My first cruise: RCCL Monarch of the Seas Nov 24-28th, 2008 REVIEW

[TurnLeftKasey]

I just completed my first cruise last week. It was on the Monarch of the Seas, sailing out of Port Canaveral, FL. As I first time cruiser, I was on this board so many times looking around for answers to the questions I had, I had no idea what to expect, so with my experience, I hope I can help others.

Our itinerary was Monday: leave port. Tuesday: Coco Cay. Wednesday: Nassau. Thursday (Thanksgiving): Cruising. Friday: arrive back at port.

Checking in was simple. I’ve heard that it can be very time consuming. We took a shuttle to the port that knew right where to drop my nephew and I off. We handed the bags that we wanted to be checked to the porters then took the rest as carry-ons. We went through several check points, similar to that of what you would encounter at the airport, but less invasive. One lady looked at our SetSail pass, then we went through a metal detector, make sure you take your laptop of of its bag! There were about 6 of us holding everything up. We were sent upstairs and another person was there to sort us by what deck our room was on. Then we went to a check-in counter and the rep slide my credit card and handed me two SeaPass cards (mine and my nephews) and told to me to get in line to board to the ship. This was the process at Port Canaveral, it may be much different elsewhere. So far, about 25 mins have passed.

It was 11:40 am, the line moved quickly. They have this down to a science. Before we boarded, they snapped our photo in front of a sign that said Monarch 2008, then took our photos for our SeaPass cards, then we boarded onto Deck 4.

Right when you board, everyone immediately got in line to get a Coke Card (to get unlimited sodas). We passed on that. They told us our staterooms would be ready at 1:00 and we were free to go wherever, pool deck, lunch in the Windjammer, etc.

We went deck 11, the Pool Deck. The Windjammer is on that deck as well. We ate and walked around. I would recommend not bringing a large carry on because you are stuck lugging it around for an hour or so. The food we had for lunch on the buffet was good. It consisted of everything from salads to hot dogs and burgers, they had pastas too. The free drinks were lemonade (which was very good), iced tea (which was unsweet, there was sugar/Splenda/Sweet&Lo etc on every table), water and coffee. Juices were placed out during breakfast times. I believe juice was available anytime if you ask for it though.

Our room. I choose an interior stateroom. I was very happy with it. Of course at first, it seems smaller than my bathroom at home. There is a lot of room under the bed, once you get all your suitcases under the bed and settle in, you’ll find it to be just fine. I would definitely get an interior room again. No regrets there.

The boat was easy to navigate through. The hardest part to me is trying to remember which elevators went where, some went from 1-11, some only went 5-7, etc. I was on deck 5, forward. I regret having a room so far near the front of the boat, it was a lot of walking, I would have much rather had a room near the center, near the elevators and stairs.

Luggage: they started to bring in the luggage about 1:30pm. The porters just sat it all on the applicable deck, near the elevators, it was up to the RCCL people to deliver it to the rooms. My nephew and I just saw ours among the rest and grabbed it. I would recommend just doing this because the luggage sat out way into the evening…

The lifeboat (Muster Drill) was easy. It occurred at 4:00 pm. It took about 30 mins and consisted of putting on your life jackets and heading to deck 7 and to be sorted out to your muster stations. The captain gave an announcement and a welcome and then we were free to go wherever.

Now to motion sickness. Day one, of course while we were still anchored, it was ok. No movement whatsoever. The first few hours into the cruise, no problem. It wasn’t till 10 pm or so when you felt the boat really swaying from the left and the right. I even went up to the pool deck and saw the water splashing out on either side. I would compare it to walking down the aisle of a moving bus. Everyone was holding onto what they could. I asked a lot of people because I had no idea what to expect, even cruisers that said they have cruised so many times said it was never that bad. So I would say it was a rare experience. I don’t want to worry anyone. I had on a motion sickness patch which did its job, but even with that, I still felt queasy. Going to bed that evening with that much movement was difficult. As exhausted as I was, I managed.

