Ahhh, there’s something about the smell of the salty air and the sound of the waves. I loved my recent adventures on the high seas. Having lived for 50 years without going on a cruise, I felt spoiled as my maiden voyage was on the relatively new Allure of the Seas. We had a roomy cabin with a balcony which I thoroughly enjoyed. On most days, I spent time on the balcony smoking a cigar and writing with my laptop. The cool breeze and relaxing view of the water made me wish the cruise could last forever.
There are some things I learned on this cruise that I share to assist you in preparing for your cruise on this great ship. Certainly, the cruise literature will give you considerable information to prepare you. But, gaining insights from a ‘been there, done that’ person can prove to be helpful in knowing what to expect. Watching the captains channel can give you great insight into the ships specifications and capabilities while you are aboard.
The Boat
The Royal Carribean ‘Allure of the Seas’ is currently the largest cruise ship in the world with amazing amenities that the term ‘first class’ fails to describe adequately. With over 7,000 people onboard counting the staff, it is truly a small city on the high seas. It does have a sister ship, the Oasis, that is nearly identical but as the captain conveyed on his special television channel the Oasis is 2 inches shorter than its big sister, the Allure.
Nominal Fees
Be prepared for the expression ‘for a nominal fee’. In fact, that became mine and my wife’s inside joke as we would hear about an activity or service on the ship’s channel. One of us would invariably turn to the other and repeat the mantra ‘for a nominal fee’. When you first talk about going on a cruise, you often hear from cruise veterans that ‘everything is included except alcohol’. That statement likely refers to the food as long as you eat in certain restaurants. However, there are many things that are a nominal fee. For instance, if you want to go on a tour that includes the bridge and boiler room it is $150 unless you have been on many cruises and have a higher status than the first time cruiser. Tuxedo rentals, laundry services and some restaurants all have these nominal fees attached.
Be Ready for a Crowded Ship
With several thousand cruising companions on the ship it can get crowded. Even though the Windjammer restaurant’s huge bay windows can give way to beautiful scenic views, it can be hard to locate a table. As you arrive in a port, this particular restaurant is a wonderful place to see the island as the ship docks.
The two elevator banks can also get crowded, especially at the start of end of a show or venue. Stairs are available for those that would like to avoid the elevators. There are times when an elevator will arrive but it is too crowded to actually enter and you have to wait for the next one.
Tipping
For the most part, you will not have to tip each person every time they do something for you. The cruise line will provide a form during the cruise asking for permission to authorize a pre-established daily tip amount to be charged to your account. In 2012, it is a little less than $12 per day per guest. At the end of the cruise, the stateroom steward and various members of the restaurant staff will split the monies based on the proportionality of the services they have performed. For instance, your cabin steward will receive a larger chunk of the tips due to his continued involvement in maintaining your cabin. However, if you frequent the poolside bars or the roving alcohol venders it is customary to add a tip to the ticket you asked to sign.
Eastern Caribbean Excursions
We participated in excursions at each scheduled stop. We were there in early October and the heat at these locations was sometimes overwhelming as we come from a location with moderate summers. Drinking water was very important. Here’s our lessons learned and observations of each excursion we took:
Nassau (Bahamas)
These excursions can be wonderful opportunities to see beautiful scenery and experience things you may never experience again. But, be prepared to spend money at these excursions. For instance, on Nassau during the shallow water dolphin experience there will be a photographer present to snap a picture each time you touch the dolphin. As that is a rare occurrence for most people, when you review your pictures at the end of the session it will be hard to resist buying the pictures of you kissing, hugging and petting your new found friend.
Nassau is the home of the beautiful Atlantis resort. It is a fun place to explore and maybe even do some reconnaissance for a future destination trip that will allow you to spend time solely on Nassau. The river that runs through the water park is a great inner tube float with rapids that make for some exhilarating moments. Ensure you take plenty of sunscreen as the Caribbean sun can certainly cause some burning to the skin.
St. Thomas (US Virgin Island)
Some excursions may not seem worth the time spent in actually getting there. The Coral World excursion on St. Thomas involves an hour’s worth of bus riding. When you only have a few hours off the boat, that bus time is certainly something to consider. It takes you to an aquarium park where you can pet a baby shark and descend about 15 feet into a round area with glass windows to see different varieties of fish. There are some typical souvenir shops nearby. While it was interesting, the facility is small and within 45 minutes you have seen everything.
