Exploring Allure

A good night’s rest ... the ship’s motion barely noticeable. We all slept in ... and didn’t feel one bit guilty about doing so.

Delightful weather ... mostly sunny ... comfortable temperatures ... calm seas. Windy, though. Nonetheless, I did manage to sit on the veranda for a bit in the afternoon. I’m not expecting the temperatures to remain as warm as they were today — 75F for a high. We probably have one or two more days that we can count on warm temperatures before the numbers start to drop as we continue north.

This is our first Oasis Class sailing ... and also our first time on any ship of this size. There was a lot of “getting acquainted” to do. After breakfast, we wandered around the ship to find out what this “city at sea” has to offer. Too bad I don’t have my fitbit with me. It would have been interesting to see just how many steps went into our exploration ... a lot, I assure you.

We started on deck 16 and moved down to deck 4 ... skipping those decks that have only passenger cabins. Turns out there aren’t many cabin-only decks as public spaces are sprinkled all around the ship.

This is a ship that gives you two choices ... be as active as you want to be ... or chill. There are plenty of places for people to kick back and relax — the solarium on deck 15 forward being one of the most popular because it is enclosed with tall glass walls that help to keep the wind at bay.

As for all the things one can do ... let me just mention a few of the more unusual ones one might not expect to find on a ship: the zipline — which Mui tried out; the flowrider (think surfing) — which Mui skipped; a PADI dive center; a rock-climbing wall ... actually, make that two walls; a full-size carousel.

No cruise ship worth its salt would be missing dining venues, bars, pubs, entertainment lounges ... and a casino. I lost track of the number of venues. Some with cover charges ... many included in the base fare for the cruise. Some are in quiet “neighborhoods” — like Central Park on deck 8 ... where trees sway in the breeze. Some are in busier neighborhoods — like the Boardwalk on deck 6, which has an AquaTheater. And then there is the Royal Promenade on deck 5, which is home to shops and dining venues and more ... including a Mercedes Roadster that is a popular photo op locale. And let’s not forget Rising Tide, a bar that sits over a multi-deck fountain and travels up and down between decks, giving people a ride as they indulge in adult beverages.

Whew! What a morning of exploration. The sea days ahead of us will allow us to get better acquainted with the ship. In the meantime, we’ve worked up an appetite with all that walking up and down and around the decks. Time to get a bite to eat. I’m sure we’ll find a venue that suits 😉En savoir plus