We woke up rather early the next day. They have a breakfast buffet in the Windjammer everyday. From cereal and milk to scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon; they have it all!

Being up on the pool deck (deck 11) was great. They really push their liquor. About every 3-6 minutes someone would walk by and offer “BAR DRINKS!!! THE MORE YOU BOOZE, THE BETTER YOU CRUISE!” You never have to get up and go look for alcohol. Never ever. Their daily specials were a Lava Flow (pina colada and raspberry-I think, Margarita Rocks, a Bahama Mama, and

This day we were in Coco Cay, official name being Little Stirrup Cay. You can see Big Stirrup Cay right across the way… We headed down to deck one and stood in line for a while until the next tender arrived, we took a 5 minute tender ride to the island which was beautiful. Be prepared to walk. There is a straw market with several locals set up to sell things, they had a lot of cute things that said Coco Cay on them… And of course, hair braiders. “Hey pretty lady… come let me braid your hair!” No thanks. The price ranged from $3 for one braid to $70 (give or take) for your whole head. The only thing I was wanting to buy was a Coco Loco that I’ve heard so much about. I headed straight to the beach.

The scenery was great, the water was clear and the fish were everywhere. This is the most beautiful place I’ve seen yet. No jellyfish around, the water was chilly but you got used to it pretty quickly. Right when I wanted a Coco Loco, there was an announcement. The captain came on and said evacuate the island, bad weather was coming. I didn’t waste any time with catching the next tender back to the ship. You do have to go through a metal detector to get back on the tender. I noticed that the waves were getting rougher. When back onboard, I headed up to the pool deck. It wasn’t raining, the seas were just rough. I looked over and noticed the last tender sitting out in the ocean bobbing up and down very roughly, so much that it could not approach the ship. It stayed out there for some time. I talked to some people when they came onto the ship, they said people were sick left and right. I do not blame them.

The captain came on and said that her main concern is our safety and right then, the weather was very unsafe. She said that we would go ahead and head to Nassau. By the way, the captains name was Karin. I just loved her accent! We were not supposed to get to Nassau until the next day. She said that we would, if weather is OK, return to Coco Cay on Thursday, instead of just cruising. There was a round of applause from everyone on the pool deck where I was. She said that we would arrive in Nassau at about 7 pm. At this time, it was about 2:00pm. I went to my room and took a nap, when I woke up, I turned it to channel 31 on the tv. Chan 31 was a view from the top of the ship looking out. There was Nassau! We arrived and docked next to the Carnival Sensation. I didn’t get off that night. You could see the straw market from the ship, and Senor Frogs. The other side you could see Paradise Island and Atlantis. Atlantis was gorgeous!!! There was also a small lighthouse on Paradise Island. Very nice!

Since I didn’t get off that evening, I decided to relax on the pool deck for the rest of the day. I was thinking about how disappointed I was because I didn’t get my Coco Loco on Coco Cay, right then a bar guy walked by and said, “COCO LOCOS! ISLAND SPECIAL!” I was happy. They sell Coco Locos, souvenier cup and all, on board during the whole cruise. I didn’t know that. It was $7.95 w/ the cup. They were pretty good.

The next morning, my nephew and I got off the ship. I guess I had no idea what to expect. Immediatley, you are approached by tons of people. “Do you need a taxi?” “Do you need a tour?” “Do you need a cab?” I had my 13 year old nephew with me, I didn’t feel safe. You could easily be separated by the person you are traveling with, easily! I’m told that most ports are like this. We managed to walk through the mass of people, we made it to the end of Woodes Rogers where the straw market was, I haggled for the things that I wanted, which was surprisingly easy. What I did was offer them half of what they wanted. Most of them said, “I can’t sell it to you for $10, but I’ll give it to you for $10.? Whatever… Ha ha. I gave them $10.00 cash and thanked them. Once you ask for the price on something, you better be interested in it. They will hassle you into buying it. “Only for you, I make this deal mon.” I spend $30 in the straw market. We ended up leaving and heading up Bay St. I went into one store, Banana Market, or something like that. It was just a store w/ souveniers. I spend $30 in there too. My nephew was asking to go back to the ship, he said he didn’t like Nassau. We then headed back to the ship, again getting hassled by everyone. “DO YOU NEED A MOPED!?!” I was off of the ship for about an hour and a half. I did not like Nassau. If we were not getting hassled by the locals, we were nearly getting ran over by a vehicle. BEEP BEEP!!! They drive crazy, they drive however they like, backwards even! I saw a car go backwards pretty quickly all the way up Woodes Rogers. Maybe I just didn’t know what I was in store for, but Nassau was not my thing.

