First I must give this ship, the Allure, high marks on the Entertainment provided, the quality and excellence of the Specialty restaurants and the fact during the two weeks we were aboard this ship we had an excellent room steward, but as you will read there were many negatives that had we not already reached DIAMOND status of Royal Caribbean we might not have taken as many cruises aboard this line to do so. We have had some small inconveniences of their smaller ships but the ones we had here were numerous. We had the following issues: -The Sea Pass they provided us had wrong status on it and to obtain the benefits of that status we needed to have it corrected immediately. To do so we were told we needed to speak to the Loyalty Officer. When we arrived there was a rather long line of guests and therefore, it took well over an hour standing on line just to speak to the sole officer assigned this task despite the fact that this ship had over 6000 guests with nearly a third being Diamond status or higher! – the DINE, DRINK & DISCOVER PROGRAM which was part of our initial cruise package was canceled. Hence we were told we would receive a $50 credit. It wasn't included in the credits when we boarded. We needed to see guest services to request that credit and it took over a day before it was finally applied. – Our Diamond status allowed for one specialty coffee per day per person at the main coffee shop (not the StarBucks) at no extra charge. Several times they refused to give us the coffee for free and each time we had to go to guest services to find out why and to get this corrected. – The floor in the common area Men's room all over the ship were filthy, especially under the urinals. I needed to stand with legs spread wide apart to try to avoid the puddles of urine on the floor. Rarely during my two weeks on board did I see an attendant cleaning these restrooms and where the floor was actually clean. Twice I found stalls without toilet paper and/or in bad need of cleaning. I know someone from the crew visited these rooms as the trash bins were being emptied but that was it! – This is a very large ship, and I knew that when we booked it. However, trying to find a waiter to serve drinks while lounging by the pools or in the Solarium was very difficult. Often we'd finally have one come by but rather than the waiter stopping to ask if we wanted something we had to go out of our way to flag them to us. We even had waiters take our orders never to see them or the drinks we ordered, – When in port only one towel station was manned on the pool deck. Rather than maintaining at least one at each end of the ship near the two elevator areas we needed to hike to the middle of the ship and hope we guessed right as to which side of the ship they were situated on. If you have mobitlity issues this is not an easy task as this is a very long ship! – Overall the common area and hallways were not being cleaned regularly. I would see the same articles of debris on the carpets and floor hours and even days after I initially noticed it. - This, the lack of waiters, the too few manned towel stations and the conditions I found in the common area restrooms lead me to the conclusion that the crew size for this large passenger capacity ship was totally inadequate. Several times I tried to locate an officer in the area to report a problem but I could find none. It required a trip down to guest services to report these issues but often even that did not result in an adequate resolution. – The first week we ate our dinners in the main dining room. Although our waiters were very good I can't say the same for the food. Most of it was either over or under cooked. And it appears the chef believed in the heavy use of salt to make up for the otherwise poorly cooked food! The second week we had the Specialty Restaurant package for the entire week, and there the food was excellent! He food in the buffet areas, however, were as bad, if not worse, than the food served at dinner. Only the Park Cafe served a satisfactory salad for lunch. – Breakfast was one disaster one after the other. First time our order took 45 minutes to be served and they got my omelet order wrong. This was a continuing problem until eventually I gave up and went over to the Breakfast buffet Omelet line in order to assure that my order was carried out. – I understand that there was a large contingent of Orthodox Jews on board. I am not an anti-Semite for I too am Jewish. But to accommodate them RC had them take over the Brazilian Steak house for their meals? This created two problems. I purchased their Specialty Dining Package several weeks in advance of the cruise partially because I really like these Brazilian Steak restaurants and thus not to have access to it was a major disappointment. But, as this restaurant was in the Solarium area, whose access is supposed to be restricted for children over the age of 16 and adults only, resulted in the many under 16 year old children they brought with to run havoc throughout this area and even when sitting inside of the restaurant, as there are few walls partitioning off the restaurant from the Solarium itself, the noise and ruckus these children created totally disrupted any peace and quiet I though this Solarium would provide for us during this cruise. Overall between these guests and many other guests there were over 1500 children aboard this ship and I really would have liked to find someplace other than my cabin to find