We ended two months of travel (Buffalo, Quebec, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Canton, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Detroit, Cleveland, back to Buffalo) by flying home to Tampa for a day and then leaving for a cruise out of Port Canaveral on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas ship.
We aren’t usually cruise people but it was a friend’s 40th birthday and it stopped in Nassau (along with CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas) and The Husband had Atlantis on his bucket list. I was there 22 years ago (!); I wanted to see if it was the same.
I always book our trips myself, but since we aren’t too cruise savvy, my stepsister, Melissa Griffith, a travel agent at The Magic For Less Travel, helped me book the cruise. She monitored prices for the cruise and the drink package, and she got me an onboard credit from Royal Caribbean of $75 each, and gave us a $50 onboard credit for booking with her. We ended up paying $1,667 for a outside balcony room (room 12318 to be exact). Our post-cruise, onboard bill (tips, extra food) was only $20, thanks to leftover credits. She also sent us these luggage tag holders, which were so much nicer than stapling it our suitcases.
Before you leave
The first thing you need to do is download the Royal Caribbean app. It will make everything much easier. You can book excursions, the drink packages, and do all your pre-boarding requirements, such as a health questionnaire and safety videos. It’s also great onboard, since it tells you exactly where everything is and when. We booked the drink package via the app when I got a notification that it was on sale, and it was much cheaper than regular price. We paid approx $69 per person per day for the deluxe beverage package after the credit Melissa got us. One latte ($6), one smoothie ($9), the soda package for the day ($12.99), and three glasses of Chandon ($12 each) was about that much, so anything else was basically free. Even with no days at sea to sit at the pool and drink, it was worth it. Plus it included reusable souvenir soda cups.
Parking
The drive across Florida is always awful, but traffic was particularly bad on our way there. By the time we reached the port, we were annoyed and sick of being in the car. Unfortunately, the arrival and parking at the terminal was slow, disorganized, and almost as frustrating as the drive. For those who don’t take cruises often, you pick your arrival time before the cruise. We picked 1:30-2 pm, thinking the traffic wouldn’t be bad. Instead, I think that may be the worst time. Not only did it take forever just to turn into the parking lot, the slow weave through the baggage drop off area (which you have to go through even if you aren’t checking your bags) to get to the parking lot took forever, then you had to wait in a long row of cars to pay the $17 per day to park. By the time we got inside the cruise terminal we were over it and tempted to go home. Luckily, that was the end of the frustration.
Embarkation
The line inside the terminal for customs and security was really long, but they were very efficient (unlike the parking) and it went quick. The first line is for security, where you go through metal detectors and have your luggage scanned. Then you head upstairs to passport check. They scan your boarding pass and passport, confirm your information is correct, and then you can board the ship. If you don’t have a passport, you can actually travel with just a birth certificate. Side note- not needing a passport and being essentially contained on a ship makes a cruise the perfect introductory travel. You’ll meet people from all over the world and still experience visiting a different country, but with way less stress and pressure.
You have to check in at your muster station, and watch the safety videos on the Royal Caribbean app if you hadn’t yet, then you are free to go to your room and get your vacation started. Our SeaPasses, which serve as your room key, ID, and credit card, were in an envelope on the door. Your SeaPass also has your dining room location and table. Make sure you check your pass every time it’s handed back to you to make sure it’s yours. I was given the wrong one back the first night and thankfully I noticed before we tried to leave the ship the next day, but it could have been an unnecessary annoyance.
Stateroom
We booked an ocean view balcony with king bed room. It’s the same type of room we had on our Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas Mediterranean Cruise last year, but this room was much nicer. The entire ship felt cleaner and more updated, despite the fact that it’s slated for refurb next year. The bed was two twins pushed together, like most cruise kings, and they were hard but not awful. We didn’t bring our own pillows because it was only three nights, and I regret it. We have Purple Harmony Pillows (the low one) and we can barely sleep without them. We even carried them all over Europe last year, and on our two month road trip. But their pillows were so flat and lumpy that I would recommend bringing yours if you’re picky like we are.
