Allure of the Seas

The 225,282-ton Allure of the Seas was the world's largest cruise ship -- for six years -- before that title was stolen by sister Harmony of the Seas in May 2016. It can carry 5,492 passengers at double occupancy or 6,452 when every berth is full.

It has two famous near-twins, Oasis of the Seas and the aforementioned Harmony, with which it shares roughly 95 percent of its DNA -- including a novel neighborhood concept that divides the ship into seven distinct spaces. It also shares inward-facing balcony cabins, arguably the biggest (and best) kids program at sea, an ice rink, a bar that rises between three decks, simulated surfing, rock climbing walls and an outdoor high-diving AquaTheater.

The ship is breathtaking, both in scale and ambition. Although it's vast, it never feels overwhelming because its public spaces are broken up into seven neighborhoods. On Deck 4, you'll find Entertainment Place, complete with an indoor ice skating rink and various clubs and lounges. The Royal Promenade is the signature shopping area, the length of a football field, with a pair of enormous tented skylights to let the sunshine pour in. The outdoor Boardwalk neighborhood was inspired by Coney Island, with family-friendly restaurants, shops, a carousel and the AquaTheater. The foliage-filled Central Park -- covered in some 12,000 plants, 60 of which are trees -- is a more upscale restaurant and retail hub. The fronts of decks 6 and 7 are given over to fitness and well-being in the Vitality at Sea Spa. Deck 14 is all about the kids in Adventure Ocean, and, at the back of the ship, right up on Deck 15, you have the Sports Area, complete with FlowRider surf simulators, a zipline, mini-golf, Ping-Pong and basketball courts.

The ambience and atmosphere in each area are so distinct, it's as if there are seven different ships on one.

Astonishingly, Allure of the Seas also rarely feels crowded. The only places where you get a sense of the sheer number of people onboard are in the Royal Promenade during parade times, on sea days round the pool deck, and prime food times in the Windjammer Cafe buffet restaurant. You can sit in Central Park under a tree, drink in hand, stars above you, (piped) birdsong all around, and feel almost alone -- despite being overlooked by hundreds of cabins.

The ship is ideal for first timers, whether they're a family dipping their toes in the water for the first time, a group of friends looking for a fun-filled break or a couple celebrating a significant wedding anniversary.

Allure came out of a May 2015 refurbishment with a number of changes, including new dining options, shops, lounges, cabins and super fast Wi-Fi. Some of the post-dry dock tweaks -- which include a breathtaking Suite Lounge and suites-only dining room, Coastal Kitchen -- also point to a move by Royal Caribbean making a significant play for the high-end cruisers who perhaps have previously been put off by Allure's sheer size.

A word of warning: Allure of the Seas is so flooded with bill-busting offerings -- ice cream, extra-charge Mexican food, build-your-own stuffed animals, Coach bags -- that it's easy to forget about the included offerings, many of which are exclusive to the Oasis Class. You can surf or zip-line, ride a carousel or watch a first-run DreamWorks movie in 3D, and tap along to some Broadway showtunes.






The Lady Gaga dance class had to be more fun than filling up on Skittles and gummy worms from the for-fee candy store. In other words, Allure can be enjoyed for the price of the cruise fare alone. But with so many temptations, it sure isn't easy.

Allure of the Seas Fellow Passengers

Families flock to Allure of the Seas, a ship that celebrates youthful exuberance in the form of surf simulators, rock climbing walls and some of the best children's facilities at sea. But the ship also clearly appeals to active couples, mainly in their 30s to 50s. Numerous spaces, especially the foliage-filled Central Park, provide a relatively kid-free ambience. In the Caribbean, passengers are predominantly American. However, when the ship sails in Europe, the passenger mix could not be more eclectic, drawing travelers from Europe, the U.S., the Middle East, Japan, China, India and Israel.

Allure of the Seas Dress Code

Weeklong cruises consist of two formal nights and five casual nights. On casual nights, expect a mix of jeans and slacks in the main dining rooms and nicer restaurants (no shorts); elsewhere T-shirts and shorts are fine for both men and women. Many men choose to wear tuxedos for formal dining, though dark suits are more common. Women are typically found in cocktail dresses or gowns.

