Monarch - would you sail again?

[BamaVol]

Mrs BamaVol and I will celbrate our 30th anniversary next year. We were thinking of waiting until spring break and taking our 2 youngest sons with us. We have all cruised before, but only on Majesty of the Seas. All 3 of those were wonderful experiences. We would like to do something different, though. However, we need to keep the cost low.

 

I'm tempted to try the Monarch. I have plenty of miles and there are lots of award seats to LA. But, I have just finished reading Monarch reviews on Cruisereviews.com and there were few raves most from first timers.

 

After 3 cruises on Majesty, I think my expectations would be properly set. However, negative comments include staff, ports, food, service. It doesn't sound like Majesty at all. I can discount the first timers whose expectations were improperly set. I know about the size of the cabins, I know that there is no lobster, I know that Ben & Jerry's and alcoholic beverages aren't free. I can discount the Carnival or Celebrity fans who were prepared for something different.

 

Concerns: 1) bad service is bad service and hard to confuse with good service. 2) Ship condition - Majesty is an older ship and due for refurbishment, but it's so well maintained, I don't notice anything to concern me. Everything I've needed has functioned as expected. 3) Ports - I've been to Catalina and San Diego. I think my family will enjoy them. I know nothing of Ensenada.

 

Monarch veterans, please help me out. Should I book it or just use Hilton points for a week in Key West?

[Ericknow32]

I have been on the monarch of the seas 3 times. I really don't know if you would enjoy your 30th anniversary during a spring break sailing on the Monarch of the seas. It can get pretty rowdy.

 

The food is OK. The service, just like on all ships, depends on who you get as your waiter and room steward.

 

If it was up to me I would take the weak in Key West.

[minniegidget]

i have sailed 2 time on the Monarch and will sail again for my mom 75th birthday. Is it the greatest ship no. But did I have a good time yes. You have hit on the 2 disapointmest. Small rooms and I mean small. Old ship yes. I have only sailed on Viking Seranade Vision and Monarch with RCCL. I think a cruise is lot what you make it. Hey any day I do not have to make my own beds or cook my own meals is a great day. The crew whats to please you.

So go with knowing what you know. I had a friend that went over spring break and she had only sailed once before . Some people were tell her how disapointed she would be because the ship is so old. She had not much to compare it to so she and her family were at awe.Go and have a good time.

Just remember the rooms will be small.

[bmr12]

I was a first time cruiser on Monarch last summer. The cabins were very small (120 sf). But we found the service to be quite good, both from our waiters and our steward. The ship seemed to be in pretty good shape, despite the negative reviews I had read previously. It was recently refurbished, but I can't say exactly when. Our daughter had a blast in the kids' club, but I suspect she was younger than your children if you have been married 30 years.

 

In terms of ports, Ensenada is nothing special. Not quite as trashy and nasty as Tijuana, but still not as clean as an American city, either.

 

Can you have a good time? I think so. It's also relatively short--only four days, so there's time to do other stuff in So Cal before or after.

[tn1728]

I went on Monarch in March, it was only my 2nd cruise, so I do not have a lot to compare it to. We had a JS, so the size of the room was great for 3, had the balcony and a tub and seemed to compared favorably to our CC on Celebrity Infinity size. I thought the food was fine in the buffet and the dining room, always lots of choices, the ship was clean and the housekeeping staff was great. Entertainment was excellent in most cases, and there was plenty to do on shore and on ship. Ensenada was ok, we did a fiesta and shopping tour. My sister loved the shopping-me not so much, but I did have fun browsing.

 

The only negatives- dining room staff not as attentive and did not always bring things that I asked for, like on the 7 day cruise. Disembarking was a zoo, but it did go relatively fast. Spa appointment filled up fast, so don't procrastinate like me.

 

 

Since these were very minor parts of the cruise, I got off the ship and vowed to take it again, as soon as I could, since we can drive to the port.

[dougp26364]

We sailed Monarch last January. The ship itself was in wonderful condition and the service we received was adaquate, although I thought it was slightly sub par compared to the longer cruises we've taken on the newer ships with RCI.

 

Personally, my feelings are, as another poster put it, that Ensenada is spanish for toilet. Neither my wife or I cared for the town and, since we're not into drinking and the party crowd, Papa's and Beer's was of no interest to us. We took the Foxplorations tour and enjoyed that. If we ever went again I'd take the wine tour. I have little desire to go see the blow hole and even less desire to walk around town shopping.

