Allure of the Seas Cruise Ship: Overview and Things to Do

Royal Caribbean is known for its record-breaking ships. It seems like every time the cruise line introduces a new ship, it’s bigger and better than the last. Such was the case with Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. Launched in 2009, at the time, it was the largest passenger ship in the entire world, only to be surpassed when Royal Caribbean unveiled Harmony of the Seas, six years later.

It’s been more than a decade since Allure of the Seas launched, and nearly a decade since Harmony of the Seas sailed for the first time. Royal Caribbean has, of course, many newer, bigger and more advanced ships in its fleet today. 

That said, a cruise on Allure of the Seas is still worth considering. There’s much to love about this ship, from the classic Royal Caribbean entertainment and venues, to the relatively still-modern staterooms and suites.  

If you’re considering taking an Allure of the Seas cruise in the near future, here’s everything you need to know.

Allure of the Seas Stats

Allure of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship, following in the footsteps of the class’s namesake ship, which was also the largest passenger ship in the world when it debuted. Allure of the Seas, however, is longer than Oasis. Here’s how she measures up:

• Gross Tonnage: 225,282
• Length: 1,187 feet
• Decks: 18 total, 16 for passengers
• Staterooms: 2,748
• Passenger capacity at double occupancy: 5,496
• Passenger capacity at full occupancy: 6,826
• Crew: 2,054 members 

Additionally, the ship is 136 feet wide and features 16 guest elevators. Fun fact? Royal Caribbean didn’t actually plan for Allure of the Seas to be larger than Oasis of the Seas. In fact, the vessel was planned to be the same exact size as Oasis of the Seas.

However, when Allure of the Seas was finished, the ship was discovered to be a mere two inches longer than Oasis of the Seas, giving her the designation as the new largest passenger ship in the world.

How did something like this happen? According to the builders at the shipyard, STX Europe Turku in Finland, minute differences like this can occur due to simple variations, like the temperature of the steel used to build the ship.

Allure of the Seas’ displacement (a ship’s weight based on the amount of water its hull displaces), though, is equal to Oasis of the Seas’ — approximately 100,000 metric tons. To give you an idea of what that means, that’s only a little bit lighter than the weight of an aircraft carrier. The steel hulls of the ships make up over half of this weight.  

Allure of the Seas Construction

Built for an original cost of $1.2 billion, Allure of the Seas was built at the STX Europe Turku Shipyard in Finland (though, at the time of order, the shipyard had not yet been acquired by STX Europe). The ship was ordered in February 2006 and construction began in February 2008. 

The ship left the shipyard on its maiden voyage in October 2010, headed toward its new home in Florida, where it would sail around the Caribbean. A christening ceremony was held on Nov. 28, 2010, led by the ship’s fictional godmother, Princess Fiona from the Shrek franchise.   

Allure of the Seas Refurbishments

Allure of the Seas, while still a relatively newer ship, at just more than 13 years old, has undergone a series of refurbishments and dry docks, but nothing majorly expansive. 

In February 2014, the ship was in need of some repairs and, during that Bahamas dry dock, the cruise line installed new carpeting and upgraded some of the guest facilities.

In May 2015, a more extensive refurbishment occurred in Cadiz, Spain, adding new dining options, adding and upgrading cabins and suites, and adding some new tech services. These new upgrades were made just in time for the ship’s first Mediterranean sailing season.

The next scheduled dry dock and upgrades were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shipyard closures, as well as the overall state of cruising during that time period.

Royal Caribbean had planned for these upgrades to include the addition of around 50 new passenger cabins.  While rescheduling these upgrades has not yet been announced, some theorize that they could take place in early 2025.  

Allure of the Seas Itineraries

Allure of the Seas first served Caribbean cruisers, launching from Florida and staying home-ported there until 2015. Then, it switched over to sailing in the Mediterranean for part of the year as well. Allure of the Seas was the largest cruise ship and the first-ever Oasis-class cruise ship to spend a full season in the Mediterranean region.

Today, Allure of the Seas still sales around both regions. It offers winter cruises out of Port Canaveral, Florida, with short, three and four-day trips to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean.

