Squidward Q Tentacles

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Thanks for doing this review Gard and glad you and DK are still doing well. Your videos are always well done and very enjoyable, thanks for doing them.

 

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this cruise as much as I'd hoped you would as I value your opinion but, we'll see how it goes for us.

 

Eric & I are on the Divina over New Years so your info is very timely and much appreciated.

 

Since departure isn't until after 7, I'm thinking we may decide to do lunch prior to boarding so we don't have to wade through all the crowds. You've given me lots to think about.

 

Cheers,

Thanks, I really enjoy making videos and glad you like them. It's nice to know that people appreciate ones work.

Both my wife and I were matched to Black. We both received a bottle of sparkling wine, a chocolate ship (about 10" long) two plates with chocolate covered strawberries and two 5 x 7 photos from the Italian nights dinner. We both were invited to the Black level party with music, dancing, sparkling wine, juice and h'orderves.

We also received a dinner each at either Galaxy Disco restaurant or Eataly. What I did not like about that was that is was a predetermined tasting menu, not just a regular dinner menu.

Hey Squidward! Thanks for the great review and videos! They help so much as we are cruising the Divina in October.

 

Did you say there was a Cruise Critic meet and greet on the ship? How was that arranged?

 

Thanks!

MSC sets a time and date for the Cruise Critic meet. They post it in the daily for the day of the event. MSC knows that there is a good chance that Cruise Critic members will be on the ship. So they schedule it just like they do for other groups, such as veterans, Friends of Bill W, etc.

For our event they served sparkling wine, juice and some light snacks. We had six CC members show up for our meet.

MSC was nice, they were there to answer questions and get feedback. They want everyone to be happy cruisers.

There was nothing wrong with our cruise on the Divina, it's just simple little things like the washy washy girls, being greeted on the pier with a cool drink and wash cloth or being greeted by your name that make a cruise feel special.

We liked the shows so much better on NCL, walking by and hearing Jim Badger at his piano, even the colors of the ship interiors are just better feeling. Having a dining room choice is nice, we like to try all the main dining rooms on a ship and being assigned to one is just not our style. We did that on the Disney Dream and did not like it then, but we thought we would give MSC a chance.

The was so many people on the ship, 4,300 of them, and it was kind of hard to find someone to talk to. The captain said there were 70 languages being spoken by passengers! We did meet some nice people, our dinner table mates were real nice.

Overall, we really like NCL!

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My missus and I just got home from a cruise on the MSC Divina. I have to say that we both really prefer NCL, so much that we just booked a cruise on the Pearl for March 3, 2017.

As we are Platinum level on NCL, MSC graciously status matched us to their equivalent Black level.

The boarding process went very smoothly. Once aboard, waiting for our room to be readied for us, we were anxious for our first meal aboard! On the Divina, the only place available was the buffet where on NCL we had a choice of the buffet or one of the main dining rooms to choose from. Needless to say, it was very crowed and difficult to navigate. We always enjoyed that NCL allowed us the choice to eat a beautifully prepared relaxing lunch after the hectic journey of boarding the ship.

At the Cruise Critic meet on the first sea day there were 6 Cruise Critic members and I think 4 ship representatives including the hotel director and the food and beverage director.

We were asked what we thought about the cruise so far, and asked to let them know if we had any concerns during our cruise. They asked us to let them know of three things we liked and one item that needed improvement. Funny thing, no one mentioned the things that they liked but went straight to discussing the negatives. Maybe later in the cruise they should have asked us after we had time to experience the Divina but we appreciated their sincere interest in our cruise experience. They served some sparkling wine, juice and some snacks. It was very nice, wish more cruisers had attended.

I told them my first impression of the ship was that it was beautiful, but I felt a little disappointed in how I felt when I walked into our cabin regarding the Black level treatment. On NCL you have treats in your cabin that let you know you are Platinum. Some notes, bottle of wine, chocolates and such. In our cabin there was nothing other than a nice, clean cabin. I liked the cabin on the Divina, it had plenty of storage and felt roomy. The shower had those crazy doors that swing in to make the bathroom feel bigger. The only thing I did not like about the cabin was the shower. I am a big guy, 6’3” and 290 pounds, the shower was small for me. My wife was disturbed by a strong musty/moldy smell in the shower. We mentioned this to the Hotel director and he went above and beyond to remedy the problem. Ours became the cleanest shower on record!

