Need to Cancel a Cruise?

Sunkissed Adventures would never dream of charging you a fee to cancel your vacation.  That being said, the cruise lines to have policies that we must abide by!  You may be interested in these policies just in case something does arise and you need to cancel.  Below is a comprehensive listing of cancellation policies for 14 of the largest cruise lines.

Azamara Club Cruises
All cruises and cruisetours:
            Up to 91 days – $25 per guest
            60 to 90 days – 20%
            30 to 59 days – 50%
            15 to 29 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Carnival Cruise Lines
2- to 5-day cruises:
            Up to 61 days before sailing – no penalty
            46 to 60 days – deposit
            30 to 45 days – 50%
            15 to 29 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

6 days or longer, including Alaska/Hawaii:
            Up to 76 days – no penalty
            56 to 75 days – deposit
            30 to 55 days – 50%
            15 to 29 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Europe, Panama and transatlantic cruises of 7, 9, 12, 14 or 17 days:
            Up to 91 days – no penalty
            56 to 90 days – deposit
            30 to 55 days – 50%
            15 to 29 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Celebrity Cruises
Non-holiday, 5-night cruises or less:
            Up to 60 days before sailing – no penalty
            43 to 59 days – deposit
            29 to 42 days – 50%
            15 to 28 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Holiday and Galapagos cruises of 5 nights or less:
            Up to 90 days – no penalty
            64 to 89 days – deposit
            43 to 63 days – 50%
            15 to 42 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Non-holiday cruises of 6 nights or more, and cruisetours:
            Up to 75 days – no penalty
            57 to 74 days – deposit
            29 to 56 days – 50%
            15 to 28 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Holiday and Galapagos cruises of 6 nights or longer:
            Up to 90 days – no penalty
            64 to 89 days – deposit
            43 to 63 days – 50%
            22 to 42 days – 75%
            21 days or less – 100%

Costa Cruises
Caribbean Cruises, any length:
            Up to 76 days before sailing – no penalty
            57 to 75 days – deposit
            30 to 56 days – 50%
            15 to 29 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Non-Caribbean Cruises, any length except World Cruises:
            Up to 90 days – no penalty
            57 to 89 days – deposit
            30 to 56 days – 50%
            15 to 29 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

All World Cruises/Grand Voyages:
            Up to 90 days – no penalty
            57 to 89 days – deposit
            45 to 56 days – 50%
            30 to 44 days – 75%
            29 days or less – 100%
          
Crystal Cruises
All non-World Cruise or World Cruise Segment cruises:
            Up to 76 days before sailing – no penalty
            45 to 75 days – 10%
            15 to 44 days – 50%
            14 days or less – 100%

World Cruise Segments of 52 days or less:
            Up to 91 days – no penalty
            61 to 90 days – 10%
            31 to 60 days – 50%
            30 days or less – 100%

World Cruises and World Cruise Segments of 53 days or more:
            Up to 151 days – no penalty
            76 to 150 days – 20%
            45 to 75 days – 50%
            44 days or less – 100%

Cunard
Cruises of less than 30 days:
            Up to 91 days before sailing – no penalty
            61 to 90 days – 25% or promotional deposit amount
            31 to 60 days – 50%
            15 to 30 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

30 days or more:
            Up to 121 days – no penalty
            91 to 120 days – 25% or promotional deposit amount
            64 to 90 days – 50%
            43 to 63 days – 75%
            42 days or less – 100%

Holland America Line
Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Bermuda, Canada & New England, Pacific Coastal, Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Europe (except Prinsendam Europe) and 14- to 27-day Hawaii:
            Up to 76 days before sailing – no penalty
            57 to 75 days – deposit
            29 to 56 days – 50%
            16 to 28 days – 75%
            15 days or less – 100%

All Holiday, Australia/New Zealand, South Pacific, Asia, Prinsendam Europe and South America/Antarctica:
            Up to 91 days – no penalty
            64 to 90 days – deposit
            43 to 63 days – 50%
            22 to 42 days – 75%
            21 days or less – 100%

Grand World, Grand Voyages or any segment of; 28-plus day Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas; Incan Empires; Amazon Explorer; 30-plus Europe transatlantic or any segment of:
            Up to 121 days – no penalty
            91 to 120 days – deposit
            76 to 90 days – 60%
            75 days or less – 100%

