MSC Divina Cruise Reviews - Reviews

My wife and I made reservation for the January cruise many months in advance.  Two days before sailing MSC called and said they had to downgrade us to a much smaller unacceptable cabin due to overbooking.  Even though they refunded the price difference, we would have never signed up to spend ten days in the small cabin they gave us.  Our travel agent now tells us that this is a common practice at MSC Cruises. We would sail with MSC again only if we could get an iron clad guarantee the we would get the cabin we paid for.

This is my first cruise with all family members 8 people. We have enjoyed this cruise company services, good foods, good cabin services, excellent entertainment program. No complaint.

it is a beautiful ship but the service and especially the food did not come close to our expectations and  to that of some of others passengers.  If they are to compete with other companies such as Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, etc. they have to do better.  Some of the special food recipes were not even close.to what they were supposed to taste.  The entertainment was magnificent and some of the servers were very good.  Tours were not  as was described in the brochure and the price we paid,

overall Excellent great service, the food was amazing and the installations were incredible clean. they clean your room twice per day, numerous options of entertainment

We arrived at the Port of Miami at 1 PM we were on board and exploring this wonderful ship by 1:30. The Divina was all decked out with Christmas decorations. Dinner the first night was as usual very confusing due to the wait staff trying to get to know us and us them. Dinner was good. Because we were a small group of ten we wanted to be seated together 4 of our group were in a different dinning room. Our group leader arranged for us to swich table to be close to the other 4. Dining room staff were very attentive as expected. Divina's layout is very easy to navigate with a few bottle necks one being the photo area. Show's in the show theater were top to of the line for a cruise ship. Cabin was roomy. Cabin Steward was always available for any needs. 

We are sailing on the Divina in April with a group of 40.  .

The overall cruise experience for my family was quite disappointing.  The embarkation was well done; quick and easy.  After that it went downhill.  The on-board communication was almost non-existent.  When we booked the cruise we were given 2nd seating at dinner.  We were told this could be changed once on board especially since we had a family with young children.  When this was requested the first night we were told that we should never have been told that; but that they would get back to us the next night.  NEVER heard from anyone again.  The result was our children falling asleep each night at dinner.

A medical emergency forced the ship to turn around on Wednesday evening resulting in the loss of 7 hours and therefore the Port of call for Friday had to be scrapped.  Instead we went to Nassua for 3 hours.  A complete waste of time.  While i completely understand the need to take care of a passenger; it was foolish not to fly them off; quicker for them and respects the 1,000+ other passengers.  BUT the biggest thing is that the only thing the 1,000+ other passengers were told was thanks for understanding.  No comp., No attempt to allow more time ashore; no nothing.

The crew on board; almost all of the time was unable to help with information; directions; etc...

Most likely will never cruise with MSC again and will not recommend to anyone. 

Our first experience of the Caribbean and the American cruise market and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.  We have used MSC in the past in the Mediterranean and found the standards kept up, except for what appeared to be a reduced number of course options in the main restaurants.  One gripe (if it could be called that is that whilst we booked a 14 night cruise, the result was two 7 night cruises (back to back) and we were not advised of this at any time until during the cruise when we learnt that there were some restrictions (not able to book excursions for the second week, having to leave the boat at Miami during the change-over and a repeated on board itinerary ).  It would have been nice to understand this beforehand and be able to set our own schedule accordingly.  The other ‘issue’ we had was with the excursions – apart from not being able to book the second week during the first, we felt that too much was attempted to be put into each excursion resulting on rushing through the stops and not getting the full benefit.  There was also insufficient leeway to allow for when people on the excursion delated it by not returning to the meeting point in the correct time.  We have to say, that even with these couple of issues, we enjoyed the cruise (hence the 4* overall result) and are returning for another back to back cruise (this time with full knowledge of the implications and advised of the fact by MSC) in October 2016.

Our cruise November 11-21, 2015 on the MSC Divina was absolutely fabulous.

Nov. 11, 2015

We had a very long wait in the terminal to board, but I understand that the delay was caused from the ship having just come back to Miami from the Med. Our Customs people did an extra special check of the ship.