some peace and quiet! – During Mama Mia and other productions in the main theater these children, often including their parents and even Royal Caribbean personnel were talking in the back rows and just beyond it so loudly as to make it difficult to enjoy the shows. Its these shows that really distinguish this class of ship from others and should have been one of the greatest attributes of this class of ships. Yet they had no officers to ensure that quiet and decorum was maintained and in at least one case they actually contributed to the annoying distractions during the shows! – RC was charging money for small bags of popcorn offered at many of the entertainment venues. Really?! How cheap can you get? There were other minor issues that I won't bother to go into here. Early on our second week we spoke to their Manager of Guest Services and laid out many of the above issues to him. He listened sympathetically to us but offered only that he would send our issues up line to be be heard. We heard back from very late in that second week asking us if everything was alright and/or if we had any other issues that he should hear about. Quite frankly, by that time I had was too fed up to bother. One more caveat, if you have mobility issues and you are scheduled to visit Costa Maya in Mexico, be aware that the ship ties up to a dock which is attached to a very long pier. Its quite a hike just to get to the land itself and there is no shuttle. You have to walk it. I saw many individuals with mobility issues stop dead at the end of the ship, peer down this long pier and just give up and get back onto the ship! One of those individuals was my wife who has knee issues!! I will add that my wife and I did what we could to have as good a time as possible aboard the Allure. Please note, again, I must add that had this been my first voyage on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, I really don't know if I would have ever taken enough Royal Caribbean cruises to reach Diamond status and I will probably need to think hard about taking another. Read Less

We were looking for a relaxing cruise with new and interesting ports for our family of 5 over the holiday season, and this was a great itinerary on a fantastic ship. There were a couple of hiccups and problems but otherwise it was a solid, fun, relaxing option. 1. Ship. The Serenade is not one of RCCI's new mega ships, but it's a well-laid out, charming space that punches above it's weight. We loved the public spaces which had a lot of lovely nooks and crannies for sitting around with a drink or a project and looking at the ocean. Embarkation and disembarkation were very smooth and easy on both ends, and we had access to our cabin immediately. 2. Cabin. We had two next door balconies on deck 9 for our family of 5, which was lovely. Guest Services were able to give us a key to the room where the kids were staying so we could get in and supervise when needed, which was much appreciated. We loved having a refrigerator and there was plenty of storage -- I didn't need my shoe organizer or hooks at all. The bathroom was tight, but had plenty of hot water and storage as well. 3. Dining. If you're expecting old, midwestern style supper club food, you'll be well-pleased with the main dining on the Serenade -- lots of steak, prime rib, duck, mashed potatoes, etc. It would have been nice to have some lighter and more modern options, but everyone found something they liked to eat every day and in some ways the traditional menu is the more exotic. We didn't eat at Chops or Giovannis, because the majority of those menu options were available in the MDR and so we didn't see the value. We did eat at Izumi for a birthday and were significantly underwhelmed -- if you're a big asian/sushi person, this may not be for you. (The mild case of food poisoning suffered by 2/5th of our party sure didn't help, either...) 4. Entertainment and activities. We loved the meet and mingle, the mystery/escape room, and trivia programs. My teenager loved the teen program, which had a great balance of hang-out time and organized activities. The kids program was more hit and miss. Our 7 year old loved the kids club and rarely wanted to be out of it. Our 11 year old (who is painfully shy) was bored and had a hard time communicating with the staff that he wanted to leave. Despite giving him the ability to sign out at will, the staff made a very big deal of him wanting to go, calling us every time. When that made him uncomfortable enough to cry and want to hide, we were yelled at for 10 minutes in public by the staff about how he/we would be written up for this. This definitely reduced everyone's happiness and trust in the Adventure Ocean staff, and I definitely wouldn't recommend planning on using that service if you have a kid who is shy, quirky, special needs or doesn't stand up for themselves well. 5. Service. Apart from the Adventure Ocean staff, everyone that we interacted with on board was lovely, kind, polite and very willing to go the extra mile to help us do whatever we were doing -- from the moment we arrived at port to the moment we got on our shuttle out, the customer service was flawless. 