MSC Divina Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Overall, we had fun on this cruise, but there were some things that if implemented, could have made the cruise even better.  After 5:00 PM, the only soft drinks that were available were water and ice tea!  Prior to that time there were fruit juices, lemonade, and ice tea available.  We ordered room service on the first morning of the cruise and it was never delivered.  Shortly after boarding the ship and arriving in our cabins, we were required to go through the safety drill and instructions regarding how to put on the life jacket and how to proceed in the event that an emergency occurs onboard.  We thought that this was mandatory (as it was on other cruise lines), although no one ever came to our cabin to insure that we were complying.  By the time we left our room, it was over!  This should be better enforced as it is on other cruise lines that I have sailed on, particularly since it involves the safety of all passengers.  The speakers did not work in the rooms and therefore anytime there was an announcement, we couldn't hear it unless we opened our cabin door!  We asked a worker about this and she said that passengers were annoyed with announcements in their rooms!  Would if it were a real emergency announcement?  On other cruise lines, there was the option of either having the speaker in your cabin turned on or off.  You were in control of this.  On MSC, the speakers cannot be controlled by the individual cabin.  The cruise director never announced when different activities were taking place on the ship.  Granted, activities were in the daily newsletter, however, so many things are scheduled that it would have been nice to have an update throughout the day.  Again, this was done on other cruise lines that I have sailed on.  The entertainment was great but not varied.  For example, they could have had comedians, hypnotists, ventriloquists, etc.  The only entertainment was the shows (dancing & singing) and the singers/musicians in the lounges.  More variety would have been nice and added another dimension.  One of the things we liked about the cruise was the ease of exiting the ship at the end of the trip.  We chose the self-assist method and it was very smooth and seamless!  There was also a variety of food and it was very good.  This may sound like a small complaint, but there were no straws at the beverage centers.  They only had those at the bar so you had to go there to get them.  We were taking a handful and leaving them in our bag because it was an inconvenience to have to go to the bar since it was never near a beverage station.  Photography backgrounds and locations could have been better.  Sometimes they were actually in the way of foot traffic because there were no real designated areas for them to be photographing.  With a little bit of 'tweeking' this cruise line would be more improved and I think a good line to explore.

Entertainment was fabulous. the daily classical music in the lovely was very elegant, soothing and very professional. The vessel was very luxurious and a loved the variety of lounges with different themes. A special place  was the infinity pool as well as the spa where I go a very professional massage at a very reasonable price. Excellent staff service and accommodations including assistant with a wheel chair as one of us was partially impaired and had trouble walking. The price of the excursion considering how big and fabulous the ship was very affordable. I do have to say that the meals in the main dining room were not so great but still had a fabulous time and looking forward to doing it again.

the ship is new(and for those sailing in the future) the ship was built in France. so the decided to have a bathtub in the balcony stateroom. but look out, getting in and out is somewhat difficult for th4e older passengers. Added to this, the tub is slippery. the nonstick surface is no longer there. In other words hold on tight. The meals are good, not great, Steak, for example, is rather thin. It would be somthing you would find in a Philly cheese sandwich. I asked for and end cut on the "prime rib" i sent it back, the waiters could not cut it at the station and were laughing . When they gave me a regular cut, as stated earlier it was thin. On the bright side, the shows were great, the weather was very good. the pools were comfortable and warm. in all I would gice the MSCDivina a B- rating.

I read many reviews before I took this cruise and was frankly very concerned.  Don't believe the bad tempered unhappy people out there.  Some of the reviews said  the food was bad - not true.  While not all the dishes were 5 star - there was plenty of food to choose from - I never went hungry and was able to try some dishes I have never eaten before.  The crew is unhappy and seem stressed - NOT TRUE - our cabin steward was a delight and kept our cabin picked up and well maintained - I wanted to take him home with me.  The crew at the pool, the entertainment team, the bartenders always had a smile on their face and were eager to help.  The staff in the dining room - A One!. The staff at the buffet - friendly and would often come over and start a conversation.  The buffet was a nightmare - pushing and shoving - well - it wasn't a nightmare but it was often crowded.  It was a great cultural experience for me - so many languages, so many ways that people handle crowds - I embraced it and it was fine - just part of the experience.  The ship was beautiful -AGREE - well maintained and clean.  Prices were very reasonable - they did not nickel and dime you like some cruise lines.  A questions I had before going was about the formal dress requirement and the need to were a formal- these words and wardrobe and not in my every day world.  DO NOT STRESS over this - if you do not want to dress up - go to the buffet - no one will say anything to you.  THe dining room is awesome but expect dinner to take at least an hour and a half.  I would definitely take a MSC cruise in the Divina again.

