Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas Cruise Review
Baja, Mexico

Erv, Shari and Brittany
Age: 45
Occupation: Medical Professional
Number of Cruises: 1
Sailing Date: February 20th, 2006

Never being the one to be outscored, outdone or unprepared, I read every online review I could before taking my very first cruise February 20-24 2006 aboard RCI’s Monarch of the Seas. After sifting through reviews ranging from the good, the bad and the ugly, I have come to one conclusion after returning home from this cruise. If you lie for a living, can’t laugh at yourself or are incapable of having a good time, then this cruise is NOT for you. For the other 99% of us, pack your bags and get ready for 4 nights of fun.

Boarding went very smooth and we soon found ourselves in our stateroom by 1:00PM.

Our inside stateroom was the smallest advertised at 118 sq ft. Small yes, inadequate no. There was plenty of hanger space for the three of us. We did leave our remaining clothes in our suitcases which we used as drawers and slid them under the jump bed. This proved to work very well. Our cabin attendant made up the room, provided clean towels and even turned down our beds everyday. How they know when we are not our rooms still is a mystery to me.

The food in the Windjammer café was good; the food in the main dinning room was great. We had decided to book the cruise with the later dinner seating at 8:00PM so as to make use of the few hours left after returning from each day’s fun on shore. What we overheard from a few of the early seated was that they were rushed to unwind, shower and to get dressed. There were different menus for each night. The quality of the food was way above average, even the healthy choice dinners passed with flying colors. The freshly baked rolls, appetizers, salads, entrées and desserts were presented on the highest of levels by a very competent staff. Our waiter Sanji from the Philippines simply made our table and dining experience one to remember and deserves the highest of accolades. He was awesome!

The first morning we awoke docked right next to the Midway in San Diego. The walk was less than 5 minutes and the tour is one not to be missed with the $15.00 admission price going towards the restoration of this historic vessel. The self-guided tour lasts two to three hours. We then hailed a chain propelled taxi that pedaled us to the village were we spent a couple more hours strolling through the shops and taking in the uniqueness of San Diego.

Day two found us anchored offshore of Avalon. The 700 passenger tender boats were prompt taking passengers to and from the ship every 20-30 minutes. We rented a golf cart for $65.00. (The first hour is $ 35.00 the second was 30.00 with the third hour free). The self guided tour winded through the hills overlooking Avalon bay giving everyone the feeling that the panoramic views were a gift from heaven. We were blessed to witness whales only a few hundred feet from shore on their yearly migration, what a thrill. The grounds at the Wrigley Botanical Garden were well maintained with many indigenous species on site. The walk to the memorial was about 15 minutes one way and well worth the addition time needed. Note: If you decide to go to the botanical garden, the total time of the golf cart rental will be 2 hours.

After getting back into town and returning the cart we headed downtown for lunch. The Jade bar on ship serves sushi only between the hours, I believe, of 7:00-9:00PM which meant that if you have the later dinner seating and enjoy sushi, like us, you would be searching out the nearest sushi bar for a sushi fix. Off the main street on Catalina Ave we found Flip’s Bar and Grill. As advertised, Flips is the only sushi bar between Los Angeles and Hawaii and should not be missed. We had 5 different rolls for lunch with the crunch roll bringing up the rear. The sweet sauce with the crunch roll put Flips on top of my personal sushi list. The sushi there was the best I have ever had.

Day three in Ensenada was spent taking an RCI booked excursion to the blow hole. Our guide was well educated and funnier than most comedians. The vendors as you walk to the blow hole are a bit pushy trying to lure you away from the RCI bannered recommended and guaranteed stores. The guarantee is this: The Cuban cigars are Cuban, the solid silver jewelry is 92% pure and the leather was leather. I along with everyone else that purchased items from these stores commented that it was a nice touch as we rested assured we were buying the real McCoy. I can personally guarantee the cigars are Cuban and perfectly stored. Ensenada in general, well…, stealing a quote from another review, “If you can’t say anything nice”

The youth programs were staffed with child development professionals and very well trained. My 15 year old daughter spent a great deal of time in Fuel, the ships youth night club. I always felt comfortable allowing her to stay out late and hanging out with the others her age on board. She made many new friends and commented on the activities the staff provided. The worse part for her was saying goodbye to her new friends and the tears that followed.

Each night’s entertainment was way above what I expected and well organized. The shows and live music could be found on just about every level. There were plenty of activities including bingo. Even if you don’t play bingo, at least play on the last night when you play for the jackpot. You never know, you might walk away with the final jackpot. Hey, if it happened to me, it could happen to you. The pictures that the ships photographers took were high quality and were always on display for purchase. (Expect to pay 20.00 for an 8x10). For being 15 yrs old, the ship was in great condition and sailed smooth with little to no pitching or rolling while under power thanks to stabilizers and small seas. Every place we went was clean, very clean. Every crew member we came in contact with was well trained, friendly and extremely helpful. There were no open cabins on the cruise as the ship was booked solid. We never saw any over crowding in the casino or bars. Dinner seating was smooth, and the decks were well appointed with lots of open space. I never would have guessed that 2500 passengers were aboard.

The final morning found us eating breakfast around the pool waiting for our color to be called. Disembarkation and customs went well and we were in our car pulling out of the parking lot 45 minutes after our color was called.

Finally I have this to say.
For our family of three and the money spent to cruise on the Monarch, we all concluded that we could never ever come close to the value of this cruise, and would rebook this cruise in a New York minute.

The folk that moaned and groaned about an occasional wait for an elevator, the fact that escargot was only served as an appetizer once and a few stains left from a hundred thousand or so passengers in three years, should put down that half full glass of life and stay home, please stay home. I would venture to say that even your life is not perfect.
 

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