# Just back from Allure of the Seas, Eastern



## tltay2005

We just got back from the Eastern Caribbean sailing on the Allure.  We had only sailed with DCL on the Dream, so we went in with a very open mind and we were not disappointed.  Was is Disney, no, but we knew that going in and had a great time.
Yes, there are a lot of things that RCL could learn from DCL, but there were also a couple of things that we actually liked better and wished the Disney ships had.
    For one thing, loved the interactive information boards on each floor by the elevators.  Also loved that room service called before delivery.
    Many more pools and hot tubs on the Allure and one pool stayed open till 11pm and two hot tubs were open 24 hours.
    There were many more venues for included food and beverages and they were located on different floors which made it nice on such a big ship.

There were many things that were about the same as on the Dream, such as the rooms.         We had a standard balcony room and it was about the same size as the standard balcony room on the Dream.  There were not two bathrooms, and I think that is where the extra square footage on the Dream comes from. There was plenty of storage space, including under the bed.  The balcony was much larger than those on the Dream, but the shower much smaller, that is one thing I did miss from the Dream's rooms. 
    Another thing that was very similar was the staff.  All that we met were very friendly and helpful.  They always greeted us with a smile and never seemed put out if we asked for something. 
   The ship itself was very clean and well maintained.
   Food, I personally never had anything I did not like, but some in our party (there were 6 adults) had a few items they didn't.  We did not do any upcharge restaurants, only the MDR and ate at least once from all the other included food places.

Now for the things that Disney does better and RCL needs some help with.
      Kids, they were everywhere, including where they shouldn't be.  They only have one adult only area, the Solarium which included a pool, two hot tubs and a buffet, and that is 16 and up, not 18 like Disney.  There were never kids in the pool or hot tubs, but they were in the buffet area and on the deck around the pool and spas.  They were also in every bar/lounge area at all hours.  I was shocked at how many parents brought their kids to adult themed shows and games.  Some of the games were very adult themed and the staff warned the parents, but never asked them to take the kids out.  Had issues with kids running up and down halls and even playing hide and seek in the public bathrooms.
     Shows, hands down Disney's are better.  The only show we enjoyed better, and that is because DCL does not offer them, was the comedy shows.  They were very good.
     This may sound petty, but I missed having towel animals every day, I just think it was nice to come back to your room to a little surprise.  On Allure, we got them three nights out of seven.
     Personal touches, now this may be because the Allure was so large, but on the Dream you seemed to know who the Captain and Cruise Director were from the start.  They always came out after the shows and interacted with the crowd.  On the Allure, I don't think I ever saw the captain or even knew his name.
     Ice cream stations, yes I am a middle aged adult, but still love ice cream and on the Allure they never seemed open long enough.

I think the biggest thing I missed, maybe because I love Disney, is the Disney magic that you feel on their ships.  Seeing the characters walking around and just the small touches that make you feel special.

Sorry so wordy, but I will post some pictures later in this post.


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## Frozen2014

Great feedback and always good to hear experiences on both.  We were on Allure and loved it...and have been on 2 other Royal ships and Disney Magic.
You often hear that comment about the washroom.  It is smart to have the sink outside as it makes things more efficient and not tying up the washroom to brush teeth for example.  
To me, the shows are apples and oranges and can't really compare.  Disney are first class 'Broadway style' ...but they are Disney shows/stories.  Royal, especially the Oasis class has amazing different kind of shows...a full Broadway show, Aqua show (which is totally different), ice show, variety show, cirque d'soliel type show. Totally different.
Also , interesting about the characters. Didn't you see Dreamworks all around on Allure?  There were 2 DreamWorks additional shows when we went (ice show, aqua show) plus they were always around for photo shoots, parade, and also a character breakfast.  Obviously not Mickey Mouse or Princesses, but no shortage.

We didn't notice the kids all over (we had our kids with us ourselves), but might have been the time of year you go.  I agree..there are places that it's not appropriate to bring them.

Love to see any pictures.  Glad you had a great time.


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## tltay2005

Frozen2014 said:


> Great feedback and always good to hear experiences on both.  We were on Allure and loved it...and have been on 2 other Royal ships and Disney Magic.
> You often hear that comment about the washroom.  It is smart to have the sink outside as it makes things more efficient and not tying up the washroom to brush teeth for example.
> To me, the shows are apples and oranges and can't really compare.  Disney are first class 'Broadway style' ...but they are Disney shows/stories.  Royal, especially the Oasis class has amazing different kind of shows...a full Broadway show, Aqua show (which is totally different), ice show, variety show, cirque d'soliel type show. Totally different.
> Also , interesting about the characters. Didn't you see Dreamworks all around on Allure?  There were 2 DreamWorks additional shows when we went (ice show, aqua show) plus they were always around for photo shoots, parade, and also a character breakfast.  Obviously not Mickey Mouse or Princesses, but no shortage.
> 
> We didn't notice the kids all over (we had our kids with us ourselves), but might have been the time of year you go.  I agree..there are places that it's not appropriate to bring them.
> 
> Love to see any pictures.  Glad you had a great time.



We did enjoy the shows, don't get me wrong, just not the production quality you see on Disney.  The aqua show was really neat.  As for characters, yes Shrek and the gang was around, and the parade was cute.  We really had a great time and booked another cruise on her for next summer.


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## starvenger

Good quick recap. Some thoughts:



tltay2005 said:


> Kids, they were everywhere, including where they shouldn't be. They only have one adult only area, the Solarium which included a pool, two hot tubs and a buffet, and that is 16 and up, not 18 like Disney. There were never kids in the pool or hot tubs, but they were in the buffet area and on the deck around the pool and spas. They were also in every bar/lounge area at all hours. I was shocked at how many parents brought their kids to adult themed shows and games. Some of the games were very adult themed and the staff warned the parents, but never asked them to take the kids out. Had issues with kids running up and down halls and even playing hide and seek in the public bathrooms.