So for the rooms, inside cabin on the Divina vs Pearl, the Divina wins by a slight margin.

The buffet has a lot of repeat stations when it gets busy. As for the pizza, there was only one location for that. That was at the end nearest the main pool. The pizza was very good, I spoke to an Italian women and she gave her endorsement. There were unusual toppings as well as the standard toppings that you would expect. The buffet is huge. It is easy to lose your party if you are not careful. It gets very crowded and hard to get around, just be patient and it all works out for you. After hours such late at night or between meals, don’t expect much variety, At these times you will find pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, sandwiches, fruit, and little desserts. As I am listing that, it actually sounds pretty good, but it is exactly the same every day and at every time of the day! It bothered my wife more than myself; she likes fine dining at her fingertips at her schedule! That’s why she cruises’ she says, “to eat!”

In the main dining rooms on NCL they ask for your room key when being seated. They then acknowledge you by your name, I like that. After a while I would be greeted by my name before I even gave them my room key. That is different than on the Divina, on the first night you show them your room key and they take you to your assigned table. From then on you just walk in at your dinner time and go to your table.

I really liked the wait staff on NCL better, not that there was anything bad with the wait staff on the Divina. I think it has to do with the fact that there are so many different languages spoken by the guests that it is harder for the crew to interact with the guests. The captain told us that on our cruise there were 70 different languages being spoken by the passengers!

When it comes to dining, I really enjoy NCL better. I like the different specialty dining over the ones on MSC. I really love the Great Outdoors on the Pearl, several of NCL ships have that. I did enjoy the gelato and coffee on the Divina.

As for the food, the food was tasty on the Divina, the portions were small and that was good for me. I am trying to watch what I eat and that worked out well for me on this cruise.

Overall, I enjoyed the dining on the Pearl vs the Divina.

Help.....where in the world is the thumbs up button???? I looked but couldn't find it.......not super computer saavy......sorry.........but I will be happy to click on it if you let me know where to find it.....

 

It's on the right side just bellow the numbers of views for the video. Thanks again and here is another video I just edited.

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I just enjoyed the last video you posted - piano bar - I keep checking for more.......this thread is awesome and such a nice help for future MSC cruisers!!!

 

Can you tell me the time passengers are permitted to board the ship on embarkation day.

 

Thank you...:)

Not sure what time they allow persons to board. We were onboard by 12:30 and there was plenty of people already there.

If you like the videos click on the thumbs up button, and thanks for watching.

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As we are Platinum level on NCL, MSC graciously status matched us to their equivalent Black level.

The boarding process went very smoothly. Once aboard, waiting for our room to be readied for us, we were anxious for our first meal aboard! On the Divina, the only place available was the buffet where on NCL we had a choice of the buffet or one of the main dining rooms to choose from. Needless to say, it was very crowed and difficult to navigate. We always enjoyed that NCL allowed us the choice to eat a beautifully prepared relaxing lunch after the hectic journey of boarding the ship.

At the Cruise Critic meet on the first sea day there were six Cruise Critic members and I think four ship representatives including the hotel director and the food and beverage director.

We were asked what we thought about the cruise so far, and asked to let them know if we had any concerns during our cruise. They asked us to let them know of three things we liked and one item that needed improvement. Funny thing, no one mentioned the things that they liked but went straight to discussing the negatives. Maybe later in the cruise they should have asked us after we had time to experience the Divina but we appreciated their sincere interest in our cruise experience. They served some sparkling wine, juice and some snacks. It was very nice, wish more cruisers had attended.

I told them my first impression of the ship was that it was beautiful, but I felt a little disappointed in how I felt when I walked into our cabin regarding the Black level treatment. On NCL you have treats in your cabin that let you know you are Platinum. Some notes, bottle of wine, chocolates and such. In our cabin there was nothing other than a nice, clean cabin. I liked the cabin on the Divina, it had plenty of storage and felt roomy. The shower had those crazy doors that swing in to make the bathroom feel bigger. The only thing I did not like about the cabin was the shower. I am a big guy, 6’3” and 290 pounds, the shower was small for me. My wife was disturbed by a strong musty/moldy smell in the shower. We mentioned this to the Hotel director and he went above and beyond to remedy the problem. Ours became the cleanest shower on record!

