Convince me *not* to take a Divina Cruise

[coldflame]

So, in CC forums people usually ask the question of "Convince me to cruise xyz". Since I'm "sold" on taking a Caribbean cruise aboard the Divina in January with my two kids 10/5, I'm asking: convince me/talk sense into me why I shouldn't cruise MSC or aboard the Divina or why I should spend my hard-earned dollars elsewhere? TIA.

[Skier52]

So, in CC forums people usually ask the question of "Convince me to cruise xyz". Since I'm "sold" on taking a Caribbean cruise aboard the Divina in January with my two kids 10/5, I'm asking: convince me/talk sense into me why I shouldn't cruise MSC or aboard the Divina or why I should spend my hard-earned dollars elsewhere? TIA.

1) Because you'll have difficulty spending all the money you will save because MSC don't charge for children of the ages that yours are.

 

2) Because you might have to miss dinner so as to see the brilliant shows in the theatre on both performances

 

3) Because the Wow factor of the ship will be too much for you to take in in one go . so you have to spend most of the evenings of the cruise trying out all the beautiful venues and admiring the Italian style that has been lovingly put into the ship.

 

I could go on but I find it a strange question.

 

Maybe you should trawl some other threads and draw up a list of pros and cons and do the comparisom.

 

Better still JDI (just do it).............. go ahead and book it before all the best cabins have been taken!!!!!

Edited April 23, 2015 by Skier52

[skyking]

Recently we sailed a 4 day cruise on the Liberty Of The Seas, we wanted to do the 4 day Divina that left yesterday, but would have had to take more days off work. Anyway we walked out of every show on the Liberty, the Divina set the bar wayyyyyyy to high with the most spectacular shows I have seen.

[coldflame]

1) Because you'll have difficulty spending all the money you will save because MSC don't charge for children of the ages that yours are.

 

2) Because you might have to miss dinner so as to see the brilliant shows in the theatre on both performances

 

3) Because the Wow factor of the ship will be too much for you to take in in one go . so you have to spend most of the evenings of the cruise trying out all the beautiful venues and admiring the Italian style that has been lovingly put into the ship.

 

I could go on but I find it a strange question.

 

Maybe you should trawl some other threads and draw up a list of pros and cons and do the comparisom.

 

Better still JDI (just do it).............. go ahead and book it before all the best cabins have been taken!!!!!

 

The reason I posed the question the opposite way is because I thought maybe someone would come forth saying something I had missed like: "great ship, great itinerary, but horrid service" or "there were poop stains in our sheets" I know, I know I have very low standards in humanity :D

[coldflame]

Recently we sailed a 4 day cruise on the Liberty Of The Seas, we wanted to do the 4 day Divina that left yesterday, but would have had to take more days off work. Anyway we walked out of every show on the Liberty, the Divina set the bar wayyyyyyy to high with the most spectacular shows I have seen.

 

Yes, I'm afraid of the same cruising on RCCL FoS given that we're DCL CC Gold members and one thing you can't criticize DCL about is the quality of their theater show -- of course DCL prices are unjustifiably high right now, but that's a different rant.

 

I'm thinking I'll pull the trigger on the Divina. It truly looks like a lovely ship. Plus that 10-nighter in the eastern Caribbean looks amazing.

[JuneauWhatIMean]

1) Because you'll have difficulty spending all the money you will save because MSC don't charge for children of the ages that yours are.

 

2) Because you might have to miss dinner so as to see the brilliant shows in the theatre on both performances

 

3) Because the Wow factor of the ship will be too much for you to take in in one go . so you have to spend most of the evenings of the cruise trying out all the beautiful venues and admiring the Italian style that has been lovingly put into the ship.

 

I could go on but I find it a strange question.

 

Maybe you should trawl some other threads and draw up a list of pros and cons and do the comparisom.

 

Better still JDI (just do it).............. go ahead and book it before all the best cabins have been taken!!!!!

 

Possibly the BEST post/reply I've ever seen on Cruise Critic. ;):p:cool:

[scungileen]

OMG, if you take this cruise you may be on the prettiest ship afloat (outside the Allue and Oasis). This ship has wow factor. However, if you don't like Swarovski steps, beautifully appointed cabins, stunning public areas, a gorgeous infinity pool, unbelievable Italian food and pretty darn good shows, then missing this cruise would be to your benefit. Don't go - in fact, I had such a good time Easter week, that I will be happy to take your place and you can save yourself from a miserable week. By the way if you tip the Maitre D' in the main dining room, on top of the already wonderful meals, he will be make sure you get extra food, sometimes not on the menu. But wait, why would you want that - it would just mean you may go up a dress size. Don't go, you'll only be missing the most stunning ship afloat.

