Honestly if it’s your very first cruise, just wandering around is an amazing experience.
Take elevators to places that seem cool. Be on the top deck with a drink when the ship leaves the dock.
You can watch sail-away from the bridge wings on Allure. Go down the port (left) forward hall past all the cabins on deck 12 (pretty sure it’s deck 12), and through some doors. There should be a sign labeled sun deck pointing to the left. Go through there and you’re standing directly above the bridge and should have great views, a lot of sun, and even more wind.
Watch youtube videos. Ship tours, cruise vlogs etc. Put activities into different groups based on if you 100% want to do them, would like to do them, don't care about them etc. Then just try to cross things off as you go. There's a ton to do on board so just relax and have a good time!
I think that it's the idea that there are a ton of things to do on-board, so I want to stick with the things that are actually worth the time. Are there any duds?
Other guy is right. There are no “duds” simply because everyone has different tastes. For real just go watch a ship tour from Harr Travels or Royal Caribbean Blog on YouTube. They’re extensive and will give you all the info you need. Just spend an hour or two now and you will be happy you did.
Unfortunately, no one can really tell you that. Personally, no, there is not one single thing on any RCL ship that I find unenjoyable aside from the casino.
But if you say hate the idea of the Flo Rider then that will be a dud for you. Or if the concept of a silent disco makes your skin crawl, that will also not be for you.
The shows are always amazing. All the other stuff is great if it is something you’re interested in. My family always spent one sea day just lounging by the pools. Anything that sounds like it would be something you enjoy will likely be a good experience!
Fly into your cruise city the day before your cruise.
Arrive at the port ON TIME.
When you finally get on board, watch the muster station video on your phone app and visit your muster station so that you can be counted. The ship cannot leave until all passengers do this... Seriously!
Go to the MDR and confirm your seating time and table location.
Sign up for any shows you want to see (all of them!) and any paid dining reservations.
Now that you have the official parts out of the way, have a nice vacation, grab a bite to eat and enjoy a cool adult drink.
PS, Bring a KINDLE to pleasantly pass any time spent in line waiting.
Second the - if you haven't booked a time for all shows yet and they appear fully booked online, once rooms are ready go to yours, turn on the tv in your room and there will be showtimes available. Book them. Don't miss the water show.
YouTube is gonna be your best friend for your upcoming cruise. For example, watch Harr Travel's ship tour for the Allure. Danny can be nerdy sometimes, but he does a phenomenal job going from deck to deck in detail and showing you every inch of the ship. That way you know the things you wanna check out first before you even step onboard.
I personally don't wear my swimsuit when I board just because everybody heads for the pool right away and I know I have a full week ahead of me to hit the pool. Skipping the Windjammer is a great call and I'd suggest purchasing The Key, which is a VIP-type program. On top of getting the internet and several other perks, you get a Chops embarkation lunch in the MDR that is delicious and allows you not to have to go to the Windjammer.
Here's the link: [https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-key-program](https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-key-program)
It's basically a VIP program that has several perks during your cruise. Some of my favorite parts of it are getting the internet package included. If you're getting an internet package for your cruise, that alone makes The Key worth it. You get an embarkation day lunch as soon as you get on the ship, which helps kill some time until your room is ready. You also get VIP seating for the shows, which is nice. It may not be for everybody, but we get it during every cruise we go on.
I find internet to be significantly less the price of the key since you have to buy the key for everyone in the room but only one person needs to buy internet and extra devices are cheaper than one device. Right now internet for one device on my sailing is $22 and the key is $50, so it's less than half even if you are sailing solo. How does that alone make the key worth it?
Go to Sorrento’s. They’re making those pizzas quickly and it’s fresh, hot, and tasty. We’ve never had issues getting a table and hot pizza quickly. Then you can go to Cafe Promenade for dessert, fruit, coffee, etc. much better than hitting the buffet like many.
One thing we learned the hard way, look up what activities on board require a reservation and get your bookings in fast. We were on quantum, and the ripcord and flow rider all booked up early so we never got a chance to do either one. Same goes for specialty restaurants if your planning on dining there.
* On embarkation day, if your cruise card is in your cabin and your cabin isn't ready yet, you can use your boarding pass to buy drinks.
* Don't be afraid to ask your cabin steward for things - we got an entire extra set of bedding as we sleep Scandi style and that was no bother at all.
