First time RC cruiser- Allure 4 night, what to expect

[dreamer17555]

So I am a veteran DCL cruiser with over 12 sailing since 2020. But I’m going to branch out and I found a great deal for Allure of the seas in an guaranteed Oceanview balcony in Oct

What should I know about sailing RC? Anything I need to book asap? How do shows work?

I would be super appreciative for any guidance

 

[NicoleLarson]

We were on the Allure this past Jan. I would book specialty dining, we had some truly awful food in the MDR. I started ordering 2 entrees every meal because i knew at least one would be inedible.

We booked reserved seating for the ice skating show and although it was nice to have, it honestly wasn't needed. Definitely see the diving show, we had a boardwalk balcony so we didn't need to reserve this but you may want to. Momma Mia, we got there about 20 minutes before the show and had our choice of seats.

Overall it was a fine cruise but it was a one and done for us. We decided we are not RCI people. We will stick to either DCL or one of the new Carnival ships.

 

[dreamer17555]

@NicoleLarson Thank you. I booked a Chops lunch but over all trying not to add on too much dining to keep the price low. I did go ahead and reserve the shows. (Diving, Mamma Mia, Skating, and an adult only Comedy show for me)

Im a little nervous but I got an amazing rate that is 31.5% of the cost of an Inside Room on the Dream (4 nights) in early Feb and its an Oceanview Balcony... so we are going to give it a shot. If its terrible okay- Not a lot of money spent and we know. If it is wonderful then we have more cruising options other than DCL.

 

[ucf_knight]

@NicoleLarson Thank you. I booked a Chops lunch but over all trying not to add on too much dining to keep the price low. I did go ahead and reserve the shows. (Diving, Mamma Mia, Skating, and an adult only Comedy show for me)

Im a little nervous but I got an amazing rate that is 31.5% of the cost of an Inside Room on the Dream (4 nights) in early Feb and its an Oceanview Balcony... so we are going to give it a shot. If its terrible okay- Not a lot of money spent and we know. If it is wonderful then we have more cruising options other than DCL.

I’ve never done dcl and have only cruised royal. You’re gonna have a great time. It’s good that you booked the shows already. I’m assuming you’ve already done this but make sure to check in for your cruise online as well as it makes embarkation day super smooth. I feel the included food on royal is adequate to good. Nothing is inedible as the prior poster said. You’ll find plenty of options that will suit your palate. Definitely look online to what the ship has to offer and where to familiarize yourself with the ship. Also since you’ve never done royal before look at some previous sailings cruises compasses (royals version of what’s happening on the ship for the day) to see what you might be interested in and to look out for those activities once you board. Have a great trip and hopefully you get to go to coco cay!

 

[NicoleLarson]

I’ve never done dcl and have only cruised royal. You’re gonna have a great time. It’s good that you booked the shows already. I’m assuming you’ve already done this but make sure to check in for your cruise online as well as it makes embarkation day super smooth. I feel the included food on royal is adequate to good. Nothing is inedible as the prior poster said. You’ll find plenty of options that will suit your palate. Definitely look online to what the ship has to offer and where to familiarize yourself with the ship. Also since you’ve never done royal before look at some previous sailings cruises compasses (royals version of what’s happening on the ship for the day) to see what you might be interested in and to look out for those activities once you board. Have a great trip and hopefully you get to go to coco cay!

You must not have ordered the Filet of Sole, vegetable moussaka, stuffed peepers, crab cake, seafood cake, or French onion soup (tasted like water and cheese). These were all truly inedible. Did we starve? Absolutely not. Was this the worst food that we've had on a cruise ship? Yes. I will give them credit where due, all of the Indian dishes were good and I would recommend those. Also, the food at CoCo Cay was the best we've had on any private island. We don't regret this cruise at all and I don't think the OP will either but if we did it all over again, I would have booked more specialty dining

 

[sam_gordon]

Food quality is VERY subjective. We (8 of us) were on Harmony for 6 nights in July and everyone found something to eat in the MDR every night, usually cleaning plates. Was it the quality of a five star restaurant? No. But it was "included" in the cost. If you don't want the MDR, you can try the Windjammer or Solarium Bistro. Heck, you can do all three in one night if you'd like.

I'm not sure on a 4 nighter if they do a "Love and Marriage" or a "Quest" show. Love and Marriage is like the old "Newlywed Game" show, but with a Newlywed Couple, the longest married couple, and one in the middle. Always good for laughs. Does get a little risque though.

Quest, I've read about, but never attended. It's another "adult" show, and people form teams and have to provide items or do stunts or something. I want to attend, but something has always prevented me.

 

[mrs. magoo]

We loved our cruise in June and ate in the MDR every night. We thought the food was great and if we didn't like something our wait staff was quick to get us something else. We have never cruise DCL because of the cost but have now done 3 RCI cruises. We cruise with another family who has done 2 DCL cruises but their kids prefer RCI now. Of course the kids have the drink package and love to frequent all the bars. They love the casino too. We were joking with the other family that the price of the DCL cruise would be so much more now that the kids can drink. My guys get their money out of the drink package. I stalked the site and rebooked two times with lower prices. So I got the package at 79.99 a day which equates to 7 cocktails a day - throw in powerade, soda, water, coffee and they came out on top everyday of the 5 night cruise. My 21 year old was on top by the middle of day 2 but I digress. We have come to love cruising and are looking at Alaska or Europe for our 2026 one. It takes me 2 years to plan and save.

