Semi Live Allure of the Seas - Jan 15th - 22nd

[wordell1]

Dinner was at Giovanni's tonight.

My son bailed on dinner again and it Is apparent at this point that the UDP was a waste on him. I'm glad he has made good friends though.

My wife ordered the branzino and I ordered the Filet. It really is good, better than Chops. The cannolis are also very good for dessert.

[wordell1]

Costa Maya today. We are going to Maya Chan. Sky Princess in port with us.

[JohnK6404]

Have a good time today!

[wordell1]

1 hour ago, JohnK6404 said:

Have a good time today!

Thank You!  It's hard to have a bad day on a cruise!

[Ampurp85]

Your meal at Giovanni's looks way better than ours. It always amazes me how different ships can have the same restaurant, but the taste and presentation can vary.

[DJsMrs]

Beach looks murky and sea-weedy - 

The sargassum is what it is...   but the murky water is mildly off-putting (especially after your photos of Roatan with all the blues).   Did you go in the ocean?  

We're on this same itinerary in July, when the weeds will be worse, and we're really struggling to get off the ship in Costa Maya - hence my questions.

Loving the blog!

[wordell1]

18 minutes ago, DJsMrs said:

Beach looks murky and sea-weedy - 

The sargassum is what it is...   but the murky water is mildly off-putting (especially after your photos of Roatan with all the blues).   Did you go in the ocean?  

We're on this same itinerary in July, when the weeds will be worse, and we're really struggling to get off the ship in Costa Maya - hence my questions.

Loving the blog!

The water us not super blue and there is definitely sea grass. It's a negative to be sure, but not enough to keep us from coming to Maya Chan. They have a great relaxing set up with chairs/umbrellas and the service is outstanding.

There are plenty of other places in town that may have less sea grass but have lots of beach vendors that bother you all day. None of that here.

 

[wordell1]

I live in Texas and we get very good Mexican food.  I say this just to emphasize that the best tacos in the world are served at Maya Chan in Costa Maya.

I cannot properly describe the deliciousness that are the tacos served for lunch. They have flour and corn tortillas (made fresh in front of you) and a choice of beef, chicken, gish, and pulled pork. Whatever they marinade the meats in is the key because they are so flavor full.

 

[Neesa]

My daughter and I loved Allure, I would book her again just for Mama Mia. I also loved the views without the big purple slide. Enjoying following along, loving the pictures as well. Are there a lot of kiddos like on @Ampurp85 sailing? Thanks again for sharing...great cabin for sure. Are you going to the MDR as well? Just wondering about your thoughts on the new menu.

[wordell1]

2 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

Your meal at Giovanni's looks way better than ours. It always amazes me how different ships can have the same restaurant, but the taste and presentation can vary.

I agree, the food and service on Allure at Giovanni's was really good. We are back at CP 150 tonight so we can compare notes!

[AshleyDillo]

19 minutes ago, wordell1 said:

I live in Texas and we get very good Mexican food.  I say this just to emphasize that the best tacos in the world are served at Maya Chan in Costa Maya.

Agree! The food at Maya Chan was so good! Their house tequila was not bad at all either.

[wordell1]

20 minutes ago, Neesa said:

My daughter and I loved Allure, I would book her again just for Mama Mia. I also loved the views without the big purple slide. Enjoying following along, loving the pictures as well. Are there a lot of kiddos like on @Ampurp85 sailing? Thanks again for sharing...great cabin for sure. Are you going to the MDR as well? Just wondering about your thoughts on the new menu.

Definitely not as many kids as what @Ampurp85is describing. Mostly younger children. My son says the teen group is smaller than what he is used to but he still made friends.

We did UDP this time around so no MDR. We are enjoying the specialty restaurants so far.

We have reservations for Momma Mia tomorrow night. My wife is excited. I'm not a musical fan in general but I have an open mind as I do like ABBA. We will see.

[wordell1]

Did I mention the service at Maya Chan? This waitress is bringing drinks to these people in the water.

[cruisetoomuch]

3 hours ago, Neesa said:

My daughter and I loved Allure, I would book her again just for Mama Mia. I also loved the views without the big purple slide. Enjoying following along, loving the pictures as well. Are there a lot of kiddos like on @Ampurp85 sailing? Thanks again for sharing...great cabin for sure. Are you going to the MDR as well? Just wondering about your thoughts on the new menu.

