How can Divinia offer such cheap fares???

[jkgourmet]

We are retired and have taken 12+ cruises on 5 different mass market lines. We nearly always book an inside guaranty as we spend little time in our cabin.

 

I'm seeing fares for 7 day Caribbean cruises on the Divinia for less than $300/pop for an inside cabin. That's maybe half of competitor pricing.

 

How do they do it so cheaply? What's the catch?.

 

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[runner15km]

They are willing to operate at a loss for x period of time to gain a loyal following for future cruises. :confused:

[resstation]

Remember, EVERYONE on the ship doesn't pay those prices. They do fine.

[cruisetrail]

We are retired and have taken 12+ cruises on 5 different mass market lines. We nearly always book an inside guaranty as we spend little time in our cabin.

 

I'm seeing fares for 7 day Caribbean cruises on the Divinia for less than $300/pop for an inside cabin. That's maybe half of competitor pricing.

 

How do they do it so cheaply? What's the catch?.

 

 

1. Make a few steps in booking process to see the final price.

2. Look at other incentives that are not included into "front page" fare.

2. See post #2.

3. We have cruised on a superb ship (far above "competitors") for some 33% more, not two times more than the price you mentioned. In fact, it was cheaper per person than we would pay for the Divina at the time of the cruise.

4. The Divina charges for some services that are free on other ships.

5. Compare products, not only prices.

[American Bear]

1. Make a few steps in booking process to see the final price.

2. Look at other incentives that are not included into "front page" fare.

2. See post #2.

3. We have cruised on a superb ship (far above "competitors") for some 33% more, not two times more than the price you mentioned. In fact, it was cheaper per person than we would pay for the Divina at the time of the cruise.

4. The Divina charges for some services that are free on other ships.

5. Compare products, not only prices.

 

Or Compare prices if that's what you want to do!

And many have saved over double the price on Divina as I have!

[sidari]

How many will stay loyal to MSC when they decide to increase fares to a sustainable level or one closer to their competitors ?

 

Most seem to be choosing Divina purely on the cheap fares being offered.

[jkgourmet]

1. Make a few steps in booking process to see the final price.

2. Look at other incentives that are not included into "front page" fare.

2. See post #2.

3. We have cruised on a superb ship (far above "competitors") for some 33% more, not two times more than the price you mentioned. In fact, it was cheaper per person than we would pay for the Divina at the time of the cruise.

4. The Divina charges for some services that are free on other ships.

5. Compare products, not only prices.

 

What does the divinia charge for that other mass market lines do not?

 

I recognize that the divinia/MSC are not comparable to our current favorite, Celebrity. Which cruise line would you say it IS COMPARABLE to?

 

Want to ,share details of #3 please?

 

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Edited March 26, 2014 by jkgourmet

[kdawg954]

How many will stay loyal to MSC when they decide to increase fares to a sustainable level or one closer to their competitors ?

 

Most seem to be choosing Divina purely on the cheap fares being offered.

 

Cruisers tend to be split in 3 ways:

 

1. You have your cruisers who are pretty loyal to 1 cruise line. They have "Platinum" type benefits and thats the line they choose. Sure they love a good deal on their cruise line but they aren't going to ditch their "Platinum" benefits because a ship from another cruise line is going on a similar itinerary for a cheaper price.

 

2. You have your normal people who just want to go on a family vacation and find a cruise that fits within their "vacation dates". Of course they would love a great deal, but they can be easily swayed to any cruise line as long as it fits the time frame they have set out and the budget as well.

 

3. You have your budget cruisers . . . the ones who value "Time on a ship" over brand. The ones who will easily choose 2 cruises a year in a inside cabin over 1 with a balcony. The ones who locate cheap deals on relatively "unknown" cruise lines because . . . you are on a cruise. No loyality unless it benefits their pockets.