[coldflame]

OMG, if you take this cruise you may be on the prettiest ship afloat (outside the Allue and Oasis). This ship has wow factor. However, if you don't like Swarovski steps, beautifully appointed cabins, stunning public areas, a gorgeous infinity pool, unbelievable Italian food and pretty darn good shows, then missing this cruise would be to your benefit. Don't go - in fact, I had such a good time Easter week, that I will be happy to take your place and you can save yourself from a miserable week. By the way if you tip the Maitre D' in the main dining room, on top of the already wonderful meals, he will be make sure you get extra food, sometimes not on the menu. But wait, why would you want that - it would just mean you may go up a dress size. Don't go, you'll only be missing the most stunning ship afloat.

 

We booked and are so damn excited to try MSC Divina. I called today to ask some questions and the agent was SUPER helpful and not pushy or sales pitch at all. First cruise line I call with questions and it's not trying to upsell me some junk. I guess what me and my wife are most stunned about is the price/value which is several thousand dollars less than DCL and only couple hundred more than RCCL. We're still wondering "what's the catch?"

[JoseyP]

We booked and are so damn excited to try MSC Divina. I called today to ask some questions and the agent was SUPER helpful and not pushy or sales pitch at all. First cruise line I call with questions and it's not trying to upsell me some junk. I guess what me and my wife are most stunned about is the price/value which is several thousand dollars less than DCL and only couple hundred more than RCCL. We're still wondering "what's the catch?"

I am going on the Divina trans Atlantic next week! It leaves out of NYC and I couldnt resist. The price was really good, and my brother was raving about the ship! (but not raving about many of the European passengers). Said they were rude to my mother, an older woman. He was on Divina in December, and got an outrageous deal. Anyway, this should be an awesome adventure. Nice itinerary too. So when are you going?

Edited April 25, 2015 by JoseyP

[chillyw]

I've been on MSC three times total, with Poesia once and Divina twice, all for a specific chartered music cruise.

 

If the cruise wasn't chartered on MSC, I wouldn't choose to sail on them. For me, it's like this:

 

Pros:

 

- Divina is an extremely nice ship. Beautiful open areas. Probably the prettiest ship I've ever been on.

 

- Nice, large cabins.

 

Cons:

 

- Food is terrible. I do not enjoy the food in the main dining rooms or buffet onboard MSC. They have not had the upscale restaurants open on my cruises so I haven't had a chance to try them.

 

- Service very hit and miss. I've had great service from some people, and have witnessed bartenders berating customers.

 

- Pillows in the cabins are not good, and they only give you one per person at the start. I always have to ask for more, and I've had times where I have to keep hounding them.

 

 

I have not had a chance to see any of the entertainment (given it's chartered music cruises) so I'm not sure there.

 

MSC is not a good fit for me because I enjoy a large variety of dining. I would personally rather pay more for better food and more options. The Divina is a gorgeous ship, and the staircase to the theater is awesome, but I'm not a fan of the food and it's a deal breaker for me.

[coldflame]

I've been on MSC three times total, with Poesia once and Divina twice, all for a specific chartered music cruise.

 

If the cruise wasn't chartered on MSC, I wouldn't choose to sail on them. For me, it's like this:

 

Pros:

 

- Divina is an extremely nice ship. Beautiful open areas. Probably the prettiest ship I've ever been on.

 

- Nice, large cabins.

 

Cons:

 

- Food is terrible. I do not enjoy the food in the main dining rooms or buffet onboard MSC. They have not had the upscale restaurants open on my cruises so I haven't had a chance to try them.

 

- Service very hit and miss. I've had great service from some people, and have witnessed bartenders berating customers.

 

- Pillows in the cabins are not good, and they only give you one per person at the start. I always have to ask for more, and I've had times where I have to keep hounding them.

 

 

I have not had a chance to see any of the entertainment (given it's chartered music cruises) so I'm not sure there.

