Monarch OTS Review (12/10/04-12/13/04)

Well, it's finally done. I apologize for the delay, but I got tied up with work, the holidays, and the like. At least I got it done before my next cruise!

I'll be happy to answer anyone's questions or email copies of the Compass. However, please keep in mind that I leave for my next cruise on Thursday (12/30/04), so there might be some delay in replying if the questions/requests are not made by tomorrow.

Enjoy!

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This review/travelogue of Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas (12/10/04-12/13/04) is organized into the following sections for easier navigation: Background, Day One (Embarkation), Day Two (Ensenada), Day Three (At Sea) and Day Four (Disembarkation), Conclusion, and General Observations. Please keep in mind that these are my opinions only and I will provide as much detail as possible to support the opinions as stated. However, given that they are opinions, you may agree or disagree at leisure, but please do not attack me or others who may have a differing opinion.

BACKGROUND

To provide you with the basis of the opinions I am about to offer regarding this review, let me provide a little bit of background information. I am a 33 year old male college professor traveling with a long-time college friend and the best man at my wedding who had recently moved out of the area. As such, this was a bit of a weekend reunion and a “guys’ getaway” while my wife went off with her girlfriends. I had cruised seven times prior to this cruise: four times with RCI, one time with Princess, and one time with Carnival. My friend had never cruised before and was quite excited by the prospect of cruising for the first time.

This was my third time on the Monarch this year mainly due to convenience in terms of the port and because I got some really good rates for the cruise. As such, I was able to take my mom and brother on their first cruise in April and my friend on this cruise. The first time on the Monarch (January 2004) provided me with an opportunity to “repropose” to my wife as I had proposed to her 10 years ago on the Viking Serenade when it was doing the same run.

Being that the port is only about an hour and a half from home, I was able to walk the dog with my wife and make breakfast for her before she left for work. After doing so, I left home at about 8:00A and headed to the ATM, the gas station, and Starbucks on the way to pickup my friend in Riverside County. Picking up my friend by 9:00A, we headed to the port and arrived by 11:30A because of traffic and the need to make two stops along the way.

Entry into the port was a breeze as I already had my documents and ID ready to show the guard. Pulling into the parking lot which costs $11 per day payable upon exit, we unloaded are bags and headed into the terminal. As we had packed only carry-ons, we headed to the terminal entrance only to be told by one of the RCI agents that I’d have to check my bag with the porter. Now, I’ll admit that my bag LOOKED big, but it is actually composed of two parts, so it breaks down for passage through the x-ray machine. Unfortunately, the agent didn’t want to listen to my explanation, so I simply told her that I had been on the Monarch twice before and that it would be fine. She stated the guards would turn me away, but when we entered the building, I broke down the bags for the guards who allowed me to proceed as the bag was small enough to pass through the x-ray machine.

Check-in was a breeze. We headed up the escalators and were escorted to the first available agent for Deck 4.

Although there was no wait for check-in, my friend did have trouble establishing a cash account as they wanted a $200 minimum deposit, so we both used my credit card to establish the onboard account as I was planning on paying off my account in cash at the end. While this wasn’t a serious problem, I later found out that they put my friend as primary on the account even though it was my credit card. As a result, he had to be with me the first time I got a printout of my account. A little annoying since it was MY credit card and not his. If anything, I should have been primary.

Unlike my previous two trips aboard the Monarch, boarding was not yet occurring and we were handed a boarding number. I later heard from a port agent that RCI did not yet have enough security personnel available to begin boarding. As a result, boarding did not begin until about 12:15P. We were allowed to pass through security with a boarding number of seven by 12:30P. The only thing that surprised me is that RCI was not doing boarding photos in the lobby as in the past as this would have sped things up and given passengers something to do while waiting to board.

