Just off the Monarch - 14 November 2008

The quick version of the 3-night cruise - our first on Royal Caribbean:

The ship: Actually very nice - the public areas were all beautiful, and the cabin was comfortable if kind of small. Everything seemed very clean. We did a bit of rocking and rolling thanks to some decent sized swells, but we enjoy the reminder that we're on a ship. They were still working on the ship on and off the whole cruise, but I understand that's pretty much par for the course after a drydock.

The food: Dining room food was nearly always wonderful - buffet food was decent, but not available all the hours I thought it should be. Jade tempura was as good as I'd heard, and the sushi wasn't bad. Room service was something of a disappointment - I guess I'd seen an old copy of the menu. With the exception of the lobster bisque, which was REALLY, REALLY BAD, the food ranged from good to excellent.

The stops: Well, we'd been to Nassau several times, but we enjoyed it once again. Unfortunately, weather prevented us from tendering at Coco Cay, so we missed out there.

The service: Definitely the highlight of this trip! Our steward was fantastic, our waiters at dinner were phenomenal, and we thought the whole crew was just wonderful.

The downsides were many, but all were pretty minimal. If anyone is interested, I'll have a (much) longer review posted this afternoon.

Which night was formal night?

Hope we get to Coco Cay one of my favorite spots!

What did you do in Nassau? We are planning to go to Atlantis, was weather warm enough for using water slides etc?

Thanks for posting :) My sister, mom and I will be on the Monarch on 12/05. Do you have any scans of the menus or the newsletter? This will be my first RCCL cruise, I'm excited.

I also have a general question about the Bahamas this time of year. Is the weather about the same as here in FL? I'm worried it's going to be too cold for beach-related activities! LOL (It's really cold today!!)

Let's see...

Formal night was Saturday night. Some very nicely dressed folks there, and others like us who were only a step up from business casual. We thought about skipping it, but were assured that anything other than shorts would be most welcome.

On Saturday, in Nassau, the weather was pretty nice and warm, but not swelteringly hot. I'd say water activities would have been just fine. That night, a cold front moved through, and we wouldn't have wanted to play in the water at Coco Cay even if tendering had been possible. We just did a little walking in Nassau - we always like it when it's not too hot out. We've been to Atlantis before, but just to view the aquarium at night while it was free. The weather is *very* similar to that in south Florida.

Ok, about to post my *really long* review. Scans of the compasses to come, afraid I don't have the menus.

We got going kind of late - we didn't make it to the port until a little after 3:00. It took only a few minutes to drop off our luggage and find a parking spot. We walked the short distance to the terminal entrance, where the line was about thirty seconds long. We went through security - just as fast. We proceeded to the check-in and were immediately asked for our SetSail pass. They pointed us toward the Diamond and suite check-in, which was two families shorter than the regular - ie, empty. We were walking toward the ship in no time. I think it was roughly 45 minutes from the first security/flag waver to standing in our room.

Our cabin is small (tiny!) but comfortable. Our steward is awesome - friendly and efficient. We left him a note just before the muster drill, leaving ten bucks and asking for a couple extra pillows and for him to remove the minibar stuff. We had two more pillows and the snacks stashed away by the time we got back from muster. Chocolates on our pillow too!

We had gotten in so late we couldn't eat until after the drill. Afterwards, there were hamburgers and surprisingly good hot dogs available next to Sorrento’s. I waited patiently (well, bought a soda card) for the pizza to come out. It didn't take long, and it was decent but nothing special.

We explored a little bit, then went back to the room to shower and change for dinner. The bathroom was alright, small, but functional. we sought out a great place to see the shuttle launch We made our way to the beautiful 'Centrum' and waited with the hordes to be let into Vincent's. We were seated at table 71 with Maxwell - he stayed with the ship from the west coast, and was fantastic. The food was all very good - we tried quite a lot! The warm pumpkin and apple soup was fantastic, as was the chilled berry soup. we tried a few entrees - the new york strip steak, tempura mahi-mahi, and some pasta with shells and smoked salmon. The steak was very good - cooked to order and free. The mahi-mahi was also very good, but I did not enjoy the pasta. This might have been the first time in my life I didn't like a pasta dish. The flavor was strange, and was a little too acidic. Our desserts were both delicious.

