Divina extreme reviews, is it the Divina, or the Reviewers!

[dogchopper]

Hi resstation. We are doing back to back and I'm going to assume that menus will repeat in le muse. did you eat in the main restaurants at all for a change? I actually would like to do the Gala night in the main restaurant on one of the 2 occasions, mainly for the spectacle of the parades. Do you know if it's possible.

 

 

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What parades?? I have not seen any photos of parades??

[resstation]

Here is the YouTube link to the video of our cabin. We were in 12002, Yacht Club Suite. Excuse the poor video production. I am not a professional. :)

 

The video was taken in the evening after turndown. There are a few points made in the message section.

 

http://youtu.be/hKGFF_IZAb0

[resstation]

Hi resstation. We are doing back to back and I'm going to assume that menus will repeat in le muse. did you eat in the main restaurants at all for a change? I actually would like to do the Gala night in the main restaurant on one of the 2 occasions, mainly for the spectacle of the parades. Do you know if it's possible.

 

I'm not sure if the menu repeats. The food is DELICIOUS but the restaurant does get old after a few days. We ate there every night for dinner except for one night (we tried Eately - good but not worth the extra cost).

 

I only ate in the main dining room for lunch one day. The seats were so jammed together and servers were reaching over people. After dining in Le Muse, it was a definite change. The food was good. No issues there.

 

I believe you can eat in the main restaurants, at either seating, whenever you like but we did not so I cannot say for sure. I will say that gala night menus in Le Muse were good (second gala night lobster is on the menu) and they did have individual baked Alaska that we RAVED about. It was absolutely delicious - only Neapolitan ice cream, though. The favorite dessert was the blueberry cheesecake. They had a smaller blueberry cheesecake in the buffet for lunch the next day and it was NOT the same at all. One was made with ripe, fresh blueberries and the other tasted like the frozen desserts you get at the grocery store. Vastly different.

 

The Le Muse menu has only two choices for each course. It is very limited, but everything we tried was delicious (especially the risotto). There is also a list of items available every single night (steak, French onion soup, Caesar salad, salmon etc).

[andrewjb1]

Baked Alaska parade on gala night etc....

 

 

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[andrewjb1]

I'm not sure if the menu repeats. The food is DELICIOUS but the restaurant does get old after a few days. We ate there every night for dinner except for one night (we tried Eately - good but not worth the extra cost).

 

 

 

I only ate in the main dining room for lunch one day. The seats were so jammed together and servers were reaching over people. After dining in Le Muse, it was a definite change. The food was good. No issues there.

 

 

 

I believe you can eat in the main restaurants, at either seating, whenever you like but we did not so I cannot say for sure. I will say that gala night menus in Le Muse were good (second gala night lobster is on the menu) and they did have individual baked Alaska that we RAVED about. It was absolutely delicious - only Neapolitan ice cream, though. The favorite dessert was the blueberry cheesecake. They had a smaller blueberry cheesecake in the buffet for lunch the next day and it was NOT the same at all. One was made with ripe, fresh blueberries and the other tasted like the frozen desserts you get at the grocery store. Vastly different.

 

 

 

The Le Muse menu has only two choices for each course. It is very limited, but everything we tried was delicious (especially the risotto). There is also a list of items available every single night (steak, French onion soup, Caesar salad, salmon etc).

 

 

Thanks, I'm just thinking that on a b2b I will need to mix it up a bit, the gala and Italian night menus in the black crab will at least be different. I'm used to NCL, with infinite options so I don't want to get restaurant fatigue.

 

 

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[andrewjb1]

LOVED the bacon! It was delicious. We called them "bacon balls" because they were not in strips but in "nuggets" of strips. I imagine they balled up each strip to make room for more pieces. Best bacon I've had in a long time. I chose the nice and crispy pieces, but there were some not so crisp in the same serving dish as well. YUM. Now you've made me hungry!

 

 

http://oglobo.globo.com/blogs/arquivos_upload/2011/11/102_1729-blog-homer-bacon.jpg

 

 

 

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[dogchopper]

Baked Alaska parade on gala night etc....

 

 

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Thanks!!!

