rccl-monarch9

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Kenn Young
Email: CaptainCat@Prodigy.Net
Age: 55
Occupation: Insurance executive
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Monarch
SailingDate: Nov. 28, 1999
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: 2508
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 92
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 88
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 87
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Dec 1999
Time: 18:29:14
Remote Name: mail.igoa.com
Remote User:

Comments

We sailed on November 28, 1999. Consequently, we experienced some unavoidable disappointments due
to the hurricane from the week before. However, this was my 3rd cruise, and my wife's first, and both of us
felt like we were being herded like sheep by Royal Caribbean. This could be because I have sailed on
smaller more intimate ships before.

Regarding the ports of call, we took the Captain Nautica power Raft Snorkeling tour in St. Thomas, but the
snorkeling was only fair, with little color in the reef and not many varieties of fish. We talked to people who
were very disappointed with the snorkeling at Trunk Bay, which, our guide told us was open to large
numbers of people, since the reef is about dead anyway.

Many people disliked Martinique, saying that the people were rude. There was a mugging incident with one
of the passengers. I would recommend that you either stay on the ship. We took the Calypso Tour. The
beach we went to was about 15 feet deep, and was bad, being mostly rock. A jellyfish stung me. There was
the one reward of being on a beach where locals are often topless! This island will be dropped soon and
replaced by St. Lucia, which is a good move.

In Barbados, we took the Harbor Master Lunch cruise, which was really fun, with a wonderful lunch.
However, once again, the snorkeling was just fair. I would still recommend it.

In St. Lucia (which replaced St. Martin due to the hurricane), we took the North Coast and Beach Tour. We
were taken to a substitute beach because of hurricane damage. The beach was less than the size of a
baseball infield diamond, and it was infested with ants. This tour should have been cancelled.

In Antigua, we took the Bird Island Catamaran Sail, which was the highlight of the trip. The snorkeling was
excellent!

We had planned to take the Puerto Rico rain forest tour. However, this tour ends at the airport, and your
luggage is shipped separately to the airport. We were staying an extra day in San Juan, but there was no
way that we could join this tour unless we were willing to retrieve our luggage from the airport and return
with it to our hotel that night. With the amount of luggage we had (due to another 2 weeks of traveling
before the cruise) this was not practical. We felt that this should have been explained in advance. In
connection with this, we were not allowed to leave the ship early so that we could make arrangements on
our own to go to the rainforest. Priority debarkation is given to people with flights that afternoon. We did
not get off the ship until it was too late to take the tour through our hotel.

The dinning service was excellent. However, every night, we were lectured as to how hard they were trying
to please us, since our approval ratings were so important. We would have preferred their just providing
the service without the lectures.

The cabin attendant was very good.

The lounge shows were uninspired, being very similar to some of the more forgettable Las Vegas musical
reviews that we have seen. We attended one and a half, walking out of the second one out of boredom.
The lounge acts were also unremarkable. We were not impressed with the activities either. On our last day
of sailing (a full day), we had our choice of Bingo, Napkin folding, a Skin Care Seminar, the casino,
ping-pong tournament, an art preview, horseracing, a bronzing demonstration, and basketball free-throw
tournament. Enough said.

The ship was well run, clean, and beautiful.

Our strongest complaint was about the dinning hours. We were not able to get a decent hot meal between
the hours of 10 AM to 11:30 AM, from 2PM until 7 PM, from 10 PM until midnight, or from 1AM until 7AM.
We could not even get a glass of cold water before 7 AM, much less enjoy fruit juice while watching the
sunrise. Room service is available, but if you ask for food at times other than normal meal times, be
content with a hot dog or a chicken sandwich, which could take up to 50 minutes for delivery. No way are
you going to get a hamburger at 5 PM after missing a lunch for one reason or another. In general, the
cruise was good, but I think that I am going to go back to the smaller ships, which seem to be able to be
more flexible in their service, and try a little harder in their activities and entertainment.

Name: Charles Diaz
Email: cdiaz@pop700.gsfc.nasa.gov
Age: 39
Occupation: Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Monarch
SailingDate: 12-12-99
Itinerary: Southern Carribean
Cabin: 3538
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 10
CabinComfort: 20
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 50
CabinAmenities: 20
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 40
FoodMidnightBuffets: 50
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon: 25
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 65
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 65
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 50
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 20
CruiseActivities: 10
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 20
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 40
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 10
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 40
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Dec 1999
Time: 12:15:09
Remote Name: ecn2033866.gsfc.nasa.gov
Remote User:

