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Monarch is a keeper or NO Rick, you CAN'T have her back

mommabean

By mommabean,
in Royal Caribbean International

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mommabean

mommabean

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I just returned today from the friendliest ship at sea. Sorry Rick and the rest of you in CA, we'll keep her and her great crew right here in FL. :)

 

I'll start off with the bad. If anyone wants to complain about her appearance, they will have to have a good imagination. She sparkles except for the one little flaw. Her astroturf around the pool deck is matted down and stained. What ship in the fleet can't say that after just a few weeks of messy passengers trampling her decks and spilling everything imaginable on it? Yes, there was constant maintenance going on around the ship as there should be if she is to stay in top condition.

 

My biggest gripe was the pricing of two particular things on board. The fitness classes are $12 a class on Monarch compared to the $10 on every other ship I've been on - which by the way is still too much in my opinion. So...I didn't take any of the paid classes.

 

And get this. The price of the drink of the day is $9.49. What! :eek: On Enchantment the term "drink of the day" is code for the daily drink bargain at $5. NO! I did not buy one single drink on Monarch. RCI or the Bar manager, whoever sets the drink pricing, needs to rethink this one. I would gladly buy one or 2 drinks of the day each day just for fun on Enchantment - a give an extra $1 to my server. I'd even buy one on Majesty at her $6.84 price but NO WAY am I paying nearly $10 for one weak drink. Who really sets the prices so differently on each ship anyway? They aren't doing the hard working crew any favors by over pricing the drinks. There were lots of servers ready to serve but doing a lot of standing and walking around wishing they could serve more drinks - yet still with big smiles on their faces.

 

Now that the bad stuff is out of the way....

 

Has anyone been involved with a crew led "wave" prior to the lifeboat drill? This was new to me. :)

 

My bathroom had the newest, shinest faucets I've seen. The showerhead had the best water flow of any I've used on board any ship. Of course this made for the friendliest shower curtain I've encountered.

 

Both the coffee and the iced tea in the Windjammer were the freshest, cleanest tasting and best of any Windjammer I've eaten in. No muddy tastes or overbrewed flavors were noticed. The service was right up there with Enchantment thanks to the services of my first best head waiter who I finally found again. Thank you Sheldon! I've asked about him and his whereabouts on every cruise since we enjoyed his company at our table each evening on Majesty. No one seemed to know where he went. He suddenly appeared at breakfast the first morning offering to take our picture. And he remembered our names for the entire cruise just as he always did during his time on Majesty. Just when I assumed I'd know no crew members on my first cruise on Monarch, here appeared a familiar and friendly face. He's doing something right in Windjammer since the service was excellent.

 

After having an AC on my last two cruises that didn't blow so cold, I was happy to have one that worked great again.

 

The CD Chris did a wonderful job. He appears quite young but is quick thinking with his spontaneous responses. He sings rather well as his opening to the love and marriage game show. We thought he was lip syncing at first since he sounded so good.

 

The Platinum/Diamond party had a great selection of food and drinks available. It wasn't quite as decorative as Enchantment but it far exceeded my most recent Majesty cruise. Hot, tasty and abundant. And the drinks offered were wine, champagne, bahama mamas, belinis, margaritas...and maybe more. They were in constant supply. All of the ships officers showed up at this party in addition to the usual Captain's reception and the Farewell Show.

 

Captain Karin was always there with a smile. Look out Captain Srecko - you might not be the prettiest Captain at Sea anymore. Did anyone else notice? Was that black nail polish the Captain was wearing on formal night? Or was it just so dark it appeared that way? What a charming lady she is.

 

Even the newly on board Brett the auctioneer was the most entertaining auctioneer I've seen. Maybe it's because his boss was in the audience. He even sold a few things. No...not to me. :rolleyes: I DID win "free" art in the pre-cruise raffle. Yes, I knew I'd have to pay to have it shipped. But what's $35 for the entertainment of this permanent record of my "winning". It's better than almost $10 for a rented drink. :p

 

We missed Coco Cay - a first for me. A couple of tenders had gone ashore and had to come right back. One guy who was on one of those tenders said he was scared when the water started coming over the sides and getting them wet.

