A Graduation Cruise in Review: Monarch (with pics!)

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

The picture of the rainbow is breathtaking! What a special treat on the last day.

[ChampionCruiser]

Too funny! Our group was one of the "few" that ventured to barefoot beach. We were lounging under the second to the last unbrella huts, I think your group is at the last one. We stayed for quite a while waiting out the light rain but still enjoyed our time there. I would love to go back during good weather to experience more of the island. Awesome picture of you parasailing. I will have to give that a try next time.

 

That's crazy! Yes, we were the at the very last one :)

[Cruzin RN]

the picture of the rainbow is breathtaking! What a special treat on the last day.

 

agree!!!

[ChampionCruiser]

Sorry for the delay, but I’m back for the last tidbit of the review!

 

Day 5 – Port Canaveral, Florida

 

Well, the end was here. After four terrific days on the Monarch we were back in Port Canaveral. The mood on the final morning is never joyful, but I wasn’t quite as sad as normal only because my vacation wasn’t over yet (Harry Potter World!) and I knew I would only have to wait fifteen days before I was cruising again. Still, I was sad to see this one come to an end.

 

I set my alarm bright and early so I could watch the Monarch pull into her final port. I headed down to the promenade and felt like I had the ship to myself. It was a peaceful way to enjoy my last moments onboard.

 

 

 

 

After about an hour the entire family headed up for our last Windjammer meal before going to our designated waiting area. It gave me one last chance to snap a picture of a quiet pool deck. It’s hard to believe that it would be full of new cruisers a few hours later!

 

 

 

The debarkation process was VERY smooth. We were assigned to zone 8 and waited in Boleros. My aunt and cousins were originally assigned to zone 30 but I was able to change that without a problem. We probably waited around thirty minutes before our zone was called. As far as debarkations go, this was definitely one of the smoother ones.

 

We still weren’t ready to get off, of course…

 

 

And that’s that! We were off the ship in no time at all and on our way to Orlando. The rest of the vacation was great and the entire trip as a whole was one of my favorites. I can’t wait to cruise RCI again!

 

Final Thoughts

 

As I said before, I had quite a few hesitations when booking the Monarch but the cruise exceeded all of my expectations.

 

The cruise: I was worried that a 4-day cruise would go by too fast and wouldn’t be worth it, but that wasn’t the case. I wouldn’t want to drive ten hours for a 4-nighter, but adding a post cruise weekend vacation made it worth it. I would choose shorter cruises in a heartbeat if I were close to an embarkation port.

 

The ship: I was also hesitant after reading some reviews about the Monarch’s condition, but nothing really stood out in a bad way. Some aspects of the ship’s design are dated, but she is well kept and I often saw crew cleaning. Those that complain must go in with the goal to find all of the negatives possible. The cabins, while small, are adequate for a short cruise.

 

The smell: I had read tons of reviews citing a sewer smell on the lower decks and did notice it once. The ones in my group who were staying on deck 2, however, never did. It wasn’t that strong, so it might be that I was expecting it.

 

The crew: Without question one of the best I’ve cruised with! Everyone was cheerful and tried their best to keep everyone on board in a good mood. They were the highlight of the cruise.

 

I think that does it. Unless I forgot to mention something important or somebody has a question (which i'll be glad to answer!), I’m signing off! I’ve really enjoyed writing this review and I hope it has been an enjoyable read. If you really liked it, feel free to tune in for my Summit review. I fly out tomorrow and will be on board THIS SUNDAY heading to Bermuda! I can’t wait!

 

Thanks again and enjoy all of your future cruises with RCI and the Monarch!

 

[QTMichele]

Awesome! Thanks again for taking the time to write the review and add your pictures - I really enjoyed it! Also, CONGRATS on your graduation!!! What a FUN gift!

[Ruby71]

Thank you for your wonderful review! I will be on her sister the Majesty in September. Great pictures! I'll be looking forward to your next review for the Summit. Hope you have a fabulous time, and maybe some better weather too! Sharon

[joecruz1]

Wonderful review and awesome pictures. I'm booked on the Monarch with a large group for this Labor Day. I'm more excited now just reading your review. Thanks!

[MrFunInTheSun]

Nice review and pictures. Thank you for sharing.