I was surprised at how fast passing through security was as RCI only had one x-ray and one metal detector operating. However, we managed to get through quickly, get the obligatory boarding photo, and had our picture taken for our Sea Pass. In the end, we were onboard by 12:45P, but all fire doors were closed to prevent people from accessing their rooms until 1:00P. Although I really wanted to put down my carryon, my friend was hungry so we headed up to Deck 11 for the buffet. The only annoyance was having to baby sit our luggage while there. As a result, we took turns at the buffet and enjoyed a nice meal in the Jade portion of the Windjammer where we could watch those arrive at the port and the Vincent Thomas Bridge. Our combined lunch consisted of Honey Stung Chicken (very good), French fries (very good), carved roast beef (good), and a burger (fair).

After lunch, we headed to our Deck 4 inside cabin (#4589). To our surprise, the two beds were together rather than apart. However, I informed my friend that the cabin steward would introduce him- or herself shortly and I would have the matter remedied. Although I expected my friend to be shocked by the size of the room (about 120 square feet), he didn’t think it was all that bad and thought it was “roomy enough.” Then as we unpacked, we looked through the Compass and other printed materials.

I immediately noticed that the Compass format had changed, with the “at a glance” schedule now part of the last page of the Compass. Although it is designed to be torn off, our Day One copy was not perforated. I was also disappointed that the Compass no longer lists the movies or the times. Instead, you have to find the appropriate channel on the TV to find out what it playing. I also noticed that there are now only two movie channels, as opposed to three the last time I was onboard.

Having unpacked and perusing the printed materials, I grabbed my digital camera and headed out to introduce my friend to the Monarch. As we were on Deck 4, I began by pointing out the library, glass elevators, and the Centrum.

We then headed into the dining room to locate our table. We found that we were located at a table for 10 right by the starboard side entry doors, which proved convenient as we didn’t have to navigate the dining room when we arrived or exited. We then headed up through the shops, Schooner Bar, and casino. Although I had wanted to show my friend The Circuit and the Sound of Music Theater, both were closed for special events/weddings. As a result, we headed up to Deck 10 so that I could show my friend the kid’s club in case he wanted to bring his children sometime in the future. After snapping a few picks, we headed up to Deck 11 and looked up at the rock wall on Deck 12 and the Viking Crown Lounge before playing a couple of games of ping pong.

After ping pong, we headed back to the Windjammer for drinks and dessert. We then headed back to the cabin by about 4P to scan the movie channels and to prepare for the muster drill. Upon arrival, I found my Gold coupon booklet and gift (an embroidered toiletry bag), which I promptly gave to my friend as he said he could use it and I had no need for it. However, I must admit that it was very nice and I did appreciate getting it. A few minutes later, our cabin steward, Nicole, knocked on our door and introduced herself. Nicole would prove to be the best and nicest stewards I ever had. She quickly realized the problem with the beds, apologized, and showed me that my name had been cut off on her passenger list. As a result, she didn’t know whether the second passenger (me) was a male or female. She assured us that the beds would be separated during the muster drill and allowed me to run my friend through the FYIs as I had cruised on the Monarch twice previously.

At 4:30P, we headed up to Boleros for our 4:45P muster drill. If you want to be seated during the drill, I suggest that you arrive at least half an hour early. Because the lounge was already quite full, we were lined up on the dance floor in very tight, close rows.

While I understand the importance of the muster drill, I must state that this was the most painful drill I have gone through. Because of the proximity of people and the necessity to wear the life vest during the drill, it was extremely hot and the air conditioner didn’t seem to be doing much. Further, people continued to arrive late for the drill, which delayed the start by at least 15 minutes. And unfortunately for some, they dressed in warm clothes because the safety video on the TV stated to do so (however, I think the video was referring to a real emergency rather than the drill). After the drill, I went out on deck to make a quick call to my wife before disembarking.

Returning to our cabin, we found the beds separated. Storing our life vests, we quickly changed for dinner, headed to Boleros for a sail away drink, and headed up to the pool deck where we watched us leave port. We then headed to the Rock and Roll Dueling Pianos with Scott and Matt. While they were good, I personally preferred Amy and Michael from a talent standpoint. From a comedy standpoint, Scott and Matt were much better if you like the parody/Weird Al type of lyrics.