We were back on board in no time at all. I spent the rest of the day on the pool deck. Later at 8:30pm, we went to dinner this night in Claude’s dining room, 2nd seating. The menu sounded amazing, I choose the Onion Tart for my starter, and the sirloin steak, and the cobbler for desert. I loved the food. The portions were not the large. I’d say not enough to FILL you up, but just enough to not leave you hungry. I also had the sourdough rolls, which were great!!! The assistant waiter brought them to us in the beginning, but I kept asking for them, then everyone at the table began asking for more. They were great! I would say that it took about an hour and a half in the dining room, from start to finish.

 

The next day we woke up in Coco Cay. The weather was great!!! This was my favorite day of the trip. There are several swimming cays on Coco Cay. The sun was out the whole time, the water was still a little chilly. The barbecue was served from 12-2pm. It was some of the best ribs I’ve ever had, and I live in Tennessee so I’m used to some good barbecue. They were very good. I made it back onto the ship and laid out a little more. I settled my SeaPass statement with cash. My nephew and I then got ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving dinner was turkey and dressing, and all the normal fixings. I would rate the Thanksgiving meal a C+. I guess I’m comparing it to the Thanksgiving dinners that my own family has cooked over the years, and nothing really compares to home cooking I guess. If I was on a Thanksgiving cruise again, I would opt for something else on the menu.

After dinner we headed to the room and packed our belongings, just leaving out what we needed for the next morning, we sat our luggage outside our door. There was hardly any room after everyone set their luggage out.

The day of departure was easy, but time consuming. We were told to wait in the Bolaros lounge on deck 7. We then walked down the steps to deck 4 and went through customs. The process, like I said, was time consuming but easy. We were all given a Customs Declaration card, very simple to fill out, especially for me that only spent $60 while I was there.

Waiting for our luggage took a while. I sat by the conveyors for over 30 minutes, seeing the same bags over and over again, then came ours. I was told that morning that you did not have to set your luggage out, next time I won’t. Yes, it will be a hassle lugging it around the morning you leave, down the steps, etc.

Overall, I was very pleased with my cruise. I had very little ideas of what to expect.

 

If I could go back, I would change these things:

I would go to the sit down dinner every evening. Yes, the buffets are good, but the sit down dinner is better. (If I travel on Thanksgiving again, I’ll skip the turkey.)

I would have packed a formal outfit for the formal. After seeing what everyone was wearing, I was relieved. They were not as dressed up as I thought, they were in simple skirts and tops. I could do that! I was just thinking about big gowns and stuff. Oh well, lesson learned!

I would have gotten a room nearer to the middle of the ship where the elevators are. Too much walking.

I would have boarded after 1:00 pm. I would def wait on the rooms to be available.

I would have scheduled an excusion for Nassau. Nassau just left a bad taste in my mouth. I apologize to everytone that loves it, I would def do something next time, tour Atlantis, go to a nice beach, something! Anyting would have been better than followed by locals and hassled by them too.

Take a swim mask to Coco Cay. You swim in the same water that the people snorkel in, you are right there with the fish, there were a ton of people that brought masks and they didn’t have to buy a vest, now, if you bring fins and a snorkel, they will sell you a mask, but I would just bring a mask. The water is so clear, you do not need to pay RCCL for their stuff.

