On November 29th Sylvia and I spent 2 nights on the Allure of the Seas. This was the last agent inspection before the regular December 1st sailing. We were a little late getting on board, so we had to rush to our cabin, drop off our luggage and go directly to our muster station for the lifeboat drill. We were in the Jazz Lounge, and the Blaze Nightclub, Comedy club and Theaters are all on the same deck. After that was over, we decided to start at the top of the ship and work our way down, seeing what we could before our 6 PM dinner in Giovanni's, one of the specialty restaurants in Central Park.
The top decks of the ship are where the Flowriders, Zipline, Miniture Golf and other sports areas are located. The Sky Loft Suite overlooks the golf course. From the Royal Loft Suite with balcony, you overlook the basketball court, FlowRiders, Zipline, Aquatheater and Rock climbing walls. The pool area is fabulous. In the bow of the ship are the adult pools, and near the stern is the kids area, with great decor and multiple pools for the little ones. The are multiple bars serving adult beverages. The Windjammer Marketplace dining area is also on the same deck and opens at 7 AM. Dinner at Giovanni's was exceptionally good...we ate "Family Style" with dishes brought to the table for everyone to share. The Central Park area has a few improvements from the Oasis of the Seas...ramps instead of steps to get to the restaurants, and covered seating areas to dine outside. Central Park is a peaceful place any time of the day.
Tuesday morning we started out continuing our tour of the ship. There are a few new shops in the Promenade...and there was a parade at 10:30, including many characters from the Lion King, Shrek and other Dreamworks films. The parade is held twice per cruise, so try to get a spot in the middle of the Promenade or on the staircases or you will have a hard time seeing it. Our Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony was fine for 2 people, with plenty of storage and closet space. The bathroom is a bit small, but they have moved the electrical outlets in the cabin above the desk, making them easy to access. There are also iPod docking stations in the cabins. The rest of the cabins and suites we saw are very similar to the Oasis, with some holding up to 14 guests. We went to the production of Chicago in the afternoon...which, although I didn't particularly like the story, (I hadn't seen it before) the production itself was Broadway worthy. Dinner was in the main dining room, and the service was good, food better. Sylvia then went to the Aquatheater for the early show and said it was incredible. The Allure has so much to do at all hours day and night that you will never get bored unless you want to. There are many quiet and private places on the ship, and of course there is always the spa. Allure will be sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean throughout 2011, and space is going fast. Bring your family for a great time...there is something for everyone.
