Most cruise lines are trying to encourage families to choose cruising as an alternative to family based resort holidays. This is leading to ever more advanced activities, facilities and programs to appeal and satisfy the needs of modern travellers – and to differentiate them from other lines. In this article I explore what MSC Cruises…

Watch my video tour of the MSC Armonia after it went through its 2014 revamp where it was sliced in half and a 25-metre new section added: In 2014 the MSC Armonia was sliced in two and had a 25-metre section added to enable it to carry more passengers and provide new and improved features.…

Watch my video tour and review of an Ocean View cabin on the MSC Armonia. This compact cabin can sleep up to four as it has two bunk beds that pull down from the walls: Ocean View cabins are one of the main types available on the MSC Armonia cruise ship. They are compact with…

In this episode of Tips for Travellers audio podcast I explore the family-based entertainment, kids’ programs and dining on MSC Cruises. Towards the end of 2014 and into 2015, the line started to renovate four of their smaller and older ships (Armonia, Lirica, Sinfonia and Opera) which included slicing them into two and inserting a…

Cruise ships, even so-called “small ones”, are vast beasts. They rise stories high, stretch the length of playing fields and huge quantities of steel go into making them. Slicing them in half, separating them and inserting a whole new mid section seems like a preposterous and bizarre thing to do. However, that is exactly what…