Allure of the Seas Gratuity

Royal Caribbean passengers are charged $13.50 per person, per day ($16.50 for suite passengers). Gratuities can be prepaid or will be added on a daily basis to cruisers' SeaPass accounts during the cruise. Passengers can modify or remove gratuities by visiting the guest services desk while onboard. An 18 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar tabs. The onboard currency is the U.S. dollar.

Next: Allure of the Seas Cabins 

Allure of the Seas has more than 20 cabin categories, including "inward-facing" balconies, accommodations with a view of the sky and either Central Park's greenery or the Boardwalk's machinery (carousel, AquaTheater). There are also all manner of upscale abodes, including two-story Loft Suites and AquaTheater Suites, show-stopping rooms that feature mammoth wraparound balconies overlooking the ship's outdoor amphitheater. For disabled passengers, there are three accessible suites (including one Loft Suite with an elevator), 32 balconies, two oceanviews and eight insides.

The 2015 refit saw the addition of 46 rooms -- some created by slicing up larger rooms. For example, the vast Presidential Suite, which was on Deck 12, has been converted into two Family Suites.

Despite the variety of categories, most of Allure's accommodations are distinguished solely by location. In other words, the innards of more than 2,000 of the ship's 2,700-odd cabins look remarkably alike. (There are, of course, modest size variations, and along the corridors, the bed and couch alternately trade positions between door and balcony.)

All standard cabins have two twin beds that convert to queens, small sitting areas and interactive flat-screen TVs, on which passengers can book shore tours, order room service, make dining and entertainment reservations, and check onboard bills. A handful of national U.S. networks like CNN and Fox News are featured, and for the kids, there's the Cartoon Network and a dedicated DreamWorks station.

Every cabin also has an iPod dock with speaker, but these are largely redundant due to the ever-changing size of iPhone sockets; they're incompatible with an iPhone 5 or above. There are also not enough electrical outlets (three U.S., one U.K.), and all are confined to an area underneath the vanity.

Plenty of shelves, cabinets, cubbies and bins will keep at least two passengers happy. Carry-ons fit comfortably under the bed, but anything larger might prove a tight squeeze. You have approximately a foot between floor and bed frame.

Bathrooms feature showers enclosed in clear glass (no clingy shower curtains for the world's largest cruise ship) with shampoo dispensers and foot rests for leg-shaving. Hair dryers, located under the desks in the main cabin areas, are somewhat chintzy, so you might want to BYO.

While cabin setup is standardized, location is vital. Cabin reviews are a would-be Allurean's best friend. For instance, passengers looking to read quietly on a Central Park balcony during a sunny sea day may find themselves being assaulted from above by the pool band.

Interior: The majority of Allure's inside cabins are 172 square feet, but there are also 53 category Q cabins with just 149 square feet of space. There are Promenade-facing interiors with large bay windows overlooking the indoor thoroughfare; these rooms are 193 square feet.

Oceanview: Windowed cabins vary in size. Central Park-view cabins are 199 square feet, while Oceanviews are 179 square feet. You'll find the Boardwalk-view cabins on Deck 7; they're 187 square feet.

Balcony: Standard balcony cabins in every category -- Central Park, Boardwalk, traditional verandas with ocean views -- are typically 182 square feet with 50- or 52-square-foot verandahs. Bulges, port and starboard, along the ship's superstructure create a number of standard accommodations with more generously endowed balconies (80 to 82 square feet). Regardless of size, each outdoor space is furnished with a table and pair of chairs made of metal and mesh.

Minisuite: Junior Suites are 287 square feet; the additional space is taken up with a sitting area with a table and sofa. These rooms come with 80-square-foot balconies. In addition, bathrooms in these accommodations feature tubs instead of showers. Note: Junior Suites do not get suite perks.

Suite: There are seven suite categories (not including Junior Suites), all of which have access to the new super-duper Suite Lounge and Coastal Kitchen, which have replaced the Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 17. In addition to a concierge, suite passengers receive a number of perks, including a nightly cocktail "hour" with free drinks from 5 to 8:30 p.m.; priority check-in; reserved prime seating in the main theater; access to full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus for in-cabin dining; luxury bathrobes and complimentary pressing for formal nights; access to a private sun deck with loungers and cabanas; an exclusive reception with senior officers; and free dining in the Suites-only Coastal Kitchen.

