👨‍✈️Captain’s Log - Allure of the Seas January 3–11, 2026 First Mate’s Note - 30 Years Married and Still Afloat ⚓️

[teddy]

5 hours ago, Southern Dan said:

I used to be a night person but the last two years I have completely transformed to an early to bed, early to rise person.

Our upcoming cruise next month will be interesting. I’ve gone from going to bed by 9 pm and waking up at 330-4 am to going to bed at 330 am.  My wife and I have been morning people for the 30 years we’ve been together.  

On December first I started working 3p-130a.  It’s the first time I’ve worked second shift since 1992. It’s a voluntary change and works for us, but I’ve finally adjusted to working nights and don’t want to mess up my schedule. 
 

 

[InmyElement]

Internet has been great all week..of course troubles as we pull in..I’ll catch up and post an update later…never a ship so empty this early usually everyone is running for deck 5 as we dock

[Jamesszy94]

Oh my goodness, how has it been 8 days already. Next thing you know it'll be Christmas.

[OCSC Mike]

21 minutes ago, Jamesszy94 said:

Oh my goodness, how has it been 8 days already.

Seriously. These blogs fly by as quickly as actual cruises do.

[Ampurp85]

Time goes too fast. I hope everyone had an amazing time

[SweetPea]

I feel like you just boarded!

[asquared17]

wait you’re back?!?!

[InmyElement]

On 1/10/2026 at 1:25 PM, InmyElement said:

I’ve been tasked w finding Bman he’s somewhere in that mess playing volleyball the rest went back to ship…wish me well….

Ok, backtracking… mission accomplished.
Found Bman deep in pool volleyball chaos..shirt wrapped around his head for 'cooling' pina coladas flowing and having a blast..

Eventually he wandered back to the beach chair and we headed back around 4… pretty tanked. He had an absolute blast.

Everyone was into the MDR for the usual suspect dishes..meanwhile Bman was on fire with more wine and two entrees (pecan-crusted salmon and moussaka). Living his best life.  We got stuck for the singing, dancing, and napkin waving...ughhh. 

Thought the night ended there… nope. Apparently he went back out after dinner.

Plot twist: Cman has been quietly living his country-music era at night in the Mason Jar, just hanging out and vibing...

3 hours ago, asquared17 said:

wait you’re back?!?!

Yes…unfortunately we’re back.
Poked my head in at 7 to wake them up...Bman was alive just as they started flipping the cabin back to “normal.” He’s eating Ranger cookies and finishing a leftover drink from last night.. while attempting to pack. 

Hit the MDR for breakfast and of course…who needs a mimosa? 

Off the ship within 20 minutes pre-booked All Star Tours (recommend) to the airport for the Hertz rental and it was awesome. Right outside by the buses and straight to Hertz…which was empty. Found our ride..Expedition Platinum  with BlueCruise hands-free.

Made it to Universal in about 3½ hours (mandatory Wawa stop for sandwiches and salads, obviously).

And seriously… what’s the deal with it being CLOUDY in Orlando???  We’re spoiled perfect weather all cruise, zero wave action.

I will definitely get to the good and bad of the ship, but everyone had a great cruise!!!

They are requesting Alaska next..

[OCSC Mike]

5 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

pecan-crusted salmon

I’m not an MDR fan but I do like this entree & it’s on one of my wife’s three acceptable menus.

7 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

mandatory Wawa stop

Finally some love for Wawa instead of Publix!

8 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

They are requesting Alaska next

I hope they understand you go to Alaska for Alaska, not for the ship/partying.

Thanks for sharing & enjoy Universal!

[Jamesszy94]

42 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

Ok, backtracking… mission accomplished.
Found Bman deep in pool volleyball chaos..shirt wrapped around his head for 'cooling' pina coladas flowing and having a blast..

Eventually he wandered back to the beach chair and we headed back around 4… pretty tanked. He had an absolute blast.

Everyone was into the MDR for the usual suspect dishes..meanwhile Bman was on fire with more wine and two entrees (pecan-crusted salmon and moussaka). Living his best life.  We got stuck for the singing, dancing, and napkin waving...ughhh. 

