Monarch - buyers remorse

[QTMichele]

Although I haven't been on the Monarch, I recently asked fellow CCs opinion of her since I was considering a June cruise on her. The opinions were overwhelmingly positive! Most acknowledged that she doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles (compared to her cousins Voyager, Freedom, and Oasis), but she has SERVICE and an incredible staff.

 

As others have stated, if you go with an open mind and the desire to have a great time, then you will!

[cruisemom9]

I was close to canceling a cruise last year because of bad reviews I had read. Since we would have lost to much of our deposit we decided to go. I am glad we did. We had a great cruise with non of the problems I had read about. Monarch was my first cruise and honeymoon 9 years ago. I have been addicted ever since. I am sure you will have a great vacation don't let the bad reviews stress you out

[rubrrick]

Monarch's crew was the gold standard for the RCI fleet when she was here in LA. She had a complete overhaul when she left us in 2008, and I think you'll find that everything is in great shape. Still miss her...

 

 

 

Or it's a good teaching tool for the kids....

 

 

Oh, by the way........if you think that Jean is not biased about the Monarch......check out her signature!!;)

 

Rick

[cj'smom]

Wow, thanks everyone for all the responses and encouragement! I'm feeling better about this now and know I will have fun planning when and how to surprise my girls with this. I may just tell them that we are going on a girl's beach road trip to FL over break and not tell them about the cruise part till we pull into our hotel the night before near Port Canaveral. We'll see if I can keep a secret that long!

 

I'm sure the food will be fine. As someone else said, so long as I don't have to cook, serve or clean up, it's good! We'll keep an eye out for those activities labeled more adult oriented and will stear clear. Really, we'd be fine playing shuffleboard or ping pong, swimming, taking walks around the ship, reading and catching some shows.

 

I am looking forward to the private island and spending as much time as possible on it. Our TA said it is really nice and we all LOVE the beach.

Nassau - I've been several times before but my kids haven't so we'll probably try to do the fort and Queens steps, maybe the straw market (I don't like it but my girls might) and then get beach passes at a hotel.

 

Actually, the thing that scared me most about the negative reviews is the mention (by multiple travelers) of sewage and/or of mold in the cabin. I have some health issues including a sensitivity to mold. It can make me sick so I have to be careful about exposure. But, I realize that can happen on any ship or hotel for that matter (noticing many Port Canaveral hotel reviews mention mold problems). Hopefully, it won't be an issue in our room and if it is I'll just have to ask for a thorough cleaning. Will probably also bring a small plug in air purifier with a UV light that kils mold and a small bottle of mold killing solution just in case.

 

We are on deck 5 and it seems most of the sewage smell issues were on the lower decks so hopefully we'll be OK with that too.

No, I have no intention of cancelling and losing so much money. We will go and I'll sure we'll have fun no matter what.

[JustUs275]

I will chime in with my 2 cents worth! ;) We were on Monarch for our first cruise last May...I too booked it because it was a reasonable price and we wanted a shorter cruise for our first one, in case we didn't enjoy cruising. (no worries there! LOL) We truly enjoyed the entire experience - from the ease of boarding at Port Canaveral, to the excellent service we received from wait staff, room attendant - everyone we came into contact with, really. The food was better than I expected, after reading some of the reviews - we had no complaints about anything that was served in the main dining room or Windjammer.

 

Really, it's all about expectations. We knew Monarch was an older, smaller ship as compared to the rest of the fleet. But we also read how people loved her and sailed her over and over again - we knew there must be a reason for that! A vacation with your daughters...how marvelous! Relax, don't worry, have fun planning your port activities and then enjoy your cruise! :)

[cj'smom]

I hate this, BUT you should have read the reviews here on CC before you booked and NOT booked it based on a travel agent's recommendation......:(

 

I usually try to do more research first but this was a fairly spur of the moment decision, cabins in the lower priced category with a GA resident discount were going quickly, rates had already gone up in the 24 hours since I made an inquiry and when I booked (and went up again the next day) so I had to act quickly. This board is an awesome resource though and I've been reading a lot since booking. I so appreciate others sharing their wisdom, opinions and experiences.

[disfan]

Just got off the Monarch on Monday, which was my 15th Monarch cruise. This included a couple during spring break. I have NEVER had a bad Monarch cruise. Considering its' age, it is very clean and very well maintained. All shows are geared towards family audiences except the adult comedy shows, which are late at night. The staff is excellent and responsive to any concerns that you might have. I will continue to sail on this ship, as often as I can.

