MSC Divina Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The cruise ship is beautiful, sparkling clean, luxurious. The crew was all fantastic, very attentive, cordial. Vendors were Very nice and serviceable.

On the negative side:

Checking-in was a terrible experience, too many long-winding lines; 3 different endless winding lines. The checking-in system must be improved. The Wi-Fi connection was very poor and too expensive for the poor service provided. The so called CHEF has no idea what a PAELLA dish is or even looks like; he must look for the recipe. Overall, the food in the main dining was very extensive but not so goodl. The on-board activities were pitiful; bingo and exercises... not all inclusive. As I've experienced on other cruises; swimpool games, dancing classes, cooking, glass blowing demos, ice carving, karaoke, manual arts, etc. I must point out our assigned stateroom cleaning crew, Rocco, did a great job, he was fabulous, respectful and had a great sense of humor. "The Best of Atlantis" tour only takes you to the hotel, no showing of part of the island as it says. You just see what's on the way to the hotel. Note for New Cruise Ships: Improvement to shower size is a must. It is almost impossible for over-weight persons to shower without causing chaos. I am not an overweight person, yet the space provided is so minimal. It is my believe that overweight people are being discriminated. This problem exists on ALL cruise ships. I thought it should be addressed.

The elegant MSC Divina is the newest and largest (4,000+ passengers) of the 12-ship fleet of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC.) The MSC Company founded in 1970 is the second largest global cargo shipping company.   The MSC cruise line, however, is still not familiar to most Americans.  Originally called Fantasia, the ship was renamed Divina to honor Sophia Loren, the Godmother of the fleet.    When the cruise line first began cruises in America, I attended a luncheon aboard the MSC Lirica that included a tour of the ship. The cleanliness and elegance of that ship so impressed me that I decided then to definitely cruise on an MSC ship in the future.

We planned our cruise on the MSC Divina a year ago when we booked it while onboard our 2013 MSC Poesia cruise.  The 7-night roundtrip cruise from Miami, Florida, February 1-8, 2014 visited St. Maarten, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. Our party of six traveled with a larger group of almost 800 Irishmen for tenor Andy Cooney’s Cruise of Irish Stars 2014.  There was a real feeling of camaraderie among all of us.  Many have cruised annually with this group - some for 8-10 years.   It was fun meeting Jaime, sisters Eileen and Claire all from Ormond Beach and Francesca from the Villages in FL.  

The drive from home on the day of sailing took around 3 ½ hours. After dropping off our vehicle at a convenient off-site parking garage, we took the complementary shuttle van to the terminal.  We arrived at 12:30 and boarded the ship within mere minutes.  We quickly headed up to the sumptuous buffet on Deck 14 for a light lunch.  After 42 cruises, this was one of the smoothest embarkations ever.  Our disembarkation went just as smoothly and swiftly.  We utilized the Self-Assist Program of carrying off our own luggage.  

The Compulsory Emergency Drill was a little chaotic at our Muster Station; so many passengers crowded in the area, all carrying life jackets and trying to put them on at the same time.   The straps were a little confusing for many passengers but we all helped one another.  The crew did their best to conduct the drill, checking attendance by scanning room key cards. The predominant language on board is English, by the way. There are few announcements so be sure to read your Daily Program for specific information about events and procedures.

Although I have read many complaints about MSC, mostly when they first entered the American market, I found little to fault the company on this cruise.  What impressed me the most was the sheer beauty of the MSC Divina.  The deco throughout the ship is inviting and elegant. Little touches that you do not first notice catch your attention later. The public rooms are tastefully decorated in a modern Italian style.  As I boarded the ship on Deck 5, I was drawn to the dazzling two deck Swarovski crystal staircases. They were a favorite spot for passengers to take photos.   I especially loved the décor in the stunning Pantheon Theater with its gorgeous silver curtain.   There are no obstructive views.  The stadium-style seating affords every seat an excellent view of the stage.  Since there were so many other live entertainment performances going on at the same time as the production shows, including our own Irish live entertainment, we were always able to get good seats even when we arrived just before Showtime.  No food or drinks are served in the theater.  In general, drinks are not pushed.  

All seventeen lounges and bar areas are beautiful and we would often stop to listen to live music either before or after the Production Shows. My favorite lounge was the Silver Lounge, Deck 6 because of its convenient location and beauty.   Many passengers including us enjoyed the beautiful and timeless classical music played by The Elegant Trio & Igor nightly from 5 PM until late in the reception area on Decks 5 and 6.    I truly felt that I was back in Europe listening to their music.  Since the clientele on board is international, so is the live music around the ship.  Many passengers enjoyed dancing to live music.  The varied dance lessons (Grease Lightning, Country, Cumbia, Bachata, Triburon and Latin - Mambo, Merengue, Samba) offered in the lounges and Aqua Park were very popular and the steps easy to learn.  The Irish passengers especially participated in the Riverdance class.