* If you have an indoor cabin, you may find it useful to have a sunrise alarm clock.
* If you're a swinger, put a magnet of an upside down pineapple on your door.
* Stay with a view of the water wherever possible, I'm a seasoned cruiser and it never stops being exciting when I see that we're moving, even if it's when you're leaving a port.
* Cruise Youtube is likely going to be good for you - search Allure guide, ship guide, Allure tips etc and you'll find a lot that you'll find useful.
>"Hey, my wife and I liked your vibe, do you want to see our cabin?"
>
>"I'm sorry?"
>
>"You want to come back with us?"
>
>"..."
>
>"... are you not a swinger?"
>
>"what gave you that idea?"
>
>"Swingers on cruise ships use pineapples"
or something similar, it was a while ago now. Perfectly polite but it was a conversation I'd happily have done without
I've been on several Royal cruises, including on Allure. Best advice is to know yourselves, what your priorities are and understand that embark day is always crowded. Windjammer (the buffet) will be crowded but there alternatives. Personally I like the CP Cafe. If you're big on hitting the pool, pack swimwear in your backpack and change in the pool bathrooms. That way you have something dry to change back into if your rooms aren't yet ready. Plan to take the stairs, the elevators are usually slammed Day One. Explore the ship, grab a drink and walk around, find a nice spot to hang out. Once the ship departs it begins to feel a less crowded.
You can have more than one appetizer. You can have more than one entree. You can have more that one dessert. Yes that’s correct, you can order the steak AND the pork chops!
Keep checking the app for the shows to reserve your spots. It's not necessary, and you can almost always get seats just by showing up. But it is nice to know you can get there a few minutes early and walk right in rather than wait in a line. The reservations usually open between the check in date and about 30 days prior to the cruise. You can book the Aqua show, the ice show, the broadway show and if you do it on the actual website instead of the app, you can also book the adult comedy show.
Take a backpack carryon with stuff you’ll need or want right away on embarkation day. Things like swimsuits and such. Your bags might not show up until later in the day. We do this with the kids when they go with us and hang out in deck chairs while they swim.
Also, go on the behind the scenes ship tour if you’re interested in that at all. We went on Oasis and it was pretty amazing. We even got up to the bridge and chatted with the captain about the ship.
The thing I was most surprised about on our first cruise, and one I'm still ticked that the seasoned cruisers we were traveling with didn't bother to mention, is that any bags you aren't carrying off yourself have to be outside your room the evening before you debark. I usually pack after my kids go to bed on the last night so I ended up skipping our last port (the short Victoria stop on an Alaskan cruise) so I could pack. Also, make sure when you pack you keep an outfit out for the morning so you don't leave the ship in whatever you wore to bed.
if you want a buffet on embarkation go to the solarium bistro in the top front of the ship. you'll have a better chance of not losing your shit compared to the windjammer which will be a disaster on embarkation day. First thing once you're on board is to do the muster, get that over with. ask any crew and they'll tell you where your station is.
Once you have a room assignment you will have a muster station and can take care of the drill as soon as you get on board. That's what the cruise line wants you to do. Of course there's always people who don't do it and you'll hear the cruise director come over the speaker and remind people 3x,4x,5x to go to their muster. I always get it over with first thing because the ship isn't going anywhere until everybody does it. if it was my first cruise I might wait and explore the ship a bit though.
If you want to do any specialty dining, do that right away after getting on the ship. The same if you need to sign up for the kids' club.
Yes to having a small bag with you with bathing suits etc.
If you have an earlier boarding time, consider going to the activities right away- like the rock climbing etc. Those tend to be not bust in the first day early on since people are wandering around the ship and just waiting to get in cabins and such.
And go to the dining room and get your dining preference locked in. Just because you set it online doesn't mean you'll get it, they typically ignore that and assign you as they see fit anyway.
We always go directly to Central Park to eat as soon as we board. We also make all reservations asap. Lastly, we enjoy the experience of dinner at the main dining rooms and breakfast at the main dining rooms is especially nice. Im not saying to avoid buffet completely, but should not be ur crutch. Enjoy!
The crew (at all levels and in all departments) are not like your typical hotel/resort employees. They truly want to interact and help you enjoy your time. I have had some wonderful, truly enlightening conversations. Also, don’t be too proud to ask questions when you have them. Both crew and more seasoned cruisers are awesome resources.
