Royal Caribbean's
Monarch of the Seas
February 14 - 18, 2005
Cruise Review
by
David Handrahan
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 14:00:12 -0500
From: "David Handrahan" <handrahan2464@msn.com>
Subject: Monarch of the Seas - February 14 - 18, 2005
This is the cruise for first-timers. It is not too expensive
and overall is a pretty good deal for value. Could you have a more glamorous ship
and itinerary, sure.
If you are going to be going on this or any other cruise
with RCCL and are considering Shore Excursions, book them early on-line. While
they are available one you get on board, the most popular ones, like the San Diego
Zoo, always sell out really early.
Background: I've been on a whole bunch of cruises. I recently
re-married and wanted to take my new wife on a cruise for our honeymoon, but she
had never been on one and was a little nervous. We selected this one as it was
short and not too "adventurous". Bottom line: she really enjoyed it
and is ready to take a leap of faith on longer cruises with me.
The start: To ensure as smooth a transition as possible,
I went ahead and paid the extra bucks to book the flight and transportation to
and from the port with RCCL. We were met at the LAX terminal by a very nice lady
from RCCL and got to the docks around 11 AM. As with any cruise, one of the most
frustrating parts is waiting to board...you're all hopped up and ready to got
on the boat and they slow things down to bring you on in groups...be patient,
the RCCL terminal in LA is adequate. Once on board, we got an immediate opportunity
to buy some options including the "Coke" sticker which covers any soft
drinks you want for the whole trip....at 2 or 3 dollars a glass for soft drinks
(not included in your ticket price) this is a good deal. On other boats, I have
just brought 6 or 12 packs on board with me from every shore excursion, but the
Monarch does not have refrigerators in every cabin. Also we could not get to our
cabin until right around 1 PM, so boarding right about noon, we had to lug around
our airline carry-on bags until we could get to the room. When we did get in,
RCCL had done a great job decorating our cabin for our honeymoon...I paid $29
in advance to have it done and make it special for my bride. After dropping off
our carry-ons, we headed up to deck 11 to the Windjammer for a buffet lunch. The
Windjammer always takes hits from folks in reviews for food quality, but I have
seldom been disappointed, a lot of it has to do with what you want and everything
I had was pretty good.
Underway: The ship got underway on time and while the
Port of Los Angles is not the most scenic venue, it's always fun to be on deck
as the
ship pulls out. The ride started out and stayed pretty smooth the entire cruise.
We got back to our cabin which is not very big, but adequate
size-wise for two adults. Ladies, bring your own hair dryers, the ones in the
cabin don't cut it...according to my wife (she had brought her own). Also, unlike
most of the newer ships, the Monarch does not have safes in the cabins for your
valuables....it's a short trip so if you don't need to show off your bling-bling
a lot, leave it at home. We had late seating for dinner, first night had an Italian
theme. We had a table of four couples and Chad was our table waiter and Adrienn
our head waiter (the only female head waiter on the boat). The service they gave
us was impeccable. The food, based on other crusies, some on longer trips with
newer boats, was very good. Variety was good and everything tasted great. They
had the singing waiters the first night.....I hope none of them are looking for
careers as singers. After dinner, we went up to Bolero's on the 6th deck because
we wanted to drink Mojitos (a Cuban drink made with rum, fresh cane sugar and
ground mint leaves)....you gotta try one. They had a show in the Sound of Music
theater that we saw later on the ship's TV system...busy first day!!!
San Diego: The ship pulled into San Diego early and after
a quick breakfast, we got off the ship to catch a bus to our excursion to the
Bernardo Winery. We got a trip through San Diego and some history from our guide
on the way. The winery is small and old, they are definitely not a high volume
operation, but it was interesting and I bought a bottle of one of the wines we
tasted (Merlot). There was also an opportunity to look at some shops with antiques,
blown glass and clothing that are located on the winery grounds; our guide gave
us discount coupons for some of the shops. We got back early in the afternoon
and we're surprised that we had to go through all the security screening (metal
detectors and everything) all over again, just like when we boarded the first
time....while it is a bit of a pain, everybody chalked up to post-9/11 follow-up
actions. The second night was formal night and we did it up. I own a tuxedo and
like to use it for stuff like this. There were a few other tuxes around, but most
of the guys looked plenty dapper in their coats and ties. The ladies, especially
my gorgeous wife, all looked lovely. They have various photo backdrops set up
for formal pictures that make nice souvenirs....but they are pricey. I buy one
of each we like and then utilize my scanner/printer for copies for relatives.
Menu for formal night is special, a great steak filet was my choice.
Catalina: This was our relaxation day. One thing to remember
on a short cruise like this is you need to make time to relax. We chose to stay
on board while many of our shipmates took tenders from the boat to Catalina for
some great shopping and touring. We went up to the deck and took some great photos
of Catalina and then I did some relaxing reading while my wife checked out the
spa. She said it was great and they really pampered her. We checked out the advance
briefing on shopping in Ensenada and had a quiet relaxing day. On short cruises,
there are no days at sea to veg out, I'm not saying to avoid doing it all, just
pace yourself. Dinner that night featured a mix of cuisine, all of it once again
delectable.
Ensenada: Ok, we had a theme on this trip, because once
again, we did a winery tour boarding a bus just as soon as we got off the ship.
It was recommended to my wife by someone who had been on the cruise before and
this one was really neat. Two large wineries and a lot to sample, including their
house brand of tequila. I bought two bottles of a nice white wine. Our tour guide
told us some things about shopping in Ensenada and then dropped us off in the
shopping area downtown which is within "moderate" walking distance from
the ship (we proved it by walking back to the boat when we were done). Shopping
was as they told us on the boat in the shopping briefings, you can bargain with
them but don't let it cloud your judgment...I got one RCCL featured jewelry dealer
within $10 of my target price for a ring, but they would not budge that last step
and lost the sale....no loss for us though as I was able to find one just as nice
for my wife at another shop along with some nice silver with the savings. Have
your RCCL provided maps of the vendors and discount cards from the boat's shopping
rep with you. There is also a video they show on the tv system that gives you
a look at many of the shops and gives you hints on shopping. Getting back, you'll
find it's already time to get ready to depart. There are envelopes for gratutities
(which you can pre-pay and charge to your cabin---highly recommended) and tags
for your luggage. You present the tips to the cabin attendant, wiater, head waiter
and bus boy this night. The luggage tags are color coded; the color signifies
when you leave the ship in LA the next day. Your bags have to be outside your
cabin no later than midnight. That is why it is very important to have a nice
sized carry-on type bag you can put you night clothes in the next morning as well
as to stash toiletries, hair dryers, curling irons, etc.
Back in the USA: You leave when they call your color,
best to stay in your cabin, the common areas fill up with people fast. Customs
went smoothly. If you have passports, bring them it speeds things up. We had RCCL
transfer us to the airport and they got us there despite issues with bad weather
and typical LA traffic. Even if you book your own flights, spend a couple of extra
bucks and buy the RCCL transfers from and to LAX, they are worth the money.
Hope you have a great time and this cruise leads you to
wanting to try longer ones, like Alaska----my favorite.
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