First time cruisers: Caribbean Princess vs MSC Divina

[michelle.zhang.90]

We are first time cruisers (me and DH, both mid 30s, DD 4, and DS will be 18 month in Dec.) . The two cruises I have booked are:

 

Caribbean Princess ( CB) and MSC Divina. Both embark from Florida.

 

1. CB is five days west Caribbean, port of calls are Cozumel and Princess Cay, we booked a mini suite for 2300. The good about is we heard the food and the service on Princess is superb. We also like the mini suite. The cons are this ship is old and people say it need renovation and says CB is the worst among all Princess.

 

2. MSC Divina is 7 days west Caribbean. We booked a balcony for 2800. The pros: new ship, nice cabin. The cons: many bad reviews about food and service.

 

With two little ones we won't be able to go to all the shows so do not care about the entertainment as much, but we really hoping to get a nice cabin, have gourmet food, and get good service.

 

Any suggestions which one to go with?

[michelle.zhang.90]

PS both are Christmas cruises.

[John Bull]

You've kinda summed it up yourself. :)

 

Like all ships in the MSC fleet, Divina is a superb stylish modern ship & beautifully-maintained, whereas CB is a bit long in the tooth - though very acceptable.

 

But CB is an American experience, whereas Divina is very Italian.

Many Americans regard Divina's crew as unfriendly, Italians might consider crew on American ships too in-your-face. Food in the main dining room on Divina is very Italian, lots of small courses, & that doesn't appeal to a lot of Americans.

Divina is therefore an acquired taste for non-Italians.

 

CB's itinerary sounds pretty unexciting, but for a first cruise I'd suggest you play safe & sail CB.

I'd suggest the opposite if you were Italian. ;)

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB :)

[dancinman66]

I would definitely go princess there

Nice ship and great service and food

Better than Mac and cheaper although two days shorter

 

You may prefer the other itinerary in which case all these issues are not worth your decision

 

 

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[Krazy Kruizers]

You should check to see which ship has the better children's program for your 4 year old.

[michelle.zhang.90]

You've kinda summed it up yourself. :)

 

Like all ships in the MSC fleet, Divina is a superb stylish modern ship & beautifully-maintained, whereas CB is a bit long in the tooth - though very acceptable.

 

But CB is an American experience, whereas Divina is very Italian.

Many Americans regard Divina's crew as unfriendly, Italians might consider crew on American ships too in-your-face. Food in the main dining room on Divina is very Italian, lots of small courses, & that doesn't appeal to a lot of Americans.

Divina is therefore an acquired taste for non-Italians.

 

CB's itinerary sounds pretty unexciting, but for a first cruise I'd suggest you play safe & sail CB.

I'd suggest the opposite if you were Italian. ;)

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB :)

 

 

Thanks a lot for the input! I think that's a good idea! :)

[michelle.zhang.90]

I would definitely go princess there

Nice ship and great service and food

Better than Mac and cheaper although two days shorter

 

You may prefer the other itinerary in which case all these issues are not worth your decision

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Thank you! So 100% sure CB has better food right?

[Marie51]

Thank you! So 100% sure CB has better food right?

 

I sailed on Caribbean Princess and felt the food was bland for the most part. However the ship is beautiful. Keep in mind that the opinions about quality of food are very subjective.

I think this is a matter of which has the best itinerary overall considering the rates and number of days.

I have never sailed MSC but am considering it for next spring as the rates are good for a 7 day cruise.

[A2Mich]

I would say book the Caribbean Princess for a more Americanized cruise experience. Caribbean Princess is only 10 years old, BTW. Cruise ships are generally designed for a minimum 30 year life expectancy - she is by no means old. I have also thought about MSC, but may not be the right choice for a first time cruiser. From what I've read, MSC has a very European feel to it, though less so than their ships sailing in Europe.

[A2Mich]

I sailed on Caribbean Princess and felt the food was bland for the most part. However the ship is beautiful. Keep in mind that the opinions about quality of food are very subjective.

I think this is a matter of which has the best itinerary overall considering the rates and number of days.

I have never sailed MSC but am considering it for next spring as the rates are good for a 7 day cruise.

 

I actually think that the majority of cruise ship food has been bland for my tastes. However, that may be in order to appeal to a larger spectrum of people. I enjoy bold flavors, whereas my in-laws are Midwestern meat and potatoes people who don't enjoy spicy or bold tastes - they prefer things a bit more plain than I do. Their opinion is that I overseason items, and I feel they under-season most things. However, less seasoned dishes can sometimes be improved by adding various spices and flavors, and they may be going to less seasoned dishes to simply try and appeal to a broader spectrum of passenger.

[Seago2]

I had an excellent cruise on CB a few years ago. However, in this case I would go for Divina. She's a gorgeous ship and that's a great price. I sailed Lirica a few years back. Yes, it's not an entirely "American" cruise ship but she's sailing from North America, full of Americans, and it's still a cruise ship: hardly a daring holiday. The food will probably be better, and certainly more interesting, than CB. For me it comes down to the beauty of that ship- look at some pics. I agree that you should ask on the MSC board about kids programs.