Something for Everyone

By Teresa Wilds

Allure of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, has made its debut sailing from the home port of Fort Lauderdale to Eastern and Western Caribbean.  Journey House Travel was on board for the pre-inaugural festivities.  During the pre-inaugural Katie Holmes and Adam Sandler were on board filming Jack & Jill, which will be out later this year.

The ship accommodates more than 5,000 guests and boasts 18 decks of fun. Guests will be treated to seven themed areas onboard, including the “Boardwalk,” which features restaurants, shops and carnival games, and a “Central Park,” filled with lush vegetation, seasonal flowers and a canopy of trees. Allure of the Seas also features Pool and Sports Zone, including a “zero-depth entry” pool and Flowrider wave simulators; the AquaTheater, an amphitheater at the stern of the ship; a spa and fitness center; the Youth Zone, filled with activities for children and teens; and the cruise industry’s first onboard zip line and carousel.

Among other destinations, Allure of the Seas guests visit two unique ports. Along the coast of Hispaniola, Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination, Labadee, features pristine beaches, spectacular water activities, and Dragon’s Breath, the longest zip line in the Caribbean. In historic Falmouth, guests are a short ride away from all their favorite places in Jamaica — whether it’s a beach break on Montego Bay, or climbing Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios.

The check-in process is a breeze. The check-in time is estimated at 15 minutes from drop off at the cruise terminal to entry into your cabin! That’s faster than you can get a pizza!  Allure of the Seas cabin options range from the standard interior cabin to Royal Loft Suites with 834-square foot balconies.  Looking for the unique? Book a suite that overlooks the AquaTheater, the first amphitheater at sea.  There are numerous selections of cabins to accommodate the largest of families.  With 37 different cabin configurations, there is a stateroom for everyone.  Worried about getting lost? … use the touch screen maps located throughout the ship, which makes navigation easy, even for a first time cruiser.

You might be thinking ‘How do they feed this many people?’ There are over two-dozen dining venues onboard — at least 12 are included in your cruise fare and the rest have a nominal fee.   The specialty restaurants offer a wide variety from Rita’s Cantina, a So-Cal Taqueria with a Mexican Beach Bar located on the outdoor Boardwalk, and Johnny Rockets, to the Samba Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse which features table-side carving of Filet Mignon, picanha, roasted spring lamb leg, grilled baby back ribs, pork loin, shrimp and salmon.  Are you hungry yet?

There is something for everyone on board the ship. Ice skating, Royal Caribbean’s famous Flowrider, Vitality at Sea Spa and fitness center, zip line, rock climbing wall, casino and a full-size carousel. Kids of all ages and their parents will love the options including the Dreamworks parade and meeting the characters. The children’s area, known as Adventure Ocean, encompasses 28,700 square feet and  features a kids arcade, Adventure Science Lab, Imagination Studio and a place for the Royal Babies and Tots.  The teens are not forgotten, they can “hang out” in their own disco and arcade, the largest dedicated youth area at sea.   The array of entertainment even includes the Broadway Production, “CHICAGO” as the headlining show in the ship’s main theater and “OceanAria,” in the AquaTheater complete with high-diving and gymnastics.

There are a number of “at sea” firsts on board, such as the first Starbucks at sea, 3-D first-run movies, and a mini Central Park, complete with an impressive 12,000 plants, along with cricket and bird sounds. The Allure will simply impress you with all of the actives and size!

Sound good? Join Journey House Travel for the June 24, 2012 sailing through the Eastern Caribbean. Group rates and payment plans available.

Watch Sharon Carr’s Allure of the Seas Preview video: