This past week I had the pleasure of going on a 4-night 5-day cruise to the Bahamas with Royal Caribbean. My family was on Allure of the Seas one of the company’s oasis class ships. The ship was massive and was filled with fun activities and shows for all ages.
Our ship left out of Port Canaveral on Monday, March 4th around four pm. My family took a shuttle from the rental car place directly to where the ship was docked. Dropping off your luggage was a painless task as the portmen were highly experienced at their work. After you head in go through security, show your password, and check in. After we headed onto the ship around noon.
Once we boarded the ship we did a final safety briefing and then we were free to explore. We started our dining experience in the WIndjammer the buffer on the ship. My family was thrilled with the dining options as they had something for everyone even my mom who is a vegetarian. My favorite food item from the Windjammer was their french toast which was served during breakfast time with strawberry syrup. I also enjoyed the array of freshly cut fruit as I ate pineapple with almost every meal I had. The Windjammer is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner but my family only ate breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer.
Around four when our ship was leaving our stateroom was ready. My family got interior staterooms that were conjoined so my sister and I could have our own space. The room was much bigger than anticipated, and our stateroom was very kind and helpful for the duration of our stay. The highlight of our room was the towel animals we would find after our stateroom was cleaned every day.
At night we ate dinner in the Main Dining room where we were served a three-course meal. Both the service and the food was exceptional. My family was fortunate enough to have the same waitstaff every night which was wonderful as we became fast friends with both the assistant waiter and our main waiter. My favorite dinner theme from the main dining room was Caribbean night. I had coconut shrimp for an appetizer, a seafood pasta dish(with no seafood), and carrot cake for dessert. Caribbean night was also a hit as the waitstaff broke out into a dance party which made it so fun. All the tables were up and dancing this was one of the many highlights of the cruise.
Allure of the seas made stops at two ports. Nassau, Bahamas, and the cruise line private island Perfect Day at CocoCay also in the Bahamas. Our time is Nassau we spent doing some brief shopping at their famous Straw Market which I found to be chaotic and overwhelming. You are also harassed in the streets by locals trying to sell you a taxi ride or some tour. We only spent around two hours here and then went back on the ship for the rest of the day. We spent the afternoon by the pool soaking up the sun. On the pool deck, you will also find Sprinkles which is where you will find unlimited soft-serve cones. This was my favorite afternoon snack. Our day at Perfect Day at CocoCay was perfect. We started the morning off snorkeling in the ocean, and the rest of the day was spent bathing in the sun. I will go more in-depth on the private island in a later article as it deserves a whole article.
On our final day on the ship, we were at sea for the entirety of the day. Luckily there are many activities to do on the ship. Activity options include going to the various shows on board including Mama Mia the hit Broadway show, an Aquashow, and Ice skating shows. There is a boardwalk-themed area near the aqua theater. Here you will find an old-school diner, carousel, arcade, and various shops. There was also a zipline on board, FlowRider surf simulators, and a rock climbing wall for adrenaline junkies. These are just some of the many activities you can partake in onboard Allure of the Seas.
Overall, my first cruise experience was much better than anticipated. I had fears of being seasick but luckily did not experience any sickness while on board. The food was phenomenal and I was always stuffed to the brim. The hospitality and service were wonderful we were treated like royalty. My only complaint about the cruise ship was the elevators. While they have 24 elevators available for guests to use they were often so full that we quickly learned to take the stairs, so be ready for a leg workout. Other than the elevators the cruise was wonderful and I can not wait to go on my next cruising adventure.