One of the issues with the Solarium is that, as much as the lounging areas are 16 and up, the buffet (and the Brazilian steakhouse it becomes at night) is not. It creates a bit of a conundrum that Royal should probably correct, but obviously have not.

As for kids, I've experienced kids running amok on both DCL and RCI, so my conclusion there is "you won't know until you're on the ship," which I think we can agree, kind of sucks. 



tltay2005 said:


> Shows, hands down Disney's are better. The only show we enjoyed better, and that is because DCL does not offer them, was the comedy shows. They were very good.


Shows are a mixed bag for me. Disney's Broadway production is really good, but I'm not sure if that's due in part to the iconic nature of the films they base them on, and that they are decidedly more family friendly. Jukebox musicals in general are a tough sell for me, so the secondary/tertiary shows are usually not my thing. Love the ice and water shows on RCI, but of course there's no apples to apples comparison to make there. As for the headliner... well I haven't seen one I've enjoyed yet (I won't say they're bad, because they're all clearly talented folk) on any cruise.



tltay2005 said:


> This may sound petty, but I missed having towel animals every day, I just think it was nice to come back to your room to a little surprise. On Allure, we got them three nights out of seven.


On Harmony last year and on previous trips on Allure I've gotten towel animals every day. So it's possible that it comes down to the attendant?



tltay2005 said:


> Ice cream stations, yes I am a middle aged adult, but still love ice cream and on the Allure they never seemed open long enough.


Would agree with you on the soft serve. It may be because of its positioning on Allure (assuming that it hasn't changed). On Harmony it's right by Mini Bites (Wipeout Cafe on Allure) and was available for longer than it was on Allure.



tltay2005 said:


> I think the biggest thing I missed, maybe because I love Disney, is the Disney magic that you feel on their ships. Seeing the characters walking around and just the small touches that make you feel special.


Shrek, Po and the Trolls really don't have that "iconic" feel to them. Part of that, of course, is because they're newer, and (imo) they've got that slightly more modern feel to them. And that translates well in movies, but not so much for meet and greets.


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## tltay2005

Here are some pictures of our room, 9190.  A lot of people always ask about storage and electrical outlets.  I tried to take pictures of all the storage areas with the doors open so you can see inside.  We moved the small table that was in front of the sofa over to the side between the sofa and closet to give us more walking space.  There is a small trash can under the table. There were also two small end tables on each side of the bed that had two shelves.  There were three outlets on top of the desk and one or two below the desk.  The shower was hard to photograph, but there is a bar about a foot off the floor to help with shaving and a corner basket to hold shampoo, conditioner, etc.  There were also two hooks near the top of the shower and three or four hooks on the back of the door. Under the sink there was an additional trash can and two shelves.  The bathroom also has an automatic night light which was really nice.  Did not have to use the one we brought.

You have to keep the balcony door closed and the handle in the locked/down position or the A/C will not work.  It will still run, just not blow cold air. 
There is a small fridge in the cabinet next to the three drawers.  It was cold enough to bring room temp bottle water to cool and keep it that way.  There is a hair dryer in the top drawer, it worked but it's highest setting is what I would consider "warm/med" so if you have long thick hair, be prepared for it to take a while to get it dry.


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## starvenger

Thanks!

This is my preferred configuration for the room as there's more space to maneuver around the closet area, and it feels like there's more space in the "living" area. Unfortunately our cabin is the opposite configuration.


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## Macprincess

We also cruise Allure of the Seas May 27-June 3 Eastern. This was our families first RCCL after 8 DCL cruises. We booked to join my husband’s extended family who often cruises RCCL and Celebrity. I’m glad we tried a new experience. Since our kids are now (14, 18 & 20) we felt it was the perfect time to branch out and try a new line. We are a family that stays both on and offsite for our WDW trips. We have had positive experiences traveling to WDW both on and offsite and tried to embrace this new cruising experience in the same sort of attitude knowing it would be a unique experience.     

We booked two cabins one balcony and one inside across the hall for our kids. Originally my son’s girlfriend was also supposed to join us but a last minute amazing internship caused her to cancel and my Mom (70) was switched out to replace her in the inside cabin. Our intention was to keep all the kids and my Mom in the inside cabin which we have often done on DCL. After night one we moved our daughter to our cabin because we found it too tight for the four of them in an inside cabin. One difference in the two lines was the way the beds are set up in the inside cabin. On Disney the sofa flips over to a single bed with a birth above it dropping from the ceiling to form what is essentially a bunk bed. In our inside Royal Allure cabin the sofa flips outward into two twin beds that are hooked together with a sight divide in the middle. When opened up it basically took over all the floor space. Making it next to impossible to access the clothing draws or to sit at the desk area to apply makeup. On the upside each of my children who sleep on these beds did say that they were very comfortable. If we book RCCL again, for our party, we would need to rethink our cabin choices booking the cabins with 3 and 3. However, my husband prefers our own cabin so we would probably book 3 cabins. I have sailed on DCL on three separate occasions with my Mom and two teens in inside cabins and would do so again with no issues on DCL. This was a bit of a surprise to us as I never considered that we would not have enough space for our level of comfort with six people in two cabins.

I will say our stateroom attendant was amazing! By far the best room attendant we have ever had. Our cabin were kept spotless and she was always friendly and warm. Our family adored her! I wasn’t wild about the décor in the cabins and I prefer Disney’s décor. However, the cabins were both well maintained and the beds were comfortable.

