Allure of the Seas Review
We failed to experience the Allure of this cruise.......
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise with RC because we wanted to do something for our March Break in a warm, sunny climate and take in a few different places without the hassle of moving from hotel to hotel, airport to airport, etc. We have taken two other cruises before and it won't be with them. Thoroughly dissappointing would be the sentiment that comes to mind when I think of this particular cruise.
Consistently long food lines for dining of over an hour with "on my time dining" (what a misnomer!), slow service once seated largely due to too many tasks assigned to the waitress/waiter (they no longer have servers for drinks like Disney), and the food isn't quite what I expected. We are perhaps spoiled with a chef school in our town and expect all dining experiences to measure up. The Windjammer (their buffet restaurant) looked to be full of rehashed food from the day thoroughly enjoyed both experiences. Neither was with RC and if we take another cruise, before.
We also suffered from either food poisoning or a severe tummy bug during this holiday which started on Day 3 of our cruise and didn't let up as each of us suffered in turn a 24 hour bout over the next few days. It spoiled my husband's birthday and made us wary of eating the food on the cruise as it was obviously something we picked up on the cruise which was worrisome as we were constantly washing our hands at the hand washing stations or using soap and water in the washroom. My daughter was really looking forward to all the unlimited food but alas, she spoke of being afraid that she didn't like food anymore and lost weight on the trip. Room service is hit and miss as our average wait time was an hour or in one case, three hours as they had put it in someone else's room in error. Guest services also had long line ups (about an hour) so getting assistance with anything was both an ordeal and a challenge.
Cabin Review
Family Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
The cabin is quite tight especially for a family of four. We had a drop down bunk which helped. The queen bed was comfortable but the double pull out couch was fairly firm according to my daughter. The bathroom is self-contained with shower, toilet, and sink but there are large gaps on the top and bottom of the door so there is not enough privacy and odors escape to the main cabin readily. There is only one plug with three outlets on the main desk and another hidden under the bed. If you have a sleep machine, you will need an extension cord for sure. Ladies, expect to dry your hair in the ' living room' or if you have kids, in their sleeping area. The balcony was great because it gave us more space and let us get some fresh air. The lighting is quite nice in the room and in the bathroom. We also brought a night light for the kids. The rooms are really well soundproofed and for the most part, we weren't disturbed by any noise.