The MSC Divina is beautiful, clean and well taken care of by its crew.  The shows were outstanding, some of the best we have ever seen anywhere.  Our stateroom was clean and our steward gave us first class attention.  The food was good.  However, if you do not want to eat in one of the specialty restaurants is where the Divina was somewhat lacking compared to other cruise lines we have sailed on.  There was only one main dining area for travelers who did not want to use the restaurants, and it was very limited except during the defined breakfast, lunch and dinner dining hours.  Overall, we were very pleased and will consider sailing on the MSC Divina again.

THIS WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL CRUISE I HAVE BEEN ON. THE SHOWS WERE GREAT. THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD WAS FAR BETTER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER CRUISES I HAVE BEEN ON. ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOVE ITALIAN FOOD. THE CREW WAS VERY WELL TRAINED AND SO HELPFUL. JUST A GREAT CRUISE. 

THE ONLY MAJOR DISLIKE WAS THAT BOTH THE PRIME RIB AND THE STRIP SIRLOIN STEAK WERE TOO THIN TO BE ENJOYED. BUT IN SEVEN DAYS OF EATING THAT WAS THE ONLY COMPLAINT WE HAD. THE  PIZZA STATION BEING AVAILABLE FOR ALMOST THE WHOLE DAY WAS A NICE MID NIGHT TREAT.

I WOULD BOOK ON THE MSC LINE AGAIN, AND WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

I would first start by saying my fiancee and I had a great time. The ship was beautiful. The staff was a bit over worked. They cleaned all the time. Not many English speaking staff. For it to be an Mediterranean cruise line in the States going to US territories I think that they should have people that understand English a bit better. But that didn't put too much of a damper on our vacation. We kind of liked that in a sense. The reason being was it gave us a more diverse experience. It like going to US territories and also having a European vacation at the same time. Mostly Italian and French were being spoken around the ship. We enjoyed the buffet, it had plenty to choose from for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pizza was served from lunch on. The pizza is good but they should offer more of a selection for toppings. The downfall to the buffet is that for dinner there is only water, coffee, and tea for beverages unless you buy from the concessions which are over priced for soda. No fruit juices!

So for Dinner I drank water because I don't drink tea or coffee. We had safety training the 2 day which I thought was weird. What if something happened the first night of sailing? No one would have know what to do or where to go. Well maybe veteran cruisers but no one would have known where to go. The medical center hours were 8a-12p then 4p-8p. If one had an emergency what would they do?. The staff was all helpful and very nice even though there was a language barrier but they still seemed to make what you needed happen. We had the 2nd seating for dinner. We went 2 times that week. We would have went to the formals but the clothes we brought didn't adhere to the colors for the formal. So we wasn't able to attend. I think that MSC should provide the itinerary for cruisers ahead of time so they can pack accordingly. In the restaurant it took forever to get your food due to it being over crowded and not enough staff. The food was pretty good but you had to order like 2 entrees to get enough. I guess us Americans over indulge when it comes to food. I did however, like the buffet better. The lemonade was really good!!! We didn't make it to all the shows due to trying our things on the ship. But we did make it to the Michael Jackson tribute. OMG, it is not to miss...It was a very very good show. The staff and dancers done really well. The ports were great. We had a lot of fun.  Captain Pierpaolo Scala did a nice job of keeping us up to date with weather and the course we were on. The ride was really smooth. We had a balcony stateroom. It was very nice and pretty roomy. The 4D cinema was pretty good. A tip for people trying to get there tan on. You may want to get up to the Sun deck or Aqua Park early. Lounge chairs get gone very quick. I am a light-skin black guy so I don't tan I burn! So that wasn't a big deal to me but lounging on the desk in the shade is nice. Our cabin attendant, we never knew his name but he was really nice and on point. Gave him a nice tip. Every time we left our cabin and he was in the corridor he would ask if we needed anything. I thought that was really nice. The Swarovski crystal staircases are beautiful. They complimented our formal photos very nicely. We are using one of those for our wedding invites.  I was able to use this experience to propose to my future wife on St. Maarten. She had no idea. Had a local to get some great photos of the proposal. So our vacation which was an early but late birthday gift for her 30th birthday turned in an engagement celebration. Both of our birthdays are in July like 3 days apart. But she felt it would best to do a fall cruise due to it being too hot in July. So we chose September. Other than those few issues the cruise was overall a great first time experience. I want to try some other cruise lines but we would go on the Divina again.  Oh yes, and try to Gelato It was really good. 

