Monarch Of The Seas Review In Pictures 1/2/09

Our family of 4 just returned from our 3 night cruise yesterday on Monarch and am glad to say that she is a wonderful ship with a fantastic crew. I am going to post my review in segments with pictures as I go, so there will be continued posts through the thread.

We arrived at Port Canaveral at 10:30 as we usually do, dropped our luggage off and pulled right into the parking lot. This has to be the easiest port to park at....total walk time from parking spot to terminal, about 3 minutes.

We walked right into the terminal and check-in began about 11am. While you are waiting there are complimentary cookies and drinks available. Check-in was painless as usual, have seas-pass and passports in hand and you will be through in 5 minutes. Then back to seating and we began boarding right about 11:30am. Easy fast process.

Upon boarding we were to find she was fully decorated for Christmas still....a very nice surprise.

We had early dining as requested and were assigned to Claudes dining room on deck 4. This was the first time I had e-mailed in advance to RCCL dining to request a table for 4 as well as in a location that was not by either a doorway or service station. Upon inspection I found that I had a table for 4 but they placed me right behind a large service station. I was to later return to the dining room to speak to the matradee about changing the location. A brief 10 minute wait and a smile resolved the issue and I was switched to a window table of my liking.

We they ran up to WindJammer for a nice lunch and began to explore the ship.

Since we were already on deck 11 thats where we started our exploration of Monarch....so we walked out to the pool area. I liked the statue and tiled area they had in front of the pool. They used this area for dancing and entertainment. The band was located right above so as not to take space out the pool area as was the case on Sovereign.

Sine we have 2 kids ages 10 and 14 the next stop was the kids clubs. Fuel is the Teen club and is also located on deck 10.

The first night was a bit rocky for my older daughter as she didn't know anyone....however by the second night she had made a good friend and we couldn't keep her out of there. She enjoyed the program and had little complaints about anything. Her age group is allowed to come and go as they please, so no adult signing in or out is necessary. They even had a midnight pool party for ages 12-14 on the 3rd night....she loved it!

The video arcade was also located on deck 11 right in front of Fuel.

Of course the kids made good use of this area as did my sea-pass:rolleyes:NO....they weren't bad at all.....$10/each was all they went through.....they have so many things in the kids clubs that it kept the arcade under control.

Then it was off to deck 10 for the Adventure Ocean Club for my younger to check out.

This was a big hit with my 10 year old....she LOVED it. On the last night she even opted to join the younger age group since they were doing a pirate act in the Sound Of Music Theater. They dressed up as pirates and face painted them and all.....there were over 500 kids on this sailing, so they had plenty of face painting to do.

It was a great little show they did for having such a sort time to put it together.

We had 2 cabins next to each other, 9024 and 9026. These are category Superior Oceanview and well worth the little bit of cost for the extra size....remember cabins on these older ships are VERY small. This room was a pleasant surprise. The layout is a bit different from Sovereign....they took a bit of room out of the bathroom giving it to the cabin....this allows for a small but VERY welcome sitting area, Also one wall is almost all mirror making the room appear larger than it is. They room was in great shape with no problems at all.

The much debated safe....yes they DO have safes in category SO and above and here is the pix to prove it.

There are always people asking how obstructed the views are from Cat SO cabins. The view looking directly out at the ocean is not a problem in most rooms. It's looking directly down as you have lifeboats directly under your window. Some rooms have more obstruction than others. I will say that due to the better room layout on Monarch compared to Sovereign the bed was not directly under the window, making the window much more usable.

View from 9026.

View from 9024.

The bathroom is a bit smaller than Sovereign but at a well worth expense of increase cabin space....the shower in 9026 worker great but my kids in 9024 said the pressure wasn't the best....I didn't compare. The water in the showers drained great unlike the showers on Sovereign that had a tendency to flood the bathroom floor.

Both my wife and I thought everything in the room was in great working order.

Deck 9 hall views. Nice new carpet.

