MSC Divina 04/19/14 Review

[Out to sea!]

There is not made to order eggs, but they had over easy eggs made and were just fine at the buffet. I usually stay away from scramble eggs, who know how they are made on any ship.

 

My only complaint about the buffet was at night it was limited, but breakfast and lunch many choices.

 

As for MDR I have found RCCL, Celebrity and MSC all the same, nothing over the top and nothing so bad. Its all banquet food and not made to order. I did notice one thing Shrimp cocktail was best on MSC, nice big chilled shrimp, not those lil things I have seen on other ships.

 

I stayed away from Hamburger and hotdogs, there were to many other and better choices to choose from, from salmon to pizza. But hot dogs and hamburgers were great on the private island.

 

I would recommend this ship so easilly if someone asked me, be it bargain basement price or a normal price as something close to Celebrity. I would choose Divina over Celebrity easily based on entertainment and my cruise experience I had on Divina over Reflection.

 

Now I am not a fan of a 1000 kids I would not go on anyship during these times. I sound like I am a kid hater, but I'm not. If Iwant a ton of kids I would take my vacations at Disney World.

 

Are eggs not made to order in the MDR?

[Bosjoe]

Are eggs not made to order in the MDR?

 

I should specify that this was the buffet. I never ate breakfast or lunch in the MDR.

[American Bear]

I should specify that this was the buffet. I never ate breakfast or lunch in the MDR.

 

I remember reading somewhere that there was an area where eggs were cooked to order when the Divina first came to the US, but an inspection by some government type in Miami had them remove it for some safety reason! The ship is going in for a quick over haul next fall (2015) before coming back to Miami for the fall/winter sailings, maybe they'll do something then!

[CC Help Jenn]

Just like the reviews - everyone on the same sailing seems to have completely different experiences.

 

I did not ever feel the ship was overrun with kids - but my comparisons are only Disney and NCL. I never felt the pools - even on sea days - were as "people soup" as the pools on Disney were. Getting a lounge chair may have been difficult but I don't lounge so that wouldn't bother me.

 

Funny some think even at the low price it was not a good value, where I think I would still have been happy paying more (well not that I would want to pay more - just that it would still be a good value at a higher price)

 

There is a cruise line for everyone I suppose :) We all have different tastes

[CC Help Jenn]

Another fair review. When I booked my cruise in early March, I wanted to go to New Orleans for the great food and music during the French Quarter Fest. My wife wanted to go on a 3 night cruise on Royal Caribbean for $349 per person. We compromised and went on The Divina for 7 nights for $349 per person. In early March, the negative reviews far outnumbered the positive reviews, so my expectations for the price we paid were low. I'm ready to board the ship again and will do so even before revisiting my favorite city, New Orleans.

I did see a couple of children in the clubs at night on the Divina but think that may happen on RCCL and NCL also.

 

I have to add, that as a parent, it was nice to be able to take my son with me if I did want to grab a drink. I wouldn't take him in to an inappropriate show or anything along those lines... But sometimes it was just nice to be able to sit with my family and sip a drink. Had he been running amok or disturbing other passengers I would not have had him in the lounge with me - but if he is sitting with us behaving himself I see no reason why he can not or should not be there if the rules allow.

[CC Help Jenn]

I should specify that this was the buffet. I never ate breakfast or lunch in the MDR.

 

I had made to order eggs in the MDR for breakfast. They were really good. I never ate the eggs in the buffet to compare.

[CC Help Jenn]

Ah, but heres the thing, the kids in the U.S. were all back in school and spring break was over. I was not expecting the ship to be full of European kids, not that there is a difference, kids are kids. I did not select this cruise because of that, but was surprised to find the ship so full of kids.

 

As far as the buffet, dont recall the burger nor the eggs being "freshly made." Most everything was bland and barely edible. No worries, the positive is all the weight I lost on this sailing!

 

I simply think for the price, yes it was a value, a poor value, but still a value. In comparison to other cruise lines, I would not recommend MSC to anyone regardless of the price differential. I would rather pay more to get better service, food, etc and enjoy myself than pay for a "bargain" and get nothing in return. I know this is a personal preference and some may not agree, but that as they say is what makes the world go round.

 

Our Spring Break was actually during this sailing (we live in NJ) so it is possible that others had the same spring break. I didn't feel overrun by kids - but perhaps other lines you have sailed had far fewer in comparison.

