PAL

The Allure didn't usually feel crowded. We've simply discovered we prefer port intensive itineraries. 4 sea days were too many for a week long Caribbean cruise.

Before I get into the meat of my trip report from the Allure Thanksgiving week, I want to tell you how much we enjoyed the private St Martin tour we booked with Leo Brown, as recommended by Matt Hochberg. Leo was waiting right outside the cruise ship port. He asked only $30 per person for a full day of sight-seeing including stops at Maho Beach, Mullet Bay (quiet, lovely, pillowy sand), Orient Beach (too windy, touristy for us), a local restaurant, and Phillipsburg. We felt safe at all times. I can't recommend him enough. Of course we had a wonderful holiday and made the best of our time despite the Allure's mechanical problems, which RCL was (in my opinion) unforgivably slow to acknowledge. Ultimately our big kids (17 and 22), didn't take advantage of the additional amenities (flowrider, rock wall, zipline, skating rink) that are so ballyhooed. Much of that was due to inclement weather, but also to slow moving lines and inconsistent operating hours. They spent most of their time in venues found on most cruise ships: the library, card room, various lounges, the pool area. Our show attendance record was dismal. I say that with more than a hint of humor. My family couldn't be bothered, although my wife and I enjoyed the live music in Jazz on Four and elsewhere. A few notes that might be helpful to future cruisers. Shuttles to Miami are available at the Allure terminal on a walk-up basis for only $11 / person. That's about a third of RCL's rate, and they leave immediately whereas with RCL we had to wait (possibly hours) for ship clearance. My wife and I have high standards when it comes to dining. The main dining room service and food was at best average to poor in our opinion, and the Windjammer couldn't match a buffet at a Vegas moderate. However, we thoroughly enjoyed many of the specialty dining venues. In particular I can recommend Chops, Vintages, Giovanni's and the Chef's Table. 150 Central Park was positioned as fine dining, but the menus were unsophisticated and the wine pairing a poor value ($40+$75), particularly when compared with the Chef's Table which included wine and a beautiful hardcover cookbook (was it $90 each?). The best bet for fresh cooked breakfast including real eggs was ultimately Johnny Rockets. We ate there six mornings straight, which couldn't have been good for our waistlines but we very much enjoyed it. Friendly, happy service too. The cabin steward was adequate (would you believe we found a previous cruiser's chocolate chip cookie under the desk on disembarkation day, and he kept topping off the shampoo dispenser with water?), but the specialty dining service staff and bar staff almost everywhere could not have been better. We had a lot of fun getting to know them. It probably doesn't say anything in my favor that they knew me by name at most of the watering holes by the end of the trip. The port at Nassau was closed due to poor weather - the ship couldn't get in. As a result, we benefited from one extra hour in St Thomas (10-6:30, close to the original schedule). Our Power Raft Snorkel Trip with Capt Nautica was well operated, with top notch equipment, decent snorkel sites, not too crowded (they only take 20), and they didn't keep us on an excessively short leash. The other boats we saw crammed the cattle in. We found downtown Phillipsburg and St Thomas to be a waste of time, with identical mass-market touristy shops and no real local culture. I wouldn't bother again. We're fairly well traveled, usually on the independent side, and I get to many rugged destinations for my work as a sport fishing writer. We don't necessarily need or expect 4 or 5 star accommodations, and we certainly prefer authenticity. In my experience modest local restaurants often serve incredibly well prepared and tasty fresh meals. We don't care for mass produced food that sits around. This wasn't our first cruise. We will cruise again, but I doubt we will select another mega ship. We loved our time in port (remember, we had only two days). By the end of the week all of us were feeling like we were trapped in a mall. We'll stick to cruise intensive ports from now on.

RCL has confirmed that the Allure is currently speed restricted, apparently due to problems with one of the ship's three azipods. Here's the quote: Allure of the Seas currently has a small restriction on her top speed. All equipment is fully operational and there is no impact on the maneuverability of the ship or on the safety of our guests and crew. Scheduled port stops appear to have been shortened on the Oct 13 and 27 Eastern Caribbean sailings. For St Thomas, it's a significant hit. Instead of 10-7, the Allure was only in port from 11:30-6:30. Nassau was apparently changed from 7 am to 2 pm to 7:30 to noon. Many port excursions were cancelled. At CruiseCritic, several posters claim they've made repeated requests of RCL to confirm the issues so they can make adjustments to their planned port excursions. So far RCL has denied there have been any itinerary changes. Passengers aboard these Eastern sailings were only informed once on board for their cruises. Distances are shorter on the Western sailing - that itinerary hasn't been affected. My family is scheduled to sail on the Allure's Eastern Caribbean route beginning Nov 24. I'd reserved an expensive private boat charter to St John. It was going to be the highlight of our week, and our only chance to get away from the crowds. I'm on the verge of canceling it. I'm disappointed, but with the cruise only three weeks out, trying to make adjustments now so I can put it behind me and enjoy the vacation. Can you please help? What could we do on St Thomas between 12 and 6 (I'm considering the time it takes to disembark and reembark) on St Thomas? For Nassau, I'm not sure it's worth getting off the ship for a 7 am to 12:30 pm port stop. I expect most attractions don't open until 10. We are not interested in nick-nack shopping. Does St Maarten offer anything that compares with St John? That port call is reportedly still 8 to 5. I'm wondering whether we can do something as special as the private charter I'm about to cancel, and make our St Thomas afternoon into a beach outing. Pete, I know you from WDW Today. You understand the importance of vacation planning. Thanks all for any help.