We were assigned to late seating in the Claude dining room. Although I know the dining room is named after Monet, I found no evidence of his work readily visible. Finding our table (#10) of 10, we were surprised to see a family of eight seated there. In addition, they had seated themselves in such a way that my friend and I could not sit together. Fortunately, they remedied this situation themselves without us asking. While the family (two sisters, their husbands, and their four children) was quite nice, I was surprised that RCI didn’t seat us with a table composed of smaller groups. It seemed odd to be a group of two among a group of eight.

As often happens on cruises, we became quite friendly with the family and would see them throughout the cruise and stop to say hello and ask what they were doing. They were also all first time cruisers, so they were excited to ask me questions about Mexico, cruise etiquette, and cruising in general. It was actually quite fun to share what I knew.

The dining room was definitely way too small for the number of tables and diners. To serve bread to the table, the assistant waiter would have to serve one side, then go past several other tables to work his way around to the other side. This would create problems later on when dressings, cocktail sauce, pepper, or dessert toppings were not offered until after the item was halfway or completely consumed. However, the wait staff was responsive to our needs, albeit a bit delayed, and provided juice to the table free of charge.

On this first night, I opted for the eggplant, but quickly switched to the beef sirloin with herb butter which was good as the eggplant was only fair. The tomato and basil appetizer was fair, and the potatoes and tiramisu for dessert were both good. My friend had the beef sirloin and the warm chocolate cake which he rated as good.

After dinner, we attended the main show which featured Gregg Otto, a comedian that was very good and Seinfeld-like. The second performer was Altero Shelton, who was introduced as a singer/impersonator. Unfortunately, he was not very good and had to keep telling the audience who he was impersonating as the impersonation was so bad. He did have audience members come onstage to perform with him, and sadly some of the audience members were much better than he was.

I called it a night by midnight, although my friend was still going strong. The next day, my friend reported that he saw one gang fight onboard, but that they had fled before security arrived to break it up. He further stated that what he saw was a good reason for RCI to NOT ALLOW drinking to those under 21. He also reported seeing several under 18 year olds drinking.

Today, I awoke at about 7:30A and got ready for the day. As my friend was still sleeping, I then went to work writing notes for this cruise review. By 9:00A, my friend was up and ready, so we headed to the Windjammer for breakfast.

The breakfasts in the Windjammer are usually quite good, but the selection seemed to be a bit less than the last two times I was onboard. Traditional breakfast fare was offered and I had eggs and oatmeal, both which were very good.

After breakfast, we watched the crew lower and raise a lifeboat, and then went around the promenade collecting abandoned souvenir glasses as my friend wanted a set. We then headed for the pool deck to play Baggo (a bean bag toss game). With only five participants, I came in third and received a key chain. However, my friend ended up wining during the last round and received a key chain, water wallet, and a RCI Crown and Anchor gold medal.

Although we did get off the ship to look at the small collection of shops located there at the port, we didn’t bother heading into town as it did not interest us as we’ve both been there before several times. Buying a Coke and a Diet Coke (Mexican Coca Cola products taste better than those here in the U.S. as they use sugar cane sugar rather than sugar from sugar beets), we headed back onboard.

Sometime today (I can’t remember precisely when), I stopped by to speak to the cruise consultant. Unfortunately, I found her to be completely useless and she was unable to provide any specific information. Further, RCI had not released the fares nor the schedules for Alaska 2006, so I was unable to make a booking as RCI no longer offers open reservations and she had no idea when the schedules would be out. For each question I had, the consultant recommended that I contact my travel agent. However, what I did find interesting was that she stated that C&A benefits would begin to transfer to Celebrity Cruises, although you will not receive C&A credits for cruising them. A further incentive for me to try Celebrity.