 

I thought the ship had a really nice blend of passenger age ranges as well as nationalities

Edited April 30, 2014 by Help@

[thraak]

Just like the reviews - everyone on the same sailing seems to have completely different experiences.

 

 

 

I did not ever feel the ship was overrun with kids - but my comparisons are only Disney and NCL. I never felt the pools - even on sea days - were as "people soup" as the pools on Disney were. Getting a lounge chair may have been difficult but I don't lounge so that wouldn't bother me.

 

 

 

Funny some think even at the low price it was not a good value, where I think I would still have been happy paying more (well not that I would want to pay more - just that it would still be a good value at a higher price)

 

 

 

There is a cruise line for everyone I suppose :) We all have different tastes

 

 

 

 

 

EXACTLY how I felt. To me, it would have been a good value even at a slightly higher cost. It was our first cruise in a long time so for our first Divina cruise we went with the cheapest inside cabin. Yes it was small, but it was quite acceptable as we only spent the sleeping hours in there. In the fall, we will try an oceanview or balcony stateroom as it would still be a good value.

 

 

 

Only on the first day at sea, did we have a problem getting a lounger. It took a whole 15 minutes to find one. We stayed there (deck 15) for about 45 minutes and then as more opened up on deck 14, we relocated.

 

 

 

Everyone has their priorities. For us it was to relax in the sun, reasonable drink prices, halfway decent food, entertainment on board and horseback riding in Jamaica, tour the island of Cozumel and relaxing on the beach at Grand Cayman and Great Stirrup Cay.

 

 

 

The Divina exceeded our expectations in all areas so we are looking forward to doing it again in September or October.

Edited April 30, 2014 by thraak

[NCMtnBoys]

As these cruises in April were selling at $349. for a balcony, did you get your money's worth?

A hotel room with a view of the ocean alone would cost more then that on land, and that's not even including free shows, and free lousy food as you put it!

 

We found and paid an unheard of $299pp for our balcony - and still got $25obc each as a bonus from the booking agency. So yes, I definitely think it was a wonderful value and we more than got our money's worth.

 

I did think there were a lot of kids. I expected that, though, being the week following Easter. We didn't really come across any behaving badly. And with that many onboard, we generally seek out areas away from the main pool area. Usually didn't have any problem finding somewhere on a deck to sit. We'd sit for awhile and when we were ready to do something else, we'd take all our stuff with us and find a different location later. :D I realized the other day in looking at my cruise signature that we've never cruised in May, June, July, August or December. We're definitely value (seeking) and kid (not seeking) conscious.

 

Hamburgers and hot dogs wrapped or unwrapped - why sweat the small stuff? Didn't bother me in the least...I had at least one hot dog for lunch every day and they were fine. One day the stuff wasn't wrapped and in individualized trays - so it varied.

 

Even if we'd have paid more, I would recommend this ship to others. Any bad that we encountered was far outweighed by the good.

Edited April 30, 2014 by NC Mtn Boys

[American Bear]

EXACTLY how I felt. To me, it would have been a good value even at a slightly higher cost. It was our first cruise in a long time so for our first Divina cruise we went with the cheapest inside cabin. Yes it was small, but it was quite acceptable as we only spent the sleeping hours in there. In the fall, we will try an oceanview or balcony stateroom as it would still be a good value.

 

 

 

Only on the first day at sea, did we have a problem getting a lounger. It took a whole 15 minutes to find one. We stayed there (deck 15) for about 45 minutes and then as more opened up on deck 14, we relocated.

 

 

 

Everyone has their priorities. For us it was to relax in the sun, reasonable drink prices, halfway decent food, entertainment on board and horseback riding in Jamaica, tour the island of Cozumel and relaxing on the beach at Grand Cayman and Great Stirrup Cay.

 

 

 

The Divina exceeded our expectations in all areas so we are looking forward to doing it again in September or October.

 

 

 

If you're looking at ocean view or balcony for your next cruise, I'd suggest you go with the Balcony! You won't regret it!

Its not that much more, and you always have your own private little sanctuary!

The added plus is the Divina doesn't allow smoking on Balconies as other cruise lines!

[thraak]

If you're looking at ocean view or balcony for your next cruise, I'd suggest you go with the Balcony! You won't regret it!

 

Its not that much more, and you always have your own private little sanctuary!

 

The added plus is the Divina doesn't allow smoking on Balconies as other cruise lines!