 

MSC falls into that 3rd category with those $199 deals they had going on for a while there. They know they are going to get alot of cruiser who fall into this category. But they are hoping they can leave a good enough impression on people who fall into categories 2 and 3, cruisers who aren't loyal to a particular brand and turn them into category 1 cruisers for their line. MSC prices have always been "cheaper" than the bigger lines so they have an opportunity to gain a loyal following with these loyal prices. Plus, if people have a good time on their ship, they are more likely to tell others about the time they had w/o going into too much detail of the cost that they paid.

 

Hey, it worked with me. I've never cruised with them and they were always well down on my list of cruise lines to try . . . but now I'm booked in October because of the unbelieveable rate I got and maybe I become a fan of their ships and let everybody I know what a great cruiseline they are.

[cruisetrail]

What does the divinia charge for that other mass market lines do not?

 

I recognize that the divinia/MSC are not comparable to our current favorite, Celebrity. Which cruise line would you say it IS COMPARABLE to?

 

 

 

 

"The norms" that don't cost extra on cruise ships:

1. Pastry shop. Food in pastry shops is free on cruise ships (except MSC). Specialty coffee is extra.

2. "Private sun deck". MSC is the only cruise line that charges for sun deck.

 

Free service that is not universal across the industry: 24h free room service on some ships.

AFAIK room service breakfast is free on the Divina, lunch and dinner is extra.

Cinemas (regular movies) on some ships are free.

 

 

I recognize that the divinia/MSC are not comparable to our current favorite, Celebrity. Which cruise line would you say it IS COMPARABLE to?

 

BTW by design the Divina is the closest to Celebrity S-Class.

Service concept and space per person make them different.

 

MSC direct competitors (comparable) are Carnival, NCL and Costa.

 

 

Want to ,share details of #3 please?

We were looking for a budget cruise for a family of 4, so we focused on the Divina. Then we found a better price for the Nieuw Amsterdam (a better cabin on an incomparably better ship and a better itinerary).

Prices vary. Offers come and go.

Current prices for the Divina are lower.

Edited March 26, 2014 by cruisetrail

[dogchopper]

"The norms" that don't cost extra on cruise ships:

1. Pastry shop. Food in pastry shops is free on cruise ships (except MSC). Specialty coffee is extra.

2. "Private sun deck". MSC is the only cruise line that charges for sun deck.

 

Free service that is not universal across the industry: 24h free room service on some ships.

AFAIK room service breakfast is free on the Divina, lunch and dinner is extra.

Cinemas (regular movies) on some ships are free.

 

 

 

 

BTW by design the Divina is the closest to Celebrity S-Class.

Service concept and space per person make them different.

 

MSC direct competitors (comparable) are Carnival, NCL and Costa.

 

 

 

We were looking for a budget cruise for a family of 4, so we focused on the Divina. Then we found a better price the Nieuw Amsterdam (a better cabin on a better ships and a better itinerary).

Prices vary. Offers come and go.

Current prices for the Divina are lower.

I was on the Freedom of the Seas last year and the food in the pastry shop was not free. There was a shop (pizza shop) that had some free pastries but the actual pastry shop wasn't free.

[cruisetrail]

I was on the Freedom of the Seas last year and the food in the pastry shop was not free. There was a shop (pizza shop) that had some free pastries but the actual pastry shop wasn't free.

 

Cafe Promenade is free on the Freedom OTS.

Edited March 26, 2014 by cruisetrail

[Calitexar]

Yep, MSC is definitely trying to build brand recognition and loyalty. This is the first year Divina will be dedicated to the Caribbean year round. MSC has invested significantly in training staff to support a North American clientele (something they've struggled with in the past). Rates are crazy low. As a TA, commissions are virtually nothing once port charges are removed from fare. Will that stop me from booking MSC for my clients? No way! I believe clients will return and that's what keeps me in business. I'll be sailing Divina in April, so I'll gain first-hand knowledge of the ship, service and value.

[mom2tcdx2]

While their prices are low, they aren't across all possible dates. So I do think they have built in higher prices for some dates, while keeping others lower. We could do the exact same cruise either Oct. 11 or Oct. 25, the 25th date was cheaper, so we went with that one.

