American Just Off Armonia

[Cruiser933]

I am just off the MSC Armonia cruise to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Havana.  This was our first cruise on MSC after cruising on Carnival, NCL, and Princess.  I know there is a desire for more information on this ship/itinerary due to so many cruisers trying MSC for the first time for the Cuba stop, so I thought I would give my thoughts.  Please feel free to jump in with questions.

 

Embarkation - We were assigned a later embarkation time, which we ignored and arrived around 1.  There was no line to check in, so we walked right on.  Easiest embarkation ever.  We then headed to lunch, which was limited to the buffet/pizza/grill area, unlike some lines which have a MDR option for embarkation lunch.  I prefer to go to the MDR for embarkation lunch since we have some carry-on bags, but this was not a huge issue for us.  The one issue we had related to embarkation we had is that one of our bags was not delivered to our cabin.  It turns out that our luggage tag (plastic kind you buy on Amazon and put your folder paper luggage tag into) was somehow ripped off at some point.  We had another tag with our contact information including name that survived, but MSC did not attempt to look our cabin number so they could deliver the bag.  We found it later that night in the reception area with other lost bags or bags that had been taken due to alcohol in the bag.

 

Muster drill - I specifically mention this because it was very different than what we have experienced on other lines.  At the start of drill you have to go to your cabin to get your life jacket, then you head to your muster station (actual station outside, not a meeting location like the theater or a bar.)  You have to show your card at your muster station to check in so they can make sure everyone attends.  I first thought MSC must be taking the muster drill more seriously than other lines, but it rapidly deteriorated at this point.  The section where we were directed to stand was taken up by one or two large groups.  One of the groups turned the entire drill into a photo op.  They laughed and took selfies of themselves in their life jackets the whole time.  In addition the group included three pre-teen boys fighting the whole time right next to me, which resulted in me getting bumped or hit three times.  At no point did the person in charge of our muster station intervene, so we heard literally none of the instructions.

 

 

[Cruiser933]

Cabin - We had a Fantastica oceanview.  Cabin was fine with an adequate amount of storage, but a bit limited on counter space.  Bathroom is fine, although the shower is very small as many mention.  Everything seemed to be cleaned adequately, although I always found the bathroom to be a bit smelly the whole cruise.  We had to ask for a box of tissues as the one in the bathroom was emptied and not replaced without us asking.  We did have washcloths every day, but I know not all cabin stewards provided them.  Just don't expect your cabin steward to constantly greet you by name or leave you towel animals or chocolates.  They do their job, but nothing more (which is fine with us.  I don't need cruise staff to pretend to be my best friend.)

[PTC DAWG]

Thanks for the review, sailing Seaside in April....first timer on MSC...have The Easy drink package, if you had any experience with that, or saw any, any info appreciated.  Thinking of upgrading to Premium.  

 

How were dining times handled?  I'm used to NCL freestyle.  Or just HIT the buffet.  

Edited February 26, 2019 by PTC DAWG

[thetaro]

I booked the Armonia for December. I am also used to NCL freestyle. With a toddler, it's a hassle to show up for dinner at the exact time they provided. 

[Cruiser933]

I will continue the review later, but will answer the questions so far.

 

We had the 12 drink coupons per person with the Fantastica OV.  I know this promotion ends soon.  We are not big drinkers, so only ordered an occasional beer, glass of wine, strawberry daquiri, diet coke, or bottled water.  Drink service seemed a bit slow since at times it was hard to find someone to take our drink order.  There was no bar service in the theater, so you had to leave the theater to go to a nearby bar to get a drink.  They ran out of diet sodas and non-sparkling water by the end of the cruise.  I don't think I can add much on drinking beyond that.

 

We had requested early dining and were waitlisted for that on our documents before the cruise.  We did end up getting assigned to early dining as requested.  Early dining was at 6:15 the first night but was switched to 6 every night after that.  Doors were supposed to close after 15 minutes, but saw people seated way after that most nights.  We missed our dining time twice due to excursions returning late, but I heard most people went ahead and went to the dining room those nights even though they were very late.  Some even went to the dining room for dinner in their swimsuits those nights.  The late night in Havana had open dining so we ate late that night.  It looked like the dining room was used to accomodating toddlers and had very nice high chairs (not the hard wooden ones many restaurants have).  The buffet had long hours.  There was also a limited menu in one pub that we did not try.  There was also one very small specialty restaurant.  As far as we could tell the only people that ate there had complimentary meals either through black card status or casino comp.  We ate there one night.  It was fine for free, but I definitely would not pay for it.  I will have more on dining later.

[Cruiser933]

Continuing on dining since I answered some questions on that ...