Thought the night ended there… nope. Apparently he went back out after dinner.

Plot twist: Cman has been quietly living his country-music era at night in the Mason Jar, just hanging out and vibing...

Yes…unfortunately we’re back.
Poked my head in at 7 to wake them up...Bman was alive just as they started flipping the cabin back to “normal.” He’s eating Ranger cookies and finishing a leftover drink from last night.. while attempting to pack. 

Hit the MDR for breakfast and of course…who needs a mimosa? 

 

Off the ship within 20 minutes pre-booked All Star Tours (recommend) to the airport for the Hertz rental and it was awesome. Right outside by the buses and straight to Hertz…which was empty. Found our ride..Expedition Platinum  with BlueCruise hands-free.

Made it to Universal in about 3½ hours (mandatory Wawa stop for sandwiches and salads, obviously).

And seriously… what’s the deal with it being CLOUDY in Orlando???  We’re spoiled perfect weather all cruise, zero wave action.

I will definitely get to the good and bad of the ship, but everyone had a great cruise!!!

They are requesting Alaska next..

Looks like you have 6 months between this sailing and your next sailing according to your signature... all the more reason to book Alaska . But yes, like Mike said above, you go to Alaska for Alaska. I went back in 2017.. I need to go back sometime and see how much it's changed!

I see a Princess ship parked next to you guys 

[asquared17]

54 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

Cman has been quietly living his country-music era at night in the Mason Jar, just hanging out and vibing...

we love this for cman!!!

55 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

Poked my head in at 7 to wake them up...Bman was alive just as they started flipping the cabin back to “normal.” He’s eating Ranger cookies and finishing a leftover drink from last night.. while attempting to pack. 

while……. ATTEMPTING to pack!??!?!??

my anxiety could NEVER

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, asquared17 said:

my anxiety could NEVER

Pretend you have 1/3 as much to pack... it's a lot less stressful. I'll go out on a limb and say bman did not bring a trunk. 

[asquared17]

3 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

Pretend you have 1/3 as much to pack... it's a lot less stressful. I'll go out on a limb and say bman did not bring a trunk. 

FOR AN 8 DAY TRIP ??????

[asquared17]

goodbYE

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

FOR AN 8 DAY TRIP ??????

Yes, lol. For 7 I have one of whatever the normal large size wheeled suitcase is (29" maybe?) and nothing carried on except documents, meds, money, etc. 

[Jamesszy94]

Am I the only one that lives out of my suitcase? 

I never bother unpacking on day 1 cause

1. I'm lazy

2. I'll just have to unpack everything at the end of the cruise.

I basically just grab whatever I need out of the suitcase - pants, shorts, underwear, socks etc.

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, Jamesszy94 said:

Am I the only one that lives out of my suitcase? 

Probably not but I'm a weirdo and hang up almost everything. I don't bring much though so unpacking doesn't take me very long.

I know some of us don't feel like vacation has started until we get unpacking out of the way but with your method that's not an issue so it definitely has its benefits.

[Jamesszy94]

9 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

Probably not but I'm a weirdo and hang up almost everything. I don't bring much though so unpacking doesn't take me very long.

I know some of us don't feel like vacation has started until we get unpacking out of the way but with your method that's not an issue so it definitely has its benefits.

Yeah, the only things I'll hang are my towel and a jacket.. everything else I just leave in my suitcase. 

[InmyElement]

Where did I go wrong the boys packing method is right out of the movies… empty all the drawers and closet in the bag and close it.. he had to get into at Wawa and as soon as he cracked it they were clawing to get out…

Mexican tonight ….amazing table side guac…to die for..

Thanks Everyone!!!!!! 
 

[xaza]

2 hours ago, Jamesszy94 said:

I never bother unpacking on day 1 

This is me.  I don't mind living out of a suitcase.  At least I know I won't forget my underwear in a drawer

[asquared17]

MY KINGDOM FOR TABLESIDE GUAC

[OCSC Mike]

Voodoo Donuts & Mexican after stepping off an 8N cruise that morning?