[cj'smom]

My family (DH,DS(6) and myself) will be on the April 4 sailing. Which sailing will you be on?

 

I read some of those same review but like stated above you can find bad reviews on each ship. And you can find 2 people on the same cruise have totaly different reviews. We are also laidback and it would take a lot to make us not enjoy a cruise.

 

I hope you have a great time.

 

We are on the April 4 sailing too. I see that you are also from GA. Seems like most of us in GA have an early Spring Break. My family up North doesn't have their break till the end of the month. Of course, we start back to school much earlier than they do in the summer.

 

It would take a lot to make us not enjoy a cruise too. My girls will be SO excited. You'll be able to identify us at the port by the screams and shouts when they realize they are going on a cruise!

[rubrrick]

Wow' date=' thanks everyone for all the responses and encouragement! I'm feeling better about this now and know I will have fun planning when and how to surprise my girls with this. I may just tell them that we are going on a girl's beach road trip to FL over break and not tell them about the cruise part till we pull into our hotel the night before near Port Canaveral. We'll see if I can keep a secret that long!

 

I'm sure the food will be fine. As someone else said, so long as I don't have to cook, serve or clean up, it's good! We'll keep an eye out for those activities labeled more adult oriented and will stear clear. Really, we'd be fine playing shuffleboard or ping pong, swimming, taking walks around the ship, reading and catching some shows.

 

I am looking forward to the private island and spending as much time as possible on it. Our TA said it is really nice and we all LOVE the beach.

Nassau - I've been several times before but my kids haven't so we'll probably try to do the fort and Queens steps, maybe the straw market (I don't like it but my girls might) and then get beach passes at a hotel.

 

Actually, the thing that scared me most about the negative reviews is the mention (by multiple travelers) of sewage and/or of mold in the cabin. I have some health issues including a sensitivity to mold. It can make me sick so I have to be careful about exposure. But, I realize that can happen on any ship or hotel for that matter (noticing many Port Canaveral hotel reviews mention mold problems). Hopefully, it won't be an issue in our room and if it is I'll just have to ask for a thorough cleaning. Will probably also bring a small plug in air purifier with a UV light that kils mold and a small bottle of mold killing solution just in case.

 

We are on deck 5 and it seems most of the sewage smell issues were on the lower decks so hopefully we'll be OK with that too.

No, I have no intention of cancelling and losing so much money. We will go and I'll sure we'll have fun no matter what.[/quote']

 

 

With this being your 3rd posting on Cruise Critic.......sorry that I didn't catch this before.......but.......Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

I'm glad that you have become one of us, there is a ton of information about the ports and this ship.......here on the boards. The CC reviews are OK.....but the meat is here, where you can ask any question about, not only the ship, but what to see at the different ports, and what to do on RCCL's Coco Cay.........not only for the kids, but for you as well.

 

There is everything from wave riding, parasailing, to just laying on the beach. There is a great water slide, fun swimming area, and the food.....well, it's BBQ.......chicken, ribs, burgers....all done on the island, with many extras.......and many go back for seconds.

 

If you have not totally explored Cruise Critic.....there are many different areas of the board, and please make yourself at home. You are very welcome here, and many more will know some of the secrets of having a wonderful time, from the time that you reach Port Canaveral's hotel.

 

CC is not just about cruising......but what to do before and after the cruise, as well as what to do in every port.

 

Again, welcome aboard, and please take advantage of what CC has to offer you, and in return, come back and share with us about your adventure!:);)

 

Rick

[cj'smom]

Don't let a few negative reviews scare you. Remember, when someone has a bad cruise, they shout it to the world...and 5x as many that have a great cruise, don't. We've read negative reviews for every cruise we've taken-and still had fun on every one.

Re: things to do- perhaps a spa trip,mani/pedi? There'll also be specials that the spa offers. Have a great cruise.

 

Thanks for the spa suggestion. That would be fun. We'll have to see what the prices are like.

[cj'smom]

As you can see from our previous sailings we have been on Monarch many times (As well as the Sovereign itself). We are not alone in that. There are many who return to Monarch because it is such a great experience. She and her crew were rated number 1 in the RCL fleet late last year based on customer surveys completed at the end of their cruise experience. You did not make a mistake in listening to your TA. We will be on board the 4th of April for a mini family reunion. Hope you and the family have a wonderful cruise!!!

