World’s largest ships can also be among most expensive for options
The 225,282-ton, 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas — the world's largest cruise ship – was named one of last year’s 11 most popular ships by Cruise Critic. It has a lot of amenities but extra costs can be pricy.
In the food department, the ship has the cruise industry’s first Starbucks and includes a hot dog joint and Mexican cantina among its casual eateries.
“It also has a famous near-twin, Oasis of the Seas, with which it shares roughly 95 percent of its DNA — including a novel neighborhood concept, which divides the ship into seven distinct spaces that range from the foliage-filled Central Park to the Boardwalk, with its handmade wooden carousel, burger joint and candy shop,” says Cruise Critic.
Like its sister, Allure also boasts the best kids program in cruising.
Another of Allure’s lures are new retail options that include a Guess store.
The line has also added 3D viewing capabilities to its movie offerings, iPod docks in every cabin and guest kiosks where passengers can print boarding passes and keep tabs on escalating onboard bills.
“While Allure certainly has enough distinctions to differentiate it from Oasis, there's one point where the sisters couldn't be more alike: They could easily be the most expensive mainstream ships in the world — if you let them,” writes Cruise Critic.
Allure and Oasis are flooded with optional offerings — extra-charge Mexican food, ice cream, build-your-own pets, Coach bags and fortunes from Zoltar
Passengers can surf or zip-line, ride a carousel or watch a first-run DreamWorks movie in 3D. They can also tap along to some Broadway show tunes.
By David Wilkening
David
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