A lot of negative reviews appearing!

[GOLDENBONNY]

As someone who loved their time on the Divina a couple of months ago (and have booked again for January) I am fascinated by the most recent reviews in the review section on here and also on Shipmate. What people seem to be critiquing badly totally baffles me!

Things that are obvious to most travellers like having to put your card in a slot by the door for electricity - this is the case in the majority of hotels now. Having to register your credit card in a machine after boarding - it takes 2 minutes (once you have selected the correct language), rudeness of other travellers (not MSC fault), lack of towel animals - is it that important? Staff unfriendly? It works both ways. Drinks vouchers - get the package linked to your card? Sheets not changed - maybe it's me but I only change our bedding weekly! And the best yet (which beggars belief) the person who thought she was being threatened by the singers in one of the shows who sang about people being thrown overboard! ( was this Treasure Island). Also someone not happy as they did not get into cabin till 2.30? Our boarding time was 2pm so we were more than happy about getting our cabin by 2.30. The bulk of complainers seem to be regulars on the other major cruise lines some of which seem to be double the price of MSC, so isn't it a case of you get what you pay for?

 

 

 

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Good, I love bad reviews , maybe price will go down LOL .

[GOLDENBONNY]

If you go on other forums you see the same blah,blah, blah. That goes from Carnival to Celebrity, and everything in between.

 

Carnival crowd is opposite , no matter what CCL dose to them they happy. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[GOLDENBONNY]

As someone who loved their time on the Divina a couple of months ago (and have booked again for January) I am fascinated by the most recent reviews in the review section on here and also on Shipmate. What people seem to be critiquing badly totally baffles me!

Things that are obvious to most travellers like having to put your card in a slot by the door for electricity - this is the case in the majority of hotels now. Having to register your credit card in a machine after boarding - it takes 2 minutes (once you have selected the correct language), rudeness of other travellers (not MSC fault), lack of towel animals - is it that important? Staff unfriendly? It works both ways. Drinks vouchers - get the package linked to your card? Sheets not changed - maybe it's me but I only change our bedding weekly! And the best yet (which beggars belief) the person who thought she was being threatened by the singers in one of the shows who sang about people being thrown overboard! ( was this Treasure Island). Also someone not happy as they did not get into cabin till 2.30? Our boarding time was 2pm so we were more than happy about getting our cabin by 2.30. The bulk of complainers seem to be regulars on the other major cruise lines some of which seem to be double the price of MSC, so isn't it a case of you get what you pay for?

 

 

 

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Can you give a link for person who was threatened ;):D:D

[nikkiw60]

Go onto chat for the Divina and it's easy to find....read all the thread.

 

 

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[GOLDENBONNY]

Go onto chat for the Divina and it's easy to find....read all the thread.

 

 

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:confused::confused:

[mjonis]

As someone who loved their time on the Divina a couple of months ago (and have booked again for January) I am fascinated by the most recent reviews in the review section on here and also on Shipmate. What people seem to be critiquing badly totally baffles me!

Things that are obvious to most travellers like having to put your card in a slot by the door for electricity - this is the case in the majority of hotels now. Having to register your credit card in a machine after boarding - it takes 2 minutes (once you have selected the correct language), rudeness of other travellers (not MSC fault), lack of towel animals - is it that important? Staff unfriendly? It works both ways. Drinks vouchers - get the package linked to your card? Sheets not changed - maybe it's me but I only change our bedding weekly! And the best yet (which beggars belief) the person who thought she was being threatened by the singers in one of the shows who sang about people being thrown overboard! ( was this Treasure Island). Also someone not happy as they did not get into cabin till 2.30? Our boarding time was 2pm so we were more than happy about getting our cabin by 2.30. The bulk of complainers seem to be regulars on the other major cruise lines some of which seem to be double the price of MSC, so isn't it a case of you get what you pay for?

 

 

 

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Personally I read the reviews in full (don't just glance at the overall ratings).

