Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The Allure of the Seas: Deck 6 Overview

Deck 6 is the deck we were on, and I think it's a pretty good one to be on, for any of the ships.  Close to the Royal Promenade, but not too far from the gangway or upper decks.

Lets start at the stern (the back).  This is the main deck for the Aquatheater.
 Don't forget a hat and water if it's sunny out!
 Just before the Aquatheater is the Boardwalk Bar, Johnny Rockets is on the left, and Seafood Shack is on the right.
 As you move towards the bow, there is the Star Pier, Candy Beach, Pets at Sea, Pinwheels, Boardwalk Donut Shop and Ice Cream Parlor.  I don't remember the "Donut Shop" being a real shop, just a spot where racks of donuts were put out by a sitting area across from the Hot Dog Stand (which isn't listed on the Oasis deck plan, so maybe these are different).  The Hot Dog Stand was good, with some very interesting options.  The other shops are money-grabbers, especially for the kids.  A bulk candy store, and kids' based gift shop.  Keep your SeaPass locked up!  The ice cream parlour is worth a stop though!
 As you enter the Boardwalk zone from the inside, you come up to 4 or 5 displays showing the progression of how the horses for the carousel are carved.  We did ride the carousel, and it was fun....but not something high on our list to do.  Maybe if we were three...
 However, don't skip by the Fun House Mirrors!  I'm not showing the pictures of us!  LOL!
You can only access the Boardwalk zone from the inside, slightly to the stern of mid-ship.  This is so when there is rough weather, like we had on our last day, they can close it off.  What this means though, is that if you're in one of the rooms that are on either side, heading towards the stern, you have to walk up ship before being able to get to your hallway. 
Once inside, the mid-ship zone includes the future sales office, Focus (where you get those pictures they're always taking on the piers), the Schooner Bar, and the Diamond Club.  Of course, you can't access any of these (or their stairs down to the Royal Promenade) from the cabin hallway.
Up at the bow is the main entrance to the Vitality Spa and Fitness Center.  We had a tour, but nothing is free.  On smaller ships, my inlaws told me they would go to the fitness centre to use their (larger) showers, but you can't seem to do that on this ship.  If you are on the walking track on deck 4, you can enter the fitness center and go upstairs, take a little shortcut.
There is no access to the helipad at the front of the ship, though I think you can take a ($$) sunrise yoga class on it.
 Our cabins were right at mid-ship.  To get anywhere, we had to walk 1/4 of the length of the ship(either direction), and then backtrack or continue to the bow or stern.  Sometimes it would have been nice to take one of the "secret" doors in the cabin hallway and nip through to "Focus" and down the stairs to the Promenade.  These two pictures show the view in the hall, outside our door.
"Long Stretch of Lonesome" (Patty Loveless) is playing in my head, alternating with "I Would Walk 500 Miles"....However, I do think it would have been more upsetting to have a room right down at the stern, behind Johnny Rockets, and have to walk 1/4 of the way up ship to just turn back to walk the same distance!  Perhaps Royal should think about this.  For little kids and the elderly, it's a LONG way just to get out of the hall!