There was lots going on the first afternoon around the centrum deck 5.....free liquor tasting, massages, sushi and an excellent carving display.

Seattle's Best and Ben and Jerry's....we made good us of both of these daily;)

In contrast of our frequent use of Ben and Jerry's comes the gym. Monarch has a nice gym on deck 9 with a good bit of equipment. I can't comment on how busy it gets as the first day was the only time I saw it:o

Located right next to the gym is a very nice spa. We were given a complete tour and i was impressed with the services. I have never used the spa on RCCL but was inclined to try it after our tour. I should have signed up right away as when I later returned that evening to make appointments for my wife and I for Sat morning, almost everything was booked. I can't even tell you how crowded the spa/salon was on Fri evening at around 9-10pm....there must have been 20 people waiting for appointments, so if this is something you are interested in waste no time in booking.

Jade is on deck 11 located forward in front of WindJammer. It's a sushi restaurant with a nice Asian theme. Actually WindJammer also has the Asian theme going and it is quiet refreshing. In honesty I am not a sushi person so can't comment on the food as I didn't eat there. I missed Johnny Rockets and wish they had that instead like Sovereign...so did my kids:( But Monarch has so many more pluses that we quickly got over it.

The food in WindJammer was OK...nothing better or worse than I have seen in the past. The staff was excellent and helpful in getting drinks and quickly clearing and cleaning tables. We had no problems finding seating at any time. With a full ship and over 500 kids on-board...I consider that a big positive.

For sail away my wife and I went to our favorite spot....Viking Crown Lounge. The view up there is excellent and IMO the best spot to be. Smoking is allowed in the Viking Lounge and it can get a bit smoky. This was controlled better on Sovereign by having several floor air purifiers located at various points around the lounge. These are absent on Monarch and it shows (or should I say smells). It's not bad and didn't bother us at all but if you are sensitive to smoke it may turn you off. This area also becomes a cigar bar after 8pm so I am sure it gets very smoky in the evening hours.

What a view...good music and very helpful friendly staff.

Love your review!!!

For dining we were assigned to Claudes on deck 4. I am sorry I don't have any pix of the main dining room:( but I would like to talk a bit about our dining experience. Out of 3 RCCL cruises Monarch easily was the best food wise. I will go over some of the food items our family had during dinner. The first thing that stood out was the way the steaks were cooked. First night a NY Strip was offered and second night Beef Tenderloin which ended up being more like Prime Rib. We asked for medium and to my surprise that is exactly what we got each time...a medium cooked steak. Last time we cruised no matter what we asked for it was well done and like shoe leather....NOT this time...the steak was excellent each and every night. I had turkey that was very good. Last night was Italian night and I had the chicken marsala with no complaints. Appetizers varied from shrimp cocktail to cesar salad family style to mozzarella and tomato to lobster bisque to mention a few. Most were very good, some being better than others of course. I also had scallops with risotto one night that was pretty good and thats a hard one to prepare for masses and not be tough or chewy as nails...they did a good job.

The staff was excellent! Service was always with a smile and very attentive...we never waited for anything. My youngest's steak was cut for her as usual and they quickly learned that her favorite was A1 steak sauce and had it ready for her nightly. When ever we couldn't decide what we wanted they just brought both of....one night I think we ended up with like 7-8 appetizers for our table of 4. I am a wine person and once ordered they would have to bottle on the table in minutes....my only complaint was that the wine glasses were always very spotted....a quick wipe with my napkin quickly fixed that;) Again the wait staff was excellent....excellent.....excellent.

On the last night after Italian night they put on a little parade in the dining room....that did get a bit fumbled but was easily appreciated.