 

Nassau was the usual. We did do something different. After a walk to the Queen's staircase we walked to Atlantis. Then we walked back and had lunch under the bridge. Interesting! Then we walked back to the ship, not without an abundance of cab drivers offering to give us a ride back.

 

There is no omelet station on this ship. And my cabin attendant forgot to do my nightly turn down the first night for which he seemed deeply embarassed.

 

Yes, this crew is very friendly with smiles and greetings around the ship. The entertainment was great. I've never seen a bad orchestra but this one was probably the best I've seen. They were really into it and were friendly and approachable around the ship. The sax soloist was super.

 

I can't think of anything else for now.

 

Sorry Rick. You'll have to come to FL I suppose. :D

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cruisegirl1

cruisegirl1

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Thanks for that great review. We are sailing her for the first time next week.

 

 

I have to agree about your comments on the drink prices. I made a comment about the price of the Drink of the Day (on the Sovereign) a while back and many posters told me I must be mistaken. Also - I think it is only a $1 or 2 difference of you do not want to fancy glass.

 

I sailed the Sovereign many times and will miss the staff. It is good to hear that the Monarch also has a stellar staff.

M

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mommabean

mommabean

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she is a great ship and glad you had a good time aboard...still sad that only Carnival offers the short trips...and they just dont have the bargains that RC did on MOS

 

What do you mean about Carnival? Do they offer something shorter than 3 nights? Three nights is my limit in shortness. :) Four is better like this one was.

 

I forgot to mention the arrival and departure for Monarch in Port Canaveral. Wow! Do they seem to have it down better than anyone. We had no lines or waiting on either end. I admit to having priority due to diamond level. But there was no line even for boarding photos or sea pass photos - at 12:30pm. It was probably 10 or 15 minutes at most from security through walking on the ship.

 

Getting off Monarch in Port Canaveral is what departure from ALL ships should be like. Hear that Radiance? - you have a lesson to learn. We were outside the port on the way to our car at 7:09am. Yes, that's right. And we made the hour and a half drive home, stopped at a rest stop for coffee and to "rest" :), got the cat from the vet and were in our own house by 9:30am this morning. This included a walk around the port parking lot trying to remember where we parked the car. :o

 

Gina

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PH8

PH8

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What do you mean about Carnival? Do they offer something shorter than 3 nights? Three nights is my limit in shortness. :) Four is better like this one was.

 

I forgot to mention the arrival and departure for Monarch in Port Canaveral. Wow! Do they seem to have it down better than anyone. We had no lines or waiting on either end. I admit to having priority due to diamond level. But there was no line even for boarding photos or sea pass photos - at 12:30pm. It was probably 10 or 15 minutes at most from security through walking on the ship.

 

Getting off Monarch in Port Canaveral is what departure from ALL ships should be like. Hear that Radiance? - you have a lesson to learn. We were outside the port on the way to our car at 7:09am. Yes, that's right. And we made the hour and a half drive home, stopped at a rest stop for coffee and to "rest" :), got the cat from the vet and were in our own house by 9:30am this morning. This included a walk around the port parking lot trying to remember where we parked the car. :o

 

Gina

same with us.we were on our way home at 7:05(and that has been my experience with every cruise outta PC).............hope Colette(LA) had a better cruise with you... .......our week, she had several nasty customers in her face:mad:...................

 

We didnt get to CocoCay either............

 

My negative of this ship was the WJ..........just didnt seem as light(low ceilings,I guess) and not as many stations..............and no entertainment in the VCL.........they really need something up there at night.....its too nice to be so underused.........

