Armonia cheerleaders?

[nebraska lady]

Hey all-  I don’t see the Armonia getting much love on these forums. Anybody want to reassure me of One of her good qualities? We sail from Miami on a western Caribbean itinerary.  Can I expect working toilets and and A/C? I’m not picky and can make any cruise a good time, especially with a drink package, lol

[cellfree]

We are Armonia cheerleaders. We sailed on her in September and going out on her again in two days. We had no problems. We were in an Interior Cabin. Buffet not as huge as other ships but very nice. The Pizza station and Hamburger grill extend on either side outside the buffet. (Best hamburgers and hot fries ever.) Poolside has lots of chairs. Husband enjoyed Gym although again not as huge as other ships. All of the Cruise Staff are really friendly and want to help. Don’t miss the various chocolate beverages offered in the Coffee lounge (forget what it is called but it also has afternoon cookies, etc.). Pub just outside the lower level of Main Theatre is a great place. No complaints from us. Enjoy. Oh yes one quick tip - shower really little but you can leave curtain open and direct water so that it makes minimal mess and you enjoy a better shower experience - ha!

[perakcruiser]

Sailed the Armonia in 2011 and 2018, nothing to complain about. Yes, not a fancy new ship, but a classical cruise ship everybody can enjoy. Everything is in good condition, the ship is maintained very well. 

 

Bonus: If you are qualified for My Choice dining, La Pergola restaurant will give you a better experience and better food than the My Choice on the newer and bigger ships. 

[Homosassa]

Have you checked the ongoing threads in this thread?

 

There are several specifically about the Armonia.

[aprilF]

I am writing an Armonia TR right now.  We had a great time and its been one of our favorite cruises.  I've tried to take the time to highlight both what we liked and didnt in some detail so that others can determine if this things will be pluses or minuses to them.

[lifeasme123]

We were on Armonia last month - same sailing as aprilF, although we did not meet at the M&M.  

 

Loved the ship and am booked again for July and Nov (reposition cruise), along with 2 cruises on Seaside.  One of things I like about older, smaller ships is that the closet space is adequate.  On the newer and bigger ships (regardless of cruise lines), the cabin size and closet space are smaller as they try to squeeze as many passengers as they can.

 

We had dinner at La Pergola MDR and Surf-n-Turf.  Very good food at both locations.

 

The only gripe I have is the shower is tiny and I'm a tiny person.  The shower has curtains instead of doors.

 

[L2float]

We loved Armonia when we sailed her last June! I wrote up a lengthy review. The staff was excellent. The entertainment was amazing, although I know that can be subjective!  We love the older, smaller ships. We had no issues with ac, toilets, etc. We live in Florida and will definitely sail Armonia again. 

[aprilF]

15 hours ago, lifeasme123 said:

The only gripe I have is the shower is tiny and I'm a tiny person.  The shower has curtains instead of doors.

 

 

With three days left to go I eventually gave up and kept the end of the curtain open.  I was much more comfortable and the cleanup wasnt that bad.  LOL

[cellfree]

Wrote a review on Armonia after September cruise - suggested keeping shower curtain open as you can direct water towards wall and it becomes a much better shower experience. Just heading out for tomorrow’s cruise on Armonia again. 

[lifeasme123]

3 hours ago, cellfree said:

Wrote a review on Armonia after September cruise - suggested keeping shower curtain open as you can direct water towards wall and it becomes a much better shower experience. Just heading out for tomorrow’s cruise on Armonia again. 

 

4 hours ago, aprilF said:

 

With three days left to go I eventually gave up and kept the end of the curtain open.  I was much more comfortable and the cleanup wasnt that bad.  LOL

 

Missed your Sept post, but we did exactly just that on our Dec cruise.  Never had the curtain closed.  There was still water on the floor, but much better than touching the curtain.

[NCTribeFan]

If you do a Search for this board only, with Armonia in the thread title, you'll get a list of all the threads about her.  I wrote reviews about both my sailings.

 

I sailed her last May to Havana (my 2nd on MSC after Divinia the previous December).  I quite liked her.  Then, I got a no-solo-supplement offer and sailed her again in September, with Costa Maya + another sea day as the substitute for Havana.  Since I'd just sailed her 6 months earlier, it was a nice, relaxing solo cruise.

 

Currently looking at some great prices for All-In for late April.  Might even do a B2B.

