Why a week is not long enough to get the most from a cruise on Allure

We have come to the end of our week on Allure of the Seas, and what a packed seven days it has been. There are those who have suggested that, because it is such a huge floating resort, there is no need for the ship to actually go anywhere and that passengers would be more than happy spending all their holiday on board.
Perhaps some do, spurning the chance to get sand between their toes at Labadee, to brave the Jamaican hospitality at Falmouth, or to choose from a host of activities in Cozumel (above).
The alternate week’s itinerary takes Allure to Nassau in the Bahamas, Charlotte Amalie in St Thomas, and Phillipsburg on St Maarten, and I reckon the 50/50 mix of sea days and port days on both is just about right.
A week is still not long enough to experience everything the ship has to offer – we tried our best, but the fitness centre and spa remained unexplored territory, several bars – including On Air, Boleros and the Blaze nightclub – never got the chance to serve us a cocktail, and there were even some restaurants we didn’t get round to eating in.
As it is, we tested our powers of endurance to the limit, with dinners in four of the speciality restaurants, even chewing our way through all but one of the multiple meat options in the Samba Grill churrascaria on the final night
Anyone determined enough (and with deep enough pockets) could always delay their return to normal life. When I boarded the bus which was taking me from the ship to Sawgrass Mills shopping mall and then on to Miami airport, I bumped into two couples from Cornwall who I had met earlier in the week.
In answer to my question “What time is your flight?” they replied that they were staying on. Innocently, I assumed that meant a few days in a Florida hotel. “Oh no,” was the reply, “we’re back on the ship for another week.”
Nor was it their first time – they are regular Royal Caribbean passengers who were here on Oasis a year ago.
I hope they were planning to make the most of their extra time on board by, for example , watching another performance of Chicago in Allure’s Amber Theatre. Even with a different cast from the excellent British stars I saw during the early run, it’s an unmissable show – and there’s nothing extra to pay. (tickets for performances at London’s Garrick Theatre are from £26 to £66 each).
They must not miss Blue Planet, a spectacular combination of song and dance, and balletic acrobatics, and the dare-devil high-diving aqua shows should also be compulsory viewing. I can’t show you the performance itself, unfortunately, but here’s another of Blackbeard’s short stop-motion videos as the theatre empties just before departure from Falmouth.

If you have any questions about cruises on Allure of the Seas, please let me know via the Comment facility and I’ll do my best to get answers for you.