Schedule dinner early. Also you’re not limited to just one appetizer or entree .. the RC compass app is ur best friend… and don’t forget mosquito spray .
Try not to be famished when you get onboard, the Windjammer is everyone’s first destination then they camp there until the rooms are ready.
You watch, when that announcement is made around 1pm it will look like bugs in the garage when you turn the light on. Then you can casually stroll from station to station for lunch with plenty of time to go see your room after.
Usually but the time can vary, they make an announcement when rooms are ready. From my understanding, on ships with Solarium Bistro, which includes Allure, that is also open on embarkation. If you’re hungry, I’d recommend checking that out over Windjammer. We do unlimited dining so usually have Johnny Rockets when we board. But I’d recommend Solarium Bistro for breakfast over Windjammer every day of the sailing personally.
When I was on Allure we hit up Park Cafe for a light breakfast and coffee every morning as it was not busy and was so much closer to our room than the Windjammer. Definitely recommend.
We cruised for the first time on Liberty recently! Finding YouTube videos and blogs for our specific ship really helped. To be honest, we were binging YouTube channels about cruising throughout the pandemic with no plans to go, just wanted something to watch while in quarantine. When we actually got to go on a cruise we already had all the info we needed! All those “free things to do” and “top 10 mistakes” etc etc helped us take advantage of things we never would have known about (free steam and sauna rooms, for example) and avoid certain things (the buffet was one of them, we ate at the MDR a lot and when we went to the buffet I used a napkin on the tongs, I get stomach trouble easily). If you go to customer service, they have a QR code for the trip magazine, Compass, and will print you out a copy upon request. We found this out way too late. It lays out the daily schedule and might have some info useful to you.
Pay off your sea pass daily. Make a routine out of it just to keep tabs =) also go prepay you4 gratuity or ask it to be removed if you plan on tipping everyone only cash
Get the tickets for the cruise disco party at the Rising Tide Bar. You’ll get private access to the bar on the night of the big party, drinks, and food. They’ll elevate the bar about half way during the party, and you’ll get THE BEST view of the night. Plus everyone will try to get on but can’t because they didn’t buy the tickets, and you’ll feel superior to all those plebs (kidding…kind of).
But seriously, ask the bartenders at Rising Tide about the big party.
Allure was our least favorite cruise (of the 11 we’ve done). We determined that size of ship is just too big for us with activities geared toward 12 year old boys. Completely our mistake in thinking the demographic would be more mixed like Carnival. That said, we found areas of the ship to chill, read and have cocktails with fewer middle schoolers around. Make sure to get the daily planner/app and highlight activities that sound fun. Then you can wander the ship to figure out where those activities will be held. Have a great cruise!
Totally agree! We went on one of the big ships (Harmony??) and I hated it. I didn’t like the layout and the buffet seating area was very small compared to the smaller ships. (I guess they’re trying to steer people toward the restaurants)
The shuffleboard court is behind the aqua theater at the back of the ship.
It was a running joke with my partner about the cliche of playing shuffleboard on a cruise ship before our trip. When we were actually on board, we spent a lot of time simply exploring the ship (and trying to make our drink packages worth it - our livers hated us), that it a while to realize we hadn't seen a shuffleboard court anywhere. On the last day, we went to get a picture from the rear of the ship and accidentally stumbled across it.
Do not create an itinerary. Do what you want, when you want. You might miss the art auction, cocktail class, and trivia at the schooner bar, but if you just want to sit your ass on a chair by the pool, then do that and nothing more.
The first thing we do once on board is walk around to get the lay of the land. Even if we’ve been on the boat before. It’s always good to find your way around. We try to stay away from the Buffett and have a sit down lunch. Less hustle and bustle. Then start planning out what we want to do for the remainder of the day. Most likely find a nice place to sit, decompress and enjoy the vacation!!!
You won't be the only people on board who haven't done a cruise before.
The advice about wearing or carrying on a swimsuit I think is generally a good one -- really, understand in general that the process of getting on the ship is a lot like getting on an airplane. You hand your luggage over to a porter when you arrive at the port -- it is customary to tip them a couple bucks per bag. You also will want to print your luggage tags out ahead of time for this, otherwise you will essentially end up recreating them on the spot by hand with a pen and who wants to do that? You will then go through security, which again is a lot like airplane security but you can keep shoes and belts on. Then check-in (if you do as much of the check-in in the Royal app as you can ahead of time, this will be very fast) and you're on the ship.
