We booked a Western Caribbean Cruise on Allure of the Seas in March 2022 primarily because of the Cruise with Confidence Guarantee, plus the fact that the ship was at reduced capacity. I had looked into other cruise lines that offer free WiFi and alcoholic beverages, but we've sailed with Royal Caribbean in the past and have always had a great experience. This cruise was no exception.

Everything from online check-in, setting a physical check-in time, getting Covid tests and presenting results, etc. was super convenient and simple. Check in at the port went very smoothly as well. I was disappointed that the rules had changed and ships were back to full capacity just weeks before our cruise, but I understand that from a business standpoint. I believe that there were around 5,200 passengers on board (I think the ship's capacity is around 6,500). I felt that Royal Caribbean did a great job of trying to keep people safe and healthy, implementing such practices as requiring passengers to wash their hands before entering the Windjammer Cafe (buffet) and plenty of hand sanitizing stations around the ship. There were signs reminding people to practice social distancing in elevators, but some passengers did not heed this warning at all (we had four people force themselves into an already full elevator), so we took the stairs as often as possible (which was great exercise).

Our oceanfront balcony on Deck 12 was great and our cabin steward was amazing. We didn't feel cramped in the cabin at all and we loved having the balcony to relax on. The only downside to the cabin was the fact that it had only three outlets (at the desk - none next to the bed). I had purchased their Wifi for two devices and connection was pretty bad. Since I was there to relax, I didn't really mind (aside from the fact that I had to pay for bad internet service). Read more