First time cruiser experience on Monarch (10/30/09)

[SpeedGeek]

aka The Boy and the Butterfly.

In late September, my father recommended that I take a cruise, as he and my stepmother had enjoyed them and thought I would as well. I agreed and told them if they could find a good deal, let me know and I would get off work. The next day, I get a call--we're cruising over Halloween.

I spent the next month on Cruise Critic and other sites looking up as much information as I could, trying to determine what to expect; everything from the ship's movement in the water to how much weight I should expect to gain from the meals (5 lbs by the way... ).

This is really aimed at anyone who might be cruising for the first time (as that was my experience!), but I hope that everyone who is reading this gets something out of it.

Arriving at Port Canaveral, we stopped to drop off bags with porters before parking (don't forget to tip!). Walking into the terminal, you immediately encounter security asking for your SetSail ticket and passport/ID. After they clear you, you'll go through the metal detectors, then upstairs to the check-in area. At check-in, you will fill out a form promising the cruise line that you are free from any and all illness conceivable (The form contains questions like 'Have you experienced any of the following symptoms within the last 7 days?' and list a bunch of ambiguous symptoms, like cough). Answering yes to any of the questions will result in an interview with the ship's medical team and the possibility of being denied boarding. Otherwise you'll set up and receive your SeaPass card and wait for the Captain to clear the ship for boarding.

On the Monarch, you enter the ship at port on Deck Four, in the area in front of Explorations and Guest Relations. The first thing I thought of when entering this area was "Hey, a hotel." The Centrum expands through four decks. You're greeted by every worker you encounter, and a band is playing as you enter the ship. We went ahead and took this time to get soda packages, and the receipt reminds you that all almost all of your SeaPass purchases will have 15% gratuity attached. Rooms are not available until 1PM, so we took this time to go to the Windjammer for lunch.

I have to say that the Windjammer served excellent food throughout our trip. The first lunch proved that to me, as I had honey baked chicken, grilled corn on the cob, and some very good bread. I also tried a Spicy Oriental Salad (chicken, bell peppers, red pepper flakes, and a light dressing) that, had it been warmed up, would've probably been amazing. Throughout the cruise, the Windjammer had excellent offerings for a quick bite or meal.

We got to our room (8580) and noticed that the oceanview was indeed obstructed by the lifeboat, but mainly everything above the horizon. There was still plenty of light, and you could see the water, as well as the Promenade deck. Our second room (8582) was between lifeboats and had an almost completely clear view. Utilizing the toilet takes a little getting used to, 8580 had a pull mechanism on the vacuum system and 8582 had a button. In either case, it's vacuum assisted and can be loud. Remember that in case your roommate is sleeping... The bathroom is quite cramped, and in the shower you shouldn't expect to extend your arm all the way out in any direction, but you can get the job done. Figuring out the system to turn on the water and set the temperature can take a moment, but it should come to you (center knob with button is to turn on, left knob with button is temperature... and don't worry, there's plenty of hot water!) Soap and shampoo are provided, but it's your typical hotel fare. Expect water on the floor so do not leave anything there except maybe a towel.

As we walked around the ship, we noticed that the elevators were mainly being used for luggage transport (the sign that shows what floor the elevator is on will show 'Luggage Priority' or something similar). Muster was called shortly before departure from port, and it didn't last long. We were not required to bring or wear life vests. Back at the room we had 3 out of 4 bags. Turns out that power strips (that I'd read other people have brought before) are not allowed on ship. Fair enough, lesson learned.

Dinner was where I expected to be disappointed, considering the complaints I'd read on CC and other places. I must be quite lucky though, because our waiter, asst. waiter and head waitress were all outstanding. I cannot say it enough, if you're on Monarch and meet Rommel, Cesar and Havva, you will be taken care of. On the formal night, I mentioned how much I enjoyed the peppercorn sauce, and Havva suggested that I use it on the final night's dinner if I were having steak, and I quickly agreed. All three were friendly and easy to talk to, and I was absolutely pleased with their service in addition to the great food that was served. The steaks were cooked properly all three nights (and were excellent), the desserts were great (Tiramisu, Banana and nut parfait, and Strawberry cheesecake), and we were checked on just enough throughout our meals. Also apparently you can ask for a table of 10 and get seated at a table of 4. But we conversed with our nearby tables to make up for it!

That evening I relaxed in the casino and Circuit lounge (aside from a short internet break at 55 cents per minute on a slowwwwwwwwwwwww satellite connection). The table bets in the Casino the first night didn't seem to be lower than 10$, I don't know if that changed any other nights, but I got to throw away a bit of cash at the single deck blackjack table and had some fun. There was also a progressive lottery on the ship and they drew numbers nightly. 2$ per ticket, and the jackpot was 137,000$ or so when we were on board. In the Circuit, I enjoyed hanging out with some people around my age and had a couple of screwdrivers. While expensive, the bartenders pour well.