MSC Cruises
All cruises:
            Up to 76 days before sailing – no penalty
            46 to 75 days – deposit
            16 to 45 days – 50%
            15 days or less – 100%

Norwegian Cruise Line
5 days or less:
            Up to 61 days (non-Holiday cruises) before sailing – no penalty
            Up to 76 days (Holiday cruises only) – no penalty
            45 to 60 days (non-Holiday cruises) – deposit
            61 to 75 days (Holiday cruises only) – deposit
            30 to 44 days – 50%
            15 to 29 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

6 days or longer:
            Up to 76 days (non-Holiday cruises) – no penalty
            Up to 91 days (Holiday cruises only) – no penalty
            56 to 75 days (non-Holiday cruises) – deposit
            76 to 90 days (Holiday cruises only) – deposit
            30 to 55 days – 50%
            15 to 29 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

All cruises, suite passengers:
            Up to 120 days – no penalty
            90 to 119 days – 25%
            56 to 89 days – 50%
            55 days or less – 100%
          
Oceania Cruises
19-day cruises or shorter:
            Up to 91 days before sailing – no penalty
            76 to 90 days – 25%
            61 to 75 days – 50%
            31 to 60 days – 75%
            30 days or less – 100%

20 days or more:
            Up to 151 days – no penalty
            121 to 150 days – deposit
            91 to 120 days – 50%
            61 to 90 days – 75%
            60 days or less – 100%

Princess Cruises
5 days or less:
            Up to 60 days before sailing – no penalty
            43 to 59 days – deposit
            29 to 42 days – 50%
            15 to 28 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Non-holiday, 6 to 29 days:
            Up to 75 days – no penalty
            57 to 74 days – deposit
            29 to 56 days – 50%
            15 to 28 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Holiday, up to 29 days:
            Up to 90 days – no penalty
            64 to 89 days – deposit
            43 to 63 days – 50%
            22 to 42 days – 75%
            21 days or less – 100%

30 days or more:
            Up to 120 days – no penalty
            90 to 119 days – deposit
            64 to 89 days – 50%
            43 to 63 days – 75%
            42 days or less – 100%

Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Cruises of 25 nights or fewer:
            Up to 121 days before sailing – no penalty
            91 to 120 days – 15%
            61 to 90 days – 50%
            31 to 60 days – 75%
            30 days or less – 100%

26 nights or more:
            Up to 151 days – no penalty
            121 to 150 days – 25%
            91 to 120 days – 50%
            76 to 90 days – 75%
            75 days or less – 100%

Royal Caribbean International
Non-holiday, 5 nights or less:
            Up to 60 days before sailing – no penalty
            43 to 59 days – deposit
            29 to 42 days – 50%
            15 to 28 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Holiday, 5 nights or less:
            Up to 90 days – no penalty
            64 to 89 days – deposit
            43 to 63 days – 50%
            15 to 42 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Non-holiday cruises; 6 nights or longer, and cruisetours:
            Up to 75 days – no penalty
            57 to 74 days – deposit
            29 to 56 days – 50%
            15 to 28 days – 75%
            14 days or less – 100%

Holiday cruises, 6-plus nights:
            Up to 90 days – no penalty
            64 to 89 days – deposit
            43 to 63 days – 50%
            22 to 42 days – 75%
            21 days or less – 100%

Silversea Cruises
All sailings except World Cruise or World Cruise Segments:
            Up to 121 days before sailing – no penalty
            91 to 120 days – 15%
            46 to 90 days – 50%
            31 to 45 days – 75%
            30 days or less – 100%

World Cruise or World Cruise Segments of 56 to 115 days:
            Up to 121 days - $250 - $500 per guest depending on stateroom category
            91 to 120 days – 20%
            75 to 90 days – 50%
            74 days or less – 100%

Sunkissed Adventures Benefits

I tend to consider myself a realist.  I am aware that some people want to book their travel on their own because they don't want to give up control of their vacation.  Other people also think that big online agencies, Orbitz, Expedia, etc can provide better prices.  The fact is, they cannot!   The majority of cruise lines prohibit discounting and rebating cash for cruises.

So why should you use Sunkissed Adventures over an online travel retailer?

