Sheree R.

Age: 26
Occupation: Accountant
Number of Cruises: 2
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Monarch of the Seas
Sailing Date: July 15th, 2005
Itinerary: Baja Mexico

This review is for the three day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. My husband and I were celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary and overall we had a wonderful and memorable experience.

Embarkation: We arrived at the pier at around 11:40 am and parked in the first lot. Parking is $12 per day and the loading dock is right across the street. My suggestion is to try and arrive at or before 12 noon because they start to allow passengers on board at noon. Once we got on, we went straight to deck 11 to eat at the lunch buffet because the staterooms opened up at 1:00 pm. After lunch, we dropped off our carry-on bags at the stateroom and then we walked around the ship. The stores and casino are closed at this time, so we took a lot of pics out on the deck.

Ports: We arrived at Ensenada at around 7:30 am. I highly suggest that you do not purchase a shore excursion with Royal Caribbean. Instead, book a tour with a local Mexican group. To get to them, walk through the store at the Ensenada dock and they will be out there waiting near the sidewalk. It costs $2.00 per person to ride their shuttle to go downtown. Once on the shuttle, they give you a coupon to go on the La Bufadora (Blowhole) tour for $13 per person. I recommend this tour because they take you to La Bufadora, then to the flea market near there (bargains galore!), then back to downtown Ensenada for a free all you can eat Mexican appetizer buffet at Mango Mango. There are more shops downtown but the deals aren’t as great. After lunch at Mango Mango and more shopping, they take you back to the ship. I believe this same tour would cost $26 if you used Royal Caribbean.

Ship Accommodations: I’ve been on Carnival before, and the RC staterooms seem a little smaller. However, I think their overall interior décor is much better than Carnival’s. RC has a white and gold color scheme in the centrum which I think looks classy. Carnival’s Centrum décor is darker and looks more outdated. The dining room service is top-notch. Our waiter and assistant waiter were extremely attentive and charming. They all sang to us, “Happy Versary!” (short for anniversary). The food is good and I even tried escargot. The garlic shrimp and filet mignon were delicious! And ladies, I recommend ordering the soufflé! The entertainment on the ship kept us from being bored. The comedians were actually funny and the broadway shows were okay. Couples should definitely go to the Love and Marriage Game Show as well as the Quest Game Show. My husband and I partied every night at the club or on the poolside deck. The band near the pool plays really good Jamaican music. The DJ is okay, it takes him a while to play “current” music. We normally had to suffer through 70’s and 80’s music till he got to the good stuff.

Debarkation: This is a long process so try to stay in the breakfast area until it closes. Then make sure you have something to read. We waited in the theater area and RC played a documentary video on how ships are built. We got off the ship at around 10:30 am. My husband and I were lucky to have our passports because we got through customs and immigrations in about 5 minutes!

Overall: I would recommend this cruise for those of you that do not want to use up a lot of vacation time at work since this is a Friday through Monday cruise. The service is excellent, the food is great, and the memories will last a lifetime. Remember to bring your passport, get a tour with a “local” Mexican group, and bring a light jacket. Enjoy!
 

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