by Jim Bellomo | Nov 10, 2019 | Uncategorized
Yesterday we were talking to someone about using AirBnB or just vacation rentals instead of hotels and I was telling them why we have pretty much stopped staying in hotels and just stay in vacation rentals now.
Here’s why we have pretty much switched to AirBnB type rentals:
- Different rising times. Most of my regular readers know that I get up early (really early—like 3:30 or 4:00 am) and Kathleen likes to sleep in (6:30 or 7:00). When we are in a hotel room, all I can do is lay there and look at the darkness but when we are in an AirBnB there is usually a living room where I can go and sit and read, work on my photos from the vacation we are on or get dressed to go workout.
- Check-in is usually a piece of cake. We have done 15 AirBnBs so far and have only met humans twice. Usually they will send you a key code you can use on the front door or on a lock box where the key is.
- Check out is just as easy. You just leave the key or lock the lock and you are gone. If you are nice person, you can e-mail or text them and let them know you are out so they can send their cleaning crew.
- You can sometimes get in early. We have had great hosts who will text us when the unit is ready. One guy in Tucson sent me a note around noon telling us that if we wanted to get in, the place was ready. I love that.
- You can communicate entirely by e-mail or text. No phone calls which is my preference. I think I have only talked on the phone to three of the 15 hosts we have stayed with.
- You can save some money by eating some meals in the unit because most have kitchens and dining rooms. Even if you just have breakfast (we have done that) it can save you money or be easier. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a coffee maker you have access to.
- Most AirBnB’s have a washer and dryer which is great if you are traveling on longer trips. That means for a two week trip you only have to pack one week’s worth of clothes. When we did our New England trip last year we had been on the road for ten days before we got to our AirBnB in NYC. After four days in NYC we were going on a cruise. It was great to get on the cruise with clean clothes.
- They are GREAT for groups. One of the best things about an AirBnB (as opposed to a hotel) is that when you are traveling with other people and you aren’t doing anything, everyone is in the same place. You have a nice living room to sit in and just talk, especially if you are coming from different places and haven’t seen each other in a while. Plus you have a fully-equipped kitchen you can do breakfast or snacks in. It’s a great way to go. We had an AirBnB in Dublin last summer that slept 8 so when my brother, his wife, their daughter, my sister-in-law’s sister and her husband and daughter joined us, we got to have this experience. It was great to have a place to just sit and talk…or play games.
Some tips for booking an AirBnB
If you haven’t booked one yet, I will tell you some tips that Kathleen’s daughter and son-in-law (who have used it for years) told us when we started booking them and that we have learned from booking ours. These rules may not apply to all rental sites. My daughter has used VRBO, we never have. We use AirBnB pretty exclusively.
- Always look at the photos of the unit. If there aren’t photos of most (if not all) rooms, move on.
- Read the reviews. AirBnB will not allow owners to remove bad reviews (owners can respond to them, but not remove them). Pay special attention to mentions of cleanliness. Most people who stay in AirBnBs will write reviews. The owners will also review you when you do and you can’t see each other’s reviews until you both have submitted them. When you go to rent in the future, other owners can look at your reviews and turn you down (maybe you left a place a mess, had a big party, etc.). It’s a good system.
- If it sleeps a bunch of people, make sure there are enough bathrooms. Some of the older homes have 4 bedrooms and one bath. Yikes. We always look for at least one bath per family. When we did Dublin we had three couples and two of them had a 20 something child with them. So we needed four bedrooms and 3 baths.
- Check the number of beds/bedrooms. If you have four couples in our age group, they may not be thrilled with bunk beds.?
- Make sure the unit is where you want to be—close to the action. When it comes to location, most will NOT tell you an exact address before you book but they will tell you a general neighborhood and show you a map with a circle that the rental will be in. That can help if you know the neighborhood. We had friends stay here in one who didn’t ask us about the neighborhood and wound up in a part of town I wouldn’t park my car overnight in. You can also look at street views on Google Earth which can give you some idea what you are getting into. If you are coming to Seattle and plan to rent one, just ask us.
