Allure of the Seas Itinerary

What Allure of the Seas's Autumn Caribbean and Bahamas Season Is Actually Like

Allure of the Seas has 5,400 passengers, 2,100 crew, 18 decks and a 2025 refurbishment. That's a small city with a buffet. From late October to early January she does something simple and a bit sneaky. She sails out of Miami on a weekly rotation of 7-night itineraries, then in mid-January swaps to 3- and 4-night runs, like a pop star dropping the long album for a few quick singles. Our database doesn't record her ports, so everything below comes from Cruise Timetables and reseller listings. Itineraries can change, so confirm ports and times with Royal Caribbean before you book. Yes, I'm nagging. It's for your own good.

The rotation, decoded

Most of the 7-night sailings have three sea days. Oct 25 and Dec 27 are the exceptions, with two each, because they squeeze in four ports instead of three. Those days are when a 225,282-ton ship earns her keep, so don't book her for the ports alone. Royal Caribbean's Allure page lists the Ultimate Abyss slide, FlowRider surfing, a zip line, the Splashaway Bay water park, AquaTheater stunt shows and the adults-only Solarium. That's plenty to fill a sea day, and a few to spare for sulking in a deck chair.

Some of those sea days come back to back. The Nov 15 sailing, for example, has sea days on Nov 18, 20 and 21, so the last two days are all ship and no port. Pack your patience and your sunscreen. Most sailings leave Miami at 4:00 PM and return at 6:00 AM, but the Oct 25 departure sails at 8:00 PM, so you get a few extra hours to pretend you're not already hungry.

Weather and seas

Hurricane season officially runs June 1 to November 30, per the National Hurricane Center, which puts the peak at September 10. The late-October and November departures sit in the tail of the season. The tail isn't zero, so buy travel insurance and expect the odd itinerary reshuffle. Mother Nature doesn't read your booking confirmation. The Dec 6 sailing and everything after it falls outside the official window.

Miami is mild and getting drier. WeatherSpark gives November highs of 82 to 79°F, lows of 72 to 68°F and sea-surface temperatures of 81 to 79°F. The chance of a wet day falls from 24% to 18% over the month. For December, the same site shows highs of 79 to 76°F, lows of 68 to 64°F, sea temperatures of 79 to 77°F and a chance of a wet day that eases from 18% to 16%. That's Miami, so check each port's forecast closer to sailing.

What the ports are really worth

• CocoCay: Royal Caribbean's private island is the headline act of the Bahamas sailings. Allure is in port 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM on most calls (the Dec 27 sailing arrives later, 9:00 AM on Jan 1, and leaves at 5:00 PM). Royal Caribbean's own guide lists Chill Island, South Beach, Harbor Beach, Breezy Bay, Oasis Lagoon, Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon as free, along with food at Snack Shack, Chill Grill and Skipper Grill. It lists Thrill Waterpark, the zip line, the Up, Up & Away helium balloon, Jet Ski tours, Coco Beach Club and Hideaway Beach as paid. Alcohol and soda cost extra unless you have a beverage package. Decide your budget before you land, because a private island is very good at finding your wallet.
• Nassau: Usually 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM (4:30 PM on the Jan 2 call). Celebrity Cruises' port guide says ships dock at Prince George Wharf, a 10- to 15-minute walk from downtown. Bay Street, the Straw Market and the Queen's Staircase (66 limestone steps) are all in that area, and a ferry or water taxi to Paradise Island and Atlantis takes about 10 minutes. You can fill the day without an excursion, which your bank balance will appreciate.
• San Juan: The best walking port of the bunch, and the calls vary. Oct 29 runs 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Nov 4 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Nov 11 11:30 AM to 7:00 PM, Dec 23 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM and Dec 30 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The National Park Service runs the two forts, Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal, as a World Heritage Site. Check its fees and hours before you go. Forts don't care that you're on vacation.
• St. Thomas, Philipsburg, Basseterre: Longer calls, up to 10 hours. The Nov 22 sailing hits Philipsburg on Nov 25 (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and St. Thomas on Nov 26 (7:00 AM to 4:00 PM). Basseterre is a single call on the Nov 1 sailing, Nov 5, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
• Puerto Plata (Amber Cove) and Falmouth: Amber Cove is often a late-morning arrival (11:30 AM to 6:00 PM on Nov 27, Dec 11 and Jan 8), though Oct 30, Dec 22 and Dec 29 start at 9:30 AM, 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM. Falmouth is 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Nov 19, Dec 3 and Dec 17. Short days, so pick one thing and do it well. This is not the day for a seven-item bucket list.

Who should book which length

7 nights suits anyone who wants a real holiday, with the Eastern Caribbean itineraries giving the most variety. The 3- and 4-night January runs are a mix. The Jan 14 (4 nights) and Jan 18 (3 nights) sailings are Bahamas sampler platters, both visiting CocoCay and Nassau, and good for a first cruise or a long weekend. The Jan 18 sailing has no sea days at all, so it's wall-to-wall port, with no lounging time. Skip the Jan 10 Cozumel sailing if you want port variety, since it has only one call (Jan 12, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and two sea days. That's one port and a lot of ship.

Crowds and pricing

Holiday weeks are where it gets dramatic. The Nov 22 sailing returns Nov 29, so it spans Thanksgiving (Nov 26). One reseller snapshot showed its lead-in fare at $1,271 per person, taxes included, against $516 for the Nov 15 sailing and $526 for the Nov 29 sailing either side of it. The listing doesn't say why, and a snapshot isn't a quote. Christmas Day (Dec 25) falls on a sea day of the Dec 20 sailing, and New Year's Eve falls on a sea day of the Dec 27 sailing, which reaches CocoCay on Jan 1. A South African reseller's listing showed lead-in fares, in rand, for those two sailings at roughly three times (Dec 20) and four times (Dec 27) the Dec 13 fare. Santa, it seems, has a surcharge. Check current prices with Royal Caribbean before you plan around them.

What to pack

Swimwear and sunscreen are non-negotiable for CocoCay, where Royal Caribbean's guide lists snorkeling gear rentals as an extra cost. December calls for a light layer, since Miami lows run 68 to 64°F and you disembark at 6:00 AM, which is not the hour for bare shoulders. Bring comfortable closed shoes for San Juan's forts and Nassau's downtown walk, because flip-flops and 66 limestone steps are a bad combination. And toss in a small daypack, since most of your port days run about ten hours or less.

Cleanliness fans take note: she scored 98 on her latest CDC inspection (April 29, 2026). You can check the details in our CDC inspection lookup, read more on the Allure of the Seas ship page, or compare other ships on our itineraries hub.