Of my past 5 Cruises this one is #1

MSC Armonia Cruise Review to Cuba

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 41

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5
MSC Armonia

7 Night Cuba & Antilles (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 11, 2019

Ship: MSC Armonia

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 8046

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Armonia and its AMAZING Crew. We decided to take this cruise mostly because of its itinerary, timing and reasonable price. The timing was perfect, during the 7th Birthday of our son Eliot, on March 13th, and the cruise dates coinciding with with his school spring break, along with allure of stoping in Cuba. What we did no expect, was the individualized and personable and very especial treatment that Miguel, Lucia and Iryna, Olga along with all the other staff showed us, and especially to our son Eliot. They went above and beyond to make Eliot’s cruise very especial and forever memorable. Eliot was treated to very especial treats in recognition of his 7th birthday, and was welcomed on stage with the staff, as well as getting to meet Iryna, one of the GREAT dance performers. Iryna took the time to talk to Eliot a few times along the cruise and made him feel very especial, Eliot will forever remember her! Olga and the rest of the staff in the Juniors Club were great also. Sunny, made sure our cabin was taken care of. Overall we just wanted send a "BIG THANKS” to Miguel, Lucia, Iryna, Olga and Sunny, without leaving out ALL the other fantastic staff, that made our time in the MSC Armonia so WONDERFUL, creating AMAZING memories for us and especially for our son Eliot. From the bottom of our hearts! THANK YOU! Olga, James & Eliot PS: We hope these comments reach the staff of the MSC Armonia and are shared with all, we truly do appreciate how especial they made our cruise!

Embarkation

5 out of 5
It was the quickest ever for me. Very smooth operation.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Great food selection and quality.

Marco Polo Restaurant

5 out of 5

Food was great and service was top notch. We ate dinner there each night of our cruise. Always something new to try on the menu.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
We played mini golf, basketball, soccer, swimming pools and children's pool area.

Gym

5 out of 5

It was just fine. My wife and I both worked out here and it met our needs just fine. As with any ship running on the treadmill is a bit tricky depending on how big the waves are. Be sure to hold on to something.

InternetCafe

4 out of 5

I used it several times. As the cruise director told us it is satellite internet so it may not be what you are used to using but it worked each time I needed it.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
The performers were super. They were all great and super nice. We talked with many of them and they took our son up on stage a couple of times. He will never forget this cruise.

La Fenice Theatre

5 out of 5

The best theatre experience of the 5 cruises I have taken. The performers were fabulous and very approachable.

Children's Programs

5 out of 5
The kids room was fantastic and the staff were GREAT.

Children Area

5 out of 5

This area was fabulous for our 7 year old son. He made many new friends and regardless of the language barriers with the other kids they all had a great time.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The staff were super nice and really engaging when we approached them to say hi and thanks for serving us.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The ship was in great shape and kept very clean. It was easy to navigate after the first day.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
We started out in an Oceanview that was a bit cramped. During our cruise our attendant noticed a problem with our room window so they upgraded us to a Balcony. It was a much larger room and ideal for our family of three. Next time we will book the balcony from the start. We started out in room 8046 and then moved into 1049. Both rooms had some noise associated but you have to realize the ship crew are 24/7 and they never take a break so it was OK.

Ship tip

Book the Balcony room if more than two people. The Oceanview rooms are nice but a bit cramped for two adults and a 7 year old.

Ports of call

Miami, Florida Did not visit port

We flew in to FLL and took a Lyft to the port. When we left we just flew out and did not spend any time in Miami.

Belize City, Belize

5 out of 5
We did not take any excursions at this port. We just walked around in the city to enjoy the sights and talk to the locals. They were very nice to talk with and we enjoyed the interaction with them.

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

5 out of 5
We did take the Maya Ruins excursion. We arrived a little late because we took our time getting off the ship after breakfast. It was OK because the tour company had waited for us. Shame on us for being tardy but they were excellent hosts. We really enjoyed visiting the village and eating the local food prepared for us.

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
We did not take an excursion. We just went on our own and hired a taxi to take us to a local beach for the day. We have been here before and did the same thing the previous time. Just a lazy day at the beach.

HAVANA, CUBA

5 out of 5
We were super excited about this part of our cruise and it lived up to our expectations. We did two excursions one as a historical tour and one of a food tasting tour. Of the two I would recommend going with the locals to try the food as it was excellent. Our son spent a couple hour in the plaza just playing soccer with the local kids while we sat in an outdoor cafe watching them play. The people are great and super nice. They are very approachable and helpful if you have any questions. It is sad they are unable to leave the island but everyone we talked to was in great spirit and loved the cruise ship stopping there. I highly recommend this stop and to talk to the locals.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Wow, was this easy! I opted for the walk off with my own luggage and it was great. I had breakfast then walked out the door with no line of any kind. My wife and son slept in while I went to get the car and when I was ready they walked off to meet me. Super easy way to do it.
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