MSC Divina Cruise Reviews - Reviews

From getting on board to the first site of our balcony suite we didn't look back . We were seated with interesting companions & the waiters + their supervisors looked after our needs with excellence .. The room sparkled & remained so throughout the trip .  The buffet & STAFF were on constant guard to keep us happy ,without clutter. The off ship encounters were very well organized & we were able to make the most of our precious time . 

WELL DONE  WITH  MANY THANKS to the team .

This was by far the worst cruise we have taken. Positive points: Beautiful and elegant ship, balcony cabin larger than other lines, visited some unusual ports. Negatives: Bed linen dirty and smelly even after requesting a change, very small TV with few channels and remote not working, no bar soap, inconvenient painting and washing of balcony (3 times). Food portions in restaurant were tiny, only one buffet for nearly 4000 passengers, offering almost same menu every day. Small area creates confusion and stress to get food, very difficult to find a place to sit down, not clean enough. Pool area downright dirty, with insufficient tables and chairs, staff not helpful, sometimes rude, same at some bars. Used to seeing crew cleaning and polishing all the time in other lines, but not here and officers appear to be unconcerned. Reduced number of elevators, several out of order the entire week. No advance information on decks for disembarking at ports visited, even crew gave wrong instructions. Returning is total chaos at terminals, buses or tenders, with no lines or organization. Took MSC tour to Montecarlo and was disorganized and rushed, repeatedly changing scheduled times and stops, leaving just minutes for free time. At La Spezia (Cinque Terre) there was a rail strike that day, and trains are crucial in this visit; the ship surely had to know about it but failed to let passengers know. In general it was very unfortunate that MSC did not deliver as we had expected, partly our fault for ignoring so many negative reviews seen before. They have a long way to go before they can compare favorably to the main cruise lines - Good luck! 

Just returned from a flight, Mediterranean Cruise and two night stay in Rome package. (May 22-June 2) On MSC Divina.  Absolutely perfect time was had! I just want to add a few tips that I wish I knew before leaving:

     Upgrade to Fanastica.  We did not, still had a great room but would upgrade for a bigger one next time.

     As soon as you receive flight confirmation go online and reserve you seats.  We sat in 38 A/C great! Add an extra luggage on line, still expensive but cheaper on line and you'll be able to buy souvenires.

     Be sure to book shore excursions with MSC as they are well organized with great guides and you get off the ship first, very handy especially in Cannes where you are tendered. We went on tours SPE08 to Florence, CEQ03 to Nice and Eze, BCN21 in Barcelona and NAP08 in Naples.  I highly recommend all of them!

    Park your car at one of the many hotels near the Miami airport and stay the night you return.  We had a 5 hour drive home and were relived to get some sleep before embarking on the final leg of our journey. We stayed at the Clarion and had no problems at all.

     Do not bother getting to the airport in Miami until after 5:00pm as they do not open windows until then.

    You do not have much time in Palma.  We just got the hop on hop off bus right at end of terminal.

     When you get to Rome at the end, be prepared to leave the ship at about 11:00 on transport to hotel.  We stayed at Melia Rome.  Because of tour times we had booked we were unable to utilize their shuttle.  It was a 20 Euro taxi ride one way but we were dropped off exactly where we needed to be.

     Speaking of tours in Rome, Be sure to pre-book a Vatican tour for Saturday afternoon as the museums will be closed on Sunday.  We went with Viator's Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour including Sistine Chapel, Rapheal's Rooms and St. peter's (3731 Vatican).  Then on Sunday, again through Viator, Be sure to book Colleseum and Gems of Rome Semi Private of Private Tour (7595P4).  This was the absolute BEST tour we have ever been on!!! It's run by "Once in Rome" tour group through Viator.

     On the last day, be sure to be in the lobby for transport to airport by 5:45 am.

     Have a fantastic European Vacation.

