept. it'll be sweet!

 

SUBSCRIBED!

Edited April 23, 2023 by BecciBoo

[BecciBoo]

There they go:  7 more days!!🥰

Edited April 23, 2023 by BecciBoo

[jbrinkm]

1 hour ago, slyster said:

OH OH OH....i thought we were talking about Allure in Galveston. Yes, I am aware other ships have check-ins at 10:30.  Allure is the first one I knew of with a 11am check in time.  

 

11am was the earliest check in for regular guests when we sailed Allure during the first week of April. Our rooms were ready by 1pm.

Edited April 23, 2023 by jbrinkm

[binro01]

59 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

There they go:  7 more days!!🥰

Hope they keep the lights on for us! Next week that's us!

[binro01]

OK. So here is my pre cruise week in a nutshell.

So I'm a principal software engineer by day. My work week will basically entail me trying to keep focus and not break things. The worst thing I can possible do is release some code that will cause people angst while I'm gone. I'm planning to get some research done for my upcoming optimizations that I'm tasked to do when I come back. Other than that, I will be mentoring, and helping others on the teams I support throughout the week. It should be a quiet and laid back week at the office.

By night, I focus on my YouTube channel. I have a new video that's in final edit. Hopefully I will publish this week before we head out. It's an interview with a first time cruiser. The goal is to get this all wrapped up by my Thursday publish date.

I do have an appointment with the wife to get my nails (my feet and hands) done with her. DON'T JUDGE! Men, if you have not done this, its SOOO relaxing, and since I will be running around in flip flops, I like to make sure my toes are presentable and well trimmed. A also have an appointment to straight razor shave the head of mine and get a straight edge beard shave and trim. Yea.. It's pampering myself before going on vacation. It puts me in that mode so hey.. .Why break with tradition.

Monday is laundry day for all the things I want to bring and need a washing, and then I bring it up to my wife's staging area. I then survey and see if I need to purchase anything new. By Tuesday evening I will be mostly packed and ready to go. If I purchased anything on Monday, it will get added to the luggage usually by Wednesday evening.

I then get my camera and sound equipment together and packed up for the trip. I have a list of 15 videos all planned out with shot cards for footage I will require for the production of those videos, which will keep me busy for about 16 weeks. I produce one cruise tip / review / informative video a week and one video on a cruise deal I promote for the travel business. This is about right for me. With a full time job, producing 2 videos a week usually means about 10-12 hours of work. Add in the work I do to help with the wife on the travel business and I'm lucky to catch a TV show here and there during the week.
 

The night before heading to the airport, I print up all my travel docs, hotel conformations, pre-purchase receipts, etc. I keep everything on my phone, but I like to have the paper backup, just in case Mr. Murphy and his silly laws decide to pay me a visit. I will then have the passports placed in my personal item for the airport and just chill.

 

We usually eat out the night before as to not make a mess of the kitchen. We will also be stocking the fridge for our oldest son who will be watching the fur babies when we are away. One of our twins work at Texas Roadhouse so most likely we will go there for dinner to utilize that sweet 50% off discount. When we do this, it usually works out to about 50 bucks for steak dinners for the 4 of us. I do leave a very generous tip though for the server. But now a days, you can easily spend 50.00 bucks at Wendy's for dinner, so I consider this a huge win.

By 2 nights before we head out the dogs KNOW something is up and they will NOT be happy. One will even start hiding stuff on us, but he is not to smart and usually hides his contraband in places we already know about. He then gives us that look of utter defeat.

This is the first time we will be taking a "Budget" airline to a cruise. I'm still a little apprehensive about this, especially since Allegiant only flies out to Huston a couple times a week out of the airport we are flying out of, but I'm prepared for any contingency needed. I have my travel insurance provider's number on quick dial as well as alternate flight options at the ready. I did make sure we flew out to the port 2 nights ahead of time to give me that needed leeway. Heck. I can even drive to Houston from Utah and still make it on time if needs be.

I'm still in shock about the whole lightning strike thing with our pre-cruise hotel in Galveston. (Pun intended) But we are all set with our new hotel arrangements. Lets keep the fingers crossed that this one will not be hit by a tornado and sent to Oz.

 

Thanks @jbrinkm for the taxi service info. I'm now all set with our hotel to port ride for cruise day. No need to deal with surge pricing or the reported Uber difficulties in Galveston for us. One less stressor addressed.

I am looking for some suggestions for dinner on Friday and Saturday, and if anyone is going to be sailing with us, please feel free to chime in if you want to grab a bite to eat and do some pre-cruise drinks with us! Might as well get this party started early!

We are officially 5 days and a wake up away from jetting out to Texas!
 