In the summer of 2024, it will shift its positioning slightly, offering similar itineraries from Miami. The ship is slated to return to the Mediterranean in the spring of 2025, offering seven-day Mediterranean cruises from Rome and Barcelona.  

Staterooms

Allure of the Seas’ more than 2,700 staterooms and suites are broken down across a few different categories. Across all categories, you’ll find rooms that are outfitted with an aesthetic very much reminiscent of the late 2000s, with lots of light wood, clean lines, pops of dark blue and touches of Mediterranean inspiration. While the cabins aren’t terribly, wildly outdated, like what you’ll see on some ships, they’re just slightly less than “new.”  

Staterooms are broken down into four main categories:

• Interior
• Ocean view
• Balcony 
• Virtual balcony 

Interior staterooms are small, but not cramped, with multiple seating options, such as a couch in one corner and a desk in the other. They can technically fit a traveling family, but you might want to upgrade if you want any privacy or if you anticipate spending more than just nights in your stateroom.

Ocean view staterooms feature large, circular windows near the bed, which can be blocked off with thick curtains if you desire (though why wouldn’t you want to take in the sea views from bed?).

Balcony cabins offer more floor space inside, as well as that extra external space. Balconies are accessed via large glass doors that take up most of the cabins’ far walls, and balconies are furnished. 

Lastly, virtual balconies are a unique option on Royal Caribbean ships, offering a new, innovative take on a typical interior stateroom. The interior stateroom’s far wall is taken up by a large screen that casts a real-time image of whatever is outside the ship at that moment, so you can feel like you have a balcony, with the same views, even if you don’t have the extra space or the sea breeze.  

Suites

Suite options feel slightly more modern, but still have that neutral color palette interspersed with pops of blue, and lots of light wood. Suites can be broken down into a few categories as well, including:  

• Royal suites
• Loft suites
• Owners suites
• Grand suites
• Aquatheater suites
• Junior suites 

All suites on Allure of the Seas come with exclusive access to special, suite guest-only areas of the ship, including a suite guest-only lounge and a special, VIP restaurant. Otherwise, the suites do differ quite a lot, depending on which you book. 

Grand and junior suites are the smallest options, but still are a step up from what you might get with a standard stateroom. For example, grand suites have large bathrooms with double vanities.

AquaTheater suites are located near the ship’s AquaTheater, and, depending on the particular suite you book, you may have more room, both inside and out.

Owners suites likewise differ according to which type of owners suite you book. Some come with panoramic views, but all are extremely spacious, with impressive, large bathrooms, bedrooms and living space.

Read Also: Icon of the Seas Cabins and Suites Guide

Loft suites are split over two levels, which allows for some extra privacy that you may not get in other staterooms, or even in some other suites. 

Lastly, royal suites are the cream of the crop, with the royal loft suite, for example, offering that split-level layout, for privacy, and plenty of perks both upstairs and downstairs, with soaring ceilings, a baby grand piano and a little library nook, just for starters. 

Free Dining

Royal Caribbean is not a cruise line to skimp on the dining options, even when it comes to the free dining options that you can enjoy, included in the price of your cruise. Complimentary dining options on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas include:

• The Main Dining Room, for classic cruise ship, sit-down dining
• Cafe Promenade, with a casual menu  
• Sorrento’s, for pizza
• Windjammer Marketplace, the cruise ship buffet 
• Solarium Bistro, a restaurant near the Solarium adults-only space
• Coastal Kitchen, a VIP restaurant that’s only open to suite guests
• The Boardwalk Dog House, for hot dogs on the boardwalk
• Boardwalk Donuts, for a sweet treat on the boardwalk
• Park Café, for casual, deli-style bites 
• Vitality Café, for healthy bites near the spa
• El Loco Fresh, a Mexican eatery taking the place of the prior Wipe Out Café  

There’s also room service available. 