Edited March 23, 2014 by dogchopper

[American Bear]

How was the bacon?

 

 

:D lol

[American Bear]

In America, a 'proper' Martini is made with Vodka!:D

 

What a great future thread,,,,'what's a proper cruise Martini'?:D

[American Bear]

Enjoying you review, looking forward to your pictures!:)

[cruisetrail]

The food was plentiful, varied, delicious. Best buffet I've encountered on a cruise ship. Yes, it was VERY busy but I never had a problem getting food or finding a table. The servers in the area are plentiful and attentive. Great service. Go to the VERY back of the buffet and you can sit by the beautiful glass windows facing the aft. Terrific!

 

 

Thank you.

It sounds optimistic. Reports on buffets on the sister ships in the Mediterranean are not good, but I rely on changes that were supposed to be done to Divina buffet.

Buffets at peak time are busy on all ships. Food is what makes the difference.

 

Do they post daily menus?

Not sure where you mean.

Cruise lines can post buffet menus outside - same way they post restaurant menus.

It's convenient and also help when you write a review or compare ships - easy to post and see the menu in addition to photos and video.

 

Another buffet question please.

Is your comment related to lunch and buffet dinner as well?

Did you have a chance to assess dinner buffet?

 

How was the load on upper decks, aft pool?

The main pool was a constant zoo, constant. I just walked through each time without stopping. It was madness. You would not believe the line to "check out" a towel! For this reason alone (the main pool area), if I enjoyed laying by a pool, I would save up until I had enough to travel in the YC. Thinking about swimming in the swill makes me want to gag. I say this because my parents had owned a motel for most of my life and my job as a teen was to clean the pool. We didn't have nearly the load of what they get on the ship and it was a chemical nightmare. I won't go into all the gory details, but when you have wall to wall people in a pool, they aren't all going to abide by "cleanliness rules" and the kids aren't going to stop what they're doing to find a bathroom just to tinkle. Enough said.

OMG.

 

You can decide for yourself when you see the pictures.

I am looking forward to your pictures.

However, I have some in my research.

I don't count on the main pool. My concern is the aft pool. It was terrible in the Mediterranean (pictures from there). Hope they cut access in adults only areas for small kids on the Caribbean cruises.

Our "kid" is big enough to be allowed in the "adults only" aft pool area.

 

The YC pool and hot tubs were AMAZING. Each person could put a towel down on 10 chairs and there would still be enough to go around. The water was sparkling as well.

 

I understand what you mean about the YC but we have to be realists when we review ships and plan our vacation.

The YC is less than 5% of the passengers - statistically it "does not exist".

Facilities accessible for 95% of the the passengers is what the Divina really is.

So we have to plan our cruise accordingly - and we will.

That's why realistic, critical reviews like yours are much more helpful.

Thank you.

Edited March 23, 2014 by cruisetrail

[resstation]

Thanks, I'm just thinking that on a b2b I will need to mix it up a bit, the gala and Italian night menus in the black crab will at least be different. I'm used to NCL, with infinite options so I don't want to get restaurant fatigue.

 

 

Unfortunately, I have a feeling you will get "restaurant fatigue".

[resstation]

In America, a 'proper' Martini is made with Vodka!:D

 

What a great future thread,,,,'what's a proper cruise Martini'?:D

 

Speaking of drinks...*sigh* I prefer "girlie" drinks and I never got one that tasted right anywhere on the ship, even YC. If you ask for a drink in the YC that you saw on the menu anywhere else on the ship they look at you like you have three eyeballs. Seriously? They don't cross train? I never did find a drink I really liked. Not to mention the fact that the ENTIRE CRUISE SHIP WAS OUT OF LIMES. They said something about not being able to load the limes in Miami. So they made every cocktail that called for limes, with LEMONS. I kid you not. Margaritas, mojitos, gin & tonics...everything. No wonder nothing tasted right. Not only did they not even mention it, they just used the lemons in place of limes like that's the way it should be done! Hilarious and not right. Someone said they would get limes at the first port - NOT. The whole cruise, no limes.

