Monarch 4 Night Review

[aisling323]

I have just one word to describe my 4 night cruise on the Monarch…AWESOME! This was our first cruise and though I knew that I’d love it, there were moments I was afraid that my expectations may have been too high, but RCI met every one of them and more.

 

We drove down to San Pedro on Sunday and stayed at the Mariner. I really enjoyed our stay there. They have a park and cruise special that includes a bottle of champagne, breakfast buffet, a free shuttle anywhere within 5 miles and free parking for the duration of your cruise. We had a beautiful view overlooking the Cabrillo Marina. The hotel is older and shows its age in some areas, but it was clean, with good service. We took the shuttle into Ports of Call that day for dinner, and to and from the cruise terminal and it was always very fast at picking us up.

 

We met some of our fellow cruisers on the shuttle to the terminal, arriving around 11:15. They didn’t start boarding until well after 12, but we were in the 3rd group to be called and were on the ship by a little after 12:30. Rooms weren’t ready until 1, but we were able to drop off our bags before we went exploring. We had a superior ocean view room on the 9th floor and though it was smaller than a hotel room, it was perfectly adequate for two of us. More people than that may have been rough, though. Our bags were in our room by 2, so we were able to quickly put our things in order. I have to say that the saving grace was the over-the-door hanger, not just because it saved space, but because it was so handy to see everything right there!

 

One of the highlights of our cruise was the meet and mingle that we went to on the first day in the Schooner Bar (which is a nice bar). The ladies and gentleman that we met were so friendly and fun. We were supposed to meet again, but we weren’t able to make the second meeting, which I was really sorry about.

 

San Diego was the first port and we went to the Maritime Museum, which was nice. It’s well within walking distance and you get to go aboard 5 ships, including the Star of India and a Russian sub. Then we took a bike taxi to Seaport Village, which is a cute and quaint shopping area, but most items are pretty pricey. It took a while to leave port that day because the Sea World excursion ran late and we didn’t pull out until after 6.

 

Formal night had a mix of cocktail dresses and suits and formals, with a few tuxes. Not many people that I saw in the dining room were dressed down and it was a very fun and festive night. We had our pics taken in our formal attire at two places, one of which makes you take off your shoes and lie down on the white mat with a white background. We about died laughing, but they actually turned out to be the best pics we took and we bought some!

 

Our tablemates were spectacular. They were all related, 6 of them, and at first we felt awkward, but they made us part of the family and we ended up really enjoying their company.

 

Catalina was the next stop and I am in love with that island. Avalon is the cutest town. We rented a golf cart and went around not only the scenic places, but also the town streets to see all there was. All the houses are little and cute and the electric golf carts were everywhere. We shopped there and they have some reasonable merchandise. We also did the glass bottom boat, which I highly recommend. The sun finally came out on this day, so we headed back to the ship around 2 to do our wine tasting and catch some rays. Wine tasting was very informative and fun. The pool was much busier this day and the combination of the wine, the drink of the day and the sunshine made me so mellow that I completely spaced on the second meet and mingle. My apologies to those that I stood up.

 

The next port was Ensenada. This port has had its share of bad reviews from many posters, but I have to say that I truly enjoyed it. We did a shopping tour with the Folkloric Fiesta, which is held at the Riviera del Pacifica. It was a nice show, even though we’ve seen similar shows many times, we wanted to get a taste of the Mexican culture in their home, and it was worth it. Shopping was fun! Yes, the shopkeepers can be pushy, but never physically and when we said, “No thank you, ” they backed off, nothing to fret about. When I was contemplated a ring and necklace at one of the RCI recommended stores, they gave me and my husband a shot of tequila to help us decide!LOL Needless to say, I’m wearing the jewelry as I type.

 

That night we skipped the dining room for the buffet in Jade instead. I also ordered some sushi. It was $2.30 for 3 rolls and they were decent. Not as good as my place here, but they weren’t as expensive either. The last night was a bit crazy because you have to get everything packed up, which is a chore! Also, let me tell you from experience that if you lose your prepaid tip vouchers, they can give you another copy at the Guest Relations desk, so don’t do like I did and spend 45 minutes searching your packed luggage before you call Guest Relations.

 

Disembarking was quick and easy. We had purple tags and we were called before 8 am, headed off and into customs, which we breezed right through and were on the shuttle and back to our car by 8:15.

 

Basil (from Jamaica) was our steward and he was the absolute best. He made us towel animals every night, except the first, and he always had a kind word for us and made sure we were well taken care of. We had taken some wine onboard (which was in our checked luggage and made it through just fine) and we gave him a bottle. On the last day, he asked us to go look on our bed, and he had given us some Monarch cloth tote bags. We were so toughed by his gesture.

 

Our dining room waiter was Bradley, from South Africa, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about him, either. So nice and friendly and with a too-die-for accent. He explained every dish to us and gave us some great suggestions.

 

Some final thoughts:

 

There was a fire onboard the ship early Catalina morning that they were able to put out quickly. Though no harm was done, it was a bit scary to realize how vulnerable you can be. Good thing the crew was well trained and handled the problem quickly.

 

Food onboard was terrific. Though there is a major difference between the buffet and the dining room, food is ten times better in the dining room. At times the buffet was not very flavorful.

 

Never had a single problem with motion sickness, even though I tend to get dizzy in some situations. Never needed Bonine or the Seaband.

