All Out Amazing, Allure of the Seas!!

 Now THIS is a Ship!!

Twin Smokestacks of the Allure of the Seas

Although its sister ship, the Oasis of the Seas, has been in service for over a year now, I don’t think any journalist has yet to adequately describe the brilliance of the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.  It’s preposterous to think that I could, not having ever published anything more than a newsletter, but somewhere, somehow, somebody should try (harder). Maybe it’s like so many other major destinations (Leaning Tower of Pisa, Niagara Falls, Great Wall of China – know what I’m talking about?); despite seeing lots of pictures, going to seminars, reading lots and lots of articles – you just haven’t seen it until you’ve seen it with all your senses.  I could not have imagined these ships.  They are immense in size, spectacular in organization and masterful in ingenuity.  All day I’ve been trying to figure out what I could say about the Allure of the Seas, and perhaps at the core of it I have to say that I was wrong.  Huh? Who me?

When Royal Caribbean first announced these ships, I was dead set against them.  The concept horrified me.  Too big, too ostentatious, severely overtaxing to the islands they visit … you get the picture.  About three years ago Royal Caribbean held a naming contest for the first ship in this class (which became “Oasis”); at the time my submissions ran towards “Monstrosity of the Seas”, “Behemoth of the Seas” or possibly even “Disaster of the Seas”.  None of these submissions won, as you can see. 

Other Ships at Port Everglades Suffer Big Ship Envy

This ship should have it’s own spot on the map.  It is Coney Island at Sea, with a little Las Vegas and Orlando mixed in.  But that’s too simple a recipe - add a dash of Asia, a little Latin America and a good cup of Caribbean too.   It’s a wonderland of sights, activities, foods and entertainment.  I don’t think you can do it all in a week, but you’ll get a lot of exercise trying.  Let's talk size (again): one circuit of the running track is about ½ a mile.  Lay out all 17 decks side by side and that's got to put it somewhere around 4 square miles (I think - feel free to correct my math), not all decks being equal.  Whatever. In short, I think this ship may be larger than the island on which I live ... or maybe it just seems like it ... but make no mistake about it, this is one BIG ship.

Wine-by-the-Glass Vending Machine

And with more to do.  My town doesn’t have a 1,380-seat  theater, jazz club, ice skating rink, comedy club, rock climbing wall, zip line, cupcake shop, or casino.  I don’t think my grocery store carries 106 flavors of Coca-Cola products (there is a 106 flavor Coca-Cola dispenser on board) and I know they don’t have wine-by-the-glass vending machines. They do have a carousel, but so does the ship.  Let’s see, what else: a daily paper, chapel, library, conference center, television studio, surfing, water park, miniature golf course, art gallery, spa, fitness center, acupuncturist, medical spa (Botox, Restylane, Perlane) and teeth whitening. 

Did I mention Dreamworks Studios and Shrek?

Mercedes Benz on the Promenade

Posing With the Passenger

The first thing to catch my eye was the classic Mercedes Benz parked on the “Boardwalk” and carrying two teddy bear passengers – they hooked me right there.  Actually, the first thing that hooked me, now that I think about it, is that embarkation took less than 10 minutes – and eight of them were due to having my bag searched - I forgot to remove my nail scissors. 

Bottom line for tonight … new wonders around every corner, an adrenaline jolt just watching the ship pull out of port, passengers who know more about cruising than I think I’ll ever know.  But hey, this sailing is 90% travel agents and 10% media and cruise industry, so that may not be remarkable.  Nonetheless, I’m impressed.  Okay, the cabin is small; in fact I’m glad I’ve lost a few pounds, because every pound counts in these cabins.  I’m glad I’m traveling with a skinny friend.  But I don’t intend to spend much time in this cabin.  I’ve got a lot of ground to cover in the next 24 hours!!!