We boarded about 12:30 and were able to go directly to our cabin to drop things off, then off to the fabulous buffet. There was such an array of foods to eat that you were full just looking at everything. As usual the staff was very helpful with helping me with my tray of food and my drink. All of the food I had was great, my only problem is that my eyes are bigger than my stomach.

Tom asked if they had anchovy pizza and was told no.  When Tom said something to Govanni , he was told that there would be some the next day for him. There wasn’t any the next day so Tom stopped Giovanni  and asked him about it. He went to the pizzeria and personally made an anchovy pizza for Tom and brought it to the buffet for him.

At about 2 o’clock we went to the Silver lounge and met with Nicollas Figueiredo, absolutely The BEST PVC with MSC. We were able to talk with him for quite awhile before he had his next meeting.

Our wait staff in the dining room was the greatest. Dwi was very professional and after the first night he made sure that we had our Iced tea waiting on us when we walked into the dining room. We were always greeted with a smile and a “How was your day?” Dwi always made us feel like we were the only table he had to take care every night. 

After the second night Livue sent Najib Bhahtiar, the Head Waiter of our section to our table and a couple times every night he would come over and make sure everything was ok.

On the 3rd or 4th morning onboard we saw Livue in the Buffet and I asked him if it would be possible to get two orders of Caprese salad for dinner. To my surprise when I sat down at the table Dwi brought us 2 large plates of Caprese salad. It was so good and special.  Every evening Livue would bring us a special appetizer for the four of us to split. This made the entire cruise so much more special to us.

Mario came by our table every night and would stand and talk to the 4 of us. They even made a point to seek us out at breakfast or lunch to talk to us and ask us how things were. When we saw either Mario or Giovanni in the buffet they made a special point to come talk to us.

We were confused about the credit card set up and the Customer Service Rep was more than glad to come over and help us set our acct. up. We were always greeted by them with a smile and a “Hello, how is your day?”

The one bad side of the entire cruise was that our cabin person was very slow with our cabin. For one he never introduced himself to us. In fact we weren’t even sure which one he was. There were many days we would leave the cabin about 7:30 for breakfast and return about 10:30 and our cabin hadn’t been made up yet and there was no cart in site.  This definitely didn’t damper our cruise at all.

We went to trivia almost every day. Jamie Castillo and Zuni did a great job. Hector on the other hand needs a lot more training. He is very very hard to understand and refuses to spell the words out that we can’t understand. We did let Zuni and Jamie know and they said that they would work with him more.

We went to crafts a couple of times onboard and Khaoula Ameziane did an excellent job of teaching us our crafts. We thoroughly enjoyed making the t-shirts. She has such a way about her when she is crafting. She is so helpful and nurturing when you are doing crafts with her.

We enjoyed the Entertainment team very much while onboard. They are a great group of people.

We enjoyed all of the ports except Colon Panama. Yes we enjoyed being able to see the ships go thru the canal from our balcony but the port of Colon is a very scary place.  If there could be a different port to go to in Panama it would be better.

We did a ship sponsored tour in Costa Rica, PL126. I enjoyed it very much except for a couple of ladies that wanted to shop and didn’t care about other people. When the train stopped for a picture opt of a sloth this one particular lady got off the train and wondered off. The tour guide had to go and get her which delayed our train by 30 minutes. The boat ride on the river was very interesting and we were able to see a lot of animals in their natural habitat.

The other ports we have been to many times and just enjoyed a day onboard. We got off the ship long enough to look around in the port and then got back onboard to enjoy the peace and quiet of the ship.

Once again MSC has delivered an absolutely fabulous cruise, and we had the best time. Were there minor problems on this cruise,  yes. Were they worth fretting about and letting it ruin our cruise, No way.  

Since this was a cruise to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary it was even more special. A couple of days before the cruise I gave Tom his anniversary present, a 10 day cruise onboard the gorgeous MSC Divina on the 11th of Jan. 2016. He was so shocked that Nicollas and I pulled this off without him finding out about it.  So, we will see you again onboard on Jan. 11, 2016. Which also happens to be Tom’s 64th birthday.

So until then have a great day.

Tom and Gerry Harris

It was fantastic trip on MSC Divina. We where lucky to upgrade our inside cabin to balcony. We are family consist of 4. This kide are 9&11 years old were very happy with this experience. The animation team added extra pleasure for the trip. The entertainment all the time on the cruise are perfect.

the cruise team was perfect to handle all these numbers of passengers. 

Concerning food , I was shocked from other comments, the food was very good the quality of ingredients are perfect. You've many choices for all kinds of food. 

By the way , I asked many of other passengers concerning food and their opinions were as ours.

Great ship! Great food! Great staff! Fun for kids, nice staff, pleasant captain, destinations we're great! ...............,...... .. LOVEDDDDDDDDDDDDD

My entire family took this cruise line Sept. 23rd out of Barcelona 2015. The ship was beautiful but that was the only part of it that was enjoyable. 90% of the staff was either rude, unfriendly, ignored you, or in 1 case, was racist. The staff acted annoyed to have to help you. The food was middle of the road. We have taken 4-5 cruises as a family over the last 15 years and always rave about the food and the servers at dinner and usually gain 10 pounds. We barely made it to half the set dinners, we did not enjoy our rude server, and some of us lost weight because the buffet was just a cooled off version of either the same stuff every night or were leftovers of dinners on the menu. And the servers in the buffet seemed annoyed to even have to take an order. We all were so disappointed in this cruise line that we will never use it again. My husband & I went to the cigar/smoking lounge the first 4 days and although not super friendly, the woman in there served us without issue and took our orders regularly. On the 5th night we went in with a friend who is an african american and she completely ignored us, giving us dirty looks. She went so far out of her way as to serve the tables on either side of us while completely ignoring us. All she would do was switch out the ashtray, multiple times in about 15 minutes which was almost to bring more attention to whatever she was trying to project on us. After that night she continued doing the same rudeness. She never helped us as she had in the beginning. It was very uncomfortable and very obvious to our friend. 

READ THE REVIEWS ON THIS CRUISE LINE BEFORE SPENDING THE MONEY!!! We did not and it was a real bummer. :( Very disappointing. 

This was my first cruise in 2015 had seen some bad reviews about food and staff so I was worried, but not one problem. Loved the cruise everything was done to the best of the staffs ability. We were fortunate enough to have one of the corner balconies at the very top of the ship so it was amazing. The ship was immaculate never found a fault. I seen people had problems with the food but this was due to it being a European ship with European food, and most of the reviews were from American websites. (Just from my research correct me if I am wrong). Was a great cruise and a great experience! Would go again!

We began the cruise by discovering I had left my medications on the bus from the airport. We located an officer and he immediately became involved in stopping the bus so the medications could be retrieved.  After that problem, the cruise on board the MSC Divina was absolutely fabulous.  We purchased the Yacht Club package (Cabin 15018) with balcony. The cabin was provided with a personal butler, on call 24 hours and access to the restricted Yacht club areas of the ship. Lounge, pool, dinning, etc.  My favorite was the lounge, all food and drink provided in the package. The lounge in in the forward section of deck 15 and has a panoramic view of the bow. Snacks of all kinds are available 24 hours.  A great place to watch the ship sail to the next port.

Our cabin was exceptional. room service 2-3 times per day. Turn down, fresh fruit, champagne, free room service at any time. The TV news service was somewhat skimpy, only CNN and was not current daily. Since satellites are available, one wonders, why not? Bed comfort was beyond reproach, firm and good support.

Dinning was private for the Yacht Club, with personal waiters, if you sit at the same table. Our waiter was experienced and entertaining.  Food was well above average. Smaller portions, but whatever you wished from the daily menu. The soup and deserts were excellent, and seconds were OK.

The main attractions(as stated in the Divina adverts) is the crystal staircases. My wife was amazed at the sight and absolutely insisted on pictures on the staircase.

During our cruise, there were 3500 + crew people on board, but due to the privacy of the Yacht Club and the size of the ship we did not really notice any crowding or standing in lines.