The next morning I spent some time on the pool deck while we waited to dock in Nassau. The salt water does a number on me, so I'm glad they had little showers there, though I still needed to take a break and get a real shower in my room. In Nassau, I was expecting something more than a tourist trap, but alas, I'd have to say it's 95% shops within any walking distance of the port. So after about an hour we went back to the ship.

That evening we had the formal dinner and there were plenty of photographers to get pictures. I noticed that some individuals either didn't realize it was formal night or didn't care, but I didn't let that get to me. It was Halloween and some folks did come to dinner in costume, so that was amusing at least.

After dinner, most people switched into their costumes for the night and invaded the various areas of the ship. We changed (after posing with the towel bat left in our room) and spent our time in Bolero's to listen to some karaoke where we encountered the swine flu (a guy dressed in pink scrubs with pig snout, ears and tail). Some people REALLY should refrain from singing, but others were excellent. After, I peeked in on the love and marriage show (think newlywed game) and that provided some great hilarity for the evening. The most unique place the couple made whoopie? 7th floor bathroom. 'Make a note we need to have all the restrooms on deck seven cleaned...' The late evening festivities included a Monster Bash on the pool deck, as well as an ice carving demonstration.

Sunday we arrived in Coco Cay and everyone ran for the tenders. We waited a bit and got to the island by 9:30. I decided to check on the jet ski tour, and there were plenty of spots available for 10AM, so I signed up. Short orientation and we got started. It was an absolute blast. Being my first time on a jet ski, I didn't know how I'd enjoy it, but of course now I want one to use on our local lake... Got back and walked around a little bit and wandered out into the water until we came upon a jellyfish. Then went back and got my camera to try to get some photos. Lunch was your typical grill fare, hot dogs, hamburgers, barbeque, grilled corn on the cob. There were plenty of birds on the island seeking leftover food. I was surprised to see iguanas and a rooster at one point. After about 4 hours on the island, we came back to the ship. Even in fall, the sun really beats on you.

The final evening, we saw a show, got our luggage ready (it has to be outside of your room before midnight if you don't intend to carry it off the ship) and then I went to see the late night comedy, which was shorter (and not as comedy filled) than I was hoping, but that's okay.

The morning came and we were up early. Unfortunately it turns out there was an error on our SeaPass account. My beverage package that I swiped my card with was applied to another person in our group's account. I have no idea how that happened (unless because it was an 'offline' transaction, they just added it later to the reservation and it hit the other stateroom), but we sorted it out ourselves. Customs was easy enough to go through, just have your passport and customs form ready and you can get through in a few minutes.

So overall, I had an excellent vacation, and here's my final view:

Pros: Above and beyond service, courteous staff, excellent food, private island (Coco Cay) with great excursions offered

Neutrals: Mediocre entertainment, some staff do not speak English, including some maintenance workers (but they know to grab someone who does)

Cons: SeaPass errors

If anyone has any questions, I'll try to answer them, but just remember that I'm a newbie too! -William

[Aquahound]

I'm glad to see you had a great time. The pros you mentioned have been my experience every single cruise, despite the griping you read around here. Welcome back.

[Freo 1989]

Thank you for your review. And welcome aboard.

Looking forward to our Monarch cruise on 14 Dec.

[RCCL Adict]

Great review! Can't wait to read your next one...you are hooked, aren't you?

[hibiscus27]

Originally Posted by SpeedGeek

aka The Boy and the Butterfly.


This is really aimed at anyone who might be cruising for the first time (as that was my experience!), but I hope that everyone who is reading this gets something out of it.

Thanks William... I'm headed on my first cruise in a few weeks... it was cool reading a newbie's perspective. :-) (even tho you're not technically a newbie anymore)

[boaterette]

Thank you for your review. I am glad you had a great time. i have sailed her a lot of times here on the west coast and I miss her.

[SpeedGeek]

Originally Posted by RCCL Adict

Great review! Can't wait to read your next one...you are hooked, aren't you?

As much as my wallet protests... yes.

[SpeedGeek]

Originally Posted by hibiscus27

Thanks William... I'm headed on my first cruise in a few weeks... it was cool reading a newbie's perspective. :-) (even tho you're not technically a newbie anymore)

I'm sure you'll have a blast

[EggDropErin]

Speedgeek,

Cesar is the BEST! We are going back on the Monarch again for a shorty to see him before he's off to another ship. Glad you also enjoyed him.