6. Ports and Shore Excursions. We booked the majority of our excursions independently for this trip, through Viator or other online services. This meant that we went to many of the same places as the cruise line excursions (since several of these ports were new-ish and are still developing their tourist infrastructure) but in groups of 5-8 rather than 50-80, which made all the difference. In Costa Rica we did the Torturgero Canals, which was far cooler than anticipated. In Panama we saw Fort San Lorenzo and the new locks -- in hindsight, we probably would have made the trek to the fancier and more developed locks closer to Panama City with the kids, because they would have gotten a better appreciation for the canal. In Cartagena we wandered around independently, and did a chocolate-making workshop, which was the best day of the cruise according to the kids. Aruba was the only port where we did a cruise-line excursion and it was a major let down; we were snorkeling and sites that were chosen had significant current, cold water, and were on the choppier side of the island, meaning that the snorkeling was really unsafe for adults and kids (several folks from our party needed to be rescued with life-preservers by the crew, who were fantastic). If we had it to do over again, we'd do the submarine excursion or stay on land in this port. Curacao was lovely and our second favorite port of the itinerary -- we took a private excursion to snorkel with sea turtles, which was a bucket-list dream come true, and then had a lovely wander through the old town. We would definitely go again, and are looking at another cruise on the Serenade in Alaska for 2021. Read Less

NEGATIVES Photos cant only get on disc when complained of this manager said only corporate can make modifications and only pkgs starting 1 hundred on up or 19 for 1 Bingo 3 sheets $42 must be 21 but can gamble in casino at 18 Beer sampling additional and drinks cant ask for a double only a single Lbgq limited to one area and only to limited times that allowed straights to be in same room only advised on a flip screen in one area not on daily itinerary sheet Captain doesn't come down to dinner even on captain dinner night Sushi making class additional and not offered elsewhere on menu. When weather service forecasted that hurricane Dorian was going to hit port same as our return cs did not have any information until 3 days into it and was not announced till 3 days prior to departure date nothing was pre arranged causing hundreds of people to pay more to get off in a different port and make flight arrangements costing more. Limited 18 to 20 have limited things to do for their age group. One pool only deep end no shallow end with small water park. Salt water. putting kids and adults in pool and 3 jacuzzi together. Fancy app for royal however it is not available or supported on the ship Express of the seas They offer a tour of the kitchen but its additional of course. They have a decent comedian show. The ship is small so its easy to find your way around but takes forever for a elevator 2 smoking sections deck 6 and 10 both outside but no smoking in the casino. Future credit is given instead of present credit when on board when Hurricane Dorian kept us out to sea and was only 1 days worth of credit for the hassle of having to change flights, take additional time off work, kids off school and spend additional money that was not planned for. POSITIVES The dinner staff has excellent customer service Shiv and Xiangying were our food servers and they really made our Birthday and Anniversary special. Decent entertainment 80s dancing, karaoke , juggling acts, ragge music (loved the ragge band) the best shows are doable for early dinner but not unless you rush to get to the show from the pm dinner. More shows should be at 10pm not dinner at 8 and show at 9pm. Deals in the onboard shops Nurse and Dr available but times available not so great. Rooms are upgradable for a small charge of 1 hundred on up The room service is excellent and very clean. But we didn't have our beverage pkg cups until we asked for them. Laundry service good but slow Security is good and ontop of things but often I would smell marijuana onboard and sat next to a guy on my tender boat back to the ship who admitted it was in his bag. No issues with the stuff but if you're gonna say that you can't have it onboard then that obviously wasn't being monitored enough. Excursions are very good and easy to book , well organized but additional in cost range from $40 on up in the hundreds. Safety is of their biggest concern this is responsible and good . It would be nice if someone could give better insight to crew and guests in tough weather conditions other than headquarters holding up information till last minute. There is a gym and spa nice there is acupuncture that I showed interesting and helpful if in pain, facials, massage therapy and hair, nails but no sauna, no mineral pool, no steam rooms or hot chairs. The gym is small very busy in the morning and cruise days. Limited equipment and the jogging areas are limited around the deck. There is a rock climbing wall small one but no frills like mini golf or water boarding. Onboard credit is given before you board if your trip is changed example not able to go to Cuba and given credit to encourage people not to cancel. Casino nice but limited poker machines mostly tables. The bar in the casino has the best drinks on the ship. Schooner bar has good drinks the pirate burbon drink was a nice touch. Read Less