The couch was clean and fine for holding our suitcases. We didn’t spend much time in the room, so we didn’t sit on it. The bathroom was a standard cruise bathroom, but the water pressure was surprisingly good.
The balcony had a table and two chairs, and it was nice to sit out there for a minute at the end of the night. It was really hot, and not much of a breeze, so we didn’t spend much time out there.
Common Areas
The common areas of the ship were well thought out and diverse. The common areas were spread out across multiple decks, from the 4th to the 16th decks. Despite a capacity of 6,780, the ship never felt overcrowded. This cruise also had no days at sea, so there was less time for everyone to be on the ship at the same time.
Food
The Windjammer buffet is on deck 16. We only had it the day we boarded for lunch, and the day we disembarked for breakfast while waiting for our turn to leave. As a pescatarian, there weren’t a lot of options and nothing really stood out. It was fine, but there were much better options.
Deck 15 has the pools and a taco buffet. They had decent options and it was a good place for a midday snack or lunch. The line was long at peak times but went fast.
We ended up having smoothies from the spa/gym cafe every morning on Deck 6, along with an iced vanilla latte. The cafe has a Starbucks without a line like the one on deck 5.
Pro tip: Go to the Vitality Spa Cafe for coffee, smoothies, and fresh pressed juices, included with the deluxe beverage package
We had dinner every night in the dining room at the 5:15 pm seating. I thought it would be too early but by the time everyone sits down and you have three courses, it ended up being the time we generally eat anyway. The food was surprisingly good, and they had a lot of options. We both had no problem finding something we would eat. Since the menu changed every day, we didn’t feel the need to eat at the extra charge specialty restaurants.
Every night, we grabbed a slice of pizza at Sorrento’s, the pizza place on deck 5. It was more nostalgic, school type pizza than gourmet, but it was cooked right and tasted good. It was the perfect late night snack (by late night I mean 9 pm).
Bars
There are a lot of bars. They had a different theme but generally the same drinks. One of the biggest differences was that all bars had a generic Prosecco that wasn’t great, but the Champagne Bar, the bar in Central Park, and the dining room had Chandon. If you have the deluxe drink package, this makes more sense if you’re a bubbly drinker, since it tastes way better and is more expensive.
The coolest bar was the Rising Tides bar, a bar that actually lifts up from deck 5 to deck 8. It left deck 5 and 8 every hour and was neat to see.
Entertainment
The main theater is on decks 3 and 4. We watched part of a show (Mamma Mia) but the production wasn’t great and it was a little hard to watch. To be fair, I love the theater so my expectations are probably higher than most.
Of course, there is a casino, on deck 4. There’s the main casino, which allows smoking, and an adjacent area that is nonsmoking. Like most casinos, the nonsmoking casino was smaller. We played the slots for a bit, but stopped once we were down $80.
Deck 4 also has an ice rink. They have ice shows, as well as open skate times. As a 40 year old with no athletic ability, I skipped the ice skating.
The main area on deck 5, the Promenade, has bars, restaurants, and the formal photo areas. We spent a lot of time sitting in the Champagne Bar, watching people taking their formal photos.
The back of deck 6 has a small boardwalk area, with a Johnny Rockets, arcade, ice cream shop, carousel, and outdoor theater. It’s definitely a kid-centric area but very cute.
Pro tip: if you want a balcony but don’t want to pay for a water view, the aft inside balcony rooms above deck 6 have a view of the theater, so you can watch movies from your room. Our friends were on deck 12 with an interior balcony room and their kids watched movies from the balcony
Central Park, on deck 8, was an outdoor park-type area, with bars, restaurants, and entertainment areas. If it wasn’t so hot and humid, we would have spent a lot of time here.
The library and frequent cruisers lounge is on deck 11. I popped into the library for a moment but there wasn’t anything I wanted to read.
Deck 14 has a kids area on the forward side, but we didn’t go there.