I’m drooling. I think I usually get home, barely eat the rest of the day, have some ranger cookies from the embarrassingly full gallon ziploc I’ve taken with me & go to bed.

[Ampurp85]

That guacamole looks amazing

 

[ScottD]

I still get thrown off when I hear people mention Wawa in Florida... I know it's been there a while, but it's still odd to me. 

Love me a good donut- it's been my new kick- donuts and cookies will be the death of me... or at least the death of the clothes that fit me now. 

3 hours ago, Jamesszy94 said:

Am I the only one that lives out of my suitcase? 

I never bother unpacking on day 1 cause

1. I'm lazy

2. I'll just have to unpack everything at the end of the cruise.

I basically just grab whatever I need out of the suitcase - pants, shorts, underwear, socks etc.

I drive my wife nuts on day one.. I HAVE to unpack.. and I separate everything- my stuff on two shelves, her stuff on a shelf and hanging, the kids stuff in a few of the drawers, bathroom stuff all unpacked. I leave the stuff we will only use once or in ports in the suitcases- the scuba mask, the water proof phone bags, extra sunblock, etc... 

[Jamesszy94]

37 minutes ago, ScottD said:

I still get thrown off when I hear people mention Wawa in Florida... I know it's been there a while, but it's still odd to me. 

Love me a good donut- it's been my new kick- donuts and cookies will be the death of me... or at least the death of the clothes that fit me now. 

I drive my wife nuts on day one.. I HAVE to unpack.. and I separate everything- my stuff on two shelves, her stuff on a shelf and hanging, the kids stuff in a few of the drawers, bathroom stuff all unpacked. I leave the stuff we will only use once or in ports in the suitcases- the scuba mask, the water proof phone bags, extra sunblock, etc... 

Yeah I'm on vacation lol

I just can't be bothered unpacking. If it was more than 30 days, like a world cruise or something, I'd unpack, but if it's just 4 nights, I feel like it's just too much of a hassle. 

[InmyElement]

Boys walked in while I was packing and just stared at the piles.
“Dad… you brought way too much.” “Correct. It’s for you two knuckleheads when you forget something.”
Same shirt size. Proven system. I don’t overpack...I plan ahead.
Coast Guard habits die hard…..Semper Paratus

6 hours ago, ScottD said:

I still get thrown off when I hear people mention Wawa in Florida..

I hear ya. I think it’s more that we don’t really have anything like that near us, so when we’re in Florida the variety just hits different. Easy, quick, and everything in one stop hard not to appreciate it.

11 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

I hope they understand you go to Alaska for Alaska, not for the ship/partying.

Oh definitely...that’s exactly why they want to do Alaska: for the ports and the experience. They’re not really into the Caribbean like their sun-sloth parents (whose kids are these anyway? ).
I, on the other hand, love the heat and was loving every minute in San Juan… meanwhile they were melting...total upstaters.
They love walking around, seeing the culture, and actually exploring. Trisha and I never get off in San Juan, but they dragged us everywhere...the fort, hole-in-the-wall empanadas, all of it. They love experiencing the culture..
Bman’s already been talking to friends onboard about Alaska and is fully into it..taking notes about ships, ports, excursions, the whole deal. We’re thinking 2028 or 2029 once Cman finishes college. Plenty of time to plan...

[Sweety]

I love an Alaskan cruise: wildlife and culture. I have been on several. I went deep fishing in Alaska. What an incredible experience!!!!!

[InmyElement]

On 1/9/2026 at 4:59 PM, Jamesszy94 said:

@InmyElement What's the general vibe of Allure post-amplification?

 How are you finding her "upgrades"?

So I don’t have much to compare her to..first time on her but we’ve sailed Oasis and Symphony, so that’s my frame of reference. Overall, she’s definitely cleaner and classier than Oasis, and on par with Symphony.(except Allure's balcony chairs were horrible see previous post pics) 

On the amplification / dry dock topic..this one still boggles my mind. From my Coast Guard days, I’ve seen ships in dry dock firsthand and was actually stationed on one during dry dock. I understand what gets prioritized: bottom paint, propulsion, shafts, rudders, mechanical systems..the stuff that actually keeps the ship moving and safe. And yes, on the 'payroll' bloggers love to push 'they can't do everything'
But if you know you’re going into dry dock, how hard is it to order new carpet, a couple of thousand couches, and mattresses while you’ve got the ship opened up? Seems like low-hanging fruit.