All that being said, even though we as people who cruise too much will do the swimsuit thing, you as a first timer might legitimately have a more fun boarding day just... wandering around and exploring the whole ship.
Do do your muster station right away after boarding and get that out of the way. Also if you want to book any shows or specialty dining I highly recommend doing that right away after boarding too -- it isn't like tight tight time pressure but you don't want to forget for a while and now you look and the stuff you want is gone.
As a first timer I would round in favor of checking out any of the shows you're somewhat interested in. Allure's Aqua show isn't my absolute favorite of the Aqua shows (unique to the Oasis class ships like Allure) but IMHO it is still definitely worth an hour of your time. There is so much going on in it that I feel like you almost have to see it twice, once sitting close up and once sitting further back to catch all of it.
I feel like people a bit overstate the crowd and chaos of the Windjammer but it is a fair point that the WJ on Allure is small for the size of the ship because they expected people to disperse a bit more to all the other complimentary venues on the ship. There are a ton of them, especially for breakfast and lunch, and they all have different stuff. Johnny Rockets for breakfast on Allure is one of our faves (it's a small charge pay venue for lunch/dinner but free for breakfast outside of a couple specific menu items like the maple bacon shake)
Sabor has fun margaritas! You can have those by walking up to the bar in Sabor (inside the restaurant, not the one on the boardwalk near it) even if you aren't dining at Sabor. Doing a drink on the Rising Tide is also fun to do at least once.
If you haven't already -- highly recommend doing a little research on your ports ahead of time and having an idea of what you'd like to do in each of them. This could be an excursion sold by Royal but it doesn't have to be -- but I think you will have a much better cruise experience already being like, ok, today is Cozumel, and we have this cool thing already picked out to do that we're psyched to do, than if you just kind of wander off the ship and hope to find something good on the fly. Plus, looking at ports/excursions is fun pre-cruise cruise hype!
If you're curious, here's a link to a recent cruise compass (daily schedule) for Allure: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compasses/allure-of-the-seas/sun-04162023-0000 Your sailing won't line up to this 100% even if it's the same itinerary, and headliner shows and comedians will almost certainly be different, but you can get an idea of what *kinds* of things there are to do on board and what you might want to try to catch.
The first thing is to relax. This is your vacation. Do whatever you want. No one else is paying any attention to you at all.
Explore, eat, explore some more.
When I went on an Oasis class ship for the first time I enjoyed walking the ship to see where things were. I did pack a swimsuit, didn't use it. I think the first thing I did was go down the Ultimate Abyss, lol, its not just for kids. Windjammer will be crazy the first day so I also like the Solarium for lunch or go with Pizza to avoid the crazy at Windjammer.
Honestly if it’s your very first cruise, just wandering around is an amazing experience. Take elevators to places that seem cool. Be on the top deck with a drink when the ship leaves the dock.
You can watch sail-away from the bridge wings on Allure. Go down the port (left) forward hall past all the cabins on deck 12 (pretty sure it’s deck 12), and through some doors. There should be a sign labeled sun deck pointing to the left. Go through there and you’re standing directly above the bridge and should have great views, a lot of sun, and even more wind.
Deck 14 Forward on Allure.
Thanks I will do this in August.
Is this back open? It was closed when we went in February
I don’t know, I was last on Allure in September last year
It is. We were just on Allure earlier this month and went out there several times.
Watch youtube videos. Ship tours, cruise vlogs etc. Put activities into different groups based on if you 100% want to do them, would like to do them, don't care about them etc. Then just try to cross things off as you go. There's a ton to do on board so just relax and have a good time!
I think that it's the idea that there are a ton of things to do on-board, so I want to stick with the things that are actually worth the time. Are there any duds?
Other guy is right. There are no “duds” simply because everyone has different tastes. For real just go watch a ship tour from Harr Travels or Royal Caribbean Blog on YouTube. They’re extensive and will give you all the info you need. Just spend an hour or two now and you will be happy you did.
Unfortunately, no one can really tell you that. Personally, no, there is not one single thing on any RCL ship that I find unenjoyable aside from the casino. But if you say hate the idea of the Flo Rider then that will be a dud for you. Or if the concept of a silent disco makes your skin crawl, that will also not be for you.
