My title "Disappointing From Stepping Onto the Ship to End"
1. After leaving port in Miami, the Captain announced we were not going to Ocho Rios as planned, but instead to Montego Bay. He described it as "administrative necessity."
2. We were to arrive in Montego Bay at 1:00pm. However, not until approximately 11:30am on the day of arrival to Montego Bay, the Captain announced that during the night, the ship had maintenance issues which slowed the ship speed. As a result, we would not arrive to Montego Bay until 11:00pm, where we would dock for the night. Additionally, because of this maintenance issue, the port of Costa Maya was now cancelled. To further point out the unprofessional communication, I had purchased an excursion from the ship excursion desk at approx 10:30am. They never mentioned that we would not be at the port that day yet sold me an excursion and the announcement was made approximately 15 minutes after my purchase. We did arrive to Montego Bay the next day and they honored the excursion purchase.
This biggest issue with the changing and canceling of ports for me was the fact I had booked excursions at each location through outside vendors. Thus, I had to deal with the notifications and cancellations to each vendor to get refunds and reschedule where possible.
While I understand there can be issues, it was just too much and my biggest complaint was the poor communication from the Captain. I found it to be very unprofessional. For this reason, I would not recommend sailing on the MSC Armonia.
3.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Fast and effecient
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was not warm enough and not lots of variety. Same breakfast items each day.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Plenty of the "standard" cruise ship activities to participate in.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The performers themselves were good. However it was dance and sing each night with a different theme. Very little variation or variety in the shows. Two shows and I was done.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The waiter we had for the main dining room worked hard but due to a language barrier, we often got food we didn't order and didn't get food we did order. The dining room experience was pleasant though, so no real complaint here. The room steward was excellent. He was attentive and helpful and the room was always tidy. The biggest issue in regard to "service" was the Captain and his staff. I will explain this below. This is why I can say this was by far, the worst cruise experience I have had.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was small enough to be able to find your way around without issue. Signs clearly mark where things are located. The ship was clean and appeared to be well taken care of.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This is my first experience in a Interior Stateroom. I was impressed with the size of the room. It was well laid out and kept clean by our excellent room steward. There was plenty of drawers and closet space for clothes and suitcases.
Without prior notice and after boarding and leaving the Port of Miami, the Captain made the announcement that due to "administrative necessity", the port would be changed to Montego Bay. No idea what that means or why it changed.
This is one of my favorite ports for a Caribbean cruise stop. The city is clean and the beach and ocean awesome. I've been there twice. The Stingray City excursion was educational and fun. We had the opportunity to feed and touch the stingrays. We went to other locations to snorkel and then to a beach to see starfish.
During the night of one cruise, apparently the ship had mechanical issues which required maintenance. As a result, the ship had to slow down to the point the Costa Maya port was cancelled.
While this new port is still under construction, it did not affect the things to do and see. It is a port to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches. This biggest issue is this belongs to MSC and they have decided to gouge you for almost everything once on their island. The cost to use recreational items such as kayaks, tubes, wave runners, etc were astronomical. I think they will reevaluate this because it is too costly as now priced. They have an ice cream shop where you can buy a $7-$9 ice cream cone.
I am confused with your comments your star ratings do not match the title. Can understand the statement but am confused why you still rate it as 4 - 5 stars.
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