 

I have also found good prices with other cruise lines also, just takes lots of searching and checking many times. Though I usually find October to have some of the better prices among all lines. We also got what I thought was a really good rate on NCL for our November cruise, which their price is now about $700 more than it was for the same cabin when I booked it.

[jchipgcs]

Yep, MSC is definitely trying to build brand recognition and loyalty. This is the first year Divina will be dedicated to the Caribbean year round. MSC has invested significantly in training staff to support a North American clientele (something they've struggled with in the past). Rates are crazy low. As a TA, commissions are virtually nothing once port charges are removed from fare. Will that stop me from booking MSC for my clients? No way! I believe clients will return and that's what keeps me in business. I'll be sailing Divina in April, so I'll gain first-hand knowledge of the ship, service and value.

 

I see it exactly as you do, Calitexar. I've sent 3 groups of clients on MSC so far, in the process of doing a 4th and I'm taking her in April too to see for myself. So far, the response from my folks has been overwhelmingly positive which makes me feel good about the line. Which sailing are you on in April?

[kdawg954]

"The norms" that don't cost extra on cruise ships:

1. Pastry shop. Food in pastry shops is free on cruise ships (except MSC). Specialty coffee is extra.

2. "Private sun deck". MSC is the only cruise line that charges for sun deck.

 

Free service that is not universal across the industry: 24h free room service on some ships.

AFAIK room service breakfast is free on the Divina, lunch and dinner is extra.

Cinemas (regular movies) on some ships are free.

 

.

 

Are you sure about room service being extra for lunch/dinner? I was told that it is included, however after midnight there is a surcharge for room service. Some cruiselines don't do the surcharge after midnight and some do . . . it's pretty normal, but can we clarify if it is included or not?

 

The Private Sun Deck charge is something they may have to scrap. I guess the summer (kids out of school) will be the tale of the tape in regards to that. Not a fan of there being a charge, like you said, that area is included on pretty much all cruise lines.

 

Pastry shops are extra on many cruise lines. You can get free pastries at the pizza area (if they have them) but the speciality pastries and coffees have pretty much been an added expense on other lines.

[alexkrn46]

Pastry charges on the Brilliance of the Seas this last August, I also believe on Celebrity some venues charge for pastries.

 

On the Divina YC the sun deck was free, and the cost of the YC was cheaper than 2 balconies on the Oasis ( plus the balconies on the Oasis are much smaller and not sound proof).

 

Divina for us family of 4 adults YC verses Oasis ( with a Diamond Plus discount and next cruise certificate was much more expensive).

[Bosjoe]

"The norms" that don't cost extra on cruise ships:

1. Pastry shop. Food in pastry shops is free on cruise ships (except MSC). Specialty coffee is extra.

2. "Private sun deck". MSC is the only cruise line that charges for sun deck.

 

Free service that is not universal across the industry: 24h free room service on some ships.

AFAIK room service breakfast is free on the Divina, lunch and dinner is extra.

Cinemas (regular movies) on some ships are free.

 

 

 

 

BTW by design the Divina is the closest to Celebrity S-Class.

Service concept and space per person make them different.

 

MSC direct competitors (comparable) are Carnival, NCL and Costa.

 

 

 

We were looking for a budget cruise for a family of 4, so we focused on the Divina. Then we found a better price for the Nieuw Amsterdam (a better cabin on an incomparably better ship and a better itinerary).

Prices vary. Offers come and go.

Current prices for the Divina are lower.

 

Again someone who has never sailed her giving some false information.

 

Movies are free unless you are referring to in room movies, and other ships also charge for these.

 

Room service is free with a fee after midnight or 1am.

 

Pastries are extra because of the higher quality, just like on other ships that have shops, all lines basically have these extra areas from ice cream, to special coffee and so on.

 

Guess your google search knowledge failed you.

