RSVP MSC Divina 2.15.14

[Boytjie]

I left out this tidbit:

 

And there’s one you get to design yourself! For the first time in our history, we’re letting you choose the theme for our RSVP Choice Party.

Our biggest party theme is now in your hands! Simply submit your party idea to...

[Cruising since 1984]

I'm working on a review and I'll post it this week.

I've been on many RSVP and Atlantis cruises, as well 20+ non-charter sailings. I'll be posting the positive as well as the "improvements" [i hate to use the word negative since this is a vacation experience, not anything that is going to be life changing for anyone]. I will also be pointing out the differences that the veteren RSVP cruisers are used to having on the Holland America charters. Unless things change in the next couple of months on the Divina, these differences will either be missed by you or you will go with the flow for a new experience.

The Divina is very large and beautiful ship with many lounges, and offers alot of outdoor deck space to relax in the sun or shade.

I'll be posting pictures also.

 

PS. It was strange being at Half Moon on Monday and not seeing my fellow RSVP cruisers enjoying the warm sunny weather. This was the first and the last time the DIVINA will be stopping at Half Moon.

[Boytjie]

I'm working on a review and I'll post it this week.

I've been on many RSVP and Atlantis cruises, as well 20+ non-charter sailings. I'll be posting the positive as well as the "improvements" [i hate to use the word negative since this is a vacation experience, not anything that is going to be life changing for anyone]. I will also be pointing out the differences that the veteren RSVP cruisers are used to having on the Holland America charters. Unless things change in the next couple of months on the Divina, these differences will either be missed by you or you will go with the flow for a new experience.

The Divina is very large and beautiful ship with many lounges, and offers alot of outdoor deck space to relax in the sun or shade.

I'll be posting pictures also.

 

PS. It was strange being at Half Moon on Monday and not seeing my fellow RSVP cruisers enjoying the warm sunny weather. This was the first and the last time the DIVINA will be stopping at Half Moon.

 

Thanks, that would be great! A group of us were onboard for a tour last Saturday and I will still post some comments on it. A number of us took lots of pictures and they are posted at http://www.gaycruisepictures.com/divina/. The bar prices are also listed there. I will scan other documents that I collected too.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Boytjie

[RMS Olympic]

Had two friends on the 3 night cruise........Brion has 40+ cruises under his keel.......he was pleased with the ship, crew, food and entertainment. He said he could not understand all the earlier bad press. So I think your cruise will be great and suspect there will be future MSC cruises chartered by RSVP. Now if they would do a med cruise......ooo la la.

Bertha

[Cruising since 1984]

Disclaimer: I would like to expressly convey to you (the reader) that were I accidentally hurt someone's person or feelings as a result of them reading and or acting upon any or all of the information and or advice found here on my review of the Divina, it is entirely unintentional of me to do so. The sole purpose of this review is to inform RSVP cruisers of my personal observations and my first-hand knowledge of the MSC Divina. Everyone will agree to disagree with what their cruise vacation should offer. Since most of us on this thread have traveled on Holland America, I'll try to capture the difference between the two. Don't shoot the messenger!! :)

 

Embarkation: We arrived at the port around 1130am. No lines for check-in. They handed us a boarding card [9] and we were on board by 1215pm. They board either in the front or the back of the ship from the terminal lobby. You can go to either one, but almost everyone headed for the rear boarding doors with long waiting lines. The front boarding had no wait so we went up the escalators, got a picture taken and walked through the boarding bridge to the ship. We entered the ship on Deck 6 Silver lounge area. Rear boarding is on Deck 7 elevator lobby near Black and White lounge.

