Tell me about the Monarch

[Catmomma]

Ok I have never sailed with RCI before. I have expierence with American Hawaii, Carnival and NCL. What should I expect from RCI that maybe I have not seen with other lines I have been with? Also are there any tips for a first time Monarch of the Seas cruiser?

 

I am sailing on the Monarch with a girlfriend to celebrate my 35th birthday in January. We are really excited. I just got off the Pride of Aloha a few weeks ago and can't wait to get back on a cruise ship :)

[Ericknow32]

Monarch of the seas is not Royal Caribbean's best ship. So if you don't like it remember there are better ships. If you do like it, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are decks called tween decks, these can be confusing when you are trying to get around. There is a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop. Not a freebee. There is a rock-climbing wall on the back of the ship. I personally like sitting in the Viking crown lounge perched high above the ship looking out over the ocean.

 

Over all the ship is so so. I am booked on this ship on January 17 and February 18 of 05. So the ship can’t be all that bad.

 

Have fun and please dont take my word for much, everyone has there own opinion and please make your own after the trip

[Catmomma]

Hey the fact there is a Ben and Jerry's already sounds good :) I am going 1/24 - 1/29 2005

[Sail With Me]

We have sailed on 81 Royal Caribean voyages and wre on the Monarch September 3 of this year. We found the ship nice but the service and food very disappointing. The weekend cruise is awful unless you like to drink and party 24/7. The four day gets a more mature crowd. The cabins are very small unless you have a suite and they are nice. RCI did a nice job with her remodel, but we think that the Carnival ship doing 3 and 4 day is much better. For sure the food is better. The Jade Fusion restaurant is not much but the Windjammer is okay. All in all, we found the Monarch not up to Royal Caribbean standards. Sorry.

 

Karen and Bob

[MszKitty]

Monarch of the seas is not Royal Caribbean's best ship. So if you don't like it remember there are better ships. If you do like it, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are decks called tween decks, these can be confusing when you are trying to get around. There is a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop. Not a freebee. There is a rock-climbing wall on the back of the ship. I personally like sitting in the Viking crown lounge perched high above the ship looking out over the ocean.

 

Over all the ship is so so. I am booked on this ship on January 17 and February 18 of 05. So the ship can’t be all that bad.

 

Have fun and please dont take my word for much, everyone has there own opinion and please make your own after the trip

Ericknow32...

 

I'm on that same sailing with you. See my signature line? We'll be the party animals....LOL

[shipknotshore]

We just returned on the 12th from our 4 night Monarch cruise. This is the 2nd time on this particular ship. I have to agree with Eric - it's not RCI's best ship. The staterooms are a bit on the small side - but the public areas are just fine. It is also one of RCI's older ships - but has been refurbished in the not so distant past. They have a Seattle's Best coffee bar right next to the Ben & Jerry's (which is also extra charge for the drinks, but the pastries, brownies, etc. are free with the purchase of a drink). The shops on board are all pretty standard - Jewelry, Perfume, RCI logo items, camera/photo shop, liquor & sundries, misc. clothing, and costume jewelry, scarves, purses, wallets, etc. They have a decent sized casino - a handful of nickel, some dollar, and mostly quarter slot machines, and table gaming. The entertainment is pretty good - RCI production shows, comedians, guest singer, and then the "Love & Marriage" game, and the "Quest", and they also have bingo every day. There are activities out by the pool, like the mens sexiest legs contest, and the mens belly flop contest. All in good fun. There are plenty of places to eat - dining room, windjammer/jade buffet, Sorrento's Pizza, Deli Sandwich Bar, and room service. There are also lots of places to have a drink - Boleros, Pool Bar, Viking Crown Lounge, Schooner Bar. Our waiter/asst.waiter, and cabin steward were fantastic. So willing to please and very friendly. Go and have fun. We've sailed her twice, had lots of fun, and I'm sure we'll go again.

[Catmomma]

I have yet to sail on a nice new cruise ship so I have the feeling this will be up to my standards :) I did the Carnival weekend to Mexico once and yeah it was a serious party boat. This time I am doing the weekday cruise.

[jkrislc]

I have yet to sail on a nice new cruise ship so I have the feeling this will be up to my standards :) I did the Carnival weekend to Mexico once and yeah it was a serious party boat. This time I am doing the weekday cruise.

I've been on the Monarch twice this year and will be on her again in three weeks. The ship is fine, quite nice in fact, and this came after sailing the fairly new Star Princess. The ship has nearly all of the amenities of the newer ships. As for party crowds, that's to be expected on a weekend cruise, but I didn't notice it as any better/worse than longer cruises myself, and I want on the three-day cruises. In general, however, the average age will be much lower than normal and I have to agree that the midweek cruise is slightly slower paced.

 

I have yet to eat in the dining room, but will be doing so this time (different group of people). However, I found the food quite good (not gourmet) and really enjoyed the Jade portion of the Windjammer with it's floor to ceiling windows. Service may be slightly below "cruise-ship" standards, but I believe the Monarch is a training ship; thus, you don't have the most experienced crew onboard. However, being fresh off the POA and having a good time, I'm sure the cruise experience will be as good if not better than the POA.

 

I'll be on the POA in about six or seven weeks--can't wait!

[critterchick]

We went on a 3-day on Monarch earlier this year & are returning to celebrate DH's birthday in December. I agree with the posters who said she is not the best ship, but she is still very, very nice. If she's sailing full, it will be crowded (2800 is the capacity vs. 2500 for Radiance, which is larger by a third) and you will notice it. The dining room was a zoo. The servers did the best they could, and they were all very good, but there is next to no room for them to maneuver, as the tables are very close together. On the plus side, we got to have a nice conversation with the people at the table next to us. The food was ok. The Jade portion of the Windjammer has its own line of food, the same as you encounter when you come in plus some Asian-themed dishes, and a custom stir-fry. The sushi bar was ok, but it's an extra charge with a priced menu.

 

I didn't find the crowd to be all that party-oriented on our 3-day. There were some hard core partiers, but not enough to make the trip unpleasant. We enjoyed the entertainment and LOVED the band in Boleros. I just wish we could dance to Latin music - a class would have been fun!

Our cabin (JS) was smaller than on Vision or Radiance class, but still had the tub in the bathroom. Our steward was good, we didn't see him much, be he always left ice for us & kept the room clean.

 

We like the short cruises for a "fix" when we can't get away for longer.