wordell1 Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 I'm going to attempt a semi-live blog of our cruise which starts in just a few days. I have been reluctant to try this in the past because I really want to enjoy my vacation and not feel like I need to document everything. So, I will not be doing a day-by-day post of all our activities, but will attempt to give my impressions of Allure, the new port of Galveston, and the specialty restaurants on Allure. I do want to make a good attempt because I love reading these live blogs and have gotten a lot of good info from reading them. I am 54 and my wife and son (16) will be joining me on this cruise. We live in the Austin suburbs and will make a 3 1/2 hour drive to Galveston on Sunday morning. We have a 10am check in and have parking reservations at the covered North lot in Galveston. We have done this itinerary (Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan) quite a few times as it is one of the few possible itineraries offered out of Galveston for a 7 day cruise. I actually like the ports and have no problem finding things to do in each port. We are doing wave runners and snorkeling in Roatan with Rony's tours. We have reservations at Maya Chan in Costa Maya, and our current plan is to go to Paradise Beach in Cozumel. We are Diamond and typically cruise 2 times per year due to my wife and I's work vacation restrictions. My goal is to cruise more often in retirement and one of the things I have been doing over the past few years is experimenting with different cruise options to see what we like and how it would fit into any future budget. We have tried full suites, junior suites, and the drink package as examples. This cruise we are trying the Ultimate dining package. Full disclosure, I don't think I will like the UDP. I chose this cruise to try it because: 1. It was relatively cheap and 2. Allure has a good variety of specialty restaurants. I definitely think it will be too much food for us. We actually like the MDR (and Coastal Kitchen) and enjoy the experience of having the same waiter for the 7 days - but we have done the 3 night package and enjoyed it. Having said that, I am looking forward to trying some specialty restaurants that we have never tried before. Hopefully we will be able to get reservations at all the ones we want. At the very least, I will know which specialty restaurants we like for the future. I will try to answer any questions about Allure or the cruise (while still enjoying my vacation). Feel free to post them here. brienc, Lovetocruise2002, MaryS and 11 others 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 We are booked into an Ultra Spacious Ocean View Balcony (1A). This is our 2nd time with this room type and it is really good if you have children. It is basically a slightly larger balcony room with an alcove that has bunk beds and a curtain. We like it because there is no reason to convert the couch to a bed if you have 2 children or less - much more room in the cabin. We are on Deck 11. They are very hard to get if you don't book your cruises when they first come out. They are also good cabins to have if you are thinking of using Royal Up as they are in demand and have the effect of strengthening your bid. I have pre booked Ocean Aria (diving show), Mama Mia, and the Adult Comedy show. melmar02, Lovetocruise2002, asquared17 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmondFarmer Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 I have a group of 24 traveling with me on this sailing. Maybe see you on board. wordell1 and ellcee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireFishII Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 I think any live blog is a good blog. Even a semi-blog. Enjoy your cruise! I will be following. USCG Teacher, Neesa and wordell1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLH Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 Curious of a review of Rony's tours. It would be most appreciaeted. We are heading there in May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 39 minutes ago, MLH said: Curious of a review of Rony's tours. It would be most appreciaeted. We are heading there in May. This will be our 4th time using Rony. I highly recommend using a private driver in Roatan - We used Victor Bodden tours once and had no complaints but Rony is a smaller operation and we just like the attention to detail. It usually ends up being around $100 plus the cost of activities for the day. He also has some pre packaged excursions listed on his website but we usually opt for the private tour and let him know what we want to do. We have also changed it up at the last minute based on weather and he is helpful with alternatives. HOME - Roatan Tours, Cruiseship Activities, Excursions, Zipline Canopy Tours with Ronys Independent Tours, Roatan (ronystours.com) Neesa, MLH, FireFishII and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 14, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2023 Only one day left! I am a retail manager and actually am working a full day today. My wife will be completing our final packing. My son will probably wait until about 11pm tonight to actually start. We will be up early and on the road tomorrow at 6:30am. I actually would rather be working today as otherwise the day seems really long in anticipation. JohnK6404, USCG Teacher, SebagoSue and 7 others 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2023 We made it to Galveston! Easy drive this morning with the obligatory stop at Bucee's For those of you who are not familiar, Bucee's is basically a Texas size gas station/truck stop. It has everything you can think of and the cleanest bathrooms you will ever see. There is one 2 hrs into our trip so it has become a regular stop on our Galveston cruises. melmar02, Neesa, JohnK6404 and 7 others 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2023 We are currently waiting to board in the