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Allure of the Seas October 10-17 (2BR ATS)


wannabecruiseexpert

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After lunch we walked around more and when we got back we had more snacks 

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More sushi! Smitha is doing a great job sending assorted mixed drinks for the adults and virgin drinks for the kids. Earlier I said I don’t eat sushi but those fried things in the picture at about 10 o’clock were amazing. Anyone know what those are called? 

The night before, one of my kids asked if there was anywhere to get a pickle, and I told her I didn’t think so but I would find out. I asked on Facebook and they said maybe the Windjammer but everything was already closed so I asked Smitha the next day if there was anywhere and she said they have sliced pickles didn’t know about big ones but she would find out. Less than 10 minutes later the doorbell rings and we got this

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Smitha for the win!! 

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After dinner we had an adult comedy show scheduled that DH & I had to miss because the little one was really cranky and needed to go to bed. The 2 older girls had a great time so we will probably try and catch it another time. 
 

We also had our first towel animals, which are one of the kids favorite things on a cruise 

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Day 3 (Cozumel) started with breakfast delivery from Coastal Kitchen and Starbucks 

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I think we all like Johnny Rocket’s breakfast better. 

DD22 and her friend explores to port area, which equates to some drinking at Senor Frogs. 

DD14, her friend and I did a ship sponsored excursion swimming with dolphins. When we went to Cozumel in June on the Adventure sailing, we went to the same place but did the encounter. DD watched all of the people swimming with them and knew she’d want to do it the next time. The excursion included lunch and open bar. Rum punch was REALLY good and the kids quesadillas were very tasty. I had chicken nachos and they were just ok.

But that’s ok because when we returned to the ship, it was snack time….

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2 hours ago, wannabecruiseexpert said:

Day 2’s dinner was at Central Park 150. I didn’t love it. I personally just didn’t care much for the atmosphere. Here’s some of the food. Fried cheesecake was amazing!

I totally agree with you.  Since they changed the format and menu at 150, it is now my least favorite specialty restaurant. 

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7 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

I want to try Central Park 150 but there food seems a bit foo foo and I like simple food.

I also had to really stare at that picture to realize they didn't just bring you large chunks of bread but sandwiches 🤣

Those sandwiches are really good! We’ve had tuna salad and chicken salad and some pesto thing so far. 
 

I’m with you on the simple food!

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7 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

I concur. CP150 is my least favorite specialty when it comes to both food and atmosphere. I never got to try it with the old menu, so additionally I take this stance in solidarity with those who miss the flavored salts 😂

I felt like no one was talking and it was so quiet. There was another table with kids but they didn’t seem to be talking either. We’re just so used to talking about our day during dinner at home after work and school and it just felt awkward. We weren’t loud by any means but still….

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10 minutes ago, wannabecruiseexpert said:

I’ll get caught up with day 3 dinner and evening soon but here’s a spoiler for day 4……

It involves a sick kid, medical center, covid test, a very pricey private journeys tour that was scheduled at 7:45 (while we were quarantined to our room) 

Yikes! That sounds... unpleasant.

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Day 3 dinner was at Samba Grill, located at the Solarium. I absolutely loved the space. It was right at sunset and absolutely gorgeous in there! It’s the first sunset we saw. The food received mixed opinions from my bunch. These are some of the prepared foods from the buffet area and appetizers. Sorry I have no clue what anything is called.
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Day 4. Our first time to Costa Maya.  We have a 7 hour excursion scheduled. At some point throughout the night, DD6 started coughing more than usual. Like she needed mucinex. About 6 in the morning she “got sick” and was acting pretty whiny. 7:00…. still acting whiny. I understand a cough and throwing up isn’t abnormal for a little kid but in these covid times, I’m not taking any risks of us being responsible for getting someone else sick. 
 

So I messaged Smitha a little after 7 and told her what was happening and that I was going to call medical. By 7:20 I was off the phone with medical and they were sending a nurse to give her a covid test. 7:30 Smitha told me she had contacted shore excursions and told them what was happening. 7:35 test was done and we were told we’d get results in 45-60 minutes and for everyone to stay in the room. Now I’m not exaggerating when I say this but by 7:45, little one was 100% back to her normal self. No coughing. No whining. It was like someone flipped a switch. 8:33 she messaged me to see if I heard anything. Nope, still waiting. Since it has been an hour, she called medical. 8:37 she told me they have the results and would call me (if they had the results, what were we waiting on??) 8:42 they called and said it was negative but I needed to take her to get checked out. Smitha met us with an elevator at 8:47 and took us to medical and told us it’d be really quick and then left to go get the rest of my family so we could all go on the tour.
 

When we walk into medical, there’s a few people who appeared to be filling out paperwork and waiting. She’s triaged immediately then taken to a room. Doctor comes and explains to me that their typical swab test tests for 4 things….covid, influenza a, influenza b and rsv and that DD was negative for all. Told me not a gastro issue and that she seems phlegmy from allergies and needed to take benedryl and also that she needs to stay out of kids club today and tomorrow (days 4 and 5)

After making sure there’s no issues getting off the ship, we went to the elevator lobby where Smitha was waiting with my family. When we scanned our cards to get off, DD6 flashed red and said she couldn’t get off due to being unvaccinated and not having a ship sponsored excursion. Smitha talked to them and we got off. At this point it’s 9:30, almost 2 hours late. She handed us over to the shore excursion manager who walked us down the pier to meet our tour guide. 
 

Next up: the tour and being scared we were going to miss the ship

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Our tour was the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and Bacalar Lagoon. So we’re about 2 hours late for a 7 hour tour. Gangway up is 3:30 and it’s 9:30. The tour guide said it’s no big deal and we would just shorten the stops by a little and we should arrive back by 3:10. He told me let him do all of the worrying about time.

The drive to the ruins was full of information about the locals and Mayan history. I found it very interesting. We get to the ruins after about 1 1/2 hours or somewhere there abouts. Told us to load up with bug spray and sunscreen and we started walking. Lots and lots of walking. We were told we could take photos but if we wanted to take video we needed to pay a fee. 

The little one probably enjoyed the ruins more than anyone else! She was practicing her Spanish with the tour guide. She walked up ruins I didn’t even go up due to being exhausted. After seeing all of the ruins we ended at a shop which only took cash. I wasn’t prepared for that and had cash for tipping so unfortunately we didn’t purchase anything. That’s been my only regret of the trip so far. 
 

We got back on the much needed air conditioned van and headed for the lagoon. Pictures looked amazing. It was anything but. It was like a dirty lake. When we first got there, there was 1 big bus full of people. We went to the buffet of chicken (good), steak (not good) and fruit and veggies that were good. There was an open bar and the staff made sure we always had a drink in hand. After we ate, we realized we were the only ones there. So that part was really nice. The had kayaks but we didn’t use them. The young teenagers were being grumps so they took naps on the chairs while everyone else changed into swimsuits and relaxed in the water. Very rocky so if you ever go, make sure to have water shoes! We left about 2 to head back to the ship. Everyone, including the tour guide, took a catnap 😂😴

We arrived back at the port right at 3:10, just like he said. The way back to the ship was VERY confusing. We would follow a sign that said back to ship and end up at a dead end to a pool. Or a bar. We were so confused. We were in a rush due to time and I still wasn’t able to get a souvenir from any of the shops. We try to get a magnet and shirt from every new stop.  We will be back in April so at least I can get one then. We finally find our way of the crazy maze and see a third ship, Carnival Breeze. I forgot to mention earlier that we were at Cozumel with Liberty OTS and a couple from the dolphin excursion told us they’d be in port with us at Costa Maya too. We step on the ship at 3:31. Not too bad for being 2 hours late and practically getting lost on the way back.

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Gah! this live blog has been a better at convincing me to one day aim for Star Class than literally ANY of Royal's marketing!

The amount of snacks delivered is mind blowing but I also LOVE that you can get food from the restaurants delivered to your room! Room service breakfast is our favorite part of staying in the GS but after a week, the menu can get a little stale. Haha. I'd love to be able to try all those different restaurants!

