The Caribbean: Cruising in Luxury on the Allure of the Seas

Not a cruise person? Not for long! The Allure of the Seas will have you cruising in such luxury, it’ll change your perspective on cruises forever!

Cruising on the Allure of the Seas

The Allure of the Seas was the second cruise I’d ever been on, and the first with my immediate family. We aren’t cruise people, we aren’t the kind of people who scarf down food at free buffets or lounge for hours in a kid-infested pool. If that’s you, then there’s no problem with that, there are lots of cruises that offer such things. However, if you’re like my family, you’ll want to spend a little extra to ensure a vacation you’ll never forget!

Allure of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, only slightly smaller than her sister Oasis of the Seas. Being so large, she offers a lot of amenities. From excellent food, to adventures, to nightlife, to pools, to lounging, and to drinking copious cocktails – it has it all.

My family decided to book the Star Package, which is simply defined as all-access. Meaning, a large suite with two bedrooms, a living room, two bathrooms, and a private deck. Complimentary drinks and food, nearly everything is included in the plan so no need to bring around your credit card. Free shows with reserved seating, priority entrance to all activities on board, suite lounge access, minifridges, backstage tours, etc – everything is accessible and free.

While all this seems like heaven, there was another addition to our trip that made everything perfect, and that was our personal “genie”. Upon buying Star Class, we have someone alike a personal butler attend to our every need. Ever want to feel like royalty? This is the time!

The genie took care of our every need, even anticipating needs we didn’t know we had! From getting us priority seats to the best shows on the ship, from making reservations to the nicest restaurants, to even making sure that we had beautiful place settings when ate breakfast in our suite – he had it covered!

The nice thing about him was that he was so genuinely kind and wanted to make our experience the best it could possibly be! He joked around with us, met us at every event we went to in order to make sure we were as comfortable as we could be, he even make sure that every meal I ate fit within my food allergies, he went above and beyond for us and I’m very grateful.

Now for the best part, we had priority boarding and disembarking when coming too and from the cruise. This was a HUGE plus, because the line would’ve easily taken hours in some cases.

Tips

Now, some quick tips – no matter what package you’ve booked:

1. Wake up early on days you pull into port, it is important to be in line to leave as soon as you can, because as I mentioned, lines can be a nightmare.
2. See every show you can! The shows on board are amazing, we saw Mamma Mia!, a bunch of water shows, went to comedy clubs, and more! Many are free, so check the itinerary!
3. Be as kind to the crew as they are to you, they’re at sea for a very long time.
4. Clubs on board can be very fun! Just check each one out and see what vibe fits you best.
5. If you have food allergies, the crew is very accommodating! You just have to request help and sometimes they’ll even have a different menu for you!
6. Be careful on the islands because sometimes locals will try to take advantage of you, especially when monkeys are involved.
7. Even if you don’t have a genie, ask the crew for recommendations for what things to do on the islands, because often they’ll be able to tell you the cheaper and safer routes.
8. If you aren’t a pool person, check out the basketball courts, the arcade games, the surfing, the rock climbing walls, and the ziplines!

Activities

Cruises are filled with activities… and buffet tables. Food is never more than a few steps away, but it’s all about pacing yourself!

Our cruise had a zip line, surf station, pools, waterslides, and sports activities to play outside. Inside, there were arcades, karaoke places, comedy clubs, and theaters for plays.

Actually, one of the things my family enjoyed the most was playing basketball there. There was one full length court, and like in many places, the boys playing there were reluctant to let two girls play. Kicking their butts changed that quickly. My family and I went on to play in a few tournaments and rank high!

The highlight of the cruise was, of course, the places we stopped.

For this cruise, those places were The Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands, and St Kitts and Nevis. Destinations are likely to change each year, so for up to date locations click here.

To Conclude

We made many memories on the ship and enjoyed our time immensely.

Am a cruise person now? No, but cruising on the Allure of the Seas with the Star Package is more like taking a luxury vacation with people you love. Cruises can be great for everyone, you just have to find the right way to travel.

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Any questions? Contact me or comment below!