Sailing On The Monarch Queen

After departing Pilsen, we made our way to Regensburg, Germany, where the Monarch Queen was docked.

The ship would be our home away from home for the next seven days.

 

 

The Monarch Queen

The Monarch Queen accommodates 174 passengers and features 90 outside cabins. Sixty-five of which have a French Balcony.

Cabins range in size from 118 sq ft with a window to 172 sq ft with a French Balcony.

Deluxe suites, which are 237 sq ft with a French Balcony, and one Owner’s Suite at 355 sq ft with a French Balcony.

 

Travel Tip:

A French Balcony is a cruise term for what is essentially a floor-to-ceiling window with a sliding glass door. You are not able to step out onto the balcony, but it offers fresh air and some incredible views.

 

It’s a beautiful ship and exceeded our expectations, based on our only previous experience on a riverboat on the Yangtze in China. Interestingly, this ship is very New Orleans- and Jazz-themed, given that it is a European riverboat. The names of spaces and the art all have a jazz vibe.

With just four decks and a majority of the space taken up with cabins, we found the Monarch Queen really easy to navigate. We’ll take you by deck to give you a lay of the land, so to speak.

 

The Middle Deck

You enter the ship on the “Middle Deck” where you’ll find the Reception Desk, Tour Manager, and the dining room, where you’ll have your meals. A small elevator is located below the staircase, providing accessibility to other decks for those who may need it.

 

 

 

 

The Dining Room

While all our meals were eaten in one dining room, it was spacious, nicely decorated, and featured Christmas decorations, offering tables of different sizes to accommodate most travel groups. A built-in buffet is located at the back of the room, where breakfast and lunch are served.

There is open seating in the dining room. We found that we sat alone or mixed up our seating at breakfast and lunch, depending on when we arrived and when we or others ate lunch off the ship. At dinner, we found ourselves eating with the same wonderful group of travelers. There was an incredible couple from Florida, as well as two amazing single women travelers who had previously met on a Gate 1 trip.

 

 

 

The Upper Deck

Up one flight from the Middle Deck, you’ll find the larger cabins, the suites, and the Lounge, where most activities took place, and The Club toward the back of the boat.

Our cabin was located here. We enjoyed the easy access to the lounge, especially the Upper-Air Terrace.

 

 

We really enjoyed this place as it was used for evening port talks and entertainment. It had a well-staffed bar, always had some sweets out, and had a hot drink machine. Early in the morning, they offered an Early Risers Breakfast with a variety of pastries and fresh fruit every day. Our activities host also did an early morning stretch class there. On the opposite side of the lounge was a small library with some books, magazines, and games.

 

Upper-Air-Terrace

This small outdoor seating area, just beyond The Lounge, may have been Mark’s favorite spot on the boat. As an early riser, he grabbed a coffee and a pastry to take outside, where he would catch up on social media and watch the ship navigate the many locks along the way. We’ll show the locks along the way to each city. Most days, he encountered only a few guests until almost breakfast time!

 

The Club

On the back of the boat, on the Upper Deck, you’ll find the ClubLounge. It’s a quiet lounge, perfect for reading or playing cards. Mark spent some time there, enjoying coffee and a treat, and found it was rarely used. It is stocked with a machine offering coffee drinks, hot water for tea, hot chocolate, and some cookies or snacks. And, as with everything else, the crew kept it impeccably clean and well-stocked.

 

 

The Main Deck

Down on the “Main Deck, you’ll find a small fitness center, beauty shop, and some of the smaller cabins.

Sorry, friends, we never made it down to the Main Deck. We got plenty of walking in without needing to visit the fitness center.

 

 

The Sun Deck

Up one more flight and you’re on the Sun Deck. Since the cruise took place in December in Germany, we didn’t have a sun deck, but it was still enjoyable to walk around and take in the scenery as it passed by.

 

 

*SPOILER ALERT – We were actually back on the Monach Queen for a Tulip Time River Cruise the following Spring and actually sat up there quite a bit enjoying the sun and Kings Day in Amsterdam.

 

Our Cabin

We selected a Category A Deluxe Suite with a French Balcony. At 237 sq ft, it gave us more room and storage. However, it also offered a balcony with a much larger walk-in shower and a tub.

