Griffin3538 Cruise Review on MSC Divina on Jun 10, 2017

MSC Divina Cruise Review

Griffin3538

Contributor Level: Purser

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 18

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Sail date: June 10, 2017

Ship: MSC Divina

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

This is a difficult review for me. This was our first time cruising with MSC and we deliberately chose them because we've mostly cruised with RCCL but I was very interested in trying something different, in particular international and MSC seemed to be the right way to go. I'll keep this review restricted to the ship only in at the destinations imports we stopped at. Let me first highlight what I liked about the cruise: THE GOOD: 1. Boarding The boarding process went smoothly. My wife and I had chosen a package they gave us a priority boarding and because our daughters were with us they were allowed to join us and avoid the long lines. 2. The Ship The Divina was absolutely beautiful. I definitely like the artistic design and effort that was put into the ship. It had a very unique layout which in some ways it was good and in other ways bad. But I'll get to that in a minute. 3. The Food For the most part was delicious but in the dining rooms it definitely lacked in the area of presentation. It also seemed that as each day went by there weren't trying to impress us with the next day's meal. One of my daughters actually up-charged her dinner every day to Surf n Turf because she was afraid of being disappointed by an upcoming meal. But overall the dinner offerings were varied such as prime rib, duck, and lasagna. The buffet on the other hand offered a wide variety of foods both the Mestic an international. Of course the problem there is you are fighting with the crowds during busy times but we were able to usually find a seat without a problem. 4. The Price On this one I would say it's great and it also say you get what you pay for. There were a few times when I up charged my meals because I wanted something a little better than what was being offered for dinner. On some cruise lines I may have to pay more money but I would've gotten more consistency with the quality and presentation of the dinner selection. As far as our accommodations were concerned they were fabulous. We were in room 10005 which is toward the fore of the ship. Even though we didn't have a balcony we had an expansive view from the front of the ship in a very large room which gave us a table accounts a desk and plenty of room to move around. The bathroom was also a full-size bath in that one of the standup glass showers. 5. The Casino & Bingo Hallelujah for a non-smoking casino! That was rather moderate and size that was quite a variety of games and tables available for passengers to try. There was also a bar nearby for those who wanted something to drink and refresh themselves. We also have plenty of time to enjoy daily bingo games which I wish we're done a little bit differently. There were was only two games played and only three prizes per day that could be won. They should have staggered the prizes from $10,000 to $5,000 to $2,500, to $1,000 to $500 and $250 (considering cards were $20 each or 3 for $50). 6. Entertainment We truly enjoy the entertainment on the Divina. It was an interesting mix of pop music, opera, and theater. We saw a tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen, a take on the Pirates of the Caribbean, excerpts of Italian opera and lastly a tribute to Michael Jackson. Each show was better than the one before. Lastly, I cannot say enough about the cruise director. He made every performance and day awesome aboard ship! THE BAD 1. The Demographic Traditionally we've always taken our cruises during the month of June. Let me say first that I realize the families for the most part may travel during this time and also the children are out of school but Divina had more than his share of family is on board. Maybe it's because on our CCL there seem to be plenty of areas designed for young people and small children. Our ship had a few areas for them but they didn't seem to cater to children on an 12-16 hour basis. This put parents in a tough situation. For example, at night when most adults like to relax and enjoy jazz, karaoke or conversation in a bar or lounge we often found ourselves accompanied with families with children under the age of eight years old down to small kids in strollers running back-and-forth playing skipping yelling across dance floors and bar room areas. And I'm not talking about in the earlier part of the evening I'm talking about 10 PM to midnight maybe even later sometimes. I understand that for the parents to be cooped up in their rooms with your kids all evening might be a bit nerve-wracking but I grew up in a time where after 9:00 pm small children would be in bed. This is rather frustrating throughout most of the trip. 2. The Invisible Valet During the whole trip I never saw my room valet. There were occasions when our room wasn't even made up, I never saw a note or anything until the very last day when he left his name card. I was a little perturbed by this considering my wife decided to pay the gratuity fee before the cruise and he left his card as an afterthought or a reminder that we should leave something for him. 3. Ship Noise and Motion As far as the ship noise I'm referring to when ever the ship was reversing into port. Whenever the engines were put into reverse there was a huge amount of cavitation which vibrate it throughout the entire ship. I know this because as I mentioned earlier our room was in the front of the ship and it was loud enough that it would wake me in the morning when I was sleeping and that's how I knew we'd be pulling into port. Also there was a tremendous amount of motion with the ship. Don't give me wrong it didn't bother me swaying left and right. Walking down the hall never got me to a point of feeling seasick but that feeling of the ship waving back-and-forth was felt quite often in the evening. I don't know whether it was because we were in rough waters or the design of the ship. I will say this the ship is extremely narrow you can literally stand on one side and easily throw something across to the other side of the ship. Wider ships seem to be more stable and I attributed this motion situation to that. 4. Design/Layout Earlier I stated that the Divina was a beautiful ship and it is but I think there are flaws in the design. I'm not referring to the mechanical or technical design as much as I'm talking about operationally. For example on one deck three or four lounges that are located inside the length of the ship. Instead of them being located down the middle of the ship with doors enclosing them they actually extend the width of the deck and people who need to walk to the ship walk through the lounges this is whether you're listening to music dancing or participating in a karaoke contest. So there's a constant traffic of people children strollers people in wheelchairs walking through these areas good I would think and preferred be secluded from the public. It felt like you were more in a common area instead of a close space. Overall my family enjoyed their time aboard the Divina but aren't too thrilled about returning anytime soon. They are a relatively new cruise line and from what I've read from earlier reviews they are getting better each year. My wife and I are willing to give it a try again (during the time when school is in session). While playing Bingo we won a trip for 2 for a 7-10 day cruise anywhere MSC goes and were still debating on whether to use it. Their international destinations look great but to go through all we did for 10 days would be challenging to say the least. If we go I'll be sure to post a review and let you know! So do I recommend MSC and the Divina, yes. They have a lot more to do to make it a #1 cruise in my book but they're at a 7 out of 10 for me.

