Well, I’ve seen it all now during the Allure of the Seas‘ transatlantic crossing. First we had ribbon cuttings, then red carpets, then meat carvings to celebrate the opening or “firsts” onboard Allure. Today we opened up Rita’s Cantina for lunch, and instead of a ribbon cutting we did a margarita pouring and toast. It was the best margarita I’d ever had!
The atmosphere at Rita’s is a lot of fun. Chips and salsa are my favorite, and the tricolored chips were served warm. For some reason, the basket of chips kept disappearing. 
The staff at Rita’s added to the festive atmosphere by dancing and singing to the song “Tequila”. Everyone in the restaurant got into the spirit. Then the wait staff at Johnny Rockets decided they didn’t like the competition from the newest restaurant on the Boardwalk so they came out and did a dance to try to get everyone to come to Johnny Rockets. I think we are going to see a fun rivalry between these two restaurants! The experience made the Boardwalk come alive in a very cool way.
The menu at Rita’s Cantina has a nice variety of traditional Mexican dishes, I had the chicken quesadillas which were good. I also got to enjoy great company since I was joined by our VP of Food and Beverage, Frank Weber, Chef Molly Brandt from 150 Central Park, Anja Zini, and Claudia King McWilliams, Director of Housekeeping and Guest Services. Rita’s will be open for both lunch and dinner for a cover charge of $7.95.
Wow! Looks like fun! Can’t wait to go!
We will be looking forward to seeing you onboard. Do you already have a date set to sail with us?
That looks yummy at Rita’s but kind of expensive to get there. Maybe some day.
Hi Ruth, Rita’s Cantina is definitely delicious and has a very fun atmosphere. We hope to see you there sometime in the future.
Many thanks for the updates and the information on Allure, not only as she was built, but also on her progress across the Atlantic. Cruised on Norwegian Epic this summer and although I enjoyed it, it wasn’t quite Royal Caribbean, and both my partner and I had to stop ourselves saying “it’s not Royal Caribbean is it”, several times a day!!!
We will be on Allure on 30th Jan to celebrate our Civil Partnership a couple of days before, so looking forward to coming home to RCI and enjoying our honeymoon in style.
Looking forward to the WOW. Well done to one and all.
Thank you for those delightful words Samuel. Congratulations on celebrating your Civil Partnership, we are honored to be the providing you two the proper setting in creating truly unforgettable memories. We will be looking forward to seeing you onboard Allure of the Seas.
I’m not much of a Mexican food eater, but those Margueritas and chips certainly look interesting. The Dog House looks like a fun place to dine also.
Hello Jackie, it’s too bad you are not much of a Mexican food eater; Rita’s Cantina is definitely a delicious and fun experience in the making. Nonetheless, there are also plenty of delicious dining options to choose from onboard Allure of the Seas. We will be looking forward to seeing you soon.
Are those balcony staterooms above the Cantina entrance?
Hello Cathy, you are correct, they are balcony staterooms above Rita’s Cantina, and these are our Boardwalk View Staterooms. You can see what they look like here.
I have just a little question on where is Allure docked and is it going to interfer with Oasis comeing and going every saturday. If so will they move Allure for the day or what?
Hello Mario, even though Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas will share the same home port of Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, the ships will not interfere with one another. Most of Allure’s sailings will consist of 7 night sailings leaving on Sunday’s and switching between Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries. If you’d like to see a complete schedule Allure of the Seas’ departure and destinations you can find them here. You can also take a look at the complete schedule of available cruises on Oasis of the Seas with departure and destination points by clicking here.
Dear Adam,
I was wondering if you would be able to blog or comment about fire safety aboard Royal Caribbean ships given the recent cruise ship fire on the Carnival Splendor.
Sincerely,
Michael
Thank you for your great topic suggestion Michael, onboard safety is definitely a priority at the top of our list. I will definitely keep it in mind as a future topic for the blog.
Let me ask you something…your not really going to Labadee Haiti are you…..why take the chance of some one contracting cholera and spreading that around a brand new ship…i think you should at least right now decide to go some where else until things straighten in Haiti…why take the chance
Hello Keystone, Royal Caribbean is currently monitoring the increase in cholera cases in Haiti. Cholera, a bacterial disease usually caused by drinking contaminated water, is not affecting Labadee or its surrounding areas. The water at Labadee is produced using reverse osmosis and is safe to drink. Also, coffee, tea and other hot beverages, as well as bottled or canned soft drinks, wine and beer, are available for guests. We hope this helps clear up any concerns you may have. If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to our representatives here.
I probaly didnt make myself clear. I know that they will not interfer once they start regular sAILINGS. I was just wondering what they were doing now for the month of november while allure was being fitted out with central park trees etc. Is she at the saME DOCK AND DO THEY MOVE HER FOR THE DAY ON SATURDAY. Will there be any pictures of them together?
Hello Mario, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the seas are both docked at terminal 18, however, they will not interfere with one another as Allure of the Seas will be out to sea those days. If you are interested in more details about Allure of the Seas, you should take a look at AllureoftheSeas.com where you can find a video of Oasis and Allure of the Seas next to each other.
Can anyone tell me whether any vegetarian options will be available at the Boardwalk Dog House? I’m a vegetarian, but I happen to love veggie dogs and I’d be a bit disappointed if Royal Caribbean excluded the vegetarian and/or health conscious demographic from this appealing, no charge dining option. Even my husband, who is a meat eater, will only eat veggie dogs, not real hot dogs!
Hello Beth, the Boardwalk Dog House currently does not have vegetarian options available. We are taking note of your recommendation and will pass it along to the right department. However, there are plenty of vegetarian options onboard that we are sure you and your husband will enjoy.
Help! We are so confused. My husband has never been on a cruise before. He found a pic of the Allure and Oasis and thinks he may want to go on one of them in Mid or late March. I can’t find anyone who will answer my questions. My husband is VERY interested in food, so wants to know how many restaurants are on the ship, please. I want to know when there may be a sail as I am most interested in a suite. Can you help me please?
Hello Eileen, both Allure and Oasis of the Seas have many great restaurants to choose from. Allure of the Seas has a total of 26 dining options, and Oasis of the Seas has 24 dining options available. You can find a complete list of restaurants by clicking here. Also, if you would like to see a complete schedule of sailings for Allure of the Seas, please click here. And for a complete schedule of sailings for Oasis of the Seas, please click here. We hope this helps.