Day 5 (Thursday) aboard Allure of the Seas was spent at sea, cruising towards Nassau, Bahamas. Nassau was substituted for Cozumel due to the path of Hurricane Rina. I would have preferred Cozumel over Nassau, but this amazing ship offers so much to do, I didn’t really care.
We spent a little time by the pool, and I enjoyed a hot shave in the spa. Life is good. The highlight of the day was no doubt our tour of the navigational bridge. We had received an invite for our choice of behind the scenes tours earlier in the cruise, and I jumped at the chance to see the bridge. These tours are offered to suite guests as well as Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor program Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members, which is how we scored our invite.
The day before the tour, the official invite appeared in our stateroom instructing us to appear near the forward elevator lobby on the bridge deck at 3pm. We arrived 10 minutes early and there were already people waiting, including Royal Caribbean staff members who checked off our names and security scanned us for contraband. With that, we were off to the bridge.
A cadet officer showed us around the bridge and patiently explained the various instrument panels, levers, etc. Most notable to me was an absolute lack of switches, knobs, instruments, etc. Instead, the instrumentation followed a very “clean” concept I thought. Seriously, there are more buttons in the cockpit of a Saab 340 than there are on the bridge of the Allure of the Seas! Not taking away, just saying. It’s amazing how much technology is up there keeping the ship and me safe! No, I didn’t ask if I could drive! This was certainly a very impressive experience for me, and no doubt the highlight of Day 5!
Other than the bridge tour, Day 5 was spent relaxing. Following dinner in the dining room, we visited Boleros and one of my favorite spots, The Rising Tide Bar! Here are a couple of highlights of the day.
61 of us r going on allure in January. U make me know we made the right decision choosing this ship, we r all very excited, most of us r grand suites, so do u think concierge is improved over other ships?
The lounge is large, and our concierges have been wonderful. I’m posting each day, but will so a wrap-up that ties everything together, including a word about the concierge club.
Was this your first visit on the bridge of a ship? Impressive isn’t it. The views are fantastic. It’s why I decided to be a Captain instead of an engineer. I imagine this experience will really light your fire to fulfill your dream of a USCG License.
Brant,
It sure was my first time, and it was awesome! If I were 6 months younger I might be looking at a career change! 😉
Ok, maybe 15 years younger. But I am going to find a way to expand my knowledge of sailing and seamanship.