I provide you with personalized service.
We can get you out of a rut when things don't go as planned.
We can secure great pricing and onboard perks for your cruise vacation because we partner with a large consortium of agents and agencies.
We can book more than just cruises :)
We DO NOT charge you unnecessary fees.  Booking with us will cost you no more than your vacation list price!
(561) 702-2096  is answered on many nights and weekends!  We've even taken a call at 1:00am Not that we would like to encourage that sort of thing ;)  But we're here to provide you with a painless experience.
I have experience in the travel industry with the numerous connections made over the years.
I have first hand experience traveling as a guest.  Just like you I know what is important and what counts.
I've been there, done that and would LOVE to tell you all about what I recommend.
I am an Accredited Cruise Counsellor with the Cruise Lines International Association, currently one class away from a Master Cruise Counsellor!

I am constantly engaging myself in webinars, online training opportunities, and participating in ship inspections to get the the information you want to know about the newest ships.

Many of the above benefits do not apply to large online agencies.  As you can see, there is a lot of benefit to using Sunkissed Adventures.  I'd love to have you as my newest client.

And thanks to my reliable regulars, I love you too!

Up Next?

So what is up next for Sunkissed Adventures??

We'll be sailing on the Norwegian Epic and Disney Dream in the near future.  Both are ships I have been looking forward to finally sailing on.  I was impressed with both when I toured them.

Disney Dream Photos

Norwegian Epic Photos

Enjoy :)

Costa Concordia Tragedy

I am not writing this blog to bring any light to this situation.  I am simply commenting on what came to my mind throughout the days after the Costa ship ran in to trouble.

  As a frequent cruiser, I think I have always taken safety for granted when on the high seas.  I have never once been concerned for my own well being onboard.  I have traveled on a variety of lines: Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival, Princess, and soon Disney.  Each one handles Muster, the time when you gather to review safety procedures, nearly the same.  You used to meet on the promenade deck, near the lifeboats with your life vest on.  People would complain about this experience.  Some would even hide out in there cabins because they didn't feel like it was important.  In the last year some cruise lines have transitioned from meeting on deck to having passengers meet in public rooms such as the dining room, theater, lounges, etc.  I often questioned this practice as unsafe.  If the ship is going down, the last place I am going would be INSIDE the ship!

I do think they should have people meet near the lifeboats.  Do I think people need to wear the life jacket?  No.  Those are important pieces of equipment, but requiring someone to go back to their cabin to get it can be dangerous in situations such as the Concordia.  Having life vests available in the lifeboats and nearby is probably far more effective.

Is this going to affect my future cruising?  No.  Because I know that this was an event that happened due to pure human error.  Could it happen again?  Yes, I won't lie.  Anything is possible.  However, the possibility of it happening is rather low.  I'm sure the cruise lines are going to be extra cautious during safety drills in the near future.

Surprisingly, this past weekend has been one of my MOST productive!  Maybe the word cruise ship popped in to many people's minds and got them thinking about their next vacation.

So please, on your next cruise.  Don't take the muster drill for granted.  It could be very important.  Hopefully you will never have to use the information first hand.

Allure of the Seas Video Review

     I spent hours creating a fantastic iMovie with video and photo footage of the cruise.  I included some Christmas songs from the band Reliant K, Margaritaville (for the photos of us there), Good Feeling by Flo Rider during our X Rails excursion, and Michael Franti's Say Hey (I Love You) for Labadee and Jamaica video & photos.
     It took nearly 2 hours to upload on to YouTube.  I was so excited to debut this video....  YouTube axed it for copyright reasons.  However they wouldn't tell me which songs were on the "no-no" list.  So I basically resorted to just the Reliant K songs because YouTube allows them.    So for your viewing pleasure, here is the "not as great as the original" video review!

Allure vs Oasis

Comparison to Oasis
I liked the Ice Show better on Oasis. As I said before the Allure Ice Show was a let down to me.

I preferred Oasis's 2nd show, Come Fly With Me to the Allure's Blue Planet. I felt that Blue Planet was strange. Again not for lack of talent, but I just couldn't get in to the show. Some parts were great though. Come Fly With Me held my interest more because I was a tap & ballet dancer for 16 years and there was some tapping in that show along with acrobatics & aerial stuff.

I saw Hairspray on Oasis and chose not to see Chicago on Allure. I just didn't want to be in a show for 2 hours and my husband really hates Broadway type shows.

