Royal Caribbean has steadily updated each of its Oasis Class cruise ships, but Allure of the Seas is the last ship that has features from the original design.
When Oasis of the Seas started sailing in December, 2009 it was the largest, most innovative cruise ship in the world. Thirteen years later it is still a marvel in the industry.
Four other Oasis class ships have come along with different features including new restaurants, dry slides, water slides and escape rooms.
Read more: What was added to each Royal Caribbean ship during its Royal Amplified refurbishment
Due to the global pandemic, Allure of the Seas has had her scheduled upgrades suspended for at least the next three years (according to the current Hotel Manager).
While I’m here on my favorite Oasis class ship for the next eight days, I thought I’d share some classic features of the ship you either can’t find on the others or are slowly being phased out.
Royal Promenade
One of my favorite venues is the Champagne Bar. I’m always looking for a good martini and the Champagne Bar consistently delivers with my classic favorites. The bar staff also is great at coming up with new flavors I’ve never thought to try.
That space has been replaced with the Bionic Bar on the other Oasis Class ships. This is where you can get your drinks made for you by the robotic bartenders. I, myself am not a fan of the Bionic Bar which obviously puts me in the minority or Royal wouldn’t keep adding them to their ships. I miss the personal connection to the bar staff and the inviting ambiance of the Champagne bar. The Bionic Bar always seems to be very bright and stark in contrast.
Deck 5 is also where you’ll find the On-Air Club. It’s here that karaoke and some visual trivia takes place. While it still exists on other ships, Oasis and Wonder have re-named it “Spotlight Karaoke” and it is now a designated karaoke bar.
Pool Deck
The biggest difference between Allure and the other Oasis class ships is the absence of the water slides.
The other four ships have “The Perfect Storm.” They consist of two twisting slides, The Typhoon and The Cyclone along with a separate bowl-style slide named Supercell. In this area on Allure you’ll find three hot tubs.
Another missing feature is the Lime and Coconut bars that are found on Oasis and Wonder. The Sand Bar and Pool Bar are in these locations but they don’t deliver the Caribbean theming that the Lime and Coconut brings to those ships.
The Solarium Bistro is available on all ships for breakfast and lunch however, Allure is the only one that turns the restaurant into the Samba Grill in the evenings. Samba Grill is Royal’s take on the Brazilian Steakhouse, with gauchos serving meats tableside.
Deck 15 on Allure is also where you’ll find the last of the Wipe Out Café’s. This outdoor restaurant serves breakfast daily. You can find hamburgers and sandwiches during lunch hours. It has been replaced by El Loco Fresh on Oasis and Symphony.
The Living Room is the onboard club for teens. I wouldn’t say it’s being phased out, as there will always be an area for the younger cruises, however, that space on Oasis has been replaced by Port Side BBQ and on Wonder by their expanded Windjammer Café.
Deck 14: No Escape!
The card room on Deck 14 (named Seven Hearts) has board games and computers; along with plenty of tables.
This area on Oasis and Wonder has been replaced by Escape rooms Apollo 18 and The Observatorium, respectively.
Diamond Lounge
Allure is the only ship that still has their Diamond Lounge on Deck 11, overlooking the Boardwalk. It is, by far, my favorite location in the fleet. The lounge is for Crown and Anchor members, Diamond and above.
Here, you have access to a specialty coffee machine. Food includes continental breakfast in the morning, some snacks during the day (cookies, fruit etc.) and hors d’oeuvres in the evening, with cocktail service.
There is also a dedicated concierge to help you with things like dining and show reservations.
There are stairs leading up to Deck 12 that used to be part of the lounge but is now reserved for Chef’s Table dinner.
On the other Oasis class ships, the Diamond Lounge (and the Library next door) has been replaced with the Wonderland specialty restaurant or in Oasis’ case, additional staterooms.
Boardwalk
The other major difference between Allure and the others is the absence of The Abyss, the dry slide. You will not find the two purple tubes at the end of the Boardwalk blocking your view to the ocean. I happen to love that, especially if you have Boardwalk balcony room.
Sabor, the Mexican specialty dining venue has been replaced on Oasis, Symphony and Wonder with Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade.
Allure’s Boardwalk Donuts, Cups & Scoops ice cream parlor and the Arcade also occupy the space that has been taken over by Playmakers on the other ships.
In addition, Sabor has a separate bar in the center of the Boardwalk that on the other ships is the landing area of The Abyss slide.
Comedy Club
Deck 4 is where you’ll find the dedicated comedy club on Allure.
On her sister ships, that has been turned into the Diamond Club lounge.
No need to fear, comedy lovers. You can still find the comedians in Blaze, The Attic or even in the main theater.
Specialty Suites
Allure and Oasis are the only ships in the class that feature the Owner’s and Grand Panoramic Suites.
These suites are pretty much the same layout with the Owner’s being approximately 160 square feet larger. They are on opposite sides of deck 17 (1701 and 1758).
What makes them particularly unique is the private hot tub on their balconies.
Final thoughts
There hasn’t been an official date for Allure’s amplification beyond a vague three year timeline. No word on what she will receive but you can pretty much bet it will include the Abyss and Perfect Storm slides. In fact, I noticed that in the gift shop, the ship ornament for Allure already has the addition of the Abyss.
This winter Allure will be leaving Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale and moving on to Galveston, Texas. In the fall of 2023, she’ll be back in Florida doing three and four night sailings from Port Canaveral. I look forward to sailing on her many more times in these next three years to enjoy the venues I love before they’re gone forever.