Our overall trip was very delightful! Our room and service was exceptional! the entertainment was entertaining and a very talented group! For us the night life was great...we are ballroom dancers and found  dance music in all of the clubs! The staff of the Divina went out of there way to get everyone involved and dance lessons were available everyday for people who wanted to learn! We thought the food was good. Dining room offered meals that compared to other major cruise lines/ and the buffet offered more then enough. Being a cruise line from the Mediterranean.. there were people from many European countries and we found that maybe a communication or explanation problem with people knowing where to go..some people pushing there way around..not necessarily MSC fault.  the one excursion we booked from MSC was ok. we had a tour guide that spoke very poor English and most of  our group felt the same.    

This is a bit of 'good news/bad news' review of the MSC Divina on a 7-night round trip Bermuda cruise from Miami.

First, the good news:  The Divina is quite possibly the cleanest ship we have been on (and we have cruised over 25 times on five different cruise lines.)  The entertainment was quite good.  The buffet is large and has adequate seating, even during prime dining times.  Our balcony stateroom was nice.

Now, the bad news:  The overall service onboard was substandard.  This ranged from our stateroom to the service in the main dining room.  The service frequently was not up to the standards of any of the other cruise lines we've cruised on and at times appeared indifferent.  This could be the result of two factors.  First, MSC is a 150 year old family shipping company that only relatively recently has expanded into the passenger cruise business and has not completely refined their passenger operation.  Secondly, this may be a result of the prepaid gratuities that are endemic throughout the entire cruise industry now.  This has the possibility of removing the incentive for exceptional service.  We'll have to wait and see how this affects the industry, but I am not optimistic that the levels of service we experienced in the past will continue to be the norm for anything but the upscale cruise lines.

Horrible. Horrible..Horrible. .I was told my balcony stateroom would be on deck 12, midship, starboard side and came with 24 vouchers. After my cabin was assigned on deck 8  I called MSC...I was told there was no notes in the system that made mention of this. We booked the cruise onboard the Divina on a previous cruise by their cruise consultants on Feb 21, they told us the notes would be put in the system, but obviously never were because their "computers were down"  I was never told that the complete itinerary had been changed, giving us less then 2 days in Bermuda, which was the reason I booked this cruise in the first place. And MSC never gave anyone the reason for the change. .Embarkation took over 2 hours in line with hundreds of complaining and disgusted passengers. After my suitcase arrived I found severe damage, I opened it and found 2 large cans of sunscreen with the tops broken off and all my clothes covered and soaked with sunscreen which contains alcohol. Needless to say they were all ruined. After making out a formal complaint, the ship sent someone to look at all these items and I was told they would wash or dry clean the clothes, repair and clean the suitcase. After 2 different cleanings and nothing but a bathing suit to wear for 3 days, I was left with ruined and bleached out clothes and a damaged suitcase. Oh well, and "sorry about that" is what I was told.. I asked if someone could assist me with the broken suitcase (broken wheels) on disembarkation and was denied the help. I was never even offered a free meal in a specialty restaurant or a free drink. Some nights you had a difficult time finding enjoyable entertainment..Minimum announcements to tell you what was available on board and no announcements on disembarkation day to explain which color was disembarking at which times. My last and final cruise with MSC. Now to file my damages which I was told not to hold my breath for a complete reimbursement by crew members. Don't waste your time with this cruise line, they can never measure up to a Norwegian, Royal Caribbean or Carnival. And I have been on almost 50 cruises...

We will never be taking a cruise with MSC again.  The food in the buffet was always cold.  No one ever offered to try to find us a seat or even offer to carry our food for us.  Eggs and french toast always cold by time got it to a table.  I also noticed that the man who was putting the clean platters out did not wear any plastic gloves.  I asked him why and he just laughed.

Even the evening meal on the first night having a steakloin was horrible!  greasy and very thin.  Only once did I enjoy a piece of salmon and one portabella mushroon appetizer.  Also a bit difficult speaking to our waiter.  Never knew if they understood what we were saying or not. 

Also both my husband and I got sick  around Tues night.  Others were also coughing.  John had to go to the doctor and it cost $95.  We missed one excursion at a cost of $82.00.  Should I say more?  Cost for the soda package was only for 15 cans of soda, not unlimited.

This is my third time on the MSC Divina and my 33rd cruise with other lines.

