Pleasantly Surprised

Item: MSC Divina
Rating: 3.8
Author: ronajona

MSC Divina Cruise Review

ronajona

Contributor Level: First Mate

115 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 10

Helpful Votes: 232

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5

Caribbean & Antilles from Miami

Sail date: March 10, 2020

Ship: MSC Divina

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 9275

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

After much anxiety from reading negative reviews, we ending up having a great cruise. The cabin was comfortable, the food was okay, and the crew was nice. We could complain about the things we didn’t like, but we chose instead to like what we enjoyed. We took advantage of the many amenities on the ship and thoroughly enjoyed our vacation. This review is written for everyone who is skeptical after reading negative reviews. If you’ve already booked, then go enjoy your cruise. If you haven’t booked, then shop around, especially if you have experience with other cruise lines to compare.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Light crowd. Arrived at port at 12pm. Through security, checked-in with enhanced screening and health survey, and onboard by 12:40 pm. Not even enough time to enjoy the light refreshments they had available in the terminal.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Buffet was always confusing because there was no organization at the stations. Pizza, fresh fruits and drinks we’re always in the same place. Buffet food choices were not my favorites, but always somehow ended up with a plate full of tasty food. We dined in the Black Crab main dining room each evening. Here, again, not my favorite foods but still enjoyed a tasty meal. The other cruise line we’ve frequented had filet mignon, lobster tails, and other seafood without an up charge. Buffet juice was flavored water. Be advised that with drink package, it does not mean a credit toward a higher price. You must stay within the menu of drinks. Otherwise you pay the full price of the drink. Coffee cafe was a delight.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Not an abundance of onboard activities. A few crew lead activities and a few places to play games like basketball and ping pong. We enjoyed the fitness center and hot tubs (counted 8 hot tubs)

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Stage shows had decent singing and some dancing. Late night comedy with Beer Prov was funny. The evening jazz in the Piazza Del Doge was smooth. Individual musicians were nice.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Our room stewart, Emerson, was very attentive and accommodating. He answered all our questions and refreshed the stateroom twice a day. Our dining room waiters, Alvin and Matt, were very helpful. They remembered our wine selections and had both chilling when we arrived at the table each night. Enjoyed good service from Prasta in the coffee bar. In general, the crew was disengaged. Most only smiled if they we offered a smile and a greeting. Possibly burned out.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship was beautiful. Everything was always clean, polished, and shiny. It really reminded me of an upscale hotel with its many sculptures, displays and frames. There were plenty of lounges and meet ups. We walked through all the venues and found them all to be gorgeous. They layout, compared to other cruise lines, was confusing. I’m not sure if it was just because I was unfamiliar, but I had a hard time remembering where places were. I loved the stateroom. There was plenty of room for the two of us. TV is small, but not much to watch on it anyway. The bathroom had plenty of shelves. Liked the idea of pump soap rather than bars of soap. The glass shower door concept is nice, but I can see it being a challenge for people with a larger frame. We had an aft facing balcony with beautiful view of water trail and sunsets. Beware that Aft cabins can be noisy at docking when positioning at dock and releasing and retracting the ropes.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

I loved the stateroom. There was plenty of room for the two of us. TV is small, but not much to watch on it anyway. The bathroom had plenty of shelves. Liked the idea of pump soap rather than bars of soap. The glass shower door concept is nice, but I can see it being a challenge for people with a larger frame. We had an aft facing balcony with beautiful view of water trail and sunrise and sunsets. Beware that Aft cabins can be noisy at docking when positioning at dock and releasing and retracting the ropes.