Rita’s Cantina aboard Allure of the Seas

April 1, 2012 Margalit Sturm Francus

Location

Rita’s Cantina is a Mexican themed restaurant aboard Royal Caribbean‘s Allure of the Seas cruise ship. It is located on the ship’s BoardWalk.The deck which is on the ship’s sixth deck aims to replicate a Coney Island boardwalk and boasts a handcrafted carousel, several food venues including a hot dog stand, ice cream place, and the Aqua Theater. Though boardwalk tends to be more noisy and crowded at night, it still maintains its family friendly vibe the cruise line is so famous for.

When you should go

The restaurant is open for lunchtime and dinner when the ship is at sea.On most days one can just walk- in or wait for a little to get a table, however, Fiesta Nights are popular so make sure you book your desired date in advance if you want to participate.

What you can expect

The restaurant painted in vibrant colors is on the small side with the majority of tables providing an open a view of the ship’s Boardwalk.Most tables are for 8-10 persons though there are a few smaller ones that accommodate parties of four persons.Although the main stage is in the front of the venue, the music and dancing encompass virtually the entire restaurant, spilling into the boardwalk at times.

Should you go?

Although on the ‘kitschy’ side it is still fun to attend and the food is surprisingly good.In the $20 per person package fiesta you get several rounds of appetizers and main courses that are served on family style platters and replenished as needed.The package also includes three margaritas or any other alcoholic drink of choice for passengers 21 and up as well as unlimited sodas drink for patrons under 21.

Noteworthy
The fresh guacamole and salsa were a great starter and, unfortunately, we ended up eating too much, leaving less space for the variety of food items that followed.

Autism travel tips

Since the restaurant is incredibly noisy, ask to be seated in a booth -away from the main dancing floor or loud speakers when you make your reservation.
If your child is noise sensitive, bring earplugs or noise canceling headphones.
The food menu is fixed with no real selection possibility so if your kid is on a restricted diet, ask the Maitre D’ to bring food from alternate ship food venues.
When you first arrive the servers hand out Mexican sombrero straw hats for the guys and light-up necklaces for the ladies but the staff is very accommodating and will let you chose whichever trinket your kid prefers. Our son found the sombrero hat itchy and opted to take the light-up necklace instead.