 

As for the cruise experience itself it was a very nice cruise. They served the two menues on the 3 night cruise that neither my wife or I like, so our opinion of the food would be tainted and unreliable. I thought that Jade Sushi restaraunt was very good. The wife wouldn't try it. Bolero's bar was a blast with the dueling piano players. We didn't venture into the showroom for the production shows.

 

Would we do it again? No, I'd prefer to try something else. Was it a worthwhile cruise experience? I'd have to say yes, just not what we were really looking for.

 

If you'd like to see our pictures of the ship and Fox Studio's, I have them posted at http://community.webshots.com/user/dougp26364

[WendyinOC]

I have been on the Monarch 5 times since 2003!! It’s a local getaway for me so I love it!! I have been on a Vision, Radiance, and Voyager class ship. I feel it has great service. I have had some good service and some bad depending on the person. A great example of good service is Samuel the Head Waiter. He always remembers me and asks about my friends if they are not on the ship. I think you will really like the ship if you have been on the Majesty. The refurb makes the ship look new.

About the ports!!

San Diego is so fun especially Gaslamp!! I love Rockin Lobster or Dick's Last Resort for lunch. I would take the trolley tour to see everything.

Catalina you could rent golf carts and drive the island. You can also snorkel or even rent bikes.

Ensenada is nothing to talk about. Sometimes I get off the ship and sometimes not. I like this sports bar on the strip. For $3 you get chips, salsa, beer, and a tequila shot.

[BobbyK]

Monarch is a nice and convenient ship, short cruise for those of us that live relatively nearby. However, I would really look at Key West also. Remember, spring break means a crowded and rowdy ship. I did the wine shore excursion last year and it was great. The food and service were good. Yes, the cabins are small. I really liked the shows. A real positive to the Monarch is that it puts you in southern California with the opportunity to tack on pre or post travel experiences.

Robin:)

[critterchick]

I've been on Monarch twice and we're going again in September. Another local, so she provides our cruise fix when we can't get away for something longer. I would agree that you will run into a rowdy crowd if you go during spring break. But we've been on sailings with multiple birthday/bachelore parties, and never really felt that it intruded on our good time.

 

The ship is older, but she's very well-maintained. We've always found the crew to be hard-working and personable (for the most part, the cabin stewards don't have time to chit-chat the way they do on longer cruises, and it can come off as standoffish, but they do yeoman's work). The food is so-so, but I haven't found it to be any worse than on Radiance or Vision.

 

We use Ensenada as a sea day - we've been into town once, haven't bothered with the excursions because we just want to relax. The town to me was nothing to do twice, and the booze prices at the port shops aren't any better than in LA. The purses that are supposed to be Coach are counterfeit, so save your money there. It's really cool to have the ship almost all to yourself while everybody is off.

 

I've never been to Key West, so I can't offer you a comparison, but if you were to pair a 4-day on Monarch with a couple of days in LA/Long Beach, I think you'd have a great trip!

[BamaVol]

Thanks for all your comments.

 

I am not too worried about it being spring break. I have been to Orange Beach (AL) and Clearwater Beach (FL) for spring break and it's been fine. Even in off-season, you can end up in a room/cabin next to a bunch of rowdy fools with no regard for others. At least I know who'll be in the cabin on one side (my 15 & 18 year old boys) and they know I'm serious when I tell them to keep it down. Past history tells me they won't be in the cabin until curfew (or after), anyway. My boys are off the week of 3/20. I'm not sure how common a spring break that week will be.

 

I'm not concerned about cabin size. We have taken SO category the last 2 trips, that has been adequate and the boys get their own cabin next door.

 

I like the idea of a couple days in SoCal and we wouldn't dream of trying to fly in the day of the cruise anyway. I have enough Hilton points to cover it and status that overcomes blackout dates and such. Is anyone familiar with the Hilton resort in Huntington Beach? That looked like a possibility for the night before and a couple nights afterwards.

 

Never having been to Ensenada, or Mexico for that matter, I'm sure we would be ok with the place. I feel the same way about Nassau after 3 visits that some of you feel about Ensenada. Not sure what we would do there but any excursion that includes shopping (despite counterfeit goods and tacky t-shirts) would suffice.