We had a wonderful time with our friends and meeting new people on the cruise.  We truly enjoyed the outings on the islands.  Food in the buffet was good.  The head waiter for dinner dining (Liviu) did a wonderful job in taking care of my gluten-free diet and his attentiveness was remarkable.  He also gave much credit to his waiters which impressed me as they were all gracious and hard workers.  We loved the different amenities on the ship - especially the spa.  Our cabin was clean and the attendant was very helpful and diligent in cleaning up and making sure we had all we needed.  (Ada - I think that was his name).  We had a bad experience with claiming our luggage after the trip.  We got off right away (as per our early departure designation), but we waited over an hour for all of our luggage.  Finally, after talking to several people in the port, we found a lady who went right out and got the rest of our luggage - it took her one minute to do so.  She was very helpful, but without her help, we might have been late getting our friends to the airport.  They also had difficulty.  One of their bags was put into a different area from where our luggage was designated to come off and it took them an hour to find it with the help of a manager.  I realize that MSC is not directly responsible for the handling of baggage, but they do hire the contractors.  This was an anxious time for us and for our friends who needed to fly out from the Ft. Lauderdale airport. 

In addition - our agent (Bonnie) was very helpful in answering our questions and getting everything set up for us.  She was gracious and patient.  However, somehow the information did not get conveyed to the ship that it was our 40th wedding anniversary.  We almost missed the opportunity to an enjoyable time with the captain - planned for those who were celebrating anniversary trips.  My husband caught it and we were able to attend another time.  Not sure whose responsibility this was...  

Spent a week cruising in MSC Divina Yacht Club. Crew, concierge, butlers and Le Muse staff were friendly and helpful. Stayed in Family/Executive Suite. Cabin was huge with lots of storage; only downside was the lack of verandah.

The ship was beautiful but very crowded. There were numerous small areas but the passageways were narrow and paths led through the bars and in front of the bands. I would not have enjoyed the crowds but with the private bar/lounge, dining room and pool/deck of the Yacht Club, the cruise was very enjoyable. Well worth the additional price. I would recommend increasing the number of cruise days or adding St Thomas to the itinerary.

Was not what I expected. The crew members wete rude and did not speak or understand english. This cruise is for older people and I was told that I had a 50$ onboard credit but it was not shown in the computer. I would not pay to cruise on this line again.

I WILL START OFF WITH THE POSITIVE FIRST. I AM A SEASONED TRAVELER. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THIS WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND WELL APPOINTED SHIP I HAVE BEEN ON.

THE ENTERTAINMENT WAS UNUSUAL AND INCLUDED MANY OUT OF THE ORDINARY PERFORMANCES. THE OPERA , THE BALLET , AND THE COMBINATION OF BOTH WERE EXQUISITE, THE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE, WAS GREAT. WE LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

THE ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED BY MELISSA & MICHAEL WAS OUTSTANDING, AT THE LA LUNA BAR. 

NOW, THE NEGATIVE:  THE HANDICAP VERENDA STATE ROOM WAS LOVELY, COULD HAVE BEEN CLEANER IN THE BACK OF THE SOFA BED. THE BEDS ARE NOT COMFORTABLE, THE PILLOWS WERE TERRIBLE., VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. NO WASH CLOTHS UNLESS REQUESTED. WHILE THERE WAS HAIR SHAMPOO , THERE WAS NO CONDITIONER PROVIDED. THIS IS A MUST!.  THE SPECIALITY RESTAURANT "EATALY" WAS VERY GOOD, COLD ATMOSPHERE AND NOT VERY INVITING.  THE BUFFET ON DECK 14 WAS OKAY. NEED TO WORK ON MORE CRISPY PIZZA.  AS FOR THE DINING ROOM ,THE VILLA ROSA  WAS NOT AT ALL HANDI CAP FRIENDLY, SO WE WENT TO THE BLACK CRAB WHERE THEY WERE EXTREMELY ACCOMODATING.  THE MEALS VARIED FROM NIGHT TO NIGHT, MOST WERE JUST ADEQUATE.  FOR AN  ITALIAN SHIP, AND BEING HALF ITALIAN MYSELF, I AM A GREAT COOK AND I WANTED TO GO INTO THE KITCHEN AND GIVE THEM SOME LESSONS!!!!!   ASIDE FROM THE TRIVIA GAMES NOTHING WAS OFFERED IN THE LINE  OF COOKING, RECIPES, & FLOWER ARRANGING,. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING TO KNOW WHAT SPECIALITY DISHES COME FROM  DIFFERNT PARTS OF ITALY.   ( I LIVED IN ROME ITALY FOR 5 YRS) 

THE COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH WAS VERY POOR. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT CUSTOMER RELATIONS BE FLUENT IN ENGLISH, AND THIS WAS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

I HOPE THAT THIS HAS BEEN BENEFICIAL AND HELPFUL.