new terminal. Our original boarding time was 10am. About a month ago, I received an email instructing us to come 1 hr late, but the time on the app never changed from 10am. Last night, we got another email saying to come between 12 and 3. I decided to get here at 10 and figured we could wait if boarding is delayed. I reserved parking in the covered part of the North lot. Very close! I took a picture from our car. We are here now and comfortably waiting. New terminal was very efficient on check in. MaryS, Yesiamthere6, Neesa and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2023 We boarded at about 1030. They boarded by C and A level and it went very smoothly. We were able to make our dinner reservations right away at the kiosk and got everything we wanted. I had a list of everything for the week made out and handed it to the over. This made things much easier. After that, we checked in at our muster station and then explored the ship. KristiZ, JohnK6404, Neesa and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2023 I have seen a lot of questions about the trees and plants in Central Park. Unfortunately, it looks like they did not fare well in the December freeze. They were in the process of planting some new plants and all the trees were cut back heavily. Yesiamthere6, Neesa, FireFishII and 6 others 6 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2023 Room pictures. Ultraspacious Ocean Balcony 1A. Room 11172. WannaCruise, FireFishII, Neesa and 4 others 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2023 We had lunch in Sabor. Despite sailing on Liberty 3 times, we had never actually tried it. We get excellent Mexican food in Texas and eat it at least a few times a month at home. I thought the chips, Pico de gayo, and especially the guacamole were excellent. Unfortunately, it was just OK after that. Not bad, but we get better at home. We may try it again later in the week. It probably didn't help that my wife and son both ate a full breakfast from Bucee's this morning. We are trying CP150 tonight and I have high hopes. There are quite a few things I want to try on that menu. Yo2slick, ellcee, Neesa and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted January 15, 2023 Report Share Posted January 15, 2023 We too are doing 150 tonight on Oasis. I think the margs and snacks are good from Sabor. Everything else is meh. AshleyDillo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 2 hours ago, Ampurp85 said: We too are doing 150 tonight on Oasis. I think the margs and snacks are good from Sabor. Everything else is meh. In Texas, we couldn't even order the menu margaritas. There are limited alcohol choices until we are at sea. Neesa, FireFishII and Debstr66 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 We all really liked CP150. I had the lamb wellington, my wife had the lobster Thermador, and my son had the pan seared halibut. It was all really good. We are planning 3 dinners here so we will have a chance to try a few different things. I only took pictures of the lamb and lobster. Yesiamthere6, ellcee, JohnK6404 and 6 others 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 One of my favorite things, coffee on the balcony at sunrise. SebagoSue, KristiZ, Neesa and 10 others 8 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 A few random notes on Allure. This ship has the best Diamond lounge I've seen on any ship. It is actually nicer that the suite lounges I've seen on Oasis and Liberty. Too bad Royal went away from this concept because it is really a nice perk for being Diamond. They are still doing 2 times a day room service. I don't miss the ultimate abyss. I like the open view from the back without it. On the same note as above, I like the Sabor bar in the place where the ultimate abyss usually ends, but it wasn't open last night even though they were showing NFL playoffs in the Aqua theater. Seems like a miss. So far, I haven't seen any major wear and tear issues and the crew seems happy and friendly. Rags1, JohnK6404, Neesa and 7 others 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 16, 2023 Report Share Posted January 16, 2023 Have an amazing time! We loved Allure! Will be following! wordell1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 The day started a little chilly but warmed up as we moved south. I spent a good part of the morning in the hot tub and the afternoon by the pool. This afternoon was really nice - around 80 and sunny. We had an early dinner at Izumi Hibachi. It was a lot of fun, and the food was really good. I had the Filet/shrimp combo. We are having some drinks in the pub and killing some time before we see the water show later. I enjoy watching the parade of well dressed people in the promenade on formal night. I looked all day but couldn't find any scandals that even remotely come close to the ones @Ampurp85has uncovered on Oasis. I guess I'll have to look harder to find the really good stories here on Allure. Neesa, Ampurp85, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 6 others 6 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 First complaint of the cruise. I went up to windjammer for an early breakfast and did not see a made to order omelet station. I've seen omelet stations in every other windjammer, including Wonder last June. I even asked the restaurant manager and he confirmed that they didn't have one. He pointed out some pre made omelets (only 2 choices) that were really half omelets. Dissapointing, as this is my go to breakfast at windjammer. I'm not sure if is just Allure or a fleet wide cutback. PPPJJ-GCVAB, FireFishII and Neesa 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 30 minutes ago, wordell1 said: First complaint of the cruise. I went up to windjammer for an early breakfast and did not see a made to order omelet station. I've seen omelet stations in every other windjammer, including Wonder last June. I even asked the restaurant manager and he confirmed that