I loved OceanAria (Allure) equally as much as Oasis of Dreams (Oasis). These are both Aqua Theater shows.

We had Ken Rush as our CD on both Oasis & Allure. We saw him around more on Oasis, but I think because the Allure was a holiday sailing he had more events to run around to. I know people complain about him, but I don't let a CD make or break my trip and he wasn't annoying like some CDs can be. He does talk VERY FAST though.

I found the decor of the ships to be equally as fun and beautiful.

The Oasis had a much better handle on the Dining Room issues. It may have been because of the holidays that we ran into the seating issue on Allure.

We took the same itinerary on both ships (except we stopped at Costa Maya on Oasis and Falmouth on Allure because Falmouth wasn't completed at the time we sailed on Oasis.) I can't complain about any port on either trip.  We did spend more time on the ship with Oasis.

Room Location: On Oasis last year we had cabin 8553 which was forward, first inside cabin from the stairs. It was convenient and we loved being near Central Park. This year on Allure we ended up with a balcony cabin on deck 7, a very short walk from the stairs. When I choose to go on Oasis or Allure again I would prefer to be closer the the AFT stairwell around 7th/8th deck. It was very convenient. Matt and I only take the stairs on cruises (helps combat the eating) and we found that this was the best location for us.

Boardwalk: I like the Allure's Boardwalk MUCH better. I don't eat much seafood, so Seafood Shack was a waste to me on Oasis. I enjoyed doing the Fiesta at Rita's on Allure. I also really liked the Boardwalk Doghouse. I had a few over the course of the week.

On Oasis we went strictly for the ship.  We only got off the ship to stretch our legs, but didn't do anything. Enjoyed exploring the ship while the masses were out for the day. We loved it. Especially the FlowRiders, we were able to use them with minimal lines. Think: 5 people.

On Allure we had a jam packed schedule with excursions at two ports and the roller coaster line in Labadee. I felt as though I did NOT have enough time to enjoy the Allure because we got off in the ports. That does not mean I didn't enjoy Allure, I absolutely LOVED it, just wish I had more time on her. Maybe that means I should go back soon

Allure- Holiday Activities

Holiday Festivities

The main reason we booked this particular cruise was because it was a holiday cruise.  We arrived back on Christmas Day, so the ship did all the Christmas activities Xmas Eve.  For many people, Xmas Eve is the day they do presents and dinner.  “Santa” agreed to come early so the kids could get their gifts.  Each child got a blue RCI blanket.  The holiday dinner was served on Christmas Eve.  Same exact menu as last year.  They would not let us keep the menu because they needed them for the next sailing which was also a holiday cruise.  My mom got one anyway!  At 10:30 on Xmas Eve there was caroling in the Promenade with snow!

 Hanukkah service was held in the Windjammer each night starting on the 20^th.  There were far more people than they had expected for the service.  We only went on the first night.  My mom and I were off exploring and were supposed to meet my husband and her boyfriend in the WJ.  My mom and I celebrate Christmas, my husband and her boyfriend are Jewish.  My mom and I showed up and the boys were nowhere to be found.  So much for the holiday festivities that night!  The latkes were yummy!

Allure- Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel has a variety of great excursions.  I’d say this port has so many things that you could go there a couple hundred times and find something new.  I’ve gone zip-lining, Segway Riding, Margarita & Salsa Dancing/Making, but this trip takes the cake.  We booked the X Rails Off Roading & Jade Caverns excursion.  I’m really proud of my mom for putting up with my choices.  In the end she thanked me because she had a blast but would have never chosen, on her own, any of the things we did.  We drove the X Rails out to Jade Caverns for about 45 minutes.  We got muddy, bumped around, etc.  Lots of fun!  At the cavern (cenote actually) we swam in the water, then the guide took us through a small passageway that led to a bat cave.  It was pitch black and everyone was yelling.  Pretty scary.  My husband swore something swam against his leg while we were in there and it wasn’t a person.  Right before we got back in the X Rails one of the guides took a few people to the top of the cave to jump in to the water.  Matt jumped, not me!

