20th anniversary trip - Star Class on Allure questions

[Micheme]

This is our very first royal Caribbean cruise so i have a ton of questions.

We are planning to book the 2 bedroom Aqua Theatre Suite on the Allure.

Can anyone give me some info, hints on these suites? (noise, preferred suite #'s, pros, cons etc)

Also I am thoroughly confused about the specialty dining. It says since we are star class we have complimentary specialty dining? I can't figure out what the heck that means.
Do we not have to pay to dine at any specialty restaurant? Since this is our first RCC we have no experience with the specialty dining and what the costs are.

Also what about drinks, we don't drink a lot, maybe a wine with dinner but are soft drinks, water, juice, coffee included in out star class perks.

I've been searching for info all day and thought disboards could help. Thanks

 

[karmacats]

the star class perks don't roll out until next month, so there may not be a lot of info yet.

i think the lower aqua suites have bigger balconies, but that may only hold true for the one-bedroom ones, which were retrofitted into the ship a couple of years ago. in any case, all of the balconies are huge. the suites themselves are pretty nice, but the balcony is the star for sure. there are videos on youtube of almost all of them, if you search for the suite number; if you can't find videos of allure, check for oasis, as the suites are the same. they can be a little noisy as you are right over the boardwalk and aqua theater; however, with the door closed they are pretty soundproof, and it's pretty cool to be able to watch the aquatheater from your own private space. if it was me, i'd go for a higher floor just to be a little further from the boardwalk activity, but that's just personal preference.

star class is supposed to be able to go to the for-fee specialty dining for free. so, yes, any restaurant you want, no charge. as the perks haven't rolled out yet, i'm not sure how that will play out - if it will exclude places, if you can only go to each restaurant once, etc etc. there may be no limitations, but then again, there may be. specialty dining normally ranges from about $30 per person up to i think $90 or so. i would definitely take advantage of that - the main dining room is ok, but the specialty restaurants are great.

tap water, juice, and coffee (as well as milk, iced tea, and lemonade) are included for everyone. it is unclear which beverage package will be included with the perks, but it will likely at least cover beer, wine and soda. the highest package royal has (the ultimate package) also covers things like bottled water and specialty coffees, but at this point royal hasn't stated which package will be offered to star class.

the perks roll out may 1, so after that you should be able to find more definitive answers.

also, when the royal genie (kind of like a butler) contacts you before the cruise, make sure to tell him/her it's your first royal cruise, and i'm sure they will walk you through everything.