After this stop, the bus driver will take you about another 30 minute bus ride to a beautiful beach called Magen’s Bay. It has been ranked one of the top 10 beaches in the world. There you will have an opportunity to spend about 2 hours at the beach with a nearby beach bar that serves great food. There is also a souvenir shop at this location. The bus stop at a scenic overview that is breathtaking. Of special interest is how massive the Allure of the Seas ship looks sitting in the harbor.
St. Marteen (Dutch and French Virgin Island)
On St. Marteen, there are jeep tours you can take that will sometimes involve as many as 15 jeeps in a convoy. If you are fortunate, it will be a day when not many people have signed up for the tour making it a little more intimate. The tour guide will lead you through both the Dutch and French sides of the islands.
The smaller the group the more flexibility the tour guide will have to altar the stay times at various locations. The Palm Beach Lounge Bar Beach Restaurant is a great place to eat at Orient Bay and if you purchase a meal the restaurant will allow free access to beach chairs.
Of special note, be aware if you have children. There is a nudist beach about a half mile down the beach from the restaurant and you may see people wearing less than you are accustomed to in your hometown. On this excursion, the colors of the water are breathtaking. There is a special lookout point the jeep tour will visit that may be the most comprehensive look at off shore small islands and various hues and colors of the water.
DO NOT forget to take both your seapass card and your passport when you leave for these excursions. You will need those documents both to debark and then upon return to the ship. You should also get towels for the excursions that will involve beach time. These can be obtained on Deck 15 near the pools. You will need to use your seapass to get them and there is a substantial ‘nominal fee’ if you fail to bring them back on board.
Restaurants
On the ship, there are over 20 restaurant opportunities. However, keep in mind they are not all free (code word for included in cruise price). For instance two people eating at Johnny Rocket’s can experience an all you can eat option for $4.95 per person. This eat as many burgers as you want opportunity may seem like a good deal, keep in mind you could have a free meal if you went to the venues where the food is included. Another example is Rita’s Cantina that charges a $3 per person cover charge and then ala carte prices on the menu.
Soft Drink Package
You can pre-purchase a soft drink package for about $50 per person. You will be issued a travel cup that you can have refilled at any bar or restaurant on the ship. Each person should really get the soft drink package. As the ship is very humid, you will be thirstier than normal and will be glad you aren’t paying for each soda. Its not uncommon to fill your drink mug 5 or 6 times in a day. However a word of caution, your stateroom has a refrigerator with cans of soda magically appearing each day that bear a $2.50 charge for each soda.
Photos
There will be photographers throughout the ship ready to snap your picture. Each evening when you go to dinner, there will be an opportunity to have your photo taken as you go into the dining room. Even in the dining room there are roving photographers that will take your picture. The ship uses facial recognition software to automatically load your picture into your portfolio from which you can choose the photos you want to buy.
There are package deals that price as high as $299 for your photos. The highest package gives you access to all of your photos. There is a 15 photo package where you can also get the CD of all of your pictures. But, only 15 will be unlocked on the CD. The rest will certainly be on the CD but you won’t be able to copy or print them.
Completing the Cruise
Be sure and watch the video on your stateroom television that discusses leaving the ship. The disembarking from the ship is somewhat time phased. It is important to understand this process as there are opportunities to keep your luggage or have the ship check your luggage all the way through to your final destination.
Summary
The Allure of the Seas is an amazing ship that is a great experience. Knowing some of these tips will help to reduce surprises and get your ready for a fantastic experience you will likely remember for the rest of your life.
Websites of Interest
Royal Carribbean — http://www.royalcaribbean.com/home.do
Allure of the Seas — http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipClassCode=OA&shipCode;=AL&br;=R
Coral World – (St. Thomas) http://coralworldvi.com
Dolphin Experience (Nassau) — http://www.google.com/search?q=magens+bay+st+thomas&hl;=en&tbo;=u&rlz;=1T4ADBF_enUS326US326&tbm;=isch&source;=univ&sa;=X&ei;=PvLEUPjlEIGDjALn84GYDQ&ved;=0CDgQsAQ&biw;=1252&bih;=606
Jeep Tour (St. Maarten) — http://www.shoretrips.com/excursion/region-car-sxm-058682/caribbean-central-america/st-martin-st-maarten/best-island-jeep-safari
Palm Beach Restaurant (St. Maarten) — http://www.palmbeachsxm.net/
