Free RCL Cruise over Pay for Carnival ???

[Tightlinerods]

Ok besides the cost issue has anybody taken the RCL Monarch of the Seas

I have enough reward points for four to fly and cruise for free and I'm considering it since we have never sailed the Pacific Ocean.

 

I have been on 5 cruises in the Caribbean both Western and Eastern on different ships from the Norway to Carnivals Elation ....( also departing July 20 on the Ecstasy for a quick get away)

 

We are looking to see what you liked and disliked... (do not bash one or the other ships....) just tell me that the Pacific ports of call offer good things to do, compared to the Caribbean...

 

Thanks...

 

John

[GoinCruisin]

I would take a FREE cruise on the SS Minnow!!!! :eek: In a SECOND!!! When it comes down to it, a cruise is a cruise!! :D

[Wennfred]

No Brainer, save your money and always cruise for free.

 

Fred

[rvrgirl]

Ok besides the cost issue has anybody taken the RCL Monarch of the Seas

I have enough reward points for four to fly and cruise for free and I'm considering it since we have never sailed the Pacific Ocean.

 

I have been on 5 cruises in the Caribbean both Western and Eastern on different ships from the Norway to Carnivals Elation ....( also departing July 20 on the Ecstasy for a quick get away)

 

We are looking to see what you liked and disliked... (do not bash one or the other ships....) just tell me that the Pacific ports of call offer good things to do, compared to the Caribbean...

 

Thanks...

 

John

 

We have been on the Monarch. Are you doing the 3 day cruise or 4 day?

The 3 day cruise you only stop in Ensanada, and the 4 day cruise you stop in Ensanad, Catalina and I believe San Diego.

The ship itself is old and a little worn, but hey for free, I would do it.

[Tightlinerods]

We have been on the Monarch. Are you doing the 3 day cruise or 4 day?

The 3 day cruise you only stop in Ensanada, and the 4 day cruise you stop in Ensanad, Catalina and I believe San Diego.

The ship itself is old and a little worn, but hey for free, I would do it.

 

 

It would be the 4 day ...

 

What is Catalina like???

 

Ensanada have anygood values (sport fishing, or just Beach time???.)

 

John

[INCHARGE]

I would take a FREE cruise on the SS Minnow!!!! :eek: In a SECOND!!! When it comes down to it, a cruise is a cruise!! :D

You've got that right! :eek: :D Lifeboat, whatever.

Seriously, the free cruise wins my vote any day.You could always book your next CCL cruise with some of the money you will save, and use the rest for your spending money on this free trip. ;)

[rvrgirl]

It would be the 4 day ...

 

What is Catalina like???

 

Ensanada have anygood values (sport fishing, or just Beach time???.)

 

John

 

Yes you can go fishing in Ensanada. We had a couple of guys on our cruise that arranged to go out on a boat to fish. I'm not sure if they did it thru the cruiseline or did it with the locals. There are no good beaches there. We just kinda hung out at the bars and did some shopping. We also did a winery tour there once. That was nice.

Catalina is a very small Island. They have a small beach, nice bars. Not a whole lot to do. You can rent golf carts and drive around the whole island, which is kinda cool.

[marty30907]

You are not packed yet for the free cruise?????:D

[MERVYN BREMMER]

Free vs Pay.....let me think long and hard on that one.....this is a tough choice....should one pay for a cruise and have a few hundred for drinks or go for FREE and have a few thousand for drinks.;) :D

Take the free cruise and have a really good time

[tjatczak]

Just got back from the Monarch 4 nighter. We had a great time. Yes the Monarch is older, but still a good time.

 

Ensenada, famous for an ocean "blow hole", where water shoots up kind of like a geiser...otherwise just shopping - there is a wine tour and a tour to FOX studios (where Titanic was shot) which we found quite interesting.

 

Catalina and the "golf cart tour" as a blast. Although not much else unique there, since it is part of California...be sure to see the Casino (not the gambling type) and the gardens, very niiiiiiiiiice!

 

San Diego - see the aircraft carrier museum and the harbor place shopping.

 

Don't miss the Quest game on board, if you never have cruised on Royal Caribbean, you are in for a treat. Also on board was a great dueling piano show, the best kept secret on board - everyone in my family loved it!

 

Cabins are a bit small - glad we had ajoining cabins for the five of us....

 

Can you tell I think you should cruise on the Monarch?

 

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Ted

[momofzeke]

Geez Louise, are you kidding? TAKE THE FREE CRUISE! :D

 

You can always go on the Elation later. :)

[rvrgirl]

Just got back from the Monarch 4 nighter. We had a great time. Yes the Monarch is older, but still a good time.

