Jan
Shaughnessy
janshaughnessy@comcast.net
Itinerary: Bahamas
Sailing Date: October 30th, 2009
Occupation: Travel Agent/Retired Air Force
Number of Cruises: 76
I knew this wasn't going to be an ordinary cruise. There was
a different feel in the air as I rode the car rental shuttle
bus to the pier. In fact, something seemed just down right
spooky. The girl at the hotel had been talking about getting
her eyeballs in the mail! What on earth? Oh, now I get it.
Halloween was only one day away. This was going to be a fun
Halloween cruise.
INTRO - My friend Sandy and I arrived at the Port
Canaveral cruise pier at approximately 11:05AM. The cruise
terminal wasn't very crowded yet. There was a separate line
for Platinum, Diamond , and Diamond Plus Crown & Anchor
members. There was only a couple people in line ahead of us.
It only took about five or so minutes to check-in and then
we were directed to a special waiting area for the Platinum,
Diamond & Diamond Plus members. They also had a special
waiting area for those in wheel chairs and motor scooters,
and their families. Even the lines for the other passengers
weren't too busy yet. The ship wasn't cleared yet and we
were informed boarding would start approximately at 11:45AM.
They did have lemonade and cookies for refreshments in the
terminal. We boarded right at 11:45 as promised. Cabins were
not ready until 1:00PM and we went up to Deck 11 to the
Windjammer Cafe. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and walked
around a bit until we could drop our carry on luggage off in
the cabin.
THE SHIP - The Monarch of the Seas at 73,941 ton is a
small ship by today's standard. She came out in 1991 and
it's been a while since she was last refurbished. However,
Sandy and I both found this ship to be in excellent
condition. The ship is looking good. The Monarch doesn't
have all the bells and whistles of the new mega ships. But
if you're looking for a fun short get away at a good price;
then the Monarch of the Seas is for you.
The Monarch of the Seas
For nightly entertainment you have several choices with the
Schooner Bar, Boleros, the Circuit Night club, Sound of
Music show lounge, and the Viking Crown Lounge. The VK was
also the place for the nightly Diamond event from 5-8PM. On
deck 5 you can drop your money off at the casino, enjoy a
cup of java at Seattle's Best, or treat yourself to a Ben
and Jerry's ice cream. In case you happen to have won money
in the casino, you might then decide to splurge at the
Centrum perfume, jewelry, Logo, or clothing shops. Don't
forget to stop by the Photo Shop for a peek at your photos.
If you make it past all those shops and still have money
left over, then head on up to deck 7 where you can log on to
the internet or book a future cruise.
Up on deck 9 you'll find the Beauty Shop, Spa and Fitness
center. The 230 children that celebrated Halloween on our
cruise, had plenty of activities on deck 10 with the three
Adventure Ocean Clubs for ages 3-11, and the teens partied
on deck 11 in the Video Arcade, Fuel, Living Room, and the
Back Deck Sports court. If you're looking for fun in the sun
you'll find the pools on deck 11. But if it's a little
quietness you're looking for, then head down to deck 7. Deck
chairs are few in this area though. The deck 7 wrap around
promenade provides a great area for a morning walk or jog in
a wind protected area.
Roasted Pig for Dinner
The daily activities on the Monarch of the Seas are similar
to other Royal Caribbean Ships. You can attend bingo, art
auctions, pool games, spa talks, or trivia contest. A movie
matinee was shown in the Sound of Music lounge. You can also
play a game or read a book in the Library on deck 4, but
don't expect it to be a quiet experience. The library is an
open area next to the Centrum and the band playing down on
deck 3 is LOUD.
The nightly entertainment was typical of most Royal
Caribbean ships. The old time favorites of Quest, 70's
party, and The Love and Marriage show were held late at
night. Main headliner shows were Bob Cates, with a comedy
and variety show, and comedian Jim David. Both were good.
The big event on this cruise was Halloween night. The young
Adventure Ocean children decked out in their best Halloween
outfits enjoyed trick-or-treating around the Centrum stores.
The teens retreated to their Haunted House in the Fuel. The
big Halloween Monster Bash took place under the stars on
deck 11. The Chef's really went all out for this festive
Halloween party. Food was plentiful, and beautifully
displayed with ice and food carvings. The roasted pig
complete with apple in mouth added to the displays. It was
clear everyone was getting into the Halloween spirit as I
watched Mr and Mrs Santa Claus dance with witches, bunny
rabbits, and Indian Chiefs.
CABIN - We had an inside cabin 5019. I liked the
location of this cabin. It was quiet. It was convenient for
a quick walk down the hall to the Centrum shops area. The
cabin is small at 119 sq ft. It's a bit tight on space but
for two people on a short 3-nt cruise it worked fine.
There's no glass shelves in the bathroom to set your make up
bags, but we made do with the small ledge. The already small
vanity was cluttered with things they wanted you to buy. Six
cokes, four big bottles of Evian water, and boxes of peanuts
and candy. Also, our four small drawers became three, when
we discovered the bottom out of one of them.
DINING - We chose the My Time Dining which requires
you to pre-pay gratuities. Our first night we ate in the
Windjammer lounge and found the food taste and selection
very good. They had a variety of salads, hot and tasty
pasta, vegetables, carved meats, chicken, fish, and desserts
including sugar free. At the back of the Windjammer was the
Jade "Black Rock Grill" featuring Sushi and Asian Fusion
food for a nominal fee of $3.00. The Windjammer also serves
breakfast and lunch buffets. Sorrento's pizza is served up
on deck 12. Room service is complimentary, but charges a
service fee between the hours of midnight - 5 AM. Main
dining is in Vincent's or Claude's dining rooms. The
traditional dining is 5:45 PM Main, and 8:30 PM late, with
My Time Dining in one section on the second level between
5:45 - 9:30 PM. It is highly recommended you make
reservations. Food in the main dining room was excellent.
Steaks were cooked as requested.
SERVICE - Service in all dining areas of the Monarch
was very attentive. Bartenders also were quick with drinks.
Our cabin steward always had our cabin cleaned and beds
turned down when returning from dinner. All crew on the
Monarch were friendly and accommodating.
ITINERARY - This short cruise went to Nassau, Bahamas
and Royal Caribbean's private island, Coco Cay. Having been
to Nassau numerous times I stayed on board and enjoyed the
quietness of the ship. Sandy elected to take advantage of
port day Spa specials and got a soothing massage. She
enjoyed it so much, she was able to book with the same
person for a massage on Coco Cay the next day. Coco Cay
offers a nice beach day complete with barbeque. There's
plenty of activities on the island. It's your choice to
participate in water activities or relax in a hammock. For
$20 young ones can play all day on the Aqua Water Slide.
OVERALL - This is a great cruise for a short get
away. It provides plenty of activities for all ages. Food,
service, and entertainment are all excellent. The ship is in
great shape and I would recommend this cruise to anyone. The
special Halloween Bash was an added plus.
Jan Shaughnessy is retired from the U.S. Airforce. She holds
a MBA degree in Business Management. She is a Master Cruise
Counsellor, Shamrock Club Ireland Specialist, Disney College
of Knowledge graduate, and has completed several other
cruise line and tour specialties. Jan entered the travel
industry in 1998, and has owned her own home based travel
business since 2004. Jan is a moderator for Cruise-Chat.com,
and is the Nashville NACTA Chapter Director. She recently
completed the Travel Channel Academy and is expanding into
travel journalism, producing videos and freelance writing.
She has written articles for Travel Trade and currently
writes for Home Based Travel Agent website.
