REVIEW Transatlantic Cruise Cartagena-Lisbon, Pulmantur Monarch, May 28-June 9 2016

PULLMANTUR is the cruise line mostly marketed in Spanish-speaking countries. As far as I can tell, there is only site that sells Pullmantur cruises in the U.S. Cruisecritic doesn’t have a separate topic for Pullmantur, it goes under “Other Cruise Lines”, and there is not much information there; I found just a few reviews. I tried searching for information in Spanish, but it didn’t bring a lot of results either. So I thought I would write this review to help future travellers decide whether this cruise line might be right for them.

I work in education and normally cannot take transatlantic cruises since most ships reposition from Caribbean to Europe in April or beginning of May. So when I accidently stumbled upon the transatlantic cruise leaving for Europe at the end of May, and the price of an inside cabin was $145 plus taxes all-inclusive (!), I knew I had to take it. I fly to Europe every summer to visit my family anyway, and this was just a different way to get there. I ended up paying $467 for an ocean view cabin for one (100% single supplement) including taxes, but I thought it was still a great deal for a 12-day all-inclusive cruise!

1. CRUISE LENGTH could be different depending on where you boarded. It was the longest (17 days) for those who started in Venezuela, shorter for departures from Panama, and the shortest (12 days) for me, since I chose to join the ship in Cartagena, Colombia. The were three reasons I decided on Colombia: I wanted to make sure my school year was over in case we had make-up (snow) days; it was easier and cheaper to fly to Colombia than anywhere else; and, last but not least, I had been to Cartagena before and knew it was a beautiful and safe city, while Panama and Venezuela might not be the safest places for tourists these days. In fact, while on board I heard quite a few scary stories from those who embarked earlier than me that just confirmed Cartagena was a good choice.

2. CARTAGENA is a lovely city, full of history, beautiful buildings, good food, etc. I flew a day before the cruise, took a walking tour, tried local arepas (kind of corn tortillas with different stuffing) and generally enjoyed my time there. The only drawback was the heat with very high humidity, to the point when you step out of the hotel and your glasses fog! Taxis are cheap, but I only used them to get from the airport to the hotel and then the next day to get to the cruise port ($7 per trip, even without much bargaining). I walked the rest of the time and felt perfectly safe there.

3. EMBARCATION in Cartagena was a little disorganized. Not too bad, and there were a lot of helpers around, but I certainly saw room for improvement in that area, especially for those who did not speak Spanish. Overall, it took me close to two hours to get on board after arriving in the port. Word of caution: do not arrive earlier than what your documents say. Mine said 3 o’clock (ship leaving at 9pm), and that’s when they started letting travellers on board. I know a few people who arrived around noon and had to wait outside, in heat and humidity, for a few hours. It was a nice area though, with enough seating, a lot of shady trees, and a bunch of very loud parrots!

4. MASTER DRILL was scheduled for 6pm, but didn’t start until after 7, which pushed the dinner times back. It was a little confusing, too, and for a while I didn’t know what to do because I could hardly hear any announcements in the cabin; in order to hear them I had to have my door open. Once again, not a big deal, I am just mentioning it in case it might be for someone. It was actually nice not to be woken up by announcements when you were trying to catch on some sleep in the morning. Because of the length of the cruise there was a second drill a few days later, and that one was pretty long! Looked like they couldn’t locate some of the passengers (I know one who tried to sleep through it).

5. The SHIP is pretty old, 25 years old at the time of my cruise, and it shows. Nothing major, but you can tell it’s not a modern ship. The cabins are relatively small, no sitting area, not a lot of storage space. It was all quite fine with me, alone in the cabin, but I can see how two or more people used to more modern ships might feel crowded. The showers are tiny with vinyl curtains trying to cling to your legs. The décor of the theater felt outdated, the chairs were not very comfortable (low backs), and some even smelly! The lounge chairs at the pool area were cheap-looking, and many of the vinyl strips on them were broken making them pretty uncomfortable. Once again, not a deal-breaker, just wanted to let you know what to expect. On the positive side, unlike some other cruise ships, Monarch had enough chairs for everyone who wanted to seat or to lie down, which is a big plus. You have to check pool towels out and in though, and the price for not returning one is $20. I don’t think they reinforced it though - I heard someone talk to the manager about the towel they’d left on a chair and couldn’t find, and the manager just dismissed the charges.

