A tropical garden on solid ground requires constant care and expertise – but a lush, exotic park spanning the decks of the world’s largest ship takes gardening to a whole new level. Meet the horticulturalists passionate about maintaining Harmony of the Seas’ Central Park, where over 12,000 plants create a sanctuary in the middle of the ocean.
Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas offers as much to see and do as it is impressive in nature. This ship was designed to be a major focal point of your cruise vacation, and is arguably a Royal Caribbean ship that redefined what a cruise ship can offer.
With so many options onboard, here are our top picks for places on Allure of the Seas to go, depending on what you are looking to do!
A hidden gem for breakfast on Allure of the Seas is Johnny Rockets, in the Boardwalk neighborhood. Unlike the Windjammer, which tends to get crowded, Johnny Rockets does not get nearly as crowded.
On Allure of the Seas, Johnny Rockets is open for breakfast and offers some great traditional breakfast items, such as pancakes, omelettes, French toast, and more.
The best part? It's complimentary! Johnny Rockets is complimentary for breakfast on Allure of the Seas (lunch and dinner at Johnny Rockets still cost extra).
While Johnny Rockets is a good spot for breakfast, if you are in a hurry (like on a port day), the best spot for a quick grab-and-go breakfast is Park Cafe in the Central Park neighborhood.
Park Cafe tends to be less crowded than the Windjammer and offers a great breakfast spread, complete with a make-your-own bagel bar.
Guests with a drink package can also get their premium coffee or tea at Park Cafe.
Be sure to come back to Park Cafe later in the day for a wonderful kummelweck sandwich!
We just invoked the spirit of the kummelweck sandwich, but our choice for the best snack on Allure of the Seas has to be the guacamole at Sabor Taqueria & Tequila Bar.
The tableside created guacamole at Sabor will change your life for the better. It is amazingly good and the kind of food that illicit daydreams like a bad Wayne's World dream sequence.
There are two ways to get this most awesome snack. You can opt to dine at Sabor and only pay for what you order, or go to the Sabor bar on the Boardwalk and order up a serving to take with you elsewhere on the ship.
The Sabor bar is the circular bar area outside the entrance to Sabor and they serve up the same great guacamole the sit down restaurant has!
Whether you are about to sail away, are in port or just want to enjoy the vista of the ocean around you, be sure to go to the deck wings on deck 14 for the best view onboard.
These bridge wings extend away from the side of the ship, giving guests a very unique view of your surroundings, and Allure of the Seas itself.
To get to the wing viewing areas, go all the way forward in the deck 14 on the port side. Once you arrive at the end of the corridor, there will be a glass door on the left.
If you are the "been there, done that" kind of cruiser, then you should try the Prohibition Party on Allure of the Seas.
Part mystery, part jazz club and all fun, the Prohibition Party is a private event that combines live music, unlimited alcohol and a loose storyline to provide all guests with a very memorable evening.
The premise of the Prohibition Party is you are going to a 1920's-style speakeasy, where guests dress up and play the part of Prohibition-era people looking to have a good time.
Guests that purchase an unlimited drink package will receive a souvenir Coca-Cola cup that can be used with the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. There are machines around the ship, but usually there is just one machine per location.
If you want the best spot to use the machines, head to the Royal Promenade and look for the machines next to Sorrento's Pizza. There are two machines there, which means there is double the usual capacity for just one location and that means shorter lines!
Looking for somewhere that is shaded and is quiet and a great spot to sit and relax?
Head to deck 5 and go all the way to the aft of the ship. You will find chairs that have a great view of the ocean and are usually without many other passengers.
Bars are great for mingling, but sometimes you just want a drink without the wait and our top pick is the Wipe Out Bar in the Pool and Sports Zone neighborhood on deck 16.
Not only is the Wipe Out Bar usually less crowded than other bars, it offers a great view of the FlowRider surf simulators, as well as a view of the ocean behind you.
With seating for 36, the alfresco bar also offers uninterrupted views over the stern.
Honorable mention to Vintages, which tends to be the least crowded bar on any Royal Caribbean ship.
Anyone looking to celebrate an evening on Allure of the Seas with a nice evening out, should consider spending their time in Central Park.
Once the sun goes down, Central Park becomes even more beautiful with the fantastic lighting through the neighborhood. The ambiance gets even better with the regularly scheduled live string music in the evening.
Of course, Central Park is home to a number of incredibly popular and fantastic restaurant choices: Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table and 150 Central Park.
Cap it all off with an evening stroll and maybe a private photo shoot in the
Guests departing on the Majesty of the Seas sailing that leaves October 3rd will find a new route planned, due to the path of Hurricane Matthew.
Majesty of the Seas will now call to Key West, Florida, instead of her scheduled call to Nassau, Bahamas. Majesty of the Seas revised itinerary:
UPDATED 10am
Royal Caribbean has also changed the itineraries of three other cruise ships this week due to the storm: Allure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.
Given the storm's path, Royal Caribbean wants to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of all guests on its ships for the safety of guests and crew.
Happy Sunday and welcome to October, which means there is plenty of pumpkin flavored everything, changing colors of the leaves and plenty of Royal Caribbean news!
Hurricane Matthew is brewing in the Caribbean as we speak, and it has already lead to four Royal Caribbean itineraries being changed.
Due to the path of the storm, Royal Caribbean had to change the itinerary for Adventure of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas and twice for Allure of the Seas.
The storm has taken a path across the Caribbean and is headed to the Bahamas with potentially more cruise changes on the way. If there are anymore changes, we will be sure to report it here.
The 165th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we list the top 5 experiences on Liberty of the Seas.
In this episode, Matt and Justin discuss what aspects of Liberty of the Seas stand out as their favorite in another edition of our Top 5 series.
Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.
Royal Caribbean Ltd looks at the impressive robot technology in Two70.
Wherever I May Roam takes a look at what there is to do in Labadee.
The Wanderer has a look at the epic adventures on Harmony of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean has a look at the top spots in the Mediterranean that Royal Caribbean can take you to.
Cruise Critic has a list of 10 things to know before going on Empress of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean has made a change to Freedom of the Seas' cruise that leaves today to avoid the path of Hurricane Matthew.
Royal Caribbean announced it will replace a scheduled stop in its private island of CocoCay in The Bahamas with a stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico instead.
@sttsxm Hi Meg. Freedom is going to San Juan, Puerto Rico instead of the Bahamas. Have a great cruise!
— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) October 2, 2016
In addition to Freedom of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas have had their itineraries changed this week.
Hurricane Matthew is a Category 4 storm that is heading north through the Caribbean. As of 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), the storm was centered about 340 miles (545 kilometers) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was traveling north-northwest at 5 mph (7 kph).
At the TTG Travel Awards 2016, Royal Caribbean was named the Best Cruise Operator, which marks the ninth time in a row the cruise line has won the award.
Royal Caribbean was recognized for offering the best product, services and facilitires. Ovation of the Seas, the newest Quantum Class ship, highlighted the awards by being the newest and largest ship in Asia. The award is also recognition for Royal Caribbean for being the most professional sales and marketing team in terms of innovative ideas and servicing.
At a ceremony in Bangkok, Royal Caribbean has been voted unanimously by readers of TTG Asia, TTG China, TTG India, TTGmice, TTG-BTmice China, TTGassociations and TTG Asia Luxury for the award.
Sean Treacy, Managing Director, Singapore & Southeast Asia of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. who received the award said, "It’s a great honour to receive this prestigious award for the ninth consecutive time. It shows Royal Caribbean’s growing strength as the leading cruise brand of choice in Asia with our amazing ships and revolutionary onboard experiences. We will continue to deliver to everyone “the One holiday” with “endless adventures".
"We thank all our partners for their strong confidence and support, in our journey in making the cruise industry more vibrant and our brand a top vacation choice across the region. Come 2017, we can look forward to another exciting year together with even more sailings and most of all, celebrating Royal Caribbean’s 10 th anniversary in Asia!" he added.
The TTG Travel Awards are given out annually to honour organizations in Asia Pacific’s travel industry fortheir strong commitment towards service excellence.
Royal Caribbean is kicking off a brand new promotion today with 60% off the second guest in a stateroom, plus 30% off third and fourth guests in the same room.
The BOGO60 offer is valid on cruises booked October 1 through November 2, 2016 on all sailings departing on or after November 1, 2016 (excluding China).
The deal includes
The BOGO60 deal is also combinable with the Holiday Offer on bookings made Oct.1-11, 2016 for eligible Bahamas and Caribbean holiday sailings
BOGO60 is combinable with adjoining 30% Savings for 3rd and 4th guests, Anthem Upgrade, Holiday OBC, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers. BOGO60 and 3rd and 4th Guest Savings are not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military). Anthem Upgrade and Holiday OBC are combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military) and NextCruise offers. Anthem Upgrade is combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts. Holiday OBC is not combinable Crown & Anchor discounts. All offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, Net Rates, Shareholder Benefits.
Offer available to residents of United States and Canada.
The projected path of Hurricane Matthew has forced Royal Caribbean to change the itinerary for two more cruise ships.
Cruise Critic is reporting changes to Allure of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas due to this massive storm.
Allure of the Seas will depart from Port Everglades as scheduled on October 2, but will change the order in which she visits her ports.
In addition, Enchantment of the Seas has canceled both of her stops in the Bahamas. Instead, she will sail on a Western Caribbean itinerary
Royal Caribbean changed the itinerary already for Adventure of the Seas and Allure of the Seas earlier this week to avoid the path of the storm that has become Hurricane Matthew.
Every Friday, we invite our readers to send in their favorite Royal Caribbean photos so that we can showcase them right here on the blog. We have a great selection of photos to share this week, but be sure to submit your favorite Royal Caribbean photos too!
Our first photo this week is of Radiance of the Seas by Dave Rimington from Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Look at that landscape!
Next is a photo by Steve Bovee of Oasis of the Seas next to Empress of the Seas in Cozumel. Quite a striking contrast in ship size!
Here is Independence of the Seas docked in Southampton, by David Donnelly. Independence is a fan-favorite in the UK and she looks radiant as ever in this photo.
This photo by Linda Stephens was a bit depressing to take, because she took it as her flight home took her right over Independence of the Seas. She had just gotten off Independence of the Seas earlier that morning. That is salt in the wound, Linda.
Bob (aka Sailor_to_Cruiser) took this photo immediately after his back to back Oasis of the Seas cruise to welcome his new grandson. Mazel tov and it looks like the perfect gift for a newborn!
Here is a photo from Labadee by Brett Oresky of the zip liners in the background going past him. Just another day in paradise!
Our final photo this week is by Andrew Mack of Anthem of the Seas in Nassau, Bahamas. Beautiful ship and beautiful water color!
That wraps up this week's edition of Friday Photos. Thank you to everyone who shared photos and be sure to send in your Royal Caribbean photos so that we can share them in an upcoming edition!
The Harmony of the Seas exhibit “The Wonder of Our World, The World We Live In,” presents over 3,000 pieces from artists spanning 60 countries. Led by curatorial director Mariangela Capuzzo at ICArt, the collection explores wonder from four perspectives— people, places, what we do and what inspires us —through an array of media. Many of the works were created specifically for Harmony of the Seas and designed to bring joy to all who sail.