My thoughts on the Monarch of the Seas

[war_eagle99]

Now that our son is 6 months old we decided to take a last minute cruise on the Monarch. We booked on Saturday and left on Monday, August the 29th. We have always avoided the older RCL ships because we didn't think we would enjoy them and while we had a good time, I wouldn't want to take another Sovereign class cruise.

 

Having recently converted to a Royal Caribbean fan after cruises on the Navigator and Serenade I can now see how some Carnival fans believe that line to be better. Had my first RCL sailing been on the Monarch, I doubt I would have tried another for some time. I think RCL would be best served by getting rid of these ships.

 

Below are some of our observations and opinions of the Monarch. I have posted my full review and pictures of the Monarch of the Seas here. But thought I would share some with the board since it is always so helpful for me.

 

The Crew

As others have mentioned you will be hard pressed to find a better crew than the ones on the Monarch. By far this is the highlight of the ship.

 

The Cabin (9504)

We had a ocean view on deck 9 which was considered an obstructed view. There were lifeboats and a crew deck below but the view out the window was just fine. This cabin was also a bit larger than the ocean view rooms on lower decks and was very comparable to most other balcony cabins we have had (minus the balcony). This cabin also had a safe and flat screen TV.

 

The Food

Because we booked so late we didn't have an assigned table. That coupled with the fact we were cruising with an infant we decided to just eat in the Windjammer. This was the worst food we have had on any of our cruises and as many others have said the pizza station was also horrible. I thought it was funny there was a line the first day and then you never saw more than one person in line. I guess not many liked it. Chilled soups were warm and the hot breakfast was cold and dry.

 

Smoking Areas

It is ridiculous to give half of an entire ship to the minority of cruisers. Cruise ships should have rooms like they have at the airport for smokers so that the rest of us can enjoy the fresh sea air. Sorry to the smokers out there but your smoking is a nuisance. I don't care if you smoke... you should just be made to do it by yourself or in a closed off room with other smokers.

 

CocoCay

What a fantastic job RCL did in getting this island ready just a week after a hurricane. While it wasn't completely clean of debris and parts of the island were still closed the effort put forth to allow us to stop was much appreciated... job well done.

Cruising with an Infant

TAKE GRANDMA... we did not and really could have used an extra set of hands. We still had fun and so did the little one. We chose to take an umbrella stroller which worked great but be prepared to carry it and the baby up the stairs. Elevators are slow at times and don't always go to the floor you need. Cococay is mostly sand and there are no cement paths so the stroller got a workout. You may want to just leave the stroller on the ship for CocoCay.

 

My Conclusion

Good cheap getaway for experienced cruisers who go with an open mind and don't expect the Oasis. I would not recommend this however for first time cruisers or for those who have never cruised on RCL.