 

we didnt go the P/D party.....seems 80 of us didnt get invites and get this...we had the most cruises........Go figure!! I missed out on the presentation..:p:p

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skyking

skyking

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What do you mean about Carnival? Do they offer something shorter than 3 nights? Three nights is my limit in shortness. :) Four is better like this one was.

 

I forgot to mention the arrival and departure for Monarch in Port Canaveral. Wow! Do they seem to have it down better than anyone. We had no lines or waiting on either end. I admit to having priority due to diamond level. But there was no line even for boarding photos or sea pass photos - at 12:30pm. It was probably 10 or 15 minutes at most from security through walking on the ship.

 

Getting off Monarch in Port Canaveral is what departure from ALL ships should be like. Hear that Radiance? - you have a lesson to learn. We were outside the port on the way to our car at 7:09am. Yes, that's right. And we made the hour and a half drive home, stopped at a rest stop for coffee and to "rest" :), got the cat from the vet and were in our own house by 9:30am this morning. This included a walk around the port parking lot trying to remember where we parked the car. :o

 

Gina

 

I have been wondering what the heck happened to you, and here you are:)

 

Tim

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mommabean

mommabean

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same with us.we were on our way home at 7:05(and that has been my experience with every cruise outta PC).............hope Colette(LA) had a better cruise with you... .......our week, she had several nasty customers in her face:mad:...................

 

We didnt get to CocoCay either............

 

My negative of this ship was the WJ..........just didnt seem as light(low ceilings,I guess) and not as many stations..............and no entertainment in the VCL.........they really need something up there at night.....its too nice to be so underused.........

 

we didnt go the P/D party.....seems 80 of us didnt get invites and get this...we had the most cruises........Go figure!! I missed out on the presentation..:p:p

 

Colette was on board but not working the desk. A man named Fernando (I think) was doing the LA job. The only sighting of Colette was at the P/D party.

 

What a shame about the P/D party for you all. It was a nice presentation and not a sales pitch as some are. I think most of them realize by now they are preaching to the choir when they try the hard sell at this party. We only had one D+ couple with over 75 cruise credits on board. I guess they got the upgrade.

 

I do agree about the Viking Crown Lounge. It's a nice quiet place 24 hours a day. The old design has no dance floor so that must be why they don't use it but it would be nice to have something going on up there.

 

The piano player in the Schooner bar was good enough but he wasn't the type of piano musician I'm used to on the ships. Did you notice that his canned backup orchestra music outplayed him in loudness? I wondered if he didn't have the confidance to play alone. We enjoyed what we heard.

 

The windjammer is tiny. No, there wasn't the large assortment of food as in the larger ones - even Majesty. But at least there was plenty of seating even during busy times since most people didn't bother going upstairs. We found a seat up there every time. We ate breakfast there each morning and once for lunch.

 

OH...we had half and half in the tiny containers on the first morning and then it was switched over to non-dairy creamer after that. Ick. All the ships seem to be eliminating the good real half and half. :(

 

I'm still disappointed that Diamond members don't get any photo discount while Platinum members are still getting a buy one, get one free photo. :mad: This is an RCI problem, not a Monarch problem.

 

I DID like not getting another baseball cap C&A gift. My current 8 hats is more than enough.

 

Gina

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rednancy1

rednancy1

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Captain Karin was always there with a smile. Look out Captain Srecko - you might not be the prettiest Captain at Sea anymore. Did anyone else notice? Was that black nail polish the Captain was wearing on formal night? Or was it just so dark it appeared that way? What a charming lady she is.

 

:D

 

Captain Karin is a lovely lady with a tremendous sense of humor. When we dined with her she wore iridescent green nail polish. She said it was her only vanity.:cool::)

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed the friendly staff of the Monarch. We miss her so much. Enjoy.:)

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rubrrick

rubrrick

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Gina...........you have had a chance to experience the Monarch........and am glad to hear such a great report.:)

 

Question.........Did you try to go forward in the Windjammer to Jade? Not the upstairs Jade but just forward of the Windjammer. They also serve breakfast, and the lines there are fast. Not many people know to get their meal forward.