 

Did not know that the Monarch was rated #1 in RCL. That's very reassuring. I know problems sometimes occur but it's nice to know that if they do, the staff will be responsive. We'll be on the same cruise so may see you on board. I tried to sign up for the meet/mingle on the RCI site but apparently they don't have them for 4 night cruises? Enjoy your reunion. How fun to hold it on a ship!

[Karter]

The Monarch is a great ship. We were on it for 10 days (b2b2b) last December and one of the best cruise experiences ever. We have been 50+ cruises on multiple cruise lines and while the Monarch is smaller than many ships out there today it is still a ship with an outstanding crew. While it will never compare to the Oasis in terms of ammenities it outshines the Oasis in terms of staff friendlyness and the more intimate atmoshpere.

 

Since we live in Florida we have been on the Monarch 6 times and I wouldn't hesitate to go again. In fact we will be on it again later this year.

 

Ignore the reviews and just have a positive attitude and you will have an excellent cruise.

[cj'smom]

I have had quite a few wonderful cruises on the Monarch - and Majesty and Sovereign, her sister ships - and recommend her to you.

 

My only caveat - are you four going to be in one interior cabin?!?!?!? Or two?

 

If two, please be aware that in order to change your mind, you will have to go out into the hall.

 

:D

 

Yes, we are all squeezing into one room! Crazy I know but this is a splurge for us as DH and I are trying to save up for a nice 25th anniversary and 5oth b-day cruise later this year. So, we are needing to go lower budget on this one. Hence, choosing to scale back from a 7 day to a 4 day and get only one cabin.

 

We'll manage to squeeze somehow and it will be an adventure and memory maker. I've been very blessed that I have great relationships with my teen girls and my younger one and they have great relationships with each other. We all truly enjoy each other's company and like to do things together. We'll just have a little extra closeness on this trip! The one bathroom thing will be a challenge but I figure a couple of us can go shower at the fitness center/spa showers if need be. I just hope we'll have room enough for all our "stuff". Will have to warn my girls to pack light this time (Is that even possible for teen girls :)?)

[momof4_tn]

We just got off Monarch this past Monday (2/7). It was my first cruise. I think you're looking at the 4 day, but I have my Compass's for the 3 day if you're interested. There was no shortage of things to do, in fact, we didn't make half of what we intended to. I saw several Mom's with teens/tweens on this cruise, as a matter of fact there was a group of 3 Mom's and 6 girls sitting at the table beside us on formal night. The head waiter took extra time with them, and they had Shirley Temple's to drink. It looked like they were having great fun.

 

As for the ship, the staff was amazing. We were greeted warmly everywhere we went. Always someone asking if they could help us or get something. The crew was always busy and I was extremely impressed with the fact that they seemed to be constantly cleaning.

 

We were on deck 4 Oceanview room. Yes, the rooms are small but honestly after what people on here had me thinking I was pleased with the size of the room. All we did was sleep there. As for the sewage smell, my opinion on that is the bathrooms back up to the hallways, and guess what everyone has to do their business sometime. Those rooms have to vent somewhere so guess what yes, some of it seeps into the hallway. I only noticed it in the hallway a few times.

 

Cocoa Cay is beautiful and I could've spent a week there.

 

The food in the dining room had decent options, and guess what if someone doesn't get full there is always the Windjammer, pizza at Sorento's, or room service. I'm sure you and your girls will have a wonderful time. I hope to get my full review completed soon, with pictures and the Compass's if that helps.

[Scotty G]

Did not know that the Monarch was rated #1 in RCL. That's very reassuring. I know problems sometimes occur but it's nice to know that if they do' date=' the staff will be responsive. We'll be on the same cruise so may see you on board. I tried to sign up for the meet/mingle on the RCI site but apparently they don't have them for 4 night cruises? Enjoy your reunion. How fun to hold it on a ship![/quote']

My DS and 14 year old GD will be with us. They are from Tucker, GA. My DW and I are in stateroom 9558. You can leave a message there if you want. See you on board.

[cj'smom]

...

I'm one that loves a ship that feels like a ship, and not a floating city or circus. The food is the same, if not a bit better than found on the Allure. Some of the top chefs of Royal Caribbean are found on the Monarch, as they love the ship, as do so many of the crew, that have been with the Monarch for 10 to 15 years, and don't want to move to other ships.

 

The Monarch was rated the number 1 ship in the fleet last year, by the customers that filled out the questionare given to everyone at the end of the cruise. WOW.......number 1!!

 

If you think that you picked the wrong ship for your first sailing on Royal Caribbean, I hope to put your mind at ease. ...

