Monarch of the Seas - don't go

[Schmellody]

My husband and I just returned from a 4-day cruise on the Monarch of the Seas out of LA. We LOVE to cruise and always have a good time but I must say this had to be the worst trip ever. Smelly beds, damp towels, clogged sink, untrained staff and poor exit proceedures really created a less than acceptable cruise. I just submitted an email to RCCL to inform them of the issues with this cruise. Has anyone else experienced such things on any line? Our sink was clogged until the last day (in the afternoon). We had to put down a blanket to try to mask the mattress odor (and bought fabreeze at the first port). We reported all of these things to our cabin steward (with no results) and were told by the purser's desk that the ship was full so we had no option to move. Yuck. We're crusing again in Jan. with RCCL and I just know it will be better (fingers crossed). The food was good and we had great table mates... thank goodness. Thanks for letting me vent!

[PhoenixCruiser]

We also had a bad experience on the Monarch in August. I added some of our comments to this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=247118&highlight=Monarch

 

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[mimikens]

We are going on the Monarch in about a month. What kind of cabin did you have, what deck? Who was the Captain and Cruise Director? Was the entertainment decent? Just wondering.

[rubrrick]

Captain Lindegren just got off yesterday. Check Wolfcathorses Captains chart for the reliever.

Sorry you had such a problem. What deck were you on?

Sometimes it's impossible to take care of everything, considering that so many don't pay attention to the rules of what NOT to put down the drains. It screws up many cabins until the problem can be resolved. There is nothing wrong with the Monarch, it's just some people are arrogant and it makes life for the rest of us unpleasant.

 

Rick

[DHADEN]

I know I'm talking "Should Haves and If Only's", but I would think that even if you couldn't change cabins, they could have gotten you a new mattress. :confused:

I think I would have made a big enought stink to the Hotel Manager on Board (maybe even take the mattress and throw it out into the hallway for him to find), I bet he would have fixed it just to shut me up!!!

 

The point is, there is always someone higher to complain to if you are not getting satisfaction.

 

We were on the Monarch last June and had a great cruise. Our only complaint was, "4 days was too short.":cool:

[mimikens]

Rick, I've been told three different captains, two from sources within RCI (which don't match the current captains list). I already know who my captain and CD are for Mariner and I have a friend who is going on the Grandeur next week who will find out that information for my GOS cruise in Jan.

[Schmellody]

I agree that you can't fix everything for everyone and that some ruin it for others but there were just too many things that happened that made me feel we were insignificant. The things I mentioned were the worst but there were several other things I didn't mention. We thought about getting more vocal but we just didn't have the energy or want after the initial few complaints. It seemed like wasted effort. I'm not one of those people who complain about everything but having a stinky bed, clogged sink and damp towels everyday was just too much. We won't be going on that cruise again. I think they put more effort into the 7+ day cruises and put their better staff on those. Just my opinion.

 

We were on deck six in the front in an inside cabin... 6021. We've been on this cruise twice before (Viking Serenade) but it was a few years ago. I think its gone downhill and requires some immediate attention. I don't blame the ship.... I blame the crew. Everything that happened to us could have been avoided/fixed.

[RDeagazio]

I've been on the Monarch several times and will be going again in Dec and have never had any of those problems. The OP's comment about the crew being untrained and not experienced is totally incorrect-- the Monarch has a lot of very senior crew that have been with RCI for years. On a recent trip i saw crew I've gotten to know on other ships like Mariner, Serenade, Navigator and one crew member has been on the Monarch since the days she sailed 7 day itins fro San Juan. The crew love the 3/4 day cruises as they get more time in port and the money is roilling in from turning over the ship twice in one week.

[rubrrick]

Rick, I've been told three different captains, two from sources within RCI (which don't match the current captains list). I already know who my captain and CD are for Mariner and I have a friend who is going on the Grandeur next week who will find out that information for my GOS cruise in Jan.

 

I don't quite follow your question. Captain Lindegren said that his releiver is Captain Jorn Klausen. Wolfcathorse has this on her rotating captain schedule. If this is incorrect, please, someone let us know.

 

If you have inside information (my only information is when I sail, I ask questions of staff), that you want to share, we would all welcome it!!

 

Rick

[mimikens]

Rick, when I was on board the Radiance, the Loyalty ambassador gave me one name. When I called C&A about a month and a half ago, they told me someone else (neither one was Klausen). You may be correct as I would expect a captain would know who is relieving him, and there have been many changes and promotions lately. There have been various rumors as to captains being "retired" for various reasons (hence a lot of promotions). Until someone sails with the relieving captain, I really don't know who to believe. BTW, I knew the 2 different captains I had been told by RCI but do not know Klausen. I think someone said he just received a promotion.

[tinkerme1]

I'm really sorry to hear that you had a bad experience on the Monarch. We've taken the Monarch six times in the last two years and each cruise has been good to excellent. Unfortunately, stopped up drains and toilets are the #1 complaint on the Monarch. in large part, this is due to many first-time folks who have never cruised before and don't understand/or don't care about the rules for what can/cannot go down the drains.