Because we booked with an outside vendor our excursion included a free drink at Margaritaville.  So they dropped us off there after the excursion.    I loved it.  It looks like nothing from the outside, but they have a great deck out back and a swimming area with inflatable toys that you can use as long as you are purchasing food or drinks.  The nachos and quesadillas were excellent!  The free margarita was BEAUTIFUL!  Next time I visit Cozumel I will definitely make an effort to come back here.

Allure- Falmouth, Jamaica

Falmouth, as I stated before looked great to me.  We chose to do the Green Grotto Caves & Dunn’s River Falls excursion.  Mostly because it was cheaper than the Dunn’s River Express.  Not sure why, but whatever!  They have since changed the prices.  Maybe they caught that error.  We paid $54 pp for GG&DRF.  It’s now $2 more than Dunn’s River Express- at $69pp.  It was a nice surprise.  The Green Grotto Caves were interesting, we had a very funny guide, and I learned while I was there.

Next we went to Dunn’s River Falls.  Amazingly, on 12 previous cruises none of the stopped in Jamaica.  So this was my first chance to go to DRF.  I love it.  We had a blast.  The water was frrrrreezing!  I think I numbed up to it after a few minutes because it didn’t bother me when we were climbing.  Our guide from the bus told us exactly what to do to avoid the tricksters that try to get you to buy their stuff. 

We had no problems with anyone bothering us in Jamaica.  I know people have said that the people can be pushy but everyone was happy, friendly, and not pushy in any way!

Allure- Labadee

In Labadee we planned to just relax on the beach, watch zip liners, and grab some BBQ food.  I always thought that Coco Cay and Labadee offered the same food for the BBQ.  Nope, I find the Coco Cay offers a wider selection.  A full salad bar, mac’n’cheese, more side items, etc.

We ended up wandering over to the Dragon’s Tail Coaster hut to find out about it.  $19 for a car.  We figured that wasn’t too bad.  We had a decent amount of onboard credit to go through and we had pre-paid all the specialty restaurants.  The guy told us the wait was short.  I looked over at the line, it was maybe 50 feet long, if that.  So we paid and got in line…. TWO hours later we finally got to the car.  Ugh.  Had I know, we wouldn’t have done it.  The ride was fun though.  Exactly my kind of coaster.  I hate big drops and this had none of them.  We were able to see some beautiful spots on Labadee when way up high.  Had the line NOT been 2 hours long I would say it’s well worth it.  If you buy the all-day pass you get to cut the entire line on after your first ride.

An interesting observation- the Dragon's Breath Zip Line (longest Zip Line over water- in the world) has always been $99, even for our trip.  I just went over to the RCI webpage today and found that it is now down to $85.

Allure- Shows

Dreamworks

I can remember the uproar from people over Dreamworks on Royal Caribbean ships.  I will reiterate what others have said: you have to actively seek them out.  They are not in your face.  I saw three Dreamworks related things the entire week and that is because I physically walked myself over to the event.  Had I not done that I would have never seen them!

Funny that people complain about kids when it comes to Dreamworks.  We went to see Puss in Boots 3D on the ship.  There was a massive crowd waiting to get in to the theater.  Probably because it was overcast and nasty out that day.  As they opened the theater, the crowd pushed their way in.  An ADULT knocked me to the ground to get the 3D glasses.  Looked at me and kept on going toward the staff member handing them out.  I am sick of people complaining about Dreamworks bringing out the worst in the kids, when quite clearly some adults are just as obnoxious and worse!

Ice Games

This one disappointed me.  Not for lack of talent, as the performers did a great job.  I have seen a total of four ice shows on Royal Caribbean.  This was ranked as number four.  It seemed short, lacked a storyline in my opinion.  My mom’s boyfriend made an interesting observation.  Nearly everything highlighted in the show was an event on the ship that costs extra: Giovanni’s, Casino, etc.  I was very disappointed that there was no “half time” act as with all of the others.  On Oasis they had the very talented sand artist, Liberty had a super hoola-hooper, Navigator had the guy in the hamster wheel.  NOTHING on this one.  I just felt let down when leaving this show.

OceanAria

Great great great.  I love the Aqua acrobatics and guest talent.  The Aqua Theater is an awesome concept.  We loved it on Oasis and love it on Allure!  I don’t care about the lack of storyline here because I was wide eyed throughout.

Let You Entertain Me

This is the Dreamworks Aqua Theater show.  Cute for families and kids!  We went to see it because I liked OceanAria.  If you have kids that like Madagascar the movie or if YOU like Madagascar, I’d recommend it.

