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An Alluring Tale of Love … A Blessed 25 Years; A Joyful Return to the Starry Seas - Allure of the Seas 12/19/2021 – 12/23/2021


Lovetocruise2002

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14 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Thanks for taking us along and sharing your experience.  Am really happy for you and your DH that things worked out and you were finally able to to cruise again.  Sounds like an amazing cruise and only negative is not long enough, but they are never long enough.  Safe travels home, and happy holidays with your kids.

We are happy to go home to the girls too. They are still whining we left them at home for this one lol

4 minutes ago, CravingaCruise said:

Thanks for taking us with you!  Your blog was fun and informative!  I'm looking forward to our #teamDeck17 experience in May!  Good luck to you as you transition back to real life again.  😩😩

Deck 17 is the best! You won’t want anything else after that! 😉

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1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Our main form of communication with her once onboard was through WhatsApp. I actually love this way of contacting the Genie. I hope more of them do this going forward.

I feel this has been a great enhancement for communication. I think Alan R on Allue in September had stated this was a fairly new rollout and the Genies were using company issued devices for it.

I've always felt silly calling in a request when a quick text message could do. Plus I feel text is easier, most of the time, to convey "list" type requests. 

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35 minutes ago, CGTLH said:

I feel this has been a great enhancement for communication. I think Alan R on Allue in September had stated this was a fairly new rollout and the Genies were using company issued devices for it.

I've always felt silly calling in a request when a quick text message could do. Plus I feel text is easier, most of the time, to convey "list" type requests. 

I've only had 1 SC sailing and we had Smitha so also used whatsapp, but if I had to actually place a phone call to the genie, I would definitely not use their services as much. I HATE talking to people on the phone and there's no doubt in my mind that my trip wouldn't have been as amazing as it was if I had to call every time.  

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4 hours ago, CGTLH said:

I feel this has been a great enhancement for communication. I think Alan R on Allue in September had stated this was a fairly new rollout and the Genies were using company issued devices for it.

I've always felt silly calling in a request when a quick text message could do. Plus I feel text is easier, most of the time, to convey "list" type requests. 

 

3 hours ago, wannabecruiseexpert said:

I've only had 1 SC sailing and we had Smitha so also used whatsapp, but if I had to actually place a phone call to the genie, I would definitely not use their services as much. I HATE talking to people on the phone and there's no doubt in my mind that my trip wouldn't have been as amazing as it was if I had to call every time.  

This is one thing Hubby and I discussed. Way easier to text them rather than call for a request. But then from the Genie perspective, we wondered if this leads to a lot more requests for that very reason. Because people feel bad calling for small things but texting makes is so easy. For example, one night Hubby just wanted a milkshake and if we had to call her, we wouldn’t have done it. But it was so easy to send a text and say, “Smitha can you please have JR send up a chocolate shake.” 😋

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4 hours ago, GregD said:

Thanks for the great blog, as usual. Im glad to see that Star Class is still great even in these changing times. I can't wait for these next 59 days to tick down. Have a safe return home to your pouting girls and have a great holiday!

 

4 hours ago, Drewtastic86 said:

Awesome Blog! Thank you as always!

 

1 hour ago, bellemiche said:

Thanks Sabrina! Let's keep praying that our March SC cruise will happen!! 

 

1 hour ago, PRebecca said:

Thank you for bringing us along!

Thanks for following along! And yes @bellemiche, many fingers crossed for March!! 

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32 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

This is one thing Hubby and I discussed. Way easier to text them rather than call for a request. But then from the Genie perspective, we wondered if this leads to a lot more requests for that very reason. Because people feel bad calling for small things but texting makes is so easy. For example, one night Hubby just wanted a milkshake and if we had to call her, we wouldn’t have done it. But it was so easy to send a text and say, “Smitha can you please have JR send up a chocolate shake.” 😋

I'm sure it does lead to more requests. On the flip side I'm sure it has increased guest satisfaction due to being able to send these requests.

Somewhat reminds me of being able to order room service from the TV versus having to call.

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Finally home, unpacked, had dinner with the girls and wanted to get this post in before the Christmas festivities  begin tomorrow. I mentioned earlier that I was anxious about crossing the land border back into Canada. With Omicron, Canada has been all over the place with ever changing travel rules and then only randomly implementing them.

Because we did technically travel outside the US (to the Bahamas), I was not sure if that would cause quarantine if we were randomly selected to complete an arrival PCR test. As the language on CBSA stands right now, anyone who has been outside of the US may be selected for arrival testing and then would be required to quarantine while waiting for test results.

With Christmas Eve being tomorrow and lots of plans with the family, I was worried that a quarantine while I await test results would mess things up for everyone.

