RCCL Allure of the Seas

Going way back and I mean waaaaay back, our first ever cruise was aboard Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas in 1997.  Viv and I were just young pups.  Little did we know that it would be the start of many more cruises, albeit with other cruise lines.  Despite our satisfaction with that trip, we never sailed with RCCL again.  Shortly after our Alaskan cruise last year on Holland America's Oosterdam, we made preliminary plans to do the Western Caribbean aboard RCCL's Allure of the Seas.

Fast forward to Summer 2013 and not only were we booked for that cruise, we had tacked on 2 more weeks of fun including Orlando and Miami.  Along the way, we picked up my parents in Ft. Lauderdale as they were joining us for the cruise.  So what brought us back to RCCL?  How about boosting the largest cruise ship in the world in sister ships Allure and Oasis.  Able to accommodate 5400 guests (6296 max) and 2384 crew, the Allure and Oasis are in a league of their own.  With a dedicated terminal at Port Everglades, the embarkation was a breeze as we sailed (sorry for the pun) through the check-in and made our way upstairs to the waiting area.  By virtue of being past customers, we were placed in the gold lineup and boarded earlier than the regular lineup.  On board, we headed up to the Windjammer Buffet for some lunch before exploring the ship (more on that later).  Our room was an outside cabin with porthole.  We would've preferred a balcony, but it was just a bit too pricey.  Much like many regular staterooms on cruise ships, this one was limited in space (especially with the 2 kiddies with us).  The washroom featured a shower stall with a rounded door which meant there was a bit more space.  However, the shampoo dispenser was poorly positioned as it could be knocked off with an errant elbow.

On the other hand, our room was not the main draw here as the public spaces were awesome.  Outside on deck 6 was the Boardwalk where we found a carousel, Johnny Rockets, Rita's Cantina, Ice Cream Parlour, candy shop, Boardwalk Dog House and Boardwalk Donut Shop.  Oh yeah, there was Zoltar too.  On the level below mid ship was the Royal Promenade that could easily be mistakened for an actual shopping mall complete with Starbucks and Guess.  You'll find guest services, the photo gallery and various lounges and bars.  The food options here included Sorrento's (pizza) and Cafe Promenade (little treats and sandwiches).  Finally, a neat little bar in front of Cafe Promenade called Rising Tides acted like an elevator moving up and down from deck 5 to deck 8 (Central Park).  In its wake, it left behind a water fountain.  And about that Central Park (where Giovanni's, Park Cafe, 150 Central Park and Chops Grille are located)...  whoever had the gall to design a cruise ship with an actual park on board could be considered a genius or nuts.  For me, I loved it as I could literally sit there and actually forget I was aboard a ship.  Yes, the trees and plants were real.

In addition to these marquee neighborhoods, there was the usual RCCL rock climbing wall, zip line, wave rider, mini-golf and ice rink. For some of the activities, a waiver needed to be signed first, which we did online to save time. Complimenting the other pools on board, there was a kiddie section which featured a spray park, river and shallower pool.  Adjacent to that was complimentary frozen yogurt.  On the same level was the Wipeout Cafe which offered up fast food consisting of hamburgers and hot dogs.  Due to the sheer amount of passengers on the ship, the main dining room (Adagio) consisted of 3 floors rather than the usual 2 on most cruise ships.  It was tastefully appointed featuring a large chandelier overlooking a grand piano and floor-to-ceiling mural.  As for the actual food, it was hit and miss (more on that in separate post).  And if you got lost on the ship or didn't know what was going on, there were information screens everywhere. 

Now onto the food...  As per the usual cruise ship embarkation ritual, we headed up to the Windjammer Buffet for lunch. Typically, the buffet food found on most mainstream cruise ships tries to appease a variety of tastes.  Hence, don't expect to find gourmet dining nor much in the way of overly creative offerings.  They did try though as there was a variety of Asian dishes including Vegetable Curry, Lamb Curry, Dhal, Beef & Shrimp Rice and Nasi Goreng. In addition, there was Seafood Paella, Grilled Wahoo, Mushroom & Pork Ragout, Creamy Pasta, Honey Stung Chicken, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and a selection of salads and soups.  Of course, the usual suspects including Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and Fish & Chips were there as well.  Nothing much to rave about, but it served to fill our tummies while we waited for our rooms to be ready.

