How I was trying to cruise on MSC. A REAL story step by step in pictures & video.

[cruisetrail]

He took one small portion of regular dinner menu on MSC and added formal night menu from HAL. This is one small, but telling detail.

 

Sorry my friends, I have to answer.

If lie is repeated 100 times people start to believe it.

 

Post #38

 

Written in bold: Gala Dinner Menu

 

With all the respect!

Edited July 18, 2013 by cruisetrail

[cruisetrail]

Front Observation Lounge!

 

Before we go to the most enjoyable part of our prospective cruise,

let's mention a sort of a bridge from inside the ship to the endless beauty of the Caribbean..

 

Front observation lounge.

We spend quite a bit of our cruising time there.

This time is not as long as important: entering ports in inclement weather, having some relaxing time watching scenery in air-conditioned lounge.

Some events from entertainment and enrichment programs take place their.

 

It's called Crow's Nest on Eurodam / Nieuw amsterdam:

 

 

 

 

 

[All aboard??]

Have to answer.

If lie is repeated 100 times people start to believe it.

 

Post #38

 

Written in bold: Gala Dinner Menu

 

Cruisetrail - please start comparing Apples with Apples....

 

http://www.msccruisesagent.com/menus.aspx

[Deckhandoug]

The buffets look like I remember them on both lines, the menus too

[All aboard??]

The buffets look like I remember them on both lines, the menus too

 

The link that I posted shows both Med and Caribbean menus - Cruisetrail has omitted that he could have possibly used a Med menu for Divina; when in fact as I have mentioned before MSC bespoke the cruises to the region - as per my link the Caribbean menu is very different to the Med one and as we are supposedly comparing MSC and HAL in a Caribbean setting I believe it is only just that he uses the correct point of reference.

[Tatka]

Sorry my friends, I have to answer.

If lie is repeated 100 times people start to believe it.

 

Post #38

 

Written in bold: Gala Dinner Menu

 

With all the respect!

 

Oh, your friends are crying already. LOL. This is not a lie, but a partially picked somewhere piece of menu. I posted menu below.

[Tatka]

The buffets look like I remember them on both lines, the menus too

 

In my review (see my signature) I posted tons of pictures, including buffet... ;)

[Tatka]

Buffet

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 18, 2013 by Tatka

[Tatka]

 

 

I am not big on photography, don't like to take pictures of food and have almost superwide lens (for landscapes) so quality is definitely not there, but quality and variety of food is good.

[Tatka]

Buffet is beautiful and people friendly and accomodating

 

[cruisetrail]

Open Decks!

 

 

Open Front Observation Deck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cruisetrail]

Forward Sun Deck

 

 

Eurodam / Nieuw Amsterdam at sea.

 

Forward Sun Deck (free access) is Deck 12 (retreat cabanas are seen behind it on Deck 11)

 

 

 

[Deckhandoug]

Tatka, the buffets you posted and the ones he posted are the same food, I can see the buns, cheese, tomatoes etc for the burgers and hotdogs in your pictures, just not the meat.

 

Peas, carrots, mysterious kettles of something which resembled last nights main course, it's all there along with the prepackaged deserts

 

The setting may be different, but the foods the same

[All aboard??]

Open Decks!

 

 

Open Front Observation Deck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be honest Cruisetrail 19 nights on board the Nieuw Amsterdam and not once did I see the access hatches to those decks unlocked......

[Tatka]

Tatka, the buffets you posted and the ones he posted are the same food, I can see the buns, cheese, tomatoes etc for the burgers and hotdogs in your pictures, just not the meat.

 

Peas, carrots, mysterious kettles of something which resembled last nights main course, it's all there along with the prepackaged deserts

 

The setting may be different, but the foods the same

 

Just did not have pictures of meat. First picture has two trays with fish and meat. Every day there where 3-4 types of meat and 2 types of fish. Plus Asian meat dishes, and...

 

Everything was fresh and nice.

 

Meat in buffet was fine. Steaks in DR IMHO were not very good. This is the only thing I did not like.

 

By the way I liked HAL buffet, but was not impressed with MDR food at all.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Tatka

[cruisetrail]

Pool Deck

 

 

Eurodam / Nieuw Amsterdam at Sea

Sunny day in the Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

MSC Divina - a pool under sliding roof.

It's called "Serene Pool".

 

It can be serene if kids are not there...

