Our most recent cruise was on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. It’s a mega ship and quite frankly, we were a little worried about being on a ship with 6,000 other people. I was very excited to see all this ship had to offer but Brian was a little hesitant about the crowds. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel overwhelming. In fact, there were so many things to love about this ship. Here are my 12 reasons to love the Allure of the Seas.
Reasons to love The Allure of the Seas #1 – Central Park at Sea
I was most looking forward to this magical area on the ship called Central Park. The “real” Central Park is my favorite spot in New York City so I was very curious to see how this area would feel on the ship. I was happily surprised.
I don’t know how they did it but they created this tranquil place in the middle of a massive cruise ship. I enjoyed this space during the day to feel the sunlight and view the greenery and to stroll through at night with a glass of wine. This could be my favorite area on the ship!
#2 – Dining Options
As a family who had always loved the tradition of the main dining room, we had never stepped out of our comfort bumble to try (and pay for) specialty dining. This trip was just the two of us so we thought it was a perfect time(a.k.a. most economical) for us to give it a try.
We are SO glad that we did.
The dining fee ($25-35 p/p) is much less than you would pay for a nice restaurant at home and the food was absolutely yummy. I can’t decide if my favorite was Giovanni’s Table or Chops Grille. I highly recommend both.
Update for 2023: Our new favorite is Izumi!
Tip: Buy your dining package ahead of time for a great discount.
Reasons to love The Allure of the Seas #3 – The Boardwalk
Third on our list of reasons to love The Allure of the Seas is the always fun, Boardwalk. I remember, 10+ years ago when the Oasis-class ships first arrived there was a big marketing campaign around the hand-carved, full-sized wooden carousel…at sea. I have to say, it is pretty cool.
The entire boardwalk area which ends at the Aqua Theatre is a lot of fun. Donuts in the morning, hot dogs in the afternoon, a spin on the carousel, and getting your fortune at the Zoltar machine. There is something for everyone. We even saw games for the kids and balloon animals one afternoon. I dare you not to smile at that.
If for some reason that doesn’t get you grinning….try the guacamole and a margarita from Sabor located right there on the Boardwalk. That should do it!
#4 – Schooner Bar
Ok, call us old nerds but we are always down for some Michael Jackson or Big Bang Theory trivia in the Schooner Bar. And, on the Allure of the Seas, the Schooner bar is grand! We have always been a little bummed that on the Freedom Class of Ships, the Schooner bar is tucked into a corner and a small space to host the generally very well-attended trivia. It felt larger and had a better traffic flow. Sad to say, we did not win a free Royal Caribbean highlighter, but we had a great time!
Here’s one for you – What was the name of the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship? (comment below)
Reasons to love The Allure of the Seas #5 – Mamma Mia
I am a musical theatre geek and I love, in particular, Mamma Mia! It was fantastic. What an amazingly fun and talented cast! I love going to all of the shows while on a cruise. It’s kind of my jam, but this one…has to be one of my favorites!
Tip: Do not leave this show immediately. Trust me, it has the best current call and you won’t want to miss it.
#6 – The Aquatheater
This is a MUST-SEE on any Oasis-class ship. It’s absolutely spectacular!
We assumed it would be “cool”, “entertaining”., and of course, worth our time. But, oh my gosh, we kept having to raise our hands and manually close our mouths because our jaws kept dropping. I’ll be honest, as bios of the performers were flashing on the screen prior to the performance, Brian and I got quite a kick out of the “Degree in Hand Balancing”. Who knew? Um, let me tell you…it’s a thing. Oh my…just go see the show!
Reason to love The Allure of the Seas #7 – Voom Internet
Ok…Maybe it was the beautiful weather we experienced full of cloud-free, bright blue skies…but the wifi was amazing. It was like using my Google Fiber while sitting at my kitchen table kind of good. While I encourage everyone to put their electronics away and enjoy their vacation it is nice to be able to check on my parents, our kids (and my dogs).
As business owners, it’s also peace of mind that everything is running smoothly while we are away so that we CAN relax.
Update for 2023 – All Royal Caribbean ships will feature Starlink so I expect even better connectivity. Now, if only it didn’t cost so much!
#8 – Jogging Track
This may seem like a silly one to most but I’m a runner. Strike that. I am a jogger. On most cruise ships the jogging/walking track is around the sports/pool deck. So, you’re dodging loungers and people who have stopped to take pictures which can impact the flow of your exercise. Plus, it’s incredibly windy.
The Allure of the Seas (all Oasis-class ships) has the jogging track on deck 5. The jogging track is pretty sheltered from the wind and only “open” at a few points around the perimeter. This leads to a fairly uninterrupted jog!
Tip: The view from the back is so peaceful! It’s the perfect after-jog place to relax.
Reasons to love The Allure of the Seas #9 – The Solarium
We were sailing just as a couple so this kid-free area was perfect for us. The view from the front of the ship is lovely and the Solarium Bistro is very handy for that mid-day snack when you don’t want to leave your lounge chair and head to the Wind Jammer.
#10 – Champagne and Martini Bar
Another spot we really enjoyed onboard The Allure of the Seas was the Champagne and Martini Bar. The space was great, the location was convenient and the services were top-notch. Oh and the dirty martini…very nice!
#11 – Junior Suite
Hubby says..our Junior Suite – This was the first time we have ever booked a junior suite. It was our anniversary and we decided to splurge. You can read the review – 5 Reasons to Splurge on a Royal Caribbean Junior Suite. We loved the extra room to move freely about the cabin and enjoy the space. Definitely a treat and double cruise points!
I know this is not a universal offering on The Allure of the Seas but when your husband tells you that it was one of his favorite parts…you include it in your post.
Related: Symphony of the Seas Junior Suite
Reasons to love The Allure of the Seas #12 – Options, Options, and More Options!
We were at the end of our 7-day sailing and we felt like there were still so many places we hadn’t yet experienced. I had yet to zip line over the Boardwalk for goodness sake!
Conclusion
So, did we love it? YES! We loved it so much that we have booked it again for our family trip next spring. We can’t wait to share this beautiful ship with our family. Have you been on an Oasis Class ship?
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