My daughter, who is 14 and her 15 year old cousin, did go into the teen club for about two hours on night one and then never returned. This surprised me as through the years all three of my kids have enjoyed DCL clubs so much that we have to drag them out to take part in family activities. When I questioned my daughter about this she basically said she didn’t enjoy it and would prefer to spend time with the family. I didn’t push it and won’t place the blame on RCCL as I do know after raising three teenagers that it is possible that she may have come to the same conclusion on DCL.

I thought with having teens that they would enjoy the rock walls, zip line and flow riders more. They all did them once and that was that. So this was not as huge of a perk as I thought it would be.

I realize food is a subjective to one’s taste so take this for what it is, merely one families opinion. We found the food to be at a lesser quality and boring in the main dining rooms and free areas. In our opinion DCL included food is a step above. We were hit smack in the face with this day one at Windjammer. My husband and sons were excited to make a beeline for shrimp and lamb chops. Neither of which was ever offered during any buffet on RCCL. Over all I just noticed that the buffets had lesser cuts of meats and variety then DCL. While our server in the main dining room were wonderful. The food was just okay and some things like the mushy, previously frozen shrimp cocktail were plain bad.  

We did three specialty meals all dinners. The food and service were fabulous at Giovanni’s and Chops. We found the hibachi meal at Izumi to be very entertaining but in all honesty our local hibachi offers a better quality meal. I would probably do a different specialty restaurant instead of Izumi if done again. This is a personal thing but I wish that Chops did not allow children. Fortunately, it was as we were about ready to leave but we did witness a young child have a fit and the parents were not removing this child. Again, this is not RCCL fault and the parents should have, in my opinion, removed the child.

I also didn’t enjoy the whole process of having to book shows in advance on this ship. It simply was a pain in the rear. We booked them in advance but by mid-way through the cruise most of our family began to not attend the shows. Honestly, they just were not the caliber of shows we are used to.

I agree with the OP we often also saw young children in areas of the ship that I would consider adult areas. Yet, as reported they are not officially adult areas on Royal so it’s not fair to be upset over this but it does impact my opinion on if I would cruise with RCCL again.

Labadee was beautiful and in my opinion a much nicer natural environment than Castaway Cay. Yet, I wish RCCL would take a lesson or two on taking care of their guest from DCL. There were no umbrellas unless you rented them and there were not enough to rent. The standard lounge chairs were very beaten up and often broken. I personally much prefer my days spent on Castaway to Labadee. This is sad because it really is a beautiful location.

I’m glad we went outside the box and tried a new line. Would I cruise with RCCL again? I would if I was going with a large group of friends or family and our vacation was about being with the people I love and adore. We had a nice vacation. It just wasn’t a wow vacation.


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## starvenger

You bring up an interesting point about Labadee and shade. That is, there isn’t a whole lot on the zip line side. There are more trees and more shade in Columbus Cove, so I’d recommend that people take the (free) water taxi over there. Less rocky over there as well, and less of a line at the food area.


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## tltay2005

Since you mentioned Labadee I will add my opinion.  Yes it was beautiful and we did find a shady spot in Columbus Cove.  The only bad thing (and I am surprised RCL does not have more control) were the local vendors they allow on the property that you have to pass to get there.  They were just a pushy as those on Nassau.  We could of waited for the tram, which would of made it easier when passing them, but we decided to walk.  Again, just a firm "no thank you" and keep walking.  We did not take the water taxi because two in our party were doing the zip line first thing so we went to Adrenaline beach first.  While they did that, I did swim a little and the water near the shore way at the end was sandy and nice.  I noticed a lot more rocks and grass closer to front (nearest the ship) beach area.  I asked about an umbrella, as there was hardly any shade and was told they didn't have any (?) not sure if that was the case or he just didn't want to get me one, I was willing to pay for one if they were available.  The only disappointment for me, and again just a personal thing, is that I was hoping to be able to snorkel and see some fish.  Honestly there is nothing to see in the waters, but they were nice for swimming.  Also, the food was not that great, but that was ok, there was plenty on the ship when we returned.
Here are some pictures, sorry they are fuzzy, but it was actual the haze in the air.  The captain said it was actually sand blown from the coast of Africa!


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## starvenger

It does feel like Royal tries to cater more to those looking for an, ahem, adrenaline rush (for mucho dinero), and the Coco Cay expansion does nothing to dissuade me from this notion. 

Castaway Cay was undoubtedly my favourite part of my Disney Cruise - it felt much more peaceful and chilled out versus Labadee. And granted, an Oasis class ship means up to 6500 people descending upon a small area, but still, I felt the vibe at Castaway Cay was much better.


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## tltay2005

Another area that I see that RCL needs some help with is excursion organization.  We booked two through them and both times the meeting place was off ship.  One (St Maarten) was on the dock, that wasn't too bad, but the second was off the dock and on the sidewalk (San Juan).  This was quite chaotic as there were numerous excursion groups trying to find their guide along with the locals trying to sell their own tours.  Disney idea of having a meeting place on ship and exiting together is much better.  We did the bus tour in St Maarten that takes you to both sides of the Island and the ATV tour in San Juan.  the port area of St Maarten has all been rebuild and was really nice. The bus tour would of been good except there was still so much hurricane damage in St Maarten and Saint Martin, that it was quite depressing.  At San Juan we had about an hour to walk around the area before our excursion.  The area around the port is very nice and it was a short walk to a Fort. On the bus ride to the ranch we got to travel through down town San Juan, there is still minor damage, but not much.  And boy do they love their graffiti. There is also a Walgreens and CVS right at the port if you need to restock on any needed items.  The ATV excursion was a lot of fun, it was on a working Paso Fino horse ranch, we really enjoyed that one.  On Labadee husband and son did the zip line, and husband and myself did the jet skis.  The jet skis were a lot of fun, but they do take you out into the open waters where it was a little rough at times.  Here are some photos of the tours.  Will do three separate post, the first is Labadee.


