If you want a more "stodgy" cruise experience, this ship/line is your best bet. My husband and I (almost retired), were entirely bored the whole week. Mediocre music (nothing I've ever heard before), that was loud and annoying (not a single person dancing, or looking like they were having fun). Food was "OK", but try getting anything after lunch....nope. Everything closes. Entertainment.....ok ...
This ship is way too big and carries too many people. We did the western European cruise so every day there were five to six thousand people attempting to have breakfast at 7 am in order to make their tours. The line for the main dining room was huge. We had to settle for the fare of the Park Cafe which was rubber eggs on cardboard muffins. The coffee was good. We did order room service for ...
I consider myself a fairly seasoned traveller who is not "high maintenance", but this experience prompted me to alert others to proceed with caution when booking on Allure of the Seas. Before you book, especially if the cruise seems quite full even though you are booking far in advance, INSIST on knowing if there is a big group on the cruise because it can ruin your experience.
In our case, ...
Shame on Royal Caribbean!
This was my 3rd time on Allure, I'd done a back to back 4 years ago during spring break with a sold out ship and it was nowhere near as messed up as this cruise was.
A company chartered this cruise for over 3000 of their sales people. These people totally overwhelmed the ships crew, the ship, the open spaces - in other words EVERYTHING!
It began at the port ...
This was my second cruise. The first cruise was on the Navigator of the Seas. No comparison - Navigator is such a classy ship in comparison, and the experience on Navigator of the Seas wins over Allure of the Seas hands down.
The ship is big all right, but lacks the luster and grandiosity of smaller ships like the Navigator. Staff (with a few exceptions) were not rude, but not outgoing, and ...
Apart from the seated dining room service which I would rate among the best I have come across.
Room was ample and maintained to standard.
General dining (windjammer) I found wanting a few times no coffee too full just overloaded.
Tried other food places in peak times the same.
Most annoying was the blatant rip off with the taxes on drinks and the hidden Vat. Taxes on the internet. ...
Now that I'm back home I can describe this as a comedy of errors, but at the time it felt like an utter fiasco. Our adventures begin at the Port of Barcelona, which really was about the worst port experience imaginable. We were met at the airport by delightful (truly, they were cool) representatives of Royal Caribbean (RCI) who conveyed us to the port. From there, God help us.
We were ...
This has only been my second cruise and I feel completely disappointed. The food was average and the staff seem overworked and most places understaffed. I know the allure is the largest boat in the world and that was part of the problem. Too many people. Elevators packed. Toilets stopped working several times and there is a up charge for everything. I suggest looking at the beverage packages ...
Spending longer than normal on this ship I got a good look and feel for this particular cruise. First, the ship is so large that it docks at industrial docks. Lots of cranes, truck noise and very ugly views. The port buses at Marseille's & Civitavecchia drop you no where near anything and there may not be cabs available. The first 2 ports are short days and not much to see. The last 3 ports are ...
We sailed July 9-16 on Royal Caribbean's(RCCL) Allure of the Seas. Having read other reviews, I know that low ratings are often due to individual circumstances, so my "Poor" rating might not be considered poor by others. My primary complaints are based on two issues: reduced options for travelers embarking in Rome and what I consider unfair treatment by the excursions staff.
Several other ...