Just back from the Monarch

[mjldvlks]

Mary.........right now we are supposed to be on the Navigator to Barcelona for our spring TA. We are also waiting to see what the future economic picture looks like.

 

I think that someone is supposed to be starting a group of "Monarch refugees" that will be taking the Paradise on either a 3 nite or 4 nite run out of Long Beach, sometime in February. Everyone that enjoyed the Monarch.......will be invited to join us..........the only extra cost will be that of a t-shirt that will state "Monarch Refugee" that will in a group photo. You know where that picture is going????:D:rolleyes:

 

Rick

 

Hey Rick - yes, I think Jim (LQLibrarian) is working on that cruise. We will not have time to go on that one so close to the TA.

 

Wish we could talk you and Bobbie into going with us on the Independence April 12th - we have so much planned and then a wonderful 2-3 days in Normany exploring the WWII sites. Would love to have you with us!!

 

We loved seeing you guys going through the Canal so much I think we will do that in the spring of 2010. That was incredible. Hope you all are doing well! Take care, Mary

[Mamanance]

We were in cabin 8090, and I hope for all of your sakes, your toilets work. :p I don't mean to offend anyone who loved that ship. And I am fully aware she is the sister to the Sovereign. But whoever said there were no safes on the Sovereign, suggesting that the suites on the Monarch had them, well all the cabins on the Sovereign had them. Even down on the second deck. Also for anyone getting ready to sail on the Monarch, we found a sweet place to lay out. Go up to the 8th deck aft and go into the Circuit Nightclub. Walk all the way thru it and there is a door on the right hand side. Go out that door and walk up about 5 steps and you will find around 7 lounge chairs that look out off the back of the ship and it is so peaceful up there. It is like you have your own ship. Now that is big plus.

[DisneyChick216]

Hi All,

 

I have been a lurker for quite awhile and I have gotten great info from all of you whenever we cruise.

 

We just came back from the Monarch's PC maiden voyage and we had a blast!

 

The crew was super nice, especially Capt. Karin, she is a real trip! Thank you Californians for letting us have her.

 

Chris. the CR of the Sovereign is now the CR here. He did a great job entertaining everyone. I do not know who came over with the Monarch and who was from the SOS but Jorge was the activities manager and Desmond hosted a lot of the activities we attended.

 

We were three adults, me, my DH and my 19 year old DD in an Oceanview-3010. We wee tripping over one another when the bunk was down but we were fine most of the time.

 

The food at the WJ was good, then again we love Golden Corral. The dining room food was good....better than Carnival in my opinion, but not nearly as good as Disney.

 

We paid $149 a person and I had credit from a cancellation this summer. So, for the price, I can't complain at all.

 

There was never a lcak of things to do and I came home quite exhausted which is a sign that I had a good time.

 

We couldn't got to Coco Cay as scheduled on Tuesday because of the remnants of the hurricane. Capt Karin managed to put us over sunny skies and out od the wind as best as she could. We were able to go on Thursday instead.

 

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that we give it two thumbs up and can't wait to sail on the old girl again.

 

Terrie

[HRHPrinceJim]

I think that someone is supposed to be starting a group of "Monarch refugees" that will be taking the Paradise on either a 3 nite or 4 nite run out of Long Beach, sometime in February. Everyone that enjoyed the Monarch.......will be invited to join us..........the only extra cost will be that of a t-shirt that will state "Monarch Refugee" that will in a group photo. You know where that picture is going????:D:rolleyes:

 

Rick

 

Oh yes, it's definitely going to Miami. ;) :D :p

 

Hey Rick - yes, I think Jim (LQLibrarian) is working on that cruise. We will not have time to go on that one so close to the TA.

 

The Monarch Refugee Cruise on the Paradise is February 13-16, 2009. We've already started a roll call http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=859985 so I hope everyone who's going with us comes on there and lets us know!

