Allure of the Seas Review

5.0 / 5.0
3,139 reviews

Allure of the Seas July 9 2017

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Allure of the Seas
User Avatar
kalaniiwow
6-10 Cruises • Age 40s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Jul 2017
Cabin: Large Interior Stateroom
Traveled with children

I chose Allure because I sailed on it back around 2011 and it was an amazing experience. I loved how big the ship was, but I never felt crowded like I did sailing previously on Carnival. I booked this 7 day eastern Caribbean cruise with my husband and our three kids.

We originally were in an ocean view 'family' room, but ended up having to switch our cruise dates and got adjoining interior rooms. This was a HUGE blessing! Having a separate room for the kids and two bathrooms was the best! I also was concerned about having a room on the 3rd deck, but it was surprisingly great. I would absolutely stay in a deck 3 interior room again. There was no noise from the busy entertainment deck above. The rooms we got (3844/3846) were right next to the elevators and dining room, but we experienced no noise at night and because of the location got to walk out of our room right on to elevators or to eat with no issues. Our room attendant was also amazing. A+++ for the room.

Embarkation was smooth and easy. We arrived around 10:30 and once the ship was cleared for passengers to go on board (around 11:30) we were on within minutes. Disembarkation was a little messier. We were #68. Apparently this was the absolute LAST number as I didn't see anything higher. We sat in the dining room waiting for several hours and finally around 10:30am employee walked in and told us we could all go, despite the announcements only calling for #40ish. If you can take the 'express' disembarking and carry your luggage, take this option. If you're a pleb like us, you will be waiting for many hours. The customs line was very long (again, we were near the tail end) but it moved fairly quickly and was painless. A for embarkation, C- for disembarkation.

Cabin Review

Large Interior Stateroom

Cabin M

We booked adjoining cabins 3844 and 3846 for us and our 3 kids. While small, they were well laid out and didn't feel too cramped. Our cabin attendant was amazing and the noise was almost non existent. These cabins also have the bonus of being close to elevators and dining rooms so it was very quick and easy to navigate the ship. I was concerned about having a deck 3 cabin, but it ended up being perfect!!

Port Reviews

St. Maarten

I explained this in detail in my review, but I'll do it again. We did not do an excursion and might have enjoyed the port more if we did. We took a cab to Orient Beach ($45 each way for our family of 5 with tip). We rented two chairs + one umbrella on the beach ($20). The beach itself was packed with chairs and covered in seaweed. There was a giant tractor trying to push the seaweed out of the way, but he didn't start until the crowds were there. He pushed a lot of it back in the water which created clouds of seaweed all over the place. You can't even relax on the beach because you've got a tractor pushing seaweed around in front of you and every 5 minutes there's someone walking by trying to sell you things (bracelets, clothes, hats, hair braiding, etc.). It was overall an unpleasant experience. I would NOT go back to Orient Beach.

Labadee

We went to Columbus Cove, got some chairs in the shade, and LOVED swimming in the calm water. This was by far my favorite port and I had originally planned on only staying for 1-2 hours, but we stayed nearly all day! My only complaint is the overly aggressive vendors in the artisan area targeting my smaller kids (offering them 'free' stuff then asking me to pay for it)

4 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find an Allure of the Seas Cruise from $269

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.