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Does anyone know if a Microsoft Book 2 with dimensions 13.5 X 10 inches fit in the cabin safe?

Hello all! I will be attempting to live blog as much as I can from Allure of the Seas, March 3rd Sailing to the Western Caribbean. I am going with my husband Ken and our 5 year old daughter to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We picked Allure because it was recommended as a great kids program and I liked the itinerary, I wanted to go back to Cozumel. It's a first cruise for my family and my 3rd, though it has been 11 years since my last cruise on Navigator OTS in March 2008. She looked very different than she does today! Before that I was on 2 different Carnival cruises for which I did very little planning but times have changed. For 11 months I have pored over posts, obsessively listened to Matt's podcast, and have packed with Sheri on CTTV multiple times. My nails are done, our bags are packed (though I will be repacking them tonight because I have way too much stuff) and our plane boarding passes and set sail passes are printed. Getting there: We are flying out of NJ tomorrow morning to FLL and then going to take a detour to visit a friend in Coral Springs. Then we will head to Miami tomorrow night and try to get some sleep! I fully intend for us to be at the port by 10:30 AM on Sunday and one of the first on the ship to explore and attempt my first public periscope (please bear with me if you are following me!) The itinerary: Western Caribbean: Nassau-We will stay on the ship, which probably won't be as empty as we would like Cozumel-Beach day at El Cozumelino Roatan- Private tour with Victor Bodden tours because I want us to be on our own schedule and stay as long or as short as we want to. We are planning on seeing monkeys and sloths, then some lunch at a local place and snorkeling off of West Bay Beach. Costa Maya-We will spend the day at Maya Chan beach where we will renew our vows and enjoy some relaxation time. Still back and forth on whether or not we'll leave our LO on the ship for this one (she told us she wants to stay on the ship) but that will likely be a game day decision. The room and board: We are in stateroom 10602 large balcony room. We did bid on a Jr Suite and Crown suite through RoyalUp but I do not have my hopes up that it will come through, the ship has been sold out for several weeks and we didn't bid much. It would be a nice treat though. We got the deluxe drink package for $44 per day and the Key which we scored at $19.99 and I felt that was well worth it. We are looking forward to Chops for lunch on embarkation day. We do plan to eat in the MDR, but have a reservation at 150 Central Park and I plan to reserve Chef's table on board when we figure out what day is best. We may add something else but I enjoy the traditional dining and my husband thinks that sounds good too, getting to know the waiter, table mates, etc. We love craft IPAs but not expecting to find much of that on board, so it will be morning bloody marys and poolside margaritas. Any other favorite drink suggestions welcome. I heard @Twangster order a frozen lemonade with grey goose on periscope today so I'll have to try that, sounded delicious! Oh and I almost forgot, we are celebrating my husband's birthday while we're there as well which falls on Mardi Gras this year. Our daughter is very excited about Adventure Ocean and keeps telling us how she can eat dinner with us and then they'll take her to go the "kid's club". I can only hope she likes it as much as she thinks she will. So much to look forward to and I look forward to sharing it with you all!

So I officially have all my entertainment booked for my May Allure sailing as well as great prices on my excursions, drink packages, and The Key. Backup MTD reservations are done in case I can’t get into Coastal Kitchen one of the nights. I’m trying to figure out if there will be any additional activities released closer to the sailing that I would need to stalk the CP for or if I should move on to price stalking for my next cruise. The activities currently listed are private flowrider sessions, guac class, cupcake class, sushi class, wine tasting, all access tour, and bottomless brunch. Can anyone with a closer Allure sailing peek at their CP and let me know if I have the complete list at this point? Thanks in advance!

Please help me with any general information on the teen club on board. My son is 12 and quite shy at first. He is on the spectrum as well (Asperger’s). Is there any periodic supervision in these clubs? Sorry for the stupid question...Oh yeah, if anyone has a link to a teen compass, that would be extremely helpful and appreciated! Thank y’all so much!

I am SO excited for my family's very first cruise ever this July (7-14) on the Allure. My mother- and father-in-law (avid RC cruisers) are treating my family of three (me, husband, and son who will be 3 weeks shy of 6) and my brother-in-law's family (husband, wife, 13 and 15 year old boys) to the cruise and are helping us with transportation there. We will be responsible for all extras (excursions, premium dining, tips, etc.). I am having difficulty navigating the shore options available to us and haven't been able to find any sites that review the options. Ideally, I would like to take our son with us when in port because this will be his first international experience. We don't *really* love the beach and are definitely foodie-friendly (but not alcohol; we just don't drink it) and can definitely do walking tours but maybe not hikes. What are your thoughts on the available options? Of course, I will take any additional tips or tricks for making our first cruise a successful one! I don't expect us to do any premium dining, but I would be interested to hear in what extras are really worth it. We also enjoy dancing, music, comedy, art, watching sports, and of course, travel.