The ship was beautiful. We stood in Cabin 11606 it was a balcony cabin. The cabin was good, It was what I expected after seeing pictures online. I was grateful for the storage space under the bed where we put four suitcases. we had four people in our room, two adults and two children age 16 and 11. The children are too old to sleep on the same bed so we had the beds pulled apart and my husband and I slept on the sofa bed. Surprisingly, the sofa bed was very comfortable and I had a great sleep. The balcony was great as well we watch the sunrise which was beautiful and would relax there after a long day on the islands. My only complaint would be with the beds separate and the sofa bed pulled out to sleep two there was no room to maneuver. Otherwise it wasn't bad at all, I would prefer to have those bunk bed looking beds for the kids, if i looked around I am sure i could have found one but i wanted to stay on the same deck and area as the group we were in. Dining staff was amazing a child in our group had a peanut/tree nut allergy. They made sure everything was safe, allowed him to choose his meal the night before. We did my time dining at one of the dining rooms for the life of me i can not remember the name. Our server Made and Arvin was awesome! Arvin did a lot of magic tricks which was enjoyed by the kids and adults. I loved how they had conversations with us to about the islands, life, family etc. The food in the main dining room was great! My favorite was Day 8 where they had lobster tail! Windjammer food for breakfast, lunch and dinner was also a fav! The staff and food were awesome! I especially loved the hand washing stations..washy, washy...they would say that every time. It baffled me when people would refuse or complain about washing there hands before entering the buffet. Seriously? But the staff always stood happy! I loved the coffee place on the 4th floor in the Royal esplanade, the staff was great! Sorrentos across the way was sooooo delicious! It was not safe for the child with peanut/tree nut allergies though! The buffet had safe pizza so it all worked out. The hidden gem two70 cafe was good and an easy way to skip the line at the coffee place on the 4th floor, it was also nice to look out the beautiful windows in two70. Entertainment and activities was ok, If traveling with kids and families I prefer carnival. If it was just my husband and I with no kids I would do Royal. I felt like carnival had more fun activities shows and entertainment I also felt like the staff of all those including the cruise director was more involved. I barely saw the cruise director and he wasn't that fun! He needs to take a few tips from Matt Mitchum on Carnival. The bar/singing or comedy show entertainment was fun for adults. I thoroughly enjoyed quest put beware it can get very riskay..we saw some crazy things. There was a family quest with kids that was awesome as well! Spectre's cabaret was terrible, the performance and entertainers did a great job singing and dancing but the theme of the story was horrible and weird, our group kept looking at each other laughing and the kids were horrified. We didn't see the gift because of the bad reviews and after watching spectre's cabaret we didn't want to chance it. We will rock you was ok, not what i was expecting but i liked it! Again Carnival's shows are way better! As for the Ifly it was AMAZING one of the best experiences i have had, i wish i did it earlier in the cruise because i would have kept trying! The north star was ok a little scary being up that high in a glass ball but it was a nice view. The flowrider was cool but wear a tight bathing suit or you might lose a top or bottom. Bumper cars, roller skater were fun once but we didn't do it more than that. The kids were a little disappointed there weren't a lot of activities they pretty much played ping pong every day. The seaplex was a nice spot for them and they got to meet a lot of friends, it wasn't over crowded either they were able to play different games without waiting to long. A complaint I have is about the age range they group 9-11 year olds together and didn't have any basketball or soccer tournaments which our kids who were 10-11 years old wanted to do. Our kids are very athletic and would have loved to join the tournaments for 12-15 year olds. As for the Ports Bermuda was beautiful! We went to Horseshoe Bay and stood there all day i loved it! Labadee was pretty cool to, the kids did the aqua park and the slide the food there as ok! Considering it is there private island you had to pay for quite a few things unfortunately. San Juan was ok I use to love it but it was kind of smelly, we did get to go to La Fortaleza which was cool. St. Maarten was ok we stood at the beach and the guys got buckets of 5 beers for 10 dollars which they loved. We also got an umbrella and two chairs for 20 dollars. The shops around there were great too. Overall the ship was beautiful and VERY CLEAN and the ports were just as nice. If you want more family fun or fun in general i would go with carnival. Royal is more uppity and adult friendly. Oh and i don't want to forget to mention my stateroom attendant Jenin was awesome! Always cleaned and was super friendly! Read Less

This was a last minute cruise to get out of the cold. It did not disappoint! While Mother Nature did not cooperate with a lot of sunshine we still enjoyed ourselves. We cruise once per year with a balcony cabin but wanted to go “on the cheap” this time. Even the inside cabin 3557 was more than adequate on this ship! Everything inside and out was clean and tidy. We took a galley tour which was fascinating! Quite an operation to get all of that food out to the cruisers. To be able to get all of the orders out including the “special” dietary requirements took a well coordinated team. Only issue was the Motown Trivia”. It was horrible! Being from Detroit, we know Motown and this trivia contest was really bad! The host had no idea what he was doing. They certainly had no idea what Motown was. Overall a great time was had by all! Read Less