The nightly rate quoted may not be the entire cost. Keep in mind that you will pay more than the nightly fee which is what they show to start. There is also a separate cleaning fee, service fee (I have no idea what this is for that isn’t cleaning, but they all charge it), Occupancy taxes and fees. Check out this example of the charges on a Seattle AirBnB.- The price may be different from one day to the next. One other thing to remember about the price: if you look at rental without putting dates in, you may find that when you do the price changes, sometimes dramatically. For instance, our last stay was in Walla Walla, on our wine tasting tour. We went with our neighbors in August for three days, mid-week and we rented at the last minute. The price for mid-week rentals in the heat of the summer and at the last minute was great! But in the spring or fall (peak months) and on a weekend, the price was literally double.
- Set up an account before you look. When you go to the site, click the sign up link and put in your info. This will really help when you want to save particular rentals and come back to them.
- Refine your search. When you know where you want to go, search for where you want to go, Then Click Dates, Guests, Type of Place (choose Entire Place) and go. That will show you only what you are looking for.
- Save your favorites. Once you have refined your search, look at each one and save it to a favorite list by clicking the heart at the top of the page. When the site asks you which list to save it to, create a new one for the next place you are going. We have lists for all the cities we have stayed in (about 15).
Out of the 15 or so we have stayed in, we have only had one so-so experience (our first) and no bad ones. Here are photo (from their listings) of the places we have stayed. There are notes in the captions.
This place was in Charleston, SC
This is the living room of our huge AirBnB in Dublin, Ireland. We shared this with a total of 8 people.
Edinburgh, Scotland. We met the owners, a wonderful older couple who told us all about the neighborhood.
New York City. This condo was on the 22nd floor at the corner of 7th and 27th and only $165 a night. Beat that with a hotel.
This place in Palm Springs featured some amazing design.
Park City, Utah
Phoenix, AZ. This one was a condo that had two full bedrooms and two full baths. Really nice.
Maybe the best one we have ever had in Salt Lake City.
Right downtown San Diego, CA
The coolest house we ever had. A house once owned by a freed slave in Savannah, GA, fully restored.
Tucson, AZ.
Victoria, BC.
We shared this one with our neighbors when we went to Walla Walla to taste wine.
by Jim Bellomo | Oct 31, 2019 | Uncategorized
I fully realize that my posts are supposed to be about travel, but this one kind of is. Not my travel but the travels of some good friends of mine, Ellen and John Jarvinen. Their travel plus a HUGE project they are looking for help to make happen for this coming summer.
Last summer John (who is an accomplished photographer and a retired teacher) and Ellen (who is also a great photographer and one of my favorite yearbook advisers) traveled to the remote Southern Pacific island of Aitutaki. Here’s what Ellen has to say about it on their GoFundMe site:
“During our month on the island, we fell in love with the people and want to do something meaningful for their children. We have the permission of Araura School’s principal to teach a digital photography course July and August 2020 as volunteers, supplying the cameras, computers, software, and peripherals needed to accomplish learning. Now we just need the equipment and to get it and ourselves there!
The photography class will include composition (rule of thirds, angle, line, framing) as well as learning to manipulate the variables (shutter speed, aperture) for effect. Students will also learn professional workflow with Adobe Photoshop to enhance their photos in terms of contrast, color, and sharpness. They will also learn to cut mats for their photos.
We also plan to teach a couple of the teachers at Araura High School so that they can continue to offer the class..”
After hearing all about this, I really wanted to support Ellen and John in this really great endeavor and I hoped that some of you might as well. If you want to know more about what they are doing and what they want to raise money for and maybe even make a contribution, you can go to their Go Fund Me site by clicking here.
I had promised Ellen I would ask my readers for help and she dropped me a note this week to let me know that they now have 501-3c status which means that donations to their project are now tax deductible. Being a photographer and a traveler, this is my kind of project and I hope some of you will join me in supporting them.