 

 

Rick

 

Thanks for the detailed post and positive perspective. That does help put my mind at ease. I like having a smaller ship for a shorter sailing. It seems like it takes a few days just to learn your way around on a large ship.

[cj'smom]

My mom, sisters, niece, and I just sailed on Monarch 1/31 - 2/4 and had a wonderful time! We were in three Deck 5 inside staterooms and none of us noticed a sewage smell or had problems with the showers or toilets. The a/c in my stateroom was not working when we first boarded, but I called maintenance right away, and when we returned from the sail away party, the problem was solved! The staff were incredible! I have a high standard as I love the customer service on Disney Cruise Lines, but I have to admit the crew aboard Monarch were just as good as any DCL cruise I have taken...and my mom agreed (she has sailed DCL, RCI, and HAL before...always compared all her cruises to her one DCL cruise! LOL).

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Our cabin is also deck 5 interior so I'm glad to hear you didn't have problems there. I think it may have been primarily the lower decks.

 

Our prior family cruises were also all on Disney. Absolutely love everything about them but their prices! We've been fortunate to get some really great deals in the past but the prices were outrageous for this particular week that we can go. I know not to go into this cruise with the expectation of the high standard of the Disney "magic". It will be fun to try something different.

[hfweather]

My husband and I took our then 2 year old granddaughter on the Monarch in October. We took her to the shows, she absolutely loved the singing and dancing.

 

The service, we couldn't have asked for better service from our cabin steward or dining room servers, they were absolutely amazing.

 

The food, I thought it was excellent in the main dining room. I'm the first to admit it I'm not a fan or buffets in land or sea, that's just a personal preference, so we ate in the MDR when we could and I didn't eat one thing I didn't like.

 

On the sea day there were so many activities that kept us busy. Your family may enjoy doing the video scavenger hunt. I didn't participate because of the grandbaby, however my husband did, and he had a blast.

 

Only negative thing and nothing is perfect, I did use the restroom on our last day and while I was in there I heard this gurgling coming from the shower and did smell sewer. I called the front desk and when we returned to the room several hours later the smell was gone.

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise, we loved the Monarch!

[cj'smom]

With this being your 3rd posting on Cruise Critic.......sorry that I didn't catch this before.......but.......Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

I'm glad that you have become one of us, there is a ton of information about the ports and this ship.......here on the boards. The CC reviews are OK.....but the meat is here, where you can ask any question about, not only the ship, but what to see at the different ports, and what to do on RCCL's Coco Cay.........not only for the kids, but for you as well.

 

There is everything from wave riding, parasailing, to just laying on the beach. There is a great water slide, fun swimming area, and the food.....well, it's BBQ.......chicken, ribs, burgers....all done on the island, with many extras.......and many go back for seconds.

 

If you have not totally explored Cruise Critic.....there are many different areas of the board, and please make yourself at home. You are very welcome here, and many more will know some of the secrets of having a wonderful time, from the time that you reach Port Canaveral's hotel.

 

CC is not just about cruising......but what to do before and after the cruise, as well as what to do in every port.

 

Again, welcome aboard, and please take advantage of what CC has to offer you, and in return, come back and share with us about your adventure!:);)

 

Rick

 

Thanks for the warm welcome. I used a board similar to this to prepare for a Disney Med cruise last year and found it very helpful. I have been reading some threads and will continue to explore.

 

I'd love advice on CocoCay. Unfortunately on our past family cruises with Disney I missed the private island. Once, I was caring for my terminally ill mom on board and the other time Disney had to cut our cruise short to beat a hurricane back to PC and get the ship out to sea. So, I'm very much looking forward to that day and hope the weather is good.

 

I'm sure I'll be asking more questions as I prepare. I'd love to see the daily compasses for the 4 night Monarch if you or anyone else has them.

[SpeedGeek]

Wow' date=' thanks everyone for all the responses and encouragement! I'm feeling better about this now and know I will have fun planning when and how to surprise my girls with this. I may just tell them that we are going on a girl's beach road trip to FL over break and not tell them about the cruise part till we pull into our hotel the night before near Port Canaveral. We'll see if I can keep a secret that long!

 

I'm sure the food will be fine. As someone else said, so long as I don't have to cook, serve or clean up, it's good! We'll keep an eye out for those activities labeled more adult oriented and will stear clear. Really, we'd be fine playing shuffleboard or ping pong, swimming, taking walks around the ship, reading and catching some shows.

