A Family Vacation Onboard Allure of the Seas

I just returned from an amazing week onboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.  Now, there are a lot of people out there who feel that a week on ANY cruise is an amazing experience…and I won’t argue that.  But this ship is so unique, so different.  I don't think you can even compare it to other “cruises”.

Because once you have a huge Central Park, with live trees and foliage, pathways lined with boutiques and cafes; a real Boardwalk, complete with fun house mirrors, a hot dog stand, a carousel, and a clown doing face painting; sports activities like a 40+ foot high rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, 2 surfing simulators, mini-golf course, and a zip line… it hardly feels like you are on a cruise ship!

For my family, the cruise was a perfect match.  If you don’t already know, we have 4 children, ages 2, 3, 7, and 10.  Choosing a cruise requires a little extra attention – for example, we need one room that will accommodate all of us (a real rarity, but several choices on the Allure of the Seas!) or two connecting rooms.  We also prefer a cruise with childcare options for our youngest child so we could see a show, have a quiet dinner, or explore the ship.  And as far as the kids go, we needed something that would entertain the little ones as well as the older ones.  The Allure of the Seas (or her sister, the Oasis) is perfect for this.  In fact, I would whole-heartedly recommend this ship for any family traveling together, from babies up to grandparents.  There is really something for everyone here.

There are many reviews all over the internet, so I will just focus here on our favorites, which happened to be geared towards the more "active".  But trust me, even if you are not interested in these sorts of activities, there is still much to see and experience on this ship; my experience is merely one perspective, but I can honestly say I wish I had another week onboard to try to do EVERYTHING!  If you have any questions to ask about the Allure or Oasis of the Seas, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

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My favorites: 

• boogie boarding and stand-up surfing on the Flow Rider
  
• amazing lamb chops (and entire meal for that matter!) at Giovanni’s Table specialty restaurant
  
• the sheer amount of “fun” available to experience onboard the ship 

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My husband’s favorites: 

• the overall beauty of the ship and attention to detail
  
• amazing and interesting artwork, especially the Romero Britto Gallery in Central Park
  
• the immaculate condition of the ship
  
• friendliness of the staff
  

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10-year-old girl’s favorites: 

• boogie boarding on the Flow Rider 
  
• rock climbing wall
  
• zip-line
  
• Adventure Ocean kids activities
  
• evening shows

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7-year-old boy’s favorites: 

• Adventure Ocean kids activities
  
• rock climbing wall
  
• 3D movies
  
• Sorrento’s pizza
  
• soft-serve ice cream machine

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3-year-old girl’s favorites:  

• Boardwalk carousel
  
• face painting
  
• balloon artist at the Boardwalk
  
• OceanAria AquaTheater show
  
• Dreamworks characters around ship
  
• pistachio ice cream

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2-year-old boy’s favorites: 

• Dreamworks parade
  
• Boardwalk carousel
  
• balloon artist at the Boardwalk
  
• H2O Zone water play area
  
• Caesar salad (that was a surprise to us!)

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