After dinner, we poured a little cash into the video poker machines, then explored a little more. We really liked the crown viking lounge up in floor 14 - but I have to say, splitting the lounge into smoking and nonsmoking sections is incredibly ineffective, especially with cigars.

In the morning, we went to Vincent’s for a nice leisurely breakfast. The food was all good, except the corned beef hash I’ve learned not to expect much from. DH thought the sauce for the eggs benedict was a little lemony on the first day, but tasty enough he ordered it again the following morning.

We returned to the room to plan our day, and ended up napping until just after we docked in Nassau. We were a bit disappointed that lunch was not available in the dining room, but we found some nummy things to eat in the buffet. We left the ship and wandered around nearby Nassau for a bit. We did a little shopping and exploring, and then headed back for another nap. We woke and headed to Jade for some of that tempura that isn't on the menu. We had the shrimp, which was great, as well as the shrimp and crab sushi rolls. I think they used real crab in them - which puts them at least a notch better than my Publix.

Dinner that night was also wonderful - our tablemates showed up, and the young man in that party was also celebrating his birthday. After some discussion, the head waiter agreed to waive the corkage fee on the bottle of sparkling grape juice they'd brought. They brought us both a slice of strawberry cheesecake with candles, and sang. It was nice sharing the embarrassment. I had the escargot - excellent - while my husband had the chilled pear soup, which was fine but not outstanding. DH said his fillet of beef was properly cooked, but it came out a little cool. I had the mushroom truffle alfredo pasta - good, but I’d have ordered something else if I’d found something appealing on the menu. Maxwell and Azmi were fantastic one again. After dinner, we played video poker for a little while, and then headed up to the cigar bar for a bit. We ran into a gentleman from my (small) hometown, which was pretty cool.

The next morning, we slept in a bit longer than we meant to. We made it to the dining room just in time, lamenting that it would be closed again for lunch. I guess we got what we deserved for complaining, because we found out that our stop for the day at coco cay had been cancelled due to weather. We were a little disappointed, but figured we'd find something to do. We ended up doing quite a lot of nothing, which was wonderful, before heading to the dining room for lunch. DH had the shrimp skewers, which were simple but good. I had that wonderful salad they make for you - I chose romaine, prosciutto, egg, asparagus, olives, parmesan, and Caesar dressing. It was good, even though the guy making it failed to put it in the silver bowl to chop it up, and served it in a very warm bowl - he even warned me as I handed it to me. Very strange. It was tasty enough to not complain at all =)

We napped the afternoon away, then donned our jackets to walk around outside. The weather that kept us from coco cay was a cold front, and it tossed up the water pretty good as well as freezing us out on the decks.

We were alone at dinner again, but had a nice meal anyway. The antipasti I had was good, as were the (strong!) warm garlic soup and the strawberry bisque. I didn't really care for the breaded shrimp, but my husband really liked the lamb shank. The desserts were the same as we'd seen in the buffet, so we avoided the tiramisu. DH got a berry mousse, and I had the warm chocolate cake - both were good.

We took a long walk to our room and began packing. We slept like babies with the ship rising and falling. We used the express departure, so had to be at Claude's by 7:00 with our bags. We were off the ship, through immigration, out of the garage and heading home by 7:30. I’m not certain we even went through customs. It wasn’t an intentional skip, I’m not even sure we missed it – but it all seemed very streamlined and hassle free.

Just curious How much for the sushi, i heard it was extra.