Lunch offerings in the Windjammer were a bit skimpy and only the Jade portion of the Windjammer was open. Last time while onboard the Monarch, a huge selection was offered for lunch, but not this time. After lunch, we played backgammon in the library and then headed to the show theater to watch The Terminal with Tom Hanks by way of Ben & Jerry’s. I had a C&A coupon for Ben & Jerry’s, but misread the coupon and was unable to use it. It was 25% off a menu item, but I missed that you had to buy another item at full price first. The Seattle’s Best Coffee coupon was simply a straight 25% off with no restrictions.

After the movie (approximately 3:30P), we emerged from the theater to find that the ship was completely shrouded by fog. It was so bad, that visibility was limited to feet, and the weather would stay this way for until the following night with only a glimpse of sun briefly on Sunday despite the captain’s best efforts to chase down the sun. In fact, the fog was so bad that you could hear the Monarch’s fog horn being sounded when out on deck. A first for me.

Went to bingo at 4:30P as I had a C&A coupon for a free jackpot card and also received an additional card for participating in the Baggo tournament. At $35 for the 6-on, the game is not cheap, but I always indulge once. During the presale, I was surprised that they were offering a 2-for-1 drink special on the special bingo drink. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what is in it beside Blue Curaco. Later that evening during the Love & Marriage show, another drink special (2-for-1) would be offered for Miami Vices (Pina Colada and Strawberry Daquiri). This was the first time in three trips that I remember seeing 2-for-1 specials in the show lounge.

After bingo, we stopped by the casino to sign up for the slot tournament ($20), but I decided against it as prizes were only awarded to the top two winners. Had prizes been given to the top three winners, I probably would have done it. What I should have done, however, was the Blackjack tournament as that looked fun in retrospect. Instead, I gambled a little bit (the $20 I was planning to spend on the tournament) with no real payoff.

As this was formal night, we returned to the cabin to get ready, but were hungry. Thus, we called up room service and ordered fruit and a cheese tray. Although we were told that it would take 25 minutes, the food arrived in 10 minutes and I made sure to tip the waiter who delivered the food.

We skipped the formal portraits tonight, but did briefly stop by the Captain’s Cocktail Party for the free drink. Although choices were limited (wine, Bahama Momma, champagne, fruit punch), the glasses were full-size and bigger than I expected. On previous cruises, the cocktails were often served in half-sized glasses.

Attended half of the Dueling Pianos show and then headed off to the formal dinner. Tonight’s dinner was truly outstanding. I had the escargot (excellent, and the best I have ever had) and the beef tenderloin (excellent, thick cut which was one of the best pieces of beef I have ever tasted). The shrimp cocktail was only fair, but that was perhaps the result of the service staff being stretched to thin as I never got the cocktail sauce for my shrimp cocktail. But I’ll admit, the sauce from the escargot made a tasty addition to the shrimp.

The cocktail sauce incident, while minor, was the point where I realized that the service staff had too many tables to serve and in retrospect it affected all table service. While I’m not saying service was bad, I am saying that it was not polished or even efficient. For instance, there were many delays in receiving toppings, ground pepper, coffee with dessert, and the like. The following night, I would never receive butter, sour cream, or chives for my baked potato. And because they were busy, it was hard to flag down the waiter or assistant to ask for it. While I had the Grand Mariner Soufflé tonight, which was good, I didn’t receive the sauce for the soufflé until I was already halfway through my dessert. Had I realized it came with a sauce, I probably would have waited for it.

Others at the table tonight had the cheesecake, which they reported was fair. It definitely is not a traditional cheesecake and has a birthday cake-like texture to it. Although it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t authentic cheesecake either.

After dinner, we attended the Love and Marriage show, which was very good. They were also offering a 2-for-1 drink special before the show, but only briefly. After this show, we stayed for the review show, which was good also. Then we hit the casino, the dueling pianos show, the Schooner Bar, and The Circuit.

I called it a night/morning at 2A, but my friend was out until 3A.