Despite the fact we would be dining every 4 hours or so, we would grab food in between meals at several places.  Located on the Boardwalk, the Dog House offered up different varieties of specialty dogs such as the German, Smoke House, Big Apple, Wunderdog, Warsaw, Sicilian and Coney Island.  I tried a few and although they were pretty average, I give them props for not merely serving plain hot dogs.  The one pictured was the Big Apple made of a chicken sausage with bits of apple in a Parmesan cheddar baguette.  Directly across was Boardwalk Donuts which featured 6 different donuts.  I think the kids ate at least one every day.  The donuts in the picture (from left to right) included Key Lime, Chocolate Glazed and Strawberry with Sprinkles.  Although the donuts were dry and too sweet, the kids didn't seem to mind.

For us, one of the best no charge alternative dining spots was Park Cafe in Central Park.  Mainly a lunch spot, it offers up made-to-order salads, soups, freshly-made paninis and the popular roast beef sandwich.  We actually visited the place 2 times to avoid the mad rush for food at the Windjammer buffet. On our initial visit, we had tried out both of their soups including the Creamy Vegetable and Onion.  The vegetable was indeed creamy with soft bits of carrots.  Although it was well-seasoned, we could still pick out the natural sweetness.  The same couldn't be said about the onion soup as it was salty and artificial tasting.

Viv tried out their made-to-order salads.  I personally like this idea as the ingredients aren't all messed up by everyone poking at them.  There was actually a good selection of ingredients and available dressings.  This was a nice light alternative to the heavy offerings at the buffet and main dining room.  Okay drum roll... Yes, we had the much talked about Roast Beef Sandwich.  Well, it wasn't life-altering, but I'll concede that it was good.  The slices of roast beef were really moist and tender while the jus-soaked salted roll was a good choice of bread. Lastly, we sampled the Cuban Panini.  Predictably, it was as close to a real Cubano as a Miley Cyrus performance is to being classy.  Whatever the case, it was grilled-to-order and served its purpose (as edible food).

Located down below in the Royal Promenade on deck 5, Cafe Promenade offered up free coffee, milk and ice water to go along with their little bites.  Often, there was a selection of mini sandwiches, pastries and cookies.  For those who are watching their sugar, there was always sugar-free cookies available.  Since it was open 24 hours, it was a good place for us to grab a quite snack.  In addition to their daily donuts, the kiddies had their fill of cookies as well.  I had to remind them that when we got home, there would be no display case of endless cookies nor cabinets in the wall with trays of donuts...  We also visited Sorrento's a few times for pizza, but it was pretty typical slice pizza and it didn't photograph well either (hence no picture!).

Near the sports deck, the Wipeout Cafe offered quick eats in the form of hot dogs, hamburgers, salad and fries.  Flavoured water was available at no charge here, but depending on who filled it, it could range from flavorful to tasteless. Also available at an extra charge was Johnny Rocket's.  We didn't eat here since paying for burgers was not really necessary due to the other better eating options aboard.  However, breakfast was free and we took advantage of that on the day we arrived at Cozumel.  It was less busy than the Windjammer buffet.  Nothing ground-breaking here as the breakfast items were pretty typical.  Of note, the food took forever to arrive.  So if you are in a rush, I would skip it.

For those who are more health conscious, the Solarium served up healthier options in a buffet setting.  It featured items such as turkey bacon, sauteed veggies, yogurt and granola.  I tried it once and it wasn't bad.  I particularly liked the venue as it was relaxing and full of light.  At night, the space becomes Samba Grill offering a Brazilian BBQ experience.  Restaurants that we didn't visit included Izumi (cover charge + a la carte pricing), Rita's Cantina (Mexican), Vitality Spa (smoothies) and the Chef's Table (exclusive tasting menu).  As you can clearly see, you won't run out of options in terms of dining on the Allure of the Seas.  That goes the same for the activities too.  We had a blast and would gladly go again.

