Live review: MSC Armonia from Las Palmas to Venice

[Skipper Tim]

Let's start it! We sail on 22nd March. Our roll call has received almost twenty thousand hits as of today. I intend blogging on this thread during the cruise and I hope that others amongst us will join me.

 

I have not been on the MSC Armonia before and the itinerary, being a repositioning, is unique. There are 35 on our roll call and it is guaranteed to be interesting.

 

Please tune in.

 

Regards,

 

Tim.

[papcx]

I assume your confident Jet2 will get you to Las Palmas on time!

 

 

 

[Skipper Tim]

I assume your confident Jet2 will get you to Las Palmas on time!

 

We have insurance and the EU on our side!We will be there. Don't try to panick us at this stage :).

 

Tim.

[sidari]

We have travelled with Jet 2 on three occasions from and to Manchester and not once were they late ... :D on two occasions we arrived early.

[AmoMondo]

Well this is a first, joining a. Log over a week before I depart! this is pretty unique anyway! as normally I'm blogging on my own and haven't made contact with more than. 1 or 2 people via a roll call before departure and this time, there's going to a big group of us.

 

I will definitely be making contributions from time to time.

[CruiseGirlKS]

Subscribing to your review.

[Skipper Tim]

Well this is a first, joining a. Log over a week before I depart! this is pretty unique anyway! as normally I'm blogging on my own and haven't made contact with more than. 1 or 2 people via a roll call before departure and this time, there's going to a big group of us.

 

I will definitely be making contributions from time to time.

 

Fantastic! This will be "the only game in town" for as long as it lasts.

 

So, on the current narrative, I have just printed off 4 Jet2 boarding passes out (MAN-LPA) and 5 back (VCE-MAN). Oh, it is getting so close!

 

Tim.

[Elmartellama]

Lucky you! Have a nice trip, and most importantly post many pictures! :D

[steph7021]

Yeah! Can't wait to read about the ship...then I just need someone else to do a review in April when the Armonia starts my itinerary!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AmoMondo]

Fantastic! This will be "the only game in town" for as long as it lasts.

 

So, on the current narrative, I have just printed off 4 Jet2 boarding passes out (MAN-LPA) and 5 back (VCE-MAN). Oh, it is getting so close!

 

Tim.

 

Yeah, only 8 more sleeps before I leave and only 6.5 days to work!

 

Not done my boarding a passes yet, could get the Easyjet one but wil have to wait until next Wed to get the BA one. Still no tickets from MSC though.

[Skipper Tim]

Lucky you! Have a nice trip, and most importantly post many pictures! :D

 

Thank you Elmartellama, we will and I will do. I am trying to decide whether to take the camera or manage with just the iPad. I am travelling hand luggage only which is 10Kg with Jet2. That is almost 1Kg per day. Surely I cannot soil 1Kg of clothes per day? The camera can go in a pocket. Decided. Thank you :).

 

It is going to be fun and I like fun!

[Frode]

Looking forward to your reports from the cruise :)

 

I was onboard MSC Armonia in November, on the 9-nights re-positioning cruise from Venice to Las Palmas. It was great, especially because I had a suite by my own :p

 

There were only approx 1.000 passengers onboard (50% occupation). The atmosphere was very familiar. Most of the passengers came from UK and Germany...and additionally some others (we were only a very few from the Scandinavian countries).

 

I would love to go again... For sure, I will go on more re-positiong cruises in the future. The only problem is that my wife isn't interested at all (ha, ha).

 

Enjoy!

[moomoocow]

I will be contributing to this live review with thoughts, observations, ramblings and (if I can work things out) the odd incriminating photo.

 

Mine and Mr Moos journey starts a week tomorrow with the semi relaxing train journey from Northern England to Gatwick. At least I'm not driving this time.

[Willow1686]

Alas, I'm not going to be able to follow you guys in real time since, barring last minute catastrophe, I shall be on the Heathrow to San Diego flight on Monday, boarding the Balmoral on Wednesday, ready for the long voyage home. Sadly, snorkelling in the Caribbean, or any where else for that matter, is verboten but I intend to have fun.

 

I shall catch up with you at my journey's end, unless I manage to work out which crew members to follow in port, in search of free wifi, in which case I may drop by to urge you to remember the golden rule: making tea is a high risk activity which may result in you spending quite a lot of time in the burns clinic.

 

It's much, much safer to stick with alcohol, and a lot more fun as well :D

[Skipper Tim]

Alas, I'm not going to be able to follow you guys in real time since, barring last minute catastrophe, I shall be on the Heathrow to San Diego flight on Monday, boarding the Balmoral on Wednesday, ready for the long voyage home. Sadly, snorkelling in the Caribbean, or any where else for that matter, is verboten but I intend to have fun.

 

I shall catch up with you at my journey's end, unless I manage to work out which crew members to follow in port, in search of free wifi, in which case I may drop by to urge you to remember the golden rule: making tea is a high risk activity which may result in you spending quite a lot of time in the burns clinic.

