This is my families second cruise, but first review.
TL;DR: Royal Caribbean and Allure was absolutely outstanding. Not sure it mattered where we were cruising; the boat, activities, and staff were amazing. Can't recommend it enough.
My wife and I booked this cruise about 16 months ago. We thought that was pretty far in advance, but apparently it's pretty easy to book almost 2 years in advance. Anyway the anticipation was actually a great part of the trip. We waited until Christmas to tell our kids, so they only had to endure 4 months of waiting.
Cabin was great. Very much enjoyed the back of the boat experience, especially with the secret door into the rock climbing area. From the rock climbing area the staircase continues directly to the track on the 5th floor. Also, just be careful if you need the couch to be pulled out, it fills the entire room.
The peddlers outside the cruise ship are loud and pushy. Scared the kids. It's a shame you have to walk the gauntlet through the port to get into Nassau. Other ports are similar, but I think Nassau could be the worst.