Anyway, happy to report that while the land border crossing was super long (almost an hour wait to cross), when we got to the booth, they simply looked at our PCR results, checked our passports, asked how long we were gone for, and the value of goods purchased. Then they thanked us for completing our ArriveCAN app properly and sent us on our way. No arrival test required!

So thankful that everything has gone so smoothly from start to finish on this  one. This “new normal” of travelling is a bit stressful lol.   

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19 minutes ago, Sweety said:

Great cruise. Jewel was great too. Our original plan was to meet on the ship. Covid took over. Glad you celebrated your 25th date anniversary. 

Yes! That was my one regret from letting that original Jewel sailing go. I am sure our paths will cross again. We are teachers, same cruise schedule 🙂

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On 12/19/2021 at 10:51 PM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Haha! That was sort of the idea. 😂 We have already hit SC food coma mode. Well Hubby has. 

I wish.

You can actually get a pool and use it more than four weeks out of the year. It’s funny watching people around here, it got down to 50 (10C) last night and this morning people were out in puffy jackets and one lady had on earmuffs. 

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On 12/22/2021 at 10:29 AM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Blast from the past!

Went to go redeem our free photo and Allure still uses the old “find your printed photo in your folder” system. Haven’t seen this in ages!

3E161C35-5B3D-427F-91D4-B3ABC6E7A332.thumb.jpeg.5e6e195e5b1ee71b6d6150673cda899c.jpeg

Looks like an old microfiche system at a library. I’m not even sure why they need any Photo space at all. The app knows my room info, just add the photos there and let me pay for them and get them delivered electronically. 

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On 12/23/2021 at 12:10 AM, SpeedNoodles said:

Yeah, I just went back to my menu pictures from Odyssey in November and it was still on there. Maybe they just didn’t want Sabrina to have all of her fun on one short cruise. 

E41F8023-13D4-440E-8386-6EC56A39B545.jpeg

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9 hours ago, Andrew72681 said:

You can actually get a pool and use it more than four weeks out of the year. It’s funny watching people around here, it got down to 50 (10C) last night and this morning people were out in puffy jackets and one lady had on earmuffs. 

We live in Southern Ontario so our weather is much like Michigan, sometimes warmer depending on which part of Michigan you compare it to.  We get about 5 months out of our pool.  The hot tub Hubby runs year round.

9 hours ago, Andrew72681 said:

Looks like an old microfiche system at a library. I’m not even sure why they need any Photo space at all. The app knows my room info, just add the photos there and let me pay for them and get them delivered electronically. 

We were puzzled too at first so Hubby actually asked the guy at the photo studio why they still do it this way.  The guy said that it's an older ship and they cannot print that many at once so they would rather pre-print them all.  That was the explanation we got anyway.  Seems like a bit of a waste to me....

9 hours ago, Andrew72681 said:

Yeah, I just went back to my menu pictures from Odyssey in November and it was still on there. Maybe they just didn’t want Sabrina to have all of her fun on one short cruise. 

There is still hope for a return then!  Perhaps next sailing (in March) I will attempt to make a request for it. 😉

1 hour ago, calvink669 said:

The cruise director did state that before we left, however that was not what the app said and almost no one wore them once outside other than staff.

No announcement was made prior to arrival in Coco Cay on Allure.  But then, smoking was still going on in the Casino as well on Allure.  One interesting thing we did notice yesterday morning was that some of the crew had switched over to KN95 masks.  All sailing they were wearing the dark blue one (the one that most crew wear) and then yesterday morning, all the CK wore a white KN95 and the standard blue one on top (so double masked), and the loft attendants had also switched over to the white KN95 masks.  Not sure if that is a fleet wide thing or because something else was going on.

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❗BREAKING NEWS ALERT!❗

We have a Christmas Miracle here too (well other than actually getting out of dry dock).

Woke up this morning to do our usual post cruise weigh in...

Hubby +5

Me -1 🤯

Say what?!  Not sure how that is possible but I will take it! lol

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On 12/20/2021 at 12:51 PM, CGTLH said:

Go for it!

The Villas are two levels like the Crown Loft. Plus you're right next to The Retreat Lounge and the upper floor leads out to the Sun Deck. Negative is Luminae is a deck down.

Not the same amenities as Star on Royal. Laundry service twice, specialty dining (not sure delivered), and beverages. Plus stocked mini-bar. Key given, Butler no where near equal to Genie.

 

Disclaimer: Only sailed in a Sky Suite on Edge.

We visited a couple on our Apex cruise who had got upgraded to the Iconic suite.... It was AMAAAZING...  Keep in mind, that you would also get additional laundry becuase you would have diamond equivalent perks.   I love that perk on celebrity and we always use the dry cleaning perk and get my husband's suit cleaned.  I loved  eating Eden on Apex!!

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