As one of the smaller Royal Caribbean ships, this was perfect for a 4 night cruise. There was enough to do but not too much. All the staff I encountered seemed friendly and committed to helping us have a good time. As a smaller ship, the pool areas were not as crowded as other ships which was nice. However, the hot tubs tended to be a little more crowded. I spent half a day at sea sitting out working on my tan. The water in the pool was chilly so I only stuck my feet in. I was in a junior suite which was large and had a balcony that I enjoyed sipping wine on before heading out for dinner in the main dining room. The food and service was very good in the dining areas. I wished for more food availability in the common areas after 9:30 pm but service at the adult pool was decent. Overall, it was a fun and relaxing trip. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the convenience of leaving from Boston and the islands to be visited. The ship is very easy to get around on and the staff is pleasant. Some areas of the ship are in need of repair. In our stateroom bathroom the mirror seemed to have a buildup of algae around the edges and after a brief rainstorm the floor of our balcony was covered in a muddy debris. The cabinets and table are scratched and worn and the bed not very comfortable. The biggest drawback was an extremely unpleasant odor in the hallway on our deck (8). It could only be described as the foulest of odors that one would find in a poorly maintained nursing home. Travel companions on deck 7 also noted this smell. Though it was not constant it was present daily at different times. Having sailed on Princess and NCL before I was expecting more from Royal Caribbean as I had always believed it was a step up. I was wrong. The entertainment, in my view, was extremely lacking compared to other ships I have been on. There was one Caribbean duo in the centrum who was very good and one night there was a Village People tribute band who were a lot of fun but otherwise none of the piano bar singers or musicians were appealing. The games, karaoke and trivia challenges were not conducted in any kind of organized manner and it was sometimes hard to understand the questions shouted over a microphone (on Princess the trivia challenge questions are usually displayed on a TV screen). I have a hearing deficit and because most of the hosts have some kind of accent I would be lost and would have to have my travel companions repeat the questions to me. I do enjoy the art auctions and did purchase a Peter Max that I love but don't feel that Park West was offering enough of a variety to appeal to a large number of people and that made the attendance rather scarce. As for the food, it was just ok. I was mostly satisfied with everything that I ordered in the dining room but some of my companions were not. Rubbery calamari and fatty beef are not desirable. If you can't make a creme brulee with a hard top then you might as well not make it at all. We did have great servers in Gerald and Hafifi in Reflections deck 5 and that made up for some mediocre food. Food on the buffet in the Windjammer is mostly salty and I stuck with hard boiled eggs, freshly made waffles, pizza or hamburgers and of course soft serve. All of the islands we visited have their own unique appeal. We took a private tour in St, Maarten which brought us to the shopping district where the same items were displayed over and over in booth after booth, and hour and a half stop at Orient beach ($15 for one chair and umbrella and constant harassment from illegal beach vendors). Antigua has the most beautiful beaches imo. We went to Valley Church Beach( the sand is not sand but made up only of crushed shells and te ones that are intact are just beautiful) where you can get a nice 1/2 hour massage for at Pam's Wellness Center (it's just a little hut but it was very inviting and relaxing) If you book online through Tripadvisor.com you can get a couples massage for $60. We didn't book ahead of time so my husband and I were only able to get separate massages but still it was good. In Barbados we went to Harbour Lights Beach at Carlisle Bay. Two chairs and umbrella were $20. Local vendors but not as intrusive as the ones in St. Maarten. Curacao, a tourist's mecca! Walk along the historical path to the moving bridge and into a great sopping district and don't forget to stop at the Renaissance Hotel for free wifi and some casino action. We skipped the beach in Aruba and went into town for more shopping and a little casino play($10 coupons were being given out for both the Crystal and Seaport casinos). All in all it was a relaxing and fun 12 days but in the future I will stick with Princess or NCL which have more to offer. Read Less

