Alluring Allure!
I was a little apprehensive knowing the size of the ship and the amount of passengers and crew on board, but I need not have been. Yes the ship is large, but there are so many fantastic areas on board from kids clubs, to card rooms, bars and a nightclub, and even a comedy club. The evening entertainment was performed by professionals that have performed in the West End of London and Las Vegas. The Oceanaria show performed from diving platforms and underwater was just amazing.
There is an area of boardwalk which has a fairground carousel, Central Park with garden area, restaurants, a café and a winery! The main Royal promenade was beautiful and had an array of shops, a sports bar, a champagne bar and even an English style pub. The central feature was a bar called The Rising Tide, which raised and lowered between the Royal Promenade and Central Park – whoever thought of that!
The cabins were spacious, and very comfortable, from the inside cabins to the suites and with 39 different types to choose from there is one there for you.
The ship has a specific check in area to cope with the passengers embarking and disembarking and it went very smoothly and easily. Considering that the ship was going to be full, there were minimal queues and they moved very quickly.
Once on board, as I have said, there is something for everyone, and it is a very beautiful ship. There are plenty of restaurants on board as well as the main dining room. The Chefs Table, and restaurant 150, for the finest of dining experience. Italian, Mexican, Brazilian and Oriental are also on offer in the other restaurants. The drinks packages which are purchasable either before or once embarked are a must buy. You can have soft drinks packages through to premium champagne and cocktail packages which ranged from $20 – $55 a day, but it will save you a lot of money by the end of your cruise, and also makes your holiday a fully inclusive one on a level that you wish. I travelled around the Caribbean. From Miami we had a day at sea and then arrived at Labadee in Haiti – their own private island. You could use your drinks packages on the beach here, and a wonderful barbeque was set up for you to dine so food was also included. The following day I woke up to the beautiful site of Jamaica. The port area of Falmouth didn’t offer much, but any of the excursions on board meant a good day of activities to suit all, or if you prefer to go your own way, an authorised taxi can take you to Montego Bay for as little as $10US. I chose the excursion to Red Stripe beach, which was a private beach area.
After another day at sea, and making the top of the climbing wall, I had a go at one of the surf Flo-Rider pools the next day and we arrived at a new port of Cozumel in Mexico. Again the port doesn’t offer much other than few shops so I would definitely recommend a taxi away to a place called Chankanaab which was around $10US, and an entry fee of $21US. This is a beach which also had a rainforest area, wildlife and the opportunity to swim with the dolphins. This could also be done as an on board excursion if you prefer. Trips to the Mayan ruins are also organised. It was an amazing day and highly recommended.
This was my final port of call as the following day was spent back on board to enjoy the last day and night on board before waking up back in Miami. I had an amazing time, and will definitely be going back for a family holiday and can highly recommend to you. So why not give me a ring and get yourself a great cruise holiday.