Jamie A

Here’s a few more exhaust views from a drone fly over. 

Here you go. Disregard the arrow in 3rd pic showing our loft from a previous post. 

Are you talking about the one at the aft of the ship?
If so there are vents in that stack that I've heard are for venting certain galleys.  

Here’s a couple views from my drone

When our Cococay stop was cancelled due to weather they were offering Coco Locos all over the ship that day, so maybe there's an exception!

The best place to get information is going to be from official cruiseline announcements -- straight from the horse's mouth.  Even that translated story above may not have the full picture and scope of the situation as they don't know what Royal has in the works to find alternate solutions.  You really won't know for sure until Royal announces it.

Given the dry dock is scheduled to be happening now, at what point will there be more clarity on exactly what is and isn't being completed? And where would the best place to get that information be?
We just booked Dec. 20 on the Allure and a big reason for doing do was the water slides and some of the other additions. We love the Oasis-class ships but that stuff is big for our kids. If the slides aren't put in, there's a good chance we might consider changing boats.
 

@Ogilthorpe This worked! Thank you so much! 

@Ogilthorpe This worked! Thank you so much! 

Thanks I'll give this a go and see if it works ? 

Just done the refresh as you suggested and boom I see my set sail pass there. Delighted 

I have seen this before where the app insists that checkin is always a day away while the website is active for checkin.  I have been successful using the app after forcing a refresh of sorts. In my case, selected a future sailing and then went back to the trip in question and checkin was working fine.

This is the same for ny cruise on ovation in May. I checked in online but in the app it says I can't check in until march... Just do it online... 

I've found that to be typical.  It'll eventually allow it on the app.  Checking in on the app is nice because you can scan your passports, take a photo directly on the app, and you'll be much more likely to get expedited arrival (which you wont' get by checking in online).

hello! On my past med trip, we took advantage of the train service and not only took the train to two of the terraces (they get repetitive after a while), but took the train further and rode to the Portofino area. Consider this, it is so so amazing!

I'm glad to have helped. Have a great cruise! ?

Had to go and look it up!
We were on Harmony, 25 September to 2 October 2016. Our port call in La Spezia was on 28 September and it was 12 hours too, from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm, so you definitely have time to do it. We did not realise there was such a nice beach at Monterosso (the last stop) as we did not make it that far on our previous visit. If we had, we would have worn swimming costumes under our clothes and taken a couple of towels with us. Something to think about if you think you might want to enjoy some beach time. 

Hi Fiona,
Great Photos! What you did was what I was hoping to do myself. Were you in port long ? This particular day we have a full 12 hours so I assume this would be manageable ? Also what ship did you said on ? 

@FionaMG Thank you for posting these, they're beautiful. It made me a little emotional to see these- was there over the summer and had such a wonderful experience.

We have been to La Spezia twice and both times we did the Cinque Terre on our own by train. It is very easy to do.
We walked from the port to the train station. It took us about 20 minutes at an easy stroll. The route takes you slightly uphill through a pedestrianised shopping street. On the way back it's downhill, which is good because you're tired by then. 
There is a dedicated Cinque Terre ticket office in the station with very helpful staff who will not only sell you the tickets (there are concession rates for over 60-somethings I think) but also give you a map with a train timetable. You need to validate your tickets by sticking them in the machines on the platform. There are plenty of trains. Then it's just a case of getting on the first one and off again at the village you want to visit. The tickets cost us 15 or 16 euros each but this was about 3 or 4 years ago so they've probably gone up a bit now. Even so, it's waaay cheaper than the excursion.
I would recommend getting on and off on the way out because then you can spend some extra time at the last one having some lunch at one of the beach bars and then do the straight run back to La Spezia when you're ready. The trains do get busy in the afternoon and this strategy means you are more likely to get a seat!
The villages are really nice and it's definitely worth your while visiting. Our favourites were the first one (Riomaggiore) and the last one (Monterosso).



There's a ton of information on the Cinque Terre website here: https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/the-five-towns
Hope it helps. It's a fabulous port of call and I would love to do it again some day.
 

Allure of the Seas 10th May 2020
First sailing following Amplification!
 
So excited ??

Allure of the Seas 10th May 2020
First sailing following Amplification!
 
So excited ??

Allure of the Seas 10th May 2020
First sailing following Amplification!
 
So excited ??

Hello Jamie,
Welcome aboard! Feel free to ask away with any questions you may have. I personally, have visited Le Spezia many times years ago when I was stationed in Germany. My father was born in Le Spezia, would fly over to visit us and off we would go by train. At that time, late 80's early 90's, the Italian trains were subject to unannounced/unplanned union strikes. So much for the schedule! Not sure how it is now, but you do have some time to research the trains. If it were me, I would pay the Euros and go with the Royal Excursion. How long will the ship be in Le Spezia? We have been on the Allure four times now, love that ship! She's big and there is always something to do on board. Enjoy!