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## tltay2005

Excursion photos of San Juan.


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## tltay2005

Excursion photos of St Maarten.  Like I said earlier, did not take too many as most of the landscape and buildings were still in a horrible state.


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## DietCokeMommy

Thanks for the report!  The biggest attraction for me of DCL vs. Royal is the cabin configuration.  We have really little kids and I think the Disney setup with the bunk bed and the curtain divider is pretty optimal.  But one day when they're older we'll book connecting cabins and check out Royal!


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## mevelandry

Thanks for the review. 

And awesome cabin by the way. Love the design. 

I'm the dissident voice regarding the Disney shows I think... I've seen many Broadway shows and I don't think DCL compares to Broadway shows... (Close, but not there yet...) I haven't seen RCCL shows yet so I can't say if they are better or worst but can't wait to find out. Glad to know there are different types of shows.  

I hope they have the trolls when we go there. Granted, I'm an adult... but I loved that movie.


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## tltay2005

DietCokeMommy said:


> Thanks for the report!  The biggest attraction for me of DCL vs. Royal is the cabin configuration.  We have really little kids and I think the Disney setup with the bunk bed and the curtain divider is pretty optimal.  But one day when they're older we'll book connecting cabins and check out Royal!



We got the chance to look at one of the family cabins (sleeps 6) and it was really neat.  Had a main room with the king bed and a sleeper sofa and a side room with bunk beds.  To me that is the perfect set up vs. having to book two rooms.  The one we looked at was a balcony room, so it had one large window and then the door to the balcony.  It was on deck 7.


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## tltay2005

Here are a few pictures from some of the food service areas around the ship.  We tried to eat at every venue at least once.  In my opinion, the only place that really didn't have anything satisfying to eat was the Promenade.  The only thing there that was worth eating were the cookies, but it was a great place to grab a cup of coffee. They offered a variety of sandwiches, but they were 95% bread and 5% filling.  Oh yeah, the donuts from the Boardwalk were horrible.  Everywhere else we ate the food was decent to good.  Only one thing stands out as being great and that was the chocolate souffle from the MDR, it was wonderful. We ate dinner 4 nights in the MDR (American Icon) and three nights in the WJ.  I didn't take food pictures, sorry.  The Solarium, Wipe Out Care and the Park Cafe had ice machines and the water, tea and lemonade available.  At the other self service places they had water and tea but no ice.  They usually had hard dipped ice cream and toppings each night in the WJ until 9pm.  Soft serve yogurt was available on the pool deck (tucked away on the side of the bar) and in the Wipe Out.  The WO was only open till 6pm and the stand by the bar was usually closed by 8pm.


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## DietCokeMommy

tltay2005 said:


> We got the chance to look at one of the family cabins (sleeps 6) and it was really neat.  Had a main room with the king bed and a sleeper sofa and a side room with bunk beds.  To me that is the perfect set up vs. having to book two rooms.  The one we looked at was a balcony room, so it had one large window and then the door to the balcony.  It was on deck 7.


I've seen those, you're right they look great.  But they seem to book up quickly and they cost as much as a Disney cruise does.  When I priced it out a while ago it was cheaper to get to two regular connecting rooms (on Royal).


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## msjprincess

DietCokeMommy said:


> I've seen those, you're right they look great.  But they seem to book up quickly and they cost as much as a Disney cruise does.  When I priced it out a while ago it was cheaper to get to two regular connecting rooms (on Royal).


It depends on the cruise. I stayed in this room twice for about $1000 less than 2 rooms.https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/...Independence of the Seas&cat=Family Oceanview  It's a great room. On our next vruise it was $100 cheaper to book connecting rooms, so you never know.


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## awilliams4

Thanks for sharing.  ST Maarten looks barren.


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## KashasMom

Frozen2014 said:


> Great feedback and always good to hear experiences on both.  We were on Allure and loved it...and have been on 2 other Royal ships and Disney Magic.
> You often hear that comment about the washroom.  It is smart to have the sink outside as it makes things more efficient and not tying up the washroom to brush teeth for example.
> To me, the shows are apples and oranges and can't really compare.  Disney are first class 'Broadway style' ...but they are Disney shows/stories.  Royal, especially the Oasis class has amazing different kind of shows...a full Broadway show, Aqua show (which is totally different), ice show, variety show, cirque d'soliel type show. Totally different.
> Also , interesting about the characters. Didn't you see Dreamworks all around on Allure?  There were 2 DreamWorks additional shows when we went (ice show, aqua show) plus they were always around for photo shoots, parade, and also a character breakfast.  Obviously not Mickey Mouse or Princesses, but no shortage.
> 
> We didn't notice the kids all over (we had our kids with us ourselves), but might have been the time of year you go.  I agree..there are places that it's not appropriate to bring them.
> 
> Love to see any pictures.  Glad you had a great time.



I agree with your assessment. We LOVE the Allure - currently our favorite ship. We thought the shows were excellent (daughter loves musicals) and the Aqua shows and Ice Shows are good fun. We saw 2 of each on our cruise - all different. The parade with the characters was fun and we loved the chocolate breakfast with the characters. We cruised President's Day week and hardly saw any kids. We LOVE that there are so many pools - and decent-sized pools! (The lack of any decent pools on DCL is one of my biggest complaints. Daughter can swim all day!) We love the extra activities - rock climbing wall, FloRider, etc. We had good food all around - and excellent food in the specialty restaurants. I loved that my daughter could dine with me in the specialty restaurants. We're booked on the Harmony in November and can't wait! She just might replace the Allure as our favorite!