We began today with a light breakfast through room service. Although it was about 10:15A (breakfast service ends at 10A), they quickly brought most of what we requested. Breakfast was good—milk, juice, coffee, pastries—but they did forget my granola.

After wondering the ship and dropping a couple of coins in the casino, we decided to have lunch in the dining room. A good selection of bread was provided, and my friend had the fried catfish (good), while I had an omelet (good). I also had coconut crème brulee for dessert as the wait staff indicated that this would be the only opportunity to have crème brulee on the cruise. Thus, if you like this dessert, make sure you stop by the dining room for lunch.

I did stop by the Purser’s Desk to request expedited departure status (available to those carrying off their own luggage), but my request was made too late and their quota had already been met. Thus, I grabbed a couple of orange luggage tags knowing they would be the second color called. Later that evening, however, I ended up talking to our cabin steward and told her that we had requested expedited departure too late. She then offered us the last two white (priority disembarkation) luggage tags she had. Although orange and white are often called together, I accepted the tags and thanked her for them. She also got an additional tip that night for being so thoughtful.

This afternoon, we decided to watch Shrek 2 in the show lounge. Afterwards, we walked around the deck (unfortunately, there was very little sun today), had a snack, and played another game of backgammon in the library. We then returned to the cabin and began to pack and also relax. We also caught a rerun episode of Enterprise (Star Trek) as we’re both Trek fans.

At about 6P, we headed back up to the casino to gamble. In all, I spent $40 gambling and won $30 in return. My friend, however, gambled maybe $5 and won about $80. A women would also win a $21,000+ jackpot in the casino tonight, and the lady at the table next to us in the dining room won the blackjack tournament, cashing in $780 for her $20 investment.

After gambling, we attended the predinner show with Micky O’Connor. He can best be described as a mime-like juggler. Afterward, the singers and dancer performed a couple of numbers in their “regular” cloths rather than their costumes, which was a nice change.

Tonight’s dinner consisted of a very good steak with a béarnaise sauce, the French onion soup, and a wild mushroom pastry, all good. I also ordered a baked potato tonight as the side to my entrée, but no condiments were ever provided. The family at our table also requested a traditional Indian feast, which was provided for them. However, because the ship did not have any flat bread, the meal was served with flour tortillas instead. We partook in their feast at their request, which was quite good and shows that the cooks and wait staff are very accommodating when asked.

After dinner, we stopped by the “Rock in Roll” party in The Circuit, but only found it to be fair. As such, we headed down to the Rock in Roll Dueling Pianos at 11:15P. Even though they were only scheduled to play until 12:15A, they continued playing as there was quite a crowd. They actually outlasted me as I had to finish packing and get a bit of shuteye for work. During the show, I stepped outside onto the promenade to witness a Coast Guard helicopter airlifting a crew member who had a medical emergency. I later came to find out thanks to Reggierail, that the crew member had had a stroke. While the rescue was fascinating to watch and impressive, I would have rather missed the opportunity because it meant someone had been hurt or injured.

To ensure that we were ready for departure, we awoke at 6A to get ready and headed for breakfast at 6:30A in the dining room. Having had a bit too much Indian food the night before, I only opted for granola and juice. I highly recommend the dining room on the last morning as I have found the Windjammer to be lacking on the last morning during my previous two cruises onboard.

After breakfast, I went up to the promenade deck to call my wife as I had not talked to her since Friday since my cell phone did not have coverage in Mexico, even though it was suppose to and even though my wife’s phone does have coverage there—go figure! To our surprise, our color was called early at 7:30A, so I quickly ended my call and we rushed down to the cabin to get our bags.

Venturing to the Centrum, we were surprised to see that the area was roped off to control gathering crowds. In fact, you could not go into the Centrum until your color was called. Although there was some crowding in the stairwells, I found disembarkation to be the most organized of any ship I have every been on and much improved over the previous two cruises onboard the Monarch. However, I was surprised that the person manning the “rope” line was simply asking people’s tag colors rather than checking them himself.

