Monarch of the Seas Review: 7/31-8/3

[cravecruising]

My son and I went on this short 3 day cruise to belatedly celebrate his 21st birthday, which was in May. This was my 12th cruise and his 9th, on Royal Caribbean. This was our first time on the Monarch.

We were a little apprehensive because of the size and age of the ship, and we were expecting it to be pretty much like the Sovereign, which we sailed on twice. We were very pleasantly surprised, however.

EMBARKATION:
There were no other ships in port on Friday. We arrived at about 10:30. We parked, went through security, and got our SeaPass cards all by 10:45. Boarding did not start until about 11:30, but drinks and cookies were available while we waited, and the staff in the terminal was very friendly and pleasant.

We were greeted very warmly by every crew member that we came across when we got onboard. We went up to the Windjammer and had lunch, and the cabins were ready at 1:00. Our luggage was outside our door by 1:45! We have never received our luggage this early on any cruise we have been on before.

SHIP:
We found the ship to be very clean and in excellent condition. It was very bright and appeared to be much more spacious than Sovereign was, even though they are the same size. Not at any time during the cruise was there a crowd, even waiting to get into the dining room or in the Windjammer (the ship was at capacity for this cruise). All of the public areas/lounges were comfortable and tastefully decorated, as always.

CABIN:
Since it was a short cruise, we got an inside cabin. We were on Deck 7 in cabin 7041. It was a great location (in a little hallway, very private and quiet). The cabin was small, but more than adequate for two people, with plenty of closet space, drawers, and shelves. The bathroom was tiny, but we managed just fine. Our stateroom attendant was Eric. He was one of the best that we have ever had. He kept our room immaculate and with plenty of extra towels and our ice bucket was always full.

FOOD:
The food in the Windjammer was very varied and very plentiful. Some selections were delicious, and some were just so-so, but there was a lot to choose from and you can always find something to enjoy. Adjacent to the Windjammer was Jade, which during the day was kind of used as an overflow area for the Windjammer. It had a lot of the same food as the Windjammer, but it also had quite a few Asian and Indian selections which were very interesting and tasty. For dinner, Jade serves Asian cuisine for an extra charge.

We had the second seating in the dining room, but Monarch does also offer the My Time Dining for those who want it. We were originally put at a large table, but on Friday afternoon, we requested a table for two and our request was immediately honored. Our waiter and assistant waiter were Manuel and Roy, both from India. They were both very friendly and attentive, as was the head waiter. We ate dinner in the dining room all three nights. My son and I ordered completely different things every night, and everything we had from starters to desserts was all very good.

Additionally, we had drinks and wine from a few of the bars. All drinks and bar service were very good.

At the Crown and Anchor member party, they were very generous with the alcoholic drinks and had a lot of different finger foods and little desserts.

ENTERTAINMENT:
This is one area where we were a little disappointed and Royal Caribbean was not up to its usual standards. The “comedian” on Friday night was not at all funny, there was only a small amount of laughter in the theater. His routine consisted of mostly impersonations, which were geared for mainly an older audience, but regardless, still were not funny. On Saturday night, the impressionist did a much better job of keeping everyone entertained. His show had a MoTown theme, which was ok. We did not go to the farewell show, which was the production show (Can’t Stop the Beat) with the singers and dancers, because we had seen it twice before on recent cruises. However, if you have not seen it before, it is worth seeing at least once. We went to the Love and Marriage and The Quest game shows. We enjoyed them both and they are always fun to see. There is different music in various locations throughout the ship as well.

PORTS:
We have been to Nassau many times, but if you have never been, it is definitely worth exploring. Everyone should go see the aquarium at Atlantis at least once. There are lots of places to shop in town if that is what you want to do.

Coco Cay is always beautiful and relaxing, yet there are many activities offered if you do not want to just lay around all day. The BBQ is always good too, but this time we chose to eat lunch on the ship.

