People who know me know that I’m very picky—and with good reason. I just know what I like. I’ve been on two Disney cruises and one Virgin Voyages trip, and they were great! Disney is still my #1. Anyway, this time, I decided to try Royal Caribbean on Allure of the Seas. We booked this cruise super last minute—Saturday evening for a Monday morning sailing—so maybe 36 hours before departure. The only thing left to book was a Junior Suite, which is honestly the only reason I agreed to this trip. Because we booked so late, we couldn’t schedule much in advance and had to wait until we got on the ship.

The Good Start:

The check-in process was actually quite nice. Since we had a suite, we got express check-in, with a private waiting area offering snacks and drinks away from all the chaos. We even boarded the ship earlier than the official embarkation time. Walking onto the ship, it looked grand, and as a first-timer on such a large vessel, I was amazed… at first. The muster drill was quick and efficient, which was a relief (way faster than Disney’s, though I can’t recall Virgin’s). Afterward, we went to guest services to reserve shows and restaurants, and that process was smooth and easy. Read more