MSC Armonia Cabins

In general, cabins on MSC offer plenty of space and while serviceable and comfortable enough are not particularly special in any way. Most cabins come with two single beds (convertible to a king), bedside tables, a flat-screen television, a desk and chair, and a closet for storing belongings. Other amenities are a mini-bar (stocked with for-fee items), room safe, hair dryer and telephone.

As is normal for an older ship, all the electric outlets and USB ports are located in one spot over the desk, and not next to the bed, which can be a bit of a hassle at times for two people with multiple devices that need charging. As for the beds, if you like a very firm mattress, you'll be happy. For those who prefer a softer mattress, the beds might be too firm for comfort.

Bathrooms are fairly small in all nonsuite cabins, and the small shower cubicle is divided from the rest of the room by a shower curtain on rails at both the top and bottom to prevent it from being clingy. (Showers in the balcony cabins have glass doors.) The bathroom setup is perfectly functional, but the funny, triangular shape of the shower cubicle makes it quite cramped. All showers and tubs have body wash/shampoo and conditioner dispensers mounted to the wall as well as wire racks to hold toiletries.

In what we were told is a green initiative, cabins are not stocked with tissues, though you can request a box from you cabin attendant.

Families and groups traveling together can take advantage of 10 interconnecting balcony cabins, 18 interconnecting suites and two designated family cabins that offer a separate sitting area with a pull-down bunk bed and a pull-out sofa bed. A large number of ocean-view and interior cabins onboard offer pull-down bunks as third and fourth berths.

There are five accessible cabins onboard (each sized 225 square feet) that are located close to elevators, and have wider doorways and a roll-in shower for wheelchair accessibility as well as grab bars in the shower. They also feature lowered sinks and closet rods, raised toilets, amplified phones and close-captioned televisions.

Unlike any other cruise line, MSC's cabins must be booked via a system of tiered experiences. On MSC Armonia the available tiers are: Bella, Fantastic and Aurea. Each level has its own set of inclusions (or as in the case of Bella, no inclusions), as well as designated cabins that can only be booked with that experience.

Interior: The 351 interior cabins measure 140 square feet and come with the standard amenities listed above.

Ocean View: These 399 cabins offer the same square footage and amenities as inside cabins (140 square feet), along with picture windows, but beware 64 of these cabins only have partial views.

Balcony: Balcony cabins, which only number 64, measure 172 square feetand have a 32-square-foot balcony furnished with a round table and two upright chairs as opposed to loungers. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors lead out to the veranda.

Suite: At 290 square feet, the suites are not true suites in that they don't offer a separate lounge area. They do feature extra storage space and a pull-out sofa bed. Balconies are larger than those in the standard balcony cabins, at 53 square feet, but similarly furnished. The most noticeable perk is the larger bathrooms, which have a tub in addition to the shower.