 

Ensenada, famous for an ocean "blow hole", where water shoots up kind of like a geiser...otherwise just shopping - there is a wine tour and a tour to FOX studios (where Titanic was shot) which we found quite interesting.

 

Catalina and the "golf cart tour" as a blast. Although not much else unique there, since it is part of California...be sure to see the Casino (not the gambling type) and the gardens, very niiiiiiiiiice!

 

San Diego - see the aircraft carrier museum and the harbor place shopping.

 

Don't miss the Quest game on board, if you never have cruised on Royal Caribbean, you are in for a treat. Also on board was a great dueling piano show, the best kept secret on board - everyone in my family loved it!

 

Cabins are a bit small - glad we had ajoining cabins for the five of us....

 

Can you tell I think you should cruise on the Monarch?

 

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Ted

 

I have to agree with you regarding the dueling piano show. Is it still the husband and wife team? They were awesome.

[pstow]

Free cruise any day..... We sailed free on the soverign of the seas,, only had to pay ports charges...had a wonderful time....

[kkorman]

Ok besides the cost issue has anybody taken the RCL Monarch of the Seas

I have enough reward points for four to fly and cruise for free and I'm considering it since we have never sailed the Pacific Ocean.

 

I have been on 5 cruises in the Caribbean both Western and Eastern on different ships from the Norway to Carnivals Elation ....( also departing July 20 on the Ecstasy for a quick get away)

 

We are looking to see what you liked and disliked... (do not bash one or the other ships....) just tell me that the Pacific ports of call offer good things to do, compared to the Caribbean...

 

Thanks...

 

John

 

No brainer, it is free.

THe Monarch is similar to the older fantasy class in age so you should know what to expect.

[Fairsailing]

Ok besides the cost issue has anybody taken the RCL Monarch of the Seas

I have enough reward points for four to fly and cruise for free and I'm considering it since we have never sailed the Pacific Ocean.

 

I have been on 5 cruises in the Caribbean both Western and Eastern on different ships from the Norway to Carnivals Elation ....( also departing July 20 on the Ecstasy for a quick get away)

 

We are looking to see what you liked and disliked... (do not bash one or the other ships....) just tell me that the Pacific ports of call offer good things to do, compared to the Caribbean...

 

Thanks...

 

John

 

Well, its my opinion that your Monarch cruise would NOT be free. You are paying - not in money, but reward points. Reward points have a value and (I'm assuming) could be spent on something else. So the real question is whether or not this cruise is worth the opportunity cost. How many more points would it take to go the Caribbean or Alaska? Or even the 7-day Mexican "Riviera"?

 

The reason I'm asking is that this cruise does not compare in any way to the Caribbean cruises you've taken, no matter if its CCL or RCL. There are few, if any, opportunities to go to the beach. The weather, depending on the season, can be cold and windy. Ensenada has a high level of poverty and, unlike the Caribbean islands, does not have the scenery to distract you from it.

 

I've been on this cruise several times, mostly because it is inexpensive and the port is in our backyard. It is a great trip for a group of adult friends to get away and have some drinks in Ensenada. For a family to go through the hassle of flying here for a family vacation, I'd have to say its not worth it. Especially if you can wait and put those points to better use. Just my 0.02...

[Tightlinerods]

Well, its my opinion that your Monarch cruise would NOT be free. You are paying - not in money, but reward points. Reward points have a value and (I'm assuming) could be spent on something else. So the real question is whether or not this cruise is worth the opportunity cost. How many more points would it take to go the Caribbean or Alaska? Or even the 7-day Mexican "Riviera"?

 

The reason I'm asking is that this cruise does not compare in any way to the Caribbean cruises you've taken, no matter if its CCL or RCL. There are few, if any, opportunities to go to the beach. The weather, depending on the season, can be cold and windy. Ensenada has a high level of poverty and, unlike the Caribbean islands, does not have the scenery to distract you from it.

 

I've been on this cruise several times, mostly because it is inexpensive and the port is in our backyard. It is a great trip for a group of adult friends to get away and have some drinks in Ensenada. For a family to go through the hassle of flying here for a family vacation, I'd have to say its not worth it. Especially if you can wait and put those points to better use. Just my 0.02...

 

 

Thank you very much finally two posters have said what I was looking for ....

 

It's not even an issue money wise because I can chose several other vacations (Cabo for 4 days for less points)...

 

It's about what to do when the boat is in port!!!...

 

For an active/casual family with 2 kids these ports of call are starting to not sound like all that great of an option......

