I was on Allure of the Seas from 9/22 - 9/29. It was a great adventure, even though I was traveling alone. A travel agent got me a great rate on a balcony stateroom. No single supplement! So I jumped at the chance and booked. First, getting 5,000 - 6,000 passengers on board would seem like an overwhelming task. But Terminal 18, built especially for Alllure and her sister ship, Oasis of the Seas, is huge and well staffed. It took me only twenty minutes to get from curbside to the Rising Tide bar for a Bloody Mary! Disembarking was equally as efficient.

At first, the size of the ship was overwhelming, but it was easy to find one's way around because of the interactive maps posted near the elevators. At first, I could never feel any movement and thought the Allure was more like an island than a ship. However, I later found out that it the ship's beam is so large that Allure just doesn't move. It's rated as being able to withstand not only 65 foot waves but also a Category 5 hurricane! Only when approaching or leaving a dock could I feel a slight vibration, which were the bow thrusters being employed. Talk about smooth sailing! Both of my "at first" reservations were dispelled within just a few hours.

I had one snag on the first night. For some reason, there was no assigned dining room on my Sea Pass card. The situation took the staff twenty minutes to seat me and I was sent to three different decks. I was annoyed, but was comped a cocktail, so I settled down. The next day, my dining room assignment arrived by email and there weren't any further glitches. Although the service was outstanding and the food was very good in the main dining room, I bought a discounted package for $70, marked down from $90, which covered the extra fees for three specialty restaurants...Giovanni's Table, Chops Grille and 150 Central Park. The food and service in each was delightful, and I'm a pretty particular guy. Read more