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip! You have an impressive list of past sailings!!!

 

...Sorry, I was looking at NC Mtn Boys sailings.

Edited April 30, 2014 by thraak

[Bosjoe]

Ah, but heres the thing, the kids in the U.S. were all back in school and spring break was over. I was not expecting the ship to be full of European kids, not that there is a difference, kids are kids. I did not select this cruise because of that, but was surprised to find the ship so full of kids.

 

.

 

Spring break is not over in the US. The northeast had spring break last week and this week. In general the whole month of April and parts of March have spring break. I was at Disney world the second week of March and it was spring break for kids too.

[boca7]

Summary : I’ll start with a summary, in case y’all don’t want to read all the notes. For the dirt-cheap pricing that’s currently out there, the MSC experience is a GREAT value. The ship is beautiful, the entertainment fantastic and the food is mediocre (some great – some bad). Service is a problem and one that MSC must address if they are going to compete favorably in this market at rates that will bring them a positive return.

 

The Excellent

Embarkation: Very easy. Arrived at the port about noon. Checked in immediately and was given a boarding group number. Boarding was through escalators at each end of the terminal, so crowding was minimal. We were group 19 and boarded by 12:45pm.

 

Ship: The Divina is beautiful, probably the nicest ship I’ve sailed. The ship has lots of mirrors, Swarvski crystal-imbedded stairs and very nice staterooms. The lounges are roomy and the theatre is fantastic from sound, to lighting to visibility to the stage.

 

Entertainment: Excellent! From the theatre shows to the lounge acts, all were exceptionally good.

 

Bar Service – lounges only (see “the Bad” below)

 

The Good

The buffet: Laid out well with enough options to meet the needs of anyone. Even with a full ship and over 4,000 passengers, there was always an empty table to be found. Most stations were repeated around the buffet, so crowds weren’t a problem in any one area. Certainly not the most extensive I’ve seen, but good. Standard offerings: Carving area, hot dishes, pastas, pizza, ethnic dishes, sandwiches, salad bar, fruit and desserts. Juices and iced tea are available all day. Juice selection – orange, cranberry, pineapple and white grapefruit. Missing: made-to-order eggs, fresh burgers and dogs (premade available in fast-food type boxes).

 

Entrees: Lamb, beef, fish and seafood were all good. Pasta was consistently good as well, though not technically an entrée.

 

Appetizers: Great, unusual offerings of decent proportion. The shrimp cocktail was a particular standout with very large shrimp.

 

The OK

The Thermal Spa: Great value for $79/couple for the seven days. Includes steam and sauna (gender specific) and a “relax” room with seven lounges and a couple tables, nice music and view. Wouldn’t pay the standard $99/person rate though.

 

The Bad

Service – Very inconsistent. While we had great service from our room steward and wait staff, our experience was the exception rather than the rule. I had three very minor issues come up throughout the cruise and, in each case, was assumed wrong until proven right. Additonally, in one case which involved a double charge of $12.65, the “guest relations” representative didn’t even have the authority to back-out one of the two charges. He had to call other departments, explain what happened and advise me to check the statement later that day. That’s a very bad customer service model. Finally, the bar service at the pools was generally awful. One felt like the bar staff was doing the customer a favor to SELL them a beverage.

 

Side dishes: Though entrees were good, side dishes were horrendous and presentation non-existent. “Baked” potatoes were steamed (my guess) and were only a half of a very small potato. Vegetables were overcooked and salads were horrible.

 

 

The Ugly

Lifeboat drill: Absolutely the most chaotic experience I’ve ever had. No clear direction was given as to whether/not passengers needed to put the life jackets on during the drill. So, some did…some didn’t…some bumped into others, knocked over things, etc. The instructions were given in several languages, which was fine given the demographics of the passengers, but there were 5-7 minute delays between different sets of instructions.

 

Disembarkation: I don’t know where to start. Suffice it to say, if you plan a flight before noon, then take advantage of “self-assist”.

Everyone has a different experience, just off the 04/26 cruise & I agree with most of what you say but our cabin steward was great. Having been on a number of smaller MSC cruises prior we were really awe struck of the beauty of this ship & the fantastic entertainment. What bothered us were the cruisers mainly in the buffet area & the pool area. Walking in the buffet area or the pool area is a mayhem. The adult pool area which is very nice but no one to keep the kids out. This can be a wonderful cruise if there was supervision. The staff didn`t care less.