 

The crew is incredible. Glad that you enjoyed Sheldon. He rotates between being a head waiter and the manager of the Windjammer. He is wonderful. Also you had Frank as the Hotel Manager.........funny and a wonderful person. He just departed today for holiday.

 

There are many newer ships out there.........that have more cabin space, and the headroom is a little low.........but the crew and service more than make up for it.

 

Trust me.............every now and then.........I'll be looking for great airfares.........to visit this grand lady next year!!

 

So Captain Karin had on black nail polish!! Nice touch on formal night!! Let's see.......I have seen her in green, blue, red, I just don't remember black. I had the seat of honor at her table, and just looked at the picture, but we had our hands under the table............so just don't remember. She does add spice to the cruise!!;)

 

Rick

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mommabean

mommabean

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Gina...........you have had a chance to experience the Monarch........and am glad to hear such a great report.:)

 

Question.........Did you try to go forward in the Windjammer to Jade? Not the upstairs Jade but just forward of the Windjammer. They also serve breakfast, and the lines there are fast. Not many people know to get their meal forward.

 

The crew is incredible. Glad that you enjoyed Sheldon. He rotates between being a head waiter and the manager of the Windjammer. He is wonderful. Also you had Frank as the Hotel Manager.........funny and a wonderful person. He just departed today for holiday.

 

There are many newer ships out there.........that have more cabin space, and the headroom is a little low.........but the crew and service more than make up for it.

 

Trust me.............every now and then.........I'll be looking for great airfares.........to visit this grand lady next year!!

 

So Captain Karin had on black nail polish!! Nice touch on formal night!! Let's see.......I have seen her in green, blue, red, I just don't remember black. I had the seat of honor at her table, and just looked at the picture, but we had our hands under the table............so just don't remember. She does add spice to the cruise!!;)

 

Rick

 

Of course I do know that windjammer secret. Majesty has the same one. :) Only one side up there is asian food even for breakfast. And the other side was the same food as the main area. It wasn't really crowded as far as getting food in the main area. There just aren't many islands and not quite as large a selection of food as on larger ships...which is fine with me since I like to try a little of everything. :eek: I just wish they'd get rid of that pastry station. :rolleyes:

 

I can see Captain Karin now...sitting in her room putting on her fancy nail polish color...as we hit that squall line yesterday - all at once. The wind is whipping around the front of deck 7 all of a sudden. Rain is pelleting us in an instant. The ship is tipping a little and I feel as if between the wind blowing me around the corner and the angle of the ship to the side that I'm going to slide off the starboard foreward corner of the ship right into the roaring white caps. I'm hanging onto the railing trying to duck around the corner. She stops painting her nails and runs out and grabs the microphone to assure us all that everything is under control. She says the pumps are on and assures us we will remain upright.

 

True story....except for the location of Captain Karin and what she was doing as we hit that line of storms. I might even be able to come up with a couple of pictures. :D

 

Oh...one more thing. Sheldon said he will be coming back as Maitre'd in the dining room. He gets around.

 

Gina

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PH8

PH8

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.

 

The piano player in the Schooner bar was good enough but he wasn't the type of piano musician I'm used to on the ships. Did you notice that his canned backup orchestra music outplayed him in loudness? I wondered if he didn't have the confidance to play alone. We enjoyed what we heard.

 

 

 

I'm still disappointed that Diamond members don't get any photo discount while Platinum members are still getting a buy one, get one free photo. :mad: This is an RCI problem, not a Monarch problem.

 

I DID like not getting another baseball cap C&A gift. My current 8 hats is more than enough.

 

Gina

I heard about 5 mins of the piano guy and that was enuf for me.....:eek:not peppy enuf............