 

MSC is not a good fit for me because I enjoy a large variety of dining. I would personally rather pay more for better food and more options. The Divina is a gorgeous ship, and the staircase to the theater is awesome, but I'm not a fan of the food and it's a deal breaker for me.

 

Oh interesting. I really appreciate the feedback. To be honest I never expect good or excellent *tasting* food aboard a cruise ship (unless you're willing to fork $ for premium). At least in DCL there are three MDRs but the menu is been the same for nearly 4-5 years. They might phase out certain unpopular items and phase new stuff in. But largely static menu. Taste is "mass produced" gourmet. There are two realities when eating about a cruise ship: cooking for 3500+ passengers and "freshness" goes out the window when you have to cook with the same ingredients for the duration of the trip (most large cruise lands do not purchase foods or drinks on ports-of-call). They "look" good, but taste I'd say is below average, in general.

 

And I suppose same goes with my experience cruising in general in the last 20 years. It's just not really an issue for us if the food is not top shelf.

 

With respect to service, for what I've read in the last few days is that MSC is going to double down on US market, and among the things they mention as being parts of the plans is an increase in food selection and extra training for their service personnel. Not sure if you're an American or not, but in general, we expect lots of choices and upscale service and we're pretty harsh when we do not receive it, unlike consumers from Europe which are their main target audience as of right now, which are more "reasonable".

 

To add to the conversation of multi-cultural costumer experience. I've had friends take mini cruises out of LatAm ports from small cruise lines and come horrified from the experience, and yet acquaintances who were in the same cruise, but who are local to those countries absolutely loved the experience and went on repeated occasions. It's a really interesting phenomenon to "study". :)

Edited April 26, 2015 by coldflame

[Mikesa1721]

We are fresh off of Divina today after having sailed the 4 night "Songs Of The Sixties" cruise. We normally travel in the Yacht Club because of the privacy and Le"Muse, but the Yacht Club was chartered so we decided to sail in steerage to see what it was like. First,,the buffet is fantastic!!! We ate there at least twice a day and found nothing we didn't like. Pasta made fresh daily,,breads,,rolls,fresh out of the oven,,,pizza,,,let's not even go there!!! AMAZING!!! There is almost to much food to be quite honest!! We did find the service at the Garden Bar to be quite slow,,especially between late morning to mid-afternoon. That bar is just to small and way under staffed to handle the amount of guests who are at the Garden Pool area. I think removing the Disaronno sculpture and that whole island area at the end of the bar would then allow for more bartenders to service that area. Other than a couple of other minor details,,we would happily sail in steerage again,,especially in another aft balcony stateroom,,nice and quiet back there!!:D

[coldflame]

We are fresh off of Divina today after having sailed the 4 night "Songs Of The Sixties" cruise. We normally travel in the Yacht Club because of the privacy and Le"Muse, but the Yacht Club was chartered so we decided to sail in steerage to see what it was like. First,,the buffet is fantastic!!! We ate there at least twice a day and found nothing we didn't like. Pasta made fresh daily,,breads,,rolls,fresh out of the oven,,,pizza,,,let's not even go there!!! AMAZING!!! There is almost to much food to be quite honest!! We did find the service at the Garden Bar to be quite slow,,especially between late morning to mid-afternoon. That bar is just to small and way under staffed to handle the amount of guests who are at the Garden Pool area. I think removing the Disaronno sculpture and that whole island area at the end of the bar would then allow for more bartenders to service that area. Other than a couple of other minor details,,we would happily sail in steerage again,,especially in another aft balcony stateroom,,nice and quiet back there!!:D

 

All these awesome "specialty" themed cruises I've been hearing about lately sound so much fun lol. One of these days I might jump on some of those. :D

[Mikesa1721]

All these awesome "specialty" themed cruises I've been hearing about lately sound so much fun lol. One of these days I might jump on some of those. :D

 

The charter group who was selling the "Songs Of The Sixties" cruise only chartered the "Bella" category staterooms,,the rest of the ship,,minus the Yacht Club was open to normal booking through MSC directly or any Travel Agency. We decided to upgrade from Bella just to get a better stateroom location and services associated with that upgrade. If you are interested in some of the theme cruises,,be sure to get on their mailing list so you can be kept up to date with their future sailings and itineraries. Those sailings often sell out quickly so you have to be pretty quick to act.

