I have been on two cruises, on the Navigator and the Liberty - both excellent experiences. We are thinking of a short cruise in December to the Bahamas on the Monarch - our usual agent has told us that is a smaller and older ship, and the staterooms are smaller, so we may be disappointed. Can't see it myself as Royal Caribbean have such high standards, although I do realise this is a smaller ship than the other two. What does anyone else think?
I've been on the Monarch twice and going again in September. It is smaller than the Navigator/Liberty, but at 73,000 ton isn't too small. The cabins are smaller. The Monarch is great for a short get-a-way. It has good food, service, and entertainment.
At the time they were built the Sovereign class ships were touted for their layout, with the main entertainment rooms stacked up on the back of the ship away from the cabins. I still think they are visually beautiful ships. They look like ships and not floating hotels. The aft was designed to look like the Normandie.
We haven't sailed on Monarch yet but we have sailed on her sister ship Majesty of the Seas and we love her. We are sailing on Monarch in July...we can't wait. One thing we've found is that every ship has their own personality and from what I've heard, Monarch is a great get away. Enjoy!
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Celebrity Eclipse March 5, 2011
Serenade of the Seas Oct 23, 2011
I was just on the Monarch last month. It's true that the staterooms are a little smaller then other ships, however I'm only in my room to sleep so it really wasn't an issue. I had heard mix reviews about the Monarch on these boards but don't be affraid to try her out. It was a fantastic time.
It wasn't too many years ago that people were in those tiny cabins for 7 night cruises. That could push things since it was still the age when formal nights really were formal and people brought along two outfits per person. Those are small closets. I can't imagine being in a triple or quad on the Monarch!
I think the Monarch and Majesty are perfectly suited for the 3/4 night market though. The cabin size is much less an issue for a quick getaway cruise. They are still very nice ships with lots to offer.
Funny thing is the Oasis inside cabin "Q" is still only 149 sq ft and their other insides 172sq ft. Still smaller than the Carnival insides on the Fantasy Class built in the 90's. I've mentioned before, the amount of furniture and the way it's laid out can make rooms appear to be larger/smaller than they really are.
The way I look at it, there's so much to do on the ship, that you're only in your stateroom to shower, sleep, and change. True, the Monarch may have smaller staterooms than you're used to, but you'll probably find that there's so much to do, you're hardly ever in your stateroom.
Again, I haven't sailed on the Monarch, but have on the Majesty. New to cruising at the time, on the Majesty, I was in an interior stateroom on deck 3, which may have been a little cramped, but not too bad. True, it did seem smaller than my stateroom on the Enchantment, again an interior stateroom but on deck 7.
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2007 - Majesty of the Seas
2009 - Enchantment of the Seas
2010 - Freedom of the Seas
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