Royal Caribbean Cruising

05 – 17 APRIL 2014:

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Our cruise was starting in Florida so we had to get flights there from London. We decided to spend a couple of days each side of the cruise to explore Florida a little. However all I remember exploring was Walmart’s candy section. Coconut coated peanuts and white chocolate reese’s peanut butter cups were a highight of our time there. We did go to some nice restaurants and did some shopping but we were really just excited to get on to the ship and sail away to the Caribbean!

ALLURE OF THE SEAS

MS Allure of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. The Oasis class are the largest passenger ships ever constructed, and Allure is 50 millimetres (2.0 in) longer than her sister ship Oasis of the Seas, though both were built to the same specifications. As of 2016, she is the world’s largest passenger cruise ship.

Some of the ships entertainment and features:

Rock Climbing Wall
Table Tennis
Live Music
Dance classes
Cinema
Art gallery
Comedy shows
Mini Golf
Quizzes
Running track
Bingo
Sports court
Enrichment lectures
Broadway style shows
Cooking demonstrations
Nightclub
Karaoke
Pools / Whirlpools
Golf simulator
In-line Skating Track
Steam room
Solarium
H20 Zone
Sauna
Mini golf
Fitness Centre
Threate
Zip Line
Swimming Pools
Chapel
Casin
Gaming lessons
Kids Club
Teen disco
Library

You really can’t get bored easily on the Allure of the Seas. It’s very family friendly with activities for all ages. You may need to be a little careful with food though as trust me it’s easy to put on weight as the food is inclusive and available at all hours.

They provide lectures free of charge, some to do with the mechanics of cruising and some were entertainment talks. My Mum and Sister went for the towel making mini course. Each day the housekeeping would provide towels in the room in the shape of animals – a lovely artistic touch, and it was great that they provided the ability for the passengers to also learn the craft. Whilst they were doing that, I was keeping myself busy participating in a flash mob dance!

One thing to be wary of is sunbathing on the deck. As you’re in the sea, there can be quite a breeze so it’s easy to get burnt and not realise. I had necklace and headphone marks on me for months and months because I got so burnt just from 1 hour of sunbathing.

I loved this cruise, activity filled, great port destinations and range of excursions. The entertainment selection on board is amazing – they have a theatre showing the broadway musical Chicago. There’s also an ice skating rink, an outdoor cinema and tons of high quality shows to name just a few of the features! It’s expensive to go cruising but when you consider how much you get included, it’s actually good value.

DESTINATIONS – PORTS OF CALL

Haiti (Labadee)

Labadee is a port located on the northern coast of Haiti. It is a private resort leased to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. until 2050.

Royal Caribbean have tons of tours to choose from when in Labadee, most of them adventure tours as the port is part of a private resort so you actually can’t go very far. There’s a nice beach and a little train is supplied to take you around the resort. There’s a number of small market style shops dotted around but not much else besides that so it’s a good opportunity to do something like zip lining or parasailing. We opted for parasailing. The view of the area were stunning from above.

Jamaica (Falmouth)

Falmouth is the chief town and capital of the parish of Trelawny in Jamaica. It is situated on Jamaica’s north coast 18 miles east of Montego Bay. It is noted for being one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved Georgian towns.

We decided to purchase the following excursion for our time in Falmouth – it was an informative tour during the drive to the beach and then it switched to a very relaxing experience – reggae music playing in the background and food being served to you whilst you sit back and admire the sea.

BAMBOO BEACH CLUB:

OVERVIEW: Bask in the sun, relax under shady almond trees, and swim in the clear blue sea on our beautiful Caribbean beach. Enjoy cultural shows performed on the sand by singers, drummers and dancers. Feast on unlimited food and drinks and listen to cool reggae tunes.

HIGHLIGHTS: Enjoy a scenic drive along the coast to Bamboo Beach Club.

Relax on a white sand beach, listen to reggae music and watch energetic cultural shows. Unlimited lunch and drinks are included. There will be a stop for shopping on the way back to the ship.

Yeah Mon!

Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel, a mostly undeveloped Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea, is a popular cruise ship port of call famed for its scuba diving. At Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, divers can explore a section of the Mesoamerican Reef and Museo Subacuático de Arte’s submerged sculptures.

Cozumel is the leading port for jewellery so it’s no surprise that Royal Caribbean provide transport from the port straight to the jewellery shopping area. They have a wide range of diamonds available, not that I could afford to buy one myself. Instead I purchased an emerald ring to remember my time in Mexico.