The sushi was between two and six dollars for three or four pieces - combinations were a little less. I know a copy of the menu is floating around here somewhere. The shrimp tempura (four shrimp) was $4, and the vegetable tempura (a big pile!) was $6.

Thank you for the wonderful post of the Monarch of the Seas!! You have stated what we.........on the West Coast....have felt about her for the past 5 years.

She may not be the newest ship in the fleet........but she always has the best crew.........and they know how to make you comfortable!!

The Sovereign Class may be smaller than what we are getting in February...but being of a bit older clientele...........we probably will fly to the East Coast...........and enjoy the Monarch.......rather than stay her with the Mariner.

We just enjoy a smaller ship.......and we know that soon enough the time will come when that class is no longer with us.

Rick

Thanks for the quick reply concerning the sushi. I will be sailing on the Monarch Dec1. and am very excited!

thank you for posting. we miss Monarch but glad all the eastern cruisers are enjoying her...Monarch has aged quite well and both our cruises on her have been amazing

We got going kind of late - we didn't make it to the port until a little after 3:00. It took only a few minutes to drop off our luggage and find a parking spot. We walked the short distance to the terminal entrance, where the line was about thirty seconds long. We went through security - just as fast. We proceeded to the check-in and were immediately asked for our SetSail pass. They pointed us toward the Diamond and suite check-in, which was two families shorter than the regular - ie, empty. We were walking toward the ship in no time. I think it was roughly 45 minutes from the first security/flag waver to standing in our room.

 

Our cabin is small (tiny!) but comfortable. Our steward is awesome - friendly and efficient. We left him a note just before the muster drill, leaving ten bucks and asking for a couple extra pillows and for him to remove the minibar stuff. We had two more pillows and the snacks stashed away by the time we got back from muster. Chocolates on our pillow too!

 

We had gotten in so late we couldn't eat until after the drill. Afterwards, there were hamburgers and surprisingly good hot dogs available next to Sorrento’s. I waited patiently (well, bought a soda card) for the pizza to come out. It didn't take long, and it was decent but nothing special.

 

We explored a little bit, then went back to the room to shower and change for dinner. The bathroom was alright, small, but functional. we sought out a great place to see the shuttle launch We made our way to the beautiful 'Centrum' and waited with the hordes to be let into Vincent's. We were seated at table 71 with Maxwell - he stayed with the ship from the west coast, and was fantastic. The food was all very good - we tried quite a lot! The warm pumpkin and apple soup was fantastic, as was the chilled berry soup. we tried a few entrees - the new york strip steak, tempura mahi-mahi, and some pasta with shells and smoked salmon. The steak was very good - cooked to order and free. The mahi-mahi was also very good, but I did not enjoy the pasta. This might have been the first time in my life I didn't like a pasta dish. The flavor was strange, and was a little too acidic. Our desserts were both delicious.

 

After dinner, we poured a little cash into the video poker machines, then explored a little more. We really liked the crown viking lounge up in floor 14 - but I have to say, splitting the lounge into smoking and nonsmoking sections is incredibly ineffective, especially with cigars.

 

In the morning, we went to Vincent’s for a nice leisurely breakfast. The food was all good, except the corned beef hash I’ve learned not to expect much from. DH thought the sauce for the eggs benedict was a little lemony on the first day, but tasty enough he ordered it again the following morning.

 

We returned to the room to plan our day, and ended up napping until just after we docked in Nassau. We were a bit disappointed that lunch was not available in the dining room, but we found some nummy things to eat in the buffet. We left the ship and wandered around nearby Nassau for a bit. We did a little shopping and exploring, and then headed back for another nap. We woke and headed to Jade for some of that tempura that isn't on the menu. We had the shrimp, which was great, as well as the shrimp and crab sushi rolls. I think they used real crab in them - which puts them at least a notch better than my Publix.

