Review...Monarch...January 30, 2012

[chef_christoph]

Scott, I enjoyed reading your review. Glad you had a fantastic cruise and that you was able to stop at Coco Cay. It's one of my favorite stops! :)

 

Thanks Nancy! It's great to hear from you. :)

[cruisegirl1]

Thanks for the review.

M

[Mjfan4ever888]

Let us know

Thanks

Wendy

[LaShelle2]

Great Review! I just booked the same cruise for $139 inside cabin! Couldn't resist the price.

[chef_christoph]

Let us know

Thanks

Wendy

 

Hi Wendy, I keep remembering little things that I wish I had put into my review...I might do a little additional writing about these things as they come to me. Thanks for reading and your interest in our experiences aboard Monarch. If you have any specific questions about something I didn't mention, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer :)

[chef_christoph]

Great Review! I just booked the same cruise for $139 inside cabin! Couldn't resist the price.

 

Thanks for reading :) Have a great time on your cruise!

[chef_christoph]

Some additional thoughts....

 

Check-in was quick and efficient but I was surprised when the gentleman checking us in told me that my GF's DDs were not allowed to be in their own cabin. This was the first time I had cruised with the girls and, although I had read here many times that children were allowed in their own cabin as long as it was right next door or directly across the hall, his initial reluctance to check us in was worrisome at the time. When I politely mentioned that the girls were right next door to her mother and me, and that I had spoken directly to an RCI rep on the phone when I made these arrangements, he carried on with the check-in procedure.

 

When we were waiting for our cabins to be made available on the first day, I noticed a sewage smell around the main elevators/stairs on the lower decks. The smell got worse as we walked down the stairs and I heard other passengers comment on it as we walked by. However, the smell was gone later in the day after we got moving and I did not notice any smells at any other time anywhere else on the ship for the remainder of the cruise.

 

We had one erroneous charge appear on our account. It showed up as an adult soda package right after the charge for my GF's DD's soda package was added t my account. The Guest Services staff was very helpful and had the extra charge removed before the last day of the cruise.

 

On our day at sea I was sitting in the Windjammer and noticed the individual sugar packets on my table. In the past, I remember seeing the crown and anchor or the Royal Caribbean text printed on these sugar packets. What I found funny was that, instead of the RCI logos, all the sugar packets on my table and those around me all had the logo for Golden Corral printed on them. I know it was probably a supplier issue and in the grand scheme of things is not even a minor issue but it struck me as funny to be sitting in the buffet dining venue and be seeing Golden Corral branded items on the tables.

 

Also on our day at sea, we happened to walk into Boleros during the Q&A session with the captain and other senior crew. The topic of tipping was being discussed and the captain mentioned that in his experience on average 25% of people do not pay their tips. You could hear the crowd gasp in disgust at that bit of information. I obviously can't comment on if that percentage is accurate or not, but that is what the captain said so take it for what it's worth.

[Dpeeps]

Thanx for the great review! We have a large group of about 59 people sailing on her on March 26th and we are all VERY excited. This will be the first time on the Monarch for the majority of us! It can't get here soon enough! :)

[Mjfan4ever888]

Let us know

Wendy