Once the world’s largest cruise ships, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas shined on its debut in 2010 on the heels of the original Oasis of the Seas.
As more Oasis-class vessels debuted and the original ship was revamped, some of what have become hallmark features of the popular class of ships have been sorely missing from Allure of the Seas.
The line is sinking more than $100 million, though, to dress up the ship so it fits right in with Oasis, Harmony, Symphony, Wonder and newest sister ship Utopia of the Seas, which debuted out of Port Canaveral last month.
Those features include the introduction of the 10-deck dry slide The Ultimate Abyss, the three-slide water park The Perfect Storm and water play area Splashaway Bay as well as a pool-deck makeover and the introduction of some of the line’s newest popular restaurant and bar concepts.
The upgrades won’t debut until Allure of the Seas goes into dry dock in spring 2025, and then will be on display at first for the ship’s European sailing season in the Mediterranean beginning in April. It will be back in Florida sailing out of Port Everglades from November 2025 to March 2026 before moving to Galveston, Texas.
Review: Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas embraces nonstop party from Port Canaveral
The ship had been sailing from Port Canaveral since November on short three- and four-night voyages, but moved to Miami last month to make room for Utopia of the Seas. It’s still doing short Bahamas trips that go to the cruise line’s private island Perfect Day at CocoCay.
It will sail six- and eight-night Caribbean voyages once it gets to Fort Lauderdale next year.
“Allure will be reimagined with the best of Royal Caribbean and what travelers love. Between new favorites, like the Pesky Parrot tiki bar, and experiences that unlock core memories time and time again, from an incredible pool deck to an unmatched combination of thrills and ways to chill, Allure will have even more of everything that makes it a standout favorite,” Royal Caribbean Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider said in a press release.
Pesky Parrot debuted on Utopia of the Seas on the ship Promenade replacing the space that had for the past several Oasis-class ships become the Bionic Bar. The ship will also see the debut of the line’s sports bar Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade on the Boardwalk.
And joining sister ships Wonder and Utopia of the Seas, Allure will be the third home to the popular new Southern food and live music venue The Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar.
The ship will also get the Caribbean-themed makeover to the pool deck that the cruise line has been rolling out to its ships for the last five years. That includes a wider variety of lounge spaces including casitas, in-pool loungers and daybeds as well as the addition of two versions of the poolside bar The Lime & Coconut. Fans of free quesadillas, tacos and burritos will also enjoy the addition of the El Loco Fresh poolside venue. The adults-only Solarium will get new features, as well.
Other touches coming include the addition of shaved ice at the Wipe Out Bar, which debuted on Utopia, a glow-in-the-dark laser tag event in the Studio B ice rink, the Royal Escape Room’s addition of “Apollo 18: Lunar Landing” plus kids space Adventure Ocean and teen space Social298.
Another new feature will be the new Ultimate Panoramic Suites above Allure’s bridge with 200-degree ocean views.
Allure of the Seas will be playing catchup to Oasis’ makeover in 2019, also part of the line’s Royal Amplified program that began refurbishing ships in 2018.
The six Oasis-class vessels are among the largest cruise ships in the world, second only to Royal’s new Icon of the Seas that debuted out of Miami in January. A sister ship to Icon, Star of the Seas, is coming in 2025 and sailing out of Port Canaveral.
Allure of the Seas has a maximum capacity of 6,826 guests among 2,748 staterooms. The 225,282-gross-ton vessel held the title of world’s largest cruise ship for six years until the debut of Harmony of the Seas in 2016. That’s the longest run of any ship this millennium with that title as cruise lines have rolled out newer and larger vessels at a faster pace.
![From Amelia Island on the northeast tip of Florida to Alligator Reef in the Keys. From the pink sands of Eleuthera in the Bahamas to the slopes of Mount Scenery on the Dutch island of Saba in the Lesser Antilles. The May issue of our Explore Florida & the Caribbean takes you places – by land, sea and air. The new issue that will appear in digital format on Sunday, May 5, features stories on Florida’s lighthouses, cruise-line dining, a return to ultra-luxe Little Palm Island in the Keys, a camping trip to Peanut Island in Palm Beach County, a […]](https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Explore-Florida-cover-May-2024.jpg?w=620 "From Amelia Island on the northeast tip of Florida to Alligator Reef in the Keys. From the pink sands of Eleuthera in the Bahamas to the slopes of Mount Scenery on the Dutch island of Saba in the Lesser Antilles. The May issue of our Explore Florida & the Caribbean takes you places – by land, sea and air. The new issue that will appear in digital format on Sunday, May 5, features stories on Florida’s lighthouses, cruise-line dining, a return to ultra-luxe Little Palm Island in the Keys, a camping trip to Peanut Island in Palm Beach County, a […]")