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by binro01

[binro01]

The fur baby pitty party has party has begun

 

The the arrival of the suitcases in the home signified to the pups that something is going down and they do not like it. If anyone of us takes a break on the couch, one of them WILL come and sit on the lap and give "those eyes:" basically imploring "Daddy/Mommy... please don't go"

 
Oh man.. Looking at this photo, really lets me know I need to lose weight AGAIN. Over the pandemic I dropped 85 pounds, but I put them all back on again once restaurants and cruising opened up again. I need more self control. Because not visiting restaurants or not going on cruises, well that's just out of the question.

 

Packing the a small version of our "Stuff"
Like I said, the suitcases are making their appearance so I figured I might as well join in on the suitcase brigade. I grabbed mine out of the garage storage and brought it to the wife's staging room, also known as out guest bedroom. BTW I really love this suitcase. The dimensions are like the old trunks I brought to college. It still fits below the bed on the ship, the color stands out so I see it very easily on the luggage carousel at the airport, and the wheels on this thing is like butter. The cliff notes version. Spend some money on decent luggage. It's worth the money.

And when I took a look at staging area number 2 also know as our kitchen table, I realized that my wife is once again overpacking. I pretty much have my packing down to a science. I rarely miss a thing now and I usually never have more than I need. But I believe my wife is going a little overboard for the boys stuff...

 

 

Still dreary and too COLD for my liking here in Utah.

Weather is once again very drabby here in Utah. It's going to be in the mid 50s here in the valley. The higher elevations will not be getting snow, but rain... That might signify the beginning of the floods we are expecting. We had some locations with almost 300% snowfall this season. Yea.. It's be a nightmare for me, but the skiers loved it. I really need to get to the warmth again.

 

Trying to make it through the week at the office will be... Difficult.

And now I'm in the office, trying to not get distracted, I have a pretty full day with meets and what not. So that's kinda good. No real opportunity for me to really break things today. I love when my tail end of the calendar is blocked off because I will be out of the office. Makes me smile!

 

So, once I get home I will do my survey and then do some last minute Amazon shopping for any gaps in what I need to bring. Ohh packing.. It always reminds me of George Carlin's routine on "Stuff" Google it and watch it on YouTube if you want a good laugh..

 

I can make it through this Monday.. I just know it.

[SDuckers]

20 hours ago, binro01 said:

I am looking for some suggestions for dinner on Friday and Saturday, and if anyone is going to be sailing with us, please feel free to chime in if you want to grab a bite to eat and do some pre-cruise drinks with us! Might as well get this party started early!

We are officially 5 days and a wake up away from jetting out to Texas!
 

 

We have a beach house in Galveston, so we eat out there often.  Our favorite place is called "Cajun Greek" on 61st near Stewart.  Wonderful seafood, the best boiled crawfish around, and their seafood chowder is really delicious.  Another good place, near the Strand area, is Black Pearl.  Be advised that their "appetizer" portion sizes are HUGE.  DH and I typically just split one.  If you want to go high-end, Rudy and Paco's near the Opera House is outstanding.  As far as TexMex, sadly in my opinion none of the places on the island are that good.  Everyone recommends The Original Mexican Restaurant, but I think it's mediocre at best and the service is horrid.  On the Seawall, the Gumbo Diner is very good.  Again, their portion sizes are huge.  It's a small place so there can sometimes be a wait.  Then there is always the classic Gaido's.  It's been around forever and it's a bit touristy (and pricy) but their seafood is as fresh as it comes.

[binro01]

1 hour ago, SDuckers said:

Cajun Greek

Hmmm I love both Cajun and Greek food so this sounds like a real winner to me!

[binro01]

Just a day and a wake up away!

Well today is the last day at the office before I get on a jet plane to fly off to Houston Hobby Airport. Our fly out time is at 8:00 AM Mountain Daylight time and we should be landing near noon in Houston. From there we will collect our luggage and grab a Uber/Lyft XL to head down to Galveston.

I'm kind of an organization freak, so today is probably my most stressful day. I will be heading off to the bank this afternoon during my lunch break to grab some small bills for tipping while on the ship and then when I get home I will arrange my paperwork in neat grouped and color coded packets incase I need the hard copies. Everything is on the phone too. This is just my backup. My wife thinks I'm crazy as she is the "let's wing it" type. I do like spontaneity but I also like an ounce of precaution. I guess that's why we will be celebrating our 27th Anniversary on this cruise (a little early but within a couple of weeks LOL)

Packing is pretty much all done and now it's just a slog through this last day at work before I can start to settle into full blown vacation mode.

 

Nineteen Year Olds... (OMG)
Though the wife and I are pretty much all packed up, the twin 19 year old boys just keep procrastinating and procrastinating. I tried folks. Really I tried to get them out of this. I just its just not in their personality genome, but it gets me anxious for them. I guess I need to let it go.