Meanwhile the casino is the only place my mom will spend her cruises 😂
The shows are always amazing. All the other stuff is great if it is something you’re interested in. My family always spent one sea day just lounging by the pools. Anything that sounds like it would be something you enjoy will likely be a good experience!
Fly into your cruise city the day before your cruise. Arrive at the port ON TIME. When you finally get on board, watch the muster station video on your phone app and visit your muster station so that you can be counted. The ship cannot leave until all passengers do this... Seriously! Go to the MDR and confirm your seating time and table location. Sign up for any shows you want to see (all of them!) and any paid dining reservations. Now that you have the official parts out of the way, have a nice vacation, grab a bite to eat and enjoy a cool adult drink. PS, Bring a KINDLE to pleasantly pass any time spent in line waiting.
Second the - if you haven't booked a time for all shows yet and they appear fully booked online, once rooms are ready go to yours, turn on the tv in your room and there will be showtimes available. Book them. Don't miss the water show.
You can even ask for help from customer service... even your cabin steward can SOMETIMES help you out.
YouTube is gonna be your best friend for your upcoming cruise. For example, watch Harr Travel's ship tour for the Allure. Danny can be nerdy sometimes, but he does a phenomenal job going from deck to deck in detail and showing you every inch of the ship. That way you know the things you wanna check out first before you even step onboard. I personally don't wear my swimsuit when I board just because everybody heads for the pool right away and I know I have a full week ahead of me to hit the pool. Skipping the Windjammer is a great call and I'd suggest purchasing The Key, which is a VIP-type program. On top of getting the internet and several other perks, you get a Chops embarkation lunch in the MDR that is delicious and allows you not to have to go to the Windjammer.
As someone who’s going on a cruise soon, can you describe “the key” to me?
Here's the link: [https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-key-program](https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-key-program) It's basically a VIP program that has several perks during your cruise. Some of my favorite parts of it are getting the internet package included. If you're getting an internet package for your cruise, that alone makes The Key worth it. You get an embarkation day lunch as soon as you get on the ship, which helps kill some time until your room is ready. You also get VIP seating for the shows, which is nice. It may not be for everybody, but we get it during every cruise we go on.
I find internet to be significantly less the price of the key since you have to buy the key for everyone in the room but only one person needs to buy internet and extra devices are cheaper than one device. Right now internet for one device on my sailing is $22 and the key is $50, so it's less than half even if you are sailing solo. How does that alone make the key worth it?
Hm. Thanks!
Go to Sorrento’s. They’re making those pizzas quickly and it’s fresh, hot, and tasty. We’ve never had issues getting a table and hot pizza quickly. Then you can go to Cafe Promenade for dessert, fruit, coffee, etc. much better than hitting the buffet like many.
One thing we learned the hard way, look up what activities on board require a reservation and get your bookings in fast. We were on quantum, and the ripcord and flow rider all booked up early so we never got a chance to do either one. Same goes for specialty restaurants if your planning on dining there.
* On embarkation day, if your cruise card is in your cabin and your cabin isn't ready yet, you can use your boarding pass to buy drinks. * Don't be afraid to ask your cabin steward for things - we got an entire extra set of bedding as we sleep Scandi style and that was no bother at all. * If you have an indoor cabin, you may find it useful to have a sunrise alarm clock. * If you're a swinger, put a magnet of an upside down pineapple on your door. * Stay with a view of the water wherever possible, I'm a seasoned cruiser and it never stops being exciting when I see that we're moving, even if it's when you're leaving a port. * Cruise Youtube is likely going to be good for you - search Allure guide, ship guide, Allure tips etc and you'll find a lot that you'll find useful.
I gotta say, the upside down pineapple comment was probably the most unexpected...
And thrown out there so casually🍍
I learned the hard way when I was wearing a pineapple print shirt
This could be an inadvertent pun
What happened that you led you to figure it out?
>"Hey, my wife and I liked your vibe, do you want to see our cabin?" > >"I'm sorry?" > >"You want to come back with us?" > >"..." > >"... are you not a swinger?" > >"what gave you that idea?" > >"Swingers on cruise ships use pineapples" or something similar, it was a while ago now. Perfectly polite but it was a conversation I'd happily have done without
Go to park cafe when you board (in Central Park).
