Seven Seas Voyager Monte Carlo to Venice on Seven Seas Voyager Embarkation

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2003 Date: 9/10/2003

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Leaving Nice for Monaco	Coast of Nice
After ordering a room service breakfast, I departed for Monaco on a beautiful warm and sunny day. The drive along the coast was scenic amongst the cliffs and dramatic valleys which comprise the 15 miles between Nice and Monaco. Because it is so hilly, the numerous switchbacks and narrow roads lengthened our drive to just over an hour.

Monaco	Voyager
Coming into Monaco was like arriving onto another planet. The most dramatic scenery which first greets you is the high density luxury apartments and villas nestled into what must be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. All of the steep descents lead to the Mediterranean which is peppered with hundreds of luxury yachts, and my ship, the Seven Seas Voyager.
Voyager was the biggest ship in the harbor

Boarding	Welcome to Voyager
I boarded the vessel at about 12:30 p.m. and quickly got my room card, had a photo taken, and established a credit account. Your room card is also you charge card aboard ship. Whenever you leave or return to your vessel, this card is required to gain access to the ship, for security reasons. This also allows the staff to know who is aboard (or conversely, who is about to be left behind) the ship. Radisson greets you with a glass of champagne to make the otherwise painless procedure even more enjoyable. The only disadvantage in boarding early is that the rooms are not available until 3:00 p.m. For me, it allowed my to get a quick lunch and take some ship https://cruisingreview.com/cruise-reviews/photos and just breathe in some of the incredible Monaco which surrounds the ship.

Lunch on the Pool Deck	Pool Deck
After a nice lunch I took some time to gaze upon the magical Monaco. The Christine Onassis yacht was nestled amongst some other mega-yachts on the far wharf, while out beyond the harbor there were some sailing yachts gracefully plying the azure waters of the Mediterranean. I always bring carry-on luggage only, so I was able to change out of my pants, suit-coat into shorts and a T-shirt. If you have to wait at all for your room, it's nice to change into something a bit more comfortable in the 80 degree weather. I have found that my oneRollaboard piece of luggage gets me in and out of airports faster, while keeping luggage to a minimum. Everything I have is at my fingertips.

Penthouse Cabin 767 B	Balcony Suite
At 2:30 p.m. an announcement was made that the cabins were ready and I proceeded to my cabin towards the aft deck of the ship on deck 7. Radisson always does a nice job on interior cabins, and mine was no exception. There was a separate bedroom with desk, balcony, sitting area, wardrobe room and marble floored bathroom with separate shower and bath. A bottle of champagne was awaiting me, along with complimentary spirits and a small bar-fridge with water, beer and sodas. There is 120/240 V outlets at the writing desk for labtops, cameras and computers. There are also 120/240V outlets in the bathroom, but no hair dryer, which is customary on most ships. The walk-in closet, there is plenty of hanger and luggage space, along with a room safe.

Room Staff and Butler	Marble Bathroom
Immediately upon arriving in my suite, I was greeted by my room stewards and then by my butler. I put the butler to work immediately with the pressing of my numerous dress shirts, tuxedo and pants. Typically the formal night is the second night of the cruise on Radisson ships, so I wanted to be prepared early.

Lifeboat Drill, Departure and Dinner	Afternoon Hors d'vours
The mandatory lifeboat drill was promptly at 5:15 p.m. and the ship left the pier at Monaco around 6:00 p.m. After attending a singles social (usually very few, if any, show up) I ate dinner at the main restaurant, the Compass Rose. I had a very good shellfish appetizer, followed by a macaroni salad and a rib eye entree. The food was good, and the service was average. There was always free-flowing selections of red and white wine, yet I found it difficult to keep a glass of water. I think the staff in this main dining room was a bit short on this particular evening. I'm looking forward to trying the other more specialty restaurants.

Guitar and Piano at the Observatory Lounge	The Grand View
Typically on a smaller ship like this (there were about 545 out of 700 possible passengers), there is usually some great entertainment. Instead of the main show, I opted for the guitar and piano player at the Observatory Lounge which is located on Deck 11 forward. The panoramic view is astounding on a night like this. We were headed west, and there was a full Moon in all of its brilliance lighting the way. It continually amazes me how you can get such beautiful moonlit nights at sea, and I think that is one of the attractions to cruising. The environment around you is always changing, bringing you something new and wonderful every day.
The best view from the ship is this lounge.

Internet Cafe	Beautiful Floral Arrangements Adorn the Ship
Breaking my normal tradition of not using expensive onboard ship facilities, I tried the internet cafe since I had to check business emails. With the system aboard Voyager, you are charged only for actual connection time, which amounts to about $10.00 per hour, depending on how much time you are composing, or replying to emails. In the end, if you need to stay connected, it's not a bad deal. I prefer to use shore-based internet cafes since they're a great deal less expensive, and it gets you off the ship exploring the local city and people.

Late Night Room Service	Burger and Fries
After getting back from the Observatory Lounge and checking my emails, I opted for a late night salad and burger, which arrived within 30 minutes of my call. My typical routine is to add journal notes about the cruise, and download the days https://cruisingreview.com/cruise-reviews/photos to my PowerBook computer. I'll also do a save to a CDR as backup. A little late night snack is a tasty treat to the end of the day. Before winding down for the evening, I also try to plan my next days activities, which usually include a tour in the morning, lunch or exploring the local port in the early afternoon, and shipboard relaxing in the late afternoon.

Keycard	Keycard
Keycard allows you to charge onboard services and purchases, as well as the key to your suite.

Map of Monaco	Monaco
If you decide to tour the city before the ship departs, allow yourself plenty of time to return to the ship. Taxis are hard to find.

Voyage Itinerary	Voyage
This map gives you an idea of where the voyage will take you throughout the Mediterranean.

Pre boarding Info	Pre board
Pre boarding information.

Ship and Guest Information	Welcome
This information page provides guest information.

Newsletter	Newsletter Front
Daily newsletter.

Newsletter	Newsletter Back
Daily newsletter, back side.

Additional Photographs: Embarkation