Allure of the Seas – Lively, Safe, Sustainable, & Healthy!

What attracts people to cruises? I’d have to say the destinations and the ship itself. Last summer, I went on my 5th cruise and had the greatest cruising experience. It wasn’t the destinations that made it so great, it was the ship. I went on a 7 day Royal Caribbean cruise on the Allure of the Seas. Allure is the world’s largest cruise ship that is lively, safe, sustainable, and healthy.

Like every cruise, Allure had entertainment 24/7. The ship had a one of a kind neighborhood theme that entertained the guest in many ways. There is a boardwalk that is full of performers and food! There is a carousel for families and a zip line that crosses the boardwalk five stories up. Every night, the ship offers a broadway show in the main theater room and a water show at the rear of the ship.

The ship is safe in the sense that it has plenty of life vests and boats. The ship always has an evacuation video showing on one of their TV channels and has a safety broadcast as the ship begins to cruise.  Allure’s staff is also trained in the case of an emergency. On board the ship, they have a full medical center that can treat patients. This is the first advance medical center onboard a ship.

Allure is sustainable. When I was on the cruise, I remember the captain talking about how designers really wanted to be eco-friendly. The ship has over 12,000 plants to promote the environment and the lighting used runs on motion sensors. When the rooms are empty and the door shuts, the lights go out. I do not know the specifics, but the captain was talking about how advance the ship is and how everything was focused on energy saving.

Allure of the Seas also promotes healthy living by providing a huge spa and gym facility. The gym offers classes for all levels of fitness. The gym equipment is new and easy to use. The spa encourages guests to take care of themselves and to relax. On the upper deck, Allure has tennis and basketball courts. The ship even has a track that guests can run on. There are so many options for exercise.

My favorite space on the ship was the Central Park. The park promotes all four qualities. It was lively, safe, sustainable, an healthy. It was wide open to the sky and had thousands of plants. The park created a fresh environment that was relaxing for guests. Every night, small bands would play in the park to entertain guests. Every time I was in the park, I noticed security was was walking around. They didn’t have to be there, but their presence just helped make the space feel even more safe.

If you ever have a chance to go on a cruise, choose Royal Caribbean and experience Allure of the Seas!

 

LABEL Charlotte

The newest and greatest club in Charlotte is open! Last week, I was able to attend the grand opening  at LABEL, located at the NC Music Factory. The club is larger and more upscale than any other club in Charlotte. As soon as you enter the club, guests are greeted and can check in their coat. The entrance is nice, but your eyes are instantly drawn to the bar. The bar is actually built into the entrance of the dance floor and guests have to decide which way to go. The Bar’s wall is all glass so there is a hallway that goes on either side of the bar that allows guests to see the drinks and the amazing light show on the other side. LABEL is all about providing a lively space!

Once guests choose their direction, they enter the dance floor. LABEL is full of energy! The dance floor is unique compared to all the other clubs in the city. The VIP section is located in the middle of the room, making guests dance on the edges of the room. The VIP seating makes the room, which looks huge, feel smaller. Once there are enough people dancing, the floor seems packed, but really it’s not because the space is taken up by VIP. There is a second VIP stage that is located in the front of the club. People have so many options in LABEL.

Another cool feature is LABEL’s lounge. If you enter the back room, you’ll find a very decorative lounge. I think it’s a weird space because it’s not wide enough. The room is also very deep, but nevertheless, there is enough room for people to get to the third bar. LABEL offers so many bars, which increases the accessibility to purchase drinks. <— Smart idea!

Lastly, the club plans on opening an upstairs balcony that overlooks the dance floor and an outdoor lounge. The outside space will be the smoking section, but also a nice getaway from loud music. The amount of options for guests is what makes LABEL a unique club.

 

7th Floor Lounge

Every day I walk past our lounge on the 7th floor of South (new residence hall) and I tell myself that I want to use this space. People can access it from three directions . The two are by walking down the hallway from the two directions. The third is by exiting the elevator. The lounge is its separate room designated by corner pillars. The lounge only has two walls, but is clearly its own space. Where the other two walls should be are hallways.

If you look at the photo closer, you can also see that the carpet helps designate its own space. The center of the room is a solid color. It makes a large rectangle which embodies the room. The hallways also have their own design in the carpet. There are two parallel lines that run the entire length of the hall way. Those lines help direct people to the next space. On the right side of the picture, you can see them turning left. They could have bent and gone through the lounge, but the lines did not and helped highlight the two spaces.

The lounge is centered around a huge television on the wall. There is one couch and four sofa chairs surrounding a nice table. The room is cool because it’s functional without being secluded. Behind the couch is a small seating area for people who want to do homework. I love how the space can be used for a specific purpose, but still be social. Anytime I sit there, I watch TV but also talk to friends walking by.