Deck 15 is the main pool deck. There are a bunch of little pools, a kid’s play area, and a few hot tubs . Of course, there are a few bars, as well as staff walking around taking your drink orders. The front of deck 15 has an adults-only pool area, with a bar, loungers, a hot tub, and a very small pool. The back of deck 15 has mini golf, sports courts, and an arcade.
The two flow rider surfing simulators are on the back of deck 16, behind the Windjammer Cafe. There’s also a zip line.
Spa and gym
The spa and gym are on decks 5 and 6. Deck 6 is the main area, with the cafe, the registration desk, IV therapy, a nail salon, and the gym. Deck 5 has the treatment rooms, including a series of saunas and relaxation lounges. They also have a private spa milk bath room, which was very pretty. The treatments were more expensive, like any cruise, but not unreasonable. If we had a day at sea, I probably would have booked a massage.
CocoCay, Bahamas
Our first port of call was CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Caribbean. They have a ton of excursions available, from entry to the specialty areas to private cabanas and boat rides. You don’t have to book anything; you can just walk onto the island and check out the beach and main pool.
We booked the adults-only pool and beach area. Entry was $60 each, but there were tons of chairs, hammocks, swings, and space in the pool for everyone, unlike on the ship. We had the deluxe drink package, which can be used on CocoCay, and food was included.
We were only there for about two hours before a storm came and they shut the pool down. We could have waited for it to pass and the pool to reopen, but we decided to head back to the ship. Even though we were only there a few hours, we really enjoyed it. The lunch was good (shrimp for me, chicken sandwich for The Husband), the DJ played a nice variety of summery music, and we didn’t have a problem finding chairs or getting a drink. I would probably do the exact same excursion if we went back.
Nassau
Our second and final port of call was Nassau, Bahamas. This was the main reason we joined our friends for the cruise. We booked day passes at Atlantis, at $195 per person. This included access to all common areas at Atlantis: the water parks and pools, lobby, shopping, etc. You can’t book through the cruise line, so you have to find your way there. It’s a bit away from the port and not recommended to walk. We took a taxi with a bunch of other people. It was $5 to Atlantis and $7 back, per person. Cheaper than the water taxi, which is the other option.
The weather wasn’t great when we arrived and the girl at check in offered to refund us in case everything closed, but you literally can’t see any of Atlantis without the pass. We probably won’t go back to Nassau again, so we decided to chance the weather and confirm our passes.
The water slides, lazy river, and pools closed pretty soon after we arrived, but the rain held off long enough to walk through the outdoor areas. They have dolphins, sea turtles, fish, sharks, and all sorts of marine animals you can see as you walk though the grounds. It was dirtier and more rundown that I remember it being, and it was quite disappointing, especially since the water parks were closed. We essentially ended up paying $195 each for a mediocre aquarium and hotel lobby access.
Nassau was as chaotic as I remember, but there is a new, gated shopping area right off the cruise port. It eliminates the beggars and con artists on the street trying to sell you bracelets, but every store has the same tourist crap. We basically walked straight through it on our way to the taxis and back.
Disembarkation
If you check bags, you need to put them in the hallway the night before. We just had small carryons, so we kept them with us. The instructions said to attach the checked luggage tags, which indicate your disembarkation time, even if you were keeping them with you, and to wait in your room for your time. We had one of the latest times, so we grabbed breakfast at the Windjammer buffet then chilled in our room, waiting for our time. The room attendant knocked on our door before our assigned time, and told us we had to leave. We went down to our assigned disembarkation location, where the employee directing people said we didn’t have to wait if we didn’t check our luggage. So if you have your luggage with you, you can leave the ship at any time.
Overall, I’m glad we went, despite the rain at Atlantis. We enjoyed the ship more than any other cruise, and the food was really good. I think a three night cruise is the perfect length for us. The water was really calm; you couldn’t even feel the boat moving. The Husband gets seasick but probably didn’t even need to take Dramamine. If you’re considering this cruise, I would definitely go for it, especially if you get a good deal like I did with the help of Melissa. Not at all an ad, but definitely give her Instagram a follow if you like deals on cruises and Disney.
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