The smallest suites are the 30 Grand Suites at 371 square feet with 105-square-foot balconies. They feature marble entries, large bathrooms with tubs and two sinks, and a living area with tables and sofas.

The two-bedroom AquaTheater Suites (on Decks 8, 9 and 10) are large (820, 720 and 659 square feet, respectively), with two separate rooms, a vanity with a chair in each bedroom, living area with double convertible sofa, dining room, marble entranceway, entertainment center and two bathrooms, one with a tub. But what really stand out are the location and dimensions of the enormous balconies, which are almost as large as the cabins themselves. The balconies give new meaning to the word "wraparound," allowing 180-degree vistas of the Boardwalk, the AquaTheater, rock climbing wall and open ocean, with space for stools, tables, chairs and loungers. Note the balconies also decrease in size by deck, starting at a vast 803 square feet on Deck 8, then shrinking to 716 square feet on Deck 9 and 648 square feet on Deck 10.

These six suites have proven to be so popular (despite the exposed setting -- rock climbers literally pass by your cabin) that Royal Caribbean decided to add six new ones in the 2015 refurb. It's worth noting, should you wish to book one, that the six new ones (on decks 11, 12 and 14) are classified as aft-facing Grand Suites. Presumably, this is because they are significantly smaller than the true AquaTheater Suites on decks 8, 9 and 10 and do not have two bedrooms.

The four new suites aren't small though, ranging in interior size from 421 square feet (Deck 14) to 466 square feet (Deck 11). The suites each feature two rooms: a bedroom (with a large king-size bed, lots of wardrobe space and a bathroom with a tub) and a living room (with a large sofa that converts to a bed, a coffee table and double sliding doors that lead to the balcony). Deck 11 balconies are 470 square feet, and Deck 12 balconies 362 square feet. They're slim, but they wrap right round. However, the two suites on Deck 14 have 136-square-foot balconies that do not wrap around.

(Anyone very familiar with this ship may have worked out that the addition of six new suites at the back of the ship means the loss of six "secret" balconies. Accessed only by unmarked doors, these gave passengers a birds-eye view to the AquaTheater for free. They are now gone.)

Ten 556-square-foot Owner's Suites (which are on various floors, in the center of the ship) each feature marble entries, large bathrooms with tubs and two sinks, as well as a living area with tables and sofas. The balconies are 243 square feet each.

The Loft Suites are two-deck accommodations that have been lauded for their layout and criticized for their garish, multicolored design. Crown Loft Suites measure 545 square feet with 114-square-foot balconies and feature living spaces downstairs with pullout sofas and bathrooms, and master bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs, each with a shower large enough for two (his-and-hers shower heads), fog-free mirrors and limestone mosaic tile accents. The Sky Loft Suites add some extra space. They clock in at 722 square feet with 410-square-foot dine-on balconies and extra showers in the downstairs bathrooms.

The Royal Loft Suite is the most opulent accommodation onboard. At 1,524 square feet with an 843-square-foot balcony, it's the size of a modest home. When you enter the cabin on the main level, you'll find a Baby Grand piano, a dining area with a dry bar for entertaining, a bath with a shower, a living room sofa that converts into a double bed and a wraparound balcony with a dining area and private whirlpool. Upstairs, there's a master bedroom and a massive bathroom with a tub, shower, two sinks and a bidet.

The refit saw the building of two new one-level Royal Suites on either side of the Suite Lounge -- where the Pinnacle Lounge and Pinnacle Chapel used to be -- overlooking the main pool deck. Royal has pulled back from the garish colors that characterized the Loft Suites and replaced them with grownup slates, dark grays, browns and black marble in the bathrooms; there's also a distinct absence of shiny chrome.

While these suites are on one level (as opposed to the loft suites), Royal Caribbean has opted to give them a double-height ceiling. The suites are entered via a marble entranceway and have everything you would expect to find in a five-star hotel suite: huge dining/living room with L-shaped sofa, entertainment center with vast flat-screen TV, wet bar, special refrigerator to keep wine cool, and a master bedroom with a vast king bed and a couple of chaise lounges in the corners. The bathroom is accessed via a flight of steps and is completely open -- no separate door. There is a standalone shower room, toilet and wardrobe.