 

It really all boils down to 1 issue: SERVICE. Despite the short duration, we have been treated like royalty on the Majesty. The cabin attendant knows our names after the first night and converses every time we see him. Our waiters have been efficient and friendly. The assistants know my drink preferences, the headwaiter visits our table 2-3 times a meal, the waiter converses with us after every meal to learn about us (one stayed 30 minutes after dinner one night to teach my boys logic and science tricks - after first seating!). They have really made us feel like family. I have learned about their home countries and life on the ship. I have liked these people. I'm sure it's possible to get a dud but we haven't. I'm willing to believe that this is not a coincidence.

 

So, I worry that this will not be the case on Monarch. I have read and am reading too many comments that imply to me that there is a difference. There may be causes (crew nationality, management style, guest demographics, who knows) but there is no excuse. Like most of you, I too feel that a bad day cruising beats a good day at work, but I do have other choices, including Carnival (gasp!) Paradise. My mind isn't made up one way or the other yet. Keep the comments coming and thanks.

[critterchick]

Bama, I wouldn't worry too much about the service.

 

Our cabin stewards have always seemed rather harried, although I confess that my memory gets blurry after awhile. On our December cruise, our steward came by to introduce himself while we were napping, and was not going to be deterred by DH's mussed hair and bathrobe. He was on a tight schedule & we understood, but I never met him because I wasn't getting up! That being said, he cleaned our room twice daily, filled our ice bucket & did all we expected (including bringing us our prized bathrobes), so we tipped him extra because with this team concept now in place, he worked like a dog.

 

We had a great time in the dining room. We had a table for 2 and our waiters had to deal with a table for 15-16 along with us. Our courses came out independently of the larger groups, so we didn't have to wait for all of them to be served each course before we could move on. Our headwaiter came over every night & checked on us, which never happened on our prior 2 cruises (as I dimly recall). With kids, you may get even more attention, because I've always found the waitstaff to be kid-friendly.

 

The bar staff ranged from really friendly (Viking Crown Lounge) to rushed & impersonal (Schooner Bar). The drinks were pricey but good.

 

Because the ship stops in ports every day on the 4-day, there aren't a lot of daytime activities, so you don't get to see the CD staff very much. The shows were ok, some great talent, some mediocre shows. The Captain's Gala is fun, Bolero's is a nice lounge (but understaffed at the bar, so bring your drink from somewhere else). I think you'd have a good time.

 

Can't help you with Hiltons, sorry! There is one in downtown Long Beach, not too far from the pier in San Pedro, that might be a better pre-cruise choice than Huntington Beach. Long Beach has lots of really fine restaurants & tourist attractions (the Queen Mary, an aquarium within walking distance), so it would be nice place to stay, I think.

[dougp26364]

I think you'll find that the service on Monarch is just fine. It was comparable to the other three cruises we've taken. All ships will have some that provide excellent service and others that aren't so hot. I know that a couple we ate dinner with were locals that knew the staff very well from cruising on Monarch so many times. There was one particular waiter that they prefered to avoid as they had a bad experience with him on one of their cruises. Note that it was only ONE waiter they were upset with. I'm sure every ship has one or two that just aren't quite up to par but so far, we've never found any of the really bad ones.

[cruzy-sue]

We live in South Florida and are cruising on the Monarch June 6 - 10. We will be in Palm Springs and Long Beach for a total of 6 days prior to the 4 night Monarch cruise. We have cruised on many lovely ships - but never Royal Carribbean. We had to choose between the Carnival Paradise and The Monarch - and, yes we chose the Monarch ... I liked the itinerary better. However, having traveled on Carnival Legend (loved it!!)) we still decided to try Monarch.

 

 

I, too, have heard negatives and positives - a cruise is what YOU make of it....

 

On the other hand, Having been to Key West many times I have this to say: Spring breakers galore as well as many many gay men. It's a fact - a BIG gay population and hangout.... Don't know how your 15 and 18 year old sons would like that... My brother (who I adore) is gay and we travel with him there quite often.