 

Now, as for the changing of the bedsheets. Do I change mine daily at home? No. But I also don't have someone cook/clean for me every day at home either. Does that mean I should expect my bathroom in the ship to be cleaned only once? Does that mean I should expect to make my own meals? Hardly. I *like* being pampered while I'm on vacation. I think that can be a valid complaint. However, the last cruise and hotels I've stayed at, you have to put a sign to request your towels/linens changed (or leave towels on floor) to conserve water. I don't know if MSC has any sort of note/sign telling you that or not (ie: If you want your stuff changed daily *do this*). Most AI resorts I've been at do the same, or tell you outright that you get WEEKLY or mid-week cleaning service (linens, etc.) If you want it daily you pay extra (or they tell you its included). Communication is the key, IMO.

 

As for the card in the slot to keep the lights and stuff on. Granted, I've only been on 3 cruises (Carnival and RCI), and have stayed in many different hotels. Only once have I seen that and that was when I was in India. Perhaps its more common in other parts of the world, but I'd say here in the US, having to put your card in a slot in a hotel is very uncommon. Personally I think it should be explained somewhere (again, I don't know if there's a sign). When I was in India, the bell boy explained to us that's what it was there for.

 

For example, if nobody complained about those things, or the "rudeness" of the staff, then I'd have no idea that it's common for a "european" style cruise to NOT except the waitstaff to be in your face "pumping" the drink orders at you. I would not know about the card slot in the door, etc. That, to me, seems to be an indication of "what we have here is a failure to communicate". But again, perhaps MSC does actually have this noted somewhere.

[CruiseIreland]

Go onto chat for the Divina and it's easy to find....read all the thread.

 

 

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Can you post a link to 'ship mates' 'cos l am dying to read those reviews? I tried Google but to no avail. Thanks. Ken

[Beamafar]

Can you post a link to 'ship mates' 'cos l am dying to read those reviews? I tried Google but to no avail. Thanks. Ken

 

It's an app, Ken, not a website. DH uses it. You can save your upcoming cruises to your profile - it'll list the itinerary, but it's nearly always wrong so I gave up on it!

Edited July 11, 2016 by Beamafar

[nikkiw60]

It's another app like the cruise critic one Crzy above has also read it and responded to the reviewer. I am not posting a link as do not know what the rules are regarding doing this.

 

 

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[nikkiw60]

It's about the 13th on the chat list and was posted a week ago.

 

 

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[Beamafar]

Curiosity got the better of me so I've just read it - hilarious stuff, altogether. "....booed for being American" LOL The entertainment "........was nothing but singing about killing, throwing overboard and evil!" Was that the Pirates show, I wonder? :D After Italian night: "Then, ironically noone (sic) spoke english (sic) anymore and I felt as if we were being attacked for being an (sic) American". :confused: :rolleyes: :D

[Mikesa1721]

Curiosity got the better of me so I've just read it - hilarious stuff, altogether. "....booed for being American" LOL The entertainment "........was nothing but singing about killing, throwing overboard and evil!" Was that the Pirates show, I wonder? :D After Italian night: "Then, ironically noone (sic) spoke english (sic) anymore and I felt as if we were being attacked for being an (sic) American". :confused: :rolleyes: :D

 

Can you post comments on that thread Bea??? I really don't need another message board to post in but this one might be worth it!!!:D

[Beamafar]

Can you post comments on that thread Bea??? I really don't need another message board to post in but this one might be worth it!!!:D

 

You need to download the Shipmate app and become a member (IIRC :rolleyes:) then you can join in the "chat". I don't use it myself because, as previously stated, the info has been wrong on practically every cruise I was doing that I gave up! There would be ports listed on the itinerary that weren't even in the same part of the world in which we were cruising! God knows who moderates it, but, IMHO, it's a mess!

[Mikesa1721]

You need to download the Shipmate app and become a member (IIRC :rolleyes:) then you can join in the "chat". I don't use it myself because, as previously stated, the info has been wrong on practically every cruise I was doing that I gave up! There would be ports listed on the itinerary that weren't even in the same part of the world in which we were cruising! God knows who moderates it, but, IMHO, it's a mess!

 

I have the app on my phone Bea and probably should delete it cause it isn't worth a crap like you said!!:p

[nikkiw60]

I said it was funny !

 

 

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[Crzyfrk62]

I said it was funny !