 

Cabin: 11133 [ deck 11/Iride] Cat-8 balcony. Colors in dark brown, reds, orange and gold. Very classy looking room. Nice wall mirror opposite the bed. Lighting was very nice also. The closet space seemed smaller than that on Holland America. It's basically a double closet that is not divided and a single closet that has 6 small drawers and the in-room safe. The couch is on one side of the cabin near the sliding glass balcony doors, and across from it on the other wall is a desk with a corner cabinet area housing a small flat screen TV and a couple of shelves for storage. Below the desk is a mini-fridge stocked with the typical soft drinks, alcohol and small snacks. There are 2 US 110 outlets for your electronics on the desk. The bathroom was of typical size also. The shower has a bi-folding glass doors that folds inward to allow more elbow room while in the bathroom when not in use. Shower has liquid soap and shampoo. Great water pressure and the shower was ok size when the doors are closed around you. The bed was very comfortable. The balcony had 2 chairs and a foot stool/table. The balcony seemed to of standard size in comparison to others found on Holland America for a standard balcony cabin. Our cabin did have a connecting door to the adjacent cabin. I could hear "everything" going on with our cute Latin boyfriend and girlfriend neighbors. I can't say whether the connecting door had anything to do with their voices clearly being heard in our cabin or if the walls were thinner then I remember. There were times on other cruises when I could hear sounds from cabin next door, but this time it just seemed louder. Don't forget to bring an extra hotel/cruise room key to keep in the power outlet inside near your cabin door. This controls the lights and the air conditioning. Our cabin steward took it out once when we were gone and the cabin heated up very fast. After we put it back, he never removed it again. The cabin stayed very cool and comfortable [our friends had the same cabin type but was on the starboard side while docked in Miami and exposed to the sun so their cabin was very warm even with curtains closed, but that was the only time during the cruise]. Our cabin steward introduced himself the first day and we never saw him again. When we need something handled in our cabin we left notes on the bed either in the morning or before evening turndown and he was able to provide what was needed. I was very pleased with the cabin. If you want a larger balcony with a bit more privacy for the same price in your category, look for one of the angled balcony's with cabins on deck 13/12/11/10/9.

 

Navigating the ship: The ship is…well HUGE!

 

Deck 5: The reception area has nice seating and décor with a piano player or string quartet in the evenings. There is also a nice bar to relax for drinks before or after dinner located next to the Black Crab restaurant on this deck [ tiered seating on deck 6 ].

 

Deck 6: From bow to stern you have the Parthenon Theatre [beautiful venue with a great sound system, upper level seating on deck 7], casino [smaller than expected and very few slot machines that are not electronic touch, poker/black jack tables, electronic roulette, and a craps table ], Cigar lounge for smokers, a duty free shop, jewelry shops, and a couple of boutiques. The Plaza Del Doge is a large area with an outdoors Tuscany motif with café table seating, a full service bar that also offers homemade gelato and pastries for purchase. The gelato is well worth the $2.00/$4.00 fee's. The desserts for purchase looks very good but I passed on them. A small stage for live entertainment is in this area. The Silver Lounge is a nice place to have a drink before dinner if you are seated in the Black Crab dining room. The Villa Rosa restaurant is also on this back end of this deck but the only access is either the rear elevators or stairs.

 

Deck 7: Lots of lounges. Sports bar is nice but noisy with a two lane mini bowling alley[for a fee]. They offer a small menu of bar food [ for a fee]. You can access the Golden Jazz bar from the Sports bar. This bar has nice seating and dueling pianos for lively entertainment in the evenings. This was a very popular bar. There is a nice coffee bar [Café Italia] overlooking the atrium area. More boutiques. The Le Cartina de Bacco is a nice area offering wine's. They also have a pizza oven offering fresh pizza and tapas to enjoy with your wine tasting. The photo gallery [ I will touch more on this later]. The Black and White lounge is a huge venue offering a nice size dance floor, DJ, stage for a band, and a nice size bar. Lots comfortable seating areas in this lounge. The fee based restaurant Eataly steakhouse and Restaurant Italia. I didn't have time to eat at either but I think the Eataly is a la carte menu and not a set priced meal. Italia is priced/menu set.

