MSC Armonia deck plans

MSC Armonia (2001-built/2014-stretched, last refurbished in 2019) is the first (and oldest) of the Lirica-class MSC cruise ships - together with Lirica, Opera, Sinfonia. The Armonia ship entered the MSC fleet in 2004. Before that, the boat was operated under the name “MS European Vision” by Festival Cruises (1992-founded/2004-defunct).

MSC Armonia cruise ship deck plan shows a total of 975 staterooms for 1950 passengers (max capacity is 2340) served by 770 crew-staff. Before the stretching, MSC Armonia had 777 cabins for 1554 pax (max 2223). The boat has 13 decks (9 passenger-accessible, 5 with cabins), 4 restaurants, 10 lounges and bars, 2 swimming pools, 2 Jacuzzis (outdoor whirlpool hot tubs), 9 elevators.

MSC Armonia decks are named after precious gemstones.

MSC Armonia deckplan changes 2014 refurbishment review

Armonia was majorly furbished in 2014 (dry-dock between August 31 and November 17). There are substantial deck plan changes after that since the ship was stretched (elongated by 25 m / 82 ft). The list of refurbishment 2014 changes includes:

• All cruise cabins were renovated and their amenities upgraded.
• A total of 193 new passenger cabins were added (on deck 9-Ametista, 10-Tormalina, 12-Zaffiro), plus 59 new crew cabins.
• New stateroom categories were introduced.
• An Aqua Park (named Spray Park, with waterfalls and interactive slides) was installed.
• All boutique shops were upgraded (new designs), and one new luxury perfumes shop was added.
• The supervised kids' clubs and play areas were upgraded with equipment and toys by Chicco and LEGO.

The 10-week drydock 2014 was valued at nearly EUR 50 million.

"MSC for Me" Digital Innovation Program 2017-2018

Each of the MSC cruise ships will be fitted with thousands of connectivity points, digital access points, iBeacons (Bluetooth) and hundreds of interactive digital screens throughout the ship. In all staterooms will be implemented RFID (radio-frequency identification) and NFC (near-field communication) access technologies.

The new program will be implemented fleetwide, but first introduced on MSC Meraviglia. The cruise ship, launched in June 2017, was fitted with a total of 114 Interactive screens, 244 info screens, 31 virtual screens, 81 video wall monitors, 2244 cabins, (NFC entry-door opening), 3050 iBeacons, 700 WAPs (wireless access points), 1200 CCTV cameras.

Some of the MSC digitalization program's main features are:

• The apps implement facial recognition technology and interactive/smart bracelets by Samsung.
• Digital Concierge app - passengers can reserve/book onboard services, restaurants and shore excursions in real time. The app is real-time and 24-hour, connecting MSC customers to the company's experienced staff online.
• Capture - virtual reality tool to preview the cruise itinerary, create personal photo galleries, online sharing.
• Organizer - a cruise planning tool used at mobile devices. It provides detailed information and also allows pre-booking (tours, theater seats, dinner table, etc) before ship embarkation (pre-cruise booking) and while onboard (realtime cruise planner).
• Navigation - Interactive map (way finder) provides advice (scheduled events, opening hours, etc) and directions while on the ship. The app also allows real-time kids monitoring (via bracelets).
• TailorMade - digital advisor for personal recommendations based on the passenger's preferences (interactive gaming, gambling, culinary, recreational, entertainment, etc).
• Passengers can always opt out of all these connected ("Internet of things" / IoT) services offered.