 

I'm working on the shirt design. I found a great picture of the Monarch the other day when I was organizing some digital photos, and I'm going to incorporate it into the design. I hope to have it ready soon.

[ladylawyer]

Hi All,

 

I have been a lurker for quite awhile and I have gotten great info from all of you whenever we cruise.

 

We just came back from the Monarch's PC maiden voyage and we had a blast!

 

The crew was super nice, especially Capt. Karin, she is a real trip! Thank you Californians for letting us have her.

 

Chris. the CR of the Sovereign is now the CR here. He did a great job entertaining everyone. I do not know who came over with the Monarch and who was from the SOS but Jorge was the activities manager and Desmond hosted a lot of the activities we attended.

 

We were three adults, me, my DH and my 19 year old DD in an Oceanview-3010. We wee tripping over one another when the bunk was down but we were fine most of the time.

 

The food at the WJ was good, then again we love Golden Corral. The dining room food was good....better than Carnival in my opinion, but not nearly as good as Disney.

 

We paid $149 a person and I had credit from a cancellation this summer. So, for the price, I can't complain at all.

 

There was never a lcak of things to do and I came home quite exhausted which is a sign that I had a good time.

 

We couldn't got to Coco Cay as scheduled on Tuesday because of the remnants of the hurricane. Capt Karin managed to put us over sunny skies and out od the wind as best as she could. We were able to go on Thursday instead.

 

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that we give it two thumbs up and can't wait to sail on the old girl again.

 

Terrie

 

DisneyChick, thanks for the great review! You definitely experienced the wonderful Monarch that we know and love. BTW, we didn't "let you have her." She was ripped out of our arms, while we were kicking and screaming ... ;)

 

If it was Chris Northey who was your CD, he's pretty familiar with the Monarch, as he has rotated for Johnny O (who brought her through the Canal), in the past.

 

I'm glad that you got to experience Desmond. He's awesome! He was on the bar waitstaff for years before recently being promoted to the CD's Staff. He and Darryl are the best! I miss them so much ...

 

Thanks, again, for your Review! ~ L

[Merion_Mom]

I neglected to mention that I did a conversion of that cruise in early October. DH has always wanted to go to S. America so we switched our TA to a Cape Horn cruise. We had multiple reasons for doing it.

 

One problem was that to use our frequent flier miles to the UK and back we'd have to pay taxes and fees which were quite unreasonable - over $500 each WITH our miles. The fees were less than $200 each to SA and we were able to use up the round trip within a 3 week span of time allowing us to spend 3 or 4 days each in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santiago, Chile.

 

And we were able to do the full 2 week cruise for a little bit less in a D1 than it would cost in a JS for the TA. AND while on our recent Panama canal cruise there was a senior citizen discount of another $800 off the already cheaper price which the TA on board Radiance got for us along with the D1 with the long balcony directly beside the elevator and below the CL.

 

We are still booked on the Independence TA in November 2010 - waiting to see what flight pricing is like as it gets closer.

 

I'll miss all you guys.

 

Gina

 

Gina, if you want to go around the Horn, why don't you join us on the Mariner?!?!?!?!?!?

[rego007]

My wife and I along with my sister and brother-in-law just returned from Monarch's first sailing out of Port Canaveral and I can tell you first hand that there was little to gripe about. Some people may have had their experiences with toilet problems or something of the like, but we didn't hear any complaints. She is, after all, not a new ship.

 

Of course, her layout is similar to Sovereign. The main differences being that her aft staircases are angled differently (and more elegant), the Viking Crown has a small bar to sit at, but it's for seating only; it's not manned by a bartender. Servers get drinks from another service bar. Kind of strange, really. Her elevators are also more modern than Sovereign's, and the Schooner Bar is larger than on Sovereign. Then there's the matter of Jade replacing Johnny Rocket's above the Windjammer.