We are also on this allure cruise and will be b2b for a month. We were also on here a few weeks ago. The new menu is pretty hit or miss.  Some things have been excellent. Some changes to flavors have been pretty bad.  As two people who used the classics a lot, there are now nights we aren't interested in the MDR.  

Changes were for speed and quality. Unfortunately, our food has been cold several times and dinner times are approx the same.  Overall I hope other people give candid feedback and they spice up the menu a bit or bring back the classics.  

Service has been really good this week overall.  

My tiny gripes: Hot tubs keep tripping the breakers at night and getting cold.   Elevators still have the random glitch where they won't accept a room and you get stuck in them but they've been much better about staying on top of this and getting it fixed. The glitched were REALLY bad a few weeks ago. They keep serving warm milk at breakfast. They don't always do a great job managing windjammer but it's been an above avg week.  

 

Everything else has been exceptional. Allure is one of our favorite ships. We don't agree with the sentiment she's aging. Still feels clean and well maintained. Doesn't even have the mildew smells of some of the similar aged ships.  

[melmar02]

We just made our reservation for Maya Chan for April. So excited to see your pictures!

[AlmondFarmer]

My group was at Jamie’s Blue Reef today. Very fun and ocean was sheltered from wind. Food was also great for a beach bar. 

[wordell1]

2 hours ago, cruisetoomuch said:

We are also on this allure cruise and will be b2b for a month. We were also on here a few weeks ago. The new menu is pretty hit or miss.  Some things have been excellent. Some changes to flavors have been pretty bad.  As two people who used the classics a lot, there are now nights we aren't interested in the MDR.  

Changes were for speed and quality. Unfortunately, our food has been cold several times and dinner times are approx the same.  Overall I hope other people give candid feedback and they spice up the menu a bit or bring back the classics.  

Service has been really good this week overall.  

My tiny gripes: Hot tubs keep tripping the breakers at night and getting cold.   Elevators still have the random glitch where they won't accept a room and you get stuck in them but they've been much better about staying on top of this and getting it fixed. The glitched were REALLY bad a few weeks ago. They keep serving warm milk at breakfast. They don't always do a great job managing windjammer but it's been an above avg week.  

 

Everything else has been exceptional. Allure is one of our favorite ships. We don't agree with the sentiment she's aging. Still feels clean and well maintained. Doesn't even have the mildew smells of some of the similar aged ships.  

Agreed, there are definitely some weird issues with trying to pick your floor on the elevators. Luckily there are 2 sides and one usually works. I have also noticed the hot tubs were not very hot, but didn't know why.

Overall, we are seeing really good service throughout the ship. Out stateroom attendant has been excellent.

We are doing UDP for dining and I am glad that we are missing the transition period with the new menu. I'm sure they will figure it out.

[jbrinkm]

I cannot WAIT for our first time at Maya Chan in April!!!! Love these pics.

[wordell1]

Back to CP150 tonight for dinner. This restaurant was new to us on this trip and I really liked the menu choices. We booked 3 nights here and 1 each at Giovanni's, Chops, Izumi Hibachi and Samba grill.

I had the veal medallions, my wife had the venison, and my son actually joined us and had the lamb wellington. The waiter added a lobster thermador for us to share.

We had another really great meal with excellent service.

 

[wordell1]

Cozumel 

 

 

[wordell1]

The plan was to try to do the non-all inclusive option at Paradise Beach. We were up early to try to get in while there were spots available.

Unfortunately, they told us that they were only offering the all inclusive package. We ended up taking this option because we were already here. Paradise Beach has always been a good option without having to spend a lot but it appears that the all inclusive option is now the only option. I can't blame them as I'm sure they make more money.

 

[wordell1]

A few notes/thoughts on Paradise Beach. 

The move to all inclusive has definitely changed some things. 

On the good side, the service was really good. The waiters were never far away and drinks and food came quickly.

On the bad, the drinks were small and didn't taste as strong as before.

The food was also served in mini portions. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing as you could try more things but it was definitely different. I ordered a burger and it was about the same size as a regular McDonald's burger.