 

And ncl charges for space on the top deck too.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Bosjoe

[American Bear]

Cafe Promenade is free on the Freedom OTS.

 

We love the Freedom, but seriously the Cafe Promenade pastry is buffet quality(free on the Divina), and Sorrentos pizza is awful! Their upscale coffee is brown dish water!

[American Bear]

Cruisers tend to be split in 3 ways:

 

1. You have your cruisers who are pretty loyal to 1 cruise line. They have "Platinum" type benefits and thats the line they choose. Sure they love a good deal on their cruise line but they aren't going to ditch their "Platinum" benefits because a ship from another cruise line is going on a similar itinerary for a cheaper price.

 

2. You have your normal people who just want to go on a family vacation and find a cruise that fits within their "vacation dates". Of course they would love a great deal, but they can be easily swayed to any cruise line as long as it fits the time frame they have set out and the budget as well.

 

3. You have your budget cruisers . . . the ones who value "Time on a ship" over brand. The ones who will easily choose 2 cruises a year in a inside cabin over 1 with a balcony. The ones who locate cheap deals on relatively "unknown" cruise lines because . . . you are on a cruise. No loyality unless it benefits their pockets.

 

MSC falls into that 3rd category with those $199 deals they had going on for a while there. They know they are going to get alot of cruiser who fall into this category. But they are hoping they can leave a good enough impression on people who fall into categories 2 and 3, cruisers who aren't loyal to a particular brand and turn them into category 1 cruisers for their line. MSC prices have always been "cheaper" than the bigger lines so they have an opportunity to gain a loyal following with these loyal prices. Plus, if people have a good time on their ship, they are more likely to tell others about the time they had w/o going into too much detail of the cost that they paid.

 

Hey, it worked with me. I've never cruised with them and they were always well down on my list of cruise lines to try . . . but now I'm booked in October because of the unbelieveable rate I got and maybe I become a fan of their ships and let everybody I know what a great cruiseline they are.

 

I would agree with what you've said!

How many will come back(?),,,,some will because they're in the loyalty program which is quite good! 100 points earned through days at sea 'plus' spending on board gets you 20% off! :eek: (Try adding a future cruise of say $399. for a balcony and then take 20% off, who wouldn't take that!!!:D)

Others will come back because of future low priced cruises! The abundance of cabins caused by the additional ships coming on line the next 3-4 years will keep prices low!

MSC has an advantage, they are private, don't answer to stock holders, and have a highly profitable container shipping company to support their venture into the cruise industry!

Finally, MSC recently announced their going to build 2 ships, 10% larger then the RCL Freedom Class, imagine one of them serving us here in the states!:D

[cruisetrail]

Again someone who has never sailed her giving some false information.

 

Movies are free unless you are referring to in room movies, and other ships also charge for these.

 

Room service is free with a fee after midnight or 1am.

 

Pastries are extra because of the higher quality, just like on other ships that have shops, all lines basically have these extra areas from ice cream, to special coffee and so on.

 

Guess your google search knowledge failed you.

 

And ncl charges for space on the top deck too.

 

Putting aside your nasty tone,

I posted AFAIK regarding room service fee = it's to be clarified.

MSC website says about room service breakfast but nothing at all about lunch and dinner.

 

I did not state that regular movies on the Divina are for fee.

I don't know how regular cinema works on the Divina, never had this question before.

May you can tell us about regular cinema on the Divina?

 

 

Pastries are extra because of the higher quality, just like on other ships that have shops, all lines basically have these extra areas from ice cream, to special coffee and so on.

 

Guess your google search knowledge failed you.

 

And ncl charges for space on the top deck too

 

No, your google is not as good as mine.

As you have not cruise on other lines, I am telling you about them:

 

Other lines have "pastry shops", "atrium cafes" in various forms (International Cafe on Princess, Promenade Cafe or Park Cafe on Royal Caribbean, Atrium Cafe and O'Sheehan's on NCL, Exploration Cafe on HAL, Cafe Al Bacio and Aqua Spa Cafe on Celebrity..) where all food is free. Specialty coffee/tea and specialty ice cream are for fee.