 

Deck 8-13: Cabins

 

Deck 14: Very nice Aurea spa area with workout equipment, massage rooms. My favorite is a tea/smoothie/juice bar located here. Prices were very reasonable for the juice bar drinks . Juice bar service can be slow since only one person works this bar so it's best to try to hit it when the gym isn't busy. For those that want to know about the locker rooms/steam/sauna, they were very nice but small. Free of charge to use. There is a covered pool area that is tiered and very nice if the weather is bad or if you just want to enjoy the pool without a lot of sun. There wasn't a lot of space for pool loungers, unlike the covered area around the midship pools on the Holland America ships. More table and chairs then lounges. I recall either 2 or 3 hot tubs in this area. The Aqua Park mid ship has a nice size swimming pool with many loungers around pool for sun and also loungers/table & chairs in the shaded areas. There are also lots of pool loungers on the deck overlooking the pool.. There is a large screen TV and a few large open area that will be perfect for dancing around the pool. For those that were on the 2007 RSVP Caribbean Princess, this layout is similar to how I expect the parties to be planned for this area. There are 2 big bars in the pool area as well a 2 hot tubs. Free soft serve is offered during the day [again this might be offered more on the charter]. There is also a gelato bar for a fee. A crepe [for fee] kiosk sponsored by Nutella is near this pool area, but I never saw it opened. The Calumet/Manitou Cafeteria is huge. It offers hand tossed pizzas thought the day and night. Other area are the grill for hamburgers, hotdogs, fries and pre-made sandwiches. What I did miss that is offered on Holland ships and not on the Divina is getting a grilled chicken or veggie burger. All their burgers and hot dogs and fries are served up in cartons like at a fast food restaurant. Lining each side of the cafeteria are a number of food stations [they serve the same on each side]. Stations- Salad, breads, pasta, carving, ethnic, cheeses and Italian sliced meats [my favorite for a light snack], dessert. You serve yourself unlike that on Holland when you are served. Plenty of space to eat in this area. I never had trouble finding a table. The table up front seem to fill faster than in the back. Drink stations for coffee and juices are scattered between stations. I also noticed that staff didn't push the hand sanitizer stations like they do on other cruises. I saw many people walk past them when going in the restaurant or in many tries to get liquid out of them they were empty. I'll touch more on the food in the buffet later.

 

Deck 15/16/18 forward: MSC Yacht Club has key access to the cabins floors, Top Sail Lounge, Yacht Club pool. Since this area was restricted to those only booked in a Yacht Club cabin, I really forgot that this area even existed on the cruise since I didn't have access.. The area that I would of liked to had access was on deck 18 overlooking the bow of the ship since this is the only area on the ship to do so, I guess there is a demand for hand full of guest to be isolated from the others and are willing to pay for a slightly larger cabin and the need of white glove service. This could cause problems on the charter if you want to visit or meet up with friends if their cabin is in the Yacht Club but yours is not. Only access to the floors is either by key access in the elevator or by deck floor doors with a room key. Those that toured the ship might have more insight on how this area operates during the cruise and also for the charter.

 

Deck 15: Lots of open deck space in the sun and shade. 2 hot tubs overlooking the pool area. The Garden pool at the back of the ship is a nice smaller size. It has tables/chairs and also loungers. They offer Aqua Cycling in this pool daily. I would recommend watching if you're not actively doing the workout because the instructor [ if he is still around ] is nice to look at. There is a Disarrona liquor sponsored bar near the pool. They offer soft jazz music in this area day and night. The Muse restaurant for the Yacht club guest is located in this area.

 

Deck 16: Galaxy Night club. Nice area with windows overlooking the Aqua Park pool and the ocean. Sound system is great. Nice bar and some good seating. They turn this into a fee based brunch restaurant before the disco hours but I never tried it or got any information about the fee or type of food offered. Very small library located on this floor also.

 

Deck 18: Above the night club is the Top 18 Exclusive Deck area. This is a fee based area with nice loungers and a large whirl pool. I don't know how this will be on a charter, but it looks like this could be the infamous "D-deck/nude deck" that is on the Holland American ships. I just wouldn't want to pay to lounge out there during the day if you are a nude sun bather.