I would not have had any alcohol on board, except wine at dinner. I didn’t feel that the alcohol was worth the prices paid. Yes, the prices were fine. $6.75-$11.00, I feel that it is fair, but regardless of how strong they tasted, I never got a buzz! (?) It can’t be me, I had two glasses of wine at dinner, with food and I was buzzin’. I drank 3 Coco Locos and nothing. Next time, no pool bar drinks for me.

I will do the unlimited coke next time. I feel, at $4 a day, you do get your moneys worth. The waiters that walk by the pool were delivering cokes to the people. But they would not bring out free lemonade, etc. They told us, “Please go to the Windjammer.” Maybe the waiter was busy, but oh well.

I think that is about it. I don’t want this review to sound negative by any means. Just my honest review. I loved the time I had on Royal Caribbean. I can’t wait to go again. I spoke with a lot of people on board who have cruised a lot. I think my next cruise will be somewhere to Mexico.

As far as customer service, very exceptional. Every time a worker saw you, they spoke. Our waiter was very kind, he gave me a hug on the last night, our stateroom attendant was kind too. The only complaint I had was that when we first went to the room, the halogen bulb over the beds, in the middle was flashing on and off, like a strobe light. I could not sit in there with it. It took almost 2 hours just to get a maintenance man to come in and unscrew the glass cover and remove the bulb, the bulb was never replaced. The guest relations desk and stateroom attendant said someone would come back and put a new bulb in; never did. Its Ok though, I used the small lamps and the vanity light.

The bathroom, I really didn’t have any problems with it. The sink drained very slowly. I wouldn’t say that it was backing up, I would just say it was draining slow. The shower drained slow too. Next time I’m taking some duct tape to tape the curtain in place.

One other note: I called RCCL beforehand and even asked before we boarded, “How do I set up a spending limit for my nephew?” I was told to go to the Guest Relations desk to do this. I went and she said that the older ships can not do this. She said she doesn’t know why someone told me this. Oh well, I couldn’t argue with her, what she did instead was give me an extra key that only opens the door. I gave that to my nephew. He couldn’t charge anything with it, so I felt better. I kept his SeaPass with my at all times.

I apologize for this being such a long post. I really wanted to put something here that summed up the Coco Cay/Nassau cruise on the Monarch out of Port Canaveral.

If anyone has any questions or comments, please reply!

 

Thanks!!!

Jennifer

[petesweet]

That was a great review, Jennifer. Thanks for posting.

 

Now that you've dipped your toes in the cruising waters, so to speak, let me suggest you go to Alaska next time. That is a cruise to beat all cruises!!!:D

[TurnLeftKasey]

Yes. My friend at work has gone to Alaska, she said it was beautiful. She said she would like to do it again. As long as they have pools, I'll be Ok.

 

I was thinking Mexico and the Cayman Islands for my next cruise... First, save!

[cawagner]

Thanks for the awesome review, now I cant wait for our cruise in Jan!!

 

On formal night you said people were wearing simple tops/skirts was there anyone "dressed up" reason I ask is that I have this cute black sparkly pants/top that I plan on wearing for formal night which i consider dressy and certainly something I wouldnt wear other than a special occasion, I certainly don't want to feel "overly dressed up"

 

Soda cards are just $4 a day I thought they were more...thats not bad, can you use the soda card in dining room?

[honeywell]

I believe the Soda package is $4.00 per day for kids and $6.00 per day per adult, plus 15% gratuity.

[TurnLeftKasey]

Formal night: just about anything but jeans and khaki. Don't worry about being over dressed. Next time, I would take just a reg blouse or a nice sweater, and a shirt. What you said sounds fine. You won't be overly dressed. Most women wore the typical "black dress". Right above the knee, with black strappy sandals, thats it.

 

The soda card, sorry, $6 per adult per day, it was $4 per child per day, plus tip! Anyways, I still thought it was more too! And yes you can get it in the dining room. Just show your SeaPass card w/ the sticker on it to the waiter and he will bring you a coke, in a wine glass, with a straw in it. I loved the dining room!