 

Not all of us want/need the newest, biggest, most bells-and-whistles ships.  I personally prefer the atmosphere on smaller ships.  I have >200 nights on Carnival with almost half of those on their Fantasy-class ships (there are 8 of them), their oldest, smallest ships.  I've always felt that the service is better/more personal on smaller ships.  And I love that with fewer venues you find yourself some "favorite" spots and have the same bartenders/servers/casino dealers as well as running into the same pax.

[Javacruiser]

We did the New Years cruise on Armonia and the only complaints I would have are the shower (Wish I had thought to leave it open) which seemed to be groping me and the food tended to be more "hit or miss" than I am used to. Actually, the food overall is not really a complaint ...... I only ate in the main dining room once, on the first night, .... and did not do specialty dining at all. That first night was not a good experience .... strip steak that appeared steamed and tiny wilted Caesar salad. I just couldn't bring myself to go back after that. The buffet for dinner was much better .... The carving station always had something good ..... Prime Rib night there was the best Prime Rib I had ever had at sea. Pasta selections were rotated every night and were always fresh and excellent and the rolls were as good as I have ever had on a ship. For lunch ..... Burgers were good .... Hot dogs were really good and pizza was very good when you were able to get it fresh .... which was usually not a problem. Go in with an open mind and you won't go hungry.

 

Staff was friendlier than I am used to .... especially at embarkation. Entertainment was very good and the ship was overall well laid out and in great shape. Lots of open deck space, staffing was friendly and very adequate .... just an overall good experience

 

For a smaller, older ship, I would consider it as good as any mainstream cruise line option and I would not hesitate to sail her again.

 

[gkbiiii]

I absolutely love this ship, it is by far the best experience I have had on four MSC voyages, on four MSC ships (Seaside, Divina, Armonia, & Posia).  I got a myvegas 7 night cruise on Armonia, which was in a full suite.  The dining in the suite dining room, was outstanding, if not better than Seaside YC dining room.  The service throughout the ship was great, the ship's officers were top notch.

 

Along with the first ship I have been on, the Disney Magic, I say after 25 cruises, that Armonia along with Bahamas Paradise Classica, are my favorite three ships.  I really like the size of these three ships, which were made in the early-to-late 90's best.  The quality of interior finishing's and artwork is outstanding.  The food on all three is outstanding, being smaller vessels, the food & service tend to be better.

 

The Italian food served aboard Armonia is the best I have tried in the MSC fleet.  Having comped Gelato on the pool deck, is somehting i have not seen on any other vessel.  The pizza was outstanding, as was the Steakhouse; along with BPL's Classica the best two steakhouses at sea.  This ship was built for a French line, Festival Cruises, you can see the French design influence throughout the ship.

 

I am spending $4,000 on a trip to Mexico City and the Acapulco Princess next month.  If MSC had reinstated my Black Card (after months of trying and email from the ship's host) I would have booked a back to back sailing on Armonia.  $2,000 would have been half price for the 14 day trip, vs the 10 day Mexico trip.  Sometimes I get sick of fighting, so Mexico here I come!

[waughoo]

On 1/12/2020 at 7:53 AM, cellfree said:

Wrote a review on Armonia after September cruise - suggested keeping shower curtain open as you can direct water towards wall and it becomes a much better shower experience. Just heading out for tomorrow’s cruise on Armonia again. 

Your review was wonderful--thank you so much for taking the time to write it! Very helpful to my family!

[Reds4life]

Do they still have lobster in the MDR on Armonia?

[gkbiiii]

Lobster Thermidor in the Steakhouse.

[NCTribeFan]

We had a lobster tail on the May cruise.  Mine was so overcooked and dry that I couldn't get it out of the shell.  I don't remember if we had it in September.  Maybe I just didn't bother to try it.

 

Had a lovely Surf & Turf in the Surf & Turf restaurant in September, though.  The lobster tail was delicious and the steak was perfect!  I only went because I stayed on the ship the day we were in Jamaica (had no plans and it was about 99 degrees F out there).  I was sitting up in my favorite area in Il Girasole when a young man came over and talked me into making a reservation for that evening, at a discount.  Don't remember how much (I'm thinking 20 or 25%).  I was also pleasantly surprised that they allowed me to order whatever wine I'd been drinking from my Easy package, so it was a delicious meal for a very reasonable price.