- Joined
- Jun 20, 2005
The sandwiches can be found in the Parc Cafe in the Central Park area of the ship.
I need to chane the thread to the not so live trip report! Between satellite Internet and my iPad acting up, I lost 3 or 4 posts.
This cruise was amazing, having sailed many cruise lines and ships over the last 25 years and I really think RCL has brought it to an entirely different level. I think DCL will always be my sentimental favorite. I also wouldn't say one is better than the other, I think they both are great and similar in some ways but also very different.
Over the next few days I will be sorting my thoughts and posting lots of details about dining, entertainment, kids clubs and more. I was supposed to meet our RCL rep on embarkation day for a tour of cabins and behind the scenes. Unfortunately Isaac changed plans and she had to be in the office on Tuesday when we sailed.
I will say my time dining was a highlight for me! I believe this week I will also be on the show briefly discussing my experience. More to come!
This ship was docked in Nassau this past Saturday, correct? We were in the Bahamas on vacation, and we went to the Straw Market on Saturday and saw the Allure of the Seas docked there. The ship is really beautiful!
Hi Tracey,
Loved, loved, loved the report, can't wait for more.
Question for you. You put in your report 'What was strange was that nobody was asking my name and nobody announced my arrival--I was like um hello....Doesn't the Allure welcome aboard Tracey Heinrichs???'. Does DCL do that? Do they announce it out loud? I have not been on DCL. I am not sure I would like that. Do you have a choice? Aren't there privacy issues? I have not had that on any cruise I have been on. The welcome was usually spoken by a person in a normal voice who would then take you to your cabin. Maybe I am just being a bit of a sourpuss.
Again, can't wait to hear more.....
After lunch, I resisted the urge to ooh and ahh over Central Park and got to work! I knew I wanted to see the kids clubs before we set sail as I wouldn't be able to get in and walk around, talk to the counsellors and explore once the clubs were open.
The Adventure Ocean Program is located on deck 14 in the Youth Zone area for the 12 and under with the Teen Area on deck 15. My understanding is this space is over 28000 square feet!
The Allure of the Seas Youth Zone has six age groups:
Royal Babies and Tots - 6 months to 3 years
The Royal Babies and Tots is a drop off nursery with one dedicated nursery staff for each four babies. This is very similar to the Nursery on the DCL ships. The charge is $8 per hour and it is open from 9 am until about midnight. The nursery is open on both sea and port days. Parents can book in advance but drop-ins are also welcome based on availability. The Nursery provides a deck phone for parents to use while they are on the ship.
Aquanauts - ages 3 to 5
For this area kids must be completely toilet trained, there are no diapers or pull ups allowed. The Aquanauts area had a lot of Fisher-Price toys in their activity room.
Explorers - ages 6 to 8
The Explorers have Nintendos Wiis, and use the art room, science lab, and Adventure Ocean theater in their activities.
Voyagers - ages 9 to 11
The Voyagers also use all of the same facilities as the Explorers, but are more independent. They also use the FlowRiders and sports courts
Tweens - ages 11 to 12 and Teens - ages 13 to 17
The tweens and teens have their own schedule and counselors. The kids don't sign in and out like they do for those under 12. They have a Living Room area, which is a lounge with TVs, games, computers, and music studio. They also have a teen night club, and outside back deck. The tweens/teens area is near the table tennis, sports court, and Wipe Out cafe, but they use the entire ship for their fun, having scavenger hunts, dancing, swimming, and hanging out with their new friends.
The Adventure Ocean staff do not have any activities for the under 12s at the pools, but all three age groups are involved with the DreamWorks experience. The characters are in Adventure Ocean about once or twice a day, and there are some DreamWorks themed days.
There is some flexibility for kids to move to different age levels once onboard. Also from 10pm to 2am it is called Late Night Party Zone and there is a charge of $6 per hour, per child.
I was also able to speak to many of the counsellors and like Disney, they all have experience and training in working with children. Many I spoke to her also had personal experience working with special needs kids. Special Needs Kids can be accomodated in the Youth Zone, those parents would also be provided with a deck phone.
Overall, I think nobody touches Disney when it comes to kids clubs. But honestly I was pleasantly surprised by what Royal Caribbean was doing on the Allure and would consider them a very close second.
They were being sold...I can't remember the cost but I think it was $2 or $3 each.