Overall, the MSC Divina is a classic. It was my 3rd time on the cruise and it’s still as beautiful as the first time. It’s a little outdated though so it’s not compatible with the MSC for Me app so it was hard to communicate with others in our party since they didn’t have the wifi package and the daily activities and newsletters still had to be printed as there would be no other way to know. Otherwise, I think this is still an awesome cruise to go on but I will definitely like to try one of the newer ships next (Seashore or Meraviglia) soon. I love MSC!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
A lot has changed post-COVID where now cruiselines require both COVID cards and negative COVID test results taken 2-3 days prior to boarding. I thought the lines would be longer as a result of having to show additional paperwork when coming in but it was the total opposite for me. My check in time was 10:30 am. We arrived an hour early and by the time we walked in, there was only one group in front of us. They asked us for our embarkation paperwork, negative COVID test results on our phones (no need to print out), COVID cards and passports. They quickly took pictures for their records and moved us to security and then upstairs to get our cruise cards. Overall, it took less than 20 minutes for us to get our boarding # and board the cruise.
Ship experiences
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There are several pools and hot tubs on board including an indoor pool with hot tubs as well. There is a section in one of the top decks exclusively for Aurea guests with additional seating areas and hot tubs. The entertainment by the pool deck were always enjoyable because they included games such as Bingo, Guess the Price, Belly Flop Contests, King & Queen of the Seas, etc. They also had morning stretch and aerobics classes, country and bachata dance classes, afternoon dance classes, and sunset stretch all at the pool deck area. There were prizes as well for winners of games/contests. Fitness center was huge and very well equipped! The spa was beautiful and offered many different saunas and salt rooms for an extra charge. The bar near the gym was for protein shakes and smoothies, which were very delicious and included with our Easy Plus package so that was great. The bartender, Rodito, was also very nice.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I’ve been on 4 MSC cruises now and I have high expectations for the evening shows because they’ve always been that good. However, the first night was a disappointment and boring (unless you really enjoy opera). The next 3 nights were really good (but still not the best I’ve seen for MSC) and then the one before Christmas was just the singers singing a few Christmas carols in English and Italian. The show for the last night was canceled but we had already decided we would miss it and take pictures instead because they weren’t as great as we have grown accustomed to for MSC. The musicians around the ship were great. There was one that sang a lot of reggae who sounded very well as well as a duo that sang a few times in the atrium and sang a lot of Latin (Caribbean) music which a lot of people enjoyed. There was also live Caribbean music at the pool deck some of the days (but the performer didn’t present himself or spoke at all so it was a little weird)
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service is great! Joel Garcia (from the Philippines) was the best! He greeted us from the first day we went to the buffet and always gave us the best service even up until our last day! We were able to take a picture with him! He really helped us enjoy our cruise. It was especially nice to have him serve us at the MSC Ocean Cay private island too. He spoiled us! He brought over the burgers and drinks we asked for even when we had him walking on sand and in the sun for us and he kept a great attitude and made lots of jokes. He is awesome. The restaurant supervisor at Villa Rossa, Sheryl Atienza, was also very friendly and attentive. She gave a special treatment to my nephew (7 years old) because he fell asleep quickly after we walked in for dinner. She brought him special desserts and had his meal served very quickly to ensure that he ate before he fell asleep. The room steward was great! I forgot her name but we saw her one day cleaning the floor with a little brush. The dedication to keep the cruise clean is obvious. We saw several employees vacuuming by the stairs and elevators several times a day. The Divina is not a new ship but the staff keeps it looking as new because of their constant and detailed cleaning methods and timing.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is as beautiful as the newer MSC ships because the staff cleans very rigorously and very often. We felt safe and comfortable with stair railings and elevators because we constantly saw employees cleaning by the stairs and elevators a lot. The bathrooms around the ship were almost always just cleaned before I used them (it seems like they were cleaning very often). And the cabins were kept clean (with twice a day room service).
Ship tip
MSC has the most luxurious ships at sea with excellent entertainment for diverse groups so that every age group and ethnicity can feel welcomed and comfortable. The pizza on MSC is the best (which is not surprising since it’s an Italian cruiseline). The food options on Divina changed based on my pre and post COVID experiences but I’m sure it’s quite the same for other cruises as well. I would advise that there are extra charges for some of the activities on board (such as 4D cinema, F1 Formula 1, bowling, etc) as well as for milk shakes and gelatos, etc) so just be prepared.
What an amazingly beautiful port! There are restaurants, pools, shops, spa areas for massages, etc at this port and they even had a show for us as well. I was very impressed with this port. There’s really no need to walk outside of the port unless you really want to because there’s already a lot to see and do. They have about 5-6 dolphins where people had encounters and adventure (excursions), flamingos, birds, etc. There was no beach that we could swim in but the views were spectacular! We got some excellent pictures at this port!
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