Blue Planet

A strange storyline, music from a variety of popular culture (redone), beautiful costumes, and great acrobatics & dancing.  Over all I left scratching my head.  Less than what I expected but not for lack of talent.  The performers were great.

Allure- Dining

Adagio Dining Room

We ate dinner here on 5 of the nights of the cruise.  On the first three nights we had an awesome waiter named Boney.  We put in a request to sit with him every night in the MDR (Main Dining Room).  We would order our food and then he would bring a small sample of the other dishes to try.  We probably looked like pigs, but oh well.  We told him that we felt bad that food was being wasted.  He told us not to worry as they regularly throw a lot of food away at the end of the night and he’d rather see someone sample a dish rather than throw out the entire meal.

The night we left Jamaica we ate at Rita’s Fiesta.  Men were given sombreros and women were given flashing necklaces.  LOTS of fun!  Food was fine, edible.  Better than Taco Bell, but not authentic.  Salsa was out of the jar.  I love home made salsa. There was too much shrimp in the food choices for my taste.  I only like cold shrimp.  Warning, the green quesadilla is very spicy!!  I didn’t even get to my 3^rd margarita- I’m a lightweight.  They were letting people swap Margaritas for beers or tequila shots.  We danced on the Boardwalk, they had men’s & women’s dance competitions.  We had a blast.  No pictures from the dancing but I do have video.

Back to the MDR.  The following night was the 2^nd formal night.  We arrived early by 5 minutes.  The woman at the MTD (My Time Dining) desk, whose name was Hazel Lopez, told us we could not sit with Boney because his section was full.  I explained that we had done our reservations well ahead of time and on night one requested to always sit with him. She told me that was impossible and that Royal Caribbean does not allow waiter requests.  Funny…  we’ve used MTD 6 times previously and they always let us request a waiter.  I understood that his section was full, so we sat with another waiter that night.  We were literally in the corner on the opposite side of the MDR.  Had a less than desirable meal experience, but nothing terrible.  My mom found the head waiter for Boney’s section and asked that we please get a request in to sit at one of his tables.  He said “of course!”  When we went back to the MDR Saturday Hazel was at the desk again.  She looked at me and said “Oh, you people, who want to request a waiter.”  Then she proceeded to give the other crew member a paper and said something quietly to him.  AGAIN we were seated with a different waiter.  The head waiter from the a few days ago came over and asked why we weren’t sitting in Boney & his section.  I told him what happened.  He was furious and stormed over to Hazel.  When he came back he brought us champagne and asked if there was anything else we’d like to drink on the house.  Not really sure if Hazel got in trouble or not, but it was disappointing that she had a bad attitude.

We ate at Giovanni’s Friday night.  My husband and I loved it on Oasis.  So we had to have my mom and her BF try it. It was a zoo.  I was unable to get 7 or 7:30 reservations so we had to settle for 8.  We showed up a bit early because we had a show later and didn’t want to miss it.  The place was empty at 7:30.  Not sure why they wouldn’t let me have a reservation then.  They seated us.  Within 20 minutes the place was FULL.  Mostly parties of 8 or more.  This made service slow.  We couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t let us have an earlier reservation.  While talking with our waitress she said that three of the big parties showed up very late, they had 7 or 7:30 reservations.  Figures!

Park Café was our most frequently visited dining venue.  They offer paninis, sandwiches, soups, fruit, build-a-salad station, desserts, etc.  They make some awesome egg sandwiches and wraps for breakfast along with a build-a-bagel bar in the mornings.  We ate breakfast there 6 out of 7 days.  Lunch was eaten there on every sea day!  Great food, lots of variety, nice atmosphere.  You can sit inside or outside.  Always busy, but the line was never outrageous.  I finally figured out why I didn’t like the Roast beef sandwiches on Oasis- they put mustard and/or horseradish on it.  I got them with just au jus and I was in heaven!!

Boardwalk Dog House.  So the kid in my liked this place.  I tried three different dogs.  Hubby only tried the Coney Island.  How Boring?!?  I had a Sicilian, Big Apple, and Smokehouse.  Not at the same time.  Different days :)  None of them were bad, two were not as warm as I would have liked.  Needless to say I like the idea of the DogHouse.  Never a long line, but always people there grabbing a quick bite.