[Out to sea!]

Everyone has a different experience, just off the 04/26 cruise & I agree with most of what you say but our cabin steward was great. Having been on a number of smaller MSC cruises prior we were really awe struck of the beauty of this ship & the fantastic entertainment. What bothered us were the cruisers mainly in the buffet area & the pool area. Walking in the buffet area or the pool area is a mayhem. The adult pool area which is very nice but no one to keep the kids out. This can be a wonderful cruise if there was supervision. The staff didn`t care less.

 

I didn't know there was an adult pool area??? :confused:

[CC Help Jenn]

I didn't know there was an adult pool area??? :confused:

 

There wasn't as far as I knew - all of the pools were open to anyone. No signage to say that a certain pool was for adults - and I took my kids in all of the pools

[boca7]

There wasn't as far as I knew - all of the pools were open to anyone. No signage to say that a certain pool was for adults - and I took my kids in all of the pools

Exactly what I said, no supervision.

. The adult pool area is on 14 in the front with the adjustable roof.

[CC Help Jenn]

Exactly what I said, no supervision.

. The adult pool area is on 14 in the front with the adjustable roof.

 

 

Honestly in all of my research, deck plans, signage on board etc I do not ever remember le serene being a designated adult pool....do you know where it says that?

 

 

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Edited May 7, 2014 by Help@

[Out to sea!]

There wasn't as far as I knew - all of the pools were open to anyone. No signage to say that a certain pool was for adults - and I took my kids in all of the pools

 

So Boca7 was mistaken and upset at MSC for no reason I'll take it.

[CC Help Jenn]

Exactly what I said, no supervision.

. The adult pool area is on 14 in the front with the adjustable roof.

 

 

Actually, I just read a bit more. The garden pool ( non covered aft pool) was supposed to originally be an adult pool. But it's not. The only adult area is top 18

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[Out to sea!]

Exactly what I said, no supervision.

. The adult pool area is on 14 in the front with the adjustable roof.

 

From what I can tell, Le Sierene is NOT an adult pool. If anything were going to be an adult pool, I would think it would be the infinity pool at the rear of the ship (but it is not either).

 

As for kids running wild, you should be be blaming poor parenting skills than MSC. The parents are the ones responsible for their tyke's behavior (and should be the ones supervising them).

[Out to sea!]

Actually, I just read a bit more. The garden pool ( non covered aft pool) was supposed to originally be an adult pool. But it's not. The only adult area is top 18

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

And there is no pool up there.

[CC Help Jenn]

So Boca7 was mistaken and upset at MSC for no reason I'll take it.

 

 

Well....my one "issue" with MSC if you can call it that is that Divina/MSC is hard to figure out info on. I knew so much more about my other cruises prior to sailing. As more of us cruise critic members sail and post about MSC that should change ;)

 

 

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[CC Help Jenn]

And there is no pool up there.

 

 

Correct...it's a for fee sun deck

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[conrad75070]

Ah, but heres the thing, the kids in the U.S. were all back in school and spring break was over. I was not expecting the ship to be full of European kids, not that there is a difference, kids are kids. I did not select this cruise because of that, but was surprised to find the ship so full of kids.

 

As far as the buffet, dont recall the burger nor the eggs being "freshly made." Most everything was bland and barely edible. No worries, the positive is all the weight I lost on this sailing!

 

I simply think for the price, yes it was a value, a poor value, but still a value. In comparison to other cruise lines, I would not recommend MSC to anyone regardless of the price differential. I would rather pay more to get better service, food, etc and enjoy myself than pay for a "bargain" and get nothing in return. I know this is a personal preference and some may not agree, but that as they say is what makes the world go round.

 

I was on the same cruise and in my humble opinion, there were not that many children on this cruise. At least compared to a Carnival cruise in the summer. I mainly stayed around the aft pool. Hot Tubs barely used on see days. Always found a chair. I purchased the Premium beverage package. One price, all inclusive. It was Great. Before dinner, I would go to the second floor lobby bar and the bartenders would have my double Johnny Walker Blue ready for me as soon as they saw me coming.

Main Dining room food was not that great. Buffet pretty good.

Getting off boat was easy. Did not do self assist. Was in my rental car by 10 am.

[conrad75070]

Exactly what I said, no supervision.

. The adult pool area is on 14 in the front with the adjustable roof.

 

There was no adults only pool on the Divina.