We cleared Customs quickly, paid the $33 to park, and were on the freeway by 8A. I was home by 10:30A, having to drop my friend off elsewhere, which gave me enough time to repack and join my wife for lunch at her work before venturing off to work on my own. Also to my surprise at home were the documents to my next cruise, a 7-dayer around the Hawaiian Islands aboard NCL’s Pride of Aloha.

CONCLUSION

If someone had asked how many cruises I was planning to take this year, I would have said one. However, with friends and family wanting to cruise and some great last minutes and/or coupon deals, I ended up cruising the Monarch three times this year. Other than the Pride of Aloha next year (January 2005), I doubt I’ll cruise again for another year and a half. Nevertheless, if a deal comes along for a weekend getaway, I may be aboard the Monarch once again.

We ended up paying about $220 per person, all-inclusive for this cruise, which I thought was a good deal and a great way to introduce my good friend to cruising. Although we had considered Las Vegas, we figured the cruise was closer and likely cheaper when you consider the fact that food, entertainment, and lodging are included in that price. Although I enjoy Vegas, I’ll probably opt for the short hop cruises in the future unless I find similar deals in Vegas.

General Observations: I noticed there were less selection at the Windjammer for lunch and fewer selections in the dining room for dinner. Often, I struggle to choose something for dinner as two or more things sound great. This time, there was no such struggle and I often went for the beef selection, although I would have preferred some variety of chicken or fish. While chicken and fish were offered every night, the preparation did not appeal to me. I’m not saying the meals were bad, just that selections were limited compared to previous cruises, which in the end made it easier to decide on an entrée.

I am boarding the Monarch for a 4 day trip on January 24th. Just went on the POA in November.

two questions for you: Did you happen to notice many vegetarian options in the main dining room? Also I assume you live in San Diego (as do I), have you been on the Monarch when it ports in SD and if so, what did you do while in your hometown? :)

Thanks for the review. Seem like all the previous ones I've spotted have been for the 4 night cruise. Since we're on the 3 night cruise in a couple of weeks it was nice to read this one.

I am boarding the Monarch for a 4 day trip on January 24th. Just went on the POA in November.

 

two questions for you: Did you happen to notice many vegetarian options in the main dining room? Also I assume you live in San Diego (as do I), have you been on the Monarch when it ports in SD and if so, what did you do while in your hometown? :)

I only did the three night, so there was only the stop in Ensenada. However, my brother went on the 4-day Monarch last week and they just strolled along the harbor and shopped at Seaport Village.

I live in North County, so if I were to take the four day, I'd choose among the following: (1) Sleep in, stay onboard, and enjoy a quite ship and/or the spa (2) Go to Petco Park and take a "behind the scenes" tour, or (3) Visit the Midway Museum at the Navy Pier. I don't go downtown often, so I'm sure I could find things to do.

Enjoy your trip!

Any pointers you can provide for the POA?

Thanks for the review. Seem like all the previous ones I've spotted have been for the 4 night cruise. Since we're on the 3 night cruise in a couple of weeks it was nice to read this one.

Thanks for the kind words, Doug!

Any pointers you can provide for the POA?

Nothing I can think of. We are still reliving that cruise in our minds and wishing we were there. It really was everything we hoped for. If you have not been to the islands before there are a few MUST see places. One is Volcano Natl Park. We hiked across the Kileauea Iki crater and it was an amazing expierence. Also the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu has a awesome tour/luau package.

I look forward to hearing how you like it!

27 days till I board the Monarch! My first RCI cruise. Got a killer deal on a ouside cabin with a window. I think it was about $300 pp for the 2 of us (going with a girlfriend for a birthday girly getaway) for the 4 day trip. Not sure if we are even going to bother with any excursions since SD, Catalina and Ensenada have lots to do right by the port. Maybe a winery tour in Ensenada.

Not sure if we are even going to bother with any excursions since SD, Catalina and Ensenada have lots to do right by the port. Maybe a winery tour in Ensenada.