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## KashasMom

mevelandry said:


> Thanks for the review.
> 
> And awesome cabin by the way. Love the design.
> 
> I'm the dissident voice regarding the Disney shows I think... *I've seen many Broadway shows and I don't think DCL compares to Broadway shows*... (Close, but not there yet...) I haven't seen RCCL shows yet so I can't say if they are better or worst but can't wait to find out. Glad to know there are different types of shows.
> 
> I hope they have the trolls when we go there. Granted, I'm an adult... but I loved that movie.



I am with you on this! I really don't like any of the "non-movie" DCL shows (Wishes, Believe, etc.). We don't even bother going to them anymore.


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## mevelandry

KashasMom said:


> I am with you on this! I really don't like any of the "non-movie" DCL shows (Wishes, Believe, etc.). We don't even bother going to them anymore.



Frozen was well done, singers were great but not quite the caliber I have seen on Broadway shows... But much closer from what Broadway does.

Regarding Dreams and Believe. I apologized to my husband for putting him through that. Lol


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## tltay2005

awilliams4 said:


> Thanks for sharing.  ST Maarten looks barren.


It was very sad, I didn't even take many pictures because the landscape was still so devastated.  There were people still living in tents right in the middle of the city.  There were boats decaying on shore and some sunk in the harbor, only the masts sticking out above the water line.


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## tltay2005

KashasMom said:


> I agree with your assessment. We LOVE the Allure - currently our favorite ship. We thought the shows were excellent (daughter loves musicals) and the Aqua shows and Ice Shows are good fun. We saw 2 of each on our cruise - all different. The parade with the characters was fun and we loved the chocolate breakfast with the characters. We cruised President's Day week and hardly saw any kids. We LOVE that there are so many pools - and decent-sized pools! (The lack of any decent pools on DCL is one of my biggest complaints. Daughter can swim all day!) We love the extra activities - rock climbing wall, FloRider, etc. We had good food all around - and excellent food in the specialty restaurants. I loved that my daughter could dine with me in the specialty restaurants. We're booked on the Harmony in November and can't wait! She just might replace the Allure as our favorite!



I wanted to book the Harmony for next summer, just to try another ship and she sails from Port Canaveral which is much closer to where I live than Port Everglades, but the same cruise was $750 more on her than the Allure.  I will keep an eye out for any price drops and may switch if it does.


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## tltay2005

Some more about some of the activities we did on the ship.  We love trivia, so went went to as many as we could.  The staff was a lot of fun and we met a lot of other cruisers this way.  We tried one scavenger hunt, but that was just too much for us, lol.  You only got 15 minutes to run around the ship and collect the items, and those that have sailed on an Oasis class ship now how huge the are.  We also did Bingo once.  We loved to play on the Dream and often played more that once as they made it a lot of fun, almost like a mini show, but on the Allure it was just Bingo, with a little humor thrown in.   We also went to a few of the karaoke sessions, family and adult, that was a lot of fun.  The live band that plays in Dazzles was amazing, I think Centerpiece was their name. 
     We went to all the show except Mama Mia.  The adult comedy show was great.  We enjoyed the two ice shows and the aqua show.  Blue Planet was ok, I just think we were expecting more of a Cirque type show and it was more singing than anything else.  All the venues had comfortable seating (for the aqua show get there early to get a chair vs the hard bench).  For a lot of the shows they were selling popcorn and drinks outside the venues, but we always went to one of the included/free places and grabbed a snack and drink to take with us. 
      We live in Florida, so we get plenty of sun and swim time, so we did not spend hardly anytime sunning or swimming.  We did spend one port morning in the hot tubs since our excursion was not until after lunch.  That was nice, had the whole tub to ourselves and it was one that overlooked the side of the ship so we could watch people roaming the pier and shore.  We loved to walk around the track on Deck 5, not for the exercise but for the amazing views.
      We never got around to trying the rock climbing wall, carousel or the flow rider, but we did go ice skating.  If you go ice skating you have to wear long pants and make sure you have socks. We also had fun looking for all the "small wonders" around the ship.  We spent a little time in the casino, just playing slots, and honestly the non smoking side was not bad at all. Played mini golf once, the course is pretty basic with no hard obstacles, just tread carefully as there are a lot of dents under the carpet you can see and it would be easy for one to trip.  Table tennis was also fun, tables a little warped but what can you expect as they are exposed to moist salter air all day.  On one of the sea days they had a family carnival out on the boardwalk with free cotton candy, hard ice cream and popcorn.
      There are so many activities I recommend bringing a highlighter and marking the things you want to do each day.


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## tltay2005

We are not big drinkers, so we did not spend a lot of time in the bar or lounges unless we were there for bingo, trivia, karaoke or another event.  There are plenty of them around the ship for those that do like to hang out and have a drink or two. Husband drinks beer and they ran around $8.50 (with the included 18% tip) and I like a fruity drink, so I stuck to Pina Coladas and other frozen fruity drinks which ran about $11 (with included 18% tip).


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## tltay2005

One thing that I really loved about this ship and think all ships should have them (hint hint DCL) is the information boards by the elevators on each floor.  The touch screen interactive one was really neat and I love the one right next to the elevators that list everything on that floor.  Also the elevators and shafts themselves were gorgeous.


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## TestingH2O

tltay2005 said:


> One thing that I really loved about this ship and think all ships should have them (hint hint DCL) is the information boards by the elevators on each floor.  The touch screen interactive one was really neat and I love the one right next to the elevators that list everything on that floor.  Also the elevators and shafts themselves were gorgeous.
> View attachment 331156 View attachment 331157 View attachment 331158 View attachment 331159 View attachment 331160 View attachment 331161


Those elevator lobbies are very cool.