The practice of charity will bind us – will bind all men in one great brotherhood.—Conrad Hilton
by Jim Bellomo | Oct 25, 2019 | Uncategorized
Sometimes you might wonder where I get my ideas. I am a walker. Each week I try and take at least two walks of more than six miles and while I am walking (takes me about two hours), I am thinking about what I want to write. On my last walk, this came to me. It is dedicated to all my readers who don’t or haven’t taken a cruise and don’t understand why anyone would cruise.
The Perfect Vacation Day
Imagine the following vacation day. It is my idea of a perfect vacation day. It’s not the day we fly in from somewhere, it’s just a typical day in the middle of a vacation. Maybe we are in NYC, Amsterdam or Barcelona.
Somewhere between 6:30 and 7:00 I wake up. Kathleen is still sleeping so I dress quietly in the dark and sneak out of our hotel room to go work out at the the fully-equipped gym in the hotel. Lots of bikes, weights, treadmills as well as fitness classes I could take. (I know some of my readers are thinking I am nuts, but I said this was MY perfect vacation day.) After I finish my workout I head back to our hotel room where Kathleen has risen and gotten ready for our day. I quickly do the same and we are off to breakfast.
Well equipped but machines need updating
Weight machines
For breakfast we have a bunch of choices. We can just go and get a latte and a piece of pastry, we can go to the hotel breakfast buffet or we can go to the hotel’s sit down restaurant and be served pretty much whatever we want. They have a fairly extensive menu. The food is good and we probably eat too much.
Then it is off to see the sites. We might walk around the city, we might take a tour—probably a food tour since we love those—or we might decide that we have had enough touring and just go and sit by the hotel pool (OK, not likely for us) or in a nice spot in the lobby area and read or I could write another post or work on processing photos from previous day tours or we could play a game with new friends we made the night before at dinner. Maybe Kathleen would head to the spa for a manicure. You never know.
Rainbow over Gullfoss
The Titanic Experience
If we decided to leave the hotel, around lunchtime we might find a quaint little restaurant in the town or city we are in and have lunch. We have done this many times before. We have found an awesome crêpes place in Eze, France, a wonderful Italian trattoria in Sienna, Italy and a brewery with spruce-tip beer and fantastic chili in Skagway, Alaska. But if we decided to stay at the hotel that day, we have the same choices as breakfast—the hotel buffet or a sit down restaurant. Or there is a really great burger place and maybe a few more spots to choose from. All are priced well and we eat for next to nothing.
After lunch it’s more touring or more relaxing depending on what we decided to do. Around 4:00 pm if we are touring we decide to head back to the hotel and get ready for cocktails and dinner. Since we love to meet people, we change and head out to a hotel bar or maybe one nearby. The hotel has more than 10 different lounges and we are certain we will find something we like in one of them. When we are sipping and nibbling, we meet some folks from another state or another country. We are feeling great because we are all on vacation so we strike up a conversation. We find out about their travels and they find out about ours. We discuss their grandkids and swap photos. We talk about our kids and they tell us about theirs. We never talk politics or religion. Too dangerous.
An hour or so later we head off to dinner. All those same options are open to us again (hotel buffet, sit down restaurant and lots of other slightly more expensive choices) and we choose the sit down restaurant. Because we have been there the night before (and maybe the night before that) the waiter knows us by name. He knows what we like to drink and it is already at the table.
The menu is pretty good and we can have a full, three course meal. In fact if we want a four course meal or a five course meal, the waiter says he will be happy to bring us anything else on the menu we like. One night I am decadent and order both the shrimp cocktail and the escargot. We meet other people seated near us and talk and again discuss the same type of topics, sharing our lives. Over the years as we have traveled from hotel to hotel we have met lots of people this way. Many have become life-long friends. When it comes time to order the dessert, I ask the waiter if he can bring us one of every dessert on the menu and let us try everything with our new friends. He says, “Of course sir,” and is back in a flash with something for everyone to try. He also tells us that if we like one particular dessert, he can bring us an entire one for ourselves.
