I just returned from a vacation on the Allure, and wanted to share my experience. This is my second Royal Caribbean (RC) cruise, and my 7th cruise vacation. I traveled with a total of 15 people (6 adults and 9 young adults, ages 16 -23), and overall, we had a wonderful time. The ship is truly beautiful, the food is very good (and quite plentiful) and the entertainment is excellent. Although the Allure is the largest cruise ship in the world, it never felt overwhelming, and was extremely easy to "navigate." Both the design and the layout of the ship are excellent, and none of us had any difficulty finding our way around. The only time it felt a little crowded was during certain times on the Royal Promenade, or when we had to pass through the main pools on our way to the Solarium (the 16 and over pool at the rear of the ship). We also loved making all of our dinner and show reservations prior to boarding, and thought all the waiters and stateroom attendants were kind, helpful and extremely professional.

We also loved our Cruise Director, Ken Rush, who did an outstanding job. Ken is the friendliest, most informative, caring, accessible and responsive cruise director that we have ever met. He genuinely cares about the passengers, is very knowledgeable and has a terrific sense of humor! His daily morning show, The Morning Rush, is filled with great information and lots warmth; we all looked forward to watching and discussing this program each day!! By the way, I initially assumed that this was a pre-recorded program shown each week to a new crop of guests, but was amazed to learn that Ken does a new LIVE show each day!!

Unfortunately, while our vacation was wonderful, we did encounter some difficulty that nearly ruined the experience. Royal Caribbean lost the luggage of both my nephew and his girlfriend, and (at least initially) Guest Services treated them very shabbily. Citing company policy, Georgi in Guest Services (GS) refused to initiate a search for the luggage until 9 am on Day 2. The only compensation Georgi offered was a tee shirt for each of them, and a few small toiletries. Without recounting all the specifics, Georgi was extremely cold and indifferent to the situation, and his lack of compassion was truly shocking. In a monotone voice, Georgi said how sorry he was, but then told my sister and nephew to "be mature, let us worry about finding the luggage, and just go and enjoy the vacation." Of course, this advice struck us as extremely disingenuous, as it is impossible to enjoy your vacation when you only have the clothes on your back! Read more