Comments

This was our forth cruise aboard a Royal Caribbean ship. We considered ourselves to be loyal customers
to Royal Caribbean and had previous to this cruise encouraged our friends to sail with only Royal
Caribbean. However I experience on this cruise was very disappointing. First as an example RCCL was cut
back on its staff as a result there are lines all over the ship. They have cut services in the Windjammer
Café, the Midnight buffet no longer exist, the air conditioning did not work in our room or in the rooms of
those who we meet. The toilet did not work several times; the bathrooms throughout the ship were dirty and
stank. The Cruise Director had changed the times for the shows after dinner, so half the time we missed
them. They had activities during which the majority of the people were out in town. As a result no one
participated in the activities. They gave huge discounts to people in Puerto Rico to sail aboard the ship
because two days prior to sailing the ship was half empty. So we paid three times more then most people
who had better accommodations they we had. This is not the way you treat valuable customers. They
should have offered to us some discounted price. There was no way to relax by the pool because
everyone had their children with them and the pool was so crowd and loud. You could not get a seat in the
Jacuzzi as all the children were in it. The Cruise Director ignored all the complaints by the customers and
allowed this to go on all week. She could have asked that the children remain out to the Jacuzzi as stated
on the Jacuzzi and use only one pool to allow the customers traveling without children to use the other. The
kids were running all over the ship to include evening events stated to only be for adults. Royal Caribbean
is not the same company as a couple of years ago. They are simply a bottom line organization in business
not to retain customers but to generate revenue. Now my wife and I will only

Name: Howard Task
Email: htask1@ix.netcom.com
Age: 47
Occupation: Business Owner
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Monarch
SailingDate: December 19, 1999
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: 7030
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 88
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 99
FoodVariety: 92
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 88
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 88
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 93
EntertShowLounge: 94
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 87
Casino: 87
AirSeaProgram: 97
MedicalFacilities: 97
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 87
ShopsOnBoard: 87
SpaceRatio: 88
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Dec 1999
Time: 23:13:11
Remote Name: col-oh33-28.ix.netcom.com
Remote User:

Comments

We were first time cruisers so I will gear my comments to thos who have never cruised. First of all
read all of the instructions your travel agent has available. We were very well prepared for our trip.
Second, anyone who tells you the ships do not rock is not telling the truth. While I did not find the
rocking to be a problem, my daughter only made two dinners and my wife was ill one night. I could
feel the ship move but it did not bother me. The ship's doctor tried to help my daughter to no avail.
It is recommended that you begin sea sickness medicine prior to boarding the ship. I think that
would be wise. The ship was great. It is huge, 880 feet long and some 14 decks. We were treated
very well. Embarkation was great, very easy. Debarkation can take a long time especially if you
have a late flight. I am not sure, however that it can be done any better. Make sure you get
luggage tags before you leave the boat. You can get them on the last day depending on your
airline. The luggage tags let you check your luggage at the pier. The food on the ship is very
good. Anyone who tells you it is fabulous is wrong. It is very good. The wait staff is excellent. They
also do a great job of matching people up at tables. The ports of call were great, the excusions are
great and are highly recommended. The entertainment was good. The cabins are small but very
funcational. The cabin staff is excellent. There is food available most of the day. We found that we
ate four full meals a day and you need them. The entertainment was good and there is always
something going on.

Make sure you take the late dinner seating otherwise you will be rushing to get ready for dinner.
We were on deck 7. This was a good choice because there is an outside deck at that level.

I would recommend a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Name: Joel Dmochowski
Email: jdsquare@msn.com
Age: 45
Occupation: Data Processing Professional
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Monarch
SailingDate: 12-26-99
Itinerary: SouthernCarribean - Millennium Cruise
Cabin: 5078 - F
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 89
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 89
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 79
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 88
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 83
EntertShowLounge: 87
OverallPortsofCall: 83
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 81
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 89
ShopsOnBoard: 82
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jan 2000
Time: 14:13:03
Remote Name: 1cust57.tnt1.phl1.da.uu.net
Remote User:

Comments

We have just finished the Millennium Cruise Celebration on the Monarch of the Seas and we
believe Royal Carribean did a very good job of trying to provide value for the price they charged. It
was the memory that we were hoping for. Everyday they did something special to remember the
Millennium and we have many tokens to show for it. Thanks goes out to RCI for a wonderful time.

This was our second voyage with RCI and would cruise with them again. They always seem to do a
good job and because it was the Millennium Cruise they did even a better job.

We were in a catefory F cabin which was small but we did get used to it. It could have had a safe in
the room for our valuables. When we asked about a safe they are only offerred on decks 6 or
above and we were on deck 5.

The service on the ship was above average in all categories. When you consider the ship was full
this was a tribute to the entire staff. Our cabin steward was good but not exceptional. He did his job
well and we had no complaints but he did not do anything special with designs of towels or bed
making.

The service in the dinning room was very good. Our head waiter was the best we ever had. He was
present everyday and was avaiable whenever we needed him. He just did not show up the last day
for the tip. Our waiter was very good and met or exceeded our expectations and did special things
for us when we asked. The assisatnt waiter needed a little work remembering the instructions I
gave at the beginning of the week which I was a little disappointed with but he tried.

The food on the ship was not very special and the dessert were poor. I guess the time of great
food on cruises has past. We did not have a surf and turf night. One night was turf of Filet which
was over-cooked and the lobster the next night was a warm water variety and not very good.
There really was nothing special to talk about. For Itialian night I would have expected something
more than Calzone and regular old spagetti. There was no veal on any night and the lamb was of
the shank type. A major dis-appointment was the desserts. All the cakes were very dry, as well as,
the chessecakes. The problem with the desserts was present at all meals. I guess if you like
cookies and ice cream you may have had a different opinion since they did serve these items a lot.