We are doing a luau, but not through PCC. We are also going to VNP, doing the Road to Hana, snorkeling, Diamond Head, etc. I was born in Hawaii, but haven't been back since the '70s so I'm sure everything has changed--not that I remember anything anyway.

I've heard good things about the winery tour. It was something we had planned on the first cruise aboard the Monarch, but my wife wasn't feeling 100%. As a result, we cancelled the excursion and shopped instead. I agree that excursions are necessary in SD or Catalina. If you haven't done the casino tour in Catalina, I highly recommend it. Personally, I'd skip the glass bottom boats. You can also go over to Lover's Cove as that is where I proposed to my wife, but it's not much of a cove--mainly rocks. I just liked the name so that's where I popped the question.

Enjoy your trip and make sure you check out the Dueling Pianos. Mike and Amy will be back then. Also, request Baby Got Back by Sir Mixalot. It's a rap song that was on Friends. It's funny to see a piano player do rap. Definately worth dropping a buck or two to see it happen.

Ships in good shape for its age. entertainment needs to be improved. And all the cruise lines need to drop Ensenada as a port of call. Id rather see a coastal cruise to San Fran, and BC the cruise lines would make a bundle on 4 0r 5 day cruises there. Ensenada :eek:

I've been on Monarch twice, but I've done the 4 day both times. It's always nice to read reviews for it.

Don't fret about the chicken, it tasted like rest home food.

Catmomma, stay onboard and enjoy the ship to yourselves in Ensenada, it's really nice.

We have done the Trolley tour in SD both times, a fun way to get around town for the day. We always rent the golf carts in Catalina, love to get away from the crowds.

Always eat in the dining room for breakfast and lunch, never go to the buffet. It is a myth that it takes longer in the buffet, plus you get real cups to drink coffee out of and you don't have to carry a tray and search for a table. And the food is better and hotter. I probably should keep this to myself.

We have always enjoyed the dueling pianos more than the shows. Except once they had a real funny magician. The last time the comedian was so frenetic, we wished we had tomatoes to throw to get him off the stage.

A fun local cruise, we'll go again sometime.

Ships in good shape for its age. entertainment needs to be improved. And all the cruise lines need to drop Ensenada as a port of call. Id rather see a coastal cruise to San Fran, and BC the cruise lines would make a bundle on 4 0r 5 day cruises there. Ensenada :eek:

I agree, JB, but the seas are a bit rougher going north and it's colder even in the summer. However, I think the intersting ports would make up for that, although it would be feasible for the three day cruise. Perhaps alternating Mexico with the north?

Points well taken. Now we have to convince Carnival and RCL and the rest to agree. I think that maybe a hard climb.

I too was on the Monarch Dec. 10 - 13th. Cabin 6544. Actually, we did back-to-back sailings Dec. 6 - 10th and the 10 - 13th. Will post my review online shortly. This was our first Royal Caribbean sailings and we loved it. We expect to sail on the Jewel OTS in Dec. 2005!

George

Dec98: CCl Ecstasy

Dec99: CCL Imagination

Dec00: CCL Fascination

May01: CCL Destiny

Dec01: CCL Destiny

Dec02: CCl Victory

Jun03: NCL Majesty

Dec03: CCl Conquest

Sep04: NCL Pride of Aloha

Dec04: RCI Monarch OTS

Thanks, jkrislc, for all the info! We're going on the 4-day on 1/17 (our first with RCI), and you've given us a lot of great tips.

Happy ks, we're doing the Trolley tour (not through RCI) and the 1-hour Harbor tour (through RCI) in SD and will attempt the kayaking (waiting to see what the weather is like) and golf carts on Catalina. Ensenada will probably be a ship day. The wine tour sounds nice, but we're from Sonoma County, and we could probably give a wine tour! :D

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Jkrislc, have a wonderful time aboard the POA and in Hawaii (and please post a review of your cruise)!

