A week ago today Earl and I boarded Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas for our seven day cruise to the Caribbean. And now we’re settled in a condo on Marathon Key, Florida. Where did the past week go?
I will say this cruise held particular logistical problems, starting from when we made our final payment the beginning of December until we actually boarded the ship. In fact, I was prepared to carry this huge shoulder chip on board and mentally record every interaction with cruise staff, every meal at the various venues, and every possible comparison to our favorite cruise line, Princess.
What my analysis taught me is that the people on shore who answer questions about a pending cruise don’t really have the slightest idea of what the true answers are. I arrived at what is called Guest Services early on our first day on board, loaded with questions to which I had received conflicting answers as a thank you for our final payment. But the staff at Guest Services was knowledgeable, understanding, and sympathetic. I began to relax.
It’s true I spent much mental time comparing Royal Caribbean to Princess, and I must admit I prefer the latter. It seems like a real cruise ship instead of an amusement park that floats. It has a lot more wood than glass and metal. The food is better, and the things that older people (That would be Earl and me) like to do are easily accessible instead of in the dungeon of the ship. I also didn’t know that Royal Caribbean was trying to be a Disney wannabe with its relationship with Dreamworks’ characters. We hadn’t brought anybody under age ten, so the Madagascar characters and the Shrek characters and the Kung Fu Panda characters left us cold.
At the same time, when we left the ship at 7 AM this morning, I was sad. Cruising is like being in a cocoon for the duration with minions to make your bed, feed you, offer libations, and cater to your every need. It’s easy to get used to.
So as we passed through customs as has-beens, I looked up at the Allure and secretly said “Goodbye.” You’re not my favorite ship, but you beat not taking a cruise at all.
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