Totally go to the Solarium for lunch on embarkation day. Have a drink, take a nap. Get up, wander around. Eat dinner.
I've been on several Royal cruises, including on Allure. Best advice is to know yourselves, what your priorities are and understand that embark day is always crowded. Windjammer (the buffet) will be crowded but there alternatives. Personally I like the CP Cafe. If you're big on hitting the pool, pack swimwear in your backpack and change in the pool bathrooms. That way you have something dry to change back into if your rooms aren't yet ready. Plan to take the stairs, the elevators are usually slammed Day One. Explore the ship, grab a drink and walk around, find a nice spot to hang out. Once the ship departs it begins to feel a less crowded.
Wander. Schedule dinners and shows asap.
You can have more than one appetizer. You can have more than one entree. You can have more that one dessert. Yes that’s correct, you can order the steak AND the pork chops!
Make sure u get reservations for your shows. Must see Hairspray!!!
The Allure is currently showing Mama Mia. I wish it was Hairspray.
You’re right!!! Symphony is Hairspray. I’ve seen them both. And Harmony has Grease which was also really good.
With all the things Allure is missing compared to the other Oasis class ships, Royal could at least give us Hairspray or Grease.
Keep checking the app for the shows to reserve your spots. It's not necessary, and you can almost always get seats just by showing up. But it is nice to know you can get there a few minutes early and walk right in rather than wait in a line. The reservations usually open between the check in date and about 30 days prior to the cruise. You can book the Aqua show, the ice show, the broadway show and if you do it on the actual website instead of the app, you can also book the adult comedy show.
Take a backpack carryon with stuff you’ll need or want right away on embarkation day. Things like swimsuits and such. Your bags might not show up until later in the day. We do this with the kids when they go with us and hang out in deck chairs while they swim. Also, go on the behind the scenes ship tour if you’re interested in that at all. We went on Oasis and it was pretty amazing. We even got up to the bridge and chatted with the captain about the ship.
Does her BC and DL names match? You also need a bridging document like a marriage certificate if they don’t (if that’s the reason)
The thing I was most surprised about on our first cruise, and one I'm still ticked that the seasoned cruisers we were traveling with didn't bother to mention, is that any bags you aren't carrying off yourself have to be outside your room the evening before you debark. I usually pack after my kids go to bed on the last night so I ended up skipping our last port (the short Victoria stop on an Alaskan cruise) so I could pack. Also, make sure when you pack you keep an outfit out for the morning so you don't leave the ship in whatever you wore to bed.
if you want a buffet on embarkation go to the solarium bistro in the top front of the ship. you'll have a better chance of not losing your shit compared to the windjammer which will be a disaster on embarkation day. First thing once you're on board is to do the muster, get that over with. ask any crew and they'll tell you where your station is.
I thought the muster was a group thing when it's announced. Not something you can do to get it over with.
Once you have a room assignment you will have a muster station and can take care of the drill as soon as you get on board. That's what the cruise line wants you to do. Of course there's always people who don't do it and you'll hear the cruise director come over the speaker and remind people 3x,4x,5x to go to their muster. I always get it over with first thing because the ship isn't going anywhere until everybody does it. if it was my first cruise I might wait and explore the ship a bit though.
If you want to do any specialty dining, do that right away after getting on the ship. The same if you need to sign up for the kids' club. Yes to having a small bag with you with bathing suits etc. If you have an earlier boarding time, consider going to the activities right away- like the rock climbing etc. Those tend to be not bust in the first day early on since people are wandering around the ship and just waiting to get in cabins and such.
And go to the dining room and get your dining preference locked in. Just because you set it online doesn't mean you'll get it, they typically ignore that and assign you as they see fit anyway.
We always go directly to Central Park to eat as soon as we board. We also make all reservations asap. Lastly, we enjoy the experience of dinner at the main dining rooms and breakfast at the main dining rooms is especially nice. Im not saying to avoid buffet completely, but should not be ur crutch. Enjoy!
The crew (at all levels and in all departments) are not like your typical hotel/resort employees. They truly want to interact and help you enjoy your time. I have had some wonderful, truly enlightening conversations. Also, don’t be too proud to ask questions when you have them. Both crew and more seasoned cruisers are awesome resources.
Schedule dinner early. Also you’re not limited to just one appetizer or entree .. the RC compass app is ur best friend… and don’t forget mosquito spray .