The Good:
- Enough dining choices for everyone
- Lots of activities and shows
- Amazingly fast embarkation

The Bad:
- Can get crowded at times
- Main dining room food pretty average
- Disembarkation was a nightmare (mostly due to US Customs)

Helpful Tips:
- Make sure you use the online check-in on rccl.com
- Fill out all of your waivers for activities online prior to boarding
- Make all of your dining and show reservations online before the cruise
- Book shore excursions online (but you can do your own as well)
- Dining and beverage packages are slightly discounted over single bookings
- Put all your important items in your carry on, not your checked-in luggage 
- If you want to have lunch on the first day, arrive at 11:00am at the pier
- Once on board, either head straight up to the Windjammer Buffet or Park Cafe for lunch, however, the Windjammer is usually packed
- Ice and hot water is available 24 hours a day at Cafe Promenade
- Donuts are only available until 11:00am
- Arrive at least 1/2 hour before any shows for decent seating (or even earlier)
- If you want your photos taken and not wait forever, arrive at any of the photo stations 1/2 hour before they start (usually at 5:30pm)
- Lobster is served in the main dining room on the 2nd formal night
- Do the zip line, flowrider and rock climbing wall earlier on the cruise
- Pack some lanyards for your cruise cards
- If you have kids, get them signed up for the Adventure Ocean program
- You can sign out towels for beach days up on the pool deck
- On Labadee, there are many buffet stations, you don't need to eat at the first one near the dock, it's very busy
- In Jamaica, there is not much to do at Falmouth, so either book an excursion or get a taxi/tour to Montego Bay or somewhere else
- There is no extra charge to ride the carousel, so ride it to your heart's content
- Don't wait until the last day to inquire about anything including charges at guest services, the line is loooooong...
- For you trivia buffs, the cruise trivia is progressive, so if you miss the first one, you're out of luck
- Bring 2-way radios if you intend to split up with your party on the ship
- Make sure you plan out your day to maximize your time, there is so much to do and eat

Tongue & Cheek

With one meal left in Miami before our cruise aboard the Allure of the Seas, we pondered about what to eat.  Instead of eating Cuban food again (hey we needed some diversity), we headed over to Tongue & Cheek in South Beach.  Surprisingly, I was able to find a parking spot, but not without controversy.  Someone tried to save a spot for their buddy by standing in it.  I parked there anyways to the chagrin of the buddy.  The driver arrived a few minutes later to ream me out...  Uh...  Really?  Someone is messed in the head...

Anyways, we ignored the lunatic (not before making sure he didn't do something to our car) and made our way to the restaurant. We were started off with some Cheddar Biscuits which were cheesy, super airy, eggy and light.  These were really good.  As for the appies, the first one to arrive was the Escargots of Snails with garlic herb butter and cognac which were both plentiful and soft.  Of course the whole thing was buttery and garlicky.  However, there was a serious lack of seasoning as if they didn't add salt.  The lemon wedge was not merely a garnish as it added the necessary acidity.  Next up was the Veal Tartar with pickled mushrooms and cured egg yolk Béarnaise.  Mixed together, the salt and crunchy bits accented the mild and smooth veal.  The creamy tenderness was a nice contrast to the well-charred crostinis.

One item that really caught my eye on the menu was the Chicharrones of Chicken Skin with Japanese mustard.  As much as I liked the first few bites, there was no way I could eat the whole thing.  Unlike the traditional pork chicharrones, these were much lighter and airy rather than crunchy. Viv decided to order off the Miami Spice 3-course meal menu starting off with the Calamari prepared 2 ways.  Both versions were really tender while still maintaining a bite.  Although not seasoned particularly aggressively, the pickled onions added a nice acidity and the necessary flavor to the dish.  My son decided to order off the kid's menu and opted for the Mini-Burgers with American cheese and French fries. These were pretty good with a barely-done patty which was moist and flavourful.  The sesame seed brioche was really nice being soft and not dry.  The accompanying fries were both plentiful and crunchy.