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## tltay2005

Again, we did not spend anytime in the pools, but here are some photos.  One pool stayed open until 11pm and one hot tub was open (as far as we could tell) all night.  The other pools and hot tubs closed at different time ranging from 7pm to 9pm.


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## Frozen2014

Love your pictures....brings back great memories.
Ha ha...so true about scavenger hunt.  For us, we just had to take pictures of art (and since we were the only famiy playing, we won...lol)
Btw....Mamma Mia is fantastic if you like Broadway shows.


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## tltay2005

Finally, just some random photos from around the ship.  If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.


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## mevelandry

That ship is BEAUTIFUL!!!   I hope I will be able to try one of the big ones someday!


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## NancyIL

Thank you for your wonderful review! My most recent cruise was on the Disney Wonder's April 2018 Panama Canal cruise (my 7th Disney cruise). However, I have sailed on 15 RCI cruises, and my next cruise will be on RCI's Oasis of the Seas in November.


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## asunutgirl

Thanks for the info.  We are on the Oasis next June in the Med.  As much as we love our DCL cruises, we couldn't stomach the price of Disney in Europe.  We booked two adjoining cabins for the four of us for significantly less than DCL.

Dumb question - do people decorate their stateroom doors on RCL like they do on DCL?


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## starvenger

asunutgirl said:


> Thanks for the info.  We are on the Oasis next June in the Med.  As much as we love our DCL cruises, we couldn't stomach the price of Disney in Europe.  We booked two adjoining cabins for the four of us for significantly less than DCL.
> 
> Dumb question - do people decorate their stateroom doors on RCL like they do on DCL?


Some do, but not to the level that you see on DCL. If you want to do it, go for it.


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## hertamaniac

awilliams4 said:


> Thanks for sharing.  ST Maarten looks barren.



That's what I saw as well.  Is it really that bad or are there some areas/excursions worth looking into?


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## Laz

Just got back from a Western Caribbean trip on the Allure.  This was our 18th cruise overall.  We loved the cruise and the ship.  A few thoughts:

Ocean view balcony was larger then the same category on other ships.  Attendant was fantastic. This was the first cruise that charged for room service.  Was this due to the number of guests?
We had main seating traditional dinning. Outstanding service by wait staff of Cynthia and Simon.  They were lots of fun and very patient with the spills and silliness from our table of eight.  Food quality was good-very good in all venues, but very standardized.  No omelet or waffle stations in the windjammer, for example.  I would assume this was due to the number of passengers.  However, we found good breakfast items at Jonny Rockets. You can find smaller cafes around the ship that our less crowded for breakfast and lunch
The main shows were wonderful, but some of the venues for some of the smaller shows and activities were too small, esp. for such a big ship.  Get to these venues early to get a seat.  We all enjoyed the activities on board ship, except for the zip line.  It looked like two clotheslines tied together.  Not worth the wait for all the hassles of preparing to get on it.  They would not let you ride unless you have closed toed shoes with socks, and all your pockets empty.  Make sure you fill out your waivers online before you go and stand in line the first day to get a wristband that will allow you on the flow rider, zip line, ice rink, and rock walls. Best time to enjoy the pools and activities is when everyone else in in port.
Yes, there were minors everywhere, but they were behaved for the most part.  Please remember that I am a retired school teacher.  After 27 years of being surround by young people, I have developed a thick skin with regards to minors. Please remember that when the ship says adults only, they mean it! 
We took tours in Cozumel and Costa Maya, but not ship sponsored tours.  In Cozumel we toured the island with Trikes Cozumel.  Very unique and lots of fun.  In Costa Maya, we toured Mayan ruins with Native Choice tours.  Our eight people got a private tour on our own van.  We did not have any extra tourist trap stops and were the first people to arrive at the ruins.  The guide was very knowledgeable and the driver followed behind us with a backpack full of bottles of cold water,  Excellent tour at almost half the price of a ship sponsored tour.  The only downside is the 10 minute walk out of the tourist area to their office. At the end of the tour they drop you off by the port security gate.
All in all a good cruise, but my wife and I prefer a smaller ship.  We are use to getting to know the cruise staff , but the staff on the Allure were too busy with too many people.  Would we go on the Allure again?  Yes, we went with a group and then ports of call were unique.


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## tltay2005

asunutgirl said:


> Thanks for the info.  We are on the Oasis next June in the Med.  As much as we love our DCL cruises, we couldn't stomach the price of Disney in Europe.  We booked two adjoining cabins for the four of us for significantly less than DCL.
> 
> Dumb question - do people decorate their stateroom doors on RCL like they do on DCL?


Not near a much but we did see some.  We did.


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## tltay2005

hertamaniac said:


> That's what I saw as well.  Is it really that bad or are there some areas/excursions worth looking into?



I would stick to water based/beach excursions.  Wishing we would have.  Seems those areas were the first to be fixed.


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## asunutgirl

Sounds like I'll be decorating our stateroom on the Oasis!  We are celebrating a college graduation and a high school graduation and traveling with European friends.  I'm gonna own it an decorate all three doors!