Then it’s off to a show. We might see a show as good as one we have seen on Broadway, a Cirque de Soleil style performance, a jazz quartet or maybe just a comedian who cracks us up. But no matter what, the hotels lets us see these shows for free.
After the show we wander over to that lounge for a drink and to watch some of our new friends who are ballroom dancing. They finish and join us for a drink and then we all head off to our rooms in the hotel where a full turn-down service has been performed just like in any other five-star hotel. There’s a mint on our pillows and we are beat after our long but rewarding day. We are quickly asleep.
The next morning we wake up and open the drapes out to our hotel balcony and we are shocked (not really) to find that somehow our hotel has magically been transported to another of our favorite cities and we get to do the entire day all over again with new experiences and new places to see. We are a little sad because we had a few more things we wanted to do in the city we were in yesterday so we plan to come back and stay longer.
Here’s my favorite part of all this. If everything is perfect, our total cost for this vacation at this magical hotel is less than $250 day for both of us. Depending on the time of year (if we can travel off-season) it might be less. Remember I said this was my fantasy that I thought of while walking. But see, it really isn’t a fantasy. We have taken this same trip 28 times already and we plan to take it whole bunch more. This is a cruise and our hotel just happens to move most of the nights we are onboard while we are enjoying those shows and then sleeping.
That’s why we cruise. You should try it. If you are reading this, you probably already have but feel free to show this to all your friends who think you are crazy to cruise. Then tell them to join you on your next one.
I learned a long time ago that trying to micromanage the perfect vacation is always a disaster. That leads to terrible times.—Anthony Bourdain
by Jim Bellomo | Oct 19, 2019 | Uncategorized
Closing out my Allure of the Seas report here are some overall feelings about the ship and the cruise. Let me say some things to set the stage. First, we are not BIG ship people but we wanted to try an Oasis class ship, the biggest in the world. Our usual ships carry about 3,000 cruisers max while Allure was hosting more than 6400.
Second, we had just sailed on a Quantum-class, almost-as-big ship (Ovation of the Seas) in July and had not had a great experience, so this was a second chance for Royal Caribbean. Lastly, this was (as we mentioned), a FAM cruise. That’s one where we got a great deal from Royal to take the cruise but had classes to take to become FAMiliar with Allure on all the sea days, letting us learn more about RCL and Allure. Let me say that the classes run by our fearless leader Nate were outstanding as you have probably figured out from my previous posts. Second, let’s look at the other two items on my list.
Was Allure too big?
Maybe. But it is easily manageable. I think we only felt crowded once on the entire cruise—lunch and after lunch (until the staterooms were opened) on Embarkation Day. But I will also say that after being on board for a week, I could now tell friends that wanted to sail on this class of ship where to go to avoid that. For instance, after we had lunch at a fairly crowded Park Cafe (but nowhere near as crowded as the Windjammer Marketplace Buffet) we tried to find a quiet place to sit until the staterooms were ready. We didn’t. We finally squeezed ourselves into a tiny booth way in the back of the Boleros bar on the Royal Promenade. It was slammed. We later found that we could have gone to any of a bunch of other lounges for a quiet place to sit and wait. In fact just steps from the Park Cafe was Dazzles which we never saw anyone in during the day but we always found the doors open.
Comparing this to our Ovation of the Seas cruise, we really feel that Allure has handling the crowds down cold. They know what they are doing. On Ovation, it was like they were trying to figure out how to handle the huge number of people onboard and never quite getting it right. Royal has been using this class of ship much longer and really gets it on this size ship.
Also on Ovation in July, it was sometimes hard to find anything to do with our kids for numerous reasons. I spent a lot of time playing foosball with my grandkids. That would NEVER have been the case on Allure. In fact, maybe there is too much to do. And after their future upgrade (Amplification) there will be even more to do. So many of those venues (pictured below) were not that crowded when we walked by them during the week because the ship is SO big that there are plenty of places to spread out the crowd.
