Royal Caribbean International's
Monarch of the Seas entered service in 1991 as the second of three 73,941-ton Sovereign-class ships, 880 ft long and rising 14 decks. This Norwegian-registered liner carries 2,350 passengers at double occupancy but can carry 2,744 at maximum capacity. Her top cruising speed is 22 knots. Officers are Norwegian, while the crew of 822 is international.
The ship attracts a young crowd, with many singles traveling together looking for a good time on a ship pulsating with energy. They are rarely disappointed.
The Monarch makes 3- and 4-day cruises to Mexico year-round. The shorter trip sails from Los Angeles to Ensenada just across the border in Mexico, while the longer itinerary also calls at San Diego and Catalina Island. In fall 2008, the ship assumed the Sovereign of the Seas' sailings out of Port Canaveral. At the same time, the Sovereign of the Seas was reassigned to RCI's Pullmantur fleet.
Her attractive decor aims to please rather than dazzle. Public rooms are aft on nine decks, the towering atrium soaring through five of them. Two of the main lounges on split levels host shows and socializers. Video walls boast mobile banks of 25 monitors each. The trademark Viking Crown Lounge around the funnel offers superb views topsides and doubles as a disco and a piano bar at night. Despite the ship's scale, there are quiet retreats, such as the library and several intimate bars. The sophisticated show room, the lounges and the nightclub all bear the name of Broadway musicals, with Vegas-style entertainment, including headliners, confirm the theme. The casino boasts neon decor, 44,000 fiber-optic lights, 200 slot machines and multiple game tables. The nautically-themed Schooner Bar is popular for sing-alongs. Deck space often gets crowded. Sun Deck has two pools and two whirlpools, as well as two bars. One deck offers a promenade for walkers and joggers, a second track for joggers only, and one of the best health clubs afloat. Facilities for children and teens are excellent.
The two dining rooms—Vincent's and Claude's—offer routine but plentiful food at two sittings. The self-service cafeteria, serving all three meals, has windows on three sides, spans the full width of the ship, and boasts a mini-atrium with a winter garden, waterfall and skylight. The ship also features Jade, a sushi and Asian-fusion restaurant, as well as the popular Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream shop.
The 1,169 cabins, arranged forward and amidships on nine decks, come in 16 grades, all in dimensions that reflect the RCI credo that space onboard is for public areas, not cabins. These tight quarters furnish phones, TVs, radios and baths. Most beds convert to queens. Nearly 300 cabins come with third or fourth berths, 62 deluxe staterooms tack on verandas, and four cabins are wheelchair-accessible.