My husband drinks regular mixed cocktails - vodka & soda etc. He said they were fine. How can you really mess those up? Oh, the serving staff in Le Muse has NO CLUE about the bar menu. They would ask if we wanted ice in a drink that was served in a champagne flute. They concentrated and were good at their own food service. The bar menu confused them beyond belief.

[American Bear]

Speaking of drinks...*sigh* I prefer "girlie" drinks and I never got one that tasted right anywhere on the ship, even YC. If you ask for a drink in the YC that you saw on the menu anywhere else on the ship they look at you like you have three eyeballs. Seriously? They don't cross train? I never did find a drink I really liked. Not to mention the fact that the ENTIRE CRUISE SHIP WAS OUT OF LIMES. They said something about not being able to load the limes in Miami. So they made every cocktail that called for limes, with LEMONS. I kid you not. Margaritas, mojitos, gin & tonics...everything. No wonder nothing tasted right. Not only did they not even mention it, they just used the lemons in place of limes like that's the way it should be done! Hilarious and not right. Someone said they would get limes at the first port - NOT. The whole cruise, no limes.

My husband drinks regular mixed cocktails - vodka & soda etc. He said they were fine. How can you really mess those up? Oh, the serving staff in Le Muse has NO CLUE about the bar menu. They would ask if we wanted ice in a drink that was served in a champagne flute. They concentrated and were good at their own food service. The bar menu confused them beyond belief.

 

OOOH, I love my Absolute with a wedge of Lime!:(

I'll have to smuggle a few on just in case!:D

 

You mentioned the casino slots were not working at the beginning of your cruise, did they get them working?

(I just may have to set up a Casino Club for MSC!:D)

[resstation]

Thank you.

It sounds optimistic. Reports on buffets on the sister ships in the Mediterranean are not good, but I rely on changes that were supposed to be done to Divina buffet.

Buffets at peak time are busy on all ships. Food is what makes the difference.

 

 

Cruise lines can post buffet menus outside - same way they post restaurant menus.

It's convenient and also help when you write a review or compare ships - easy to post and see the menu in addition to photos and video.

 

Another buffet question please.

Is your comment related to lunch and buffet dinner as well?

Did you have a chance to assess dinner buffet?

 

 

OMG.

 

 

I am looking forward to your pictures.

However, I have some in my research.

I don't count on the main pool. My concern is the aft pool. It was terrible in the Mediterranean (pictures from there). Hope they cut access in adults only areas for small kids on the Caribbean cruises.

Our "kid" is big enough to be allowed in the "adults only" aft pool area.

 

 

 

I understand what you mean about the YC but we have to be realists when we review ships and plan our vacation.

The YC is less than 5% of the passengers - statistically it "does not exist".

Facilities accessible for 95% of the the passengers is what the Divina really is.

So we have to plan our cruise accordingly - and we will.

That's why realistic, critical reviews like yours are much more helpful.

Thank you.

 

I don't know how to do multiple quotes so I'll try to answer your questions as asked.

 

I'm not sure how they could possibly post everything on the buffet menu. They would need a billboard with small type. I'm not kidding. There were multiple stations with a minimum of 5-10 selections at each station. Kudos to the lines that do. I don't mind checking it out myself so this was never an issue for me.

 

My comments are for both breakfast and lunch. We did not eat in the buffet at dinner. I don't know how they did it but, at breakfast, their fried eggs were perfectly cooked and they were all pre-done in a tray! Odd, but still good. I also enjoyed the corned beef hash although it was nothing "special" it was good. For those that complain that there was no omelet station - go to the MDR and get your omelet. I personally can't stand waiting in line while my food gets cold just for some eggs. And I really don't like when there are 15 people waiting on their eggs in my way. Kudos to MSC on this one from me.

 

I saw kids at every single pool except in the YC. They are allowed in the YC pool but they were not there when I was up there.

 

The YC may be 5% of the overall ship but it is the ONLY area that made me feel like I was on a cruise ship of days past where everyone wasn't squeezed in like sardines and there were places to sit peacefully and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We take one "big" vacation a year. It's not like we travel all year round like other (lucky) people. We definitely splurge and to me, it is well worth it. As my dear husband always says "There's a hat for every head".