 

We got messenger bags while I know others got an alarm clock.......go figure....cleaning out the closet??

 

 

We had free photo coupons in both our books............

 

I went on a people "scavenger hunt"..........Jean(critterchick) gave me a list of who to look for so I did get to know some of them pretty well.....plus I knew some SS crew............

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mommabean

mommabean

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I heard about 5 mins of the piano guy and that was enuf for me.....:eek:not peppy enuf............

 

We got messenger bags while I know others got an alarm clock.......go figure....cleaning out the closet??

 

 

We had free photo coupons in both our books............

 

I went on a people "scavenger hunt"..........Jean(critterchick) gave me a list of who to look for so I did get to know some of them pretty well.....plus I knew some SS crew............

 

We got that big tote bag. Is that the messenger bag?

 

We've had version 12 coupon books on our last 3 cruises with no photo coupon. The previous versions all had them. I did get an earlier version coupon book on a different deck on Enchantment on the second cruise on her in Sept. Apparently different decks on the same ship are going through their books at different speeds. I thought I should ask my room steward for a version 11 coupon book if he could find me one but I opted against this since it took him a day and a half to come up with some ice for our bucket. Poor guy. :rolleyes: :) He was a first for me....I did like the slippers he gave us in an apparent attempt to make up for forgetting to do our room. Or is that just another diamond perk?

 

Gina

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rubrrick

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Of course I do know that windjammer secret. Majesty has the same one. :) Only one side up there is asian food even for breakfast. And the other side was the same food as the main area. It wasn't really crowded as far as getting food in the main area. There just aren't many islands and not quite as large a selection of food as on larger ships...which is fine with me since I like to try a little of everything. :eek: I just wish they'd get rid of that pastry station. :rolleyes:

 

I can see Captain Karin now...sitting in her room putting on her fancy nail polish color...as we hit that squall line yesterday - all at once. The wind is whipping around the front of deck 7 all of a sudden. Rain is pelleting us in an instant. The ship is tipping a little and I feel as if between the wind blowing me around the corner and the angle of the ship to the side that I'm going to slide off the starboard foreward corner of the ship right into the roaring white caps. I'm hanging onto the railing trying to duck around the corner. She stops painting her nails and runs out and grabs the microphone to assure us all that everything is under control. She says the pumps are on and assures us we will remain upright.

 

True story....except for the location of Captain Karin and what she was doing as we hit that line of storms. I might even be able to come up with a couple of pictures. :D

 

Oh...one more thing. Sheldon said he will be coming back as Maitre'd in the dining room. He gets around.

 

Gina

 

Gina............you are correct in saying that Sheldon.........is close to becomming the Maitre'd.

 

We were hit by lightning after passing thru the Panama Canal. We had the Royal Suite.......and some major problems.

 

They were properly addressed by the maintenance staff........but the flashing lights........reminded me of the early '70s. The Monarch was not even a gleem in Mr. Fains eye then................oh......never mind.

 

Old joke!!

 

Rick

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PH8

PH8

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We got that big tote bag. Is that the messenger bag?

 

We've had version 12 coupon books on our last 3 cruises with no photo coupon. The previous versions all had them. I did get an earlier version coupon book on a different deck on Enchantment on the second cruise on her in Sept. Apparently different decks on the same ship are going through their books at different speeds. I thought I should ask my room steward for a version 11 coupon book if he could find me one but I opted against this since it took him a day and a half to come up with some ice for our bucket. Poor guy. :rolleyes: :) He was a first for me....I did like the slippers he gave us in an apparent attempt to make up for forgetting to do our room. Or is that just another diamond perk?

 

Gina

Not,it wasnt a big bag......it was small...............Not sure what version coupon books we got.......wound up with 4 of them since Colette felt bad we missed the P/D party...........

 

We got slippers too...........but thought thats cuz we were in a GS...we left them there (unopened) since we dont wear slippers and the last pair is still sitting under our bed..

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