And I love that Smitha really works hard for you! I didn't realize just how much a genie can and will do!

 

Can't wait for more!

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50 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

Gah! this live blog has been a better at convincing me to one day aim for Star Class than literally ANY of Royal's marketing!

It can be surprisingly affordable when you get to the higher occupancy suites. The 2BR ATS are often a good value, especially if you book them when the bookings first open up and it's an off-season cruising time.  

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1 hour ago, AshleyDillo said:

It can be surprisingly affordable when you get to the higher occupancy suites. The 2BR ATS are often a good value, especially if you book them when the bookings first open up and it's an off-season cruising time.  

It's the "per person" that always breaks me.

Right now the lowest star class suite (OS) is going for 5800 per person before taxes and fees, which is more than double  the GS cost. I'd only be able to swing that if I didn't cruise (or take any other vacation) for like...3 years. So while I' sure it's worth it, it's something that needs to be worked up to. gotta get those D+ discounts lol

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29 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

It's the "per person" that always breaks me.

Right now the lowest star class suite (OS) is going for 5800 per person before taxes and fees, which is more than double  the GS cost. I'd only be able to swing that if I didn't cruise (or take any other vacation) for like...3 years. So while I' sure it's worth it, it's something that needs to be worked up to. gotta get those D+ discounts lol

OS? UPS or OPS or GPS are Star Class..regular OS is still only Sky class.

The price gets reasonable when you factor in persons 3+.  I have one booked where the 3/4 person rate is only an additional $750ish total per person.  When you add that into the total and split it by more people, that's where you see it become reasonable.  For 2 people usually you have to be pretty in the $$ to afford it!

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30 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

It's the "per person" that always breaks me.

Right now the lowest star class suite (OS) is going for 5800 per person before taxes and fees, which is more than double  the GS cost. I'd only be able to swing that if I didn't cruise (or take any other vacation) for like...3 years. So while I' sure it's worth it, it's something that needs to be worked up to. gotta get those D+ discounts lol

Just for fun, I priced a few suites on a randomly chosen Oasis cruise in Feb 2023.  In an Owner's Suite, guests 1&2 were $4900, guests 3&4 were $927.  Total cost after discounts was $8600 after today's discounts (so $2150 per person).  The most expensive suite available for that cruise is currently the Owner's Panoramic with guests 1&2 at $16,500 and guests 3&4 still at $927.  Total costs after today's discounts was $24,800 (so $6200 per person).

So watch out for that per person language, it may only be based on double occupancy.

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@AshleyDilloIs right, the more people the less it actually becomes. I priced a 2br aqua for Jan 23' and it was $8600 for 4 people, which is amazing. The problem for me is I don't have 4 people to split it with. Anyone who goes with me doesn't want to spend more than $1400 on a cruise and that includes all their extras like internet, drinking and dining.

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50 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

@AshleyDilloIs right, the more people the less it actually becomes. I priced a 2br aqua for Jan 23' and it was $8600 for 4 people, which is amazing. The problem for me is I don't have 4 people to split it with. Anyone who goes with me doesn't want to spend more than $1400 on a cruise and that includes all their extras like internet, drinking and dining.

That's when you have to turn to the internet to find random people to fill your room. 😂 

I just did the same with my OTW cabana I booked on my solo cruise. Now I magically have 7 people who want to be my friend on the cruise.

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13 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

OMG I love that towel animal with their cap and school pencil.

Agreed. It’s the cutest one we’ve ever had! It also had mini stuffed animals set up like “students”

9 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

Gah! this live blog has been a better at convincing me to one day aim for Star Class than literally ANY of Royal's marketing!

The amount of snacks delivered is mind blowing but I also LOVE that you can get food from the restaurants delivered to your room! Room service breakfast is our favorite part of staying in the GS but after a week, the menu can get a little stale. Haha. I'd love to be able to try all those different restaurants!

And I love that Smitha really works hard for you! I didn't realize just how much a genie can and will do!

 

Can't wait for more!