 

[dreamer17555]

Curious since there is no way I will drink enough to justify the drink package, how much are cocktails on the ship?

I might drink two cocktails a day and even that’s a lot for me

 

[LoveDaisy]

Curious since there is no way I will drink enough to justify the drink package, how much are cocktails on the ship?

I might drink two cocktails a day and even that’s a lot for me

Most drinks are $14 or less ($14 is what the drink package covers). I did not drink enough alcohol a day to pay for the package but when I added in my daily fresh squeeze orange juice, specialty coffee, bottled water, and sodas I easily got my moneys worth each day.

 

[sam_gordon]

Most drinks are $14 or less ($14 is what the drink package covers). I did not drink enough alcohol a day to pay for the package but when I added in my daily fresh squeeze orange juice, specialty coffee, bottled water, and sodas I easily got my moneys worth each day.

If that's what you drink, would have been MUCH better to get the "Refreshment Package". It includes ALL of that, plus "mocktails", just nothing with alcohol. AND it's only $20-25/day. So you save ~$50-$60/day. You'd have to average four cocktails a day to make up that cost difference.

 

[LoveDaisy]

If that's what you drink, would have been MUCH better to get the "Refreshment Package". It includes ALL of that, plus "mocktails", just nothing with alcohol. AND it's only $20-25/day. So you save ~$50-$60/day. You'd have to average four cocktails a day to make up that cost difference.

I averaged 4-5 drinks a day but when I added in the non alcoholic drinks I came out ahead. With just the alcohol I tended to break even.

 

[Frozen2014]

You won't be able to do it all on Allure on a 4 night, but you can still have an amazing 4 days.
My advice...make sure you book Mamma Mia and the Aqua shows and the comedy show is a small venue. These are amazing. For the Aqua show, they say to book it earlier in the cruise as it sometimes gets cancelled due to poor weather (and thus, a chance to try again on a rebook). The ice show is also impresseive.

Allure, which is Oasis class is a unique ship. Explore....Central Park is beautiful (Park Cafe is a great spot for lunch), Boardwalk is fun, Promenade is 'wow', and just different areas. Schooner bar has fun music in the evenings.

I cant comment on specialty dining as we do the MDR. For the dining room, if you have My Time you may have to wait. We personally prefer traditional as you just walk up to your table and have the same waiters each night, but it's a personal preference.

Also, I see a post about ineditable food but food is subjective and we enjoy Royal's food. Sure some are hit and miss, but we don't have issues with it. Sometimes we'll book one specialty but mostly stick to included venues.

Enjoy! Allure is an amazing ship!

 

[Frozen2014]

So I am a veteran DCL cruiser with over 12 sailing since 2020. But I’m going to branch out and I found a great deal for Allure of the seas in an guaranteed Oceanview balcony in Oct

Also, not sure if you know but once you are assigned your room (check cruise planner for a number), you are allowed to move to any other Oceanview balcony that is available in the same category. E.g. if Mid Ocean View, then any other mid Ocean View. If Fwd Ocean view, then any other Fwd (and I think Aft is same category). So if you don't like your location, you can move upon availability and same room category.

 

[dreamer17555]

Also, not sure if you know but once you are assigned your room (check cruise planner for a number), you are allowed to move to any other Oceanview balcony that is available in the same category. E.g. if Mid Ocean View, then any other mid Ocean View. If Fwd Ocean view, then any other Fwd (and I think Aft is same category). So if you don't like your location, you can move upon availability and same room category.

Wow, that is super helpful. Thank you! Do you know how far in advance they typically assign rooms?

 

[Frozen2014]

Wow, that is super helpful. Thank you! Do you know how far in advance they typically assign rooms?

Unfortunately from what I understand it varies. Can be as early as now right up to your sailing. Just keep watching.

 

[peacefrogdog]

If you booked My time dining, take the time to reserve your times online. I believe the available times start at 630 and run until 830ish. Even if you book a time and show up later, they won't prevent you from eating. The lineup for My Time diners without booked dining times tends to be long.

I've been cruising on RCL since 2001. There is no doubt the food quality on Royal is not what it used to be 20 years ago but I have not come across anything close to what I would label as being "inedible", including some of the dishes mentioned by others. I would describe the worst food I've eaten in the MDR as ones I could likely prepare myself at home. Park Cafe is a less busy option for breakfast and lunch compared to the Windjammer - consider it for sea days or embarkation day if you want to avoid crowds.

Booking lunch at Giovanni's is a better buy than what it costs for dinner.

Allure has only just recently been scheduled for a dry dock/refurb. Depending on the extent to which you notice details like that, just be ready to notice some things needing fresh coats of paint etc. The rooms look outdated compared to what they've done with Wonder or Utopia. But if you're like me and use your cabin to sleep, it won't be an issue.

A big difference from DCL that I've experienced is that RCL has more options to just sit and lounge without having to be out in the open sun. I'm thinking about Central Park and on the promenade.

Last, you can try to bid for upgrades. This blog collected recent winning bids for different upgrade categories.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/category/category/royalup
With you getting such a good deal, and with people going for the newer ships, you might get lucky getting an upgrade to a junior suite or an oceanview with large balcony for a relatively small amount.