MSC Armonia Review

Do yourself a favor, research the ship’s age before you book.

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on MSC Armonia
User Avatar
LikesCruising
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2020
Cabin: Balcony Stateroom

Do yourself a favor, research the ship’s age before you book a cruise. It has been decades since we have been on an MSC ship. In between we have cruised on medium sized ships with lots of lines, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Carnival etc. All have been great to very good. Then we went back to MSC because we saw a “Fantastica” level balcony, seven day Caribbean cruise for $567 per person. It was not so Fantastica. Embarkation in Miami went smoothly, which gave us hopes for the cruise. However, the food was terrible, with dried out fish and chicken and both pork and veal so tough it couldn’t be cut, nevertheless chewed. The MSC Armonia is very old. Even the captain blamed missing the port of Grand Cayman because the “low powered” ship couldn’t overcome the waves. So the older stabilizers didn’t seem to work well either, and we rolled constantly. The upholstery and carpeting were worn and dirty. There are kids clubs for all ages. Teens and LGBT cruisers had their special meeting areas and events. But better confine your kids to the splash park though, as the two swimming pools were both over 6’6” deep throughout, with no shallow end. There were only two Jacuzzis, so they were constantly full. The entertainment troop was small at eight dancers and two main singers, doubtless because this is an older, smaller ship. They performed valiantly but not very effectively. There was one very good band in the main bar area. The other bands were not good. To be fair, there were good points. The staff was amazingly warm and helpful, the beds were comfortable and we were one of the first ships to visit MSC’s new private island in the Bahamas. But on balance it was a memorable experience, a bad memory we don’t want you to repeat.

Cabin Review

Balcony Stateroom

There is only one small desk chair in the room. There is no table for room service. There are chips and scuff marks in the furniture veneer. There are two bunk beds on opposite walls. One is above the head of the lower kingsize bed, so a person over 5’4” tall cannot sit in bed without hitting the fastened down bunk bed above. There is no headboard. The balcony has two upright chairs and a footstool. That fills the entire balcony. The balcony door is difficult to open even when in port. The door rattles with every gust of wind, making sleeping difficult.

Port Reviews

Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve

This is a new private island for MSC. There are many activities such as snorkel, SCUBA, wave runners and boat rides. However, they are expensive.

Costa Maya

This is mainly a shopping port. It has been created by the Mexican government for tourists.

4 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find an MSC Armonia Cruise from $239

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.