We are just home from the June 9th sailing of the Allure of the Seas. We went on this cruise as part of a 28 person family reunion cruise, over 14 months in the planning. It was simply the best vacation we have ever been on. It was our first cruise and we are a family of 4 with two teens, 16 and 17. We have two staterooms on Deck 9 - one balcony and one interior. We had plenty of space in the balcony cabin and the room was ingeniously designed with spaces for everything. The bathroom is small but just fine for our needs. The bar in the shower so a woman can shave her legs had all the women in our group thrilled. The interior was a little tight for the teens and I wouldn't book that again for kids of that age. Younger would have been fine. The interior space also caused some motion sickness issues for one of the kids but fortunately it was mild and she handled it well.

There is tons to do on the ship - ranging from sititng in the sun and relaxing to participating in activities every minute. We danced, went to comedy shows, used the spa, played in adult dodgeball, used rock wall, zip line and flo -rider. If you are bored on this ship you simply aren't trying. I actually didn't read my books because there was just too much else going on. You can definitely spend a ton of money but you really don't have to -- plan ahead and keep the sea pass card in your pocket. You still will have enough to fill the days.

We enjoyed the dining - both main dining room and the specialty restaurants. We ate in Chops Grill and Giovanni's Table and they were both excellent. Service was above what we expected and we really enjoyed both meals. We also had a good lunch at Rita's Cantina - the enchilada rivaled anything we have had at home. Main dining service was great - our server was a lovely woman and the food was good every night. Read more