We just returned from a cruise from Los Angeles to Baja Calif. aboard the Royal Carribean Monarch of the Seas.

A nice ship, designed for cold weather Alaska tours, so the pool and some other recreation was lacking for this tropical cruise.

We'll be sailing on their competitors ship next month for a good compairison.

I was reading this book; "The Devils of The Deep Blue Sea" while we were on the cruise.
It's a book claiming how the cruise industry dodges taxes and fees, and working labor laws, and pays pretty poorly.

In casually talking to some of the crew, they said compaired to where they were hired, the pay and bennies were teriffic. They got OT, bonus days pay, medical and retirement, but did admit the 12 hour days, 7 day a week job was tough.
But they added, most of them have been able to afford houses back home.

OK,, so I felt better, and got over it. Enough of that issue.

They mentioned that it's a pretty cheap way to travel all things considered,, and I have to agree:

Almost a week at sea, four girls, + the wife, 6 year old Maynard and me,, food, 2 really nice cabins + service,, entertainment,, bar tabs,, about $1400 US dollars.

The girls had a blast. At 18, could hit the casinos, all the clubs and entertainment, and all the bars. We picked up their tabs, and gave them money for the casino.

At one show, the girls pick'd a brutally good looking guy outta the audience, then only using underwear they had on, took off their underwear & dress'd him in their bra and panties & makeup, then send him back up on stage several times, going through several sets of bras and panties, for a underwear fashion show & tallent contest.

They competed against 6 other groups of girls and won some teriffic stuff.
Naughty and blue and as hilarious as it gets. A not miss show, but if un edited Benny Hill kind of comedy offends you, it's not for you.

Later:

The girls knocked on our cabin door and all took my cool Blue Fox, Hussongs, Pappas T shirts I bought in town to use for their for PJ's.
They kept them,, guess we'll have to go back and buy some more.

The tips were pre-written on all the bills.
I asked a crew member if they keep their tips, and no answer.
Excellent service.

Strong and a very visable effort was being made to prevent the Norway Virus that seems to be the problem illness on some cruises.
The regular passengers said it's working.
Some people we met, made of money, spend their entire summer cruising.

Every nite different animals made outta towels were on the kids beds at turndown time, with cookies and milk:



Food service was interesting.
They ran a very big buffet most the time, then if ya felt like it, you could go to the formal seating in one of the nice dining rooms.
Most the food was pre made heat and serve. Most the milk was sour.

We had a guy seated near us in Harley Motorcycle cloths with really bad Touretts like Syndrome. Shouting out cusswords.
Little Maynard got a load of it of course and asked me about the guy.
I told Maynard the guy was an angry Manchester United fan.

He had his two attractive early 20's daughters with him & they were taking care of him. His brutal condition a result of a really bad motorcycle accident. His girls were as sweet as sugar.
I have to hand it to them to spend their vacation helping him along. Compassionate wife Alice really thought his kids were teriffic.

They slipped away one evening leaving dad in the room with knock out drops I guess,, & we saw his girls sitting at the Schooner Bar discussing drink prices with Lerrie the bartender, so Alice and I picked up their drinks. They had some great stories. Sharp, attractive girls, Univ of Cali grads.


6 year old Maynard heads up to ring the bell at the climbing wall.

We went to Sea World in San Diego, the cab fare was $40 US RT, and we had discount admission tickets.
Since the Budweiser Brewery bought Sea World, it's really improved.
4 hours max for an enjoyable trip we suggest.

The best show was the trained housecats. Better than the Dolphin show.
WOW !! is all anyone could say.

The casino had very tough tight rules, we quickly got bored with it and left.
Seem'd most the other passengers had the same impression.

The cruise director was a debonaire Brit, just a natural classy, good looking guy with a teriffic presence.

We saw some drunks corner him at the pool bar.
They told him the comedians at the last nites show were pretty bad, and he could'a picked funnier comics outta the audience.
Alice my wife agreed, but stayed outta it.

We thought the shows pretty good.
I hit the trivia contest in the Schooner Bar, and won, beating out at least 100 others for 10 plastic luggage tags.

I was the only one that knew the theme songs to Alf, Mickey Mouse Club, Punky Brewster TV shows,, and how many grains of sand on Pismo Beach.

At sunset, the piano bar was nice while sitting at the windows, checking out the ocean.
The piano player show'd up late - so one of our girls, a piano phenom, hit the keys and drew a big crowd. The wife later sang super too.
Everyone thought they worked for the cruise.


Natia Kalashnivkov argued with Maynard about what tatoo he could have.
It drew a crowd,, and it was a funny 15 minute running argument with a really sharp kid, and a thick accent Russian.

In the late nite, early morning, Alice and I walked the outside decks in the awsum moonlite and warm summer breeze. We were often all alone.

It was nice to sleep, check out the voyage and the ship at sea in the middle of the nite,, meet interesting people, hang with the kids and have lots of fun,, no work beyond lifting a fork and a glass of beer to my mellon.
The only extra cost things were found was Ice cream and gourmet coffee.

Ensenada Mexico has the best horseback riding we have found anyplace, and very reasonable cost.

Edited for appalling typos