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## tltay2005

Laz said:


> Just got back from a Western Caribbean trip on the Allure.  This was our 18th cruise overall.  We loved the cruise and the ship.  A few thoughts:
> 
> Ocean view balcony was larger then the same category on other ships.  Attendant was fantastic. This was the first cruise that charged for room service.  Was this due to the number of guests?
> We had main seating traditional dinning. Outstanding service by wait staff of Cynthia and Simon.  They were lots of fun and very patient with the spills and silliness from our table of eight.  Food quality was good-very good in all venues, but very standardized.  No omelet or waffle stations in the windjammer, for example.  I would assume this was due to the number of passengers.  However, we found good breakfast items at Jonny Rockets. You can find smaller cafes around the ship that our less crowded for breakfast and lunch
> The main shows were wonderful, but some of the venues for some of the smaller shows and activities were too small, esp. for such a big ship.  Get to these venues early to get a seat.  We all enjoyed the activities on board ship, except for the zip line.  It looked like two clotheslines tied together.  Not worth the wait for all the hassles of preparing to get on it.  They would not let you ride unless you have closed toed shoes with socks, and all your pockets empty.  Make sure you fill out your waivers online before you go and stand in line the first day to get a wristband that will allow you on the flow rider, zip line, ice rink, and rock walls. Best time to enjoy the pools and activities is when everyone else in in port.
> Yes, there were minors everywhere, but they were behaved for the most part.  Please remember that I am a retired school teacher.  After 27 years of being surround by young people, I have developed a thick skin with regards to minors. Please remember that when the ship says adults only, they mean it!
> We took tours in Cozumel and Costa Maya, but not ship sponsored tours.  In Cozumel we toured the island with Trikes Cozumel.  Very unique and lots of fun.  In Costa Maya, we toured Mayan ruins with Native Choice tours.  Our eight people got a private tour on our own van.  We did not have any extra tourist trap stops and were the first people to arrive at the ruins.  The guide was very knowledgeable and the driver followed behind us with a backpack full of bottles of cold water,  Excellent tour at almost half the price of a ship sponsored tour.  The only downside is the 10 minute walk out of the tourist area to their office. At the end of the tour they drop you off by the port security gate.
> All in all a good cruise, but my wife and I prefer a smaller ship.  We are use to getting to know the cruise staff , but the staff on the Allure were too busy with too many people.  Would we go on the Allure again?  Yes, we went with a group and then ports of call were unique.



Room fee was added a while back.  Continental breakfast and coffee still free, all other items have the charge which I think was around $8.00.

I would love to try one of the other classes of RCL ships, but living in Fl (therefore not willing to pay to fly to another port) and only cruising during the summer, the Mega ships are all they offer during that time.  Maybe one summer they will switch things around.


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## tltay2005

asunutgirl said:


> Sounds like I'll be decorating our stateroom on the Oasis!  We are celebrating a college graduation and a high school graduation and traveling with European friends.  I'm gonna own it an decorate all three doors!



Go for it!  We got lots of compliments on ours and it made our cabin easier to find.


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## starvenger

I am going on this itinerary in August. Can't wait!


Laz said:


> Just got back from a Western Caribbean trip on the Allure.  This was our 18th cruise overall.  We loved the cruise and the ship.  A few thoughts:
> 
> Ocean view balcony was larger then the same category on other ships.  Attendant was fantastic. This was the first cruise that charged for room service.  Was this due to the number of guests?




As mentioned, they started charging a flat fee for all room service except continental breakfast.


Laz said:


> We had main seating traditional dinning. Outstanding service by wait staff of Cynthia and Simon.  They were lots of fun and very patient with the spills and silliness from our table of eight.  Food quality was good-very good in all venues, but very standardized.  No omelet or waffle stations in the windjammer, for example.  I would assume this was due to the number of passengers.  However, we found good breakfast items at Jonny Rockets. You can find smaller cafes around the ship that our less crowded for breakfast and lunch


You can actually get made to order omelettes (and eggs, I've heard) at Wipeout. 



Laz said:


> The main shows were wonderful, but some of the venues for some of the smaller shows and activities were too small, esp. for such a big ship.  Get to these venues early to get a seat.  We all enjoyed the activities on board ship, except for the zip line.  It looked like two clotheslines tied together.  Not worth the wait for all the hassles of preparing to get on it.  They would not let you ride unless you have closed toed shoes with socks, and all your pockets empty.  Make sure you fill out your waivers online before you go and stand in line the first day to get a wristband that will allow you on the flow rider, zip line, ice rink, and rock walls. Best time to enjoy the pools and activities is when everyone else in in port.


I've never seen the ice rink seats filled to capacity, so that's not an issue. The Tube (comedy club) is tiny on purpose, so again no big deal. Aquatheatre, however, gets crowded in a hurry so it's best to get there 15-30 minutes before showtime. If your booked time overlaps with the show, I'd suggest either eating in WindJammer or letting your waiters know that you've got a show booked at 8pm (or whatever) and you want to get there at 7:30. As on DCL, most of the staff try to be as accommodating as possible, although we've gotten a stick in the mud once before.

Best time to go on the zip line is at sea, after breakfast. To be honest though, the zip line for me is like Abyss on Harmony and Aquaduck on DCL - it's cool because it's a unique feature on a cruise ship, but as an activity it's not worth it if there's a large crowd.



Laz said:


> We took tours in Cozumel and Costa Maya, but not ship sponsored tours.  In Cozumel we toured the island with Trikes Cozumel.  Very unique and lots of fun.  In Costa Maya, we toured Mayan ruins with Native Choice tours.  Our eight people got a private tour on our own van.  We did not have any extra tourist trap stops and were the first people to arrive at the ruins.  The guide was very knowledgeable and the driver followed behind us with a backpack full of bottles of cold water,  Excellent tour at almost half the price of a ship sponsored tour.  The only downside is the 10 minute walk out of the tourist area to their office. At the end of the tour they drop you off by the port security gate.


We were originally going to do a tour with Native Choice but the kids weren't into the idea of a 4-6 hour excursion. Also decided that Adventure Park would be fun (those zip lines look insane), but not really worth the cost of admission. So we've reserved seats at Tropicante.



asunutgirl said:


> Sounds like I'll be decorating our stateroom on the Oasis!  We are celebrating a college graduation and a high school graduation and traveling with European friends.  I'm gonna own it an decorate all three doors!