 

Debarkation: They will give you a colored luggage tag for those leaving their bags outside their cabin the night prior to the end. These tags will tell you the time to leave the ship. We carried on and off our own bags but our time to leave was 1030am. The earliest you can get off is at 800am but you need to fill out a document and take it to the reception desk the day before to be approved. They tell everyone to be out of your cabin by 730am and wait in a designated area until your time to debark. We just hung out in the cafeteria after breakfast. It only took us a few minutes from leaving the ship to clear customs.

 

Likes: Beautiful clean ship/decor/cabins/the production shows are the best of any cruise I've been on, I hope they offer them at least once to the RSVP cruisers. Pools are very nice and the pool loungers are comfortable. The area around the Aqua Park Pool will work nice for t-dances and evening parties. Gym/juice bar. Gelato and coffee bar. Half Moon Cay [first and only time the Divina will anchor there].

 

"Need Improvements" [Again compared to Holland ships]: Staff was not out going or overly friendly and most had difficulty communicating in English has their second language. Bar service was the worst of any cruise I've been on. The staff behind the bars were minimal, not friendly and very slow. I was out around the pool for hours without seeing or having anyone offer bar service to me or anyone else. One evening a few of us were in the Black and White Lounge and seated in an area that was very empty. A waitress walked by us all many times and never stopped to ask if we wanted a drink. We entertained ourselves with watching her circle around the room and not stopping to get a drink order unless someone waved her over. You had to go to one of the many bars to get a drink, and again they were understaffed and you had to wait awhile if it was in a busy bar area. I foresee the bar service being a big problem on the RSVP cruise. I hope someone informs the Bar manager before the charter that the bar staff service is very important to the RSVP patrons and that the bars need to be stocked and staffed during the week or this will cause a bad riff for those that take advantage of this service. They are also missing out on the bar revenue. While on Half Moon Cay they didn't offer bar waiters on the beach so I'm guessing this will be the same on Great Stirrup Cay unless something changes. They also forgot to bring over hamburger buns for the barbeque so we had to use hot dog buns for our sandwiches. The food was ok, and since this was their first time to the island they probably just didn't have everything checked that was needed so I will not put blame them for the mishap. It wasn't a big deal with our group. Most areas of the ship seemed very warm and not air-conditioned cooled like you would expect. I heard a lot of people complaining about the heat and I even found myself feeling the heat in many areas of the ship. Anytime-dining is not offered. You have dinner at 600pm and 830pm. Again this might change with the charter. Dinner time ranged from 2 1/2 hour on the first night to 1/1/2hours the last night. Food wasn't very good either. I'm not a picky eater and I did eat everything but it did not compare with food sections and taste found on other cruise lines. The best dinner dish I had was tiramisu for dessert one night. They also hand you a dessert menu with the dinner menu and you order at the same time. They offered Gelato on the menu but it was just ice cream. Same with Crème brulee, it was just custard. When we asked the waiter about it the second night he said that he didn't understand why they print things one way but served it another way. Dining wait staff seemed overwhelmed with multiple tables. Again, not a big deal for me since I normally don't eat at the restaurant except for one or two nights on the charters but for others that enjoy the dining room option, these oversights that occurred in the dining rooms might be an issue to some. I only ate at the buffet cafeteria restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast had a few egg options, breads, sliced Italian meats, good bread selection, breakfast meats, waffles and pancakes. Typical buffet breakfast selections. They did not have a made-to-order omelet station.. Lunch had some pasta dishes that were ok, a carved meat station, standard hamburger, hot dogs and fries, and premade cold sandwiches and pizza. I miss having a deli area do have sandwiches made to order. Late night food was a joke. You either had a chose of 3 pizzas [Margareta, pepperoni and one strange type….one night it was tuna and another time was hot dog]. Margareta and pepperoni were always good, NYC style. Between 1000pm and 100am they had premade Italian meat sandwiches, and they had one person behind the counter making "build your own" which meant you pick the bread and he puts either Chicken or tuna salad on it. That's it for late night snacking anywhere on the ship unless you pick from the limited room service menu and pay $3.50. I was disappointed in the food availability and selection. Holland America always had a nice late night selection on their cruise. I'm hoping the Divina will offer more food choices for the late night crowd on the charter. For those that enjoy being photographed they don't push this service on you. The do not walk around taking candid photos. You get a picture coming on board, and while seated during dinner. There are a number of fixed positions for photo sittings in the evenings and they do an excellent job with these photos. Again, maybe they will be around to take more pictures during the charter

