Live review: MSC Armonia from Las Palmas to Venice

[Skipper Tim]

Wednesday, 2nd April. Good morning from a rather chilly and foggy Venice. The Armonia docked on time around 8 a.m. and disembarkation has been underway since 8:35. I am sitting at my usual morning perch at Il Girasole up on deck 11. Eight of us will be having lunch on board before we finally part. Five of us will take the water bus from the cruise terminal to the Lido. There we will have a night in the Boulevard hotel before our flight back to Manchester.

 

You may have noticed that my previous post was dated 1st April We did in fact arrive at Split as per schedule. Mother and Necia reported that Split is even more beautiful than Dubrovnik. I, however, just did not find the time yesterday to go ashore - the problem with such an active roll call is that life onboard becomes "an endless series of social engagements". Eight of us had a jolly lunch and there barely time to have a few caipirinhas before the sail away party on the stern and then barely time to change before meeting for dinner.

 

Compared to previous repositioning cruises, we missed the more laid back sea days, especially the five or six consecutive sea days crossing the Atlantic. However, we all agree it has been a wonderful cruise with great company, food and service and, for what we paid, it has been embarrassingly good value. I can feel the onset of 'post-bliss' already.

 

I will post photos of our voyage on this thread in a couple of days.

 

Until then, arrivederci!

 

Tim.

[Skipper Tim]

Look out for some photos once I 1. Get home & 2. Work out how to attach photos,

 

Ciao!

 

You need to put them elsewhere on the web, e.g. Flickr or Facebook, then copy and paste the URL links to them here. Clicking on the image icon (looks like a postcard of a mountain with a stamp on it) adds the IMG tags to them so that they displays inline in the post.

 

Using the forum's attach image facility makes them ridiculously small.

 

Best of luck and Ciao for now Mairi!

 

Tim.

[Skipper Tim]

Look out for some photos once I 1. Get home & 2. Work out how to attach photos,

 

Ciao!

 

You need to put them elsewhere on the web, e.g. Flickr or Facebook, then copy and paste the URL links to them here. Clicking on the image icon (looks like a postcard of a mountain with a stamp on it) adds the IMG tags to them so that they displays inline in the post.

 

Using the forum's attach image facility makes them ridiculously small.

 

Best of luck and Ciao for now Mairi!

 

Tim.

[bobstheboy]

Many thanks to Tim and Maira for their blogs, really enjoyed the read and looking forward to our cruise on the Armonia later this year.

[papcx]

Great cruise! New friends, sun and Allergrissimo!

 

Some lovely ports of call, but I agree we did miss a couple of sea days in a row, although I'm sure my liver is glad.

 

I for one was totally suckered, hook, line and sinker by Tim's April fool, so well done Tim and well done on a comprehensive live blog. Nice contributions by AmoMundo as well.

 

 

 

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[sidari]

Janet and Carl.

 

Opening for the Lift is where the road sign is on the Left near the wall at the side of the Horse and Carriage.

 

 

The Lift.

 

Edited April 2, 2014 by sidari

[moomoocow]

Sat by the clock tower. Will pop back at 3pm.

[papcx]

Sat by the clock tower. Will pop back at 3pm.

 

 

Mossbird, check your email.

 

 

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[Daniela32]

We could meet in Split if I knew you were coming! Glad some of you enjoyed my hometown. :)

[sidari]

Finally the MSC brochures have arrived in the shops! well travel agents like T.C. although the cover says October 2013 to November 2014.

[Elmartellama]

In order to post pictures what works best for me is to use dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/home

 

You can make a public dropbox folder in your computer, where you put the images you want to post and then they upload themselves, so it saves you A LOT of time.

 

Also, I use a Linux program (not sure if it works in other systems) called Phatch. It allows you to resize all pictures in a file automatically, so you save a lot of time too. http://photobatch.stani.be

[AmoMondo]

We could meet in Split if I knew you were coming! Glad some of you enjoyed my hometown. :)

 

I absolutely loved Split Daniela. It's such a beautiful and historic city. It would also have been lovely to meet you. I shall bear that in mind if I return.

[AmoMondo]

Well home at last, though can't hear a thing in my right ear thanks to it not having "popped" from the first of my flights earlier today.

 

Was woken this morning at 6 with the ships horn sounding repeatedly as it made its approach to Venice through the fog. Didn't hold us up though as we docked on time and cleared passengers off early. My group was meant to meet in the theatre at 9.45 but I was almost at the airport by then as they were running about 30 minutes earlier than planned. Needless to say, the airport wasn't busy since I was there so early. Had to wait an hour before Bs would relieve me of my luggage. Security was relatively quiet too. Gave me time to have lunch in the restaurant before going to my gate. Nearly ended up on the Aeroflot flight to Moscow as they'd acquired our gate!

 

We were meant to be out our cabins by 7 but I shall confess to not leaving mine until 8.45, not that my lovely steward Putu seemed to mind. I wandered down to breakfast at around 8 and just left my hand luggage in the cabin. Could not find Putu to ask him if it was ok. Returned later and he appeared busy at the other end of the corridor, so no harm done.

 

Hope therest of the gang enjoy the remainder of their holiday in Venice and have a safe trip home. It really was an absolute pleasure meeting all of you.

