It's eye-opening to think Allure of the Seas is almost 15 years old now, but she still delivers great cruises. Like any ship, there are a few things I liked and didn't like about it.
Built in 2010, Allure of the Seas stands apart from the other Oasis Class ships in that it never got the upgrades and new features that other ships received due to the global industry shutdown in 2020.
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, some people have called her the worst of the large Oasis Class ships. Other cruisers really love the untouched aspect of the ship.
No matter which side of the argument you prefer, there’s still a lot to love.
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 for the most part, and after disembarking, I would definitely call Allure one of my favorite cruise ships.
However, like any experience, there were both highs and lows.
Let’s delve into the four things that I enjoyed and the four aspects that left me wanting more.
I loved how many friendly people I met
There’s something magical about Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships.
Every time I’m on one, I seem to meet a selection of the most fun, welcoming people possible.
Surprisingly, I make actual friendships when I have conversations with people on these ships.
I’m not sure if it’s the size, the newness of the cruise ship, or the relatively expensive price that makes people open up more, but it always seems to happen when I get on an Oasis Class ship.
I love chatting with others in the elevators or having conversations with crew members at the bar.
I have a theory that larger ships make for even friendlier crew members. I spoke to one bartender who shared that a bigger ship makes it harder for crew members to stay around and connect with one another, so it makes sense that they would make conversation with the guests instead.
I hated that there were no plug-ins by the beds
It’s typical on Royal Caribbean ships, but I’d hoped that Allure would be different, especially since I stayed in a Grand Suite.
However, there were no plug-ins by the beds, only at the desk and beside the couch.
This forced me to leave my phone and other devices across the room to change.
Especially when you’re going to bed, it’s definitely an inconvenience.
And if you’re traveling with a large group—or bringing a lot of devices—you might find yourself fighting over charging space.
I loved the innovative neighborhoods, especially Central Park
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 occur where.
The neighborhoods provide an immersive, exciting environment, and my favorite of all is 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 in bird sounds through speakers around you!
I hated the lukewarm hot tubs
On previous cruises, I have loved spending time in the hot tubs. When we finish dinner and other evening entertainment, I usually race to grab my swimsuit and hop into one of the hot tubs still open.
I love ordering a drink and soaking in the hot tubs late into the night, preparing myself for a relaxing evening.
Usually, Royal Caribbean’s hot tubs run very warm. On Freedom of the Seas, for example, I could barely sit in one for more than 20 minutes—it was so hot I had to take frequent breaks!
But Allure’s hot tubs felt lukewarm, almost cold. I consulted with other cruisers while we sat in there, and they agreed that the hot tubs were unusually chilly.
We even asked a crew member if the temperature could be adjusted, but he told us it wasn’t able to be changed.
It was a shame that the hot tubs were so chilly, especially when I wanted to lounge there late at night.
I loved all the seating and bars by the pool area and Solarium
After sailing on the Oasis-class Wonder of the Seas, I expected that I might have to scramble for seating on Allure of the Seas.
But this wasn’t the case!
Especially when it came to the pool area, I could always find somewhere to relax: whether at the pool, sitting by the bar, or inside the adults-only Solarium.
I felt like Allure had enough bars and pools on the deck for everyone to have a spot.
Maybe my cruise on Wonder was more crowded, or Allure is less popular.
Either way, I enjoyed not having to fight to find a seat.
Read more: I tried some of the best strategies to beat the chair hogs on my cruise. Here's how it went
I hated all the crowds, especially on the Boardwalk and Royal Promenade
It makes sense that such a large ship would attract a considerable amount of passengers.
However, I really disliked the flow of crowds in long spaces like the Boardwalk and the Royal Promenade. Especially during peak times, the two areas serve as funnels to cram everyone together.
I think that the design of having shops, events, and venues branching off these hallway shapes creates even more crowds.
Whenever I had to get through the Boardwalk and Royal Promenade, I had to prepare myself to weave around an overwhelming amount of people.
This also held up for lines at the Windjammer, and—of course—crowds around the elevators.
I hate standing shoulder-to-shoulder with large groups of strangers, so this was a major disadvantage for me.
I loved the fast and friendly service at the bars onboard
Allure of the Seas 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 very quick, 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.
I hated the tasteless food in the Windjammer
I cannot explain why, but Allure’s was one of the worst Windjammers I’ve experienced.
While I usually love most of the food served at this complimentary buffet, the options on Allure of the Seas fell flat.
For example, my sister and I are huge fans of the beef stew found in the Windjammer. But when we tried it on our Allure of the Seas cruise, it was more chewy and tasteless than usual. Maybe we just had bad luck on this sailing.
Overall, the food tasted less seasoned and ran more cold than other cruises I’d been on.
Even the hashbrowns I usually enjoy for breakfast were cold and too crunchy.
The only foods I still enjoyed were the more ethnic food, like the Indian options. Most of those were still flavorful and amazing.