 

As for the staff, this is a "training" ship and many of the staff are on the Monarch to learn the ropes and fit into the RCCL "way of doing things" since they came from other ships or are first timers. There are many staff onboard who are also long-term staff and I can't say enough good things about them. The staff has always been fabulous for our cruises.

 

As for the mattress, I actually wonder if the ship carrys additional mattresses onboard. Did you ask for one directly? Did you ask to speak to the Hotel Manager onboard? The Monarch is one ship that I would definitely go and ask questions to higher ups if you're not satified. Since the ship sails FULL almost every single cruise, it is hard to change rooms/upgrade, etc. I sure hope you filled out your comment card onboard the ship. RCCL actually does read them and tries to remedy the "bad situations" immediately.

[ccletzgo]

My husband and I just returned from a 4-day cruise on the Monarch of the Seas out of LA. We LOVE to cruise and always have a good time but I must say this had to be the worst trip ever. Smelly beds, damp towels, clogged sink, untrained staff and poor exit proceedures really created a less than acceptable cruise. I just submitted an email to RCCL to inform them of the issues with this cruise. Has anyone else experienced such things on any line? Our sink was clogged until the last day (in the afternoon). We had to put down a blanket to try to mask the mattress odor (and bought fabreeze at the first port). We reported all of these things to our cabin steward (with no results) and were told by the purser's desk that the ship was full so we had no option to move. Yuck. We're crusing again in Jan. with RCCL and I just know it will be better (fingers crossed). The food was good and we had great table mates... thank goodness. Thanks for letting me vent!

 

 

 

Monarch replaced the Viking Serenade. Now that was one smelly old ship.:eek:

After the Viking, the Monarch was great, but I was on one of the first weeks after the refurbishment. It sounds like its turned into the typical west coast party barge. Just like the Viking was. This just happens to the ships that do the short cruises. They really get used and abused. People use them for short weekend get aways. The crowd turn around is double a 7 day cruise. A lot of wear and tear, on both crew and ship.:(

[mimikens]

Hey Tink, since you've taken this cruise before, do you have recommendations for San Diego, Ensenada or Catalina? I've been on the Monarch twice before, but never out of LA. Ever been on any of the wine tasting?

[rubrrick]

Rick, when I was on board the Radiance, the Loyalty ambassador gave me one name. When I called C&A about a month and a half ago, they told me someone else (neither one was Klausen). You may be correct as I would expect a captain would know who is relieving him, and there have been many changes and promotions lately. There have been various rumors as to captains being "retired" for various reasons (hence a lot of promotions). Until someone sails with the relieving captain, I really don't know who to believe. BTW, I knew the 2 different captains I had been told by RCI but do not know Klausen. I think someone said he just received a promotion.

 

Maybe, after this weekend, or at the latest by next Friday, someone could come forward with the Captains name that is now in charge of the Monarch.

You are correct, that some have been retired, and the other reason is that almost every two years there is a rotation of captains to other ships. However, this is not a simultanios transfer. The captains go as the company asks them, but the time frame for the most part for almost all captains is 2 years.

I do know this, Captain Lindegren tonight should be arriving back in his homeland of Sweden, after a long flight out of Los Angeles.

 

Rick

[Michelle!]

I sure hope you filled out your comment card onboard the ship. RCCL actually does read them and tries to remedy the "bad situations" immediately.

 

I used to work for the mother company and can confirm this! Comment cards and letters to corporate work everytime.

[PTarbay]

I used to work for the mother company and can confirm this! Comment cards and letters to corporate work everytime.

In addition to this i would follow up with an email or written letter.Please let us know how this turns out for you.

[Oppgaard]

I was on the MONARCH at the first of the year and am going again in December. We had an excellent cruise and not one person in our group of 40 had a complaint. Perhaps it wasn't perfect, but for a 4 day cruise, It was a lot better than I expected. We prefer longer cruises but feel that this one is great for a quick get away. I had also done this cruise several times on the Viking Serenade and feel that the MONARCH is a vast improvement.

[Schmellody]

I agree completely with you ccletzgo. It has turned into a party ship and my guess is that many of the crew are "stiffed" each week with reduced or zero tips. We always tip well and fill out our comment cards. We are considerate cruisers. We never cut in line, always leave our cabin in good condition for the steward (not messy people) are cheerful to staff and other guests and rarely complain. I am a die-hard cruiser and this will not change my opinion of cruising in general. I liked one of the comments above about leaving the mattress in the hallway for the hotel director to see :) Now that we are back home, I wish we would have done more but at the time, we just didn't have the energy. For those of you who go on Monarch frequently and love it.... I think that's great. I know two people can go on the exact same cruise and have two different experinces. I did send RCI an email noting the issues. We are Platinum Members in C &A and RCI is still our favorite line. I wish things had been different but I think noting your experiences on this website helps others to make choices.... and I think there are better choices than the Monarch.