 

There was still some minor post-drydock work being finished, with a few crates lined up along the outside promenade on Deck 7. But we didn't find anything to be obstructive and it certainly didn't detract from the cruise in any way.

 

We found the food to be better overall than on Sovereign, too. Let me be the first to say that I am a die-hard fan of Sovereign, and love her to death. But she ended up being sort of a prototype for what this class became. The improvements and modifications made on Monarch (and I guess Majesty) were effective and worthwhile. The staff and crew were great as well, and I can see how the folks on the west coast would be disappointed to lose her. Relax though...we'll take good care of her here. In turn, please take care of our beloved Mariner. She's very special to us on this coast and we've had her here since she was built, so you can understand out attachment to her.

 

In closing, please understand that these ships aren't cutting edge any more. This is clearly visible by the vertical layout of the public rooms aft. If you board this ship expecting her to compare to a Freedom class, you're doomed from the get-go. Keep an open mind and have realistic expectations and you'll be very pleased like we were.

 

Regards,

 

Rego007

Daytona Beach, FL

[Shipyard Cruiser]

They should just bring the Monarch back to the West coast. We all loved the Monarch.

 

A great idea.

 

Our only regret wa that we did not discover here sooner.

[bajathree]

We were in cabin 8090, and I hope for all of your sakes, your toilets work. :p I don't mean to offend anyone who loved that ship. And I am fully aware she is the sister to the Sovereign. But whoever said there were no safes on the Sovereign, suggesting that the suites on the Monarch had them, well all the cabins on the Sovereign had them. Even down on the second deck. Also for anyone getting ready to sail on the Monarch, we found a sweet place to lay out. Go up to the 8th deck aft and go into the Circuit Nightclub. Walk all the way thru it and there is a door on the right hand side. Go out that door and walk up about 5 steps and you will find around 7 lounge chairs that look out off the back of the ship and it is so peaceful up there. It is like you have your own ship. Now that is big plus.

 

That is not correct....do a search on the board, there have been many posts to this....only SO and higher had safes on SOS.

[cawagner]

My wife and I along with my sister and brother-in-law just returned from Monarch's first sailing out of Port Canaveral and I can tell you first hand that there was little to gripe about. Some people may have had their experiences with toilet problems or something of the like, but we didn't hear any complaints. She is, after all, not a new ship.

 

Of course, her layout is similar to Sovereign. The main differences being that her aft staircases are angled differently (and more elegant), the Viking Crown has a small bar to sit at, but it's for seating only; it's not manned by a bartender. Servers get drinks from another service bar. Kind of strange, really. Her elevators are also more modern than Sovereign's, and the Schooner Bar is larger than on Sovereign. Then there's the matter of Jade replacing Johnny Rocket's above the Windjammer.

 

There was still some minor post-drydock work being finished, with a few crates lined up along the outside promenade on Deck 7. But we didn't find anything to be obstructive and it certainly didn't detract from the cruise in any way.

 

We found the food to be better overall than on Sovereign, too. Let me be the first to say that I am a die-hard fan of Sovereign, and love her to death. But she ended up being sort of a prototype for what this class became. The improvements and modifications made on Monarch (and I guess Majesty) were effective and worthwhile. The staff and crew were great as well, and I can see how the folks on the west coast would be disappointed to lose her. Relax though...we'll take good care of her here. In turn, please take care of our beloved Mariner. She's very special to us on this coast and we've had her here since she was built, so you can understand out attachment to her.

 

In closing, please understand that these ships aren't cutting edge any more. This is clearly visible by the vertical layout of the public rooms aft. If you board this ship expecting her to compare to a Freedom class, you're doomed from the get-go. Keep an open mind and have realistic expectations and you'll be very pleased like we were.

 

Regards,

 

Rego007

Daytona Beach, FL

 

Thanks for the positive review of your cruise...neighbor (Deltona here ;)) We are very much looking forward to our cruise on the Monarch in January!!