Woke up this morning to do the check in for my Allure of the Seas cruise that departs in 90 days only to see the dreaded message of" We are unable to update your information at this time. Please try again later. I really wanted to make sure I get tickets to the play "Mama Mia" as well as do my regular check in. On Liberty of the Seas you just had to show up but for this ship you need to reserve tickets. Does anyone know how you go about doing that through the Royal website? I hope it's back up and working at some point today......

We are considering moving from an interior cabin to a Central Park VIEW room on Oasis. These aren't the ones with balconies, but are only on deck 9 with a window. To me they are similar to Royal Promenade View cabins on a Voyager Class ship. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/545005992390235584/?lp=true Has anyone stayed in these? Is there any noise from the restaurant or kitchen below? Any noise from Central Park? I have read conflicting reports with some saying the ambient restaurant music can be heard and runs 24 hrs, and others say no noise. I greatly appreciate it, and if you can report on any specific cabins you have stayed in that would be awesome. We are specifically considering 9231/9233. Thank you!

Shamelessly promoting my favourite class of ship again. I came across this video tonight and really wanted to share it. @Matt has some great blog posts comparing the 4 ships but this video was so well put together and gives a great comprehensive visual. Whether you are a first timer or you've sailed all 4, it's still worth a look, especially if you are deciding between them as I find many people are. Also, there are some really good shots of the new features on Symphony, including food shots from Playmakers and Hooked. It's 20min long and there is an ad in the middle but have a look. Can't wait for my next Oasis class sailing!

I am making no promises. I have only my iPad so not really equipped to create a full cruise blog but I will do what I can without interrupting the groove of the cruise. I’m not much of a picture-taker and I don’t even know how to post a pic so probably won’t have photos unless I can figure that out. Today was travel day. Left DC at 5:30 AM. Wow. That is early ! ...but had an uneventful flight down. The air was very unsettled so it was a bumpy and turbulent ride but we made it. Since we are both status members with American Airlines, we always fly American. From DC, American does not fly nonstop to Fort Lauderdale so your choices are, nonstop to Miami or go through Charlotte. We chose to go through Charlotte this trip so we had 2 segments, but the flights were so close together that we basically got off the first leg and hustled to the gate for #2 with no time to spare. We are staying at the Residence Inn Airport and Cruiseport. While the hotel is very nice, there is absolutely nothing nearby unless you want Wendy’s or Dunkin Donuts and even with those, you would have to cross a busy highway to get over there. They do have a shuttle bus that picked us up from the airport and will take you to a couple of nearby restaurants or Publix market at no cost but that got old quickly. I don’t think I will stay here again. Dan used points for this room so at least the price was right. They only have a complimentary happy hour Mon-Wed so nothing for us there. There is a complimentary breakfast which we will check out tomorrow morning. There is shuttle service ($8 pp) from the hotel to the port so we are scheduled to leave here at 10 AM. The Genie is expecting us at 10:30 so we may be a bit early. We’re in for the night at this point. Very excited about boarding Allure in the morning ! We were on Allure over Thanksgiving last year but not in Star Class. This will be our first time in Star Class on any ship other than Harmony. It will be interesting to compare the service on the different ships. They’re calling for rain tomorrow so it might be a wet start. Our friend Jim flew in much later this afternoon and is staying elsewhere so we will not see him until after we board tomorrow. It’s always an adventure when you vacation with one or more of the Jim twins.

I have downloaded the smartphone app prior to our cruise Apr 22 and it looks good. It has menus for the dining places including the MDR. It also has prices for extra charge items both prior to sailing and onboard. Does anyone have any experience using the latest version while on board?

I'm looking to book a cruise next year, and two that interest me are either on Freedom of the Seas, or Allure of the Seas. Allure is a bit more expensive, but it's on a larger ship. I'm wondering if it is worth the extra money to be on it?

Hello Everyone, I recently cruised on Allure of the Seas in February and filmed a video of our trip. Please take a look and let me know your thoughts! We had a wonderful time and enjoyed perfect weather sailing the Western Caribbean! Thanks, Ryan

I’d a search and found some stuff but wanted some more current info. We are sailing on the Allure June of 18. DD wants a dolphin excursion. I didn’t see any on the RC brochure, but found some online for St Thomas. Am I missing anything? Thanks

We are currently booked on Allure of the Seas in an Aquatheater Suite in 11730. How is the room - is it as amazing as it looks? We have never been on Oasis class and so excited! Would also love recommendations on breakfast and lunch options besides Windjammer.

