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You Ought to Be In Pictures: The Allure of the Seas

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 8, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I must have missed this one while away on vacation but the other night I ran into a couple of movies put out by Royal Caribbean. While they are undoubtedly meant to be commercials for their newest ship the Allure of the Seas, these shorts star real actors and come complete with storyline, humor and even special effects. If you are someone who loves cruises and everything about them you owe it to yourself to watch these short films. Each of these are about 11 minutes in length and as I mentioned earlier they were filmed almost entirely on the Allure of the Seas.

Both shorts were shot onboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas giving those of us who have never been onboard a good look at the ship. Now these will never be mistaken for “The Godfather”, “Casablanca” or “Star Wars”, but I found them entertaining and definitely worth a watch. Hopefully those of you who haven’t seen them yet will be as entertained as I am.

The first one I watched was called “Royal Reunion”. This short is about a multi-generational family who take a cruise to celebrate the Grandparents 40th wedding anniversary. Starring James Brolin (who also directed the short), Dean Cain (Lois and Clark), Amy Yasbeck (Wings) and some other people I’ve never heard of; Justin Baldoni, Caroline Lagerfelt and Chelsea Ricketts.

I thought all of the actors did a great job and while I’m no expert on fine cinema I thought both Royal Caribbean and Brolin did a great job putting this film together. I was amazed at how well they were able to develop the characters to the point of invoking emotion in an 11 minute short. Honestly, this is something that could have been an actual 90 minute movie.

The second was called “The Allure of Love”, and as you probably guessed it’s a romantic comedy. Jenny McCarthy both directed and starred in “The Allure of Love” alongside a bunch of people I’ve never heard of; Scott Elrod, Malik Whitfield and Courtney Henggeler. However, even though they were relatively unheard of I thought they did their jobs well.

As for the directing, this was the directorial debut of Jenny McCarthy. Now, I have been a Jenny McCarthy fan since my college days when she was the host of MTV’s singled out, so I understand her sense of humor and it was stamped all over this short. Campy, over the top and featuring a lot of both the Allure of the Seas and Jenny McCarthy; what’s not to love.

These shorts were meant to showcase the ship and all of the activities you can participate in while on board, they hit the mark. I applaud Royal Caribbean for once again raising the bar in cruise ship innovation. This method of gaining exposure for their newest vessel was nothing short of genius and most definitely a worthy format for showcasing such a magnificent ship.

Ever Thought of Being a Big Time Cruise Ship Drug Trafficker? This Guy Did…Allegedly

Written by T.I. Cruiser on February 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment

In what seems to be a growing trend on board cruise ships another passenger was arrested this past weekend on drug related charges. The Associated Press reports that 51 year old Steven Barry Krumholz of West Hollywood was arrested by customs officials on suspicion of dealing drugs.

Apparently a fellow passenger onboard the Allure of the Seas was caught with drugs and decided to “cooperate” with authorities. This cooperation pointed the custom officials in the direction of Krumholz. A search of his cabin followed and the officials allegedly found “more than 142 ecstasy pills, nearly 3 grams of methamphetamine, a small quantity of ketamine and about $51,000 in cash,” according to the Associated Press. (And they call Carnival the fun ship).

To take things a step further, the affidavit also says that while the officers were waiting for Krumholz to return to his cabin, two passengers knocked on the door in an effort to make a purchase (talking about terrible timing).

That particular sailing of the Allure of the Seas had been chartered by a company called Atlantis Events. However, due to the expense necessary to secure a ship of that size I can’t imagine this was a private event. The sailing was billed as “The World’s Biggest Ever Charter for Gay Cruise Travelers”, that’s a mouthful (no pun intended). This would lead me to believe that although chartered by Atlantis the sailing was open to anyone who happens to be a member of their club/mailing list.

Atlantis Events has since stated that they fully support Royal Caribbean’s policies and will work closely to enforce them. They have also stated in a press release that plan on chartering the Allure once again next year.

Coffee Lover’s Rejoice

Written by T.I. Cruiser on October 28, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Coffee lovers everywhere now have a new reason to travel on Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship. Royal Caribbean has announced that the Allure of the Seas will house the first Starbucks at sea. Located on the Royal promenade, Starbucks will take the place of Mondo’s coffee bar which is found on it’s sister ship the Oasis of the Seas.

You’ll also be happy to know that just because this Starbucks will be located in the middle of the ocean, that does not mean you will be getting a water downed version of the original. Starbucks at sea will be staffed with fully trained Baristas ready to serve you the full line of Starbucks drinks. Open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. this location will offer you the same experience you enjoy at your neighborhood location.

Personally, I hardly ever touch the stuff, but I have witnessed first hand how those who need coffee can’t live without it. My girlfriend doesn’t become human until she’s had that first cup of coffee in the morning (I can say stuff like that because she doesn’t read the blog) which makes me an expert by association on the subject. She always complains about the watered down mud many cruise lines try to pass of as free coffee. There are usually “for pay” alternatives which taste a lot better, but if you are going to pay, why not have Starbucks.

Last night I told her about the newest addition to Royal Caribbean’s newest ship the Allure of the Seas and her eyes lit up. Although I do appreciate her enthusiasm, I was not nearly excited as her. While I am a Royal Caribbean fan I am not a fan of the direction they are going in, the ships are starting to resemble theme parks instead of cruise liners. It seems like they have so many extra fee options on their cruise ships these days that the cruise experience is getting lost in the shuffle.