As shown on our rating of 5 stars for the ship and crew, we did have some exceptions to note about the cruise overall.

Shore excursions were not the best organized.  Several buses were not air conditioned and had the be replaced (Med temps were 95+ humidity) We noted the excursion information provided by the ship did not fully disclose or detail what would happen on the excursion. Example: Palma Mallorca catamaran trip, nothing was said about bringing a swim suit for swimming at anchor.  The bus ride to Cannes and St Raphael was nothing. We were dropped off in the middle of town to roam around for 2 hours.

Overall rating for the shore excursion is at best a 3...probably 2+.

After the cruise, MSC provides bus to the Hotel Melia, Civitavecchia.  This hotel appears to have been built in the late 60s or 70s. Very old. Clean, but not in a very nice area of the city. We were provided a somewhat skimpy breakfast for two days until bused back to the airport.  After leaving the ship, at the end of the cruise, one gets the impression that "So what"? They have your money and you are now on  your own.  After becoming accustomed to life in the Yacht Club you are now back to reality. Something of a "Let Down".

Air trip back to Miami (Alitalia) 10 hours. Food served 3 times, choice of new movies (7) but seating is close together for a 6'4" person.  Price was included in the package. 

Bottom line:  Over all experience. We were very pleased. I rate the entire cruise as a 4.5.

WRKTEM

Having been on Divina already (See my other review) I was looking forward to another great trip.  My wife and I have spent a lot of time in the European ports and we were looking forward to sharing them with my In laws and our daughter.  We had inside stateroom and my father-in-law had an accessible room.  The staterooms were very good and I would highly recommend our, #9175 as it was a bit larger than the norm.  The service on board seemed to take a bit of a hit since our cruise in November.  While there were some excellent staff, there were some real disappointments.  My wife and I had thought of doing a Renewal of Vows on board.  The only program that MSC offers is a full wedding planner at the bargain price of over $600.  All we really wanted was maybe a small cake, some champagne and maybe an offer to join us.  We would have been willing to work with them but they had no interest in anything but the full package.Oh well.  I also was very disappointed with the fees for the shuttles in Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona.  In both ports we opted to take a cab and it was significantly less expensive.  At least a complimentary shuttle to the port entrance would have been nice as we were docked a long way from there. But, so be it.  The thing that really had me quite angry was the transfers that came along with our cruise.  While I realize that these were handled by a vendor, MSC is an Italian line and should have nothing but the best in their home country.  We waited an hour and fifteen minutes for the bus upon our arrival in Rome.  Having arranged transfers for a cruise line in the past, I know this can happen so I took it in stride.  When we disembarked at the end of the week, we were suppoosed to get off at 10:00am  We had a Vatican tour scheduled at 1:00pm so we figured that would give us plenty of time.  Well, the bus was a little late, understandable again.  but they sent one bus for 30 people who have been on a ship for 7 days.  The luggage compartment was full after 18 people.  Even if people had packed a little light, there was no way 30 people plus luggage were going to fit on one bus.  The six of us along with another party of six were left for another bus.  which too TWO hours to arrive!  We reached Rome an hour late for our tour.  Fortunately, I used one of my old port agents to arrange the tour and the fully accommodated us.  The final straw was the transfer to the airport where the bus arrived 15 minutes before the transfer time and left after waiting FIVE minuted and with only 6 out of the 30 people on the transfer list!  No room calls, no waiting until the appointed time, NOTHING.  Because there were six of us with luggage for 10 days of travel, we had to get a van and a taxi to take us to the airport.  Then they charged us double what was quoted, and dropped us at the wrong terminal.  We finally arrived at the Alitalia check in two hours before the flight left.  And there was a huge line.  I cannot say enough about how great Alitalia handled our problem.  They got us checked in and escorted us to the gate to make sure we made the flight.  They really came through.  In the end, MSC reimbursed our cab fare "as a gesture of goodwill."  Anyway, I am glad it happened to me and not to a client I had booked on this trip. 

stunning ship, fabulous staff, very clean........food poor it was very repeative, with poor choice especially in the buffet. Entertainment was also poor. Food and entertainment are very subjective, however this is my opinion.