 

Dinner that night was also wonderful - our tablemates showed up, and the young man in that party was also celebrating his birthday. After some discussion, the head waiter agreed to waive the corkage fee on the bottle of sparkling grape juice they'd brought. They brought us both a slice of strawberry cheesecake with candles, and sang. It was nice sharing the embarrassment. I had the escargot - excellent - while my husband had the chilled pear soup, which was fine but not outstanding. DH said his fillet of beef was properly cooked, but it came out a little cool. I had the mushroom truffle alfredo pasta - good, but I’d have ordered something else if I’d found something appealing on the menu. Maxwell and Azmi were fantastic one again. After dinner, we played video poker for a little while, and then headed up to the cigar bar for a bit. We ran into a gentleman from my (small) hometown, which was pretty cool.

 

The next morning, we slept in a bit longer than we meant to. We made it to the dining room just in time, lamenting that it would be closed again for lunch. I guess we got what we deserved for complaining, because we found out that our stop for the day at coco cay had been cancelled due to weather. We were a little disappointed, but figured we'd find something to do. We ended up doing quite a lot of nothing, which was wonderful, before heading to the dining room for lunch. DH had the shrimp skewers, which were simple but good. I had that wonderful salad they make for you - I chose romaine, prosciutto, egg, asparagus, olives, parmesan, and Caesar dressing. It was good, even though the guy making it failed to put it in the silver bowl to chop it up, and served it in a very warm bowl - he even warned me as I handed it to me. Very strange. It was tasty enough to not complain at all =)

 

We napped the afternoon away, then donned our jackets to walk around outside. The weather that kept us from coco cay was a cold front, and it tossed up the water pretty good as well as freezing us out on the decks.

 

We were alone at dinner again, but had a nice meal anyway. The antipasti I had was good, as were the (strong!) warm garlic soup and the strawberry bisque. I didn't really care for the breaded shrimp, but my husband really liked the lamb shank. The desserts were the same as we'd seen in the buffet, so we avoided the tiramisu. DH got a berry mousse, and I had the warm chocolate cake - both were good.

 

We took a long walk to our room and began packing. We slept like babies with the ship rising and falling. We used the express departure, so had to be at Claude's by 7:00 with our bags. We were off the ship, through immigration, out of the garage and heading home by 7:30. I’m not certain we even went through customs. It wasn’t an intentional skip, I’m not even sure we missed it – but it all seemed very streamlined and hassle free.

You REALLY know how to cruise!

:)

I'm glad that you had a good time, despite missing CocoCay.

Loved you're review, I'm going on her for a three day in a few weeks, and would Love to see the cruise Compass & Jade Menus if you have them Please!

also what did they do in drydock? Just a freshning up, Paint and New Carpets? or was there more? Flat Screen TV's?, New Dining Room Chairs?, Slot Machines?,......Anything?

Thanks Again, Can't wait to sail on her, Seeing as I loved my past two Sovergein Cruises, I'm sure I'll Love the Monarch as well, Will feel like coming home after a Couple Carnivals and a Disney Cruise.

Thank you for the nice review.

We love the Monarch and dearly miss her. Her crew is second to none.

Take good care of her.:)

What a great review. We are looking forward to sailing her in May. I had a couple questions. First, what type of cabin did you have? If it was a Junior Suite, did it have a safe in it? I saw where you went to the casino. Hubby wants to know if they have a craps table. I just hope for decent blackjack dealers and hopefully a number of penny/nickle slots. LOL Also, you mentioned Azmi. I don't know how common a name that is from his country, but we had an Assistant Waiter on the Mariner in May 07 named Azmi and he was PHENOMINAL. I'll keep fingers crossed it's the same gentleman and we get lucky and he's there for our sailing.

Thanx in advance for your answers.

Erika

What a great review. We are looking forward to sailing her in May. I had a couple questions. First, what type of cabin did you have? If it was a Junior Suite, did it have a safe in it? I saw where you went to the casino. Hubby wants to know if they have a craps table. I just hope for decent blackjack dealers and hopefully a number of penny/nickle slots. LOL Also, you mentioned Azmi. I don't know how common a name that is from his country, but we had an Assistant Waiter on the Mariner in May 07 named Azmi and he was PHENOMINAL. I'll keep fingers crossed it's the same gentleman and we get lucky and he's there for our sailing.