Matt (husband) and I went to the Windjammer one day for lunch just to say we ate there.  There are so many other choices on this ship that I hate to spend my time in the WJ.

Allure- Cabin and Crown & Anchor Events

Cabin

We had cabin 7676, a D8 balcony.  I liked this room.  Not too far from the aft elevators so it made for a short walk to nearly everything.  On Oasis we had a very forward room on deck 8.  Not bad either, but if I can choose again I’d say aft is the way to go.  Most mid-ship cabins have a long hallway walk!  We had the bed near the balcony so the closet wasn’t an issue. DH and I are small.  We had the bed near the closet on Oasis and it wasn’t a problem for us, however I can see how some people don’t like it.  The beds were wonderful.  I slept better than ever on this trip.  I remember the Oasis beds being awesome as well.   

We stored all of our luggage under the bed- one large pink suitcase, one very large black suitcase, one small purple one for shoes, and a garment bag.  We gave our WOW card to I Made, our room attendant.  He was very friendly and took care of things that he didn’t have to.  My balcony Christmas decorations fell one day.  I figured I would fix them when we returned later.  When we got back he had re-fastened them just the way they were.

Crown & Anchor Events

The top tier event was in the theater, they awarded the top three sailing guests with an over sized diamond (not real).  We had to leave early because we had something else to get to, Rita’s Fiesta.

The "all included" C&A event was held on the Boardwalk.  They offered free bloody mary, mimosa, and champagne.  Cotton Candy was being given out for no fee for this event, although there is normally a $3 charge.   Dreamworks characters were there.  They debuted the Sea is Calling campaign.  Captain Johnny & the hotel director came out acting silly.  He always looks like he’s having a good time.

We are now Emerald in the Crown & Anchor Society and so we were given a treat basket in our cabin and two complimentary non-alcoholic beverages.  We chose water & Coke.  The treat basket included: mini-chocolate chip cookies, dried fruit, and some nuts.It was nice to have some treats in our cabin when we were hanging around and wanted to munch.

Allure of the Seas- Itinerary

I am finally getting around to writing my review from the Allure of the Seas- December 18-25^th, 2011.  This will be in sections to make it easier to locate the information you want to read about.

Itinerary

We left Fort Lauderdale, Sunday right on time.  I didn’t like that I was on the Starboard side of the ship for sailaway.  I love watching the beach goers.  We chose to stay out on our balcony and saw a family waving at the Coast Guard station instead…

Our first stop was Labadee (Royal Caribbean's lease section of Haiti), been there once before on the Oasis.  I like beach days but it was cloudy and drizzled at one point.  I’ll talk more about what we did there later.

Next we went to Falmouth, Jamaica.  I don’t know why people are complaining about this port.  It looks nearly finished to me.  The shops were open, vendors were no-more pushy than any other port, and I actually found the port complex to be very pretty!  When we arrived the Navigator was in port with us.  I thought they had already gotten off the ship.  I was sorely wrong.  When we returned later in the day we saw the Navi was gone.  Turns out they tried from 6am-10am to dock and the water was so rocky that they couldn’t let anyone off the ship and Navi left.  We were having some problems that morning but capt Johnny supposedly ran the engines all day to keep the ship right up next to the pier.  We did an RCI tour there because I am not familiar with Jamaica and wanted to be ensured I’d get back to the ship.  We ended up leaving Falmouth over an hour late because of tours (booked through the ship) were late.

Last stop was Cozumel, I’ve been there 5 times previously and I find something new to do every time.  We booked a tour via an outside company.  Probably one of the BEST things I’ve done there!  More about that later.  We left Cozumel late also.  Being starboard had it benefit here.  The captain was calling for a couple on the ship to report to guest services.  I watched them pull up the gangway and the ship started to move.  Suddenly we were back up against the pier.  The couple was running to the ship.  They put the gangway back up and let them on.  Lucky them!  Something funny also happened.  The Norwegian Pearl was next to us in port.  A guy on the balcony across form mine had a conch shell.  He was blowing in to it, the sound was almost like a ship’s horn.  All that was going through my mind was “the Sea is calling, but from the wrong ship!”

 Here's a snippet of it.

....and it figures!  My photo hosting site goes down as I type this out.  :(