Tim and Anne’s Allure of the Seas Cruise from Galveston (November 2022)
by Tim Larison, CLIA Certified Master Cruise Counselor
with comments by Anne Larison, Family Travel Gurus Travel Consultant
Royal Caribbean has made a big investment in a brand-new state of the art cruise terminal in Galveston Texas (pictured above). And we were the first to sail from this terminal on the biggest ship ever brought to Galveston – the Allure of the Seas!
Embarkation/Debarkation
Check in at the port was one of the smoothest we have seen anywhere. A Royal Caribbean employee asked us a few health questions on her iPad, we showed our passports, and then we walked onto the ship! No long waits in the terminal. As you can see from our hats above, Royal Caribbean had a warm Texas greeting for us as we boarded the Allure.
This was the first cruise where we drove to the port from our home in Arizona. Parking was plentiful next to the cruise terminal. The disembarkation after our cruise was also one of the easiest we have experienced. The Royal Caribbean terminal was equipped with Facial Recognition scanners to match our faces to our passports. No forms to fill out, our faces were scanned and we were on our way to our vehicle nearby.
The Galveston, Texas location of the port makes it accessible to many who want to drive to the port like we did instead of arriving by air. If driving is impractical for you, Royal Caribbean does offer bus transfers from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and from Houston Hobby Airport.
Anne says:
We’ve spent time in cruise terminals with lines of uncomfortable folding chair in a warehouse-type setting. Although we didn’t have to spend much time in the new Royal Caribbean terminal the décor was bright colors with plenty of room to move around. Also, floor to ceiling windows allowing for a lot of natural light. This new terminal features a large number of comfortable couches should you have to spend time in the terminal prior to boarding your ship.
Our Stateroom
We had a balcony stateroom on this cruise overlooking the Central Park neighborhood. Pictured above is the view from our balcony. The stateroom had plenty of storage space. Our cheerful stateroom attendant was prompt in servicing our room when we were out and about on the ship. The stateroom door had a magnet that we could place on the outside of the door stating whether we wanted privacy or if our room was ready for service.
And here is a view of the Central Park neighborhood from the walking path below.
Anne says:
Having an internal balcony (versus external) is a nice alternative. You don’t get to see the ocean but you can look up and still have the sky view. I like the greenery of the Central Park. I also find it is a little quieter that the internal balconies above the Boardwalk Neighborhood.
Dining
The Allure of the Seas has over two dozen dining venues. On our four-night cruise we could only sample a few as we describe below:
Windjammer Marketplace Buffet
We had buffet meals at the Windjammer for most of our breakfasts and lunches, and one dinner. The opening lunch buffet was the best and it continued to be good for our other meals here.
Anne says:
Royal Caribbean keeps health and safety at the forefront with their buffet. There is only one entrance to the Windjammer and each passenger must wash their hands on their way into the buffet. It only takes a few moments and everyone benefits.
American Icon Grill
One of the main dining rooms on the Allure, we had dinner here on three of our four nights. We liked the many selections offered for appetizers, main courses, and desserts. The wait staff gave us prompt service. On our last meal our waitress noticed I had finished early my grilled Shrimp main course entrée. She asked if I wanted more. “Of course!” I replied and she brought me another serving.
Anne says:
There are a number of specialty restaurants which we were not able to visit on this cruise. We enjoyed traditional dining with the same waiters each night and dining at the same time. There were many others who enjoyed the My Time Dining. Also, you can make reservations when you have My Time Dining to minimize any wait for your meal.
Wipeout Cafe
One of our favorite “finds” on the cruise was the Wipeout Café for lunch. Here we had a choice tacos and nachos, quesadillas, and more. This venue was extremely popular. We arrived one day 10 minutes before opening and soon all the outdoor tables were occupied.
Anne says:
This yummy self-serve option is located on the sports deck. It’s a great place to dine or snack before your next sports adventure.
Johnny Rockets
This restaurant is known for its burgers, hot dogs, and shakes (for an extra charge) but did you know they offer complementary breakfasts here, too? One morning we enjoyed dining in the Boardwalk Neighborhood. While the Windjammer buffet breakfasts were good, Johnny Rockets was a nice alternative in a quieter, outdoor setting.
The Johnny Rockets wait staff performed a dance for us at breakfast and later in our cruise we took a picture of the Johnny Rockets dancers from high above.
Entertainment
We found the entertainment options on the Allure to be excellent, highlighted by a full production of the Broadway show Mamma Mia. I had seen this show at a theatre on land a few years ago, and Royal Caribbean’s 2 ½ hour version was just as good if not better!
Anne says:
We’ve seen many wonderful productions on our past Royal Caribbean cruises. Mamma Mia was another top of the line show.
Ice Show
First time Royal Caribbean cruisers may be surprised to find an ice rink onboard! We have sailed on Royal Caribbean ships with ice rinks several times in the past. The ice show presented here has always been one of my favorites, and the Allure of the Seas “Monopoly” skating show was no exception. I am always amazed at how skilled the Royal Caribbean skaters are!
Anne says:
The ice shows are amazing and they generally all include a special guest performer. In this case, the special performer was a skater doing her skating with multiple hoola hoops. She was great and the whole show was very entertaining.
Another favorite of mine is the outdoor diving show Royal Caribbean offers – Oceania at the edge of the Boardwalk neighborhood. Unfortunately, the show we were to attend was cancelled due to rough seas that night. I had seen the show before on other Royal Caribbean Oasis Class ships. I would have been more disappointed had I never seen the show before.
The ship’s Amber Theatre features a show each night. Outdoor movies, a piano bar, a karaoke bar, and many other entertainment venues were featured throughout the ship.
Activities
I like to recommend the Allure of the Seas and other Royal Caribbean Oasis Class ships to multigenerational family groups. The younger cruisers can enjoy the thrills of a rock-climbing wall and the flow rider surf simulators! I was standing next to one of the two flow riders when I took this picture. “Want to give it a try?” a young man in his 20’s asked me. “No chance! Just taking pictures!” I replied.
Now ping pong and mini golf on board are more to my liking!
The pickleball phenomenon has come to the Allure of the Seas with three courts. This activity was extremely popular as the courts were always filled when we walked by.
The Allure had a large kids water park area – one of the biggest we’ve seen on a cruise ship.
Anne says:
The pickleball option was part time, as it takes place on the basketball court. One day we also saw an active Volleyball game going strong. In addition to the kids water park there are other pools around the ship to enjoy, as well as multiple hot tubs.
And for more sedate activities, several trivia contests were offered each day. We didn’t do too well at trivia (still had fun) but we did win a crossword puzzle challenge on one of our at-sea days.
Summary
In this report we highlighted what we enjoyed on the Allure of the Seas during our four night cruise. There is so much more to experience on the ship, now sailing 7 night Caribbean itineraries out of Galveston weekly. We want to cruise on her again!
Anne says:
We hadn’t sailed on Royal Caribbean for a few years and this trip reminded us how much these ships have to offer.
If you would like to book your own Allure of the Seas cruise, contact us. We are glad to help!