6. The STAFF is mostly very nice and polite, but some lack the level of training you take for granted on Celebrity or other, similar cruise companies. Cabin stewards might be chatting in the corridor and wouldn’t even say hello as you pass. A couple of crew members might be walking in the middle of the jogging track and wouldn’t bother to step aside as you walk towards them. Once again, didn’t bother me, just wanted to mention what I noticed.

7. The LANGUAGE on board is Spanish. All the announcements are translated into English, but when it comes to shows, games, classes – it’s mostly Spanish with some occasional English words thrown in here and there. I speak Spanish and actually enjoyed practicing it, but if you can see yourself getting annoyed because you don’t understand the game show – it’s not your cruise. This said, there were quite a few people onboard who didn’t speak Spanish OR English, and survived just fine. There is an International Guests Manager on board who speaks 9 languages, and she was very helpful. All the staff I talked to spoke Spanish and English.

8. The GUESTS were mostly from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Al Salvador, Panama, but I also met quite a few from the USA, Canada, Russia, Malta, Finland, and heard some German and French spoken. Very nice, mixed, friendly crowd of different ages.

9. ST. MAARTEN was the only stop during the cruise. Since I had been there before and had taken the tour of the island then, I just chose to go to the beach close to the port and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the warm sea for a few hours. A very nice, relaxing day.

10. The EVENING SHOWS at first seemed to be very low-budget and completely amateur (I guess I am spoiled by the MSC entertainment), but the last three changed that impression. There was a very nicely done Rock-and-Roll show (loud, but what can you expect from this kind of music?), something about visiting six continents, and an amazing ABBA concert on the last night with beautiful costumes, nice dancing and music (granted, you can’t go wrong with Abba music). Besides productions shows, there were two nights of a one-person stand-up comedy, Spanish only; and one night guests who believed they could perform did so. Some overestimated their abilities, but others were pretty good.

11. The ENTERTAINMENT was inconsistent. At times it felt like there was nothing to do, but then a few events were happening at the same time, usually around 10-11 in the morning and 4-5 in the afternoon. There were usual dance classes, poolside games, evening games like “Miss Monarch” or “The Best Couple”, etc. Once again, mostly Spanish. There was a piano player and a few quite good bands, but I heard a few people complain that there wasn’t enough dancing music. I personally had expected more “action” on the ship with so many Latino guests, but, once again, I enjoyed the cruise the way it was.

12. THE FOOD was pretty good and the presentation was nice. There was no smoked salmon at breakfast or lobster at dinner, but there were always quite a few good choices. I was especially impressed with the selection of breads – different every night, and all delicious. What I didn’t like is that breakfasts and lunches in restaurants were buffet-type, with only drinks served by waiters. Besides, the options were limited compared to what you could get at the buffet on the upper deck. I do not like buffets and usually eat at a buffet once during each cruise – the day of the embarkation lunch, - but eventually had to give up on restaurants on Monarch and went there for dinners only.

13. DINNER TIMES are later than on most cruises, with the early shift at 7pm, and the late at 9:15; but, on the bright side, no-one had difficulty getting the first shift if they wanted to. In fact, there were quite a few seats and even whole tables available. Either the cruise wasn’t sold out, or many passengers preferred eating at buffet. The latter was certainly true – there were only three constant diners at our table for 8 people; others showed up only once or twice during the cruise.

14. DRINKS, alcoholic and not, were included in the price of the cruise. The bars served pretty decent Lavazza coffee, soft drinks, cocktails, wines, beer, etc. Basically, if you are not terribly picky, you don’t have to pay extra for anything food- or drink-related. And even if you want something premium, you do not have to pay full price, but just a few dollars to cover the difference. Of course, they try to sell you packets of premium drinks at the beginning of the cruise, but they are not at all pushy about it. I read someone complain about the quality of cocktails and saying they were watered down. I am not a big drinker and my impression might not be the same as of those more experienced in the area, but I though that cocktails were pretty strong. Besides, you could always get another one, and another one, which many people did… However, in spite of booze being consumed in huge quantities, I didn’t see any drunk behavior or drunk-related incidents.