 

It's much, much safer to stick with alcohol, and a lot more fun as well :D

 

You have already inspired me not to pack my mini immersion boiler, I am glad you are able to travel after all. Following the crew is very wise whether for public transport, wi-fi or good shopping. If there is any excursion I would sign up for, it would be 'join the crew ashore'. Enjoy!

[moomoocow]

Alas, I'm not going to be able to follow you guys in real time since, barring last minute catastrophe, I shall be on the Heathrow to San Diego flight on Monday, boarding the Balmoral on Wednesday, ready for the long voyage home. Sadly, snorkelling in the Caribbean, or any where else for that matter, is verboten but I intend to have fun.

 

I shall catch up with you at my journey's end, unless I manage to work out which crew members to follow in port, in search of free wifi, in which case I may drop by to urge you to remember the golden rule: making tea is a high risk activity which may result in you spending quite a lot of time in the burns clinic.

 

It's much, much safer to stick with alcohol, and a lot more fun as well :D

 

Brilliant news that you are able to travel! Enjoy the cruise.

[AmoMondo]

Willow, so glad you're going to be able to do your TA. Have a blast.

 

I'll follow your advice and avoid tea making!

 

Only 5.5 days to work now - shame I have about 10 days worth still to do. Think my assistant managers will be coming gace to face with a deluge of delegated tasks!

[Skipper Tim]

The first of five of us booked who I am receiving emails for, 'Lady Angela' (aka 'Angela'), has received her e-ticket this morning. The OBC looks all askew although it is hard to tell. As I have not received mine, I am still hoping for an upgrade!

 

My dress theme (given that I am hand-luggage only) is almost black, white and and accent of bright Italian red. I am wondering about dispensing with casual clothes altogether, except very casual clothes (swim shorts, not speedos), and wearing suit pieces casually. I would rather roll up the sleeves of a versatile white formal shirt than bring two T-shirts. Cruise packing is such hard but enjoyable work.

 

9 days to go....

 

Tim.

[sidari]

Tim ... Maybe you could wear a few more items on the way out that way you would have more to wear once onboard after sending said clothes to the laundry for use later on the cruise, another way of breeching the hand luggage allowance lol.

[Skipper Tim]

Tim ... Maybe you could wear a few more items on the way out that way you would have more to wear once onboard after sending said clothes to the laundry for use later on the cruise, another way of breeching the hand luggage allowance lol.

 

I am always the one sweating at airport security because I am wearing so much. And it is both ways, not just the way out. It is a wonder I have not been arrested yet.

 

Tim.

[Norwegian Cruiser 73]

Have a wonderful sailing :) I'm looking forward to see the live review and not at least pictures from MSC Armonia. Please take som interior photos:D Next winter season she's a new ship...

[Skipper Tim]

Have a wonderful sailing :) I'm looking forward to see the live review and not at least pictures from MSC Armonia. Please take som interior photos:D Next winter season she's a new ship...

 

Thank you and yes, you are right. I will. It is the end of an earwig.

Edited March 13, 2014 by Skipper Tim

[Willow1686]

You have already inspired me not to pack my mini immersion boiler, I am glad you are able to travel after all. Following the crew is very wise whether for public transport, wi-fi or good shopping. If there is any excursion I would sign up for, it would be 'join the crew ashore'. Enjoy!

 

I can add one more piece of advice; if you are scalded, and it doesn't hurt very much, then this is bad news. This is, shall we say, somewhat counter intuitive, which is presumably why people in burns units don't beat you over the head with cries of 'why didn't you come here straight away?', and are, instead, incredibly nice, but it is worth bearing in mind for future reference.

 

I do hope you will all enjoy an accident free repo, and thanks to all for the good wishes ;)

[Skipper Tim]

Just a few days to go before the off. Yesterday was spent tidying up any remaining logistical details - transfers etc., and printing off a ream of tickets, passes and vouchers for the five in my immediate party. We are all solo cruisers with our own cabins - hence the ream of paperwork.

 

Today, my focus has been on packing, or should I say 'packing design'. My mother and I will be travelling hand-luggage only which in our case (no pun intended) means a strictly enforced limit of 10Kg and 56cm x 45cm x 25cm and nothing else other than the clothes we travel in. We have been known to travel with heavy pockets and worse.

 

They say the cornerstone of a man's wardrobe should be a well-fitting, quality suit and that navy blue is the most versatile. Hence top of my packing list is a navy 3-piece suit. Add in white shirts and half a kilo of accessories and I have, in different combinations, covered the important evenings and some of the daytimes. This will also allow me to wear on gala nights the navy blue bow-tie that two of my fellow cruisers this time (I will protect their innocence - for now) bought me as a birthday present on the last cruise. Sorry dinner suit ('tux'). A pair of navy swim shorts and a casual option upstairs and down and I am done other than the essentials (iPad mini, toiletries etc.) in 10Kg. There is always the laundry in times of disaster.

 

We depart Huddersfield Railway Station at 6:45 a.m. Saturday. I will be capturing my perspective from then on. Tune in!

 

Edited March 16, 2014 by Skipper Tim

[Pluto_fan]

Have a wonderful cruise, everyone! I'll be following along!