DISEMBARKING:
Since we live fairly close to the port, we chose to be among the last passengers off the ship at about 9:15. There were no crowds, everything ran very smoothly, and we were off exactly when they said we would be. Our luggage was waiting for us as soon as we got off, and we grabbed it and headed off to the parking garage. The whole process took us only about 15 to 20 minutes.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
We had a great cruise! The crew were terrific. We really enjoyed the ship, and would definitely sail on Monarch again.

If anyone has any specific questions, we would be happy to try to answer the best we can!

[Jsme]

Great review. I will be on the Monarch Monday and Friday with my DD. We are getting excited. Thanks for taking the time to do your review.

[asil621]

Great review! It made me look forward to my November Monarch cruise even more!

[thatgirl1968]

Enjoyed your review. Will be taking this cruise Aug. 21st for a girls weekend and we are so excited. Thanks again!

[uksimonusa]

Originally Posted by cravecruising

My son and I went on this short 3 day cruise to belatedly celebrate his 21st birthday, which was in May. This was my 12th cruise and his 9th, on Royal Caribbean. This was our first time on the Monarch.

We were a little apprehensive because of the size and age of the ship, and we were expecting it to be pretty much like the Sovereign, which we sailed on twice. We were very pleasantly surprised, however.

EMBARKATION:
There were no other ships in port on Friday. We arrived at about 10:30. We parked, went through security, and got our SeaPass cards all by 10:45. Boarding did not start until about 11:30, but drinks and cookies were available while we waited, and the staff in the terminal was very friendly and pleasant.

We were greeted very warmly by every crew member that we came across when we got onboard. We went up to the Windjammer and had lunch, and the cabins were ready at 1:00. Our luggage was outside our door by 1:45! We have never received our luggage this early on any cruise we have been on before.

SHIP:
We found the ship to be very clean and in excellent condition. It was very bright and appeared to be much more spacious than Sovereign was, even though they are the same size. Not at any time during the cruise was there a crowd, even waiting to get into the dining room or in the Windjammer (the ship was at capacity for this cruise). All of the public areas/lounges were comfortable and tastefully decorated, as always.

CABIN:
Since it was a short cruise, we got an inside cabin. We were on Deck 7 in cabin 7041. It was a great location (in a little hallway, very private and quiet). The cabin was small, but more than adequate for two people, with plenty of closet space, drawers, and shelves. The bathroom was tiny, but we managed just fine. Our stateroom attendant was Eric. He was one of the best that we have ever had. He kept our room immaculate and with plenty of extra towels and our ice bucket was always full.

FOOD:
The food in the Windjammer was very varied and very plentiful. Some selections were delicious, and some were just so-so, but there was a lot to choose from and you can always find something to enjoy. Adjacent to the Windjammer was Jade, which during the day was kind of used as an overflow area for the Windjammer. It had a lot of the same food as the Windjammer, but it also had quite a few Asian and Indian selections which were very interesting and tasty. For dinner, Jade serves Asian cuisine for an extra charge.

We had the second seating in the dining room, but Monarch does also offer the My Time Dining for those who want it. We were originally put at a large table, but on Friday afternoon, we requested a table for two and our request was immediately honored. Our waiter and assistant waiter were Manuel and Roy, both from India. They were both very friendly and attentive, as was the head waiter. We ate dinner in the dining room all three nights. My son and I ordered completely different things every night, and everything we had from starters to desserts was all very good.

Additionally, we had drinks and wine from a few of the bars. All drinks and bar service were very good.

At the Crown and Anchor member party, they were very generous with the alcoholic drinks and had a lot of different finger foods and little desserts.

ENTERTAINMENT:
This is one area where we were a little disappointed and Royal Caribbean was not up to its usual standards. The “comedian” on Friday night was not at all funny, there was only a small amount of laughter in the theater. His routine consisted of mostly impersonations, which were geared for mainly an older audience, but regardless, still were not funny. On Saturday night, the impressionist did a much better job of keeping everyone entertained. His show had a MoTown theme, which was ok. We did not go to the farewell show, which was the production show (Can’t Stop the Beat) with the singers and dancers, because we had seen it twice before on recent cruises. However, if you have not seen it before, it is worth seeing at least once. We went to the Love and Marriage and The Quest game shows. We enjoyed them both and they are always fun to see. There is different music in various locations throughout the ship as well.