15. DISEMBARKATION in Lisbon took very long! It was supposed to start at about 7, but in reality the first people were able to get off after 9! Again, I didn’t mind it since my hotel check-in time was 2pm, and the bars were still open, but some people probably missed their flights. The staff eventually abandoned the bars for another drill, and it felt like it was time to go, but there were still long lines to get off the ship. It was about 11 am when we were finally able to get ashore.

If this review sounds too critical, it wasn’t my intention. I actually had a great cruise, enjoyed the wonderful weather, beautiful views, relaxing and fun times, tasty food, etc. I met a lot of interesting people and made a lot of friends. I avoided the jet-leg on my way to Europe because the times were adjusted gradually, by one hour every other night. I got to visit breathtaking Lisbon, which I had never thought of as a vacation destination before. If I could take a similar cruise next year, I wouldn’t hesitate a minute. Unfortunately, it leaves when my school is still in session. The only reason I mentioned all the negatives is to help people decide whether they would want to take such a cruise. I heard rumors that someone didn’t like the cruise so much that they left the ship in St. Maarten. I personally know a woman who wanted to do that, too, but her friends talked her out of it. In short, this cruise line is somewhat different from what most of us are used to, but for me it was a great value and an unforgettable experience.

Thanks for the informative and beautifully written review!

Thanks for the insightful and detailed review. We are preparing for a Baltic cruise at the beginning of Sept. We chose this sailing for the itinerary and price- unbeatable. If we can get a comfortable bed and decent food, we will be happy.:)

Here are some photos:

And some info:

A great review, thank you for the info.

A few questions, if you have time

(A) any formal nights, or theme parties ?

(B) any English books in the library?

© I am a ballroom dancer, should I leave my dance shoes at home ?

I am doing 22 days out of Rostock to Aruba in Sept, so any info would be a helpful.

Joe,

A great review, thank you for the info.

 

A few questions, if you have time

 

(A) any formal nights, or theme parties ?

 

(B) any English books in the library?

 

© I am a ballroom dancer, should I leave my dance shoes at home ?

 

I am doing 22 days out of Rostock to Aruba in Sept, so any info would be a helpful.

 

Joe,

Joe,

A - Yes, there were two formal nights on our cruise. The dress code, as it happens on most ships nowadays, wasn't strictly observed or enforced, but there were quite a few dressed up people. There was also a white night, but, once again, not a lot of guests were wearing white. I wish cruise likes told us what kind of theme parties to expect so people would pack accordingly.

B - I heard there were a few English books in the library at the beginning of the cruise, but by the time I got there none were left. I saw some books in German, for some reason a lot in Dutch, but absolutely nothing in English. So I would suggest taking reading materials with you.

C - It's not that there was no dancing at all during my cruise; there were a few couples that danced almost every evening. It's just I didn't see a lot of "mass" dancing, and the times when dancing music was played were quite limited. A few people I know also complained about the quality of that music; they were saying it wasn't the kind many people would dance to. But every cruise, even on the same ship, is different, and there might be a lot of dancing on yours. I would certainly take your dancing shoes if it is something you like to do.

Enjoy your cruise!

Great review. Thanks.

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Wow, first of all, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your review of this cruiseline. There is virtually no information about them anywhere and I often find myself curious about them since their prices are amazing. The info you provided (and the pics, another rarity) is a great resource to many of us :)

Wow, first of all, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your review of this cruiseline. There is virtually no information about them anywhere and I often find myself curious about them since their prices are amazing. The info you provided (and the pics, another rarity) is a great resource to many of us :)

You are very welcome.

Thank you for taking the time to do this review. Someone mentioned these cheap cruises, and I went looking for info on them. Appreciate your candid comments!

I think I could do this cruise, to save money! :D

Fab review...I can't wait for Sep 17 for my transatlantic!

thanks