[birdylady]

Thank you all for your reviews. We have taken Mariner twice and LOVED her. We are very much looking forward to our turn on Monarch in May.

 

Erika

[cawagner]

http://www.portcanaveral.org/webcam.htm I'm sooo excited :D

[bajathree]

It was a COLD morning here in FL....I am sure those passengers debarking this AM weren't ready for that:eek: My lawn here was covered in frost...as well as the car, rooftops:rolleyes:

[liz12540]

http://www.portcanaveral.org/webcam.htm I'm sooo excited :D

Does anyone know where she's docked in this picture we can't tell if she's where Disney is or where Mariner is? Since the camera angle is different. Thanks:)

[cawagner]

Does anyone know where she's docked in this picture we can't tell if she's where Disney is or where Mariner is? Since the camera angle is different. Thanks:)

 

You don't see the same webcam as me? I only see the Monarch :)

[reallyitsmema]

Does anyone know where she's docked in this picture we can't tell if she's where Disney is or where Mariner is? Since the camera angle is different. Thanks:)

http://www.opusad.com/radissonwebcam/

 

Here is the link to the Radison camera which is probably the shot you are used to, though it isn't loading for me right now. It is docked at the usual pier though. Hopefully, the Radison cam will come up soon.

[kruz]

Next sailing I will be on board!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

And yea..there are NO safes on deck 2 on SOV!!!! Or deck 4 or 5....and those are cabins i have stayed in.

[Loyal2RCCL]

Does anyone know where she's docked in this picture we can't tell if she's where Disney is or where Mariner is? Since the camera angle is different. Thanks:)

 

She's docked at the RCCL terminal.. same one the Mariner uses.

[mommabean]

http://www.portcanaveral.org/webcam.htm I'm sooo excited :D

 

Thanks for that link. I clicked it 3 minutes ago for the first time. Within half a minute she floored it and pulled out. I was surprised at how quickly she moves as she pulls away from the pier. She is now gone followed by a few birds. :)

 

 

Gina

[mommabean]

Gina, if you want to go around the Horn, why don't you join us on the Mariner?!?!?!?!?!?

 

The main reason(s) were price and timing with FF mile availability. At the time of booking Radiance was (and may still be - I haven't checked) cheaper. That Mariner repo was promoted here so heavily it must have driven the prices right up. Now we're looking forward to cruising again with some of the same crew we went through the PC with and especially with our new just about favorite concierge Juan Diego. Sigh....if only he could sing. :rolleyes: :D ;) We really do like him though. He's quite friendly and tells good stories and laughs with the guests a lot.

 

Gina

[crazy 4 cruising]

I'd be happy to have Monarch back...and its too bad everyone didnt enjoy the cruise. Funny thing about the first comment you made...Monarch and Sov are sister ships...so its not odd that they are the same

 

I LOVED IT. we were on the same sailing --our 4th on Monarch--and had a blast. Some of the OPs statements I agree with, others I do not, but that is why RCCL has so many different ships I suppose.

 

We actually found the food in WJ better than in the DR!! I hate the flow of the WJ on the Monarch, BUT I ate every breakfast & lunch in there so it is somethig I can put up with. I agree about t he middle seats in the Sound of Music, HOWEVER, we made the best of it & did not move, we stayed put.

 

Sorry to hear you were not happy with your cruise on the Monarch.

I'm sure with all the people that DID cruise on her this week we will find SOMEONE that had a GREAT time.

I am looking forward to hearing about THEIR trip!

ME ME ME

We were on Deck 8 and did not have any problems. They had safes at the guest relation desk that you could put you valuables in. The only problem we had was with the older rude people who were always in rush to get the buffet in the windjammer.

I soooooooooooooooooooooooo agree with this statement. too many entitlement attitudes, but we just ignored them.

 

Another great place we found to sun bathe was on deck 13 at the front. went there everyday and most days w were the only ones there. had heard about the aft deck chairs and when we went it was full, so we found deck 13 forward & liked that better.