While Ovation had little interesting entertainment (a comic juggler and typical cruise ship shows, etc) Allure had some of the best shows we have ever seen at sea in 28 cruises. Between Mama Mia (of Broadway touring company quality), the aqua show, the comedy club, the jazz club, the disco, the ice show, the very professional main showroom shows, we were VERY well entertained.
I truly wish we had been able to take our grandkids on Allure instead of Ovation. They would have had so much more fun because there were so many fun things to do and they were open and available. Sadly, no Oasis class ships have done Alaska so that would have meant flying them across the country and going to the (for me) dreaded Caribbean.
Which brings me to the one thing we really didn’t like about the trip—that Royal Caribbean can’t do a thing about—the heat and humidity. A lot of the things to do on Allure are outdoors and for us Northwesterners, it was just too hot and too humid. We are not Caribbean people. We don’t like beaches, we don’t like sun (I’ve had one malignant melanoma and that’s enough for this life) and we really are not fans of walking around islands where those are the main attractions. We can only imagine how great it would have been to spend this same week onboard Allure had we been able to do this next summer (after she is Amplified) and while she is sailing in the Mediterranean. WOW! An incredible port every day and Allure to come back to at night. When you finished you would need a vacation to recover from your vacation.
One thing we learned in our week on Allure is that this ship is so big and there is so much to do that it doesn’t matter where you are or what you enjoy, you will find something you like to do. To prove it to you, check out my photos for this windup post which will take you on a virtual tour of the public areas of Allure. As you see all there is to do, keep in mind that once Allure goes through Amplification, there will be even more to do.
Deck 18 & 17—the Suite life
There are 18 decks on Allure (well, really only 17 because like most ships, there is no deck 13). 18 is just staterooms (suites) and 17 has a sundeck for suites as well as more suites and the Coastal Kitchen (a restaurant open to suite guests). We didn’t get to see this because we weren’t staying in a suite.
Deck 16—Windjammer Marketplace, Solarium, Flowrider, Zipline
So if you are hungry or want a thrill, this is the place. As I mentioned above, we did not do a lot on any deck above eight except walk around and have lunch on the day we were in Nassau. Starting from the aft, on this deck you will find twin Flowriders (the surfing simulator our grandson Mason learned to love on Ovation), a short but really high zip line, a few bars and the main attraction, the Windjammer Marketplace which is actually the buffet. Not sure why Royal has named all their buffets a Marketplace because you really can’t buy anything there (that’s me, trying to be funny). Here are some pics that will give you an idea of what to expect. They all have captions so you can get an idea of what you are looking at.
We didn’t get to the huge buffet (Windjammer Markeplace) until the last day of the cruise.
The empty seats are a far cry from day one when we were told they were making announcements to “please eat quickly and leave.”
There are two duplicate sets of serving stations (one starboard/one port)
Plenty of attractive and fairly tasty food
Lots of choices
The area was bright and well staffed
Huge salad bar
Great selection
All this said, we would not eat here on a regular basis
Had a long talk with a very nice server
Told us that the place is a zoo on most days.
Not what you would see on most days
Inside the Solarium
Large, adult-only hot tubs
Lots of seating, all adult-only
Kept immaculately clean
Food is served in the Solarium Cafe
Lots of hot tubs, all adults-only
Deck 15—Sun and water
If you are a sun worshipper you won’t be disappointed. This deck has SplashAway Bay for the kids, FOUR full size family pools and some great views down into Central Park and The Boardwalk. On the aft end of this deck you will find Allure Dunes (miniature golf) a sports court, lots of places to drink and get snacks as well as the Living Room, a part of the teen scene. At the front of the ship you will also find the downstairs part of the adults-only Solarium.
Starting at the top, this is Splashaway Bay
It’s about twice the size of what we saw on Ovation of the Seas for only about 1,000 more passengers
Looking down into Central Park on deck 8. Our stateroom was on the lowest floor you can see with verandahs
Also on the upper deck, a complete (and large) miniature golf course
Loved these guys on the course
Looking the other way from the skywalk, you look down into Boardwalk on deck 6
Allure has four large outdoor pools
Lots of places to sit but this was a port day so it was probably a zoo on sea days
More swimming
Not something we are into but nice, none the less.