We did Mr Sancho's last year and it was terrible. Paradise Beaches all inclusive was better on food,  drinks and especially service.

I'm just not sure that I get my money's worth at $65 per person. I really liked the pay as you go version. It was crowded and I'm sure they are making more so I can't blame them.

 

[wordell1]

Dinner last night was at Samba grill. 

I've never tried a Brazilian steakhouse of any kind before so I wanted to use the cruise as an excuse to finally try one. I love meat, but my wife is not a huge fan of beef. She eats it, just doesn't love it. 

The waiter did a great job of explaining everything. He gave us great advice in telling us to go easy on the appetizers/salads from the buffet. I did get a caprese salad that was very good.

They brought some hot appetizers to the table as well as grilled vegetables.

Once the meat started, the brought out 8 different kinds of meat. Beef, Lamb, Roast Pork, bacon wrapped chicken, and Brazilian sausage. Small portions of each but it added up to a lot. We were all stuffed. 

We all enjoyed the experience. The food was good and all of us enjoyed trying each different meat. I was surprised that my wife enjoyed it. It still wouldn't be her first choice but maybe we will try a Brazilian steakhouse at home.

It's too bad that the concept didn't catch on and I am sure that Samba will not survive Allure's amplification when it eventually occurs.

[wordell1]

We saw Mama Mia last night.

My wife loves musicals while I generally dislike them. I've given them a few chances over the years and while I try to enjoy it for my wife's sake, it can be a chore for me to get through them.

I did enjoy Mama Mia. For one, I actually like ABBA and they kept the basic songs intact as part of the musical. The story was just ok, but easy enough to follow along.

My wife definitely enjoyed it.

I think Mama Mia is a good choice for a musical. Even at 2 1/2 hours it was full and people stayed the entire time.

[JohnK6404]

1 hour ago, wordell1 said:

We saw Mama Mia last night.

My wife loves musicals while I generally dislike them. I've given them a few chances over the years and while I try to enjoy it for my wife's sake, it can be a chore for me to get through them.

I did enjoy Mama Mia. For one, I actually like ABBA and they kept the basic songs intact as part of the musical. The story was just ok, but easy enough to follow along.

My wife definitely enjoyed it.

I think Mama Mia is a good choice for a musical. Even at 2 1/2 hours it was full and people stayed the entire time.

We really liked Mamma Mia too! The only other Broadway style show we've seen was Cats on Oasis which was excruciatingly painful to sit through.

[wordell1]

15 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

We really liked Mamma Mia too! The only other Broadway style show we've seen was Cats on Oasis which was excruciatingly painful to sit through.

I wasn't even willing to try that one!

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

1 hour ago, wordell1 said:

Dinner last night was at Samba grill. 

I've never tried a Brazilian steakhouse of any kind before so I wanted to use the cruise as an excuse to finally try one. I love meat, but my wife is not a huge fan of beef. She eats it, just doesn't love it. 

The waiter did a great job of explaining everything. He gave us great advice in telling us to go easy on the appetizers/salads from the buffet. I did get a caprese salad that was very good.

They brought some hot appetizers to the table as well as grilled vegetables.

Once the meat started, the brought out 8 different kinds of meat. Beef, Lamb, Roast Pork, bacon wrapped chicken, and Brazilian sausage. Small portions of each but it added up to a lot. We were all stuffed. 

We all enjoyed the experience. The food was good and all of us enjoyed trying each different meat. I was surprised that my wife enjoyed it. It still wouldn't be her first choice but maybe we will try a Brazilian steakhouse at home.

It's too bad that the concept didn't catch on and I am sure that Samba will not survive Allure's amplification when it eventually occurs.

We did Samba in September.  I thought it was just ok.  It was really dark in there and we had trouble seeing anything!  It was also extremely humid which made the experience very uncomfortable for me as I hate humidity!  I wouldn’t go again.  
Was it dark at the time you dined?  

[wordell1]

13 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

We did Samba in September.  I thought it was just ok.  It was really dark in there and we had trouble seeing anything!  It was also extremely humid which made the experience very uncomfortable for me as I hate humidity!  I wouldn’t go again.  
Was it dark at the time you dined?  