 

This posting turned out to be lengthier than I expected. I know that everyone has different views and not everyone will agree with mine. I just wanted to point out my views of the MSC Divina and hopefully some of you will appreciate some of my firsthand knowledge. I'll say it again, it's just a vacation and not a life changing event. Being away from home for 7nights on a cruise with a great group of fun guys and connecting up with friends that we see maybe only once a year can't be all that bad. Taking the bad and making it work for 7 days will be ok for most of us. Let's just hope for more good than bad. If I missed something about the ship that you would like some clarification, feel free to ask.

 

I know the RSVP staff were on the inaugural 3night cruise last month, has anyone heard any comments from them about what they observed , liked or disliked.

 

 

I'll try to post a few picture here later or at gaycruisepictures.dot.com

[Boytjie]

Wow, great review! We were on only for a few hours and there is no way I could provide this much feedback. Being on for a few days and being familiar with RSVP makes this information great.

[Darrell6t]

Thank you so much for writing that detailed and informative review. Sounds like we have a lot to look forward to seeing. But not so much for tasting. I'm still excited to sail with RSVP on the Divina.

[monumax]

I agree, your review was very informative and complete. I am actually looking forward to a different ship for a change, and I'm hopeful that RSVP will be able to have some influence with some of the Divina policies.

[Darrell6t]

I hope someone from RSVP sees that review. It could spur them to push MSC for a few changes that they may not have thought of. When they were onboard for their planning they may have been treated more like VIP's than ordinary passengers. The review could give them a different perspective.

[Bloom9]

RSVP is aware of reviews from the Divina, I saw a response from RSVP to a Facebook post that addressed this, I'll see if I can find it and post their response. They apparently work with MSC several months before our sailing to work out the unique details of the charter

[TX_Atlantis_Cruiser]

Great, thorough review! I have been getting kind of worried in reading the Divina reviews especially regarding the slow and inconsistent bar service. This will certainly not work on a gay charter! This may be an RSVP cruise and not the hard-drinking Atlantis crowed, but I can't imagine being out on the pool deck at a party and not being able to find a beer or drink. Royal Caribbean learned real fast even on the Allure 20th Anniversary Atlantis cruise that if you don't staff the bars, there will be many very unhappy cruisers. The limited food choices also seems to come up in other reviews as well. I have confidence that RSVP will give MSC a clue when it comes to issues like this and, of course, we will all be on an RSVP cruise so who cares if things aren't perfect--we will make the best of it. It would be in MSC's best interests though to attempt to "fix" the small things in order to be considered for repeat RSVP business.

[Bloom9]

RSVP response to poor reviews:

We were just on the Divina two weeks ago for her inaugural. She’s a real beauty. But yes…for standard sailings, she has her challenges. But that is why choosing to sail with us on a full-ship charter is the way to go. We work hand-in-hand with MSC and the Divina Team for months before our event to reshape nearly every aspect of the experience – from operations and housekeeping to excursions and food & beverage. We pretty much touch everything. Our goal is to minimize any weaknesses a ship may have and to put the RSVP signature on all areas. Unfortunately for group cruises like Drag Stars at Sea, they have to deal with standard ops; they don't get to call ANY of the shots.