 

I am looking forward to the private island and spending as much time as possible on it. Our TA said it is really nice and we all LOVE the beach.

Nassau - I've been several times before but my kids haven't so we'll probably try to do the fort and Queens steps, maybe the straw market (I don't like it but my girls might) and then get beach passes at a hotel.

 

Actually, the thing that scared me most about the negative reviews is the mention (by multiple travelers) of sewage and/or of mold in the cabin. I have some health issues including a sensitivity to mold. It can make me sick so I have to be careful about exposure. But, I realize that can happen on any ship or hotel for that matter (noticing many Port Canaveral hotel reviews mention mold problems). Hopefully, it won't be an issue in our room and if it is I'll just have to ask for a thorough cleaning. Will probably also bring a small plug in air purifier with a UV light that kils mold and a small bottle of mold killing solution just in case.

 

We are on deck 5 and it seems most of the sewage smell issues were on the lower decks so hopefully we'll be OK with that too.

No, I have no intention of cancelling and losing so much money. We will go and I'll sure we'll have fun no matter what.[/quote']

 

Of the three cruises I've had on MN, I've only smelled the 'sewage' smell once in the hallways on Deck 8. It's not overpowering, just noticeable in the hallway (not in your cabin). I've stayed on 8 OV, 7 Inside, 6 Inside, and this upcoming cruise on the Monarch is 4 OV. Our waitstaff was excellent on the first two, but unfortunately the last cruise I was made to feel as if we weren't as important as the waiter's other tables, and I made a note on my satisfaction survey. Aside from that, our stateroom attendants have always been fantastic, Drew Devine is an amazing CD (hopefully he's on there right now), and there is plenty to do!

 

I was like you in 2009 when my parents took me on my first cruise on the Monarch. I looked up every single review I could. It seemed as in the last few years that Monarch was on the west coast before refurbishment things got bad. After refurbishment and the move to the east coast, I've seen many many more positive reviews than anything else. So be sure to check the date on the review, and anything over a year or two old should be taken with a very big grain of salt.

 

The Monarch is just a great getaway. The crew is amazing, the prices are well within reach, and I can take off minimal days from work and still have a great weekend trip! I find something new to do in Nassau every time I visit (this time I think I'll finally make it to Atlantis) and Coco Cay is just beautiful. Another thing I love to do is talk to crew members and find out how they got into cruising. Hearing their stories and connecting with them is fun and I think they enjoy the discussion as much as I do!

 

Here's a little note to show how great the staff is... on my first cruise, we had great waiters, and there was a head waiter named Havva who helped me to get the peppercorn sauce that came with the steak on formal night brought along with my meal the following night. Loved that sauce. Anyway, on my second cruise a year later, I found out that she had been promoted to being over the entire dining room. After seeing her again, and a slight reminder on our cruise, she actually remembered on her own that I enjoyed the peppercorn sauce and had it available for me every night. My waiter on my second cruise saw me on the third cruise two months later and acted as if he saw his long lost brother, and apologized because he knew I'd asked for him for that cruise and they had given him two groups so he didn't have space for me.

 

I know this is long, and I know that I've only had three cruises on the Monarch, but I cannot stress enough how great the crew is. Yes, it's not 100% perfect, but I will definitely accept 99% and I don't think you'll have any problems! Finally, to alleviate any questions... guess where I'll be taking my girlfriend on her first cruise in less than three weeks from now....

 

On the Monarch of the Seas!!!!!! :D Have a FANTASTIC cruise!

[SpeedGeek]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I used a board similar to this to prepare for a Disney Med cruise last year and found it very helpful. I have been reading some threads and will continue to explore.

 

I'd love advice on CocoCay. Unfortunately on our past family cruises with Disney I missed the private island. Once' date=' I was caring for my terminally ill mom on board and the other time Disney had to cut our cruise short to beat a hurricane back to PC and get the ship out to sea. So, I'm very much looking forward to that day and hope the weather is good.

 

I'm sure I'll be asking more questions as I prepare. I'd love to see the daily compasses for the 4 night Monarch if you or anyone else has them.[/quote']

 

I'd highly recommend the snorkeling! You get the equipment all day and they've got some great spots to see (like the sunken airplane). Get an underwater camera for each of you on the mainland (RCI sells them for 18$ each... yikes) and snap photos of the beautiful fish!

[erbunny]

Please let us know on your return how it went. Al of us Monarch fans are hoping you have a great time.