No, in fact it was noticeably lighter than tbe other restaurants, especially CP150. Definitely not humid either but it is January and the weather has been great. 80 degrees and sunny in Cozumel yesterday.

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

33 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

We really liked Mamma Mia too! The only other Broadway style show we've seen was Cats on Oasis which was excruciatingly painful to sit through.

Absolutely loved Mama Mia.  I wish Oasis would get rid of Cats.  We will be back on her in July with our kids and grandkids and would love for them to experience a Broadway show onboard BUT will not make them suffer through that one!    

[JohnK6404]

28 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

Absolutely loved Mama Mia.  I wish Oasis would get rid of Cats.  We will be back on her in July with our kids and grandkids and would love for them to experience a Broadway show onboard BUT will not make them suffer through that one!   

I love when they sing Memory at the end, but that's it!  

[JohnK6404]

* DUP POST *

[wordell1]

We are in dense fog on our way back to Galveston. 3 pm in the afternoon and very little visibility.

[jbrinkm]

Do you think the fog will impact your schedule at all? Any announcements about it?

[wordell1]

16 minutes ago, jbrinkm said:

Do you think the fog will impact your schedule at all? Any announcements about it?

I doubt it. We are still pretty far from Galveston. No announcement at all but they are using the fog horn.

[wordell1]

Last night tonight! We switched from CP150 to Giovanni's. My wife's choice, although she liked CP150.

We had a light lunch at Chops, I had the burger which was really good and my wife had Caesar salad with grilled chicken. We skipped apps.

Food coma is definitely setting in, especially for me as I finally got my omelet at the main dining room this morning.

We are mostly packed and have Self Assist group A tickets to walk off the ship at 8am.

[asquared17]

8 hours ago, JohnK6404 said:

The only other Broadway style show we've seen was Cats on Oasis which was excruciatingly painful to sit through.

i find cats to be an excruciatingly painful performance to sit through, regardless of the venue 

[AlmondFarmer]

Fog horn every minute this afternoon. Still cruising at speed required to get to Galveston tomorrow morning. 

[asquared17]

On 1/16/2023 at 8:59 AM, wordell1 said:

 

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.

I don't miss the ultimate abyss. I like the open view from the back without it.

So far, I haven't seen any major wear and tear issues and the crew seems happy and friendly.

we haven’t been on allure for a couple years - we were actually slated to go on her december 2020, post-amplification, and then of course the pandemic hit.

i wholeheartedly agree with all of your observations. probably in the minority here but one of the best views was being able to look straight out without the abyss slides in the way. i wish they could spiral them down with improved sight lines somehow 

and the diamond club is phenomenal, the best location and view. we only went a couple times because it was always packed when we tried but WOW i remember that overlook to the boardwalk and back of the ship really being spectacular. glad it hasn’t changed!!

your pictures of central park made me sad - like others mentioned, it was always one of our favorite spots to wander along the ship. i hope the warmer weather and time will help it to grow back lush and full again. 

have you and your wife been to the champagne bar? that’s our favorite! we were bummed to see it taken over by the bionic bar on all other oasis class ships. 

thank you for the pics and info on maya chan!! we are slated to go in a few weeks on our symphony sailing and while i know the sea grass is beyond their control, i am DELIGHTED to hear about the food!! (and house tequila!! thanks @AshleyDillo!!)

maya chan has been great about communicating with us and everyone’s pictures look so nice;  we are not often the adventurous sort to travel far when in port or take part in excursions, so we are really looking forward to this one.

hope you’ll all have a smooth disembarkation (another self carry survivor!! we see you!!)  and save travels home tomorrow.

thank you for sharing your blog! 

[Neesa]

Thanks so much @wordell1. I love the Allure, I sang and hummed ABBA songs for weeks. I appreciated the pics and your fog reports put me back on the Serenade. Our crew told us Texas was where they encountered lots of fog before. I hope for you an amazing evening and smooth disembarkation. Safe travels and thanks for bringing us along.

[AshleyDillo]

2 hours ago, asquared17 said:

maya chan has been great about communicating with us and everyone’s pictures look so nice;  we are not often the adventurous sort to travel far when in port or take part in excursions, so we are really looking forward to this one.

Getting there is quite the adventure