Early Monarch Planning - Logistics Help Needed!

[Polish Falcon]

Good Morning:

I am in the very early planning stages of a possible Monarch of the Seas cruise in Feb/March 2006.

 

The RCCL web site is down and I do not want to bother my TA just yet...

So, I am turning to you for some help!

 

Q. Where does the Monarch sail from? Port of LA? Long Beach? San Pedro?

Q. Airport codes - Besides LAX what are the other airport codes around LA?

 

I have a few more questions but they depend on these answers!

 

Thanks!

[ronrythm]

Royal Carribean cruises from San Pedro. Other airports: Long Beach (LGB) Orange County (SNA) Ontario (ONT) Burbank (BUR):cool:

[Polish Falcon]

Here is what I am working on...

Flight PHL to LAX Southwest - $380 round trip for both

Car National Emerald Isle $180 for a week

S. Cal Attraction for afternoon/early evening?????

Hotel Holiday Inn @ Harbor $149 w/free parking, free breakfast & shuttle to pier

4 Night Cruise on The Monarch of the Seas

Another S. Cal Attraction - Mid morning thru early evening

Hotel 2 nights @ Econolodge main gate $105 Total for Both Nights W/taxes

Full day @ Disneyland! We have time left on our hopper passes from WDW

Open To Close!!

Fly Home....sigh....

 

Possible attractions

Pacific Coast Scenic Drive

Universal Studio Tour

Venice Beach

Muscle Beach

[ronrythm]

LAX is the easiest to get a flight & cheapest to fly into. SNA will be the most expensive, but the least problem to get through. ONT & BUR are little too far from your itinerary. Of the attractions I'd suggest doing Universal Studios or Muscle/Venice beore your cruise, as you are closest to them when you are at LAX. Your day before Dland, try Knott's or drive south on Pacific Coast Highway from San Pedro to Laguna Beach for a nice drive and get the feel of Southern California. Be aware that during that time of year, our rainy season, that the weather here is highly variable. One day rain and 50 degrees, the next sunny and 80:eek: enjoy

[Polish Falcon]

Thanks For Your Great Suggestions!

 

This trip is still very much up in the air...undecided.

 

We are cruising Alaska in June...

Then 3 nights down The Jersey Shore in August...

Then an 11 night S. Carib cruise just after Thanksgiving...

 

It depends on how well we stay on the household budget!!

 

PS - I forgot to mention the cost of the Monarch cruise in my earlier post - It is only about $580 for 2 in a Steerage Cabin(LOL) I mean an inside...

The TOTAL trip with EVERY expense that I can think of comes to about $1750 for Both!

[Happy ks]

In all honesty, I cannot find a reason why this would be such a great idea. The cruise price is cheap, for a reason, it's not a great time to cruise on the Pacific ocean. It's not that warm at that time of year.

 

If I were you, I would adjust the plan to either cruise a short cruise in the Bahamas or Caribbean. Or, fly to San Diego, spend a few days there and maybe drive up to Anaheim, spend a couple of nights at the Disney area. You could probably do this trip for about the same budget you have planned for this cruise. San Diego is a wonderful city to visit and one day does not give it justice. While Catalina is a very pretty spot, Ensenada is not so great, you may be disappointed in it.

[Polish Falcon]

But........Here is what appeals to us about this cruise/vacation...

In the order of your points.

* The Price - As it turns out Both of us can cruise Steerage for a Total of

$519.

That works out to $65 per person per day. We also have a Junior Suite on

courtesy hold - $1019 for Both - I am not sure which we will deposit...

* Weather - We are from the North East United States. We have cruised New

England/Canada in Mid October 3 times. We both fully realize that it will

not be 80 and Sunny...70 and Partly Sunny will do...:) :) This beats zero to minus 5 with 6 to 12 inches of snow forecast in early February!!

* This is our 12th or 13th cruise??? I have to count the ship pictures in our

Dining Room.

(My father asked if we qualify for a Seaman's Pension yet!)

Bahamas's - East Caribbean - West Caribbean - Florida - Maritime Canada -

New England - Mississippi River/DQSBC - Alaska in June - Southern

Caribbean in November.......We are running out of places to Cruise!!

* San Diego - Great Town! - We may cruise from here someday and visit more

Pacific ports!

* Catalina Island - As it stands - This will be be my 49th Birthday...

Any suggestions on how I should spend it?

* Ensenada - I have not done any serious research yet, but if it offers

nothing of interest to us, we will just stay on the ship and enjoy the

solitude of the Hot Tubs and Spa while all the other passengers get off!

* Disneyland 50th Anniversary - I have planned and executed 4 great trips to

the WDW Resort in Orlando for my family. Please do not tell my wife, but

this entire cruise is a rougue or charade to get us to the Disneyland 50th

Anniversary for 3 days of Disney Magic & Wonder...SH...Do Not Tell Her!!!

[ronrythm]

Great attitude! You should have a great time no matter where you go. Yes, the weather here in So Cal can be crappy then, but it can be wonderful. You pays your money and you takes your chances. Personally, I could find enough to do on MOS that I wouldn't need to worry about the weather.

 

Good Luck

Ron

[AUNTDEBBA]

Just came back from the cruise this past March on the Monarch. You have to understand the weather in So Cal it could rain or be 80 degrees. It was overcast but not really cold. There were a lot of people in the pool on the sea day and we spent the whole day sitting aroung the pool area. As far as choosing the Monarch if you get a suite ok if not go to Carnival bigger cabins and better food than the Monarch. This opion is from someone who basically cruises Celebrity but does these three day cruises with the family (20-30 of us) every year or so. My family are big cruisers some having been on over 30 cruises on multiple lines and everyone agreed the Monarch was not one we will go back on

 

On an aside Ensenada has more to offer than you think and is a cute little town to wander through. I would definitly get off at least for awhile it only costs $3 roundtrip bus fair from the ship to downtown.

[NancyIL]

I think your plans sound great, and that's basically what I hope to do in May 2006. I will celebrate a milestone birthday next April, so plan to spend 3 nights at Disneyland, cruise 4 nights on the Monarch, fly to Dallas for my daughter's college graduation, then fly home. I'm anxously awaiting RCI's May 2006 and beyond rates.