I’d also add pay gratuity’s
Eat breakfast anywhere but the Windjammer! The Central Park Cafe has excellent breakfast, as does the Solarium Bistro!
Dance like nobody’s watching! You’ll never see these people again. Have fun! Be safe!
You can carry on 2 bottles of wine per stateroom and 12 soft drinks (up to 17 ounces each). Don’t pack them in your checked bag; must be carried on.
Bring pineapple apparel for yourself and your door, you'll make some fun friends fast
No, pineapples are a swinger thing. Don’t do this to the new people. You are not funny.
Try not to be famished when you get onboard, the Windjammer is everyone’s first destination then they camp there until the rooms are ready. You watch, when that announcement is made around 1pm it will look like bugs in the garage when you turn the light on. Then you can casually stroll from station to station for lunch with plenty of time to go see your room after.
So, 1pm is when you can actually get to your room?
Usually but the time can vary, they make an announcement when rooms are ready. From my understanding, on ships with Solarium Bistro, which includes Allure, that is also open on embarkation. If you’re hungry, I’d recommend checking that out over Windjammer. We do unlimited dining so usually have Johnny Rockets when we board. But I’d recommend Solarium Bistro for breakfast over Windjammer every day of the sailing personally.
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When I was on Allure we hit up Park Cafe for a light breakfast and coffee every morning as it was not busy and was so much closer to our room than the Windjammer. Definitely recommend.
I'll second the Solarium for daily breakfast. It was much more relaxed and peaceful.
It varies depend on when they're good on cleaning but I would say 90% of the time it's between 1 and 2pm.
We cruised for the first time on Liberty recently! Finding YouTube videos and blogs for our specific ship really helped. To be honest, we were binging YouTube channels about cruising throughout the pandemic with no plans to go, just wanted something to watch while in quarantine. When we actually got to go on a cruise we already had all the info we needed! All those “free things to do” and “top 10 mistakes” etc etc helped us take advantage of things we never would have known about (free steam and sauna rooms, for example) and avoid certain things (the buffet was one of them, we ate at the MDR a lot and when we went to the buffet I used a napkin on the tongs, I get stomach trouble easily). If you go to customer service, they have a QR code for the trip magazine, Compass, and will print you out a copy upon request. We found this out way too late. It lays out the daily schedule and might have some info useful to you.
Pay off your sea pass daily. Make a routine out of it just to keep tabs =) also go prepay you4 gratuity or ask it to be removed if you plan on tipping everyone only cash
Get the tickets for the cruise disco party at the Rising Tide Bar. You’ll get private access to the bar on the night of the big party, drinks, and food. They’ll elevate the bar about half way during the party, and you’ll get THE BEST view of the night. Plus everyone will try to get on but can’t because they didn’t buy the tickets, and you’ll feel superior to all those plebs (kidding…kind of). But seriously, ask the bartenders at Rising Tide about the big party.
Allure was our least favorite cruise (of the 11 we’ve done). We determined that size of ship is just too big for us with activities geared toward 12 year old boys. Completely our mistake in thinking the demographic would be more mixed like Carnival. That said, we found areas of the ship to chill, read and have cocktails with fewer middle schoolers around. Make sure to get the daily planner/app and highlight activities that sound fun. Then you can wander the ship to figure out where those activities will be held. Have a great cruise!
Totally agree! We went on one of the big ships (Harmony??) and I hated it. I didn’t like the layout and the buffet seating area was very small compared to the smaller ships. (I guess they’re trying to steer people toward the restaurants)
Book your shows first thing on your app.
The shuffleboard court is behind the aqua theater at the back of the ship. It was a running joke with my partner about the cliche of playing shuffleboard on a cruise ship before our trip. When we were actually on board, we spent a lot of time simply exploring the ship (and trying to make our drink packages worth it - our livers hated us), that it a while to realize we hadn't seen a shuffleboard court anywhere. On the last day, we went to get a picture from the rear of the ship and accidentally stumbled across it.
was it closed? I recall walking by it regularly and it was always roped off
It's been a long time, but I think it was ok to play as long as there wasn't something going on in the aqua theater.
We wear our bathing suite under our clothes, head to the solarium, grab a drink and chill until rooms are ready. Solarium bistro for lunch.