 

 

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It's a classic! Where do people come up with this stuff? I go on ship mate and tell people to come over here to join their roll call and get ACTUAL information that is reliable. It seems most that post on ship mate are new to cruising and are asking questions to other newbies. They get wrong answers or no answers. My suggestion on nearly every post is the link to this site.

Over there I'm scanfrk....

[nikkiw60]

I realised that was you re the racist remark comment that you said they hadn't acknowledged. Also funny on there a lot seem to post something and that's it one posting .

 

 

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[CruiseIreland]

Thanks Bea and nikki. I might pass on it as l'm not too app happy! Ken

[Beamafar]

I might pass on it as l'm not too app happy! Ken

 

Same here, Ken. You're not missing anything - it's a crap app! DH uses it to keep track of cruises booked as he can never remember which ones are which :rolleyes:

[lahlah57]

As someone who loved their time on the Divina a couple of months ago (and have booked again for January) I am fascinated by the most recent reviews in the review section on here and also on Shipmate. What people seem to be critiquing badly totally baffles me!

Things that are obvious to most travellers like having to put your card in a slot by the door for electricity - this is the case in the majority of hotels now. Having to register your credit card in a machine after boarding - it takes 2 minutes (once you have selected the correct language), rudeness of other travellers (not MSC fault), lack of towel animals - is it that important? Staff unfriendly? It works both ways. Drinks vouchers - get the package linked to your card? Sheets not changed - maybe it's me but I only change our bedding weekly! And the best yet (which beggars belief) the person who thought she was being threatened by the singers in one of the shows who sang about people being thrown overboard! ( was this Treasure Island). Also someone not happy as they did not get into cabin till 2.30? Our boarding time was 2pm so we were more than happy about getting our cabin by 2.30. The bulk of complainers seem to be regulars on the other major cruise lines some of which seem to be double the price of MSC, so isn't it a case of you get what you pay for?

 

 

 

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People actually formally complain about no towel animals?!?!

 

What are we a bunch of 5 year olds!?!? :rolleyes:

[All-ready2cruise]

Huh!!?? You mean you don't love the wee little darlings that you can barely figure out what they are? Really? Guess I should have offered up mine :p

 

My avatar was for my BD, so she's special :p

 

It's pretty funny though, what people will complain about .... I've only been on NCL and have enjoyed our cruises, the last one, 25 days, major problems for some pax... some ended up having to leave the ship after only 2 days. How horrible is that for them... others complained that we missed a port or were late leaving or.... you know.

 

I guess we all have things we could complain about, unfortunate, but true.

[TheSoccerCoach]

Having been on the other side of the table, having worked as a cruise staff on ships, I find the negative responses to Divina interesting in the way that a professor must find failing student's complaints regarding a test when so many other student's "got the material" and aced said exam.

 

And, what I am finding is that many of my fellow, but unimaginative North American travelers want MSC to be just like whatever else they are so very used to...Carnival, Royal Caribbean, etc. and when there are not towel animals and bar waiters parading constantly up and down the pool deck and 500 activities going on at once, they do not know how to respond.

 

I was on Divina a few weeks ago and loved it! No, it was not perfect. NOTHING is perfect. Three things I wish had been better? 3) The food in the Black Crab...it was decent, but I wanted more pizazz. 2) The pillows in my cabin...a bit lumpy. 1) The behavior of my fellow North American passengers, who often times were loud and rude and then had the nerve to be surprised when the Divina staff did not fully suck it up and take it like a poor North American would.

 

We, on the other hand, treated the staff with respect and sweet Georgia hospitality and received the same back 100 fold! A few examples would be our cabin attendant bringing five more pillows to our cabin to give us more to choose from. Many of the bartenders pouring generously for our drinks. The Entertainment staff going out of their way to spend time with us.

 

So, I honestly believe the negative reviews are due to the negative energy the reviewers brought with them on board. Bless their hearts...life must be real hard where they come from...

[Cruisergal1208]

Well said. I'm a fellow Georgian and have found my southern accent and sweet smile gets wonderful service. I appreciate the staff and crew working so hard to make sure we have a great cruise.

[deliver42]

SoccerCoach, you are so right on all counts.

[nikkiw60]

Thank you soccercoach! You have put into words what I wanted to say!

 

 

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