[resstation]

OOOH, I love my Absolute with a wedge of Lime!:(

I'll have to smuggle a few on just in case!:D

 

You mentioned the casino slots were not working at the beginning of your cruise, did they get them working?

(I just may have to set up a Casino Club for MSC!:D)

 

The slots were out the entire day but they got them fixed the next day. Boy they lost a bundle on those! They have a cruise card slot (your room key) on each machine and they ask for your card when you're at the table games. I saw no purpose other than to track your spending because other than the "hot seat" giveaway, they do nothing for the cruiser. I did win $40 by sitting in the hot seat one night. They just pick a person with a cruise card inserted in their machine at random eat night at 10pm.

[andrewjb1]

ENTIRE CRUISE SHIP WAS OUT OF LIMES. They said something about not being able to load the limes in Miami. So they made every cocktail that called for limes, with LEMONS. I kid you not. Margaritas, mojitos, gin & tonics...everything.

 

 

gin and tonic should always be with London Gin and Lemon. done.

 

A lemon mojito. WRONG. Lol.

 

 

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[resstation]

gin and tonic should always be with London Gin and Lemon. done.

 

A lemon mojito. WRONG. Lol.

 

 

 

 

A lemon margarita blows too!

 

BTW does anyone know how to post single pictures, like when I am referring to something I can also add a picture to the post but it asks what the picture URL is. I have no idea where I have to post it first in order to get the URL.

[cruisetrail]

I'm not sure how they could possibly post everything on the buffet menu. They would need a billboard with small type. I'm not kidding. There were multiple stations with a minimum of 5-10 selections at each station. Kudos to the lines that do.

 

 

A sample buffet breakfast menu from the Nieuw Amsterdam.

They include major things, not every single little item.

 

 

 

 

For those that complain that there was no omelet station - go to the MDR and get your omelet. I personally can't stand waiting in line while my food gets cold just for some eggs. And I really don't like when there are 15 people waiting on their eggs in my way.

 

We prefer omeletes made to order in the buffet on cruise ships.

We don't go to the restaurants for that.

 

 

 

 

Lines at omelete stations - don't remember them on recent cruises. Could be a few people waiting.

 

We utilize your own method:

 

By the time you get back to your table, yes, your food WILL be cold. *Hint: Take a few items at a time, go back to your seat and go back for more. It's free and believe me, everyone can use the extra walk.

 

It works!

 

Thank you for your answers.

[Bosjoe]

to mention the fact that the ENTIRE CRUISE SHIP WAS OUT OF LIMES. They said something about not being able to load the limes in Miami..

 

The same thing on RCCL last week they to did not have limes.

[resstation]

The same thing on RCCL last week they to did not have limes.

 

Interesting. Did they pretend the lemons were limes or did they tell you when you ordered something that limes were not available? I ordered a mojito and not a thing was said, even when he put it in front of me and I looked at it with a strange look on my face. He just smiled. I said, mojitos are made with limes, aren't they? THEN he said, Oh we don't have limes. LOLOL

[Bosjoe]

Interesting. Did they pretend the lemons were limes or did they tell you when you ordered something that limes were not available? I ordered a mojito and not a thing was said, even when he put it in front of me and I looked at it with a strange look on my face. He just smiled. I said, mojitos are made with limes, aren't they? THEN he said, Oh we don't have limes. LOLOL

 

I was not on the ship and just read about it. He should have told you at the beginning no limes and not make something that requires limes.

[Mattingly23]

We know through our research that the Nieuw Amsterdam ALWAYS have limes. In this extensive research, we see one lounging on the proper promenade deck, ready to assist for all our lime needs.

 

What we learn from this research is that if there is a proper promenade, limes will come.

 

[resstation]

We know through our research that the Nieuw Amsterdam ALWAYS have limes. In this extensive research, we see one lounging on the proper promenade deck, ready to assist for all our lime needs.

 

What we learn from this research is that if there is a proper promenade, limes will come.

 

 

LOL - Is that because limes are used in embalming fluid?

[andrewjb1]

LOL - Is that because limes are used in embalming fluid?

 

 

I the only one that couldn't give two effffin Shiites about limes?

 

 

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Edited March 23, 2014 by andrewjb1