androckb

For us, it's exactly what you said - having the fixed seating time allows us to have the same table mates and the same service staff for the whole cruise. We enjoy sitting at a larger table with others and chatting throughout the week about the cruise, what we have all seen and done, etc. We also enjoy having the same serving staff (which is possible with MTD, but not always) which by the second or third night knows our preferences and has our drinks, etc. ready for us when we arrive. As someone said earlier in the thread - no right or wrong way to dine, just whatever works for you and your family/travel party.

You can also stop by Guest Services and they will print out a statement for you to review. It's not a bad idea to check once or twice during your cruise, especially before the last day, to see if there's anything amiss. On the last day of the cruise, especially in the evening, the line for Guest Services can be quite long with people settling up accounts or making any corrections, etc.

For what it's worth, in my cruise planner for my Allure of the Seas sailing this November, it is showing the 30% banner, and one device for Voom Surf + Stream is $11.99. So I would imagine that it's still the "sale" price for you as well.

In a lot of ways the industry has gone in that direction - the concept of a hotel/resort that floats. As for a limit to size - there are certainly engineering limits, as well as limits by ports the ships would visit not being able to handle their size/length/depth. Not every new ship is bigger than the last, though. The Quantum class (albeit still large ships) are smaller than the previously introduced Oasis class on Royal Caribbean. And there are still specialty/luxury lines that are building small and medium size ships instead of mega ships. I also see in most new ships there are a lot more balcony cabins; an outward view is very accessible. I'm sailing Allure of the Seas later this year, and I'm interested to see from the public spaces if it feels like you're disconnected from the sea as much as I've seen some reviews talk about it. I'm sure part of it is just the sheer size - less motion, so you aren't constantly reminded you're out in the water I think is at least part of it.

I think he meant in a glass. Likely got auto-corrected by his phone.

I've heard the term more frequently in relation to flights than cruises. It sometimes makes sense financially to fly out of and back into different airports if there are multiple options nearby. Like the NYC area, or even like here in Tampa with the main airport(TPA) and smaller regional (PIE) only a few miles apart across the bay.

In the simplest terms, an open jaw cruise (or any trip itinerary, in general) is one that begins and ends in a different port (or city, if you're flying).

Bumping this thread up; I happened to be messing around on google maps and found the company who did the photography for this before searching the forums here to see it's already been shared. http://www.the360company.biz/page/Royal-Caribbean-Allure-of-the-Seas (same views as the link in the original post above) It's from May 2014, but still a very neat way to look at Allure and see many of the public spaces. Especially for the over-planners like myself.

Glad they've at least released the menu. We only used room service for continental breakfast items in the past, so ultimately for us, this change has little impact. But I certainly understand the concerns that others have with now having to pay for something that has been included. I certainly hope the new offerings are better quality and worth the charge, otherwise I for one would be demanding the charge removed at Guest Services.

I had the same issue registering recently. I made contact via twitter and had it fixed within a day.

We cruised on Vision of the Seas out of Tampa in November 2015. The ship was definitely clean and safe, and we found the food in the main dining room to be good, with some items being great. Service in the dining room was excellent. Windjammer was hit or miss for us, but we certainly didn't go hungry. We did not do any of the upcharge options. It definitely is a smaller ship with less to see/do on the ship, but with a 5 night sailing and your focus on the destination, you should be fine, especially since you are looking for a smaller ship experience.

Hello all! I'm Bill, from Tampa. Still relatively new to cruising myself with just one on Vision of the Seas back in November 2015, and looking forward to Allure of the Seas later this year. While I haven't sailed much myself, I am quite familiar with the travel industry in general, and very much so Central Florida theme parks and related destinations. Have twice been a travel agent in my career, including as a cruise specialist (although I never sailed when I worked for the company - think big online site - I was one of the top sales performers on my team). Now I work full time in retail, and as a private tour guide at theme parks on the side. As a huge planner, I love this site and have also been learning a lot from the message boards too. Always nice to connect with others and continue learning and planning - for me, it's part of the fun of a big vacation.

For those that are seeing the offer, is it just showing up in your Cruise Planner? Just curious, as I can't find it anywhere in mine (although we're not sailing until November, so that may be why).

Allure of the Seas - November 26, 2017