I see a lot of students using the lounge as a game room. People play cards and bored games all the time. Students also use the are for eating in the morning since the lounge is placed next to the kitchen. I enjoy seeing people using the space and being social instead of staying in their rooms which are right down the hall. It is also a nice way to catch the news when the TV is on that channel.

On the ceiling, there are three main lights that direct people to the TV. They are in a line that is surrounded by sixteen smaller lights built into the ceiling. The users of the space can turn on the three main lights or the other lights. It gives them an option to control the mood of the room with lighting.

 

My New Room in South

A few weeks ago, I moved from Wireman into South, our new residence hall. I was excited to move until I realized how much smaller my room will be and how tight our shared space is. It’s been a month since I’ve moved in and I actually like it. My suite rooms four people in two rooms. We have a common room, which becomes everyone’s hangout. In my suite, we also have a shower room and a toilet room. This has been so helpful in the morning when everyone is getting ready at the same time. Our sink area is located at the end of our hall.

Having the sink at the end of the hall is so useful. This is the only running water in our suite that can be used for drinking and food preparation. It helps that it is not in it’s own room. It’s accessible for everyone. This area also has two sink, which accommodates the four suite mates. There is enough standing room in the area for us to see what we are wearing if we wanted to look. The only complaint is that the bathroom door swings out and gets annoying if you’re standing at the sink because you have to move.

The common room is nice, but not great. My biggest issue is that it is so small. It works for four people, but if we have a guest over, where are they supposed to sit? What if we each have a guest over!? Our microwave and refrigerator is also located in the common space. I like how it is so easily accessible, especially because it’s closest to my room. We decided to leave the furniture where the movers left it. It creates a nice area to talk and entertain. We did however put the small table in the bathroom and placed a big black table in the middle of the room for better use.

Unfortunately, the designers thought it would be a good idea to put one cable jack in the common room and none in our rooms. We all have televisions and would like to watch TV in our rooms.. Also, they only have one towel holder for four people. It just seems like they could have done a better job making a small space work for four people. Both bedrooms are located near the ends of the hallway. My room only has one small window where everyone else has two. We have a support beam that cuts through our space that really makes our room divided and smaller. The beam makes the ceilings feel lower and forces us to place furniture around the structure in my room rather than giving us a choice.

Campus Map..

Imagine going to a place and not knowing where to go. You show up and see buildings, but you have no idea what anything is. Or you know the name of the office, but you don’t know what building it is in… That’s Queens University of Charlotte! The campus maps are terrible.

Around campus, Queens placed campus maps on poles that are in good positions, but unfortunately are not very helpful. For students who know where offices are located, the map is great. For visitors who know nothing, the map is awful. Let’s first talk about the list provided under the map. There is a section dedicated to parking and then there is a building names list. The parking list is helpful, but the building names list is bad. The list is not in alphabetical order, which makes it close to impossible to quickly find the name of the building you are looking for. Even if you find the building, you have no idea what is in it.

By looking at the photo of the map, could you tell me what is in Jernigan Hall? NOPE! If new students come to campus and look for the admissions building, where do they go? I guess it is the Harris Welcome Center. What I am trying to explain is that Queens’ buildings have names, but they don’t help explain what is located inside of them.

The map above is actually a really good map, but unfortunately its’ key is poorly constructed. The map is actually built for an online campus map. Online, it has hotspots, making it an interactive map.  Unfortunately a good online map doesn’t always make a great paper map. The map shows a very accurate campus layout and it includes parking. There is even an arrow that points north. The only downside to the map is how Queens added some off campus buildings and didn’t place the pictures in the correct location. The reader assumes the off campus locations are in the direction to where they are placed on the map, even though that is wrong.

A good campus map would include a map like the one Queens has, once they’ve fixed some minor errors. The key would be in alphabetical order and office names would be included under each building name. There should also be a handicap accessible route. I would also suggest that the maps light up at night. Queens holds many evening events. Lastly, I would suggest that the maps become interactive, allowing students to touch the building name on the alphabetical list and have a dotted line light up and show the reader the way to the desired building.

VBGB (Very Big German Beer)

VBGB is like no other bar in Charlotte! It is designed for interaction and brings everyone together. VBGB stands for Very Big German Beer. The bar runs with the German theme with beers and food. The restaurant serves brats and pretzels, which have become a popular meal at VBGB. What’s interesting about the space to me is their decision to use long picnic tables inside and outside for seating.