Specialty Restaurants

For even more dining options (as if the above wasn’t enough), you can splurge on the specialty dining options aboard Allure of the Seas. These include:

• 150 Central Park Cafe, a refined option in the ship’s Central Park neighborhood
• Candy Beach, for satisfying your sweet tooth
• Chops Grille, a steakhouse
• Cups & Scoops, for ice cream
• Giovanni’s Table, the Royal Caribbean Italian eatery
• Izumi, for your favorite Japanese cuisine
• Johnny Rockets, a cruise ship-set outpost of the favorite diner brand
• Sabor Taqueria, a Mexican restaurant 
• Samba Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse
• Starbucks, for your favorite caffeinated beverages
• Vintages Wine Bar, a wine bar that also serves light bites

You can also book a ticket for some of the ship’s specialty dining experiences, such as The Chef’s Table, a chef-lead, exclusive experience with limited seating. 

Bars and Lounges

You can find drinks at most of the above restaurants, but also at bars, lounges and clubs across the ship. Your options include:

• Blaze Nightclub, a trendy nightlife spot
• Boleros, a Latin bar
• Bow & Stern, a British-style pub
• Champagne Bar, for — what else? — Champagne
• Comedy Live, a comedy skit bar
• Dazzles, a live music venue with a bar
• On Air Club, a karaoke bar
• Schooner Bar, Royal Caribbean’s trademark nautical pub
• Trellis Bar, a bar with a garden-style setting

There are also bars on the pool deck, in some of the restaurants, in the Solarium and near the surfing simulator.  

Activities and Entertainment

 There are near-endless ways to play and have fun on Allure of the Seas.

Pools and Water Slides

No matter your age, no matter how chill or filled-with-thrills you want your cruise to be, you can find a pool or other water attraction for you on Allure of the Seas.

There’s the H20 Zone Water Park for kids. Then, there are three main pools in total on Allure, on Deck 15, including a main pool, beach pool and sports pool. The main pool and beach pool are most popular. An additional pool is in the Solarium and is dedicated to adults only. Two hot tubs flank the Solarium.

Want to try surfing? You can do that, too, thanks to the fun FlowRider surfing simulator.

However, in contrast with many other Royal Caribbean ships and unlike its sister ships, Allure of the Seas does not have any water slides, and does not have the Ultimate Abyss dry slide. There are some adrenaline-pumping activities that help make up for this, though, like the ship’s zip-line and rock climbing wall.

Ice Skating Rink

Who thought you could go from the pool to an ice rink? On Allure of the Seas, you can. On the ship’s Deck 4, there’s an entertainment zone that includes Studio B, an ice skating rink that cruisers can use during the day, but then return to at night, for ice shows.

The Spa

Allure of the Seas features Royal Caribbean’s classic Vitality Spa. The spa encompasses a relaxation room, thermal suites, and even a teen spa area. You can order a range of classic spa services, such as wraps and massages.

Shopping

For all your retail therapy needs, check out Allure of the Seas’ shopping options, on Deck 5. The ship notably featured the first cruise ship shops for Romero Britto and Guess. 

The Sports Zone

Near the pool deck, there’s the ship’s sports deck, with family-friendly features like basketball courts and a miniature golf course.

Kids Venues

Very few cruise lines can compete with Royal Caribbean when it comes to kids activities. If you have an adventurous tot or a too-cool-to-hang teen, or any age of child in between, they’ll be set with full itineraries of fun.

Worth Reading: Royal Caribbean Age Limits – What You Need to Know

A 29,000-square-foot Adventure Ocean youth center offers various areas of fun that are split into age categories. Kids programming is free for kids ages thread older, too, so you don’t have to worry about any extra cost.

Kids camp programming runs from as early as 6:30 a.m. to as late as 10 p.m., and includes meals, so you know your tots are always being watched over,  no matter what the older travelers in your group are up to. 

Older kids and teens have their own spaces, with less structured play, but still chaperones and scheduled activities. 

Allure of the Seas FAQ:

Final Thoughts

While no longer the largest ship at sea, and slowly aging as it awaits for those postponed refurbishments, Allure of the Seas still has a lot to offer cruisers. For families who want a short Caribbean cruise or a week-long Mediterranean adventure but still have plenty of on-ship activities and entertainment to enjoy, plus relatively good staterooms and suites and lots of dining options, Allure of the Seas delivers.