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Royal Caribbean's
Monarch of the Seas
July 30 - August 3, 2007
Cruise Review
by
David Handrahan
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:14:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: "David Handrahan" <dahandra@msn.com>
Subject: Review - Monarch of the Seas - July 30 - August 3, 2007
This will be a shorter review than any I have previously posted as this cruise was less about seeing ports and more about getting away and relaxing. There were some nuances to this trip that need to be shared with my cruise friends!!!!
For the first time, my wife Debi and I did not use any air options for getting to the port. Granted, not everyone can do this and we had to plan accordingly to make a drive from Phoenix to San Pedro, CA to make the cruise. For us, it worked out very well. We stayed overnight in a local hotel the night before, but with even better planning, we could have driven straight to the port....that is what we'll do next time; and there will be many more next times.
Arriving at the port and parking next to the Monarch around 10:00 AM on Day 1, we were directed into a waiting area and told processing would begin at approximately 10:30. Right about that 10:30, we walked up to a smiling RC rep., presented our boarding documents printed out from the internet and our passports and we moved to the security area. In about half an hour, they called our group, we went through the security checkpoint and entered the ship.
As per our usual cruise start practice, we immediately bought the soft drink (Coca Cola) stickers for our cards (though some disagree it's a good deal, it works for us) and then we headed up to Windjammer for a welcome aboard buffet, and the feasting began. I think the Monarch food is very tasty though there are some "scents" in the Windjammer around the central area where you can get drinks that could throw you off.....they are related to dishwashing/cleaning solutions, be ready.
Our stateroom was supposed to be ready by 1 PM, but took a little longer. Debi and I took advantage of the time to walk around and make sure all the features of the Monarch were ready to go. We did some reading (OK, she read and I played on my PSP) until the cabin was open around 1:45.
When we got to our cabin there was good and bad news. There was another "scent" issue in the lavatory which our cabin attendant somehow magically took care of as soon as we asked him; that about sums up teh "bad". A full gamut of reading materials on the ship as well as our cruise compass and excursion tickets (which we didn't end up using) were also waiting for us.
The cabins on the Monarch are small, but livable. There are no refrigerators and no safes. Hair dryers are functional, but not very powerful. There is a lot of storage room under the beds and pretty ample closet space.
We relaxed a bit in the cabin and later headed up to the upper decks for the sail-off which was great as it was a clear sunny day, but a little chilly for us as we were coming from 110 degree plus Phoenix heat.
At dinner that night we met our tablemates and a great serving team. Our waiter was from Serbia and asst waiter from Croatia....only on cruises like this can national differences like this one be put aside. We had great service from both the entire cruise.
Day 2, the ship pulled into San Diego. We skipped our planned trip to the zoo and walked (a bit of a hike) to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and to get our daughter a shirt from that location (another trip tradition). The second night is formal night, so not having been gone all day allowed us to take our time getting ready for the big dress-up occasion.
Debi looked even more beautiful than ever and I pulled out my tux for it's annual appearance, and then we got our photos taken (hint: we were in the second seating for dinner, but we got our pictures taken during the first seating time. It's allowed and it works out much better. If you wait until later, the crowds from what's left of the first seating and all the folks from the second seating make it a very long process).
Catalina Island loomed on the third day; you catch a tender (boat) if you want to go ashore to Catalina. Debi stayed on deck catching some sun and I started a new book....OK the PSP was back out too. We got dressed and headed down to the Sound of Music theater later as the ship pulled out and while waiting, we saw dolphins swimming aside the ship....everyone, especially Debi was happy to see them.
The ship pulled into Ensenada the next morning and we set out to once again have a relaxing day on teh ship, which we did. Took some photos of the town from the ship, entered and won the Sports Trivia competition in the Schooner Bar and then started to pack for the return to reality.
We set our alarm clocks early so we could take advantage or carrying our own bags off ship before the groups began. If you drive to the port, this is the way to go, but get down there at least half an hour before the early departure begins, it gets crowded as crew members are also waiting for a chance to get off the boat.
This was the cheapest, most laid back and convenient cruise for us yet and we still loved it. The crew was exceptionally courteous, the food and drinks desirable....if pressed to find something bad to say, it would be that the shopping on the Monarch is not great, though I did drop some cash at the jewlery store, right Debi?
Hope this helped....enjoy!
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