15 Comments

jjjennys 7 years ago

Thank you for review. I love the Divina. I do wish they would correct the amount of loungers. In me experience (2 cruises), it is nearly impossible to find a chair for sun bathing.

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sailergroom78 7 years ago

I'll repeat. This was a fantastic review. Probably the best and most thorough one I've seen. Let's not discourage people from taking their time out to write great reviews by bashing them and trying to devalue their efforts to simply inform other cruisers and potential cruisers. Also, well handled Griffin3538.

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Maddy801 7 years ago

well said! Thank you very much. This was very useful.

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Griffin3538 7 years ago

Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry you only noted the "bad" section of my review and it seems you were offended about my comments on families or children. I didn't intend for my review to come off as "kid bashing" but I think I should clarify some things... 1. I never said I was UPSET families were onboard. How could when when I brought two daughters? My point was that the children and teens seemed bored because there weren't activities available to them throughout the day especially on sea days. Also, the ship not only had families aboard but newlyweds, participants in a pageant, dance groups, singles and seniors. Most ships I've been on the the past had programs to meet the needs of these various demographics. The Divina had some but not enough. 2. I also stated that we usually travel during June a month when most children are out of school. But because they offer a "kids cruise free" deal (http://m.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Mobile/Cruise-Deals/Top-Deals/Kids-Cruise-Free.aspx) this increased the amount of children aboard. Again, to me they didn't design enough programming to accommodate this. 3. Again, on many ships lounges are isolated and not just for "drinking". They are meeting and social places and the constant traffic (not just kids but everyone) meant constant activity which for some is fine. For me after being out all day I just wanted a place to chill and talk with passenger. And you may not agree but midnight in a bar with adults is not where I want my 7, 9 or 11 year old (and there were a few less than age 5) to be. But that's each parent decision. 4. My "complaint" about bingo was not for me but for other passengers. There was obvious disappointment by many that the game lasted about 25-30 minutes and there was $25k prize (over in 6-7 mins) a $10k prize (over 4 mins later) then a $200 price (the next 12-15 mins). Most people bought the 3 tickets for $50 deal maybe 2-3 days that week and there were at least over 300 passengers playing daily. I felt there should be more opportunities to win for OTHERS not me. Lastly, let me say I wrote a REVIEW not a "complaint" nor was I "upset". It's written to give passengers an idea of what to expect from the writers perspective (If you noticed in the end I recommended MSC) We still haven't decided if we'll use the free cruise for 2 (value $1,500) but as I stated if we do I'll follow up. P.S. Thanks for diagnosing my "1st world" problems. :)

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harlyri11323146 7 years ago

Wondeship there is never enuf chairs on any cruise ship near the main pool

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seanb1989 7 years ago

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Luv2CruiseFever 7 years ago

Going on the DIVINA in just 2 weeks for the 3rd time. VIP Yacht Club accommodations 5 Star experience every cruise on this very beautiful ship. From 16th floor we noticed no sway of the ship at all. DIVINA is Great! Booked on the MSC Seaside when she comes to Miami. Doing Yacht Club on that cruise as well. Can't wait

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sailergroom78 7 years ago

Fantastic. Thanks so much for taking the time and making so many helpful observations. My wife and I will be on the Divina in exactly 2 weeks so it's great to hear of your experience. We don't usually play but maybe we'll try our luck at bingo! 😊

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aFishtale 7 years ago

Great review, thank you.

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wondership1107 7 years ago

Great review. Glad I'm reading this now before I sail in Sept. My co worker just came back from the same ship and had about the same review you did except he added issues with towels and trying to find a lounge chair that wasn't already taken or in the hot sun. I guess there isn't enough chairs and towels for everyone. Also he mentioned that he wasn't impressed with the pools and the so called aqua park that really is just a pool with some water contraptions that weren't functioning when my friend cruised. Guess I'll have to make the best of it and give my reviews when I return.

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kwillia1994 7 years ago

Wow you won a free cruise! That is awesome and what a blessing. We will pay you back what you spent in the bingo game if you don't want it. We love the divina!

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harlyri11323146 7 years ago

I'm a blue collar schmuck , but I am Sicilian and went to every show , I really got into the opera, but them I'm a romantic type of guy,

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mateodavid70 7 years ago

I wish I had won a free cruise when I was on the Divina. I would take it in a heartbeat!!

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GIL155 7 years ago

Very impressive review of the Divina. You discuss so many aspects of the ship I have not heard before on this forum. Thanks for trying the Divina out ahead of me and sharing your excellent opinions. Best wishes on your next cruise.

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picalo 7 years ago

great review....I'd never goto opera but I'm glad they offered a variety...I would have loved the Michael Jackson. it's refreshing to hear someone say the buffet was better than the mdr

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