 

 

What NCL ship charges for sun deck and what deck is that?

Edited March 26, 2014 by cruisetrail

[sidari]

Room Service for North Americans is Free on Divina while anyone from Europe has to pay for it (which i posted some time ago from a report from Seatrade Insider) the rationale from MSC was that Europeans are used to paying for it in Europe so they can pay for it in the USA!

 

MSC allowing Double standards which makes you wonder how they will manage that when the New pricing scheme comes online in April with their Bella and Fantastica system!

[cruisetrail]

Are you sure about room service being extra for lunch/dinner? I was told that it is included, however after midnight there is a surcharge for room service. Some cruiselines don't do the surcharge after midnight and some do . . . it's pretty normal, but can we clarify if it is included or not?

 

The Private Sun Deck charge is something they may have to scrap. I guess the summer (kids out of school) will be the tale of the tape in regards to that. Not a fan of there being a charge, like you said, that area is included on pretty much all cruise lines.

 

Pastry shops are extra on many cruise lines. You can get free pastries at the pizza area (if they have them) but the speciality pastries and coffees have pretty much been an added expense on other lines.

 

No, I am not sure about lunch and dinner charge. That's why I marked it AFAIK. MSC website is uncertain about that.

 

About "pastry shops".

No.

All major mass market cruise lines offer free alternative dining venues besides MDR, buffet and poolside junks. Exceptions are Costa and obviously MSC because the thread about free alternative dining on the Divina remains dead.

 

Other lines have "pastry shops", "atrium cafes" in various forms (International Cafe on Princess, Promenade Cafe or Park Cafe on Royal Caribbean, Atrium Cafe and O'Sheehan's on NCL, Explorations Cafe on HAL, Cafe Al Bacio and Aqua Spa Cafe on Celebrity..).

 

I won't take space posting photos of all cruise lines.

This is an example from Princess:

 

Edited March 26, 2014 by cruisetrail

[cruisetrail]

Room Service for North Americans is Free on Divina while anyone from Europe has to pay for it (which i posted some time ago from a report from Seatrade Insider) the rationale from MSC was that Europeans are used to paying for it in Europe so they can pay for it in the USA!

 

MSC allowing Double standards which makes you wonder how they will manage that when the New pricing scheme comes online in April with their Bella and Fantastica system!

 

Thank you.

I remember that I read something "complicated" regarding room service!

[mom2tcdx2]

As an FYI NCL does have a pastry shop on the Breakaway that there is an extra cost for. It is associated with the Cake Boss out of NY.

 

Truly I could care less about the pastries, as they aren't something I really found to be all that good on other lines anyway. With this being a fee I have yet to see anything though online that tells me what type of pastries they serve and what costs they are.

 

Cruise ships do charge for different things - Disney charges for popcorn sold outside of their Buena Vista Theatre, while other lines have it for free.

 

Disney doesn't charge for sodas at dinner or the buffet, other lines charge for them.

 

Disney allows you to bring alcohol onboard, others do not.

 

Several had ice cream stations that are charged for and some had free setups. Mostly soft serve was free, while other "regular" ice cream had a fee.

 

Most of the cruise lines charge for a spa pass, which I have purchased on NCL and Disney. Princess does charge for a sanctuary pass, so I can't see how that is any different than the Top18 area.

[boca7]

I have sailed on MSC numerous times & have never seen prices this low. My advise is cut the crap about what you get & don`t but try the option to sail on a magnificent ship for a very low price. Don`t try to compare it but see if what they offer is what you like. They have what I consider the cleanest ships afloat, cabins are smaller, the size of NCL. You can reserve larger for a larger price like any other line. They do not have anytime dining & meal times are not 24 hrs a day. When I`m sailing with them in the US everyone wants to compare to US ships, accept them for what they are or sail elsewhere without having a fit. In Europe they are considered one of the best, & they know value.