We purchased transfers from RCI from LAX to the pier and return. The cost is $45 PP and it is worth it. It took about 45 minutes by bus to get to the pier and the traffic was awful, though typical for LA. Because we were late getting in, we had an entire bus to ourselves for our trip to the pier!

We were on board by 4 PM and in our stateroom. Departure was scheduled for 5:30, but was delayed until nearly 8 PM due to strike by the luggage handlers in mid afternoon. The crew and officers were seen hauling luggage until nearly 7:30 PM!

We were assigned an obstructed oceanview cabin on Deck 8. Because this is one of the smallest ships RCI has, the staterooms were pretty small. Our double bed stretched from wall to wall; to get in one had to crawl across the bed. Otherwise, it was adequate. Plenty of drawer space, closet was actually fairly large and the typical cruise ship bathroom was fine. On this cruise, I tried out my latest cruising tip: clip a large plastic "chip clip" (the kind you put on potato chip bags) to the bottom of the shower curtain to keep it anchored in the shower and avoid water all over the bathroom floor. Worked great!

Monarch was refurbished in 2003 so the carpeting, bedding, dining rooms and furniture are all in fairly good shape. They added a Boleros Lounge, Seattle's Best Coffee, Ben and Jerry's and updated the Schooner bar in the revitalization of public spaces along with overhauling the general ship. I had sailed Majesty, her sister ship a few years ago and this ship (the Monarch) was in much better condition. The public dining room was done in muted, almost bland, color scheme, but it was comfortable.

Like most short cruises, this was a party cruise. Lots of young people out for a long weekend. We were too tired to join in the festivities on Friday evening, but Saturday morning we saw the evidence of that partying on the pool deck. The crew had it pretty well cleaned up by 8 AM, ready for another go by the party crowd.

Due to the late departure on Friday, the muster drill was put off until Saturday morning. Unusual, but it went pretty smoothly.

Our day at sea was typical. The weather was pleasant and sunny, though not hot like you might see at this time of the year in Bahamas or Caribbean. The crew had lots of fun activities scheduled on the pool deck to keep folks occupied and lounge chairs were in short supply. Saturday was formal night and the food was, as expected, very good. I didn't see many who didn't dress up for formal night.

Sunday was our port call in Ensenada. It started out cool and cloudy but quickly turned into a beautiful sunny day. Cooler than I expected and I was glad I had a sweater. We did a shore excursion to La Bufadora (the blow hole) about 40 minutes from the pier. The scenery along the Pacific Coast is breathtaking! We spent some time in the "tourist" area of downtown Ensenada before returning to the ship.

Although the sea was a flat calm on Saturday and early Sunday, the wind kicked up by Sunday evening's departure from Ensenada and it was little rocky Sunday evening. I've been in worse, but it clearly surprised some passengers. We arrived in San Pedro at the usual cruise terminal for disembarkation by 5:30 AM. Passengers started getting off the ship by 7 AM and the disembarkation process went fairly smoothly. We were at LAX by 9:30.

One of the souvenirs I picked up is a Royal Caribbean cook book. Lots of great recipes and nice photos. You can only buy them onboard a ship. Cost is $19.95 each and they would make a nice client gift for someone who cooks. (I bought this one for myself!)

We never ventured into the theater for a show since our show time was 11 PM both nights and we were on EST most of the cruise. We did go into Boleros for a Mojito or two and some salsa lessons. It's a very nice large lounge and the live entertainment was excellent. We spent a short time in the Schooner bar and this is probably my favorite public space on the ship. Our Friday evening cocktail party sponsored by RCI was in the Viking Crown lounge, a beautiful place to sit and watch the sail away while having a cocktail. There are two pools and two hot tubs on this ship and a fairly large fitness center. I didn't venture into the spa but did peek into the Adventure Ocean youth area. It was large and had lots of activity areas, computer terminals, and video arcade games. The sports deck included the signature rock climbing wall, a basketball court and some other sports stuff.

Would I recommend this cruise? For most of my clients, traveling to the west coast makes for a long day and can be pretty pricey. I would recommend this for folks looking for a short cruise with a different itinerary, perhaps for those who have sailed a short cruise or two from Florida and are looking for different places to visit. I would definitely recommend to clients that they travel the day before, spend some time in the LA area and board the ship refreshed and ready to enjoy.