 

General straight cruising (or gay group cruising on a straight sailing) has turned into a milk toast experience for most people. The cruise lines have evolved (or is it devolved?) into a business catering to the middle. It's the only safe place for them to be as a business; they have to try and please everyone. In doing so, they basically have to produce an entirely average experience. That is NOT what we do. We aim to create an unforgettable vacation experience for every one of our guests. Each member of Team RSVP works tirelessly to ensure you love every minute of your cruise with us.

 

We'll spend weeks on Divina beforehand and we're addressing the perceived challenge areas from top to bottom. We’re confident the experience you have on Divina with us will be substantially better than what you would get on a standard sailing. We can’t wait to welcome you!

[Darrell6t]

Great news about RSVP's efforts. Let us hope they are successful. Changing the corporate culture, just for a week, can be a challange.

[monumax]

I was just reading an interesting thread here on Cruise Critic about a scam artist in San Juan, PR who has been working the streets for several years with the same story. He asks if you speak English, then says he and his father were walking from the fort and stumbled into a neighborhood where they were beaten and robbed by several men. (He has a skin condition that makes him look like he was beaten up). He says the police have been no help, and his father has been taken to the hospital. He asks for $6.00 for a cab ride to the hospital, and of course some gullible people give him more. You should read the thread...quite amusing that so many people know about him and actually hope to run into him when they visit. He is well dressed, speaks English, and is very polite. We should have a contest to see if anyone can snap a photo of him!

[Mister White]

I was just reading an interesting thread here on Cruise Critic about a scam artist in San Juan, PR who has been working the streets for several years with the same story. He asks if you speak English, then says he and his father were walking from the fort and stumbled into a neighborhood where they were beaten and robbed by several men. (He has a skin condition that makes him look like he was beaten up). He says the police have been no help, and his father has been taken to the hospital. He asks for $6.00 for a cab ride to the hospital, and of course some gullible people give him more. You should read the thread...quite amusing that so many people know about him and actually hope to run into him when they visit. He is well dressed, speaks English, and is very polite. We should have a contest to see if anyone can snap a photo of him!

Can you link us to that thread? Is it in the MSC board?

[Bloom9]

I was just reading an interesting thread here on Cruise Critic about a scam artist in San Juan, PR who has been working the streets for several years with the same story. He asks if you speak English, then says he and his father were walking from the fort and stumbled into a neighborhood where they were beaten and robbed by several men. (He has a skin condition that makes him look like he was beaten up). He says the police have been no help, and his father has been taken to the hospital. He asks for $6.00 for a cab ride to the hospital, and of course some gullible people give him more. You should read the thread...quite amusing that so many people know about him and actually hope to run into him when they visit. He is well dressed, speaks English, and is very polite. We should have a contest to see if anyone can snap a photo of him!

I actually had this guy approach me last time in PR, pretty much the same story

[monumax]

Can you link us to that thread? Is it in the MSC board?

 

Here is the link to the thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1156051

[gio1967]

I am booked and looking forward to this cruise! I am a little gun shy about traveling as a Single cruiser. However, I hear that the RSVP Experience is great and that for the most part it will be easy to meet people and make new friends. I was just on the Carnival Fascination for a four day cruise with my sisters and mom as a pre Christmas gift. The food on that cruise was HORRIBLE, so even though the MSC Divina has mixed reviews, it cannot be worse than what I had last week on that cruise!

 

Several years ago I made the statement that "going on a gay cruise would be my worst nightmare!" At that time I was in an 18 year relationship and my ex and I used to cruise a couple times a year on standard cruises. We always met other gay people on our cruises and attended the FOD gatherings. We had preconceived ideas of what a gay cruise was all about. I do not think I would fit in well on an Atlantis cruise - since I hear they are more like a circuit party at sea! I love to have a good time, but I am not a "partier." I am also not a young stud anymore! LOL 47 years of age here but not dead! hahaha

 

Are there any other's that have sailed as Single passengers with RSVP before? Any insight on what to expect? I do have one of my best friends booked as an Entertainer on this cruise too, his name is Khris Francis and his act is hysterical! Be sure to see his show for sure. If nothing else, I know I will laugh my ass off with him all week.