Deck 14—Adventure Ocean
Most of deck 14 is all about staterooms but the one main thing you find on this deck is Adventure Ocean, Allure’s club for kids from 3 to 17. I only have two photos for you because Allure does not allow photos when kids are in attendance and I don’t blame them. This deck also has a card room but that’s one of the few places I didn’t get around to seeing. Something tells me it wouldn’t have been really that interesting.
If you are a photographer, the best place to take photos as you come into ports is the Sundeck on the very far forward of deck 14. The glass partition are a little high for me so if you are a diminutive photographer, you may have a hard time shooting over it but most of my forward facing port photos came from being on the Sundeck.
Adventure Ocean, the kid’s club
The entrance to Adventure Ocean, the kid’s club
Deck 9-12—Diamonds, Dazzles and staterooms
Remember, no deck 13. So Deck 12 has the upstairs of the Diamond Club, Allure’s private area for their three highest loyalty club members. To get to the Diamond Level in the Crown and Anchor Society you need 175 cruise credits. Since we have 17 now, we are guessing that one credit equals one night on board in a typical stateroom. There’s also some additional credits if you book a suite. We used the Diamond Club on a lot on this cruise. Of course you are wondering with just 17 credits, how were we able to do that??? We are Elite Plus members of Celebrity Cruises’ Captains Club and since both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity (as well as Azamara Cruises) are owned by the same company, we get reciprocal benefits to a point. On Celebrity, there is nothing like the Diamond Club but we wish there were.
They serve a great breakfast there and we ate ours in the Diamond Club every morning. Typical buffet fare but with hardly any crowds. Some mornings we were one of a very few people in the room. In the evening, they serve cocktails and appetizers from 4:30 until 8:00. We went every night and some nights it was rather crowded but we soon learned if we waited to go until after the first dinner seating left for dinner, there were plenty of places to sit. We met a lot of very nice people during these super evening receptions. This room really made our cruise. There are pics below.
Somewhere on one of these decks there is a really tiny internet “room” with about five computers in it that are available for anyone’s use. I discovered it by mistake and it is so small that it doesn’t even show on deck plans so I can’t remember where exactly it is. It’s about the size of two inside staterooms put together and sits in the middle of a bunch of inside staterooms near the front elevators and staircases.
Also on Deck 11, right next to the Diamond Club entrance (the Diamond Club also has an upstairs dining area that is used for Chef’s Table, a kind of a pop-up specialty restaurant) is the ship’s library. It is tiny and windowless and often empty but it is a great place to go and find some peaceful time away from the crowds of Allure.
The rest of decks nine through twelve are staterooms. Lots and lots of staterooms.
The Diamond Club for loyalty club members
We ate both breakfast and had drinks pre-dinner here every day
The view of The Boardwalk from the Diamond Club
Upstairs in the Diamond Club, this is where they do the Chef’s Table
Diamond Club
Diamond Club reception
The library
Deck 8—Central Park and more
I know I have already posted pictures looking down into Central Park as our verandah looked into this central part of the ship that is open air. Central Park is a drop-dead gorgeously green area on a cruise ship. Incredible plants, a couple of bars, a bunch of specialty restaurants (both complimentary and chargeable) and just a relaxing place to sit if you can handle the heat and humidity. In a cooler climate, I would love this place. Captions on the photos explain what you are looking at. Also on this deck is Dazzles, a nightclub that we walked into but never went at night so we aren’t sure what kind of music they feature. We really liked the way it looked inside. Small and intimate on two levels with a great view of The Boardwalk area.
Looking back at the Rising Tide
Our stateroom was almost directly above 150 Central Park. You can see Kathleen sitting on our verandah
150 Central Park, Allure’s highest end restaurant
We ate at this table one night. Good food but not close to anything we have had in a Celebrity specialty restaurant. Our dinner was comped but normal charge is $50 per person
The Rising Tide Bar which descends into the Royal Promenade…with people in it.