[papcx]

We could meet in Split if I knew you were coming! Glad some of you enjoyed my hometown. :)

 

 

Hi Daniela.

 

Split is beautiful!

 

Had a very enjoyable few hours.

 

Especially enjoyed the "real" Split fish market and fresh fruit and veg.

 

 

 

Loved it.

 

Wendy is on a B2B and will be back next week. I'm sure she'd love some local knowledge instruction.

 

 

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Edited April 2, 2014 by papcx

[Janet&Carl]

Thanks - both for a very entertaining blog about your cruise but also for the information ;)

[Skipper Tim]

Also home now - in Yorkshire. There was a trauma leaving the Lido but we survived! Full update and glorious photos of the whole cruise tomorrow.

 

The Giles Hawke session was interesting but he appears to have the teflon qualities of MSC reception employees. It would be far better to employ Northerners who can at least attempt to answer questions honestly.

 

T.

[lara_lox]

Welcome home all! Thanks for the report, it was interesting to see how you found the Armonia in comparison to my sailing on her. Good job with the multi-poster updates!

[Skipper Tim]

Here are some photos as promised.

 

 

I thought I would start with a shot of the MSC Armonia. This one was taken at La Goulette - the first port where there was a clear view of the ship.

 

 

 

My mother's first ever BBC (at Il Girasole bar, deck 11)

 

 

 

The proprietor, Necia and Mother after the successful negotiations for a leather pouffe in Casablanca Medina.

 

 

 

Andi, Mother, James and Jeffrey in Cadiz.

 

 

 

Jeffrey, Mairi and James in the Red Bar, deck 6.

 

 

 

A typical scene on deck by the pool bar when the entertainment is underway. Quite how these two mock-Bavarians were connected to the dance lesson behind I don't know.

[Skipper Tim]

 

One room of the Cruise Critic get-together. From the left: Michael, Ali, Chung, Mother, Wendy, Mairi, Necia and Angela. This was before Chung toppled over.

 

 

 

A closer look at the ladies.

 

 

 

This was the night I couldn't stop myself laughing at the 'four tall ladies with giant pink pom-poms' show in the theatre and had to retreat to the San Marco Cafe. The staff had little to do other than entertain me and pose for photos.

 

 

 

One of two occasions I found myself in the disco at the rear of deck 12. Here with Ali and Andi, the notorious young Spaniards and one of the two waiters that appeared to be assigned to our group - he served us at every bar we went to.

 

 

 

Waiting to go ashore at La Goulette. When Ali arrives dressed for shopping, Mother and Andi are surprised by his appearance.

 

 

 

Ali, all set to drive some hard bargains in Tunis.

[Skipper Tim]

 

The mis-tuned drum and sawn-off clarinet greet us at La Goulette....

 

 

 

... along with a couple of camels that the deck officers took a shine to (I was trapped inside the ship without cruise card when they were tickling the camels - sorry).

 

 

 

The menu from the Vitamin Bar, outside on deck 11. Bryan, the Vitamin bartender happily made variations of these upon request.

 

 

 

Mother and Necia go onshore at Valletta where they discovered Soberano brandy at 8 Euros a litre. Three bottles were purchased.

 

 

 

I ordered a shake called 'Death by Chocolate' from the ice cream bar and added a Baileys and a shot of brandy for good measure. Allegrissimo!

 

 

 

James, Jeffrey and I have an impromptu sail-away party aft on deck 10 as we leave Valletta.

[Skipper Tim]

 

My starter on 'Italian night'.

 

 

 

Table '62' with, from the left, Keith, myself with subtly green hair, Fay, Mother, Necia and Angela.

 

 

 

The same evening but after a few glasses of wine.

 

 

 

The Tiramisu parade.

 

 

 

In the lift the lighting revealed my green hair. With Mother.

 

 

 

The scene at Dawn as we head for Kefalonia.

[Skipper Tim]

 

We spot Rebecca Brookes (centre with camera) is aboard avoiding publicity.

 

 

 

Reversing into Kefalonia as I write my daily blog.

 

 

 

Jeffrey and James demonstrate their ping pong skills or lack thereof.

 

 

 

Mother in Dubrovnik. It had been 24 years since my last visit. Then I was practically the only foreigner about. Things had changed.

 

 

 

This fine bunch of talented buskers played under a stone arch near the harbour of Dubrovnik - the acoustics were amazing.

 

 

 

Is it a bird? A group of tourists all look above me, Dubrovnik.

[Skipper Tim]

 

Me near the entrance to the old town of Dubrovnik.

 

 

 

 

With Mother in the mirrored doors of the lift on our last gala night.

 

 

 

Towards the end of the night, on deck, as seen from the other side of Il Girasole bar.

 

 

 

How to identify the 'Mossad' security people in the bar.

 

 

 

James out of his comfort zone in the disco.

 

 

 

Ali pretending to be uncomfortable in the disco.

[steph7021]

Thanks for the photos!

 

 

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[Skipper Tim]

 

James, Ali and our regular smiling waiter.

 

 

 

My double red wine, I believe.

 

 

 

The evil DJ who had Ali arrested for telling him that the lyric of a particular track may not be appropriate for the many under-age drinkers in the disco.

 

 

 

James with Keith on our final full day.

 

 

 

Gathered at Il Girasole docked in Split.

 

 

 

Michael and Keith in the Red Bar on our last night.