 

MDR - No free lobster, but I don't eat lobster anyway.  Food was good, not great, but on par with other lines.  Most portion sizes were fine, although a couple were too small (main one being lobster ravioli that was an entree but barely enough food for an appetizer).  We mainly ordered the healthy choices which included salmon, grilled chicken, and fruit plates.  The one thing we would have liked was more vegetables as side dishes.  A couple things were odd, such a "strawberry yogurt shake" that was served as a dessert but was really a cold soup.  Service was fine all nights but one which was during the any time dining in Cuba.  As mentioned, dress codes and dining times did not seem to be strictly enforced.  We ate in the dining room most nights, except the two nights are excursions were late returning and the night we ate in Surf & Turf.  We also ate a couple of lunches in the MDR and breakfast on the last day.

 

Surf & Turf - We had a complimentary meal here due to black status (status match with another line.)  The menu was very limited.  There were only three appetizers, none of which really appealed to us.  I ordered the crab cake anyway even though I normally don't like them, and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.  Filet was very good, but nothing exceptional.  Sides were also very limited.  I ordered the baked potato which was very small and the mushrooms which was a lot more than I would normally eat on a steak.  We had the red velvet cake which was fine, and the mexican chocolate cake which was extremely salty.  Two other things I will mention is that unlike the MDR, there is no free water here.  You have to pay for water (or use a drinking package or drink coupon.  Also, you are right next to La Pergola, and the waiters from there walk through Surf & Turf with the dirty dishes from La Pergola, ruining the ambiance. I really don't think anyone in Surf & Turf was actually paying for the meal, and I would not be willing to pay for it.

 

Buffet - I found the buffet to be fine, with a good assortment of choices including a wide variety of fruit.  I never found long lines and never had a problem getting a table.  The pizza area had some odd pizzas (like tuna), but also had some that were absolutely fantastic.  I never ate at the grill.  The gelato was excellent, but was always just chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.  I also wished that the gelato hours were longer.  It closed at 7 and we would have liked gelato in the evening.

[LaCal]

Thanks for doing a review.  We’re going May 6th and really looking forward to Cuba 

 

Did you gamble at all and how was the casino? 

 

 

[GateGuardian]

3 hours ago, Cruiser933 said:

Continuing on dining since I answered some questions on that ...

 

MDR - No free lobster, but I don't eat lobster anyway.  Food was good, not great, but on par with other lines.  Most portion sizes were fine, although a couple were too small (main one being lobster ravioli that was an entree but barely enough food for an appetizer).  We mainly ordered the healthy choices which included salmon, grilled chicken, and fruit plates.  The one thing we would have liked was more vegetables as side dishes.  A couple things were odd, such a "strawberry yogurt shake" that was served as a dessert but was really a cold soup.  Service was fine all nights but one which was during the any time dining in Cuba.  As mentioned, dress codes and dining times did not seem to be strictly enforced.  We ate in the dining room most nights, except the two nights are excursions were late returning and the night we ate in Surf & Turf.  We also ate a couple of lunches in the MDR and breakfast on the last day.

 

 

They had fisherman's plate on the third night, which had a rock lobster tail, but it was not very good.

Edited February 27, 2019 by GateGuardian

[Cruiser933]

We missed dinner on the third night because our excursion was late. I guess the person who told me they had discontinued the fisherman’s plate was wrong.

 

The only gambling we did was the $3 free slot play. Casino was small but never crowded and was not smokey.

[OceansOfTravels]

Excited for this! Booked the Armonia with a friend to celebrate graduation so I will certainly have some questions, mostly about Cuba though 

[bandect]

Liked your review so far! We go on 4/8. Any more ship info? Special nights etc? How dressy are ‘formal’ nights, or are there any?

Also really want to know about Cuba process. We have a tour on the first day but not on second day. Any problem going out on our own without taking a ship tour?

How much Cuban cash did you need for the 2 days total. 

[GateGuardian]

2 hours ago, bandect said:

Liked your review so far! We go on 4/8. Any more ship info? Special nights etc? How dressy are ‘formal’ nights, or are there any?

Also really want to know about Cuba process. We have a tour on the first day but not on second day. Any problem going out on our own without taking a ship tour?

How much Cuban cash did you need for the 2 days total. 

 

I recommend going to the Cuba Talk session during the Grand Cayman day, but overall, the ship and Cuba immigration does not set any requirement to have an excursion to get off the ship. You have to meet one of the requirements to go to Cuba, but that is set by the US and it is up to you to keep the evidence that you meet the requirement for 5 years. The first day, our excursion left 45min late, but customs was super fast (5-10min). 2nd day was even faster, you just walk by the officer and flash your passport and keep going.