Also while on the topic of food I will tell you my room service experience. IMO room service on RCCL is excellent. First morning I just called down for coffee and danish and it was delivered in less than 15 minutes time. Another time my daughter ordered a salad and it also was delivered quickly. My wife ordered my oldest a pizza that was delivered after midnight and there was no charge contrary to what was stated here on CC. Neither was there anything about a late night charge listed in the compass...only that room service would close at 2:30am. I had always heard about people writing in additional items on the breakfast menu that you leave out on the door so I figure to give it a try. Well my kids got a bit carried away on this one and when I got the call in the morning that breakfast was on its way I had no idea what I was in for:o They had eggs, potatoes, home fries, pancakes, bacon, corned beef hash, and not one but 2 dishes of pastries....plus juices, coffee and tea:o It was a feast for sure! Of course I made sure to tip accordingly;)

Sorrentos pizza in on deck 12 above WindJammer. Pizza was nothing to write home about but did the trick late night and for a snack during the day. Never waited more than 5 minutes if at all and plenty plenty tables available. 2 nice big flat screen TV's to watch while snacking.... personally I enjoyed the ocean view better.

Bajathree:

thanks for the posting and let me add a little to it...

We were on the same cruise and I had to laugh at your boarding and pictures: we boarded about 30 minutes after you and were in Viking Crown for sailaway - but on the port side :)

I'd love to add some more photos but I, um, left our camera in the rental car post cruise... Budget is looking for it. Fortunately, my brother was with us and we copied most of the pictures onto his laptop on the last night.

Some thoughts:

- boarding was a breeze. The only minor (and I mean *minor*) logistical snag was that they sent people left or right to the side with the shorter line to speed things up... but the seapass cards were divided with some floors on the left and others on the right, which meant that the agents sometimes had to walk to the other end of the hall to get your seapass. We boarded in just a few minutes at around noon and my brother, who arrived at 3:30 said it only took them a couple more minutes to get on board.

- we debated an SO room but went with oceanviews on deck 6 instead. We missed the couch and the space it gives you to sort stuff out! The bathrooms in the OV cabins are not that much bigger, if anything.

- my wife booked two massages, one on board, which she said was ok, and one on Coco Cay, which was great. Coco cay was actually cheaper than on board (though they did say that if it became a sea day, the rate would be regular ship rate - not sure why...)

- we used the gym a couple of times. I was afraid that it would be packed just after New Years, instead it was just busy but never any real wait for equipment.

- agree completely with your review of Windjammer (some items had that 'too long in the steam table' texture and look to them...) and the dining room. Astounding how they can turn out so many steaks and have them done *as requested*. I've been to some big-name steakhouses that can't get it right with the same consistency! Had the pizza once... Can't really call it pizza: more like a slice of bread with tomato sauce and cheese on it...

- Oceanview cabins do NOT have a safe, or a refrigerator for that matter. The biggest drawback of not having a fridge is that the 'minibar' stuff is put on a tray on what little desk real estate there is! We simply asked our cabin attendant to remove it and he did.

The only real complaint I had about the whole trip is that it was TOO SHORT!

Thanks for the awesome review and pics. We are going on our first cruise (a 4 nighter) in April and I'm even more excited after reading your review and seeing the pics. Any advice for some newbies (sans kids)? Depending on price, I may do a massage, but is there anything else we should not miss? Thanks again!

ColumbiaMDCanadian: Did you wife have the massage on the island or on the ship while docked at Coco Cay? If on the island, where was it and where did she go to book it? This sounds like it would be heavenly!

:D:D Thanks so much for the pics and reviews, we leave in less than 3 weeks and after reading we are now even more excited :D:D

The Sound Of Music theater was nice and fresh looking....seems like it may have got an update on the recent dry dock. I unfortunately can't seem to stay awake after a bottle of wine and a big meal so the only show I made was on the 3rd night for the kids show and immediately following Cant Stop The Beat. This was the same show they had on Sovereign but just like most everything else we experienced on Monarch it was just a bit better.

The problem with a 3 night is you feel you have to do everything. We were on the same cruise and remembered seeing you guys. Now we are having to get over trying to do everything. I agree the MDR was the best ever.

