SATURDAY SUN Editor?Sanka?Price was aboard the November 22 inaugural trip of the world’s largest cruise ship, the Allure Of The Seas, in Miami, Florida. This is the first in a three-part series on that experience.
I LOVE CRUISING.
For me it’s the best way to enjoy a leisurely, carefree holiday because the hardest thing you have to do is decide what you intend to wear that day.
Once that is decided, there are a diverse range of activities that you can delve into aboard ship, ranging from rock climbing and surfing, if you’re that adventurous, to spa treatments, playing board games, or just reclining quietly somewhere on deck enjoying the cool breeze.
And, of course, you can eat some of the sweetest food from a host of restaurants all day and night until your stomach can’t hold anything else.
It was with that experience under my belt that I boarded the Allure Of The Seas at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Tuesday last week.
My first thoughts on seeing the ship was that it was “super huge”, because it was taller and wider than any liner I had ever seen. For though I had cruised before on a ship which accommodated more than 3 000 passengers, the Allure has twice the capacity at 6 318 and actually has 16 passenger decks.
In all, it is 213 feet (65 metres) tall from the water line and 1 187 feet (362 metres) long.
I was in awe at the sheer size of the ship.
Stepping aboard, though, I was totally blown away by the elegant décor and beauty of Allure.
It is obvious that Royal Caribbean Cruises have spared no expense to make this vessel the jewel in their crown.
The intricately tiled, thick, colourfully carpeted walkways, brightly painted and decorated stores and recreational areas, the comfortable, cushioned chairs in the various restaurants and bars, spacious staterooms with their own balcony, large jacuzzis, top-of-the line gym, and a soothing spa with an environment designed to relax the most restless.
These are just some of the features aboard the Allure which we explored and will tell you about in our articles.