Carnival Cruiser Considering Monarch of the Seas

[kellyccz]

Hi everyone. I'm a Carnival cruiser who is considering a 3 night Monarch of the Seas cruise. I have been on the Carnival Fascination, Fantasy, Victory, Miracle and Destiny. I am interested in going with my SO on a 3-nighter from the West Coast. He is not sure he will like cruising, hence the 3-nighter. And, I wanted to try a cruise to someplace I haven't been yet. I love Carnival and have always had good experiences on my cruises with them. Royal Caribbean just comes in with a much better deal for the cruise length, location that I am looking for.

 

Can anyone how this ship compares in service, size, etc? Also if anyone has sailed both lines before, can you tell me your opinions of any pros/cons for this ship/line?

 

Thanks everyone in advance for your help.

[goodml]

As you can see from my signature we flip back and forth between the two lines. We sailed the 4 night Monarch last May and will do so again in March. We really enjoyed the atmosphere on Monarch. The crew was wonderful and if you've read many of the reviews here on CC you'll read that from just about everyone. She's an older ship similar in size and age to Fantasy which I see you've sailed on. The decor is softer and more elegant on Monarch but I enjoy both styles of decor. Monarch's cabins are MUCH smaller but if you know that going in it's not a big deal. I don't mind them at all.

 

With the three day, you only stop in Ensenada. I wasn't crazy about the city itself but we did the winery tour and enjoyed it very very much.

 

I find the shorter cruises on the two lines to be very similar service wise. I don't think you can go wrong with Monarch. I'm guessing you'll become like the rest of us and be Monarch fans for life after you go.:)

[kellyccz]

Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear. I had heard about the rooms being smaller, which I must admit, doesn't thrill me, but for a short 3-nighter, it's not too big of a deal, as we will only be in the cabin to sleep and change clothes for the most part.

 

We are looking at going in March too - the weekend before our schools' spring breaks start here.

 

Any other observations, tips, praises or criticism from anyone else would be appreciated.

[boaterette]

I have been on both. The Monarch has a better buffet. It also doesn't have fruit punch or hot chocolate machines. It does have hot chocolate packets though. The rooms really are tiny. When the beds are apart and you both sit on one your knees will touch and overlap. The closet is a lot smaller and so is the bathroom. It doesn't have the amenity basket like carnival does.Take your own shampoo and conditioner. The Monarch does have better activities around the pool. I like both cruise lines and will continue to cruise on both of them. I just got off the Carnival Pride this past October and am going on the Monarch next month for Valentines Day. You will enjoy your cruise.

[boaterette]

trying again