By Ed Boitano, Travel Editor

As cruisers on the deck below watched in wonder, a teenage boy screamed with excitement as he glided along the zip trek line above them. After he passed, folks strolling the open-air boardwalk, inspired by Coney Island, returned their attention to the nostalgic carousel, a rock climbing wall, casual eateries, shops, games and an AquaTheater, which serves as a pool by day and an ocean-front showplace at night.

Such is daily life on Royal Caribbean’s new Allure of the Seas, which, along with her sister ship, the Oasis of the Seas, shares the title of being the world's largest cruise ship (although technically Allure is 50 millimeters longer than the Oasis.)

This 225,282-gross-ton floating pleasure palace – a cross between Disneyland and a family-friendly Las Vegas – spans 16 decks, carries 5,400 guests, features 2,700 staterooms, 28 ultra-modern loft suites and 26 dining options. That is big! How big? Allure is three times bigger than the Titanic and too big to squeeze through the Panama Canal. Like the Oasis, it’s an architectural marvel of seagoing engineering, divided into seven distinct themed areas, which include Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.

For those who have already experienced The Oasis, there may be wonder as to the differences between the two ships (besides almost two inches in length). According to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Chairman and CEO, Richard Fain, the company took a long hard look at Oasis – which made her maiden voyage over a year ago – and did a little fine tuning to make life on-board Allure even more fun and one in which you never know who you may meet.

On one recent cruise guests did double takes to see if that really was actor Adam Sandler and his kids swimming with DreamWorks Animation characters, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda in the AquaTheater pool. Upon that second look, they saw it was indeed Sandler who was working on a film shot on the vessel. Royal Caribbean has partnered with DreamWorks Animation, which features extravagant on-board parades with the film studio’s characters, so even if you don’t bump into Sandler, you can almost bet you’ll run into Shrek while strolling along the Royal Promenade.

For those of you who miss your daily triple shot venti latte with no foam, the Allure boasts the first ever Starbucks at sea. There’s also an array of new eateries such as Samba Grill Brazilian Steakhouse, Rita’s Cantina, a casual Mexican restaurant offering the widest selection of margaritas at sea, and For a fine dining experience, luxuriate at 150 Central Park, created by The Culinary Institute of America alumna Molly Brandt. There’s even the Boardwalk Dog House, an outdoor hot-dog specialty counter that’s a true education in hot dogology with its selection wide selection of authentic international sausages.

Cruise ship are of course known for their on-board entertainment and the Allure has taken the experience up a notch with the at-sea debut “Chicago: the Musical,” and Royal Caribbean Production’s new “Blue Planet” aerial show, “Ice Games” performance and 3-D movie screens in the ship’s Amber Theater.

When it comes to shopping, there’s the Guess Accessory store with top-shelf fashion apparel and accessories, as well as the first Britto Gallery at sea that offers the work of artist Romero Britto. New technological innovations include complimentary guest service kiosks in the Royal Promenade where you can instantly view, print and e-mail your SeaPass folio, check-in for flights, and print airline boarding passes.

Like the Oasis, with its cache of seemingly endless on-board activities and amenities, the Allure is ideal for cruisers who enjoy staying on-board for long days at sea. For landlubbers, Allure of the Seas alternates a Western Caribbean with an Eastern Caribbean seven-night itinerary from her home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Depending upon your choice of East vs. West, ports of call include Costa Maya, Mexico, Philipsburg, St. Maarten, Nassau, Bahamas, Falmouth, Jamaica, Cozumel, Mexico, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Labadee, Haiti.

For further information about the Allure of the Seas, log-on to www.AllureoftheSeas.com