PORTS:
We have been to Nassau many times, but if you have never been, it is definitely worth exploring. Everyone should go see the aquarium at Atlantis at least once. There are lots of places to shop in town if that is what you want to do.

Coco Cay is always beautiful and relaxing, yet there are many activities offered if you do not want to just lay around all day. The BBQ is always good too, but this time we chose to eat lunch on the ship.

DISEMBARKING:
Since we live fairly close to the port, we chose to be among the last passengers off the ship at about 9:15. There were no crowds, everything ran very smoothly, and we were off exactly when they said we would be. Our luggage was waiting for us as soon as we got off, and we grabbed it and headed off to the parking garage. The whole process took us only about 15 to 20 minutes.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
We had a great cruise! The crew were terrific. We really enjoyed the ship, and would definitely sail on Monarch again.

If anyone has any specific questions, we would be happy to try to answer the best we can!

Wow another cutback and upcharge, there never used to be a charge for Jade, in the windjammer for dinner, just for the Jade resturant on the next deck?

[Jsme]

Originally Posted by uksimonusa

Wow another cutback and upcharge, there never used to be a charge for Jade, in the windjammer for dinner, just for the Jade resturant on the next deck?

The Monarch offers you 2 types of Jade. One is the "as always" free sushi and then they have Jade that comes with a surcharge. They have Jade vs. Johnny Rockets.

[sailingawaysoon]

Thanks for the review. My husband and I may try this ship out for a little wkend getaway sometime. I'm trying to convince my coworker that he should get away w/his significant other in August on the Monarch because some of the rates are really unbeatable! Happy future cruising!

[khank]

We were also on this sailing and I would agree completely with your review. We probably had some of the best service we've ever had on a cruise. It was a great weekend getaway and fantastic weather!

[CruisinDawn]

Originally Posted by uksimonusa

Wow another cutback and upcharge, there never used to be a charge for Jade, in the windjammer for dinner, just for the Jade restaurant on the next deck?

As far back as I can remember there has been a charge for Jade in the evening. The chocolate sushi is yummy. It's also not an all you can eat for one price type of place either, it's based on what you order like a regular restaurant.

BonVoyage
Dawna

[Jsme]

Originally Posted by CruisinDawn

As far back as I can remember there has been a charge for Jade in the evening. The chocolate sushi is yummy. It's also not an all you can eat for one price type of place either, it's based on what you order like a regular restaurant.

BonVoyage
Dawna

Dawna, there's a place normally that is part of the Windjammer that offers free sushi. We have had it on every cruise that offered it on RCI. The Monarch is my first time at having the choice of paying for sushi. The Monarch offers both. I am really wondering if the surcharge or al carte Jade is better than the free Jade. One would think that it is. Looking forward to finding out next week.

[kkdleon]

I just completed our online check-in for our cruise departing on Fri. (Aug 7). I did not see any luggage tags. How do I go about getting them with our deck and state room on them?


We are leaving tomorrow night to stretch out our Anniversary weekend. SO any information quickly would be appreciated.

[Jsme]

Originally Posted by kkdleon

I just completed our online check-in for our cruise departing on Fri. (Aug 7). I did not see any luggage tags. How do I go about getting them with our deck and state room on them?


We are leaving tomorrow night to stretch out our Anniversary weekend. SO any information quickly would be appreciated.

I am taking you got Edocs as I did. I just asked this question myself a few days back. You will get blank ones from the porter at the port. You should have an example on your edocs on page 8. You use that information to fill out your luggage tag. I normally take address labels to help me when you have to fill out something on a luggage tag. Not sure if it will work on the ones in PC. Have fun!! We board as you are coming off. Wave as you get off.

[kkdleon]

I don't even know that I have e-docs. I just filled out the online check-in with the set sail pass and the credit card authorization. The only pages that printed out were the setsail pass with the cruise contract signature line and a few icons with explanations next to them. No where on the page did it say anything about examples of luggage tags and I can't find an example in FAQ on the RCCL website.