Cabin couch was…rough. No pics because I don’t want to make anyone sick..think college dorm. Same with the mattress..overdue for replacement. And Royal, we all know everyone puts their suitcase on the couch, so maybe plan for that.
Electrical upgrades? None. Still the same permanent outlet situation with me stringing  USB extension cords around the cabin like Christmas lights.

That said, Mason Jar and Pesky Parrot were great additions. Mason Jar was calm, relaxing, great food..and somehow always had a seat, which is rare in bars. Pesky Parrot was perfect for sitting outside with a drink and people watching, especially on formal night.

The MDR was… MDR food..nothing bad, nothing amazing..but it was way more enjoyable eating there with the boys, which honestly made the difference.

You could clearly see new paint around the ship, especially on the exterior visible from the walking track. Carpets in general population areas are outdated and need replacing.

A few negatives: Deck 5, port side aft..every time we came down the stairs, we were hit with a sewage smell. Not just us; plenty of folks on Facebook mentioned it too. Walking out of the MDR on Deck 4, your hit w the casino smoke like a wall. Great way to end a meal 

Take this with a grain of salt...we’d just gotten off X and are pretty much full converts.

On the positive side, kids and adults alike were respectful and a pleasure to deal with most of the time. Timing helped 'most' kids were back in school. I did see an old man stuffing a blue towel in the little garbage near the elevators..some people man...

And finally: Sorrento’s pizza. Trisha and I both agreed it was the best we’ve had on any ship.

I guess I expected a bit more “new” after an amp, but that’s my take.

Carpet looked like this all around..

[Jamesszy94]

32 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

So I don’t have much to compare her to..first time on her but we’ve sailed Oasis and Symphony, so that’s my frame of reference. Overall, she’s definitely cleaner and classier than Oasis, and on par with Symphony.(except Allure's balcony chairs were horrible see previous post pics) 

On the amplification / dry dock topic..this one still boggles my mind. From my Coast Guard days, I’ve seen ships in dry dock firsthand and was actually stationed on one during dry dock. I understand what gets prioritized: bottom paint, propulsion, shafts, rudders, mechanical systems..the stuff that actually keeps the ship moving and safe. And yes, on the 'payroll' bloggers love to push 'they can't do everything'
But if you know you’re going into dry dock, how hard is it to order new carpet, a couple of thousand couches, and mattresses while you’ve got the ship opened up? Seems like low-hanging fruit.

Cabin couch was…rough. No pics because I don’t want to make anyone sick..think college dorm. Same with the mattress..overdue for replacement. And Royal, we all know everyone puts their suitcase on the couch, so maybe plan for that.
Electrical upgrades? None. Still the same permanent outlet situation with me stringing  USB extension cords around the cabin like Christmas lights.

That said, Mason Jar and Pesky Parrot were great additions. Mason Jar was calm, relaxing, great food..and somehow always had a seat, which is rare in bars. Pesky Parrot was perfect for sitting outside with a drink and people watching, especially on formal night.

The MDR was… MDR food..nothing bad, nothing amazing..but it was way more enjoyable eating there with the boys, which honestly made the difference.

You could clearly see new paint around the ship, especially on the exterior visible from the walking track. Carpets in general population areas are outdated and need replacing.

A few negatives: Deck 5, port side aft..every time we came down the stairs, we were hit with a sewage smell. Not just us; plenty of folks on Facebook mentioned it too. Walking out of the MDR on Deck 4, your hit w the casino smoke like a wall. Great way to end a meal 

Take this with a grain of salt...we’d just gotten off X and are pretty much full converts.

On the positive side, kids and adults alike were respectful and a pleasure to deal with most of the time. Timing helped 'most' kids were back in school. I did see an old man stuffing a blue towel in the little garbage near the elevators..some people man...

