Originally launched in 2010, the Oasis Class Allure of the Seas is the fifth-largest cruise ship in the world at 1,180 feet long and 225,282 gross tonnage. It is, officially, the largest cruise ship to ever sail out of Texas. The launch drew Royal
Caribbean executives such as President and CEO Michael Bayley and Senior Vice President Vicki Freed. Local dignitaries also celebrated the launch: U.S. representative Randy Weber, Federal Maritime Commissioner Louis Sola and Galveston Mayor Craig
Brown.
The sailing also drew 500 ASTA travel advisors thanks to RCL’s membership promotion earlier this year. In effort to emphasize the value of ASTA membership and encourage more travel advisors to renew and join, Vicki Freed donated 500 cabins on the Allure of the Seas Galveston inaugural for travel advisors who joined or renewed their ASTA membership to be eligible for the prize drawing and the chance to sail on the Allure of the Seas. Over 700 travel advisors joined and renewed their membership with ASTA and 500 lucky winners were awarded a cabin on the Allure of the Seas.
Thanks to Royal Caribbean’s continued commitment to the industry, ASTA Staff joined the inaugural celebration and presented a comprehensive overview of the benefits of membership. The team was also treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the Allure, with a special visit to the bridge.
New Terminal Makes Boarding and Disembarking Seamless
A cruise ship terminal is really just a stepping stone to bigger and better adventures, but the $125 million terminal Royal Caribbean has built in Galveston might be the best version of the form.
As the only LEED zero energy terminal in the world, Royal Caribbean is continuing its commitment to environmental responsibility. The site generates 100 percent of the energy it needs via onsite solar panels.
From an ease-of-use perspective, the new terminal is spacious and has state of the art technology to make boarding and disembarking the cruise ship as seamless as possible. Arriving at the terminal, porters bustle about to take care of your luggage. Within moments, you’re inside the massive terminal and up an escalator. One quick scan of your passport and into one of the many security lines means you’re on the ship in short order. On the way out, biometric scanners gets you out of the terminal and back on your way home.
If you throw in Royal Caribbean’s easy check-in process via their app and their new Muster 2.0, suddenly, getting on board even the biggest of cruise ships is less mess and zero stress.
The new terminal is expected to welcome as many as 630,000 passengers a year.
Royal Caribbean Takes Entertainment Very Seriously
The entertainment options onboard any Royal Caribbean ship are hard to beat, but Oasis class ships like Allure of the Seas double down on both available options and the quality of the fare. Whatever you’re looking for, Allure of the Seas has it—in spades.
For families, there are numerous pools and a fantastic kids area on top of scores of adventure activities right on board—a waverider, zip line, mini golf and rock climbing. For those that prefer the night life, the bars and clubs onboard are spacious and will wear out even the most experienced of partiers. The dining options, of course, are incredible—not the least of which is Royal Caribbean’s famous Chops Steakhouse. For those looking for an ultra-luxurious experience, the Allure of the Seas has one of the best Spas on the water and shopping that would rival anything on land.
The professional entertainment is even more impressive. Onboard this historic sailing out of Galveston, Grammy-nominated country music star Kelsea Ballerini was the headliner. Even without the special guest, however, the musicians and performers on the ship were second to none, including: a performance of Mamma Mia, the a cappella group Mo5aic, ridiculous water diving and ice skating shows as well as world class singers and comedians.
With a ship like this, there will never be enough days at sea.
A Big Ship with a Small Town Feel
Words cannot do the size of the Allure of the Seas justice.
Stepping on board, the sheer height, width and breadth of the main concourse is worth the price of admission. As mentioned above, the caliber and number of options is amazing, but it’s worth underscoring that even at the busiest times, it’s possible to move around these areas of the ship with ease.
Part of the size of the ship is how Royal Caribbean has segmented it into different areas or neighborhoods: Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.
Once one gets a handle on which neighborhood is which and where each are located (it took this writer about a day), the ship begins to open up into nothing less than a massive city with separate boroughs. Yet, because they’re spread out and each are relatively secluded from the other and from the cabins, the ship rarely feels crowded.
It feels disingenuous to call one of the largest ships on the water “quaint,” but at times, Allure of the Seas wows you with its size and at other times, it feels like your own cozy corner of the world.
ASTA and Their Travel Advisors Have a Great Partner in Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean knows that the travel trade is integral to their business and that ASTA travel advisors (especially Verified Travel Advisors) are the best of the bunch thanks to advanced education, networking and support. Because of that, Freed and Royal Caribbean continue to be outstanding partners to the travel trade.
Of all the things accomplished by such a historic sailing out of Galveston, the underscoring of this partnership tops the list with a motivated group of top travel advisor inspired and motivated to sell more of what Royal Caribbean has to offer.