[Kim4]

Formal night: just about anything but jeans and khaki. Don't worry about being over dressed. Next time, I would take just a reg blouse or a nice sweater, and a shirt. What you said sounds fine. You won't be overly dressed. Most women wore the typical "black dress". Right above the knee, with black strappy sandals, thats it.

 

The soda card, sorry, $6 per adult per day, it was $4 per child per day, plus tip! Anyways, I still thought it was more too! And yes you can get it in the dining room. Just show your SeaPass card w/ the sticker on it to the waiter and he will bring you a coke, in a wine glass, with a straw in it. I loved the dining room!

 

pants may be a good idea too.

 

 

:) Just kidding...thanks for your review! It gets me excited for our next cruise!

[birdylady]

Jennifer,

 

Thank you for such a super review. We are scheduled to cruise Monarch in May (needless to say, we can't wait). I am so glad you gave such a detailed review of Coco Cay and Nassau. This will certainly help us plan to make the most of our trip.

 

You mentioned that Splenda was available for the tea. Was this available everywhere or only in the dining room when you asked for it? I ask since the two times we took Mariner we were told they didn't have it. Maybe RCCL has added it due to requests?

 

Erika

[newbiecruiser09]

Thanks for a great review Jennifer. We too are first time cruisers on Monarch in April. Will take your info into mind as we plan.

[TurnLeftKasey]

As far as Splenda goes, it is everywhere! It is all over the Windjammer, at every table/bar. We were in the Claudes Dining Room, deck 4, and yes it was on every table too. If you want to, snatch some from the Windjammer just to make sure.

 

As for REGULAR yellow mustard, it is scarce! I only use reg mustard on my hot dogs, I couldn't find it. They said they didn't have any, they just kept handing me bottles of spicy mustard. When we docked at Coco Cay on Tuesday for 1/2 a day, I saw Heize packets by where the buffet was supposed to be, I grabbed a handful and it was enough to last me for the rest of the hot dogs I had.

 

I'm happy to help w/ any questions! I wish there was someone who would have broke down exactly what to expect for me.

 

Oh, and I'm sure you've heard, take a powerstrip w/ you. The room only has 1 outlet in it. 2 things can plug in at a time. This outlet is at the vanity. The outlet in the bathroom said SHAVERS ONLY, so I didn't take a chance..

[TurnLeftKasey]

pants may be a good idea too.

 

 

:) Just kidding...thanks for your review! It gets me excited for our next cruise!

 

Oh yeah! Sorry, I meant SKIRT. Ha ha!

[sharlon]

Thanks so much for posting the review. Kids and I are surprising DH with the 2/13 sailing for his 40th. It's weird to not be able to talk about it, so I'm about to burst with excitement. Your review was just what I needed.

[TurnLeftKasey]

Awesome! I am truly addicated now! And for the price paid, it is the only way to vacation.

 

I booked directly through the RoyalCaribbean.com, the total price (INCLUDING tips and tax and fuel) was $602.22. I feel I got a great deal.

 

Also, if you are parking at the port, it is $15 per NIGHT, they say per DAY, but it is really per night. What we did was get a park/cruise package from the Comfort Inn and Suites in Cocoa Beach, you park your car in their lot and they will shuttle you to the port. I felt it was a good deal for $121.09. The hotel was very nice, had a nice pool/hot tub and it was just a stroll to the beach. I would def recommend that.

 

Oh, I'm so anxious! I want to go back!!!

[silentbob007]

Thanks for the review. Glad you enjoyed yourself.

[Janice M]

That was a great review, Jennifer. Thanks for posting.

 

Now that you've dipped your toes in the cruising waters, so to speak, let me suggest you go to Alaska next time. That is a cruise to beat all cruises!!!:D

 

I'll second that. We have done Alaska 3 times and I would do it again. Remember that Hubbard Glacier petesweet? That was unforgettable. Of coarse any cruise is unforgettable.

