Allure of the Seas: A Royal Top 5 Countdown!

Posted:  Cruises

I recently had a chance to join some of my teammates and take my very first Royal Caribbean cruise on their stunning ship, Allure of the Seas! As a DVCR Cruise Specialist, I had been looking forward to it for a long time, and it truly did not disappoint! She is a beautiful ship, and today, I’d love to share my top five favorite experiences from the cruise!

Allure of the Seas cruise ship docked in Nassau. There are bright blue skies above the ship with fluffy white clouds.

Number 5 – Quick boarding and fantastic service

As they say, the best place to start is at the beginning! When we arrived at the cruise terminal in Port Canaveral, we were, of course, eager to get onboard and get the party started ASAP! Royal Caribbean’s boarding process makes this remarkably easy. When you complete your online check-in ahead of your sailing, you’ll select a boarding time. When we arrived for our time around 11:30 am, I am not kidding when I tell you it took less than 10 minutes for our group to go from unloading our bags from the car at the terminal’s curb to walking onto the ship’s central promenade. It was the easiest embarkation I’ve ever experienced and couldn’t have been smoother!

Allure of the Seas cruise ship docked in Nassau. There are bright blue skies above the ship with fluffy white clouds.

Billboard that reads "The Countdown is on" in the boarding area for Royal Caribbean in Port Canaveral.

Each member of Royal Caribbean’s team involved in the boarding process, from handling luggage to welcoming us through the threshold onto the ship, was upbeat, friendly, and efficient. This set the tone for our entire time onboard, and we never had less than superb service, no matter where we happened to be on the ship.

Number 4 – The Main Dining Room

My favorite meal by far on Allure of the Seas was in the Main Dining Room! The ship’s main dining room is split into three different areas: Silk, The Grande, and American Icon. Our group was assigned to the American Icon portion of the dining room for our 5:30 pm seating time. 

Sign for the Entrance to the American Icon portion of the Main Dining onboard Allure of the Seas. The white sign is surrounded by large silver balls.

Because we wanted to try a variety of dining options, including some of the specialty restaurants, during our three-night sailing, we only ate in the main dining room on one evening. However, it definitely made a big impact on our team members! The menu changed slightly each evening of the cruise, and we were there for the Italian-inspired night. 

Chicken Parmesan entree from the Main Dining onboard the Allure of the Seas.

Spaghetti covered in tomato sauce served alongside the Chicken Parmesan.

There are great starters, desserts, and premium selections you can choose from, but the standout for me was the main course. I had the Chicken Parmesan, which was served with spaghetti, and it was delicious! Probably the best chicken parm I’ve ever had! The sauce was simple, but was the perfect combination of sweet and tangy, and paired wonderfully with the al dente noodles and crisp, juicy chicken. It was also a generous portion, and while normally I would try and save some room for dessert, on this occasion, I skipped dessert so I could finish my entrée! It will definitely be a meal I dream about until I get to have it again!

Number 3 – Sorrento’s

Speaking of Italian food, I’d be remiss if I skipped over Allure’s wonderful pizza place! Sorrento’s is located along the promenade on Deck 5 and is open almost all day long. The slices are simple with different toppings available, but they are the perfect midnight snack or quick lunch during your time on the ship.

Neon Red Sign for Sorrento's with a pizza sign next to it.

Two people doing cheers with two slices of cheese pizza from Sorrento's.

The pizza from Sorrento’s was the first thing I ate after boarding and was also the last thing I ate each and every night of the sailing! Before heading back to our stateroom, I’d pop myself into the quickly moving line and grab a couple of cheesy slices to take back and enjoy before snuggling into bed, happy and full. Considering pizza is my favorite food, this, for me, was a vacation dream come true!

Two slices of cheese pizza sitting on a plate. The plate is being held over a bed in a stateroom.

Of course, if you’re looking to stick around to eat while your pieces of the pie are pipping hot (and not eat it in bed like me), there is a spacious seating area where you can sit, relax, and people-watch while you enjoy your food.

Number 2 – Perfect Day at Coco Cay

Perfect Day at Coco Cay definitely lives up to its name! We had a fabulous time visiting Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamian island!

A shot of Coco Cay island from the ship. There are colorful awnings overtop of the walkway toward the island and large letters that read "Perfect Day Coco Cay."

