Divina Was Divine
MSC Divina Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 125
4 Night Bahamas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 10, 2021
Ship: MSC Divina
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 12254
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 3 years ago
Review summary
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of ship and the exceptional service Divina offered. In 16 cruises, this was one of the most affordable sailings we have done and this trip landed MSC up there with some of the nicest and friendliest cruises we've taken. That says a lot about where this line is going. Once the details iron themselves out (it is still very early in the restart) I think they will be become a force in the industry. Fantastic value for the price!Embarkation
I would have given a perfect score if not for the multiple last-minute emails and texts from MSC changing our assigned embarkation window. First they said 2pm, then 10:30am, then switched it back to 2pm. We got there at noon and no one ever looked at our tickets or asked about our assigned times. So, to all future guests, just get there when you get there and you will get on the ship fine. From luggage drop to boarding we were on the ship in 18 minutes. It was very smooth and organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Food still needs some work, specifically seasoning and temperature, but it is getting better every day. Buffet food was actually good, but selection is limited due mostly to the number of passengers I'm sure. Considering we are still early in the restart, I believe the food will improve over time. It continued to improve while during our sailing. On the specialty restaurants we booked, I’d give Butcher’s Cut a 5 and Galaxy Sushi a solid 10. Service, atmosphere, view, food quality and presentation in the Galaxy were all outstanding. The filet at Butcher’s Cut was tasty, but over cooked (I asked for rare and got medium well…) asparagus were mushy and the décor is not good, sort of Golden Coral-ish with harsh lighting and plastic place mats. Needs a serious face-lift. MDR service was excellent but still having issues with food temperature. Most dishes, salads, desserts, were room temp across the board. Flavor wise, everything tasted really good once I found the salt (no shakers on the table for obvious reasons.) FYI - The best cappuccinos on the ship are at the Divina bar on deck 5 (look for the bar next to the red couches and chairs) and are included with the Easy drink package.
Onboard Activities
The poolside activities were a bit lack luster. One afternoon they conducted a non-hosted trivia game on the outdoor screen by the Aqua Park pool, but left a temporary tent/canopy set up on the stage (it had been raining earlier) that blocked most of the screen.
Entertainment
We are not big theater show fans and don’t like musicals, so I can’t comment on those, but the live music we heard around the ship typically sounded off-key, so we never sat and listened to any of the performers in the atrium or bars. I’ll just leave it there.
Service and Staff
The Divina crew and officers, without exception, went above-and-beyond every moment of every day to make our vacation as enjoyable as possible. THEY are the reason we will be back - the Divina is a very special ship. Also, bravo to the officers on board. I found them all very relaxed and engaging. I am used to seeing ship officers on full-capacity cruises a bit too busy (understandably) to spend more than a few seconds with guests. The officers aboard the MSC acknowledged guests, had time for some friendly conversation, and interacted with crew in a very kind and patient way. This was very nice to see!
Ship Quality
The ship is gorgeous and super-clean. Compared to other ships her age, Divina is in really good condition and second to Celebrity, MSC is my favorite when it comes to décor. I love all the bling and she is spick-n-span clean. Being an older ship, the design is more traditional, with one deck (7) that goes straight through from front to back. It took us an extra day to finally get the lay of the land, but if you always take 7 and go mid-ship, you can pretty much get to any location within 3-5 minutes.
Cabin / Stateroom
We could not have asked for a better cabin. We were aft, 3 decks and steps away from the Garden Bar (best bar and pool on the ship) the buffet, and 2 rarely-used hot tubs. Steps outside our cabin is a exterior door that takes you out to a very large, almost completely private wrap-around stairwell that is perfect for a quiet sail away and has great views at night. Our cabin was priced "Bella" class (lower rate) due to a supposed obstruction, but it was just a tiny part of the right side of the balcony that was metal. This made the cabin an exceptional value and was definitely not an obstructed view.
Ship tip
If your itinerary includes a visit to Ocean Cay, choose a cabin on the starboard side as this is the side that faces the island while in port.
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Ports of call
Canaveral used to be my least favorite port, but it has greatly improved with better signs and directions painted on the roads, so it is much more organized and easier to navigate.
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas
The island is pretty, but a bit sleepy. Other than the jet ski excursion, which looked like a lot of fun (we will be doing that next time for sure) the island is just sort of…meh. The beaches are nice as far as the beautiful blue water, but like many man-made beaches, the sand is very “mushy” and hard to walk on, especially close to the water. Your feet sink much faster than on a natural beach. It’s a little thing, but my husband hated it. Shops are nothing special but could be with a little more local flare and less up-selling. I would love to see something like a Luau style party with a nice roasted pig, evening fire pit, and maybe Hawaiian type fire dancers/entertainers – like a big unique event that starts at sunset and goes until the light house show for overnight stays. There’s so much untapped potential at Ocean Cay and I am sure, over time, that new activities will be added. I would also love to see MSC place a live steel drum musician or small Calypso band at the OC welcome area. Maybe hand out leis or special lanyards and offer small specialty drinks or sparkling cider as people enter.
Disembarkation
I took one star off this score only because we were directed to a “gathering area” for our zone, so once we were called we made our way to the Jazz Bar and waited with 2 other guests. When no one showed up to show us where to go we found our own way off the ship ourselves. It wasn’t hard to find, but the extra (unnecessary) step was annoying. Other than that, getting off the ship was seamless.
Traveler Photos