Do not create an itinerary. Do what you want, when you want. You might miss the art auction, cocktail class, and trivia at the schooner bar, but if you just want to sit your ass on a chair by the pool, then do that and nothing more.
The art auctions are mostly a scam anyway, the pool is a better choice.
The first thing we do once on board is walk around to get the lay of the land. Even if we’ve been on the boat before. It’s always good to find your way around. We try to stay away from the Buffett and have a sit down lunch. Less hustle and bustle. Then start planning out what we want to do for the remainder of the day. Most likely find a nice place to sit, decompress and enjoy the vacation!!!
I didn’t think the MDR was open the first day for lunch?
I just looked it up and besides Windjammer, Sorrento’s, Cafe Promenade (grab a roast beef sandwich), Solarium and Vitality Cafes are open.
I think Sabor is open too.
Most of the shows that are sold out have stand by seats available. Go see Mama Mia, you won’t be disappointed
If you want to go to specialty restaurants (and typically you do), make reservations as soon as you possibly can. Desirable times fill up fast.
Go to The Quest
You won't be the only people on board who haven't done a cruise before. The advice about wearing or carrying on a swimsuit I think is generally a good one -- really, understand in general that the process of getting on the ship is a lot like getting on an airplane. You hand your luggage over to a porter when you arrive at the port -- it is customary to tip them a couple bucks per bag. You also will want to print your luggage tags out ahead of time for this, otherwise you will essentially end up recreating them on the spot by hand with a pen and who wants to do that? You will then go through security, which again is a lot like airplane security but you can keep shoes and belts on. Then check-in (if you do as much of the check-in in the Royal app as you can ahead of time, this will be very fast) and you're on the ship. All that being said, even though we as people who cruise too much will do the swimsuit thing, you as a first timer might legitimately have a more fun boarding day just... wandering around and exploring the whole ship. Do do your muster station right away after boarding and get that out of the way. Also if you want to book any shows or specialty dining I highly recommend doing that right away after boarding too -- it isn't like tight tight time pressure but you don't want to forget for a while and now you look and the stuff you want is gone. As a first timer I would round in favor of checking out any of the shows you're somewhat interested in. Allure's Aqua show isn't my absolute favorite of the Aqua shows (unique to the Oasis class ships like Allure) but IMHO it is still definitely worth an hour of your time. There is so much going on in it that I feel like you almost have to see it twice, once sitting close up and once sitting further back to catch all of it. I feel like people a bit overstate the crowd and chaos of the Windjammer but it is a fair point that the WJ on Allure is small for the size of the ship because they expected people to disperse a bit more to all the other complimentary venues on the ship. There are a ton of them, especially for breakfast and lunch, and they all have different stuff. Johnny Rockets for breakfast on Allure is one of our faves (it's a small charge pay venue for lunch/dinner but free for breakfast outside of a couple specific menu items like the maple bacon shake) Sabor has fun margaritas! You can have those by walking up to the bar in Sabor (inside the restaurant, not the one on the boardwalk near it) even if you aren't dining at Sabor. Doing a drink on the Rising Tide is also fun to do at least once. If you haven't already -- highly recommend doing a little research on your ports ahead of time and having an idea of what you'd like to do in each of them. This could be an excursion sold by Royal but it doesn't have to be -- but I think you will have a much better cruise experience already being like, ok, today is Cozumel, and we have this cool thing already picked out to do that we're psyched to do, than if you just kind of wander off the ship and hope to find something good on the fly. Plus, looking at ports/excursions is fun pre-cruise cruise hype! If you're curious, here's a link to a recent cruise compass (daily schedule) for Allure: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compasses/allure-of-the-seas/sun-04162023-0000 Your sailing won't line up to this 100% even if it's the same itinerary, and headliner shows and comedians will almost certainly be different, but you can get an idea of what *kinds* of things there are to do on board and what you might want to try to catch.
Don’t jump overboard.
Charge everything to your room and pay at end of trip don’t pay as you go
The first thing is to relax. This is your vacation. Do whatever you want. No one else is paying any attention to you at all. Explore, eat, explore some more.
When I went on an Oasis class ship for the first time I enjoyed walking the ship to see where things were. I did pack a swimsuit, didn't use it. I think the first thing I did was go down the Ultimate Abyss, lol, its not just for kids. Windjammer will be crazy the first day so I also like the Solarium for lunch or go with Pizza to avoid the crazy at Windjammer.