In Central Park
In Central Park
Outdoor bar In Central Park
In Central Park
In Central Park
Outside Park Cafe-we had lunch here a few days. Paninis and salads.
Inside Park Cafe
Inside Park Cafe
Inside Park Cafe
Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant
Inside Giovanni’s Restaurant–kind of high end Olive Garden
Outside Park Cafe–seating area in open air
Vintages, a wine and tapas bar in Central Park
Walking through Central Park
This is a beautiful space on deck 8
Walking through Central Park
Walking through Central Park
Walking through Central Park
Walking through Central Park
Chops Grille located in Central Park
Inside Chops Grille
Inside Chops Grille
Dazzles Night Club on Deck 8
Inside Dazzles. It looks down into The Boardwalk
Inside Dazzles
Deck 7—Not much
I have no pics on Deck seven. It is mostly staterooms and the upstairs of Dazzles. That’s about it. Sorry.
Deck 6—A whole bunch of stuff from front to back
Deck six is PACKED from bow to aft. From the front of the ship where you will find the spa and gym, to midships where you will discover the upper deck/balcony/mezzanine of the Royal Promenade to finally the aft that is The Boardwalk. You could spend an entire day on deck six and have a great time and never need to go anywhere else. It has more attractions and things to do than most entire cruise ships. Check out the photos for all the info. The Boardwalk is especially amazing with restaurants, the aqua show I wrote about last week and a full-size carousel. Amazing.
Just outside the Spa and Gym, Deck 6 forward.
The Spa Reception desk
Spa entry area
Spa waiting area
Inside the gym. First one I have seen on a ship that did not have big windows facing forward.
Well equipped but machines need updating
Cool stairs that lead down to a deck 5 running track that goes all around the entire ship. 12 laps is 5 miles, that’s how big this ship is.
The dance/zoomba area
Weight machines
Looking down from the
The Schooner Bar on the upper Royal Promenade
The Schooner Bar on the upper Royal Promenade
The Crown and Anchor club office on the upper Royal Promenade
Looking down on the spot the Rising Tide bar descends to from Central Park
Shore Excursions on the upper Royal Promenade
The photo gallery on the upper Royal Promenade
The photo gallery on the upper Royal Promenade
Overlooking the Royal Promenade from the Deck 6 entrance to The Boardwalk
Entrance to the Boardwalk
A great exhibit on how carousel horses are made
A great exhibit on how carousel horses are made
A great exhibit on how carousel horses are made
A great exhibit on how carousel horses are made
A great exhibit on how carousel horses are made
A great exhibit on how carousel horses are made
A great exhibit on how carousel horses are made
On The Boardwalk–a hotdog stand
On The Boardwalk–shops
On The Boardwalk–a full-size carousel
On The Boardwalk–shops
On The Boardwalk–shops
On The Boardwalk–shops
On The Boardwalk–Johnny Rockets
On The Boardwalk–inside Sabor
On The Boardwalk–the Sabor bar
On The Boardwalk–a built-in corn hole game
On The Boardwalk–the other rock climbing wall
On The Boardwalk–the Aqua show
On The Boardwalk–two twin rock climbing walls
On The Boardwalk–a kid’s play area
On The Boardwalk–Sabor Mexican Restaurant
On The Boardwalk
On The Boardwalk–Candy Beach
On the Boardwalk, there’s a Zoltar Machine
Deck 5—The Royal Promenade
The heart of the ship, the Royal Promenade, is where things happen. It seems like all the other entertainment venues and places to eat are outliers and the Royal Promenade is the center of everything. Cruise Director Jimmy Rhodes told us on New Year’s Eve, it hosts one of the biggest parties on the seas and we believe it. Check out the pics for more into. Deck 5 also has the upstairs entrances to the theater (forward) and the main dining room (aft). There’s even a real-live Starbucks (that will take your Starbucks card instead of your Seapass card)!