 

The Quest is hilarious! It’s not too risqué, but it is clean, adult fun that will have you laughing until you hurt, go see it if you haven’t.

 

The entertainment by the pool is so much fun. They had dancing, steel drum band, Mr. Sexy Leg contest, and ice carvings as well as a bbq and many other activities. I saw no chair hogging and there were always plenty of seats, though we sometimes went to the upper deck. There was one fellow cruiser that gave everybody else a show at the pool. Let’s just say that he was putting on his own dance review on the floor and it was too funny. We all decided that RCI should hire him.

 

We both hit $100 jackpots, better than Vegas considering the short amount of time we gambled. So the slots can pay!

 

Dueling Pianos is a hoot. Our pianists were Jeff and Rianna and they did a good job. I thought he was more talented, but they made everybody have fun, which is what they’re there for.

 

The Monarch is a beautiful ship. I didn’t notice any major problems, yes a few stains, but I could care less about that. A few times I noticed a slight smell, but barely anything, certainly nothing to worry about.

 

The crew is amazing. Everybody is friendly and accommodating. They always greet you with a smile. I was very impressed with the customer service.

 

In closing, we had the time of our lives and I owe part of that to all of you. All the information I was able to gather on these forums helped make our first cruise even more enjoyable and smooth. Thank you all and happy cruising!

[IBookHePays]

Thanks for your review! It's been a while since we were on the Monarch, but we had a great first cruise on her, too!

[karessamom]

Wonderful! We can't wait!!

[wolfcathorse]

aisling323 - do you remember who the captain was? Capt Lingergren went on vacation 5-1 and nobody seems to know how to spell the new guys name. I'd like to be able to add it to the thread "Current Captains"

[pacoloveschocolate]

Hi. That was a great review posted. Thanks. I leave on Monday on the Monarch. Can anyone help me?....Are there shampoo and shower gel dispensers in the cabin showers or should I pack all that stuff?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Leslie

[beachrus4]

When you left a gift for your room steward (the wine), did you leave a note with it so it was clear he could take it? I'd like to take something different - even a Cincinnati Reds baseball cap or something but I want to make sure the room steward feels free to take the item. Thanks. I go on the Monarch in July for a small family reunion. How did you take your wine - in carry on or checked luggage and how did you pack it??? Thanks so much. My mom and I are looking forward to a fun time on the Monarch!

From Cincinnati! Laurie :)

[wolfcathorse]

aisling323 - do you remember who the captain was? Capt Lingergren went on vacation 5-1 and nobody seems to know how to spell the new guys name. I'd like to be able to add it to the thread "Current Captains"

 

Just found out its Capt Teo Strazick.

[aisling323]

Sorry, I can't remember the Captain's name and I can't find my paper that said who was who. I could tell you how his voice was, but not his name.

 

There was a shampoo dispenser, but I don't think there was any conditioner. I had brought my own, so didn't use theirs. They did have soap bars in our room.

 

We saw Basil, our attendant, at least 2 or 3 times a day, so we just asked if he liked red wine, when he said yes, we handed him the bottle and told him to enjoy. He told us later that he did!

 

I packed the wine in checked, was going to do carry-on, but we took 4 bottles and that would have been too heavy. I bubble-wrapped it and then put it in a 2-1/2 gallon Hefty ziploc bag, and then another Hefty ziploc, just to be sure. We took one bottle to the dining room for ourselves the first night, and 2 to share with our table the second night. We had no problem bringing it into the dining room and they just charged the corkage fee.

[SingBill]

Great review. I am glad your first cruise was on the Monarch and that you had a wonderful time. Now you are hooked and have to go on another one:)

[ladylawyer]

aisling323, I'm glad you had such a great time! Now you know why we love the Monarch. Did you happen to see Trudy Julius, the Guest Relations Manager? She is such a sweetie! Actually, with the exception of the Explorations Manager we had in December, all the crew members on the Monarch are exceptional! Thanks for your great review! ~ Lorna

[stanford's girl]

aisling323, I'm glad you had such a great time! Now you know why we love the Monarch. Did you happen to see Trudy Julius, the Guest Relations Manager? She is such a sweetie! Actually, with the exception of the Explorations Manager we had in December, all the crew members on the Monarch are exceptional! Thanks for your great review! ~ Lorna

We were on this cruise too and I met Trudy in Boleros. We also ran into her at the place in Ensenada where we all got a massage.:)

Tami,

It was great meeting you and Dave. I saw you on formal night and the two of you looked fabulous. You did a great job on your first review. Just so you know, the only way to get over the "I loved this cruise" is to hurry up and book another one.:D

 

If you ever need to get in touch with me, you can reach me at stanfordsgirl1954@yahoo.com

 

 

Janice

[wrp96]

We were on this cruise too and I met Trudy in Boleros. We also ran into her at the place in Ensenada where we all got a massage.:)

 

 

Isn't Trudy amazing? She fixed a major problem my cruise mate had on my April cruise. Went out of her way in the middle of all the guests embarking to take my friend off the ship and find her a computer that she could use to do some work, in an employees only area no less.

[ladylawyer]

Janice, I just read your post on the Roll Call. OMG! Our cruise was much less eventful than yours (and I'm kinda glad about that). All we had was a guy dressed like a baby. No one died, thankfully! That was so sad.

 

I'm glad that Trudy got a massage. She definitely deserved pampering! Have a great rest of the week! ~ Lorna