Spring Break on Divina ~ My little trip overview ~ pics

[CC Help Jenn]

One tip – if you can fit it in your budget – pay the $199 to get a cabana. With this you get priority embarkation, 4 floats, water, sparkling water, fruit, snacks, and the cabana. The embarkation alone was worth it since you tender. From what I hear, it was a long process for other people.

 

Tender

 

 

 

 

[CC Help Jenn]

 

 

 

We were given Cabana 11 – it was the PERFECT location – bar on one side, bathroom on the other, and the beach right in front

 

 

 

[CC Help Jenn]

 

Bar

 

And AHHHHHH – time to relax

 

Through those trees = bathroom

 

Shower behind our cabana

[CC Help Jenn]

Hermit crabs

 

 

 

And sea life

 

 

[CC Help Jenn]

The line for lunch was long – and a wee bit disorganized.

 

 

 

 

 

[CC Help Jenn]

GSC Selfie

 

 

Nap time

 

So when the boy naps I relax

 

 

A storm was coming on later in the day – we saw a water spout

 

 

 

[CC Help Jenn]

The line to leave

 

Bye GSC

[SunReader]

Hi Jenn,

 

Great review and pictures. I wish we were going to Tortola instead of San Juan. I have only stopped there once and did a great snorkeling tour.

 

I haven't cruised on MSC yet. What time is the muster drill? We have early seating for dinner. Sailed on Royal twice out of San Juan and muster was between dinner seatings.

 

Happy to see your daughter enjoyed her cruise. My friends have 14 year old twins going. They have never attended a kids/teens club before.

 

Ellen

[flhokie]

I'm so glad I found your review! We are thinking about sailing Divina this fall with DD (3 years old) and hadn't been able to find much about children's program experiences. My parents loved he ship a few months ago, but didn't see a lot of the children's programs. Your review has convinced me to give them a try.

[CC Help Jenn]

Hi Jenn,

 

Great review and pictures. I wish we were going to Tortola instead of San Juan. I have only stopped there once and did a great snorkeling tour.

 

I haven't cruised on MSC yet. What time is the muster drill? We have early seating for dinner. Sailed on Royal twice out of San Juan and muster was between dinner seatings.

 

Happy to see your daughter enjoyed her cruise. My friends have 14 year old twins going. They have never attended a kids/teens club before.

 

Ellen

 

Muster was 5 I believe .... but sail away was late! Between 7-8pm

[CC Help Jenn]

I'm so glad I found your review! We are thinking about sailing Divina this fall with DD (3 years old) and hadn't been able to find much about children's program experiences. My parents loved he ship a few months ago, but didn't see a lot of the children's programs. Your review has convinced me to give them a try.

 

I really liked the staff in the clubs too - very friendly. The club will give you a hand out of what is scheduled in the club during club hours and also activities for the whole family outside of the club. I will scan all of this at the end of my report :)

[SunReader]

Thanks Jenn. Sailaway around sunset sounds great!

[cpayne]

We tend to stay away from the dining room to be flexible and casual. Other than the buffet are there no other free dining options? Do they offer a 24 hr pizza or what are the hours?

 

Thanks.

[mycruise2000]

Very nice review and excellent photos. Never cruised with MSC curise. How do you compare MSC with RCL or Carnival? Appreciate your feedback with respect to activities, staff, ship culture etc.

 

Thanks for taking time in writing the review.

[Zevo]

Thank you for the great review and pictures. looking forward to our Sept. 6th sailing.

[big al]

Hi Jenn- love the pics!! What did you think of GSC? I know it's not nearly as nice as CC, but it looked OK...I was there 12-13 yrs. ago, and wasn't that impressed..perhaps it was because it was a cloudy day...water looked ok..was it warm? any rocks? Fav is still Castaway Cay by far, with HAL's Half Moon Cay 2nd, Labadee 3rd, then you can put Princess Cays, GSC & Coco Cay all # 4-6 in any order...Filet Mignon looked yummy!

 

Alan

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[CC Help Jenn]

Hi Jenn- love the pics!! What did you think of GSC? I know it's not nearly as nice as CC, but it looked OK...I was there 12-13 yrs. ago, and wasn't that impressed..perhaps it was because it was a cloudy day...water looked ok..was it warm? any rocks? Fav is still Castaway Cay by far, with HAL's Half Moon Cay 2nd, Labadee 3rd, then you can put Princess Cays, GSC & Coco Cay all # 4-6 in any order...Filet Mignon looked yummy!

 

Alan

 

Al, I am sorry I must have missed when you posted this. We loved our time on GSC, but I think our love was of having a cabana. I am not so sure we would have loved it as much - or even spent the whole day if we had not had a cabana. That being said - it was totally worth the $199 price tag - work that into your cruise budget!!

 

The sand was a bit rocky at some parts - and unless you had a cabana or rented a clam shell there was no shade to be found!!

 

Castaway is definitely still my favorite :)

Edited August 13, 2014 by Help@

[CC Help Jenn]

We tend to stay away from the dining room to be flexible and casual. Other than the buffet are there no other free dining options? Do they offer a 24 hr pizza or what are the hours?

 

Thanks.

 

The pizza was almost 24 hours - perhaps 23 hours - and it was located at the front of the buffet. I don't think there were other free options aside from the MDR and Buffet.

 

You could purchase food at the sports bar or purchase pizza at La Cantina di Bacco - I never tried it though because the fresh pizza at the buffet was very good. If you purchased a drink at La Catina di Bacco they had some tapas you could munch on for free.

[CC Help Jenn]

Very nice review and excellent photos. Never cruised with MSC curise. How do you compare MSC with RCL or Carnival? Appreciate your feedback with respect to activities, staff, ship culture etc.

 

Thanks for taking time in writing the review.

 

Well, I have only sailed NCL and DCL so I can not compare with RCL or Carnival.

 

I can say that there were plenty of activities to choose from for both adults and children. The staff was very friendly - much like DCL - which I did not expect. I expected an aloofness that normally comes with European type service. I really think they are trying to appeal to the US market.

[oncruisecontrol]

Divina!!! Pulling into the terminal – she is parked in the same terminal the Disney Magic was when we sailed her last November

 

 

 

Crowded terminal (around noon)

 

 

But that quick (15-20 minutes) boarding starts and we are on!

 

 

How early do they start the boarding? My friends are sailing on Divina soon, and the info they were given says boarding starts at 4PM, and the ship sails at 7PM? I realize you sailed back in April so maybe things have changed. But if you were in the port building at noon, maybe my friends can show up to the port around that time and board early also?

[CC Help Jenn]

How early do they start the boarding? My friends are sailing on Divina soon, and the info they were given says boarding starts at 4PM, and the ship sails at 7PM? I realize you sailed back in April so maybe things have changed. But if you were in the port building at noon, maybe my friends can show up to the port around that time and board early also?

 

Boarding started around noon/12:30 maybe. I think we read the same conflicting info you mention before we sailed too. Have them call but I am fairly certain boarding will not wait until 4pm

[oncruisecontrol]

Boarding started around noon/12:30 maybe. I think we read the same conflicting info you mention before we sailed too. Have them call but I am fairly certain boarding will not wait until 4pm

 

Thanks.

[anamarieus]

Thanks for the awesome review. Our cruise is getting so close and I was searching for reviews and found yours!!

 

The food looked really good! Do you think they have fish and chips anywhere on the ship sometimes??:)