Since both ships are in dry dock near each other, has anyone seen any pics? I have been searching and haven't found anything yet. The webcam in Freeport is offline.

Hey everyone - Been lurking on these boards for a while, but finally decided to actually create an account. Have a cruise on the Allure in March next year. There has been talk on this board previously about the availability of Cigars, and the presence of cigar bars. I know the Allure does not have any designated cigar bars, but I did see on a 2017 compass an event every night labeled "Cigars under the stars". The location was listed as the pool bar. As someone who loves to indulge in some stogies when on vacation, I wasn't sure if anyone knows if these events are frequent on Allure cruises? If so, do you know if they actually sell cigars on board (regardless of the ridiculous upcharge that would be included)? Thanks in advance for any help, and thanks for all of the amazing content that I find on the boards!

Thinking about doing an Eastern Caribbean cruise, would be flying from Manchester, England. The price of the whole cruise comes out at £3939 for Allure and £4029 for Oasis, so not worried about the price. Are there any differences in service/food quality or any noticeable things that differ these ships from one another?

Does the Allure offer a wine pairing dinner at Vintages? We've done them on the Freedom and the food is fabulous.

http://www.theonion.com/article/shelling-royal-caribbeans-ms-allure-sinks-carnival-56448

Has anyone done that this activity on Allure in 2017? Would you recommend it? I've seen great reviews from a few years ago but the only one that is more recent is a negative review. I'd love a more recent opinion.

Is $8,000 for a Star Class Aqua Theater for 2 people on Allure of the Seas in Jan 2019 a good price for that room category?

Just checked my cruise planner hoping from some President's Day weekend deals and I saw that Giovanni's Table is 30% off! I've heard some meh reviews on the restaurant, but for $21pp it looks like the hubs and I are having a date night!

I am considering purchasing the Deluxe drink package on my upcoming cruise on Allure of the Seas. I know I'll enjoy some alcoholic drinks but I am also a coffee fanatic and enjoy my espresso based drinks so this package may be perfect for me. I know Starbucks is not included in the premium coffee but what is included? And where is that premium coffee found on the ship? I apologize if this question has been asked! This is my first cruise! Thank you for all your help!

Hi there I am a complete newbie to RC and I have booked a cruise - 9th April Allure, East Caribbean Itinerary, for myself partner and Mum and her partner for their 70th birthdays and I really want it to be amazing and feeling the pressure!!! Can you please help me with these q's? - what excursion is a must - what is the one thing we must do on the ship - what time can we board and then please do offer me any other info that will help me!!! or point me to other threads, I've read loads and got some great tips so far thanks Laura :-)

We have reserved a chartered boat through Sonic Charters for St. Thomas on Dec 7th. We are Traveling on the Allure of the Sea Dec. 4th 2016 Sailing. We currently have 2 couples that are heading out for a private tour of the U.S Virgin Islands through Sonic Charters, listed as one of the Top 5 things to do on Trip Advisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147404-d3676786-Reviews-Sonic_Charters-St_Thomas_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html). The price includes up to 8 people so we are looking for 1-2 other couple who would be interested in joining us for this amazing trip. We went on a similar trip on the February sailing on the Oasis of the Seas and it was one of the best trips of our lives. We love to have fun, this trip will include snorkeling with Turtles, a Trip to Honeymoon Beach, and anything else our experienced captain will suggest. We love children ( we have 7 between the 2 couples currently going) but are leaving ours at home, so we looking for no children on this excursion. This is the email I received from the Charter Company. We would split the charges evenly between the couples. If your ship is here from 10-7 you could have from about 10:30-5:30 out on the water. It usually takes about a half hour for cruise ship guests to get off the ship and to the pickup location at the nearby marina (5 minutes walking distance) and we usually get people back about 1.5 hours before the ship leaves to err on the side of caution. We only offer full day charters that time of year and the rate is $675 plus fuel. Fuel charges differ depending on where you go. Given the time you have I would probably recommend staying in the USVI rather than going to the BVI like you mentiond. You could spend time around St John, Water Island, St. Thomas and the little uninhabited islands which is a great option and one that avoids British Virgin Islands customs to allow more time on the water. We have some great snorkeling spots here in the USVI and our captain knows some great secluded beaches as well as some great stops for lunch and drinks. If you did this, my guess is that fuel would be between $100-150. Our captain's make sure each trip is customized for our guests whether it be snorkeling, beach bar hopping, visiting the most popular spots, checking out some of the more hidden local spots or a combination of all. We would also need to include a tip for the Captain in our split costs. As I mentioned the last time we did this trip it was amazing! If you are interested just let me know and we can meet up when we get on board. You can give cash to the captain directly there is no need to pay anything upfront. Looking for forward to another great trip in a few days!