Sailed 02 Sept 2017 and 01 Sept 2018. The amenities, activities and enjoyable fun locations throughout the ship are truly something to behold and be enjoyed by vacationers of any age. The staff is amazing, friendly and courteous to a fault. The menus has changed and so have the options as well as the food. The food 2017 was excellent wherever you dined, this year, the main dinning room food was barley fair to good and the dinning room was under staffed. Specialty Restaurants are a different story, excellent as always. The private Island is always a treat for all ages and offers something for everyone. Jamaica has a nice secure shopping area and all excursions should be booked through RCCL. Jamaica is not the place to wander off or try to save a few dollars. Mexico can be fun for all All the shows are professionally done and are not to be missed. The Harmony is the destination for a fun family vacation. Read Less

We were so disappointed when we learned ( after we boarded) we had to book all on board shows ahead of time.- we didn't get the full experience of the cruise. When I called RC, they wanted to help me book excursions, but they never said--{hey can we help you book your shows on board). When you are on vacation, you hope you have some flexibility in your schedule---That is what VACATION is all about. Everything was extra, no room service without a cost. The formal dining was awful,what happened to the waiters that were all about service . . That was not how it used to be. The buffet was good! Compared to years past, the food in the main dining rooms was so below average. What a disappointment for the money---no more cruising with you for us.. We have been cruising with you since 1991--the quality has dropped so much yet the prices keep going up. We sailed from Ft Lauderdale 5/26/18 with 8 of us in total, 3 of which have never cruised. Royal Caribbean was always our go to cruise line, but no more. We will be looking for a cruise line that meets our needs and is upfront about the costs.. Read Less

This was our first time on a ship and we were both pleasantly surprised. From the initial boarding of the cruise until we disembarked the staff and service was fantastic. The line moved quickly and we were directed with friendly faces. After boarding our room wasn't ready but we were welcomed to explore. We walked through deck floor and spoke with some of the staff and looked at all of the decorations. The ship had just been updated and it was beautiful. Once our room was ready we went out to explore. The pool areas band was great. The atmosphere was lively and even though the bar was busy they were attentive to everyone. The ship was clean and well maintained. We visited several of the restaurants including Giovanis, Izumi, and the Saphire room. The food was delicious and the servers were great. Throughout the time we had Ben & Jerry's and Starbucks. At night the entertainment was fantastic including the 70's promenade with the staff. The crowd was excited continued to party into the night at the deck party. I greatly enjoyed our time and have already recommended this ship to others. I've already begun planning our next cruise with Royal. Read Less

My husband and I went on the Oasis of the Seas in 2014 and we loved it. We booked the Oasis again for 2017 but it was postponed due to hurricane Irma. We rescheduled for April 2018. I happened to be 18 weeks pregnant this time around so I knew it wouldn't be quite as fun since I couldn't do any of the fun excursions, but I figured it would be a nice relaxing vacation. The boarding process went smoothly. When we showed up there were tons of people and a long line but it moved quickly and we were on board within an hour. Our rooms were ready so we were able to unpack the carry on bags. Our other bags arrived a few hours later. The first sign of something being different came when we were boarding the ship. There were tons of staff members trying to sell us things- mostly dining packages. It was annoying and weird. I don't want to start my vacation being bombarded by people trying to sell me things. Pretty much the rest of the cruise felt that way...I've been on 5-6 cruises and I have never felt nickled and dimed until this cruise. Popcorn during a movie cost $2.50 plus 18% gratuity. The costs really didn't matter but the popcorn wasn't fresh and did not taste good and that's how things felt the whole cruise- like we were getting charged extra for things and they just weren't that good. The Johnny Rockets cover has doubled or tripled since we last went. It used to be a good deal but at $9.95 (plus the 18% gratuity they add to everything) it's no longer worth the price. We tried tapas in the wine bar on night and they were unevenly heated and had obviously been microwaved. The wine bar costs extra so we had to pay for food that we didn't even eat because it was so bad. I'm definitely no foodie and I'm really not that picky of an eater, but the food on this cruise just wasn't very good. The main dining room food was okay and the buffet food was bad. The dining highlight was sushi. It was good and we would have gone again if we had the time. We wanted to try the hibachi but it costs $46 per person. I would consider paying that if I know the hibachi is good but given our bad experiences with the food we just decided not to risk it. I read a review from a few years ago saying the hibachi was $25 per person. Royal Caribbean has obviously raised their prices quite a bit over the past few years, yet the food and service have gotten worse. So many of the daily activities revolved around getting our money and buying overpriced things. Since I'm pregnant and a bit more tired than usual my husband and I spent a few hours on sea days in our room watching TV. Most of the channels revolved around the ship & company (a port shopping channel, one channel that just plays the safety video over and over again) and there were only about 4 or 5 channels that would have movies and TV shows. Most of the time there really wasn't anything to watch on TV, so I caught up on reading instead. I've never been as disappointed with a cruise (or any vacation) as I was with this one. We loved Oasis so much in 2014 and it's so disappointing to see what it's becoming. Royal Caribbean is all about money now. They'd rather nickle and dime you than try to get repeat customers. The service on the ship was pretty bad. It just seemed like a lot of the staff didn't want to be there or are unhappy with their jobs. The exception would be our main dining room waiter and our stateroom attendant. Both of them were friendly, professional, and great. There are so many other companies out there to try, we definitely won't be wasting our time with Royal Caribbean anymore. Vacation wasn't all bad- it was really great getting to spend so much time with my husband. This is likely the last vacation we will take as a couple and we'll soon have to figure out how to add a baby into our travel plans. I hate complaining so much, I just would really recommend that people look somewhere other than the Oasis for their next trip- it just wasn't a very good experience. It should have been so much better. Read Less

I'd like to start off with the only reason I'm giving this a two and not a zero is that my stateroom attendant and the wait staff in the restaurants were awesome. The rooms were the standard cruise ship room so that was fine. The real trouble is with the lack of hospitality and entertainment. The shows are geared toward an older crowd. No magicians or comedians for the kids. Not to mention no movie theatre on the boat. They show the same movies over and over again down at the pool. If you are thinking about chilling and watching a movie in your room think again. I think there is a total of 20 channels...and 5 of them are about Royal Carribean. My worst experience was with guest services. We planned an excursion into Cozumel and the description of the excursion was incorrect. They failed to inform us that our excursion included a total of 3 hours drive time. This drive went deep into Mexico and this information was not on their excursion website or brochure. As you can imagine this is not something we would want to do with 3 kids ages 9, 11 and 13. When I discussed my issues with guest services they simply said they were sorry and they would be updating their brochure and website. Really??? Thanks for nothing! Oh, and don't even think about ordering room service. Ours took over 2 hours and my sister in law never even received hers. I'll never travel on Royal Carribean again!!! Read Less

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We chose this cruise for the ship. I have never cruised the Allure or its sister ship the Oasis and wanted to see what they were like. The ship is magnificent, lots to do. I loved central park, the little bistros, restaurants and bars. There is always something to do if you want, even if its just sitting at a park cafe and people watching, or nothing if you choose. I would recommend the meal package. It was an additional $80 (we didnt do it and wished we had). We did get tired of the restaurant food. It seemed to be the same ole same ole every night. We always purchase the drink package, we're not big drinkers, but all your drinks are included, water, soda, wine at dinner, so for us, its worth not worrying about paying $10 every time you order a drink. The boardwalk is fun, there is a carousel, candy store, ice cream shop, hot dog shop, and a few others, it does give the feel of a boardwalk. We have cruised on Carnival, Princess, Norweigan and Royal Caribbean, I have to say, Royals ships are the prettiest, and offer the best shows. Most every show we saw was better than average. There was one piano player at Schrooners that we just didnt care for. It was supposed to be a sing a long which could have been fun, but when the piano player changes the songs so much, you cant join in, it ruins the party. The dislikes: No real place for cigar smokers. They have one small smoking area that cigar smokers and cigarette smokers share. My husband wasnt happy with this, as a lot of cigarette smokers have their kids hanging out screaming (probably justified as I would never force my toddlers to sit in a smokers section while I smoked cigarettes, im sure the kids were miserable) Cigar smoking is a social activity. Men like to kick, back, relax, have a smoke and a drink, the last thing they want is screaming kids there. The lines for the buffet at breakfast is another thing that we have never experienced before. The crew handles it well, and it doesnt take very long, but when you get off the elevator and see a long line, its not a great start to your day. My last negative was about some of the crew. We have taken about 12 cruises. NEVER ONCE, have we run in to so many rude employees. A lot of them just seem like they dont want to be there. Im sure they have to deal with a lot of negative, complaining people and they get tired of it, but we talked to at least four or five other people that felt the same way. This definitely needs to be addressed. People are on vacation, happy, trying to enjoy themselves. If you run in to one rude person, it can ruin your day. Read Less

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