We took the tram, hit the ocean-side sand, and enjoyed soaking up the sun from the warm, calm ocean waters. The lounge chairs on the island are plentiful, and even though there were two ships docked at the island that day, it didn’t feel crowded in most of the areas we visited.

Shot of the beach from the water. There are blue chairs lining the shore and a lifeguard in a dingy in the water.

Perfect Day at Coco Cay is also home to the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool, Oasis Lagoon, and after we took a dip in the ocean, we also happily took a dip in the pool! My favorite part of our pool time was the in-water lounger, which was perfect for those who love a healthy dose of sunshine (don’t forget to apply your sunscreen!) Many other guests from the ships were enjoying the pool’s lively swim-up bar, but if you’re looking for a more relaxing vibe like we were, it’s still easy to find some tranquility because the pool is so big.

Sign for Oasis Lagoon. The blue and teal sign has white letters that read "Oasis Lagoon".

Beyond all of the chances to splash and suntan, another thing I loved about our visit to Perfect Day at Coco Cay was the food! There are many places to grab a complimentary (or paid, if you prefer) bite, but we hunkered down at the Snack Shack and indulged in some fresh and tasty mozzarella sticks, funnel cakes, and brownies. Before heading back to the ship, we also made a brief stop at Skipper’s Grill, where you’ll find burgers, hot dogs, fruit, cookies, and more. 

Colorful signs on a wooden post pointing to different countries with the distance to them.

There really is something for everyone at Perfect Day at Coco Cay! If you’re looking to just relax and enjoy the complimentary offerings like we did, you can and have a great time doing so! If you want to splurge and rent a private cabana right on the water, you can! If you’re a thrill seeker and want to conquer the wave pool or the tremendously tall slides in Thrill Waterpark (for an additional fee), you can! We also spotted a gorgeous bride and groom tying the knot during our visit, so if you want to dress to the nines and even have your wedding on the island, you can! Talk about a dreamy place for a marriage ceremony!

Number 1 – The Entertainment

Prepare to be blown away! The entertainment we saw on Allure of the Seas was top-notch, making it my absolute favorite element of our trip. I don’t think I could even narrow it down to just one show—they were all so good!

We saw a little bit of everything, including some comedians, our fellow guests belting out their favorite songs at karaoke, and live music at venues along the promenade, but where Royal Caribbean really shines is in their shows. On Allure of the Seas, we were treated to the full-length Broadway production of Mamma Mia! and, it’s included in the cost of your cruise! The talent, costumes, and sets were all awesome, and I loved dancing along in my seat through the show.

Three women in colorful jumpsuits posing with microphones on stage.

Three women in colorful jumpsuits posing with microphones on stage.

Beyond the stage, Allure of the Seas features some unique entertainment venues. Another show we all absolutely loved was Blades: The Playlist, which takes place on their ice rink! It combined some flawless figure skating and ice dancing with classic rock and pop songs. There was a lot of razzle-dazzle here, too, and we had a great time tapping our toes to the upbeat soundtrack here as well!

Ice Rink onboard Allure of the Seas. There is dark blue lighting over the ice rink.

10 skaters in black outfits bowing on the ice rink.

My personal favorite of the shows we saw had to be Oceanaria at the AquaTheater. This show combines diving, swimming, aerialists, acrobatics, and an incredibly complex, state-of-the-art diving pool for an adventurous spectacle at sea. It truly took my breath away to watch the daredevil divers display their incredible talents for our captivated audience! In addition to the pure feats of skill, there are some whimsical characters you’ll meet during the show, giving it a bit of a Cirque du Soleil vibe, which was vibrant and thrilling. If you’re brave enough, you can even sit in the “splash zone” where towels had already been set out for guests to dry off with ahead of the performance!

Sign that reads "Oceanaria" featuring a diver on a screen.

Diving pool onboard the Allure of the Seas with divers standing on the edge.

These are just five of the things I loved about sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, and there were many, many more parts of the ship and cruise that I absolutely adored. In fact, I could talk your ear off or write thousands of additional words about it! But I hope this gives you even just a peek into how genuinely alluring it really is! Thanks for reading along!

~Stacy 

 

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