For my main, I wanted to pay homage to the name of the restaurant by ordering the Crispy Florida Grouper "Cheeks n' Chips".  By description, I envisioned something more grand than what was presented on the table.  Served in a small red plastic basket was 5 small cheeks with a modest amount of fries.  I did like the cheeks though as they were moist and crispy, if not quite greasy.  Being creamy with onion and tarragon, the tartar sauce was a nice compliment.  My parents went for the Grilled Beef Ribeye "Cap" with duck fat potatoes and baby carrots.  Despite the small portion, making up for it was the beautifully prepared tender and fatty cap. Viv's main course was Beef Bourguignon with egg noodes a la Julia Child.  Nestled within the soft noodles were tender morsels of meat and wonderful mushrooms.  However, there was a lack of flavor, in particular the absence of a wine essence.

We also got some sides including the Roasted Summer Corn with lime, espelette, aioli and Parmesan.  The sweet corn had a nice pop which was further enhanced by the plethora of butter and a slight kick from the espelette.  Second, we tried the Brussel Sprouts with whipped ricotta, orange and pistachios.  We found the sprouts to be a little too soft, but in the end, it was a decent side.  The combination of flavours worked, in particular, the noticeable tang.  We were all pretty stuffed at the end, yet Viv still had dessert (Mango Mousse with orange cake, white chocolate crumble and raspberry) as part of her meal.  As much as it appeared to be small in size, the dessert was quite substantial.  Fortunately, it was light and refreshing and only semi-sweet with a real mango hit.  Afflicted with a few flaws, this was still a relatively decent meal (albeit a bit pricey).

The Good:
- Some interesting eats
- Nice vibe and decor

The Bad:
- Seasoning issues
- Service was okay, but took our server a long time to warm up

Tropical Chinese

With a slightly below average Dim Sum experience in Orlando, we were going to test our luck again in Miami.  Having read numerous good reviews of Tropical Chinese and their Dim Sum service, we were chomping at the bit to try it.  We arrived near opening on a Saturday to avoid the dreaded lineup. Interestingly, there was much more staff than actual customers.  Were we too early or was this a bad omen?  We didn't have too much time consider that as the push carts descended on our table...

We started with the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and egads, they were terrible.  After we were able to penetrate the super thick and equally super doughy skin, it only served to hide the really crappy shrimp filling.  It was pure mush and was really fishy (or would I call that shrimpy?).  Obviously, they did not prep the frozen shrimp properly (as in rinsing it for many, many hours).  The Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings) were equally horrid.  The pork was chewy, gritty and dense while the predominant seasoning was salt (and lots of it). This was literally and figuratively hard to swallow.

Next up were the Deep Fried Glutinous Dumplings.  Despite being fried, these were not crispy nor crunchy.  The mashed glutinous rice was far too dense and thick.  At the very least, the ground pork filling was acceptable, but then again, they put too much green onion in it.  The Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaves) appeared to be really dark for some reason and I'm not talking about the wrapper. It was super salty and wet.  On the other hand, the ground pork managed to be dry and mealy at the same time.  Suffice to say, this was not very good either.

With the same poorly prepared shrimp, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll sucked.  Obviously, the shrimp had no real texture (such as a buttery snap nor meatiness). There was really no excuse for this as even non-Asian restaurants don't prepare shrimp this way (for instance, we had great shrimp at Versailles and Yardbird).  The rice noodle roll was hard and dense with very little give.  For some reason or another, the BBQ Pork Rice Noodle Roll was better with a thinner and somewhat softer rice noodle.  In addition, it was packed with lean BBQ pork.

And still on the bad shrimp wagon, the shrimp mousse in the Stuffed Eggplant was dry and mealy.  It had no bounce and again, it was fishy tasting.  Did they not even attempt to rinse the shrimp here?  As for the eggplant, it was pale and overfried.  To top it all off, the whole dish was just plain salty.  At the very least, the Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee was not bad.  It was homestyle with a light thickness. There were ample large pieces of preserved egg as well as chewy pieces of salted pork.  The congee broth was not too salty either.