Breakfast has been my favorite! We had Coastal Kitchen delivered once and Johnny rockets every other time. Their cheesy bacon lovers is soooo good!

8 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

It can be surprisingly affordable when you get to the higher occupancy suites. The 2BR ATS are often a good value, especially if you book them when the bookings first open up and it's an off-season cruising time.  

When we first booked this, for 4 people was less than $8,000 and like you said later, each person added since was a little over $700. I don’t think that’s bad at all considering we paid right at $5,000 for 2 balcony rooms on Adventure in June. 

3 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

@AshleyDilloI don't know how to try to lure the right people into cruising.

 Cabin Fever Reaction GIF

Also sorry OP for turning your live blog into a discussion on how to do star class for cheaper.

No worries at all! The only reason I booked this is because I saw other conversations on here about pricing and some deals!

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Day 4 dinner was at Izumi. Most everyone knows now that the hibachi side is for vaccinated only. And like I said earlier, my little one couldn’t go to the kids club. So one of us decided we were going to not go and stay with her, but Smitha had better plans. She worked some genie magic and created a plan for all of us to go. I’m keeping that between us but let me just say, she is so great and anyone who gets the chance to have her, you will not be disappointed!

Izumi was awesome. My favorite out of all of the specialty dining. We eat at hibachi grills at home frequently and have never had rice as soon as Izumi! DH & I both ordered the same steak and chicken but he got the thick filet and I got the flat ny strip. Not sure what happened but not worth complaining. I just ate some of his. He also ordered some saki and when they bright it to him, they said they were out and if he wanted more he’d have to buy the whole bottle. That was weird.

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After dinner, we watched the Aqua show from our balcony. I would have liked to watch it from the seats in addition to from the balcony but we barely had time to do the things we have done! So many things, not enough time!

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Day 5 was our last sea day and started with our usual breakfast and Starbucks. We didn’t really do much other than enjoy the pools and the most comfortable beds ever for much needed naps 😂 I seriously want to buy their mattress and bedding!

We went to the ice show, Ice Games (based on monopoly) and we all loved it! Very entertaining! Then we had Chops for dinner. I think I’m all steaked out by now. 


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Day 6 - Nassau

I know that a lot of people don’t like Nassau. I’ve been one of those people.  This day was great though! Very busy but one of my favorite days. I’ve found that picture taking slows down as we go. We had our usual breakfast from Johnny Rocket’s. 
 

The 4 big kids went snorkeling for the first time and DH just went shopping. DD6 and I did Blackbeard’s Pirate Revenge excursion and it was both of ours favorite thing we did. I HIGHLY recommend it for younger kids. It left right at the pier so no long walking. The pirates were so great with the kids and have them tons of attention.
 

I won’t spoil it so you can enjoy it too. There was an open bar with water, punch for the kids and alcoholic drinks for the adults. 
 

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We got back on the ship about 3, enjoyed another round of delicious snacks and drinks from Smitha, rested for a few and then 3 of us had an ice skating session from 4:30-5:00 (big kids were still on their excursion) it was our first time ice skating and none of us liked it. I thought since we can roller skate we’d be decent at it. I was wrong! Gave me a new respect for the skaters in the show.
 

When we got back to the room, the kids were back and they all had a great time. They said there was about 50 people on their boat and well over 100 people snorkeling. Seems like too many people to me but I’ve never been snorkeling either so wouldn’t  know what to expect.

 

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When we were walking back to our room, I was stopped by spa employees selling a package. I’ve never been to any spa on a ship before. The package was $129 for 75 minutes including: various massages and facial. I signed up, just to be able to experience it. I loved every minute of it other than the sales pitch at the end. Scalp massage and feet/leg massage tie for my favorite.
 

We didn’t have any dinner planned so we split up and had a “do your own thing tonight” night. We had the a headliner show scheduled at 8:00. The 4 big kids sat in the lower seating while DH, DD6 and I sat in the balcony due to her being unvaccinated. Kevin Johnson (ventriloquist) was very funny and even DD6 laughed out loud multiple times.

 Next up: Beach Club and sharks 

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