 

Yes they are still doing work on her--carpet replacing & it was inconvenient sometimes as they had the front roped off, but it just meant we ha to walk a few more times around the shorter laps for our walk-a -mile.

 

Crew was great & it wa sooooo great to see some of the crew we had met before & be recognized. 2 former wait staff were told by our waitress that we were back on board and came up from another deck to see us!!!!

 

We were lucky not to have plumbing problems, have been there before & that is no fun. our water wasn't brown, but it was yellow!!!:eek:

 

we had a safe, but it was around the corner in the closet and at first we thought it didn't have one. We were lucky to score an OS & it was great. Have been in a JS the other 3 times.

Agree that Captain Karin was great--we sailed with ehr last Sept 07 & found her much more relaxed and funny funny funny this sailing.

 

We did not do any of the activities, by our choice. this was a get away & relax trip & we did alot of that.

 

is Monarch our favorite ship--NOPE, far from it actually, BUT we like the crew ALOT and so we go on her. Don't know when we will go back on her, but I am certain we have not sailed her for the last time.

 

Does anyone know when she and the Majesty are to be sold? After reading what all they did on Soverign's last sailing, I want to be sure to book Monarch's last one.

 

And West coasters, those of us in Texas feel your pain as we lost our beloved Rhapsody and only have a ship 4 months of the year now!!!

[suezyq50]

We just back from our 11/14 sailing. It was what I expected, being on the Sovereign and the Majesty. I didn't see anyone with soft serve ice cream. I knew there was not a Johnny Rockets. No big deal to me. We had lots of fun. DD even remarked it was one of the better short cruises we have taken.

[hillhouse]

We also just returned from Monarch's first 3-day, and we had a blast! The ship was spit-polished beautiful, staff was great, food was good, and we never felt crowded - even though we seemed to sail near capacity. Captain Karin was very personable and informative (even mentioned her years on the west coast many times), Chris Northey was a very entertaining CD and Desmond was a riot! Anybody ever catch him giving line dancing lessons? Absolutely hilarious!

 

Yeah, she's no spring chicken, yes, they're still replacing carpeting, and we did hear a very strange gurgling sound from the shower drain one evening (followed by no hot water for a short time early the next morning). No safe, small cabin, small bathroom? Totally expected (without ever having sailed on a Sovereign class), thanks to all you Left Coasters! These 2 wannabe retirees found her to be a great fit - comfortable like a favorite pair of broken-in slippers.

 

While our deck 8 cabin's toilet didn't malfunction like the OP's, we did miss Coco Cay due to high winds. Stuff happens. 'Twas a beautiful cruise, and we'd go back and do it all over in a heartbeat - on either coast.

 

All together, now - "A bad day cruising is better than ..."

[mohavemommy]

These 2 wannabe retirees found her to be a great fit - comfortable like a favorite pair of broken-in slippers.

All together, now - "A bad day cruising is better than ..."

I like that... she is quite comfortable and felt like a second home to many of us. :o

[webteach]

Just back yesterday from the Monarch. Considering we were upgraded to owners suite 1520, it would be very hard to complain. I haven't been on Sovereign in a few years - last cruised on Enchantment and Jewel- but found Monarch to be fine. That Windjammer is a little small but the food was good. Dining room was great- waitstaff lovely. Herchel (sp?) took wonderful care of our suite and we loved the amenities. First time I was ever chilly in Nassau but the sunshine was warm enough. Capt Karin handled the weather wonderfully and we got to CocoCay on Thursday.

My only complaint- get ready- was that the comedian told several jokes/impressions that were homophobic and racist. He seemed to "take the temperature" of the audience by a few warm-up quips and then went ahead with some jokes that were not PC. I left partway through his show and mentioned it to him afterward.

All in all a wonderful cruise. Clean ship, good crew, friendly staff.