One of them said a very funny thing yesterday. He said it was his goal to find a sugar momma on this cruise so he will not have to work a day in his life. I said to him, "Good luck with that..." But it did give me a good chuckle. The really funny thing is this is our "quiet/shy" one until he gets to know you. I was going to try and help him get out of his comfort zone and gain more confidence with the opposite sex on this cruise. Maybe he is almost in the right headspace, but his target is WAY WAY off. LOL 

The other one is more outgoing and he keeps asking me to reserve Chops or Central Park 150 for dinner. I keep saying, you and your brother reserve it and make sure to bring and pay for me and Mom. Upon which I get a "Brah.. Brah.. Come On Pops!", to which I say.. "Who's paying for your cruise, flights and excursions?" I'm still wondering if I will see a steak dinner. I'm not going to hold my breath, but one can dream.

Galveston Thoughts
I'm planning on giving the hotel a call in a few to see if we can secure an early check in. We should be arriving at the hotel at around 2PM so it's not like we are asking to get into the room 5 hours ahead of schedule. Fingers crossed that they will be able to accommodate.

Since our original hotel was struck by lightning and I could not get a hold of them to see the potential jeopardy my original reservation could be in, I did cancel with them and moved our accommodations to the Quality Inn and Suites, Beachfront. I do love Priceline, even with this last minute situation I took advantage of an express deal and I'm only paying about 30 bucks more a night for a decent hotel.

Trying to figure out places for dinner for the 2 pre cruise days on the island. One will be basic and one will be nice. Hoping to maybe hook up with some FB group friends for drinks the night before the cruise. We love making cruise buddies on our vacations.

The next time I will post is when we are at the Airport tomorrow morning! It's almost vacation time! 

[JupiterTwo]

I was on this cruise last week. I'm looking forward to following your cruise for comparison.

 

My wife and I dined at:

 

Day 1: lunch at Coastal Kitchen, dinner at Giovanni's Table.

Day 2: breakfast at Windjammer, dinner at Izumi Hibachi.

Day 3: breakfast at Coastal Kitchen, dinner at Samba Grill.

Day 4: lunch at Windjammer, dinner at American Icon Grille (my-time MDR).

Day 5: breakfast at Coastal Kitchen, dinner at Icon Grille.

Day 6: lunch at Windjammer, dinner at Central Park 150.

Day 7: breakfast at Coastal Kitchen, dinner at American Icon Grille.

Day 8: coffee and fruit from Coastal Kitchen before disembarking.

 

Steve

[Kathscof]

Excited to hear more!  I saw your location of "Spanish Fork" and I was reminded of a bit that keeps coming up on my Brian Regan Pandora channel by comedian Kellen Erskine about High School mascots if you haven't heard it before 😉 I am always amused haha

[binro01]

1 minute ago, JupiterTwo said:

I was on this cruise last week. I'm looking forward to following your cruise for comparison.

 

My wife and I dined at:

 

Day 1: lunch at Coastal Kitchen, dinner at Giovanni's Table.

Day 2: breakfast at Windjammer, dinner at Izumi Hibachi.

Day 3: breakfast at Coastal Kitchen, dinner at Samba Grill.

Day 4: lunch at Windjammer, dinner at American Icon Grille (my-time MDR).

Day 5: breakfast at Coastal Kitchen, dinner at Icon Grille.

Day 6: lunch at Windjammer, dinner at Central Park 150.

Day 7: breakfast at Coastal Kitchen, dinner at American Icon Grille.

Day 8: coffee and fruit from Coastal Kitchen before disembarking.

 

Steve

We are not in a suite so no Coastal Kitchen for us.

We are in 2 side by side Central Park Balconies, right next to the living wall so one of the rooms have the extended double balcony. When we open up the divider we will have a nice triple balcony for the 4 of us.

Our plans for eating are as follows:
Day 1: Solarium Bistro for lunch, with dinner at the Icon Grill
Day 2: Breakfast at the MDR, Lunch at Izumi Hibachi, with dinner at the Icon Grill
Day 3: Breakfast at the MDR, Lunch at Giovanni's Table, with dinner at the Icon Grill
Day 4: Breakfast at Windjammers, Lunch in Port, Dinner at Samba Grill
Day 5: Breakfast at Solarium Bistro, Lunch in Port, Dinner at 150 CP
Day 6: Breakfast at Johnny Rockets, Lunch in Port, Dinner at Icon Grill
Day 7: Breakfast in MDR, Lunch at Windjammers, Dinner at Icon Grill
Day 8: Breakfast in MDR before disembarking.

 

[binro01]

8 minutes ago, Kathscof said:

Kellen Erskine about High School mascots

I live in one of those Utensils Cities. Go Don's!