 

Thanx in advance for your answers.

Erika

Erika............just a quick note to let you know that all Jr. Suites have safes in them. Actually all SO cabins, Jr. Suites and above have safes in them.

They also have a craps table..........or at least they did when we were going thru the Panama Canal.

Enjoy your cruise!!

Rick

Virga - great review! Now that the Monarch is here in Florida, I have been looking for reviews such as yours. Having sailed on both the Sovereign and the Majesty, we are looking forward to sailing on the Monarch next year in May.

Would you mind giving us your cabin number? DH and I usually go for an inside cabin, especially on the weeknd cruises....best sleep ever and it is nice to come back from a mini-vacation actually rested!

And for those of you on the West Coast who had to say goodbye to the Monarch...we promise to take care of her for you and to give her the love that she deserves.

We were in an obstructed view cabin - deck 8. Certainly no suite - glad Rick was able to help out there. We were actually in cabin 8540 - listed as 60% obstruction, but the lifeboat was such and room was set up so that you could see the horizon in the direction you faced standing next to the bed. There were lights on outside the window at all times, so the curtains were needed at night.

Glad this uber-long review is useful. I had hoped to have one before our cruise, and thought someone else might be looking for the same kind of subjective info.

Compass scans will be up this afternoon - I still can't find that photo of the jade menu! I know it's here somewhere - actually two photos, with a good amount of camera glare. Anyone seen it lately?

I am so excited to see your cruise compass. I would also LOVE to see your photos. I will be on her Dec. 1 Thanks for your review, it was very nice of you to take the time.

We were in an obstructed view cabin - deck 8. Certainly no suite - glad Rick was able to help out there. We were actually in cabin 8540 - listed as 60% obstruction, but the lifeboat was such and room was set up so that you could see the horizon in the direction you faced standing next to the bed. There were lights on outside the window at all times, so the curtains were needed at night.

 

Glad this uber-long review is useful. I had hoped to have one before our cruise, and thought someone else might be looking for the same kind of subjective info.

 

Compass scans will be up this afternoon - I still can't find that photo of the jade menu! I know it's here somewhere - actually two photos, with a good amount of camera glare. Anyone seen it lately?

We're in an ov on deck 9 in December- how obstructed are those cabins?

is everything in Jade an extra cost or just the sushi you get in there

Well, the miso soup was free. I think the jasmine tea might have been free - if not, it was *very* cheap. I think those are the only freebies, but they were both nice. We spent $10 (including 15% gratuity and a small additional tip) the first night and (I think) $12 total the next.

The vegetable tempura is a pretty big ptile - $6 for something very suitable for splitting. one person can't really eat it fast enough to keep it from getting a little too oily.

Thanks for the review Virga, I'll be on her for the 4 day itinerary Dec 1. I sailed her sister ship Sovereign in 06 and am looking forward to my Birthday cruise on Monarch!!! Pink Rose I hope to see you there!! There is another thread for that sail date, look it up. Fair skies and smooth seas to all!!!!

I was on the same cruise with DD, sister, and neice. We had inside 5537 and 5539. Small, but we knew that when we booked it. We thought it was one of the better short cruises. Always plenty to do. We really liked the last show. The staff was very friendly. The public bathrooms had new tiled as well as seeing lots of new carpet. We were disappinted we missed CocoCay.

I really liked the Monarch, this was my first time on a smaller ship and it was okay. I think that I would like to go out on her again.

One thing I must say was that the crew definitely made up for the size they were a lively bunch.

The rooms are small but very comfortable. I really cant say anything bad about the ship they seemed to be doing continuous maintenance and everything was really clean.