 

We forgot about the tub and skipped buying bath salts at the Pilsen Christmas Market, which we would have really enjoyed. This cabin also came with controls to raise and lower the bed, as well as remote controls to open and close the curtains – a nice touch!

We’re from Yucatán, and the dry air is not something we’re used to. So, the French Balcony gave us some excellent, cool, fresh air.

For two bigger guys, both over six feet tall, it was nice to have the larger shower and a little more room to spread out.

 

Life on the Monarch Queen

The ship was a great way to see six different German cities and explore their Christmas Markets without unpacking or spending a lot of time on buses traveling cross-country.

We unpacked once, and they offered three meals a day, port talks, an activity each night, and plenty of space to relax and make new friends.

Our Cruise Director, Jorn, was from the Netherlands. The Activities Host, Nad (Nadam), was from Tunisia, and the rest of the crew was also very multicultural.

 

Dining On The Monarch Queen

As we mentioned previously, the Monarch Queen features one dining room, serving a buffet breakfast and lunch, along with a plated multicourse dinner that includes beer and wine. We cannot say enough nice things about the culinary team and the waitstaff. They all went above and beyond.

Mark, being a retired chef, always has a critical eye when it comes to food, and, to be completely honest, he thought there was only one entrée at dinner that seemed slightly overbrined and salty. We both found everything else to be excellent, and there was always a great variety to choose from. As many Gate 1 travelers ask about the river cruises, especially regarding the food, we’ll provide a bit more detail.

 

Breakfast

Breakfast was a fairly standard buffet breakfast.

There was a station serving Omelets to order, and each day, the cold buffet offered a variety of Pastries, Breads, Fruits, assorted Juices, Yogurt, Meats, Cheeses, Smoked Salmon, and all the necessary condiments. The hot food buffet offered Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, and another breakfast meat, as well as Potatoes, Baked Beans, and roasted Tomatoes.

Each day, a card on the tables listed a special plated breakfast entrée entréencluded options such as Eggs Benedict or Hotcakes.

 

 

 

Lunch

 

The lunch buffet was incredible, especially for two guys who usually eat a pretty light lunch. They did an excellent job of mixing this up and offering some delicious regional dishes. Each day, you’d find the menu board outside the Starboard (right-side) entrance to the dining room.

There was an “Always Available” section on the menu that offered a Hamburger, Cheeseburger, or Veggie Burger with French Fries, Chips, or Cole Slaw. As these were made to order, 15 minutes should be allowed.

They also offered a “Sandwich of the Day.” Much like the breakfast selection, these items came from the kitchen, and from what we saw, they were prepared and served pretty quickly. The offering included items such as a Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Goat Cheese, a Tuna Melt, or Mozzarella, Sundried Tomato, and Pesto on Brown Bread.

There was a Cooking Station every day, sometimes featuring a carved item, and other times prepared by one of the cooks. We saw Roast Pork with a Dark Beer Sauce, Pasta with a Spicy Tomato Sauce, Indonesian Fried Noodles, and BBQ Spare Ribs.

As if that weren’t enough, each day featured an enormous Salad Bar with fresh offerings, toppings, and composed salads. The hot buffet usually offered two kinds of Soup, a Meat, Fish, and a Vegetarian entrée.

 

 

 

They offered a few dessert options each day—usually a pastry-and-parfait type item, as well as a small ice cream bar with several flavor options.

We ate lunch off the boat a few times to enjoy the food at the Christmas Markets, and we also visited the must-see local places, but there certainly were many options on board.

 

Dinner

Dinner was always served as a single seating and offered a truly incredible multicourse meal. Gate 1 dinners usually include Beer or Wine. Dinner on board always included wine-by-the-glass recommendations that paired perfectly with the entrées. We often went with some of the local beers; we didn’t find any Wines that weren’t enjoyable.

As with lunch, a menu was posted outside the dining room, usually right after they closed for lunch.

On the left, they shared their wine recommendations for each entrée. They offered an “Alternative Appetizer “option, usually some Buddha Bowl with a choice of Fresh Vegetables, a Grain, and a Light Dressing.

Additionally, they always listed their “Alternative Entrées.” This was always a choice of  Chicken Breast, Salmon Filet, or Caesar Salad with Chicken Breast. Except for the Salad, they came with Baked Potato and Steamed Vegetables.