 

It's looking more like we will do the far southern Caribbean Cruise and fly to Cabo and just fish/drink !!!!

 

Thanks for the replies and time and Maybe I'll see you out on the water!!!!!

 

 

John

[Cinderose]

FREE! Jump on that!!! The Monarch was my first cruise back in '94. We had a blast. I even won the costume contest (7 day Southern carribean itinerary) Too bad Carnival doesnt do some of the fun things we did on the Monarch, but then thats why each cruise line is unique! Go you will have so much fun - but then again any cruise you would have fun on!

[scubalisa]

Go on both! Seriously, take the free one now, then the one you have to pay for in 6 months. Then you get 2 cruises in one year for the price of one- perfect!

[Darcy03231]

I just did the 4 day Monarch in March 2006 with my mother and sister. We had a great time and I wouldn't hestitate to do it again. Having said that, if I was cruising with my children, I most likely wouldn't do this cruise. While there are things they would have enjoyed in San Diego, I don't think they would have had a good time in Ensenada and Catalina Island. Here is my review:

 

We just got back from our cruise on the Monarch of the Seas (3-5-06 through 3-10-06). I cruised with my mother and sister and a great time was had by all. It was the first cruise for my mother and sister, my 5th cruise, the second time with Royal Carribean. I booked this cruise through the Cruise Compete feature on this site in November 2005. This is the second cruise I’ve booked using Cruise Compete and have been very happy with that service. I booked an ocean view (porthole) cabin for the three of us on deck two. Total cruise cost was $778.00 with an on-board credit of $40.00. When we arrived we didn’t have the credit and I called the travel agent. She sent me a check for the $40.00.

ACCOMDATIONS: We flew in the day before and spent the night at the Westin LAX. Very nice hotel. It was very clean and comfortable and had several restaurants nearby. I would definitely stay there again if in Los Angeles.

BOARDING/DISEMBARKING: We arrived at the port at about 11:30 a.m.. We were checked in and on board having lunch by noon. We did the self debark as we had an early flight out of LAX. It went very smoothly. We were off the ship and on our way to the airport by 7:30 a.m

DINING ROOMS: We had the early seating (5:30 p.m) in Claude’s. I found we prefer the early seating. We tried the late seating once and didn’t like it. The service from our waitstaff was excellent. On my last Royal Carribean cruise the food was ok and I was prepared for this again as a lot of recent reviews complain about the food. Well I was pleasantly surprised as the food was excellent. There was only one thing I had that I didn’t like and it wasn’t the fault of the chef, I just didn’t like it.

We ate breakfast several times in the dining room and again the service and food were great. We also had breakfast in the Windjammer (buffet). Anything you could imagine for breakfast was on the buffet and it was also good. The only thing I find on every buffet (not just Royal Carribean) is to avoid the scrambled eggs as they are always cold.

We had lunch in the Windjammer every day. Again everything was excellent.

I didn’t try the Jade Room as I don’t like sushi. We also didn’t try Ben & Jerry’s or Lattitudes as there was such a variety of things on the ship to eat and drink I couldn’t see paying extra for these things.

ACCOMODATIONS: As I mentioned earlier in this review I booked an oceanview (porthole) cabin on deck 2. After having cruised with Carnival the last few times I found it to be very small. Luckily, my mom, sister and I all get along great. I certainly wouldn’t have tried to put more than three in the room. It was very tight. If I were cruising with four people I would definitely get two cabins. The room itself was showing signs of disrepair. There were gouges in the walls, mold in the grout in the bathroom, worn carpet, and burn marks on the counter in the bathroom. I also didn’t like that there wasn’t any storage in the bathroom. When we first arrived on the ship and went to our room there was a distinct odor of urine in the hall. We didn’t notice any smell in our room. The odor dissipated over the course of the cruise but never fully went away. This was the only place I noticed any odor.

ENTERTAINMENT: We all enjoyed the entertainment on the ship. We were on the four day cruise and there were two Las Vegas style shows (the first night and the last night) and two comedians. The shows were great and we liked all the comedians. The Quest game and the Love and Marriage game were exceptionally funny. We also liked the Dueling Pianos in the Boleros Lounge. We did play Bingo once and played the slot machines in the Casino each night. While we didn’t win big we did win enough to keep playing throughout the four days without being in the hole more than a few dollars.

SHIPS CONDITION: This is an older ship and I found it to be in good repair, clean and comfortable. Everywhere I went there was someone cleaning something. I didn’t see any stained carpet or disrepair in the public areas. I know the Monarch was in drydock in January and my guess is that the public areas were spruced up. The carpeting in the Windjammer looked new.

