It's hard to know where to begin, so let me just start from the beginning. We are seasoned Cruisers, have been Cruising with various Cruise lines for the past 20 years. My first Cruise was as a child of 17 with my immediate family of 4. As we aged, spouses came along, then came grandkids. At present we are a group of 11. Myself, my husband and three children ages 12, 10 and 7, my sister and her husband and two babies ages 2 and 1. The head of the family of course being my Mom (60's) and Step father (70's).

I chose the Allure of the Seas absolutely on ship itself. It was the perfect fit for our families - something for everyone!

Embarkation was a breeze. It's amazing how this has evolved over the years. I remember lines hours and hours long or waits in "herding stations" waiting to be called by group number when it was time to board. No exaggeration, we pretty much walked on. Read more