 

I did not buy cigar or rum so only used about 40-60 CUC over the 2 days (for myself) on magnets, drinks, and tips. I brought Canadian currency, but best exchange rate is in Euros, which you can get in Cozumel if you forget. However, everywhere, even street vendors, will take your US currency, the exchange rate is just bad. There are currency exchange booth on both floors of the terminal. Note that the first one I went to didn't have any Canadian currency when I try to exchange my CUC back. However, I just went to the next booth and they had it available.

[Cruiser933]

There was one gala night on Tuesday, the sea day.  Dress on that night was very mixed, as it was every night.  We saw everything from jeans and t-shirts to very fancy gowns every night.

 

As GateGuardian said, getting off in Cuba was very easy.  We had arranged private excursions both days.  The first time through they take your visa and stamp your passport.  After that, you just show your passport.  You also go through metal detectors and have your bags x-rayed like at the airport.

 

I only exchanged $15.  The exchange rate is .87 CUC to $1.  We tipped our guides in US dollars ( we checked in advance that this was allowed by their company.)  I only bought small trinkets at the San Jose craft market where things were very cheap.

[Cruiser933]

While getting off in Cuba was very easy the week we cruised, the cruise director told us this is not always the case.  There have been weeks where it took a couple of hours to get everybody off.  He said it appears to depend upon how many customs agents are working that day.

[Cruiser933]

Next I will go over some of the onboard activities.

 

There is a fantastic entertainment staff that conducts activities like trivia and scavenger hunts.  Prizes at these events are better than I have seen on other lines.  They are MSC merchandise such lanyards, hats, etc.  Every member of the winning team receives a prize.  Events were more fun and less cutthroat than other lines.  There was bingo a couple of times, but I did not attend.

 

The entertainment staff also conducts themed parties in the evening.  The ones I recall were 70's, Gatsby, country western, and white party.  The parties are either in one of the bars or on the pool deck and last about 30 minutes.  The entertainment staff dresses up for the events, but guests generally do not.  They may have a game related to the theme, then music and dancing where the entertainment staff tries to get guests to participate.  After 30 minutes, it goes back to the regular band playing.

[Cruiser933]

There were production shows every night with dancing, singing, and acrobats.  Although each night had a different theme and music, some guests may find the shows to be a bit repetitive, so some people may not want to go to all of them.  I really think this format probably works best given the number of languages spoken on board.  Reservations were not required for any production show.

 

There was also a Cuban dance group brought on board the evening in Havana.

 

There were also a lot of other activities on board including ping pong tables, foosball tables, a splash park for children, basketball/soccer court, shuffleboard, mini golf and a large fitness center.

 

There was always plenty to do and we were never bored.

[sanbixby]

Thanks so much for writing this review!

 

[bandect]

Cruiser933 Thanks so much! The Ship review was great! We are truly hoping NOT to have to take a tour on our 'full day' in Cuba. Hopefully we can just walk off and go into town. The Cruise line makes it makes it sound difficult to do but in 'talking' with people like you and others they all have said they just got off the ship and went out on their own with no problem. I have Euros (from European travel) that I will bring for exchanging for CUC. Like you we are not planning to spend much, maybe a local food sample or a drink at a bar. As to the other stops we aren't planning any excursions. Just getting off and walk around or maybe have some local 'lunch'.

If anything else comes to mind that we should be aware of PLEASE continue to update. It is most useful!

 

[EngIceDave]

I'll be on this ship and itinerary in about 2.5 weeks

Thank you for your review. I am on a casino comp with Aurea Experience. So, we pretty much won't need much more. 

Sounds like a smaller ship, for sure after doing CCL Valor and RCL Allure, as well as others, this is likely the smallest we'll have been on. I am still amazed our "suite" (just seems like a little larger reg balcony on any other line) actually has a bath tub...wish it also had ocean view and could fit two...LOL

[Cruiser933]

Now on to shore excursions.

 

Montego Bay - We did the rafting on the Martha Brae through the ship.  We arrived in Montego Bay a bit late.  Our excursion met in one of the bars, along with many other excursions.  In addition, the line for people not taking a shore excursion also snaked through this bar, so it ended up being wall-to-wall people for a while.  It appeared that they started letting the regular line start getting off before shore excursions, then stopped that line and let ship excursions start getting off.  Once in port, we continued to stand and wait as our bus was not yet there.  I think it was about 90 minutes after our scheduled time when we finally got on the bus.  By the time we got to the Martha Brae, we were the last group for the day, and the small shop and bar had started to close.  More importantly, it appeared that the raft captains had started leaving for the day.  It took quite a while before they had enough captains for our group.  The rafting was very pleasant, and because we were so late the pushy vendors that line the shore had also mostly left.  We thoroughly enjoyed the rafting part of the excursion.  Perhaps because we were so late, our bus driver drove crazy to get us to and from the ship, making everyone a bit nervous.  There was also a stop on the "hip strip" - literally just a brief stop in one small gift shop.  We were glad that the excursion was not cut short due to the late start.  We got back on well past final boarding time.