SEAS: This was my first cruise on the Pacific and I found it to be a little less smooth than the Carribean. It wasn’t rough but I did feel the movement a little more.

TEMPERATURE: While we had good weather, it wasn’t hot. Average was about 65°. Make sure you pack a light weight jacket. It was nice for us as we’re from the east cost and it was about 15° the day we left but if you’re going with the idea that that it’s really warm in March, it wasn’t. We didn’t use the pool at all, although there were kids in it and they didn’t seem to mind.

SPA/GYM: I didn’t use either of these so I really can’t comment on them, other than to say that I thought the prices in the Spa were on the high side. On the last two days they did run some specials. If you want to use the Spa I would recommend waiting until then to do it.

SHOPPING: Ensenada was the best port for shopping and bargaining. I didn’t do any shopping in Los Angeles or San Diego. Catalina Island had some cute shops but there were no bargains.

EXCURSIONS:

San Diego: We did the tour of the USS Midway which I highly recommend. Its only one pier down from the ship’s pier and easily walkable. It doesn’t open until 10:00 am so don’t get there too early. It was $15 ($10 for seniors) admission. It took us about three hours to go through it completely. I found it very interesting. It is a self-guided tour so you can do it at your own pace. There are areas where there are volunteers to give more information. When we toured the control tower, the navigation room and the bridge our tour guide actually had served on the Midway and we found him very interesting and informative.

Catalina Island: We walked over to the Casino and toured it and their museum, both of which were very interesting and informative. The Casino is beautiful. The cost for the combined ticket was $15. After touring the Casino and museum we poked around town, checked out the shops and had an ice cream. We then did the Glass Bottom Boat tour. It was $11 and lasted for about half an hour. We did see several different kinds of fish.

Ensenada: We did the Wineries tour through the ship which I highly recommend. It was $29/pp and we toured two wineries. Its about 45 minutes inland so I wouldn’t do it on my own. The first winery was L.A. Cetto and the second was Domecq. We tasted about five different wines at each. L.A. Cetto also makes their own olive oil, brandy and tequila. Domecq makes brandy in addition to the wine. I came home with three bottles of wine and a bottle of olive oil. After the tour we went back to the ship and had lunch before going into Ensenda to shop. This is where we did most of our shopping. You can bargain here and get some great buys on silver and leather.

If there are any other questions or other information you would like to get about the ship or my experience, feel free to e-mail me at lowes1998@comcast.net. Put in the subject line Monarch of the Seas so that I don't accidentally delete it.

Overall we all had a great time and felt this cruise was a great value for the money. This was our first mother/daughter trip and we’re already planning for next year.

[victory2020]

Well, its my opinion that your Monarch cruise would NOT be free. You are paying - not in money, but reward points. Reward points have a value and (I'm assuming) could be spent on something else. So the real question is whether or not this cruise is worth the opportunity cost. How many more points would it take to go the Caribbean or Alaska? Or even the 7-day Mexican "Riviera"?

 

The reason I'm asking is that this cruise does not compare in any way to the Caribbean cruises you've taken, no matter if its CCL or RCL. There are few, if any, opportunities to go to the beach. The weather, depending on the season, can be cold and windy. Ensenada has a high level of poverty and, unlike the Caribbean islands, does not have the scenery to distract you from it.

 

I've been on this cruise several times, mostly because it is inexpensive and the port is in our backyard. It is a great trip for a group of adult friends to get away and have some drinks in Ensenada. For a family to go through the hassle of flying here for a family vacation, I'd have to say its not worth it. Especially if you can wait and put those points to better use. Just my 0.02...

I aboslutely agree with you! I've done this several times because I'm in LA. Never get off the ship now because the ports are terrible & weather usually sucks.

[rsjc]

Ok besides the cost issue has anybody taken the RCL Monarch of the Seas

I have enough reward points for four to fly and cruise for free and I'm considering it since we have never sailed the Pacific Ocean.

 

I have been on 5 cruises in the Caribbean both Western and Eastern on different ships from the Norway to Carnivals Elation ....( also departing July 20 on the Ecstasy for a quick get away)

 

We are looking to see what you liked and disliked... (do not bash one or the other ships....) just tell me that the Pacific ports of call offer good things to do, compared to the Caribbean...

 

Thanks...

 

John

 

 

Is the free cruise coming from RCCL's credit card?

[Boston6]

The only issue with the Monarch is that the rooms are small compared to Carnival....then again, they're spacious compared to the Norwegian Sea...

 

Go for it.