So for the rooms, inside cabin on the Divina vs Pearl, the Divina wins by a slight margin.

Hey Neighbor!

 

We were in room 12256 that same week :) It was a decent cruise indeed. Very relaxing I must say. First time I've been on MSC.

Hello! We had a very smooth sailing cruise, just one night a little bit of wave action. Funny, but I prefer a little wave action, I sleep so well those nights. It was our first MSC cruise also.

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I feel NCL is better in service, atmosphere, and especially food. I hear MSC has better prices on sale, but I have not found this to be true on the dates I am going. The spa on the DIVINA is superior to any cruise ship spa. I went every day and tried various treatments with Siti and I will book with her on my cruise this winter. I also like the gym better on MSC.

I agree, the Spa is a very nice spa!

Loving the videos, keep them coming. We will see for ourselves in 6 weeks!

 

How would you compare the food with NCL? That seems to be one of the biggest complaints in many reviews of the Divina.

In the buffet on the Divina, while the food tasted good I would say that the selection was a little less. Hours were good, 20 out 24 hours. Off hours in the buffet were sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, fries, fruit and salad and almost exactly the same food each time. No great outdoors area like what we enjoy so much on the Pearl and Sun. On the Divina, there is a back “infinity pool” where the dining seating should be. No washy-washy greeting.

Our main dining room assignment was the Black Crab. We had the late seating. Pretty much everyone gathered at the entrance, once the door was opened (definitely no sooner and usually a little later than 8:30) we herded ourselves through and sat ourselves at our assigned table. The service was very good but it didn’t quite have the personal touch we have come to enjoy on NCL. We were very, very fortunate with our assigned table mates, a nice young couple that we enjoyed immensely. We had a table for four. Compared to NCL, the menu layout was very similar. The right side was the same throughout the cruise and the left side changed daily. Some portions seemed small. The food tasted great with the exception of a steak on the first night. I may be biased after enjoying steaks at Le Bistro and Cagney’s on the Pearl.

Due to the fact that MSC status matched our NCL Platinum level to their equivalent Black level, we were awarded two specialty restaurant dinners. Both were tasting dinners, we weren’t given the actual restaurant menu to select from.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the Eataly dinner very much. They kindly accommodated my wife’s gluten-free diet by substituting a salad for the pasta course and providing a gluten-free dessert. Before sailing, we had read that the Eataly décor is casual and that it is, but roomy and quiet. I would definitely recommend this restaurant according to our experience.

A few nights later, we had our tasting dinner at the Galaxy Disco restaurant. I think it is named so due to the fact that the space serves a dual (or more) purpose, late at night the tables are moved and it becomes the ship’s disco. This meal we did not enjoy so much, it started with sea bass tartare. Maybe if we had the regular menu it would have been better.

We are able to count only four specialty restaurants on the Divina. There may not be many more specialty restaurants on the NCL Pearl however it feels like there is more and they make us feel more special!

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Great mini videos!!

Thanks!

Enjoying the videos, thanks!

Thanks! Here is another one.

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Hi Squidward,

 

Don't know if you remember us, but we sailed with you on the Pearl in Dec, 2014. We are sailing on the Divina in October and anxious to hear your thoughts on Divina. Still love NCL, but with the great prices on MSC, we decided to give it a try. Looking forward to the rest of your review!

My memory gets worse as I get older but your screen name looks familiar.

I will be posting more videos and text soon, trying to get it all together. The cabin video seems to have gotten a little messed up on the up load, but it gives you a good idea of what to expect with an inside cabin.

Had a good time, will be posting videos and comments about our cruise. This was our first cruise with MSC, very different than what we normally have on NCL.

We liked the ship, very modern and beautiful, but a bit dark with the trim and paint colors. Also, a lot of mirrors and mirrored surfaces.

The cabin was very nice, good sized and the room steward did a great job maintaining for us.

Here is a video of our cabin:

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The port parking is so handy! Park car, walk across street, board ship. Coming back , go through customs, walk across street, get in car, drive home. It is pricey, but figure in the time waiting for a shuttle and paying a tip both directions it becomes not so expensive.

In the past, disabled parking was free. Now you need a car with hand controls, a ramp or some other features.

I can park free at my sisters house in Homestead if I want. But then I will need to get to the ship and back to her house. I plan on parking at the port on my next cruise.