why so many bad reviews for MSC Divina?

[E46M3]

We're planning for a vacation and so far this 7 night Caribbean cruise in Nov is one of the vacation ideas. It's within our budget and the cheapest Caribbean cruise I could find. We only been on one cruise prior and it was on the Oasis of the seas and we went on the western route. My wife and I LOVED it! Service was great, entertainment was awesome, food was phenomenal, and we loved how big the ship was. Upon doing some research on this ship, the reviews were kinda mixed, most of the bad reviews were about bad food and bad service. What are your thoughts? We'll be traveling with a 3 year old as well. So we can't really afford going on the Oasis again as it's double the price compare to this one. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!

[Floridiana]

Better ask your question on the MSC board on cruise critic. I have never cruised with an MSC ship, but I can tell you that Anglophone passengers of ships catering to other nationalities tend to give bad reviews. They are often put off by the fact that the ships are not an all American experience.

 

Do the reviewers give specific details to justify their critique?

[E46M3]

Better ask your question on the MSC board on cruise critic. I have never cruised with an MSC ship, but I can tell you that Anglophone passengers of ships catering to other nationalities tend to give bad reviews. They are often put off by the fact that the ships are not an all American experience.

 

Do the reviewers give specific details to justify their critique?

 

somewhat, they mentioned language barrier, no details about bad food other than it's bad, bad service as they are not attentive by comparing to other lines.

[Floridiana]

Since it is so much cheaper, it could very well have less crew and therefore less attentive service. Food is often a personal thing. Italian passengers prefer pasta to French fries. Germans like rye bread, hard rolls and cold cuts for breakfast. Americans love coffee that some other nations call dishwater liquid. You get my drift.;)

 

If it the cruise fits your budget, take it and chalk it down to a new experience.

[preschool teacher]

I've been on the Lirica and the Musica and they were both great....entertainment was fabulous and so was the food. They both had a great entertainment crew.....take a chance!!!!!

[clackey]

I've been on the Lirica and the Musica and they were both great....entertainment was fabulous and so was the food. They both had a great entertainment crew.....take a chance!!!!!

 

I would have to go once and decide for myself. I have a couple of friends that hate cruising period. You couldn't get them to go again if you paid their way. Most of the reviews that I have seen about MSC have been favorable and most echo great entertainment. If the food is decent and the entertainment good we could care less about service.

[navybankerteacher]

The negative reports all seem to focus on second rate food quality, disinterested service, and a mix of languages (which I could handle, but not on top of the other disappointments). It seems that MSC (originally and perhaps still primarily a cargo line) has read about running cruise ships but has not yet really learned HOW to do it.

 

I will wait until I see/hear favorable reports before investing my cruising dollars/time on an outfit still in the learning stage.

[FTLcruisers]

we have done more than 60 cruises and tried the Divina for a Caribbean cruise last October and absolutely loved it. The entertainment was awesome and we found the food & service to be very good. They have modified the ship to be more "American friendly" - one of the cruise staff told us that only the Divina has large drinking glasses in the buffet since Europeans generally use small glasses.

 

We had read bad reviews on the Divina too but decided we'd judge for ourselves - think you should too!

 

Marianne

[buggins0402]

We've cruised MSC once. As to service, we liked it better than the "in your face" service on US mass markets. The staff tends to stand off at a distance and if you want service just catch their eye and nod...then they come. One of our best stateroom attendants was the one we had on MSC.

[SuiteTraveler]

Less expensive, but more similar to Oasis of the Seas would be the NCL Getaway or Breakaway. Get a spa cabin if you can - the spa on this ship is amazing! These ships have wonderful entertainment including Legally Blonde (Getaway) or Rock of Ages(Breakaway) both have Howl at the Moon (dueling pianos), Second City (Comedy Improve), Getaway has a magic show and Breakaway has Cirque du Soleil. There is also The Grammy experience. There are numerous included and specialty restaurants which are great.

 

The kids clubs are great and there is a fun splash water park for little ones if they are potty trained.

 

For adults, there is a ropes course, 5 full size size water slides - exciting enough for adults. There is bowling and pool, there is a fireworks show fired off from the ship. There is a glow party, nightclubs, bars, and a great casino.

 

I think Oasis reminds me a bit of an amusement park with the way it is structured around neighborhoods. NCL Getaway and Breakaway remind me of a new Las Vegas Casino resort - I always think of Aria - I guess because of the decor of these ships. At any rate, check the prices and deals on this ship. I am pretty sure you will love it since you loved Oasis.

[Lard Greystoke]

I was on the MSC Lirica some years back. It was an enjoyable cruise and I thought it was comparable to other mass market lines. There was a difference in style; as mentioned, they aren't in your face to push drinks. The entertainment was more classic-oriented (at least then), so if your thing is hairy legs and risqué humor, out of luck.

 

One factor may be that there is simply a small sample size. Carnival has a million ships and a million experiences. Typically MSC has one or two in the Caribbean, so if that ship has a bad sailing the odor is going to linger. The other cruise line forums have complaints, but on Carnival for example they're going to get swamped out in half a day. Not as many people post on MSC, so somebody with a gripe is going to be more noticeable.

 

I do suspect that some of it is simply people looking for the worst from anything "different". I've certainly met people on cruises who were not broad-minded, to say the least.

[maureencruiser]

I loved the Divina so much that I'm going back on her in December. Just remember it will be more of a multi-language cruise. The entertainment is more acrobatics and dancing, which is universal, no comedians because everybody speaks a different language. And, your fellow passengers may be a little different, thay are a little more "aggressive" about getting in lines, etc in Europe than they are in the US. Go, see for yourself and then decide. :D