The shows were very good. The entertainment exceeded our expectations. The production shows
were above average. The special guests of Susan Anton and Boozer(of SHA NA NA fame) were
great.

The ship was kept clean and everyone on the staff was pleasant and helpful at all times. This was
the first cruise we have taken were many of the guest were rude and unpleasant which made my
tribute of the staff more valuable. The staff did a great job of keeping people in the festive mode.

The photo gallery and cruise video were terrible. The people in the photo gallery were not
interested in being helpful and would not even listen to our questions and/or requests. They just
kept saying it was the policy. If the policy is so wrong why not change it. We buy a lot of pictures
and this was the worst experience we ever had. We bought the cruiise in review video and it was a
waste of money. It was only fourteen minutes long and full of Royal Carribean stuff and about only
four minutes of our cruise. They did video tape everything and were trying to work around the
production of the events but I do not know what they did with the video they took. Why waste the
peoples time creating the video if you only let people see four mintues on the tape you buy. They
need to do some work here.

The ports of call were all good with the exception of Martinique. We liked St. Thomas and the
Paradise Point Sky Ride. St. Martin was fantastic except for the tendering in and out. Very long
lines both ways and a lot of lost time. St Johns' beach break was worth the money.

In conclusion, this was a very good cruise and worth a try. The Millennium part made it even
better. Royal Carribean has done something to be proud of and does deserve a thank you for
their efforts. The food could improve and certainly the desserts. The casino and pool area were
nice but not exceptional.

Name: Paul Kroeger
Email: kroegs@adsnet.com
Age: 29
Occupation: Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Monarch
SailingDate: 1/30/2000
Itinerary: St Thomas St.Martin Barbados Antigua
Cabin: I
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService: 88
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 88
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 88
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 75
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 75
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 75
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Feb 2000
Time: 18:00:43
Remote Name: c1038884-a.valpo1.in.home.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was the first cruise for my wife and I. We chose Royal Caribbean based upon their reputation
and shall we say- an aggressively priced tour offering. We’re hoping for many more cruises in our
future.

Embarkation onto the ship went so quickly that I was certain that we missed a step. Sure enough, we
were in our cabin before we knew it. This was Super Bowl Sunday and the day’s schedule was
shuffled around to accommodate football fans. Royal Caribbean broadcast the game on huge
screens in several rooms of the ship, and food and drinks were plentiful. It helped that the game was
exciting.

Many other people who have posted at this site have commented on the cabin size. They are small.
Personally, I had no problem with it. If you are spending enough time in your cabin that the size
bothers you, you should have been more active. The cabins were extremely quiet.

Overall, the ship does exhibit a little bit of age on its carpets and in some of the lounges, but overall,
the cleanliness of the ship was very good. It is remarkable how clean the brass and common areas
are kept, considering how many people pass through in a day. Make sure you make it up to the
Viking Crown Lounge up on the top deck. Not many people make it up there- but it was the nicest of
the lounges on the ship.

There are good and bad things to say about the food. We enjoyed each trip into the main dining
room. Our wait staff consisting of Boulent and Sadat did a fabulous job in serving us. These two and
a gentleman whom we called Dr. Booze learned our dining and drinking habits in one night. I would
classify the food quality as quite good, and no one left the ship looking malnourished. We did not
enjoy the offerings in the informal dining area nearly as much. The Windjammer Café offered
roughly the same food each day, and these lunches were often accompanied by the longest wait
times we encountered on our cruise. Also, it seemed that the Windjammer was not open during
times when we wanted to nosh. The good news is that the formal dining areas are open for most
breakfast and lunch times, and by Wednesday our trips to the Windjammer were over.

The ports of call were overall rather good. I have one recommendation here. Wear a T-Shirt with the
words No I Don’t Need a &#$% Taxi! written upon it. This will save you from saying no to the 200 taxi
drivers that approach you when you leave the ship. In truth, most of the taxi drivers on these islands
are more than happy to serve as a tour guide as they take you around the island. They have been
trained to do this and the cruise comic summed it up the best when he said- 'I had to come to St.
Thomas to find a cab driver that speaks English.' Word of caution- try to share taxi rides with other
people, since the rate is roughly one dollar per minute spent in the cab. Antigua was my favorite
island. My wife found the shopping on St. Martin the best. The America’s Cup Regatta excursion in
St. Martin was so good that many of the people inquired about doing it again later in the day.

Our only big complaint about the cruise was the entertainment. We went to three shows, one with a
comic who was fine, but the rest of the acts were pretty lame. The poolside and lounge bands were
not to our liking either. The games and contests were a safer bet each night.

We were first time cruisers and one of the things that we will remember is how friendly the people we
met were. With everything going on, it is not hard to start conversations with perfect strangers. Once
we met people, they generously invited us along to shows, events, etc for the remainder of the
cruise. This is a nice tradition we hope to carry on the next time we cruise.

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