Would you sail on an Oasis Class ship for just 3 nights?
As a new cruiser, I’ve only taken a weekend cruise once before on the smaller Freedom of the Seas.
However, I wanted to find out if a weekend cruise was worth it on a larger ship.
In late October of 2023, Allure of the Seas started offering short cruises with 3 and 4-night sailing from Port Canaveral. She is the first Oasis Class ship to sail short cruises regularly.
Royal Caribbean designed the Oasis Class ships with an endless array of entertainment and activities, as evidenced by their large size.
Read more: All about Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class cruise ships
Allure is 1,187 feet long and 18 decks tall.
She has 2,742 staterooms, 24 guest elevators, four swimming pools, six hot tubs, a carousel, a casino, an ice rink, two rock climbing walls, a zip line, and a total of 34 bars and restaurants.
With all of these options, is 3 nights enough time to experience everything Allure has to offer?
Here’s what it was like to take a weekend cruise on one of the largest cruise ships in the world.
Allure of the Seas became my new favorite cruise ship
Built in 2010, Allure of the Seas was set to undergo a Royal amplification project in 2020.
The project was canceled due to the cruise industry shutdown in 2020 and Allure still has yet to undergo a refurbishment.
There are talks that the cruise line plans to schedule amplification for early 2025, but as of now, Allure of the Seas is the only Oasis Class ship with its original design.
Because of this, she has been called the "worst" of the large Oasis Class ships. However, she still has a lot to offer.
Allure of the Seas offers a destination onboard the ship, with boundless entertainment, world-class cuisine, and adrenaline-filled activities like surfing, ziplining, and ice skating.
As a cruise enthusiast—and a big fan of the Oasis Class—I looked forward to experiencing a 3-night cruise on Allure of the Seas.
I loved my cruise, and after disembarking, I would definitely call Allure one of my favorite cruise ships.
Read more: Is a short cruise on one of the biggest cruise ships in the world a crazy idea?
Seven innovative neighborhoods make the ship feel like a small city
Are cruise ships just walkable cities?
A cruise ship feels like a navigable home for the night: your own little New York City or Chicago.
After sailing on a gargantuan ship like Allure of the Seas, I have to agree that is part of the appeal.
Allure of the Seas is home to 7 innovative neighborhoods: the Boardwalk, the Pool and Sports Zone, the Royal Promenade, Entertainment Place, the Youth Zone, Vitality Spa and Fitness, and Central Park.
I love that each neighborhood has a distinct theme, with its own ambiance.
This also makes it less likely for you to get lost on such a large ship: you can easily remember which activity might take place where.
The neighborhoods provide an immersive, exciting environment, with an overwhelming amount of activities to choose from.
Although the short cruise didn't give us enough time to try everything, I liked that we had more options available.
With our limited amount of days onboard, it was helpful to be able to pick and choose our favorite activities.
For example, my favorite neighborhood to spend time in was Central Park.
Modeled after the well-known location in New York City, with lush greenery and a serene atmosphere, this is my favorite place to get away for a quiet moment or to peacefully enjoy live music.
At night, jazz bands and singers come and play here, while stars light the sky above you.
During the day, it really feels like you are inside a natural park—they even pipe bird sounds through speakers around you!
A great chance to try a more expensive room, like our Grand Suite
The overall price was also an appeal when it came to a shorter cruise on Allure of the Seas.
A 3 or 4-night cruise typically costs less than a 7-night cruise, ensuring that the out-the-door price is usually cheaper overall.
This was a draw, as well as a chance to splurge more than I might have on a longer cruise.
I went ahead and booked a Grand Suite, excited to try a more expensive stateroom for the first time.
Not only is the suite program better on Oasis Class ships, but it also allowed me to maximize the Crown and Anchor points I earned on the cruise.
Typically, you earn one point for every night you sail. But staying in a suite, you earn double points per night. Ultimately, I earned almost the same amount of points I would have on a longer cruise.
Read more: The Crown and Anchor perks you should use on every Royal Caribbean cruise
I loved staying in a suite—it felt like I was taking a completely different type of cruise.
It came with additional perks that made me feel in the lap of luxury.
Having free WiFi for the length of the voyage, the in-suite coffee machine, and the Plush bathrobes were some of my favorite included perks.
I also loved exploring Allure’s suite lounge, which was located up on Deck 17. Sitting beside the Coastal Kitchen restaurant, it was an expansive, quiet lounge decorated in deep purples and blues.
Not only that, but the suite benefits also include free wine and beers from the bar, so I took advantage of a glass of white wine almost every night. It all felt very opulent.
I did regret that we were taking a shorter cruise on a larger ship because I tried to spend my time exploring the activities onboard.
I wished that I was also able to spend time in our beautiful stateroom.
But, again, it was a trade-off for the lower overall price.
It was enough time to try all the food and drinks onboard
Royal Caribbean makes it easy to prioritize food onboard.
I discovered that a weekend cruise is the perfect opportunity to try various food venues.
Whereas I had to scramble to try all the activities I wanted, a weekend cruise felt like just enough time to try all the meals on my bucket list.
When eating 3-4 meals a day, 3 days is just enough time to try all the venues I wanted to. We had lots of variety, while still having time to go back for seconds at the best spots.
For example, on Night 1 we ate dinner at the Main Dining Room and were served a lovely steak meal.
On Night 2, we decided to splurge at the classic specialty venue Chops Grille.
And on Night 3, we took advantage of the suite benefits to order Main Dining Room dinner delivered straight to our room.
It was enough time to try all the food venues I wanted to—a different option for every meal.
Allure of the Seas also had some of my favorite bars and drinks I’ve experienced on a Royal Caribbean ship.
Despite the large crowds of people, the service was speedy, and the drinks tasted amazing!
I’m used to the drinks on cruise ships being poured very lightly, tasting just a smidge watered-down. But this wasn’t the case on Allure—the drinks tasted just right.
In addition, so many of the bartenders were happy to make conversation with me or recommend drinks I might enjoy. They helped me have an awesome experience.