I'm fine with blank ones, I just thought we needed the preprinted ones for speed of luggage delivery.

[CanucsonVacay]

Thanks for posting your review so early! It's great to hear a recent review of the cruise. My family and I will be on this same cruise Aug 21-24.

[Jsme]

Originally Posted by kkdleon

I don't even know that I have e-docs. I just filled out the online check-in with the set sail pass and the credit card authorization. The only pages that printed out were the setsail pass with the cruise contract signature line and a few icons with explanations next to them. No where on the page did it say anything about examples of luggage tags and I can't find an example in FAQ on the RCCL website.

I'm fine with blank ones, I just thought we needed the preprinted ones for speed of luggage delivery.

Wait, are you the person that just booked like today or yesterday? Who did you book with? Directly with RCI? Or with a TA? Since you leave on Friday I do not think you would be able to get the paper docs. You need to get in touch with the person you booked with. If it was with RCI then call them and ask them to email you docs. Edocs come in an email. Now you do not have to have the documents to go on your cruise. All you have to have done is the online check in and print your SetSail Card.

[kkdleon]

Originally Posted by Jsme

Wait, are you the person that just booked like today or yesterday? Who did you book with? Directly with RCI? Or with a TA? Since you leave on Friday I do not think you would be able to get the paper docs. You need to get in touch with the person you booked with. If it was with RCI then call them and ask them to email you docs. Edocs come in an email. Now you do not have to have the documents to go on your cruise. All you have to have done is the online check in and print your SetSail Card.

We booked back in June with RCI directly. The problem I am realizing is that when DH purchased the cruise, he gave them his email address. As he is only marginally concerned with this process, he cannot remember whether he received an email that contained this information I am seeking. No point in pressing if we can just get tags at the port when we arrive.

Sorry I hijacked this thread! I am all packed and ready to go, just finishing the details. I will try to provide a review upon return.

Thanks OP for the info about your cruise. Any issues with jellyfish this early?

[Jsme]

Originally Posted by kkdleon

We booked back in June with RCI directly. The problem I am realizing is that when DH purchased the cruise, he gave them his email address. As he is only marginally concerned with this process, he cannot remember whether he received an email that contained this information I am seeking. No point in pressing if we can just get tags at the port when we arrive.

Sorry I hijacked this thread! I am all packed and ready to go, just finishing the details. I will try to provide a review upon return.

Thanks OP for the info about your cruise. Any issues with jellyfish this early?

LOL I understand about DH only being marginally concerned. lol I thought you might have been a person that posted about just booking for your cruise. Do not worry about the documents since you do not need them. You have all you need printed. Plus as you said no point in pressing it. Have a grand cruise.

[dancing dragon]

Originally Posted by kkdleon

I don't even know that I have e-docs. I just filled out the online check-in with the set sail pass and the credit card authorization. The only pages that printed out were the setsail pass with the cruise contract signature line and a few icons with explanations next to them. No where on the page did it say anything about examples of luggage tags and I can't find an example in FAQ on the RCCL website.I'm fine with blank ones, I just thought we needed the preprinted ones for speed of luggage delivery.

you have to request the paper version of the docs to get them otherwise they set up E-Docs....

to get them.. log into "My Cruises" on rccl's web site then click on your cruise, you'll be taken to a page with tabs at the top. click on the one that says "Cruise Documentation", click on check status, under Guest Vacation Documentation , it will take you to the PDF that is your E-Docs for the cruise......

hope this helps.... even if you don't do this the porter's will help you fill it out. no problem mon.... have a great cruise, save some rum for me...

I'm going on the cruise Aug 14th....

[debbieinva]

I just found my edocs to download and print...I leave on the 17th and had not seen them... I went to www.royalcaribbean.com/edocs... just fill out your information and ready to print.....

[Jsme]

I guess I could not do that because of the B2B and when I attempted to do that it would not let me.