There is only one word to describe Allure of the Seas - AMAZING! The ship itself is truly a engineering marvel and I cannot even begin to count how many times throughout the entire trip that I said "Wow!" or was thinking "Wow!" or just in awe at just how massive the ship is. This was my 8th cruise on RCI and the largest ship I had been on previously was Adventure of the Seas of the Voyager Class ships. I've taken several cruises out of Fort Lauderdale and have made the Marriott Renaissance hotel on 17th St my hotel of choice. We flew down on Saturday the day before the cruise. The hotel is popular among cruisers and I have never had an issue there - typical Marriott experience. There is a Walgreens across the street to pick up any forgotten items. Also in easy walking distance are numerous restaurants including Starbucks and an Einstein's Bagel for quick breakfast fare. Taxi from FLL to the hotel was about $15. We did try the Bimini Boatyard Grill for dinner Saturday night - located just behind the hotel. Not great, but not terrible. They do offer outdoor seating though. Two other points about the hotel and I'll move on to the cruise itself. The hotel is also very close to the 17th street bridge (it opens every half an hour) and provides excellent views of the port and ships. And lastly, they offer shuttle service for $6 per person to the port. (Credit card was a $20 minimum, so if you're party is small - cash is you're only option) Also be aware that you will likely share a van with passengers of other ships and potentially could make multiple stops within the port. The hotel is very close to the entrance of the port. We left around 11:30 Sunday morning and were on board by 12:15. Check in/embarkation was a breeze! The new terminal is very well laid out and easily accommodates the volume of passengers. I enjoy getting on the ship early to explore and take some photos before the crowds arrive. So that is what we did. Staterooms were not ready until 1 and they were ready on time. This trip tends to be more expensive than some of the other options so we opted for an inside stateroom, forgoing our typical balcony room. The room was nice - nothing out of the ordinary. Two things I did enjoy. One being the clock. That was a first. Second was the iPod connection/charger. Oh and I will say that the interactive TV was well done and very easy to use. The other nice touch were the LCD screens that allowed you to view how busy the restaurants were, the daily compass, how to find the nearest restroom, your stateroom, among other things. They did provide the main dining room menu for the entire week on these screens as well as on the TV in your stateroom. This was something I had always hoped to have available so I could make "smarter" choices about which nights I wanted to try the specialty restaurants. However, on this ship - those restaurants fill up in advance and on the first day. Deciding halfway through your trip that you want to try one will likely not work. Regrettably I did not have reservations and cannot comment on any of the restaurants beyond Rita's. Rita's is first come first serve on every day but two when there is a festival taking place on the boardwalk and reservations are required that day. Rita's was okay and I'd say worth a try. We opted for an afternoon at sea lunch there. There was food everywhere - it was fun to try them - cupcakes, milkshakes from the ice cream place, a hot dog on the boardwalk, pizza, and so on. The main dining room: We had My Time dining. I had made reservations for a few of the nights well in advance not knowing what to expect on the nights we had show reservations. On the nights we did not have reservations, we never had to wait for a table. Now I would not recommend trying this if you are in a larger group - there were people waiting - both with and without reservations. The other thing they tried to do was sit you in the same area each night. This was nice because for those of us that enjoy getting to know the waiter this allowed that to happen. The only other thing I will say about dining is that I really feel that more people are just not dressing up. Maybe I'm in the minority these days - but I enjoy the opportunity to get dressed up a little. We've never been a tux and gown couple on formal nights, but it was always a nice excuse to get dressed up. I just don't see as many people partaking in the dress code as in the past. In fact, more and more, the suggested dress on other nights is casual. A few years ago - that was never the case.Anyway, I digress. The Windjammer - rarely had trouble finding a table - and it was relatively easy to get your food. There are stations - similar to the set up on Celebrity Solstice - for those that have been on that ship. Another good place to stop for lunch or breakfast is the Park Cafe in Central Park. Some different options available there as well as in the Solarium. And Sorrentos was always busy with folks grabbing some pizza down on the Promenade. I found the food to be on par with past RCI experiences. The main dining room menu has changed slightly over the years, but there are definitely some menu options that have been around for quite a few years. We did not take any shore excursions through the ship or otherwise. I tend to be beach bum in the caribbean. Our stops were Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Nassau is a short visit and not having been there we just walked around the downtown area. If you are interested in shopping on this itinerary I would save that for St. Thomas. St. Thomas was a taxi ride to Magens Bay. This was not my first time to the island or the beach. Magens Bay is a popular beach - so expect it be crowded. The earlier you go, and the further to the left you go as you face the water, the less people you will find. It was easy to find a taxi for the trip back - we opted to stop in town and wander through the shops before hopping back into one of the many available taxis downtown to take us back to the ship. You are docked at Crown Bay on this ship, which is not the dock you typically see in pictures of St Thomas and the harbor area. St. Maarten - took another taxi to Dawn Beach. I would say the majority of people head to Orient Beach. Recommend Dawn Beach as a less crowded option. It is a very pretty beach - plenty of chairs to rent and umbrellas as well as a restaurant or two beachside. Now - most people will probably not try the next part - but we then took a taxi to Maho Beach around lunch time. This cost $30 - so $15 per person. Why? Because Maho Beach is at the end of the runway of the Saint Maarten airport. If you haven't heard of it - google it. If you want to sit and have some food and a drink and watch the planes come in or experience standing absurdly close to the bottom side of 747 aircraft, this is the beach for you. A fun way to spend an afternoon on the island. Plenty of taxis available to take you back to the ship. Oh - and the afternoon is when the big planes come in. As I keep typing this up I keep thinking that cruises aboard Allure should be a 10 night cruise - there is just so much to do and see and try I fear 7 days is just not enough. Anyway - entertainment. Chicago was great. I could have done without the Ice Skating show - I remember liking the one on Adventure of the Seas much more. It was the cast's first night - not sure how often they change the cast. The best show was Ocean Aria in the aqua theater - really quite enjoyable to watch and highly recommend it. Also recommend making your reservations online for the entertainment. I did. So I cannot speak to the onboard reservations. They do allow standby - but be warned - show up early and be ready for a wait in a line. You will likely get in but you will be waiting. One night we just happen to be on the Boardwalk - the standby line for Ocean Aria was forming 45 minutes in advance. Seats are first come first serve - so even with reservations - you want to be there early. They typically start seating folks with reservations a half hour in advance of the show.Casino - if you don't like smoke I do not suggest entering the Casino from the spiral staircase on the Promenade. It was extremely smoky. Half of the casino is non-smoking, although if you really don't like smoke, I'm not sure that helps you. I really did think the ship was amazing. If you have a family with kids - this is definitely a ship for you. This particular sailing - first full week in April - was jam packed with kids of all ages. The sports area in the back was full all day. It will certainly keep them entertained. Central Park is probably the most adult friendly area along with the Solarium. Central Park reminded me of aspects of the Celebrity Solstice. It was peaceful and nicely appointed. Birds chirping during the day - and then crickets at night. If I had to do it over again, I would actually enjoy a Central Park balcony room. Two minor complaints - the first being everything is an up charge. For less money you can sail on a Celebrity Ship and have Sushi included - here you had to go to a specialty restaurant and pay. Also - on most every other ship there was a Sauna in the fitness facility that was free of charge. However, it was not on the Allure. $30 day pass and $100 something for the week - this is because they included thermal suites in that price. I personally do not use this on any ship, but my better half was very upset by this. Minor things to me. More random thoughts:Although people were clearly still staking claim to deck chairs and leaving towels unattended for periods of time, there were plenty of chairs to be found at all times of the day. If you want the front row at the beach pool though you better be up early.Running space on deck 5 - this is such a great thing. Keeps runners/walkers to a dedicated space (no running around sunbathers) and they have all the mileage/kilometers marked. I wish I used it more because I enjoyed that more than the treadmill. Fitness center is huge - plenty of equipment. Will be crowded during peak times.People were actually getting Starbucks - this surprised me. Not sure their picture system works the best. They have folders - but some pictures we knew were taken were never to be found. Vintages - loved the tapas with the wine, the decor, the outdoor seating. You have to try the red peppers stuffed with herb cheese. Delightful. :)St. Thomas and St. Maarten. I definitely thought that these ports were much busier with this ship. It was really the only time I felt the true number of people on board. It seemed more chaotic to get taxis in both locations than my previous experiences. If you're splurging on a loft suite - I personally would recommend one on the side of the ship. The aft suites aren't really aft - they overlook the sports area (mini-golf, basketball court, zipline, flowriders). This may not bother some people but for me I enjoy aft rooms because of the water - not watching other people play sports. There is just something less relaxing and less private about those rooms. Especially given the hefty price tag. Well - I think that about sums it up. It's a must see ship. If you have a family with kids including teens - they will not be bored. If you want something a little more romantic or relaxing - you may want to look elsewhere. My opinion. Hope this review helps and happy cruising!