Bolero’s a margarita bar
Inside Bolero
Inside Bolero
Inside the main theater accessible from Decks 4 and 5
On the Royal Promenade, a REAL Starbucks, where you can use your Starbucks card
This is the outside
And this is the inside
On Air is the Allure’s sports bar
Just outside of Starbucks
On the Royal Promenade
On the Royal Promenade
On the Royal Promenade
Found this guy on the Royal Promenade
On the Royal Promenade
Sorrento’s, the pizza place On the Royal Promenade
The British Pub on the Royal Promenade
A helpful sign at mid-ships on the Royal Promenade
On the Royal Promenade
On the Royal Promenade
The Next Cruise offices on the Royal Promenade
Inside the Next Cruise office
Cafe Promenade on the Royal Promenade
Cafe Promenade On the Royal Promenade
Same car, different view
This cool car sits in the middle of the Royal Promenade
This is where the Rising Tide Bar descends to.
On the Royal Promenade
On the Royal Promenade
The Champagne Bar on the Royal Promenade
Inside the Grande Restaurant on Deck 4
Entrance to the Grande Restaurant, the main dining room for traditional scheduled dining
Inside the Grande Restaurant on Deck 4
Inside the Grande Restaurant on Deck 4
Deck 4—Food and Entertainment
If you can’t tell, my deck descriptions are relying less and less on narrative and more and more on the photo captions. This ship is just too big. Deck four has the main entrances to the theater (forward) and the dining room (aft). It also has the casino (my biggest criticism is the entrance to the casino which is full of cigarette smoke being across from the entrance to the dining room which means I couldn’t avoid it) and the art auction office (biggest rip off on the high seas IMO) . Deck four also has a jazz club (we liked), a comedy club (we never went to), an ice-skating rink (ditto) and another night club we used for a group reception on our first night at sea. It is used for a lot of private receptions and is generally an all-purpose club. There is also a small Japanese Benihana-style restaurant but I can’t remember if it was on deck four or five and it doesn’t show up on the Allure Deck plans. The photo captions have more into.
Izumi, the Japanese Beni-hana type restaurant
Inside Izumi, the Japanese Beni-hana type restaurant
Inside Izumi, the Japanese Beni-hana type restaurant
Outside the American Icon restaurant. A main dining room that accommodates My Choice diners
American Icon restaurant
Inside the Conference space where our classes were held on Deck 3. There are four conference rooms/2 large, 2 smaller and all can be joined together.
Jazz on Four–a nice little Jazz club
Jazz on Four–a nice little Jazz club
Jazz on Four–a nice little Jazz club
Inside Blaze
Inside Blaze
Blaze, another night-club type place on Deck 4
Inside Comedy Live
Studio 8. Ice skating shows, rink and also doubles as an entertainment venue
Art Auction
Art Auction
Casino Royale
Casino Royale
Casino Royale
Inside the Grande Restaurant on Deck 4
Inside the Grande Restaurant on Deck 4
Entrance to the Grande Restaurant, the main dining room for traditional scheduled dining
Deck 3—Conference Center
Deck three has the Conference center (where we did our classes with Nate) and that’s about it. It also has one of the other main dining venues (for MyTime diners) as well as the bottom level of the theater. No pics here that weren’t on the other decks but I did include a few below that don’t have any other specific place to go.
There is artwork all over the ship, especially in the stairwells.
Loved this one
This is the Internet room for the entire ship—about the size of two inside staterooms. Living proof that most people bring their own devices today.
Inside the Conference space where our classes were held on Deck 3. There are four conference rooms/2 large, 2 smaller and all can be joined together.
Found this woman sitting in front of the Champagne Bar. Don’t think she had too much champagne, just too much Allure.
That’s it! One solid week of learning about this ship, having a great time and a great experience even with the heat and humidity. Hope you enjoyed traveling along. And one final note: if you have a family, this class of ships is for you. There is truly something for everyone.
If I had my will I would live in a ship on the sea, and never come nearer to humanity than that!—Eleonora Duse
Just a short blurb today about a subject close to my heart.