And finally: Sorrento’s pizza. Trisha and I both agreed it was the best we’ve had on any ship.

I guess I expected a bit more “new” after an amp, but that’s my take.

Carpet looked like this all around..

Thank you for your thoughts on her post-amp! "A couple thousand couches and mattresses" Yeah no, Royal would never do that considering how much cost cutting they're doing! 

It's a shame about the electric outlets though, you'd think with how many devices people have nowadays Royal would add a few more electric outlets. One positive I guess is that most of the devices I use now use USB-C so I only need one USB-C cable. Maybe two (one for my Macbook too)

[OCSC Mike]

23 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

how hard is it to order new carpet

Carpet schmarpet… you got Mason Jar & Pesky Parrot! The pic is pretty sad though.

15 minutes ago, Jamesszy94 said:

USB-C

Utopia even has a USB-C port in each bedside lamp along with a standard US outlet. We had charging blocks so no biggie but we were used to Wonder which had USB-A ports and we were still using older cables at the time (A on one side, C on the other). I assume Icon & Star have all USB-C. Long way of saying Royal does modernize the electronics on newer ships, they just don’t seem interested in going back & updating older ships (which seems to be a general cabin theme).

[Ampurp85]

The funny thing is the average Royal cruiser couldn't care about the carpet, beds or smells. Only those of us who frequent those ships will. I talked to a few people who love Liberty and was actually appalled that Royal was amping her.

[OCSC Mike]

3 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

The funny thing is the average Royal cruiser couldn't care about the carpet, beds or smells.

I’ll admit the carpet doesn’t really matter to me but I need sleep (stupid insomnia) & smells?

This lets you know how much Royal cares about its newest ships… It was in my blog but this past summer our cabin attendant on Utopia let us know that they were replacing one of the mattresses (why only one, no idea) & my wife got a brand new one for the rest of that cruise. What’s kind of funny is we have that same exact cabin for all our Utopias so we know exactly how old her mattress is. Not sure about mine, lol, but it was fine so not important.

[ScottD]

31 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

The funny thing is the average Royal cruiser couldn't care about the carpet, beds or smells. Only those of us who frequent those ships will. I talked to a few people who love Liberty and was actually appalled that Royal was amping her.

I was honestly fine with Liberty, but it can definitely use some updating. I just hope they don't do away with that one slide since it's the only ship that has it. 

[asquared17]

3 hours ago, InmyElement said:

we’d just gotten off X and are pretty much full converts.

welcome to the dark side

[Ogilthorpe]

3 hours ago, InmyElement said:

.we’d just gotten off X and are pretty much full converts.

 

This has been a feeling here recently.... and we don't sail X until September for the first time. Based on what we have read along with the reviews here, we sense we won't be going back.

[InmyElement]

It feels like winter here…

[OCSC Mike]

44 minutes ago, InmyElement said:

It feels like winter here…

I know you're here to get out of the cold but it's pleasant for us transplants that welcome the rare break from the heat. I went food shopping earlier in shorts and it was beautiful!

I don't remember when you're leaving but it's going to get MUCH colder in a few days. Should be nice later in the day though.

[Ampurp85]

I went to Universal in Jan and the weather was beautiful but Floridans thought it cold.

I remember being there in 2019 and doing all the Harry Potter stuff. That meal at the Leaky Cauldron is still in my top ten of worst food I have eaten. 

 

[ScottD]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

I know you're here to get out of the cold but it's pleasant for us transplants that welcome the rare break from the heat. I went food shopping earlier in shorts and it was beautiful!

I don't remember when you're leaving but it's going to get MUCH colder in a few days. Should be nice later in the day though.

I'm looking at the picture of everyone in sleeves and thinking, what's it like 70 degrees down there? Lol... I can always tell the transplants from up North and the long term residents when I'm down there. 

[ScottD]

50 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I went to Universal in Jan and the weather was beautiful but Floridans thought it cold.

I remember being there in 2019 and doing all the Harry Potter stuff. That meal at the Leaky Cauldron is still in my top ten of worst food I have eaten. 

 

That place sounds like a nick name for a medical condition, I'll pass.. .ha ha