Bermuda as a port of call was excellent. I loved it and plan to do it again.

Entertainers are excellent, Ameritalian Duo and Enrico Bernardi were my favorite by far but the shows are somewhat repetitive using similar acts in almost all shows. This needs improvement.

Stateroom was always cleaned on time. Dining Room staff overall needs further training, they look and act like crazy ants; however, my waiter was very efficient. Also some Maitre Ds have no manners, yelling at waiters and even passengers. This is not acceptable here or anywhere. In the buffet area they need to be trained to help people not just clean tables. I asked for honey and instead of getting it for me I was told where it was so I could get it myself and she was just standing there with a tray doing nothing. This doesn't happen in other lines.They go and get it for you.

Food has improved quite a lot from my first time on the Poesia in 2009 but still needs further improvement. There's no variety in the bread and pastry department. When in this part of the world they must cater to our taste and not continue with European taste.

Having said all this, I will probably sail with MSC again because the itineraries, here and elsewhere and pricing so far are very good.

This cruise was a new experience.  Having previously cruised on the standard American based lines, this was on the MSC Davina which is based in Italy.  The cabins were nice albeit small in comparison to the balcony cabins on other lines.  The buffet was a disaster.  Hard to find seating and when you did the food wasn't near you.  Once you got to the food and got back it was luke warm at best.  Much better in the dining room.  Food was excellent but for some of those onboard not large enough portion sizes.  We found them about right since you could do appetizer, soup, salad, entrée and dessert and of course you could order 2nds of anything.  The real bright spots were the shows each evening, full production shows of outstanding quality.  The only other negative was MSC changing the itinerary (before the cruise so it wasn't weather) to reduce the number of days in Bermuda (which is why we booked this cruise).  They gave a $25 per person credit, which doesn't make up for the loss of 1 day on the beautiful island of Bermuda.

The Divina is one of the most beautiful ships I have ever been on.  The food and entertainment were excellent.  There was some language issues with some crew members but overall was nothing major.  I would definitely recommend this ship to anyone.  There were plenty of lounges, coffee bars and gelato stations on the ship, which makes their own gelato every day and was delicious.  My only real complaint was with the prices for their photos.  They print up large 12" x 14" pictures, which most people cannot use, for $30.  They will reduce them to 8"x10" but for the same price.  Many people were arguing over this policy.  But I would still sail her again and would like to try other ships in the MSC line.

I arrived at the port of Miami on the 4th of april ,I asked for a wheelchair ..the chair arrived an hour later .ok,,proceede to ck in , when I was handed my card for id on the ship , it said I was assigned to the first seating for dinner .I asked the agent about changing this , since I don't eat this early and had requested second seating. I was advised to see the maître d on deck 5..so I got on the ship and went straigt to change my dining arrangements..i handed my card over to the people in charge of dinner hours , after conversing with each other (in Italian )for a couple of minutes , they handed me the card .I asked if they were able to accommodate me , I was told ,no .we will send you a message if we can change ur dinner hour ...I never got the message , no effort on their part to help .I had to pay for my dinners every night so I could eat at the time I ussualy have my dinners ..went to cabin ,usualy a steward will come in and identify themselves as ur cabin attendant ..no, someone walked in and said im bringing you some face towels because americans like to wash their faces with facecloths,i didn't know we were the only ones that washed their faces ..I asked him if he was the cabin attendant , he said yes...next day and every day I woke up at  9a by the noise made by children of all ages running up and down the hallway , this went on all day ..and well into the evening ...I believe msc should set some rules for children behavior ...another evening while on deck six (the casino deck with jewelry stores , snack bars etc. a teenager wizzed by me on a skateboard ...totally unnacceptble and dangerous . the restaurants were I paid to have dinner could be rated a bminus for the food ,however the service at the galaxy , and dtalia restaurants was excellent .the only fast and efficient thing was getting offthe ship , we docked at seven am and I was in a cab by 9 am ..I forgot one of my bags lost the tag , guess this can happen , so I had to go to the customer service area to claim it ...I got the bag and no one offered to carry it to my room , I walk with cane . needless to say , I wont sail msc again ..ive been on royal Caribbean ,Norwegian ,carnival ..never have not had a good time .  ........................Ray

The one factor that American citizens expect on a cruise is excellent food.  This WAS NOT the case on this cruise.  I can never face another piece of pizza in my life.... I expected fresh sea foods, amazing deserts, and things beyond I get daily. The food on-board was much worse than what I have daily.  Hotel catering would be a giant step up.....