Our first port of call on Sat. was Nassau. I have been frequenting Nassau for over 20 years and have as many or more visits under my belt as years visiting. I love Nassau and the island seems like a second home to me. I was just asked to become a destination expert on CC's sister board Trip Advisor for Paradise Island.

Hoisting the colors in preparation into Nassau.

Sat. is the busiest port day in Nassau and it didn't disappoint....with 5 ships in port it was a "full house".

I was looking for us to do something a bit different in Nassau (which isn't that easy to do after so many visits) and came up with something I never tried, the Tour Nassau On A Segway excursion offered right through RCCL. This was a highlight of the trip. In all honesty the excursion should be called Adventures On a Segway, as it's more an off-road experience. You do not tour through Nassau as one would think from the name. Instead you are taken a short 10 minute ride from the port to a place called Earth Village. There they have basically carved out paths through a government owned nature area and that is where you ride. It's kind of a off-road adventure nature tour on Segway. The Segways even had big off-road wheels on them. This tour was a BLAST! I have never rode one before so I always love a new experience. It's kind on odd at first but you quickly adjust to riding the Segway....being off road it is a bit more challenging than I thought it would be. My wife who is NOT the adventerous one at all even got the hang of it. The kids were on and zipping around in minutes. The course gets more challenging as you progress and by the end you are zipping through tight turns and over hills and bumps.

I even have a video clip I did for you guys to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnYFGAn8kVY

ColumbiaMDCanadian: Did you wife have the massage on the island or on the ship while docked at Coco Cay? If on the island, where was it and where did she go to book it? This sounds like it would be heavenly!

On the island. They have a little building called "Island Oasis" just to the left of the tender docks with three rooms - one for couples, 2 singles. All 3 face the water and (roughly) where the boat is anchored, with sheer curtains for your privacy.

She's not home now for me to confirm, but I believe the deep tissue massage was $99 on the island and $120 on the boat. To book one on the island (or on the boat for that matter) it seems you have to act quickly as they fill up fast.

When you board, there is someone just as you get on the ship (on deck 4) from the spa taking reservations. [Convenient but kind of a silly arrangement really! The spa person takes your information and then goes to find a phone to call the spa to see if the space is available and then comes back to you...] She booked the 1st massage with her and then went upstairs directly to the spa [deck 9, aft].

If you're going to book on Cococay, keep in mind a few things:

1) It may take some time for them to sort everything out when you first get there so I wouldn't book 1st thing.

2) Lunch is served from 12 to 2 [ribs, chicken. hamburgers, hot dogs - not as good as it could be, frankly...] and, since they bring everything from the boat, they tend to run out toward the end.

3) If budget is an issue, remember, Cococay is fantastic - there is *excellent* snorkeling [but so-so diving] at the tender end of the island [at "snorkel beach", go figure!] and, if you go to the right as you get off the tenders and walk down the beach in that direction, a number of hammocks under the palm trees for you to enjoy. [swimming not as good at that end, mind you]

Did I mention the white sand beaches? :)

Yeah, I could go back tomorrow.

The problem with a 3 night is you feel you have to do everything. We were on the same cruise and remembered seeing you guys. Now we are having to get over trying to do everything. I agree the MDR was the best ever.

COOL!!!! I know what you mean....by the third night you are just getting comfortable and it's time to go already:( It's defiantly an action packed few days. I need a vacation to rest from our vacation....lolol

Well after an adventurous tour on Segway it was off to the straw market for my daughters to expand their already bulging bag collection:rolleyes: I went off for some refreshments at Senor Frogs;)

The place was packed as usual.

As most Caribbean Islands this is pretty much the motto.

Our port of call on Sunday was CoCo Cay. We were so happy we made it as we missed this stop on Sovereign last Aug due to dodging 2 storms. I had been to CoCo Cay back in 07, so I knew what we had missed. This is a great stop and they really do a nice job of taking care of the place. This is a tender stop and we were on the first one over.

The Island

Getting off the tender.

Directions