This was my wife and I's 6th cruise on Royal, the first since 2011, and our 16th cruise on all lines. We cruise regularly with another couple, and this was their first cruise on Royal. All four of us are in our early forties, we have no children, and we prefer not to be exposed to other people's children. We used to consider ourselves fans of Royal. After the Allure, I would say we are now skeptical of the line. We chose this itinerary because we were all curious about the Oasis Class due to all the hype. That curiosity is now satisfied. The best part of the ship was the running track. The value was horrible (see upselling below). We will never go back to the class, though we will likely sail Royal on the smaller ships again for the right itinerary and given no better choice.

Royal has certainly changed significantly in the past 7 years. I won't say it is better or worse (other than the upselling. The upselling is REALLY for the worse), but they have moved away from my demographic, so are less likely to attract my business in the future.

Upselling - Upselling is rampant everywhere on the ship. Considering this was already the most expensive per night cruise we have ever done, the upselling added insult to injury. To provide a little perspective, we have cruised Europe, Alaska, French Polynesia, and a suite on Celebrity all of less per night cost and more inclusions than the Allure sailing a generic itinerary in the Caribbean offers. One of my cruise mates remarked several times throughout the week that he would like for the line to simply offer a price that is "all-inclusive" and he would pay it to avoid the upselling. Most disappointing was the upselling for those of us who have already purchased the Deluxe Beverage Package. More on that below. Read more