While this was my first cruise, it was an amazing week.  The ship was beautiful, constantly cleaned and cared for, the entertainment was great, the stateroom was perfect, the maid service was non stop.  Every time I showered and left the room, a new set of towels were replenished.  The food was excellent.  The food was very Mediterranean which may not have appealed to all, but it is a Mediterranean line and it was great to have authentic food.  Loved the gelato, when I cruise the Mediterranean, it will be on MSC

I enjoyed my.cruise with Divinia, will definitely book them again. Thanks Tracy at . The only down i think was the itenerary is i felt should have stayed in puerto rico longer, we left at 330 which is too early. They should also remove Turks and caicos out, nothing to really do except the beach. 2 days witg Puerto rico would have been better. Food was alright! The ship was beautiful. Nice pictures on board aswell.Staff very friendly. Overall i enjoyed my trip.

Needed better shows geared more toward Americans.  all the dancing was Spanish and played a lot of Spanish music.  Dinner could have been better. We liked the breakfast and lunch.  I have cruised about 9 times on 4 different ships and this was down at the bottom.

I loved this cruise!  The weather was perfect and the cruise was fabulous!  St. Maarten was beautiful and a great place to lounge on the perfect white sand and shop.  San Juan is an amazing place to visit.  The pastel buildings and the blue stone streets are great.  But Grand Turks was my favorite stop.  It has the most clear, turquoise water I have ever seen.  The sand is so white and powdery.  We went snorkeling and saw piranhas and nurse sharks.  Everything was great.  The ship was beautiful.  Our servers in the dining room left a lasting impression on us!  I especially enjoyed not being bombarded by the bar staff to buy drinks.  Every other cruise I have been on, someone asks you every minute if you want a drink.  This one was completely different and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

the ship is absolutely beautiful. the shows are spectacular. many lounges to just relax and listen to different types of music. you will have a favorite lounge. entertainment staff mingles to make sure everyone is having fun and dancing. they make the best pizza in real pizza ovens as well as homemade pastas daily. we just couldn't pass those up. they have a nice variety of foods on the buffet along with the pizza and pasta. one of our best cruises ever and we have been on several cruise lines.

This was our best cruise to date. The ship itself is gorgeous everywhere you go there is something beautiful to look at. We thought the food was good and the shows were Vegas caliber with a different show each night of the 7 nights.

We had an inside cabin which we actually enjoyed more than our balcony cabin on a previous cruise because it was so dark and quiet.

We will definitely be taking this cruiseline again. I would only caution someone if they don't feel comfortable with the majority of the passengers being European then don't take this ship but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The ship was very beautiful and we chose this particular cruise because it included 3 days at sea. Sophia Loren would have loved our balcony room. The price was just right.  We had wonderful congenial dinner table mates.

The shows were rated highly and were as advertised, the best cruise show of the year.

The safety drill was more comprehensive than any other cruise we have taken.  All was much appreciated.

Bonus stop in Nassau instead of Great Stirrup Cay because of heavy swells. Excellent shows in Pantheon Theatre and excellent entertainment team. Special recognition to Maya, Zuni, Jamie, and Marcello in the Villa Rosa Dining Room and host Andre. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, would rate food overall a 3.  Although food was plentiful, many offerings lacked taste, especially the soups.  Almost all soups were disappointing, lacked flavor and consistency -- many were like consommes instead of having body and content.  The loundspeaker announcements were not heard or inaudible inside the cabins or in the buffet areas.  Public restrooms and signs were inadequate.  Good selection of photos but were on the expensive side.  Cabin cleanup was good but could be done more timely since we returned to the cabin a few times after 2:00 p.m. and no work had been done.