 

 

Chuck often ordered the Caesar without Chicken as an appetizer.

Each evening, dinner offered a plated appetizer for everyone, a choice of two soups, and a selection of three entrées daily, each featuring a meat, a seafood, and a vegetarian option.

Here are some of the options in each category. There was an excellent selection, and we really enjoyed the variety.

 

Appetizers –

Soups –

 

Entrées –

 

Desserts –

Every evening, they offered a Plated Dessert, an Ice Cream selection (although Chuck found out they could always get him Chocolate Ice Cream), a Fruit Plate, and a Cheese Display on the buffet.

 

 

 

Allergies

As neither of us has any food allergies, we do not have firsthand experience with them. However, from what we could tell, they did a good job of managing allergies. We saw gluten-free Breads and a few Pastries offered each morning. We also heard several people swapping out the Bread on some of the breakfast specials.

However, we noticed that each lunch and dinner menu selection listed allergy information on its respective menu. The list included anything containing  Egg, Lupine, Mustard, Peanut, Milk, Sesame, Gluten, Sulphites, Mollusks, Shellfish, and Celeriac.

They also had symbols for dishes that were Vegetarian or could be made Vegetarian.

 

Events on The Monarch Queen

One common comment on cruise message boards is that river cruises lack sufficient entertainment. Typically, this comes from individuals who cruise on large ships, often taking ocean cruises. No, there is no big theater; they don’t have aerial artists, production dance numbers, or magicians. However, after a full day of walking tours, exploring the Christmas Markets, and relaxing over dinner, we really didn’t want much.

As we mentioned previously, they offered a Morning Stretch each day if you were so inclined. In the afternoon, there was usually a happy hour with drink specials in the lounge. Later in the evening, we usually gathered in the lounge after dinner for a drink. There was usually a brief talk about the next day’s sights and activities in our free time, or about local Christmas traditions. On a few occasions, there were local performers or a lecturer, games, dancing, or a talent show.

Here are a few highlights of our specific Christmas Market cruise.

Afternoon Tea

 

One afternoon, we returned to the ship and found a Christmas Afternoon Tea. It was nothing fancy, just some assorted cookie bars, a few cakes, and some tea sandwiches. But somehow it was still really festive.

 

Talent Show

One night, they hosted an Open Mic/Talent show. At one point, our Activities Host, Nad, short of people signing up for the event, convinced Mark to participate. Mark doesn’t do anything, play an instrument, or do stand-up comedy. Although he’s rusty, Mark has previously interpreted Christmas carols in American Sign Language. He signed ‘Oh Holy Night’ to Josh Groban performing on video screens around the lounge. People seemed to enjoy it, it was different, and he got quite a few nice compliments.

 

Christmas Gift Exchange – Secret Santa

One afternoon, Santa (our Cruise Director) and an Elf (our Activities Host) dressed up for photos, and passengers participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange. Interested people were asked to purchase a gift under $10.00 while visiting the local Christmas market. Festive wrapping paper was available at the Tour Managers throughout the day leading up to the event.

It was fun, and many passengers participated. We selected a package with a Christmas ornament. It was a Dachshund in a Christmas sweater with a Santa hat. Too cute.

The gift we purchased was a tiny wooden 3D Christmas tree with hanging ornaments. WE thought it was so cute that we bought one for ourselves. Thank you to whoever picked the Dachshund; we really like it.

 

 

Zither Player – Tomy Temerson

One evening, a zither player named Tomy Temerson came on board and did a concert. It was fascinating. He’s incredibly talented and shared his talent well. The video screens and the camera let you see precisely how he makes such beautiful music.

 

Lecture on Judaism  – Ursula Kohout

One evening, a German woman named Ursula Kohout came on board and spoke about Judaism in Germany. We were afraid it was going to be very dark. However, her life experience as a German Jewish woman, whose family had lived in the region for several generations before and after World War II, was very enlightening, and she was an excellent speaker.

 

Our Overall Impressions

We were actually very impressed with the accommodations, the incredible staff, and the food on the Monarch Queen.

It was great to unpack once and relax, enjoying the trip. It was the perfect way for us to enjoy the Christmas markets, as we generally docked a short walk from town centers and Christmas markets.

This Gate 1 Travel German Christmas Market River Cruise was off to a fantastic start!