[riclop]

The charter group who was selling the "Songs Of The Sixties" cruise only chartered the "Bella" category staterooms,,the rest of the ship,,minus the Yacht Club was open to normal booking through MSC directly or any Travel Agency. We decided to upgrade from Bella just to get a better stateroom location and services associated with that upgrade. If you are interested in some of the theme cruises,,be sure to get on their mailing list so you can be kept up to date with their future sailings and itineraries. Those sailings often sell out quickly so you have to be pretty quick to act.

 

Hi Mike i'm glad you enjoyed your cruise in steerage:D. We just got off the Royal Princess yesterday and it was also great especially there retreat aft adults only pool which is way better than the garden pool area on the Divina because of all the smoking that they allow and that is a deal breaker for us because we enjoy the adults only pools so much and of course the entertainment on the Divina is better but my wife enjoyed the Royal much more than the Divina especially the food.

[JoseyP]

We are fresh off of Divina today after having sailed the 4 night "Songs Of The Sixties" cruise. We normally travel in the Yacht Club because of the privacy and Le"Muse, but the Yacht Club was chartered so we decided to sail in steerage to see what it was like. First,,the buffet is fantastic!!! We ate there at least twice a day and found nothing we didn't like. Pasta made fresh daily,,breads,,rolls,fresh out of the oven,,,pizza,,,let's not even go there!!! AMAZING!!! There is almost to much food to be quite honest!! We did find the service at the Garden Bar to be quite slow,,especially between late morning to mid-afternoon. That bar is just to small and way under staffed to handle the amount of guests who are at the Garden Pool area. I think removing the Disaronno sculpture and that whole island area at the end of the bar would then allow for more bartenders to service that area. Other than a couple of other minor details,,we would happily sail in steerage again,,especially in another aft balcony stateroom,,nice and quiet back there!!:D

Mike,

 

how on earth do you call an aft balcony stateroom "steerage"??

people fight to get those things!

 

I will be on the Divina for the first time on Thursday.

[Mikesa1721]

Mike,

 

how on earth do you call an aft balcony stateroom "steerage"??

people fight to get those things!

 

I will be on the Divina for the first time on Thursday.

 

Haaaaa!!!!! Josey,,,it's not really considered "steerage" by definition. It's a slang term we sometime use to differentiate between the Yacht Club and the rest of the ship,, in a joking kind of way. Now that I have experienced both,,,I can honestly say that we would have no problem at all sailing in another aft balcony stateroom again,,,,the hallways have very little traffic which makes that area of the ship very quiet which is very appealing to us.:)

[JoseyP]

OK, thanks now I understand. But i still wouldn't call it steerage. Gland you enjoyed the Divina.....I had been reading your thread. My trans Atlantic people boarded today, and I will get on Wed or Thurs. in NY.

I don't understand how some people say the food is terrible, and some say it is great.

JoseyP

[Mikesa1721]

OK, thanks now I understand. But i still wouldn't call it steerage. Gland you enjoyed the Divina.....I had been reading your thread. My trans Atlantic people boarded today, and I will get on Wed or Thurs. in NY.

I don't understand how some people say the food is terrible, and some say it is great.

JoseyP

 

Josey,,,food can be subjective, not only on cruise ships, but in restaurants as well. Instead of saying the food is bad,,maybe saying the food wasn't to my taste would be a more appropriate way of expressing one's opinion. Only you and you alone know what tastes good and bad to you,,,I never let someone's opinion deter me from trying something myself.

[Janet&Carl]

Oh interesting. I really appreciate the feedback. To be honest I never expect good or excellent *tasting* food aboard a cruise ship (unless you're willing to fork $ for premium). At least in DCL there are three MDRs but the menu is been the same for nearly 4-5 years. They might phase out certain unpopular items and phase new stuff in. But largely static menu. Taste is "mass produced" gourmet. There are two realities when eating about a cruise ship: cooking for 3500+ passengers and "freshness" goes out the window when you have to cook with the same ingredients for the duration of the trip (most large cruise lands do not purchase foods or drinks on ports-of-call). They "look" good, but taste I'd say is below average, in general.

 

And I suppose same goes with my experience cruising in general in the last 20 years. It's just not really an issue for us if the food is not top shelf.

