Allure of the Seas is the second ship in the Oasis class of ships and is owned by Royal Caribbean International. Allure's maiden voyage was November 2010, and it was built in STX Europe shipyard in Turku, Finland. At 220,000 gross tons, this ship hosts 5400 guests and 2165 crew. This is one of the first ships to have interior stateooms with balconies facing interior open spaces. The ship features a zip-line, a casino,a mini-golf course, multiple night clubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, comedy club, four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, theme parks and nurseries for children. Onboard activities are organized into seven themed areas called neighborhoods. Neighborhoods include Central Park, Pool & Sports Zone, Spa & Fitness Center, Boardwalk, Royal Promenade, Youth Zone and Entertainment Place. The sister ship to Allure of the Seas is Oasis of the Seas. Both ships sail from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean. more

Princess Cruise Line's writes in their Europe brochure, "Once the only way to travel between North America and the continent of Europe, a Trans-Atlantic voyage is now more a luxury than a necessity." Very well said. A Trans-Atlantic cruise conjures up images of classic cruising - packing up steamer trunks for a long voyage to the new world - reading a good book on a deck chair on the Promenade Deck, glancing up a times to see the endless horizon of the days at sea. High energy? No. Stress-free and relaxing? Absolutely. These cruises are typically 12 - 14 days long and are offered primarily in the Spring when the cruise lines reposition their ships to Europe for the Summer and again in the Fall when they bring them back to the Caribbean for the Winter. Cunard's QE2 does have series of 5 - 6 day Trans Atlantic cruises that sail between April and December. more