[baseballmom]

Hi Bama -- I was a first-time cruiser on Monarch last June (4-night). I also read every review I could find, and I think I kept my expectations realistic, except for service, which I hoped would be at least "very good." I was not disappointed at all. We were at a table for eight and our waiter and asst. waiter were exceptional. They learned our names the first day and greeted us each evening. Although there was a very large table next to us, we never had to wait for a thing. Special requests were handled promptly and with a smile. We also were visited each night by the head waiter (until I read critterchick's post, I just assumed that was business as usual). Our cabin steward was very efficient. Our cabin was spotless, fresh ice in the ice bucket each day, and again, no complaints at all.

 

I hope whatever you decide you have a wonderful time celebrating your 30th anniversary with your wife and family.

 

Laurie

[Philly Steve]

Get a balcony cabin. Monarch is a modern day classic. :)

[Happy ks]

Another local here! We have been on the 4-day twice so far and have a 3 day planned for the weekend of Thanksgiving. If we didn't have other plans this summer, we would do the 4 day again in a heartbeat.

 

The service has always been fine, nothing stands out in my mind, but that would mean I haven't had any bad service. We love Boleros dueling pianos and another band we heard perform in there, sorry I can't remember the type of music, just that I liked it. We love the Viking Crown Lounge, the view is wonderful from up there.

 

The 4 day Monarch cruise has a definite edge over the Carnival Paradise, because it has a stop in San Diego. We visit San Diego a couple of times a year and never tire of it, there is so much to do there. Catalina is a gem, rent a golf cart or take an excursion to the interior. We usually stay on the ship in Ensenada, 3 ports in a row is a bit tiring and we love having the ship to ourselves. I did sail this itinerary once with Carnival (Ecstacy) and was very disappointed in that ship. Monarch is just a bit classier in appearance and we have always found the cruise fare to be less, even getting 2 rooms instead of just one. The Carnival ships do have larger cabins, but that is not a very good reason to choose the ship, or cruise.

[Happy ks]

Yikes, Philly Steve, I priced this cruise out with the oceanview vs. balcony option. The balcony cabin (cheapest JS) is $500 more than a SO (larger outside) and $660 more than an oceanview (cat H). Remember, this guy is looking to book 2 rooms, one for him and the wife, one for his teen boys. So, multiply those figures X2, that's a lot to pay for a little 4 day cruise! These people could take a 7 day cruise for those $$.

 

We cruised last year in a balcony cabin on Infinity with our 2 teens, never again will we do that. We'll stay in inside cabins before we share a cabin (and a bathroom) again.

[iluvcruzin]

As someone who's also east of the Mississippi, I would not recommend going on this sailing with your teen grandsons. It is a fantastic cruise for those on CA that want a quick getaway and the majority on board consist of those on the west coast. There is not much to do in Enscenada, nor in Catalina Island. There are no beaches and it could be tad cool during spring break. I did this route before and found it just wasn't worth the flight out there. You could do so much better out of Florida and the Kids would have a blast going to a port with a beach destination.

 

I would suggest looking into short cruises out of Tampa to the Western Carribean if trying to avoid the Bahama's. There are 4 & 5 day ones on Carnival. RCCL has the Granduer 7-day Western out of New Orleans (you could drive to reduce the cost). I took my daughters on that one last year during spring break and for an outside it was under $500 pp. Book early for the best rates and if they go down, work with a TA who will get the price difference.

[RG10203]

I've done the Monarch twice in the last month as well as two other times within the last year. If your OK with the Spring break crowd then you should have a great time. I found the service and the food to be very good on the last two cruises. Much better than last years cruises. Definitely an improvement. The guest entertainment was excellent, but the production show was weak.

[yodacruiser]

Bama vol,

 

The LB Hilton is located in the downtown/harbor area of Long Beach. Great dining, shopping, and the Aqurium. There are nearby beaches within walking distance, but no surf as they are within the breakwater.

 

The HB Hiton has good dining and ok shopping in the downtown area. Across Coast Hwy is the beach, one the best in So Cal.

[Coralc]

RG10203 I am so glad to hear that the food is better than last years! I would actually love to get a fully cooked baked potato with whatever I order!

 

We are repeating this cruise. We took it for the first time in October 2004, and we were rained out at every port. Bad year for rain in California. We are sailing again on July 4, 2005 cruise.

 

Regarding the original OP. I don't think I would have a Monarch of the Seas cruise, as my primary reason to visit Southern California. There are plenty of other things to do there. I don't think it will live up to your Majesty expectations. :)