Day 3: Allure of the seas, inaugural cruise

More Allure stats: there are 7 live shows a day, including ice shows, Chicago: The Musical, Oceanaria Aqua Show, Dreamworks character parades, comedy, an array of bands, and acrobatic/dance spectacular Blue Planet

Day 3: Thanksgiving. Ever heard of Turkey Pardon? No, nor had we, so we are compelled to wander down to the Royal Promenade (Deck 5) at midday to find out – after a tough morning testing the spa that’s suspended over the Caribbean Sea. Turkey Pardon Allure-style is RCC President Adam Goldstein’s entertaining homage to the US president’s gesture of letting one turkey escape its normal Thanksgiving fate. The big difference here being that Adam Goldstein gave the ship’s turkey its freedom from an extraordinary contraption above the Bow & Stern English pub – a giant copper globe that bursts open and ejects a bridge platform that spans the Promenade. Keeping a ship of this magnitude running to schedule means the 2,165-strong crew is working constantly, from galley to bridge and through all 16 passenger decks, restaurants, shops, shows and more. Maintenance teams are cleaning and retouching as we go – everything is spotlessly clean, including all the public bathrooms I visited at various times of day and evening. I had to call housekeeping when my plugged-in laptop wasn’t charging and within 20 minutes help was at hand, the sockets were tested and my adaptor was found to be faulty and binned immediately. Luckily the thoughtful people at Royal Caribbean had given us brand-new multi-country adaptors in our press kits, I hadn’t expected to use mine so soon!