[Boytjie]

Welcome aboard, Gio!

 

I have never been on a cruise single but many do it and have a great time and I hope they report back for you.

[monumax]

I am booked and looking forward to this cruise! I am a little gun shy about traveling as a Single cruiser. However, I hear that the RSVP Experience is great and that for the most part it will be easy to meet people and make new friends. I was just on the Carnival Fascination for a four day cruise with my sisters and mom as a pre Christmas gift. The food on that cruise was HORRIBLE, so even though the MSC Divina has mixed reviews, it cannot be worse than what I had last week on that cruise!

 

Several years ago I made the statement that "going on a gay cruise would be my worst nightmare!" At that time I was in an 18 year relationship and my ex and I used to cruise a couple times a year on standard cruises. We always met other gay people on our cruises and attended the FOD gatherings. We had preconceived ideas of what a gay cruise was all about. I do not think I would fit in well on an Atlantis cruise - since I hear they are more like a circuit party at sea! I love to have a good time, but I am not a "partier." I am also not a young stud anymore! LOL 47 years of age here but not dead! hahaha

 

Are there any other's that have sailed as Single passengers with RSVP before? Any insight on what to expect? I do have one of my best friends booked as an Entertainer on this cruise too, his name is Khris Francis and his act is hysterical! Be sure to see his show for sure. If nothing else, I know I will laugh my ass off with him all week.

 

Happy to have you sailing with us! 47? On this cruise you will be in the younger 50%! Stick with this group and you will surely have lots of friends and fun!

[JamieB21]

[RandRCruiser]

Hello Boys!

 

Why I didn't subscribe to this thread and follow it since booking on the Alaska cruise last year is beyond me .. I've been busy I guess.

 

I'm looking forward to my 3rd RSVP Cruise. The last two years I've been in the Room Share program, and had pretty good roomies, but this time I am traveling with a cabin mate I met at Gay Days Disneyland in October.

 

I'm Staying 3 nights pre-cruise at the Villa Venice in FLL which is part of the Worthington/Alcazar complex.

 

I appreciate all the posts so far on this board - just spent 90 minutes reading it all. Looking forward to an unforgettable experience. <grin>

 

Looking forward to more discussion and meeting you all on board.

 

~Jeff

[Boytjie]

Well, I guess it's time to start thinking about a Cruise Critic Meet and Greet.

 

I will work with RSVP to see what MSC can do for time and place for us to meet. This being the first time on MSC who knows how it will work out; I have gotten used to the HAL/RSVP way. :)

 

As we are starting with two days at sea the best time would most likely be the first day at sea around lunch time.

 

So, if you (and your traveling mate) plan to attend, please drop me an email at boytjieny at yahoo dot com and give me your name(s) and cabin number. The cabin number comes in handy if there should be a late change of venue and notices can be dropped off; names for name tags and of course it would be good to know how many people to expect.

[Boytjie]

I forgot another piece of information to send me when RSVPing for the Meet and Greet: your Cruise Critic id!

 

So: name(s); Cruise Critic Id and cabin number.

[gio1967]

I spoke to a friend last night that was on the recent Al & Chuck - "Drag Stars At Sea" cruise on board the MSC Divina & he says "the ship was stunning. But, the service and food was horrible." He is a very laid back kind of guy and for him to say something is bad, means it must have been VERY BAD. He said that the their group took up about 50% of the ship and that Al & Chuck also had pre-sail meetings with MSC and it seemed that the requests fell upon def ears. He said that the majority of the bars were closed at midnight and the ones that did stay open until 1 or 2 AM were so understaffed that you could not even get a drink. With only a couple bars open and 100's of people trying to get drinks from two bartenders, it was a disaster according to him. He said that there were a lot of very upset passengers due to the poor service.

 

I share this because I hope that someone from RSVP might speak to someone from Al & Chuck and perhaps get these issues resolved before February 15th with MSC. I am not a big drinker so not too worried for myself, but I am nervous about all the bad things I am hearing about the food.