[Happy ks]

Schmelody, I wish there were more choices than Monarch! But, for this itinerary and this location, the only other choice would be Carnival Paradise. Now, I haven't been on that particular ship (I did sail on Ecstacy, yuck!), but I did do the 4 day itinerary and I have to say, Monarch wins hands down with the stop in San Diego.

 

We've been on Monarch twice and think it is a very nice ship fo rthe short cruise market. It is also a lot more affordable for us than Carnival. We can get 2 cabins on Monarch for the 4 of us for less than one cabin on Paradise.

 

We like the decor of the ship better, the ship seems a lot less smokey and so far, it tends to have a better mix of pax.

 

We're doing our first weekend cruise on her the day after Thanksgiving, so we'll see if she has changed a lot since the last time we sailed her (almost 2 years).

 

I know last week we had a lot of low morning clouds, sometimes not burning off until around 2pm, I wonder if that was the reason for the dampness and smell? I don't know about the mattresses, I've never had an issue and I have a nose like a hound dog. I think I'll pack along some Lysol or Febreeze.

[tinkerme1]

We've taken the wine tour twice, and each time really enjoyed it. The scenery is really lovely once you get in the back country of BAJA and bus ride isn't that far that you're sitting on a bus forever. You visit several wineries and each is different but really interesting.

 

As for Catalina, it really depends upon what time of year you wil be going on the cruise. Catalina virtually "closes up" for the winter around Christmas time, since it is cool to cold. I would highly suggest taking the backcountry tour and seeing the buffalo. Very interesting to see and hear the development of Catalina. Also, the Ballroom Tour is very interesting and doesn't last that long, giving you some time to walk around town and visit some of the shops before returning to the ship. Inn on Mt. Ada is really lovely to visit, and you can see the ship from way up the cliff! Nice picture taking vantage point. Maybe look on the website and see if there is also something else that tickles your fancy! http://www.catalina.com/main.html

 

San Diego: You have plenty of time in San Diego to visit downtown, zoo, hop-on-hop-off trolley, Old Town, Balboa Park. I would be careful about trying to go anywhere that is far from the ship, since you'll be there on a work day and traffic is pretty bad in the early morning/mid-afternoon to late evening.

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

[mimikens]

Thanks, that's great info!

[bbqbears]

We will be on the December 5 cruise and are thinking about trying to see the Wild Animal Park. Since I have never been there, I'm not quite sure about the distance. Any insight would be appreciated. TIA, Kathy

[jkrislc]

It's going to be pretty far. While it's probably only 30 miles, it's a bit of the way off the freeway. I'd opt for a ship's tour if offered. If you're thinking of doing it on your own, you'll have to contend with getting a rental car, and potential traffic while returning. The zoo is much closer, within a few miles, and has really been improved over the years.

[tinkerme1]

Wild Animal Park is really wonderful in the winter months. It is located in Escondido, CA and approximately a 45 minute to 1 hour trip from the ship. I think the ship might offer a tour to the Wild Animal Park. If they do, you may want to go that route to ensure a smooth return to the ship.

 

You could rent a car, however, plan very carefully for MAJOR traffic beginning around 3:00 PM on the return. I feel confident in saying that it is very doable. You'll just need to get off the ship as early as possible, rent a car, and be on your way as quickly as possible. Car rental at the airport is easily reached by cab, which you can obtain at the pier when you exit the ship. (airport is approximately 1 mile from the pier) Just make sure that you don't leave the Park too late. My biggest concern for you, would be getting stuck in traffic (accident or problems on the freeway) and the fact you will only have a very short time at the Park. The Park is pretty expensive for just a few short hours. You may have a better time seeing the San Diego Zoo which now has the baby Panda.

[momthecruisedirector]

We were on the Monarch twice in 2004, once in April and again in July. We enjoyed both trips.

 

In Catalina (both trips) we rented the golf carts and drove around. After returning them we walked through town and stopped at a little shopping center area (can't remember the name now) where they had a live webcam. So we called mil/grandma and waved to her, she got a kick out of it.

 

In San Diego - the first time we took a cab to Balboa Park and went through some of the various museums/buildings, on our return we went into the Maritme Museum on the waterfront. In the summer we took the watertaxi to Coranado Island and walked across the island to Del Coronado Hotel. The beach was great, the hotel so historic - it was a wonderful day.

 

In Ensenada both times we went to El Bufadora then did some shopping there. The second time we stopped in the city on the way back and went to Pappas and Beers. Purchased good vanilla at the little store at the dock then sat portside onboard and watched those that overdid stumble back to the ship. A great way to enjoy the afternoon!

 

You can look up the Balboa website to see which museums/buildings are free on the Tuesday that you will be there are make your plans accordingly.

 

Enjoy.