Our quiet balcony cabin # 9125 also had the same attention to detail, as did the public areas.  It had a very sophisticated décor. The lovely cabin was well- appointed with: a king-size bed, end tables with drawers, sofa with a small cocktail table, tall framed mirror, desk (with mirror) and ample closet space for our belonging.  Gray wall-to-wall carpeting, a safe, framed art and a small fridge completed the furnishings.   Our balcony furnished with a table and two chairs afforded beautiful views of the water.  I really looked forward to returning to our serene and comfortable cabin each evening.

The compact bathroom had a small shower stall with clear, unique folding doors that made the room seem larger when opened.  I appreciated the retractable clothesline inside the stall and the two robes.  Dispensers (for environmental reasons) held liquid soap at the sink and shampoo and shower gel in the shower.  The shower cap and sewing kit were nice amenities, although I did miss the usual small bottles of hand lotion and hair conditioner.  There was a regular clean supply of white fluffy bath and hand towels including face cloths.  

Yani did a wonderful job of unobtrusively cleaning and refreshing our stateroom when we vacated it.  I never did get to meet her - although my husband did. Yani also fulfilled our additional requests faithfully.   The ship has a small secret amber light hidden above stateroom doors that alerts the steward whether you are inside or outside the cabin. To turn on lights, you must place your stateroom card in a slot.  I always knew where my card was so I liked this feature.  It also is cost saving for MSC, which is very environmentally oriented.   This system allows your steward to enter your cabin without disturbing you.  What a neat idea!

The stateroom corridors were light & cheery with spaced wallpaper panels of Italian scenes.  At one point our passageway widened and we could look right down through broad curved glass walls onto the huge chandelier and the reception area below.  It is most unusual for ship stateroom corridors to have an open feeling.  Just off to the side was a lovely sculpture where we often arranged to meet before getting on the elevators.  

The same unobtrusive service found in our stateroom we also experienced in the lovely Villa Rosa Main Dining Room.  I had requested a table by a window for our party and we received it. Our servers, Putera from Indonesia and Rudy from Bali did a professional job of attending to our requests, often anticipating them.  Our wine bottle was always on our table when we arrived.  The servers replenished our beverages and breadbasket without prompting. The congenial Assistant Maitre‘d Tommy stopped by our table nightly to check on our dining experience.  Fiorentina from Romania was very prompt and carefully assisted passengers receiving Special Request Meals in our section.  She also helped the wait staff when she saw a need.

I enjoyed all the Italian dishes and loved the “flaming” Baked Alaska that the wait staff presented with a flourish. We enjoyed the food and service so much in the main dining room (MDR) that we often ate breakfast or lunch there or in the Black Crab Restaurant (another MDR.)  I especially enjoyed the delicious French toast.   The buffet on Deck 14 had a great selection of fresh produce, casseroles, Italian dishes, cheese, breads, meats & cold cuts.  We all enjoyed the pizzas.  Deserts were plentiful at lunchtime & I enjoyed their chocolate mousse more than once.  We, therefore, never felt the desire to visit a specialty restaurant.  Many passengers frequented the soft serve ice cream machines as did I, which were conveniently located on two sides of the Aqua Park available 2:00-5:00 pm.  