Suite 1701 (on the port side) is bigger at 1,075 square feet with a 161-square-foot balcony; Suite 1758 is 914 square feet with the same size balcony.

Family: Allure also has several categories of family-friendly cabins, including insides (260 square feet), oceanviews (271 square feet) and balconies (271 square feet with 82-square-foot balconies). Each offers sleeping for up to six via two Pullman beds, a convertible sofa bed and two twins that can be turned into a queen. A number of these rooms also feature bunk beds, tucked away in what can't really be classified as a room. It's more of a space that's divided from the main room by a curtain and just has room for the bed. It's a neat arrangement -- ideal for smaller kids -- and adds a degree of privacy for adults. There are 260 family insides but only eight outsides and seven balconies, so book well ahead if you're looking to rope a family balcony.

The six Royal Family Suites, which get all the suite perks detailed above, are generously sized at 575 square feet. Each has two bedrooms and can accommodate up to eight people. Other features include: a vanity with a chair in each bedroom, two Pullman beds, living area with double convertible sofa, marble entry, entertainment center and two bathrooms, including a master bathroom with a bathtub. The balcony is 246 square feet and comes with a table and chairs. Note that the Royal Family Suites on Deck 12 are 589 square feet with a balcony of either 237 square feet or 246 square feet. They also have hot tubs. Two new Royal Family Suites were added, post-refit.

Allure of the Seas Dining

Free Dining

You won't be disappointed if you just choose to eat in the free restaurants: the quality, variety and service are exceptional, especially in the three main dining rooms.

Allure's three-deck Adagio Dining Room, which had seating for some 3,000 passengers, is no more. It's been redesigned and split into three venues -- Silk, The Grande and American Icon -- in anticipation of the rollout of Royal Caribbean's Dynamic Dining program. Dynamic Dining -- no fixed seating times or tables and no main dining room -- debuted onboard Quantum of the Seas but proved unpopular with passengers, so Royal Caribbean has delayed its rollout on Allure of the Seas until they iron out some of the issues.

Until that time, the three main restaurants will feature exactly the same menu. Passengers can dine at 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. with the same group and waiters each night in either Silk or The Grande, or choose My Time Dining (open seating between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m.), which is in American Icon. Those opting for My Time Dining will need to prepay gratuities.

The cuisine in these venues is inventive (in as much as that's possible when you're serving 3,000-plus people), and it's varied enough for you not to get bored on a seven-night sailing. Expect starters such as bay scallop gratin, lobster bisque and chilled banana and rum soup alongside more traditional offerings like prawn cocktail and Caesar salad. Mains include a couple of meat dishes (beef tenderloin, roasted duck), seafood (shrimp ravioli, corvina fillet) and a couple of vegetarian options. "Classic" dishes are always available and include linguini, chicken breast, salmon, beef sliders and NY strip steak. Desserts are delicious (and irresistible): bittersweet chocolate souffle, double strawberry cheesecake, sky-high lemon pie and a couple of sugar-free options.

For the health-conscious, a "Vitality" menu promises to keep its three courses under 800 calories. There are also lactose- and gluten-free options available.

Royal Caribbean also offers for-fee premium steaks in the main dining rooms. A 9-ounce Chops Grille filet (the cut you'd get in the alternative restaurant of the same name) is offered nightly. It'll set you back back $16.95. If you opt for surf and turf (lobster tail and filet mignon), expect to pay $34.95.

American Icon (Deck 3): This restaurant features a lot of ersatz Americana, including a map of the USA made out of state license plates. It's open for breakfast and lunch to anyone; dinner is just for My Time Diners. Breakfast is buffet and a la carte; lunch is waiter service, and the menu changes daily. Dishes might include Caesar salad, chicken sliders or potato, leek and spinach gratin to start; harissa barramundi and char grilled palm sugar chicken as a main and almond polenta cake and caramelized banana mille feuille for dessert. If you're in a rush, opt for the "Brasserie 30" menu, and you can finish eating in 30 minutes. In the evening, although this is a turn-up-when-you-want restaurant, it's highly recommended to make dinner reservations at peak times (7 p.m. onwards), or you'll end up milling around in the entranceway waiting for your name to be called. American Icon also hosts the DreamWorks character breakfast twice a cruise ($10 per person for diners ages 6 and older). Open for breakfast 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.