SINCERELY,

RICHARD LEVASSEUR & MARIA  LOUISA BATTAGLIA 

The ship was gorgeous.  The food was great.  The stops were great.  The ship staff were courteous, professional and proactive.  The ship staff worked to ensure that cruise experience was great!

excellent staff; good food for a cruise ship, but many items that are free on other ships, like ice cream, are costly on his ship. It feels like management is nickel and diming the cruising customer.

The ship was beautiful, but I think the service was lacking compared to other cruise lines I have been on. The food in the dining room was good but nothing outstanding compared to Celebrity Cruise line and again the service was poor and the food served warm.  Not sure if it is the distance from the kitchen to the dining room and by the time it is served it has cooled.  The shows were good but too short and they need a little more variety.  It was a nice cruise. I would probably sail on MSC again after they have been in the US a little longer and made some improvements.

A VERY POOR SELECTION OF GLUTEN FREE FOOD.  BAD,BAD PILLOWS

SHOWS ARE EXCELLANT

FOOD POOR SELECTION OVERALL

CLEAN SHIP

GREAT PR BY CAPTAIN

EXCELL ENT CRUISE FOR THE DOLLAR, EASY ON BOARD AND DISEMBARKTATION

the staff is amazing, the food was amazing, the entertainment was amazing everything was perfect. especially the staff! they were so helpful and nice!  I loved everything about the cruise from the pools, the bars, the restaurants, the buffet, the white and black restaurant had the sweetest server I've ever met. his name was arifin! he was on point every single night for dinner. the cruise had everything, a gym, a water slide. the night clubs were very nice. I'm sure there are places I didn't get to explore on the cruise line. the divina is immaculate! thanks again MSC!

Enjoined our time very much! Very beautiful ship. The staff was very helpful and always tried their best unfortunately we were not very lucky in the dining room with the staff. 

WE INFORMED BEFORE AND WHILE CRUISING THAT WAS OUR ANNIVERSARY -53 YEARS- AND NEVER SAW A CAKE OR AT LEAST A CUPCAKE. BESIDES QUALITY OF FOOD WAS POOR, I WAS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR IN THE SAME SHIP AND HAS CHANGED. LAST TIME WE WILL TRAVEL IN YOUR SHIPS.   

This has got to be the most beautiful ship I have ever cruised aboard. Every detail was gleaming and shouted high class and money. I loved it all until I found out that the best was reserved for just the few high class money bearers, or so it seemed. Near the end of the cruise I learned that by Joining thier club which is free, some of those amenities would have been included even to me, but then not unless I had the money to cruise in one of the Haven class suites. All of that aside, The cruise was spectacular and I almost enjoyed myself to death.

As for the entertainment, This ship boasts a crew of entertainers that incorporate most of the shows into an attempt to have seven different shows by having the same entertainers change costumes and perform different themed performances that any one would be considered to great. I must say that I perservered and saw all of them unlike the others at my assigned dinner table, all of them told me at dinner that they walked out on the second show, one couple on the first, none except for myself saw the rest. I too see thier reasons as I reflect yet to walk out during a performance is not polite in my opinion. I think I got the whole experience as they did not.

As for the food, superb in every way!

As for the Wait staff, TOP SHELF, as good as I have seen on any of the ships I have been on and this was my eighteenth cruise.

The cabin staff was thorough and curtious, I never past or met him that I wasn't greeted by name anywhere in the ship, I thought that remarkable.

All in all I have to compare this cruise with others that I have taken and in my opinion the inclusion of a few more entertainment venues such as side comedy acts or improv groups would help. but getting a few different main theatical events other than the ships entertainers would really bring out the best of the best.

MSC is fairly new to the U.S. I've been on 9 cruises with Carnival, and 1 with MSC. MSC has a lot of upgrading to do to compare with Carnival.

1) inadequate rest room facilities.

2) food, and service are a step below Carnival.

3) too far a walk to get coffee, and very strong coffee, ran out of coffee to often.

4) complex deck arrangement

5) too many rude foreign passengers.