CMO

Thanks, jkrislc, for all the info! We're going on the 4-day on 1/17 (our first with RCI), and you've given us a lot of great tips.

 

. . . will attempt the kayaking (waiting to see what the weather is like) and golf carts on Catalina. Ensenada will probably be a ship day. The wine tour sounds nice, but we're from Sonoma County, and we could probably give a wine tour! :D

 

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Jkrislc, have a wonderful time aboard the POA and in Hawaii (and please post a review of your cruise)!

 

CMO

Thanks CMO for the kind wishes. I'm sure Hawaii will be wonderful. How can it not be? Curious, but apprehensive, to try NCL. I have a feeling my wife will love Freestyle, but am not sure if I will or not.

As for kayaking, my brother did this last week. He said the weather was better in the morning than in the afternoon. I know weather changes like the wind (pun intended), but you might want to consider the morning kayak tour. The casino is also worth touring. As for the wineries, you'll probably be disappointed compared to Sonoma County. However, it might be worth a shot. Other options include Fox Studios were Titanic and Master & Commander were filmed and La Bufadora.

Enjoy your cruise. She's a fun ship for a quick getaway. I'm still wanting to do the Voyager and Radiance classes, but have an Alaska cruise tour in my sights for 2006, and only the Vision right now does the one ways necessary for a cruise tour. It might be time to try Celebrity or to go back to Princess once again.

Hi jkrislc,

We're from San Diego also, and have cruised RCCL now five times. We're going again on the Monarch 3-night in mid-February and looking forward to it. Thanks for your review. It brought back great memories of our first Monarch cruise last year.

However, our favorite RCCL cruise has been the Radiance of the Seas. Once a year, she embarks right here from San Diego, and goes up the coast of Calif, with a stop in SF, then on to Oregon (Astoria), Seattle, Victoria, and ending in Vancouver, BC. It is a great 6 night itinerary in May of each year with a good price discounted due to it being a repositioning cruise (cruise one way, fly back other way). If you're looking for a week long cruise with different ports other than Mexico or Southern California, it's a great alternative.

If you end up crusing in Alaska in the near future, the Radiance class vessels are top notch there as well. Don't settle for Vision of the Seas, IMHO. We've sailed her too, and there is no comparison.

SDCruiser

It's good you're not going on the RCI Trolley, we got on that trolley by mistake once and that trolley is just a tour, you cannot get off until Old Town. You have an awful lot packed into one day! You will want to get off the trolley in one or more places, so the tour usually lasts about 4 hours. You can just stay on and do a complete circle, but if you haven't been to some of the places before, you don't really want to miss it. We like to get off in Coronado and vist the Del Coronado Hotel, a landmark. We'll get off and walk around Old Town, see a few shops and have a wonderful Margarita. We also like to get off at Balboa Park and visit at least one museum.

After running around San Diego and Catalina, we are ready to stay on the ship in Ensenada we call it our "vacation day".

My understanding is that when our 4 night cruise docks on Tuesday, there a re specific museums in Balboa Park that have free admission on Tuesdays. Has anyone experienced this?

http://www.balboapark.org/familyfun.htm

This may help you, scroll about half way down the page to find out about free Tuesdays and what museums are open for each Tuesday. It's a big park and the museums are pretty well spread out. FYI, I think an admission ticket to all events would have not been worth it, you wouldn't have enough time to see any more than 3 or 4, so it would be more economical to purchase each event separately. Better to see fewer at a relaxed pace.

I think you have to be back aboard the ship by 4 or 4:30, right? You have to allow time to catch a trolley, plus, they do stop often, as I recall it took 20-30 minutes to get back to the pier from Balboa Park. Add to that any stops along the way, the trolley tour can be a whole day event.

Thanks for the great info!! We will be on the second Tuesday of the month and can see the photography museum.

Since we live in AZ we are fairly familiar with San Diego. We'll just take the day at a leisurely pace.

Thanks again!