Pictures of the pool deck are taken on sea days during high season (I believe) with "kids sail free" on board.

European cruises (various sources).

 

 

 

[cruisetrail]

We are leaving sun decks for a while...

 

Promenade Deck!

 

Eurodam / Nieuw Amsterdam feature the second best wrap-around promenade deck at sea (after the Queen Mary 2)

 

 

 

 

[cruisetrail]

SPA!

 

 

Another place we won't miss on a cruise ship is Hydropool.

This is a core feature of spa complex.

We like it very much!

 

 

 

 

 

[cruisetrail]

Pool Decks!

(continued)

 

 

Central pool area on MSC Divina

 

 

 

[cruisetrail]

Sun Deck (midships superstructure)

 

 

Eurodam / Nieuw Amsterdam have wast and very private sun deck on top of the mid-ships superstructure.

Views from here are marvelous.

 

 

 

 

 

MSC has implemented this idea in the Fantasia class.

However, this sun deck is not that wast, somewhat clustered and has full height fence (all sides) that blocks sea views.

Note where people have to seat to get decent views..

 

 

 

 

[Deckhandoug]

Just did not have pictures of meat. First picture has two trays with fish and meat. Every day there where 3-4 types of meat and 2 types of fish. Plus Asian meat dishes, and...

 

Everything was fresh and nice.

 

Meat in buffet was fine. Steaks in DR IMHO were not very good. This is the only thing I did not like.

 

By the way I liked HAL buffet, but was not impressed with MDR food at all.

 

No, I meant just didn't have the burger and hotdogs in picture 11, they are to the left of the breads I believe, while he had the hamburgers and hotdogs shown

 

I wasn't trying to imply they didn't have meat or fish selections at all, and you are right MSC usually had several fish offerings on the buffet, while American lines usually one.

 

One of the lines does have decent fish and chips, fried oysters and ceviche in the buffet area, I can't remember which one but its a welcome change

 

Most steaks on cruise ships are pretty much hit or miss anyway, I wouldn't order an American style steak in an Italian themed restaurant or cruise ship as a rule

 

Anyway, back to the review:)

[cruisetrail]

Water Slide!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cruisetrail]

Pool Decks!

(concluded)

 

 

The most important aft pool that is supposed to be adult area on cruise ships, and so it is on Eurodam / Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

 

 

 

The pool itself is nice on the Divina but the pool area is way too small and clustered even in comparison with the HAL Signature class ships that carry roughly 1,500 less passengers...

On HAL ships we can comfortably turn the lounger to follow sun rays.

There is no space for an apple to drop on the Divina...

 

Another problem - the aft pool on the Divina is relatively shallow that may attract kids (the pool on Eurodam / Nieuw Amsterdam is much deeper)

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures are from European cruises.

There is nor order.

Kids are everywhere.

 

Hopefully MSC will be able to establish and maintain rules on the Caribbean cruises, otherwise that will be a disaster.

Edited July 18, 2013 by cruisetrail

[cruisetrail]

Itinerary!

 

 

 

HAL Eurodam / Nieuw Amsterdam

 

Fort Lauderdale

At Sea

Grand Turk

San Juan

St. Thomas

At Sea

Half Moon Cay

Fort Lauderdale

 

 

MSC Divina

 

Miami

At Sea

At Sea

St. Maarten

San Juan

At Sea

Great Stirrup Cay

Miami

 

 

HAL offered much better itinerary for Eastern Caribbean.

Four ports vs three.

HAL offers Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay - two stops we are looking forward most of all (video)

 

 

 

I don't mind sea days but the comparison of our two options is not in favor of MSC Divina:

 

huge number of passengers,

significant space taken out of public use d/t presence of Yacht Club,

clustered aft pool deck,

lack of real promenade deck,

lack of observation lounge,

lack of observation deck.

 

Add better food on HAL

Add Hydropool on HAL

Add better cabin on HAL

 

On top of that all - the offer from HAL will cost us.... $150 less.

 

Tough choice.....:)

 

 

My first cruise with MSC?

Time will tell.

I need at list one attractive thing besides "technical interest".

They cannot rebuild the ship.

They won't reduce capacity.

What they can improve: itinerary, food, order on board.

 

Best wishes to MSC Divina.

If they work hard - this ship will find a lot of followers among Carnival and NCL clientele.

[bltrn]

GEEZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you are so enchanted with HAL, why don't you go to their forum and sing?