 

It's a really interesting phenomenon to "study". :)

 

Just like to mention that MSC has a huge cargo fleet and you will see them following in each port and refilling the ship. Which of course means that you still get lots of choice throughout the cruise. To be honest - I am an Aussie - we don't tip (I pay the service charges and thats it!) I have cruise exclusively with MSC and prefer their kind of discreet service. Extras of a particular course you liked is never a problem - go ahead and order more. Something different to what is on the menu is never a problem. Ask and you shall receive.

 

I have only ever experienced negativity once on MSC and that was on a cruise out of NYC. Some of the passengers were downright ugly in their behaviour towards the staff and spent an awful lot of time bitching and complaining. The following week we cruised on the same ship out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with the same staff and the same menu and had a ball, it was party central on deck and everyone was happy. Not a miserable face to be seen.

 

Sometimes its your fellow passengers that can make it miserable !!

[mrstrod]

Haaaaa!!!!! Josey,,,it's not really considered "steerage" by definition. It's a slang term we sometime use to differentiate between the Yacht Club and the rest of the ship,, in a joking kind of way. Now that I have experienced both,,,I can honestly say that we would have no problem at all sailing in another aft balcony stateroom again,,,,the hallways have very little traffic which makes that area of the ship very quiet which is very appealing to us.:)

 

LOL - we too refer to any cabins not in yacht club as steerage! It's really not meant as offensive but when you experience yacht club, you are truly made to feel like first class passengers.

[coldflame]

LOL - we too refer to any cabins not in yacht club as steerage! It's really not meant as offensive but when you experience yacht club, you are truly made to feel like first class passengers.

 

I always thought it was a humorous/satirical nickname for non-first-class rooms. Just like we joke we live in the barracks just because we live in the outskirts of a really fancy neighborhood =)

[coldflame]

Sometimes its your fellow passengers that can make it miserable !!

 

Absolutely and undoubtedly! A cruise is only as good as its passengers. You might have the best ship with the best service known to man, but if you have too many capricious, irksome, and grumpy passengers, it unfortunately sets the mood for everyone else.

 

As for the food, one thing that not many cruisers (including seasoned ones) don't seem to take advantage of is the fact that you can order things that aren't in the menu, nothing outlandish, of course. I have taken advantage of that in a number of occasions when nothing in the menu sounded good to me. They've always been happy to oblige.

[Beamafar]

We are fresh off of Divina today after having sailed the 4 night "Songs Of The Sixties" cruise. We normally travel in the Yacht Club because of the privacy and Le"Muse, but the Yacht Club was chartered so we decided to sail in steerage to see what it was like. First,,the buffet is fantastic!!! We ate there at least twice a day and found nothing we didn't like. Pasta made fresh daily,,breads,,rolls,fresh out of the oven,,,pizza,,,let's not even go there!!! AMAZING!!! There is almost to much food to be quite honest!! We did find the service at the Garden Bar to be quite slow,,especially between late morning to mid-afternoon. That bar is just to small and way under staffed to handle the amount of guests who are at the Garden Pool area. I think removing the Disaronno sculpture and that whole island area at the end of the bar would then allow for more bartenders to service that area. Other than a couple of other minor details,,we would happily sail in steerage again,,especially in another aft balcony stateroom,,nice and quiet back there!!:D

 

Delighted to hear you enjoyed your cruise, Mike. I totally agree with you regarding the aft balcony cabin experience. I had one on Preziosa on my recent repo from Brazil and loved it!

It's great to hear from someone who's sailed in YC that they'd "happily sail in steerage again" as I've done both, too and am as happy to be in one area as the other - as long as I'm sailing, have a balcony and a drinks package, I'm one happy cruiser :D

[Mikesa1721]

Delighted to hear you enjoyed your cruise, Mike. I totally agree with you regarding the aft balcony cabin experience. I had one on Preziosa on my recent repo from Brazil and loved it!

It's great to hear from someone who's sailed in YC that they'd "happily sail in steerage again" as I've done both, too and am as happy to be in one area as the other - as long as I'm sailing, have a balcony and a drinks package, I'm one happy cruiser :D

 

Bea,,,we are seriously considering rebooking our 11 night sailing in January from a YC1 to another Fantastica aft balcony stateroom. We're waiting until May 1st when MSC is planning on announcing new package pricing including new drink packages and wi-fi. Unless MSC starts to offer some sort of compensation in regards to reward points and the YC,,we have no problem sailing in steerage!! Our TA advised us that the new U.S. booking system will be launched June 1st which will allow for many more options in regards to ordering onboard packages and services.:)