 

Jan

[TurnLeftKasey]

I guess my idea of relaxation is going somewhere where it is warm and where there are pina coladas... Someone talk me into an Alaska cruise?!!! Please!

[dagadget]

Excellent review it brought back memories of our April Cruise on Sovereign of the Seas. I hope Sovereign is doing well in Pullmantur garb too

[Merion_Mom]

Jennifer, how wonderful that you enjoyed your first cruise so much, and are now addicted (like the rest of us)!!!!!

 

That was an EXCELLENT review that you wrote - I can't believe that it's your first one!

 

:)

[TurnLeftKasey]

thank you! I wrote it as soon as I came home on Saturday, everything was fresh on my mind! I tend to type like I talk, so excuse that, some people tell me that I'm hard to understand sometimes...

I just remembered when I was thinking about booking my first cruise, I was hunting for info. I know what everyone new is going through because I was just there last week. I wanted to write about the stuff that I was most curious about. I know it was long winded but I tried shortening it but didn't want to cut out anything...

 

Thank you for reading it! I am addicted. Price alone, you can't beat it...

[bbqgrlluvs2cruz]

Jennifer, so glad you had a great trip and what a great review. We actually got off the day you were getting on. You didnt mention the temperatures we were sitting most of the time with our jackets on lol. This was also the roughest time on cruise ship out of my 4 others, poor sister was seasick most of the trip. She said it was her first and last. lol We didnt make our stop on Coco Cay because of the rough seas. I have been there three times before and love it too. As for Nassau, I would have to say this last visit there was my best visit, as this time I hired a private tour guide 2 months in advance and he was just wonderful and well worth what we paid.

 

You mentioned trying Mexico next, have done the Western Caribbean and absolutely loved it. I suggest Freedom of the Seas for this one. (IMHO) :)

[cruiserbryce]

glad you enjoyed your cruise. we love monarch and were sad to see her go but happy that others still like her

[petesweet]

I guess my idea of relaxation is going somewhere where it is warm and where there are pina coladas... Someone talk me into an Alaska cruise?!!! Please!

 

Alaska is for adventure and scenery--oh, and history. You can go on a ship such as the Serenade (which we did) and they have a covered Solarium so you can enjoy the pool even though it is cold outside.

 

You will not find the inexpensive port excursions so much in Alaska as you find in the Caribbean, so you need to save a bit more. Whale watching is very exciting. My very favorite was the helicopter ride to the glacier and there mushing the dogs. Cost about $400, but something I'll never forget. I would go every year if DH would agree. It doesn't get old.

[rubrrick]

Great review.........glad that you enjoyed your first cruise so much.

 

The Monarch might be older, but RCCL keeps her in good shape, and she is always fun to sail on!!:)

 

We miss her here on the West Coast!!

 

Rick

[PH8]

Super review and welcome to the world of cruising!!

 

Looking forward to the MN tomorrow......3rd time on her,but first time out of Pt Canaveral (on her..)

 

 

My very favorite was the helicopter ride to the glacier and there mushing the dogs. Cost about $400, but something I'll never forget. I would go every year if DH would agree. It doesn't get old.

I agree....that has been my all time favorite excursion ever...................even if it did cost a small fortune for our family of 3.......($1200!:eek:).....but I would do it again.............

[TurnLeftKasey]

As for weather: I live in Tennessee. Right now it is like 40 degrees! So to me, 70s and above are warm right now. We drove and we we reached the Florida line, we turned on the AC.

 

The Captain would announce the weather every day, the nightly average were in the high 50s. When walking around on deck in the middle of the night, it was chilly, but go jump in the hot tub! Ha ha

 

The weather for the days, minus the 1/2 day of storm clouds over Coco Cay, was GORGEOUS! The water is cold, it take a while to get used to it, but just jump in. I have LOTS of photos, I need to put some of them on here. Stay tuned for another thread.