The Steamed Spareribs seemed a bit dark for some reason and the answer to this was apparent after one bite.  There was far too much soy sauce in the marinade which made every piece super salty.  The meat itself was over-tenderized where it was soft with very little meat texture left.  The same could not be said about the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet).  They were not fried long enough, hence, underneath the slightly chewy skin was undercooked cartilage which was crunchy and chewy rather than being soft and gelatinous.  Flavorwise, it was okay though being sweet and salty.

Lastly and mercifully, we had the Egg Tarts which were dry and not very silky. And really, I'm not going to say much more because the Dim Sum was very sub-par, even for South Florida.  Sure, I'm from Vancouver, where some of the best Dim Sum can be found.  However, if I had to compare only locally, you would be best advised to eat at Toa Toa in Sunrise instead.

The Good:
- Lots of servers
- Push carts for your enjoyment

The Bad:
- Dim Sum blows
- Basic techniques were not employed

POC American Fusion Buffet & Sushi

Continuing on with our food adventures in Miami, I decided that more variety was in order.  Hence, I looked to the ol' standby - the buffet.  Hey, you gotta admit, nobody does a better buffet than the great US of A.  Wanting to be a little bit different, we did not hit up anything like a Hometown Buffet or Golden Corral.  Instead, we went to POC American Fusion Buffet & Sushi (excuse the fuzzy photo, was anxious to start eating...).  Yes, before you laugh, remember, this was Florida...

Unlike similar buffets I've been to in the Pacific Northwest, the spread at POC was not as extravagant.  In fact, it was only modest in size with the Sushi and Sashimi at the forefront.  With a pretty good selection of rolls, there was a little for everyone.  If we looked at its construction, there was a lot left to be desired, but we understood the venue and thought it was acceptable.  I found the rice to be slightly dry and lacking in flavour, but it wasn't offensive either. In terms of the sashimi, it was not exactly cut artistically, but in the end, it was okay. Referring to the plate of sushi, you can see how the sashimi was cut uniformly, but a little strange at the same time.  Appearance-wise, it was actually quite appetizing as well as the colorful sushi rolls.

Right next to the sushi and sashimi, there was a modest display of Seafood including snow crab legs, Kiwi mussels, peel n' eat shrimp and oysters on the half-shell.  The oysters were okay while the cooked shrimp and mussels were pretty typical, but decent.  I found the snow crab legs to be a bit salty though.  Nearby, there was a small selection of soups with the Lobster Bisque being the headliner.  For a buffet, it wasn't bad with a nice lobster aroma, but it was really salty.  Facing the soups was the salad, appetizer and dessert bar.  Salads were fine as well as the fresh fruit.  We liked the Beef Carpaccio, but it could've used more seasoning.  I tried a couple of desserts and although nothing was memorable, nothing was terrible either.

Onto the Cooked Food, there was a variety of items including pork gyoza, potato skins, fries, chicken nuggets, tempura, king crab cakes, spring rolls, chow mein, fried rice, sweet & sour chicken, ribs, calamari, honey shrimp, saffron clams, seared fish and fried crab body sections.  Only a few things were worth going back for in my opinion.  These included the honey shrimp (which were somewhat crisp with a snap inside while being sweet and saucy) and fried crab body sections.  Otherwise, everything else was forgettable.  Adjacent, the last hot section included a roast, grilled meats and sausages. I found the meats acceptable being neither super tender nor tough to chew.  But then again, we didn't have high expectations.

Lastly and the most popular station, particularly for the kids, was the Chocolate Fountain.  Although the selection of fruit was minimal, we just went to the salad bar to get a bigger variety to dip into the chocolate.  Now, by reading this post, you would think we disliked the buffet.  On the contrary, we thought it was pretty decent considering the variety, price and overall edibility.  I'm not saying it was great food though.  Yet if you were looking for that, you wouldn't eat a buffet anyways.  With reasonable exceptions, POC does the job if you had the buffet cravings.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Decent quality for a buffet
- Service was quite prompt

The Bad:
- By virtue of being a buffet, food is never served in its optimal state
- Cooked food variety is small