wordell1

This is one area that is lacking on Royal. I would like to see a few snacking options at the bars.

No modifications for lent, but there are always vegetarian and fish options.

No, in fact it was noticeably lighter than tbe other restaurants, especially CP150. Definitely not humid either but it is January and the weather has been great. 80 degrees and sunny in Cozumel yesterday.

I'm on Allure now and it doesn't feel old or outdated to me. I was just on Wonder in June so I do have a good frame of reference.

I wasn't even willing to try that one!

We saw Mama Mia last night. My wife loves musicals while I generally dislike them. I've given them a few chances over the years and while I try to enjoy it for my wife's sake, it can be a chore for me to get through them. I did enjoy Mama Mia. For one, I actually like ABBA and they kept the basic songs intact as part of the musical. The story was just ok, but easy enough to follow along. My wife definitely enjoyed it. I think Mama Mia is a good choice for a musical. Even at 2 1/2 hours it was full and people stayed the entire time.

Dinner last night was at Samba grill. I've never tried a Brazilian steakhouse of any kind before so I wanted to use the cruise as an excuse to finally try one. I love meat, but my wife is not a huge fan of beef. She eats it, just doesn't love it. The waiter did a great job of explaining everything. He gave us great advice in telling us to go easy on the appetizers/salads from the buffet. I did get a caprese salad that was very good. They brought some hot appetizers to the table as well as grilled vegetables. Once the meat started, the brought out 8 different kinds of meat. Beef, Lamb, Roast Pork, bacon wrapped chicken, and Brazilian sausage. Small portions of each but it added up to a lot. We were all stuffed. We all enjoyed the experience. The food was good and all of us enjoyed trying each different meat. I was surprised that my wife enjoyed it. It still wouldn't be her first choice but maybe we will try a Brazilian steakhouse at home. It's too bad that the concept didn't catch on and I am sure that Samba will not survive Allure's amplification when it eventually occurs.

Lighting is the same on Allure. CP 150 is very dark vs Giovanni's.

I liked that one. Hopefully it makes a comeback!

A few notes/thoughts on Paradise Beach. The move to all inclusive has definitely changed some things. On the good side, the service was really good. The waiters were never far away and drinks and food came quickly. On the bad, the drinks were small and didn't taste as strong as before. The food was also served in mini portions. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing as you could try more things but it was definitely different. I ordered a burger and it was about the same size as a regular McDonald's burger. We did Mr Sancho's last year and it was terrible. Paradise Beaches all inclusive was better on food, drinks and especially service. I'm just not sure that I get my money's worth at $65 per person. I really liked the pay as you go version. It was crowded and I'm sure they are making more so I can't blame them.

The plan was to try to do the non-all inclusive option at Paradise Beach. We were up early to try to get in while there were spots available. Unfortunately, they told us that they were only offering the all inclusive package. We ended up taking this option because we were already here. Paradise Beach has always been a good option without having to spend a lot but it appears that the all inclusive option is now the only option. I can't blame them as I'm sure they make more money.

Cozumel

Let your driver know you want a good lobster lunch. I've been to a couple but I don't remember the names. Shrimp is also very good in Roatan.

Back to CP150 tonight for dinner. This restaurant was new to us on this trip and I really liked the menu choices. We booked 3 nights here and 1 each at Giovanni's, Chops, Izumi Hibachi and Samba grill. I had the veal medallions, my wife had the venison, and my son actually joined us and had the lamb wellington. The waiter added a lobster thermador for us to share. We had another really great meal with excellent service.

Agreed, there are definitely some weird issues with trying to pick your floor on the elevators. Luckily there are 2 sides and one usually works. I have also noticed the hot tubs were not very hot, but didn't know why. Overall, we are seeing really good service throughout the ship. Out stateroom attendant has been excellent. We are doing UDP for dining and I am glad that we are missing the transition period with the new menu. I'm sure they will figure it out.

And it can be done from the beach easily.

If you are used to a more all inclusive line, the upcharge choices may be a little overwhelming. They are definitely not out to trick anyone into paying for something they weren't expecting. To me it's more that you start from a much lower fare and can add on as you are comfortable, or not at all. While crewmembers may ask about some uncharged items, they are never pushy about it.

If you are looking for some ideas, I use Ronys tours. His website has lots of ideas. There are plenty of independent companies that offer tours. Ronystours.com

Did I mention the service at Maya Chan? This waitress is bringing drinks to these people in the water.

Roatan is a really great port. It is a very poor island, but it relies on tourists and there are some great activities at reasonable prices.

A passport is always recommended. The Birth certificate needs to be the official one with the seal. Any name change would need supporting documents(marriage certificate, etc) If you are adopted, the should be an updated Birth certificate. My son is adopted and he received a new birth certificate listing us as parents and his new legal name. At least that is how it works in Texas.

We did not need anything other than our passport in June 2022.

Definitely not as many kids as what @Ampurp85is describing. Mostly younger children. My son says the teen group is smaller than what he is used to but he still made friends. We did UDP this time around so no MDR. We are enjoying the specialty restaurants so far. We have reservations for Momma Mia tomorrow night. My wife is excited. I'm not a musical fan in general but I have an open mind as I do like ABBA. We will see.

I agree, the food and service on Allure at Giovanni's was really good. We are back at CP 150 tonight so we can compare notes!

I live in Texas and we get very good Mexican food. I say this just to emphasize that the best tacos in the world are served at Maya Chan in Costa Maya. I cannot properly describe the deliciousness that are the tacos served for lunch. They have flour and corn tortillas (made fresh in front of you) and a choice of beef, chicken, gish, and pulled pork. Whatever they marinade the meats in is the key because they are so flavor full.