MSC Armonia Review

MSC Armonia - Eastern Mediterranean

Review for the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on MSC Armonia
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Mike Doyle
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Jul 2006

SC Armonia Review

The cruise began in Venice a truly spectacular city. We had spent a week in Tuscany at a villa we rented with friends. It was heaven. We then drove to Venice and spent a night at the Hotel Danieli a beautiful, old-world hotel overlooking the lagoon at the beginning of the Grand Canal. Great dinning and shopping  all was perfect. We were relaxed and ready for a long anticipated cruise to the Greek Islands and Dubrovnik. It was all down hill from there.

Let me say at the outset that MSC is the most poorly organized cruise company we have ever dealt with  and we have cruised 8 times. The chaos began when a water taxi dropped us at an assembly point for a bus ride to the port where we would clear boarding registration. Several cruise lines were assembling at this location  all had staff available to direct you and answer questions  except MSC. We had to fend for ourselves and find the right bus without benefit of assistance  that includes having to drag our bags across two parking lots and loading them aboard the bus ourselves. After waiting in high-humid heat on a non-air-conditioned bus for one-half hour, we were transported in about ten minutes to what we assumed was the embarkation facility. We were dropped in front of the embarkation facility, but no MSC staff met the bus, so no one was available to direct us where to go or what to do. We dragged our luggage to the main entrance only to be told that we needed to check our luggage in first at a separate building on the other side of the parking lot. So we dragged our bags again  in 100 degree heat. After checking our bags, we returned to the embarkation facility to check in. We were asked for our tickets. I explained that our online travel agency told me that I did not need a ticket that my registration was all set and, because this seemed odd to me, that I had also contacted MSC's New York office, which confirmed that I did not need any additional documentation. The staff in Venice insisted that was wrong but eventually found our reservation and issued our on-board ID cards. Then we waited, and waited, and waited  in a non-air-conditioned lobby. Finally, after about 2 hours, our group number was called and we prepared to go aboard our ship - Armonia. As we soon found out, however, we weren't boarding the ship at all - just lining up for another bus ride. This time it was a 20 minute ride to an industrial port area where MSC has a cargo shipping operation and dockage for our ship.

Cabin Review

Cabin 7
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