Mediterranean Cruise Opportunity

The block of cabins I’m holding for our 7 night Western Mediterranean Cruise, September 6, 2015, is on Royal Caribbean’s the Allure of the Seas! And she’s been called a destination herself!

USA Today had an article in their Sept. 29th edition listing the top 10 cruise lines for night life. They mentioned RCCL first:

Royal Caribbean: The line's ships all provide a non-stop nighttime scene, but the action is on steroids on the world's largest ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Watch a real Broadway show or head to the comedy club for laughs or the karaoke bar to show your skills. Try your luck at the Vegas-style Casino Royale or dance the night away with salsa at Boleros or in a multi-level disco, where celebrity scratch DJs host dance parties. The ships collectively also have ice skating shows, high-diving shows and nighttime parades featuring DreamWorks characters.

Cruise Critic also just listed the Allure 3^rd in their 10 best ships to spend a day at sea on:

3. Allure of the Seas
On Deck: The world's largest cruise ship, Allure of the Seas, challenges anyone to be bored onboard, given its large variety of on-ship activities and attractions. The top deck has three pools (including a sloped-entry pool and one for games like pool volleyball) and the H20 Zone, a colorful aquapark with a giant water-spraying octopus, a kiddie pool and a pair of family-friendly hot tubs. A thalassotherapy pool can be found in the glass-covered Solarium.

The ultimate in water fun are the ship's two FlowRider surf pools for standup surfing and boogie-boarding. Allure also sports an 82ft zip-line, two rock-climbing walls and sports courts for basketball, Ping-Pong and mini-golf.

The deep Aquatheater pool does double duty as a venue for scuba lessons and a stage for whimsical performances that feature acrobats and divers.

Indoor Fun: Allure's neighborhood concept includes two areas that are technically within the ship but open to the sky. Take a nature stroll through Central Park, which is covered in some 12,000 plants and 60 trees. You can pop into shops like the Coach store and a Romero Britto boutique, and grab a bite at the Park Cafe or a drink at the Trellis Bar. Or head to the more boisterous indoor-outdoor Boardwalk, with its build-a-pet shop, a kids clothing store, candy shop, ice cream parlor, floating bar, various eateries and Zoltar, an animatronic fortune teller. One lovely touch there is the handmade carousel, which is free to ride. If you're traveling with kids, keep an eye out for clowns and balloon animal artists strolling by. 

For true indoor shopping, the Royal Promenade is sized like a real mall -- it runs the length of a football field. There you'll find tax- and duty-free shops for liquor and jewelry purchases, a Starbucks, the Rising Tide bar (which travels up and down three decks between the Royal Promenade and Central Park), a Guess store and other retail options. Activities like flash-mob dance classes and parades with Dreamworks characters and colorful costumes take place there.

Royal Caribbean's top-of-the-line shows aren't just reserved for the evening. Catch matinees of its ice-skating shows as well as midday showings of Broadway spectaculars such as "Chicago." Other daytime entertainment options include recent 3D movies from the DreamWorks cache (in the specially equipped Amber Theater), dance classes, alcohol tastings, character meet-and-greets and ice skating in Studio B.

All-Day Dining: You can't go hungry on Allure of the Seas. Beyond lunch in the Windjammer Marketplace buffet and Adagio main dining room, passengers can find lunch at Sorrento's Pizzeria; the Park Cafe, serving up salads and sandwiches; the Boardwalk Dog House with its seven varieties of wieners; the Wipeout Cafe for burgers and chicken with a view of the onboard sports action; the Vitality Spa Cafe or Solarium Bistro for yogurt parfaits, healthy sandwiches and other light fare; Vintage for tapas; Giovanni's Table for casual Italian; Johnny Rockets, a fast-food burger joint; Rita's Cantina, a Mexi-Cali beach bar with a la carte food; and the Cafe Promenade for snacks and sandwiches. And of course there’s complimentary room service!

If it worries you a little to be on a ship this big, know that out of the hundreds and hundreds of reviews I’ve read people have said over and over “it never feels crowded” and “you’d never know it’s so big because it’s so spread out and there’s so much to do!”

If you’d like me to resend the flyer showing prices and itinerary let me know. My next email in a couple weeks will be on our departure city Barcelona. But don’t wait to lock in your cabin – I’ve only blocked 16 staterooms at a really great group rate!!

This is going to be fun!!

Nancy Geiger

ng0425@gmail.com