The reception staff are very poor regarding customer relations, treating people as if they are idiots!!! WHAT???? Trying to be told New York don't allow ships to sell alcohol over 18 % think it has more to do with MSC not wanting to pay the taxes?? I've embarked in New York before and been able to have a cocktail or two! What was annoying was we had a drinks package and were only allowed beer or wine, when I asked at reception if they were going to reimburse us they said no! Therefore I paid 45$ Per day for 2 days for practically nothing. Then I was told they couldn't do any thing about this because I paid at home??? So be aware they are not the most customer friendly reception staff I have encounted

We sail 2 times in the Divina . Luxury, elegant, very smooth .. western & Eastern caribean . Well recomended .👍. Rooms are very elegance and pleasant lots of storage...

Day 1: Check-in was atrocious. It took about 2 hours to get checked in. It seemed like everyone came with their friends and brought all the kids along. Everyone knew one another so my boyfriend and I felt foreign. All the kids running around also put a damper on the romance.   Once we FINALLY got on board it was about 3:00 PM, the ship was supposed to sail at 5:00 PM but didn't move an inch until 6:30 PM. I don't know; call me impatient. So we opt to check a few bags while we enjoy the embarkment buffet, of course they took a few hours to come but that wasn't a really big deal.   The buffet was nice. A lot of the reviews I read give negative comments regarding the food we didn't have any complaints. The seated dinner was delicious as well; however the alternate meal steak and a bake potato were cold. I had the shrimp, rhubarb, and lamb and I would've licked the plates if I wasn’t trying to be a lady.   So far the positive reviews about the fresh oven bake pizza and the nightly shows hold to be true.   Day 2 & 4: At sea all day we found enough things to keep us occupied such as swimming, eating, playing video games, entertainment shows, watching movies on deck, romance and exploring the ship.   Day 3: Cozumel was interesting and a very fun place to be. We tried Mexican food and drinks and bought plenty of souvenirs.   Overall nice trip and I would recommend this ship and experience to everyone.

This ship has excellent entertainment. The production shows and the lounge entertainment are the varied. There is almost non-stop music available from 5 pm onward. Wine list is more varied than other ships and they serve lovely plates of antipasto with the wine. Average drink price is $7.50. The decor is dramatic. The fresh made pizza is very good and seems to be always available. Fresh baked cookies come out at 10:15 every night. Check-in was orderly, but slow. This cruise attracted large busloads of people who all arrived at once. We had a lovely balcony cabin with adequate storage space. The showers are larger than the norm. Service was unobtrusive and the crew responds well when you are polite and undemanding. 

This was my first cruise with MSC Divina. It is a very nice ship.

Very good was the service on check in.

The cabin was nice and clean, cabin service very good.

Entertainment super.

But a lot of things need to get improved:.

The buffet was lousy, the hot food was cold, the people were not friendly. The selection was pur.

The portion in the Restaurant were very small and nobody explained that you can order more. We were a group, 8 People on the table. We ordered together, but the food was never served together. Some got already the dessert and others were still waiting for the maincourse.

Impossible was also the Table Tennis Tournament. A girl, which didn't had any knowledge about this sport, was running it and making rules, which doesn't exist. Many people complaint later. It's better not to make  sport events, if there isn't the right personal available..

Impossible was the tour in the Bahamas. The Programm offered several stops to see more from the Island. The reality was that the bus made only one stop and this so short, no time to buy something.

My husband and I went on the Bermuda cruise because it was a relatively inexpensive way to see Bermuda.  My husband was scheduled to go on a dive during the second day we were in port, however, since MSC changed the itinerary, (went from 45 hours to 31 in port) and did not notify us, he was not able to go.  We tried to get out of the cruise in Miami at check-in time, but MSC said since we were within 15 days, no refunds.  They also changed our cabin from an outside balcony to an interior room with no refund.  The ship is beautiful, and the night-time entertainment is good, but at best, the food is marginal.  We will never go on MSC again