Picnic tables force people to sit next to strangers and start up conversations. Whether you are eating or drinking, you are bound to meet some new people! The inside space is dedicated to the large bar, which can be reached from almost 360degrees, and their restaurant. The inside space smells great and is often loud with happy people. The walls are painted black with paintings of white trees growing from the floor. VBGB uses chandeliers and cool patio stringed-lighting to help set the mood. Even though the floors are finished with gloss over cement and the bar and chairs are made out of wood, the room feels comfortable and fun.

VBGB decided to create an outdoor patio that is extremely unique to Charlotte. Not only is it the largest patio in the city, it is filled with tailgating games and more picnic tables. People come to VBGB to socialize. The games out on the patio are placed on the outside perimeter against the fence. Seating takes up most of the room, but there is still plenty of standing room. In the center of the patio, VBGB built a mini stage that also acts as a huge chess board!

VBGB did a great job deciding how to use the space they were given. I love going there and having a good time. Everyone is friendly and shares the space. Every week, there is live music on the patio and a DJ on Saturday nights. Not only is this a bar and restaurant, but it turns into a small dance venue. Everything (except the bar) in VBGB can move so they can create more space for dancing or any other events they hold.

VBGB was also strategically placed in the NC Music Factory. It is an entire venue of bars, clubs, restaurants, and concert venues. VBGB pulls from a lively crowd and truly makes a mark at NC Music Factory.  They get so much business before and after concerts and are always packed on the weekends. People want new and interesting places to go and VBGB gives them that option!

Watch the VIDEO about VBGB to find out more!

Cookout

Every time I decide to go eat fast food, I pray that the line is not too long. I can’t stand waiting when the idea of fast food is speedy service. At Cookout, when they are not flooded with drunk people late at night, their service is rather quick. I believe it is because they choose to have one walk-up window outside and two separate drive thru lines.

McDonalds, Wendy’s, and Burger King all decide to have one line and two windows, where Cookout uses a different design. Cookout uses two lines each going to their own window. Each window is near each other, but they are on adjacent walls, allowing the cars to simultaneously get the same service. They also have their own order station. Even if there are 2 cars in each line, the next driver only see 2 car line instead of a 4 car line. This helps alleviate the pain of waiting or the perception of having to wait. McDonalds sometimes chooses to offer 2 order stations, but then combines the lines to pay and pick up food out of one or two windows. The cars ultimately join the same line, which can look horrific!

The cookout I specifically go to is on 2540 Freedom Drive, Charlotte, NC 28208. They do not provide seating inside or outside. I’ve seen other Cookouts provide outdoor seating, but never indoor. I believe this also helps keep the lines moving quickly. It allows for the employees to only focus on making the food and serving it to their guests. Indoor service creates a whole different experience and needs employees to focus more on customer service and cleaning the inside dinning room.

The locations of some cookouts can attract some unsafe people. I believe this is also a reason that there are no inside seating areas in these dangerous locations. It helps keep the employees safe. On the other hand, keeping everyone outside puts guests in danger. The Cookout on Freedom Drive can be very dangerous. There have been multiple shootings in the parking lot. The safest way to get the food is to use the efficient drive thru.

 

All American Pub

The All American Pub really surprised me when I entered the newly opened space. The pub moved into an old rustic building that was built in the early 20th century. Previously, the space was used as club/ lounge, but now seats plenty of guests as a pub. What surprised me was their seating options for guests.

 

When you first walk in, you can sit at the bar on the right side, or you can turn left and sit in the main seating area. The bar ran along the entire wall of the building and gave guests plenty of space to order drinks. About 8ft from the bar were bar tables. Some people were choosing to sit at the bar tables to have more of a conversation with their friends instead of sitting shoulder to shoulder at the bar.

The main seating area is placed in front of multiple TVs and a large projection screen. There is no place you can’t see a TV. Guests have the option to sit at square tables or in booths, which are raised up from the floor level by one step. If you sit at a booth, then you are forced to watch your friend eat as opposed to sitting adjacent to them.

To the left of the main seating area, is a lounge that allows guests to sit on sofas and relax. The sofas are set up in 90 degree angles, which help increase interaction apposed to placing them face-to-face. The space also uses end tables and a rug to pull the room together. Behind both seating areas, are three large doors inviting guests to sit outside on a nice patio that overlooks the light rail. Sitting outside is a good option to escape the loud cheering over a game on TV.

Inside, the walls are old brick which connect to huge wooden beams on the ceiling. It creates a warm feeling that is inviting. I noticed towards the end of my visit, that I did not want to leave. We decided to leave our table and go sit in the lounge to finish watching the game.

The All American Pub can be found at 200 East Bland Street, Charlotte, NC 28203.