 

For those not planning an excursion, the ship did not recommend just walking around.  There was a free shuttle bus to take people into town, but the line was very long.  The port itself was not nice and there weren't any shops there.

[GateGuardian]

2 hours ago, bandect said:

Cruiser933 Thanks so much! The Ship review was great! We are truly hoping NOT to have to take a tour on our 'full day' in Cuba. Hopefully we can just walk off and go into town. The Cruise line makes it makes it sound difficult to do but in 'talking' with people like you and others they all have said they just got off the ship and went out on their own with no problem. I have Euros (from European travel) that I will bring for exchanging for CUC. Like you we are not planning to spend much, maybe a local food sample or a drink at a bar. As to the other stops we aren't planning any excursions. Just getting off and walk around or maybe have some local 'lunch'.

If anything else comes to mind that we should be aware of PLEASE continue to update. It is most useful!

 

 

You don't have to take an excursion but when you fill out the form before you board the ship in Miami, you must meet one of the requirements to visit Cuba. The ship or Cuba customs will not stop you if you get off the ship and not have anything planned to meet the requirements issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

[Cruiser933]

Grand Cayman - This is a tender port.  We arranged an outside excursion through Cayman Safari to see San Pedro historic house, the botanic garden, and the blowholes since we had been to this port before.  We had a priority tender ticket, but I am not sure we really needed it.  The tenders were large and we were on and off quickly.  

 

Cozumel - We took the Twister boat to Isla Passion through the ship.  This time we met in the theater along with many other excursions.  There were so many ships in port that day that we were required to tender in.  Cozumel only provided a couple of tenders and it took over an hour before our number was even called.  It was obvious that those without ship excursions were even more frustrated than we were about the wait.  We thoroughly enjoyed this excursion which included the twister boat doing 360's and getting us drenched and all you can eat and drink.  Most people on this excursion did not seem to understand what the twister boat was.  Again are excursion was not cut short due to the late arrival.  Tendering back also took a long time.  After everyone boarded and we left the dock we had to sit and wait for a tender from the mainland to unload.  I mention all of this so people who are expected to dock (as we were) know that you may have to tender and it could affect your time to meet an outside excursion.

[Cruiser933]

Cuba - The real reason everyone is taking this cruise!

 

We had arranged three excursions through Strawberry Tours in advance.  On day one, we took a free walking tour on the Revolution.  On day two we took a historic car tour which we booked and paid for in advance, and a free historic walking tour.  Although the walking tours are free, you are expected to tip, although it is not mandatory.  As I mentioned earlier, Strawberry tours said it was acceptable to tip in US dollars.  Strawberry Tours is OFAC compliant under the "Support for the Cuban People" option.  We were very happy with all three tours.

 

The other thing we did after our tours was to walk to the San Jose Craft Market.  This was pretty disappointing as it was primarily mass produced cheap trinkets and not crafts.  However if you want cheap souvenirs, things are much cheaper here.

 

You receive the visa in your cabin a few days before Cuba.  Send at least one person from your group to the Cuba presentation.  Make sure you follow the directions provided or you get to buy a second visa at $75/person for US citizens.

[Cruiser933]

Other parties:

 

Meet & Mingle is on the morning of the sea day.  We got our invitation late, so we missed most of the party.  There were a lot of officers there.  They took a group photo. You get a copy for free but you have to go to photo services to request it.  They had some free drinks and hors d'oevres and chocolate covered strawberries on each table and a Cruise Critic cake.  They specifically mentioned they want to be talked about on Cruise Critic and are trying to attract the American market.

 

Past Guest Party - They take your photo as you enter which you may or may not get for free depending on your status.  Again you have to get it from the photo shop.  There were bar snacks like chips and a snack mix and free drinks.  The party was short with no entertainment.

 

Black Party - Another short party with the same hors d'oevres and free drinks as the cruise critic party.  No photos at this one, but there was music at the beginning.

[Cruiser933]

Bottom line - Would we take MSC again?  Yes, if the price and itinerary was right, we definitely would.  I wouldn't call it our favorite cruiseline, but we had a really good time.