[CodyC815]

Here's my review from a few weeks ago.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1350933

 

I really recommend snorkeling, it was my first time and I found it very easy. RCL does sell underwater cameras for about $18, but I bought mine for $8 at walmart and it had more pictures. I'd recommend getting more than one, you'll see some pretty interesting things!

[Yvonne]

My husband and I were on the 4-night sailing of the Monarch on 1/24 and we had a wonderful time on the cruise. Yes, the ship is older but I found it to be in fine condition (a little wear and tear here and there but I expected that for a 20 year old ship) and crew members were constantly cleaning and polishing. We had originally booked an inside room on deck #6 (the "tween" deck they call it, as it doesn't go all the way across the ship) but later I upgraded to an outside on the same deck. We enjoyed having the window to at least look out and see the ocean and know what the weather was like as most of the time on our cruises we book a balcony room. We thought the room was just fine. We did have a problem with the A/C on the first day, it was very warm in the room and we talked to our stateroom attendant (Conroy) about it. He let maintenance know and they did come, and they either fixed it or it got better once the ship was underway as we never had a problem with it after that.

 

The shower curtain was in poor condition but that was the only complaint about the room, and to us it was a minor thing.

 

We enjoyed the shows. El Gaucho performed one night, this was DH's 2nd time and my 3rd time to see him but we did enjoy him again. They had a comedian, Phil Palisoul, and we enjoyed him as well. One night he did a family show at the regular show time, and the last night he did an "adult show" at 10:30 which we also went to. There was some language in that show, but nothing too offensive (at least not to us). The singers and dancers premiered a brand new show "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and that was enjoyable as well. Some of the songs they sang/danced to we were not familiar with, but I loved the costumes. Another night they had Bobby Borgia, a magician/illusionist. We went to the "Love and Marriage" show and enjoyed that, as always. And we watched "Quest" in the Circuit Lounge. It might be offensive to some, but we didn't find it to be. We howled with laughter at some of the things they had the teams do. We spent a lot of time at the Bolero's and Schooner bars as they had many activities (Name That Movie Tune, Name That TV Theme Song, Finish the Lyrics, etc. etc.) and we really enjoyed those.

 

We had signed up for My Time Dining, but after being told at 6 p.m. the first night that they had no available tables until after 8:30 we went to the buffet at Windjammer instead. It was the first time in all of our cruises that we had dinner at the buffet, and I must say we really enjoyed it. Not having to dress up was nice, very casual and relaxing and we enjoyed the food. We are not picky people, and we felt they had a good variety of choices. They dim the lights for dinner, and one night we even saw one of the ship's officers eating dinner there with his wife. :)

 

We spent quite a bit of time in the Viking Crown Lounge (the circle lounge with the views), just enjoying the views and reading our books.

 

We enjoyed walking on deck #7 (it goes all the way around the ship) and relaxing in loungers in the sun on the deck above the pool. They had a midnight buffet poolside one evening too.

 

We felt the cruise was great for the small price we paid for it, very affordable and enjoyable. I wouldn't hesitate to go on the Monarch of the Seas again if I had the chance.

 

Oh, and CocoCay is awesome!! We had a beautiful day there. Loved lounging in a hammock, with a CocoLoco in my hand, gazing at the water and then up at the palm trees swaying in the breeze and the beautiful blue sky. It doesn't get any better than that!!

[griffy116]

We will be on the Monarch in April. It will be the first time that I've cruised with just my 2 daughters and my Grandson (17). I've was diagnosed with a heart problem. I'm improving and when we asked my doctors, they said, "go. enjoy" and that's what we plan to do!!! We have 2 OV rooms (with a little porthole, I think). We booked rather spontaneously for us. We usually book more than a year in advance. Our travel agent knows us well and was very concerned because he knows we usually prefer a large ship with lots of activities. I explained that I already knew it was an older/oldest ship with small rooms, less on-board. We are so excited about this cruise, which is saying alot, since we are going on the FOS in July with son-in-law, Grandson is taking a friend and on FOS, we have balcony cabins. He called me a couple of weeks ago and said he has been hearing great things about the Monarch from his customers and he thinks we will enjoy this cruise immensely. We haven't been to Coco Cay in years. Nassau is an island we haven't visited in years too. We want some sun, relaxation, food we didn't have to cook and we are just as excited about this cruise as we are about our upcoming FOS cruise or the very first cruise we ever went on. We have no intenion of letting a shower curtain or an occasional "poopy smell" ruin our fun. We are literally counting the days. BTW, does anyone know if they have a formal night on a 3-nighter???