they didn't have one. He pointed out some pre made omelets (only 2 choices) that were really half omelets. Dissapointing, as this is my go to breakfast at windjammer. I'm not sure if is just Allure or a fleet wide cutback. My wife noticed the same on Wonder this past week. She loves those made to order omelets! wordell1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 25 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said: My wife noticed the same on Wonder this past week. She loves those made to order omelets! They had them in June! It's crazy if it was cut out because it was always busy on every ship I've been on. It will definitely be mentioned in my end of cruise review. JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 Last night's Ocean Aria water show was good but not as good as the 80s themed one on Oasis. This was really only because of the music, the performers were excellent. JohnK6404 and MaryS 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 JohnK6404 and FireFishII 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 C & A numbers from the top tier event. FloatyBoaty, JohnK6404, KristiZ and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDaley Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 4 hours ago, wordell1 said: It will definitely be mentioned in my end of cruise review. Yes please do! It's definitely my go-to breakfast choice at any buffet venue! I have waited in some truly long lines on Royal ships, there's no way it was removed from lack of demand. wordell1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie M Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 On 1/16/2023 at 8:59 AM, wordell1 said: A few random notes on Allure. This ship has the best Diamond lounge I've seen on any ship. It is actually nicer that the suite lounges I've seen on Oasis and Liberty. Too bad Royal went away from this concept because it is really a nice perk for being Diamond. It is a very nice lounge! wordell1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaa Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 Breaks my hear to see Central Park that way. It's my favorite part of the ship. FireFishII, Neesa and wordell1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 40 minutes ago, Xaa said: Breaks my hear to see Central Park that way. It's my favorite part of the ship. Mine too, it looks like it will be a long time before it comes back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 Central Park does look bad. It's beautiful on Oasis, lush and green. OceanAria was my favorite Aqua show until I saw Aqua80. I will be on Allure in Oct. First time from Galveston. wordell1, USCG Teacher and Neesa 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaa Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 Not to steal from @wordell1's thread, but Aqua 80 was really great. I was in high school the first few years of the 80's so that mixup of 80's music is a masterpiece in itself. Just a fantastic piece of art. wordell1 and USCG Teacher 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 46 minutes ago, Xaa said: Not to steal from @wordell1's thread, but Aqua 80 was really great. I was in high school the first few years of the 80's so that mixup of 80's music is a masterpiece in itself. Just a fantastic piece of art. Definitely! The music was the main difference. They hit a home run with Aqua 80. USCG Teacher and Neesa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo2slick Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 We will be on Allure in 33 days for our first SC cruise. It will be our first time on Allure as well. Your live blog is getting us even more excited! Neesa, wordell1 and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 Day 3 and food coma is starting to set in. We had lunch at Giovanni's and dinner at Chops. Both were excellent, but it is too much food. Unfortunately, I was bad about taking food photos. Sorry. The shrimp cocktail at Chops is the way all shrimp cocktail should be made. The MDR cocktail is terrible. That, and the key lime pie make Chops a good choice. I had the New York Strip and it's was good but doesn't compare to a good land steakhouse. We kept it simple for lunch and just had pasta and caprese salad app. The gnocchi was really good. My wife had the risotto and liked it. MarcBerger, Yo2slick, Neesa and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 Just watched us dock in Roatan from our balcony. Very nice greeting! Neesa, Rags1, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmondFarmer Posted January 18, 2023 Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 Ropes in the back of ship. Yo2slick, wordell1 and FireFishII 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 Currently at West Bay Beach JohnK6404, Neesa, Rags1 and 6 others 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 Back on the ship after a great day in Roatan. We had pre booked a private tour through Rony's tours. Our driver met us just outside the gates and took us to Foster's hotel beach at West Bay. Our driver, Elmer got us set up with some wave runners and we started with that. The bay was very calm and that allowed us to really go fast which was a lot of fun. It was my 16 year old son's first time on a wave runner so I'm glad the conditions were perfect. We relaxed at the resort afterwards and had a great lunch right on the beach. One of the things I like about booking a private driver is that I can give them some ideas about what we want to do and then let them make the arrangements. The driver waited for us at the resort so that we could leave whenever we were ready. The cost for the day is around $100 plus the costs of whatever we decide to do. We'll worth it for the peace of mind and convenience. KristiZ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 PPPJJ-GCVAB, MaryS, Neesa and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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