That's the spirit! If you're not getting a wifi package, I'd get some magnetic whiteboards to put on the doors as well for old(ish) school communication.


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## luv2cruisedisney

asunutgirl said:


> Sounds like I'll be decorating our stateroom on the Oasis!  We are celebrating a college graduation and a high school graduation and traveling with European friends.  I'm gonna own it an decorate all three doors!


We sailed on the Oasis for this past New Year's, and it was our first non-DCL cruise in over 10 years. We always decorate our doors and made magnets for this trip for our 2 rooms. Very sadly, half of them were stolen within the first hour they were out. And the magnets were personalized with our names, hometown, etc. Not a cool thing to start off your cruise with. While I don't regret trying RCCL, unlike many posters on this thread who enjoyed their RCCL experience(s), we are going back to DCL. There were too many things that disappointed, and while each single one was not a big deal, altogether they just made our experience too blah to want to repeat it. We had 3 adults and a 3-year old.


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## asunutgirl

luv2cruisedisney said:


> We sailed on the Oasis for this past New Year's, and it was our first non-DCL cruise in over 10 years. We always decorate our doors and made magnets for this trip for our 2 rooms. Very sadly, half of them were stolen within the first hour they were out. And the magnets were personalized with our names, hometown, etc. Not a cool thing to start off your cruise with. While I don't regret trying RCCL, unlike many posters on this thread who enjoyed their RCCL experience(s), we are going back to DCL. There were too many things that disappointed, and while each single one was not a big deal, altogether they just made our experience too blah to want to repeat it. We had 3 adults and a 3-year old.



Hmmm...that's disappointing to hear.  I'm sorry you didn't have a great experience.  As much as we love DCL, we couldn't afford the prices on their European cruises.


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## Frozen2014

luv2cruisedisney said:


> We sailed on the Oasis for this past New Year's, and it was our first non-DCL cruise in over 10 years. We always decorate our doors and made magnets for this trip for our 2 rooms. Very sadly, half of them were stolen within the first hour they were out. And the magnets were personalized with our names, hometown, etc. Not a cool thing to start off your cruise with. While I don't regret trying RCCL, unlike many posters on this thread who enjoyed their RCCL experience(s), we are going back to DCL. There were too many things that disappointed, and while each single one was not a big deal, altogether they just made our experience too blah to want to repeat it. We had 3 adults and a 3-year old.



Ditto above comment...sorry there were a bunch of things that weren't up to par for you.  For a 3 year old, you may be better off with Disney.  For us, our kids are older (now 13 and 9) and Royal is a much better match. We have 3 booked for the future.


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## DVC_Dad_Canada

Frozen2014 said:


> Ditto above comment...sorry there were a bunch of things that weren't up to par for you.  For a 3 year old, you may be better off with Disney.  For us, our kids are older (now 13 and 9) and Royal is a much better match. We have 3 booked for the future.



Not to mention RCL is usually less than half the cost of an equivalent DCL cruise, even after adding specialty dining. I have three teens, and we'll never go back to DCL. Far to limited food and entertainment choices and far too expensive.


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## starvenger

This is the thing I love about cruising. There isn't a one size fits all answer to what cruise line people want to sail on. But chances are that you can find one that fits your needs and likes. You just gotta try them ("empirical research") and keep an open mind in order to figure that out.


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## KashasMom

tltay2005 said:


> I wanted to book the Harmony for next summer, just to try another ship and she sails from Port Canaveral which is much closer to where I live than Port Everglades, but the same cruise was $750 more on her than the Allure.  I will keep an eye out for any price drops and may switch if it does.



I'd wait as well. We're going in November and got a pretty good deal. Summer is always high. I have my eyes on the Symphony next.


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## KashasMom

luv2cruisedisney said:


> We sailed on the Oasis for this past New Year's, and it was our first non-DCL cruise in over 10 years. We always decorate our doors and made magnets for this trip for our 2 rooms. Very sadly, half of them were stolen within the first hour they were out. And the magnets were personalized with our names, hometown, etc. Not a cool thing to start off your cruise with. While I don't regret trying RCCL, unlike many posters on this thread who enjoyed their RCCL experience(s), we are going back to DCL. There were too many things that disappointed, and while each single one was not a big deal, altogether they just made our experience too blah to want to repeat it. We had 3 adults and a 3-year old.



Sorry the Oasis didn't work out for you. Possibly not the best choice with a 3 year old but their water park is so much better than Disney's. Disappointing about the magnets. I always decorate (on NCL and RCI) and have never had any stolen. We did have gifts stolen from our FE on DCL - multiple nights. I know this because we didn't join a group - I brought the gifts for my daughter.


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## AlohaNow

Thanks so much to everyone who contributed to this thread! I learned a lot about Allure and love all the photos. We just passed PIF so have our show times booked. We're up in the air about booking any dining. We may just do the Chops lunch because it's the cheapest option! Thanks again for this very informative thread!


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## jenf22

AlohaNow said:


> Thanks so much to everyone who contributed to this thread! I learned a lot about Allure and love all the photos. We just passed PIF so have our show times booked. We're up in the air about booking any dining. We may just do the Chops lunch because it's the cheapest option! Thanks again for this very informative thread!



What cruise are you on?  We're sailing Allure on Oct 14th and can't wait!

Thanks to the OP for the great pictures and review!


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## AlohaNow

jenf22 said:


> What cruise are you on?  We're sailing Allure on Oct 14th and can't wait!



Yep, Allure on October 14th! I'll send you a PM!


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## a1tinkfans

Great info., thanks for posting.. especially all the pictures. We be Got an Allure trip booked ...with 
38 family members!! Looking forward to lots of laughter


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## DanInMN

We are also on Allure October 14... 25th wedding anniversary, and bringing our twin teen Colombian daughters.


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