Besides the elegance and European style service on the ship, what impressed me greatly was the quality of the nightly shows.  One of the reasons I enjoy cruising is to see the extravagant theater shows and MSC did not disappoint.  Every night there was a different production show.  My favorites are Witches of Paris (French Variety,) Simply Italian (Best Loved Italian Songs,) Frank (Sinatra) Forever and The Tribute (Arias.)  If you like Michael Jackson’s music, you will enjoy Star Walker.  Children seemed mesmerized by Pirates and Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland.)  The costumes were all magnificent and the quality of the singing and dancing was wonderful.  Attending a different variety show each night was a delight for me. Often performers came down the aisles into the audience. I did not really miss hearing a live orchestra because there was so much live music elsewhere on the ship.   Since the passengers are international, it probably is a good move to make the shows mainly singing and dancing sprinkled with acrobats and other stunt performers.  There were no comedian performances for this reason, I think.   Sometimes in the theater prior to the production shows, the energetic animation (entertainment) staff performed impromptu comedy antics that surprised unsuspecting passengers to their amusement and the rest of audience.  The fun helped the wait time seem shorter.   Aside from port and shopping lectures, educational presentations were almost nil. Again, I feel the multitude of languages spoken by passengers may be a factor.  There were plenty of parties and other activities.  I attended the culinary demonstration conveniently presented poolside but wished that they had the recipes printed.  The Flower Glory Party in the Black and White Lounge featured popular music of the 60s-80s.  The MSC Factor Talent Contest was entertaining.   Be sure to pack white clothing to wear to the White Party held under the Caribbean Stars on Deck 14. The Celebrate Chinese Wealth Day in the Galaxy Disco and MSC’s Little Italy parties were other fun events.   The single women on the cruise enjoyed dancing with the MSC Divina officers.  I enjoyed the fashion show in the reception area.  All the clothing was for sale in the shops onboard.  I do not remember seeing a fashion show on my other cruises. The open-air Aqua Park screen showed Pavarotti:  The Event Live, Pacific Rim and Captain Phillips.   If you are into fitness, there is a schedule of events going on throughout the day - morning walks, stretching, Aqua Cycling, Aerobics, Zumba, etc.  Jewelry Making, Art & crafts, Scrabble, sport tournaments, napkin folding, Veteran’s Meet, bridge games, Italian lessons, bingo and trivia rounded out other offerings. On Super Bowl Sunday, football fans watched The Seahawks VS. The Broncos in the packed Sports Bar.  

Some extra cost events were fun, too.  The men in our group enjoyed the Formula 1 4D Simulator.  Find out if you have what it takes to be a racecar driver.  One unique event was the Winemaker Experience where you join winemaker Greg and custom blend you own bottle of wine.  Another unusual event was the opportunity to try five different “solid” cocktails in one glass.  

The young energetic animation team did a great job with organizing and participating in poolside games and other activities.  I answered a math trivia question and won a colorful MSC mouse pad.  My husband & brother-in-law each won one also in a ring toss game.  The lively music poolside played by our Irish group of entertainers was fantastic and quite popular with even those not traveling with our group.  Dancers crowded the limited space in front of the stage area to do Ceili dancing. For me, the water in the five pools was a little too cool so I did not stay in the water a long time.  I did enjoy the whirlpools because the temperature was not too hot for me. There are 150 fountains in the Aqua Park.   Kids loved the waterslide. Shallow areas in the Aqua Park were great for toddlers and young children. There seemed to be no organized activities for children younger than six.    The ports of call were all wonderful but I have been to most of them many times previously.  In St Maarten, we shopped in the village of stores right at the pier.  In San Juan, we rode the complementary trolley near the terminal out to Castillo San Felipe del Morro, “El Morro.”  Later we walked back to the ship stopping along the way in several shops in Old San Juan. I hope to exploere this port more on future cruises.  I understand that new terminals are going to be built.   In Great Stirrup Cay, our MSC shore excursion was an eco-boat tour.  We learned interesting facts about the history of the Bahamas, its local ecology and marine life. We were all encouraged to touch, hold and photograph many marine species.  What surprised me was the necessity of signing a waiver for the eco tour.  Later, we visited the vendor tents at the beach, relaxed on beach lounges and swam in the clear Caribbean water.  The only issue that I had with our day at the beach was the exceptionally long buffet lines that we encountered unprotected from the hot sun.  The wait took away a good portion of our beach time.  Perhaps a box lunch handed out as we departed the ship might be an option to the long lines for the buffet.  

One unusual thing that I noticed while on board was that there was a # 13 deck and # 13 lifeboat.  However, there was no # 17 lifeboat.  Cruise Director Andre explained that in Italy # 17 is considered unlucky; #13 is not. I especially recommend MSC to young families since children under 11 sail free when staying with the parents in their cabin.   There were many families on this cruise because of this policy.  In fact, there was a wide range of ages onboard from many foreign countries.  I spoke with passengers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Japan.  What an opportunity to get to know people from different cultures!

I have a few thoughts for MSC.  Perhaps the ship could stock non-fat milk.  We were always served 2 % at best which they assured us was skimmed milk.  Other times they served whole milk and called it skimmed.   I prefer choosing my own time to dine and this option is not currently available on MSC.  Since we were with a large group with specific entertainment schedules, we all had to choose Early Dining anyway, so this was not an issue on this particular MSC cruise for me.  Be aware that the dining room doors close fifteen minutes after the start of the dining seating.  Another issue was the early 7 AM time for vacating our stateroom on disembarkation day.  This surprised me since our staterooms were not ready until 2 PM on Embarkation Day, which is late for most cruise lines.  You may find some onboard difference if you sail MSC in Europe.  Many passengers found navigating the ship to be a little confusing because the two MDRs used the same main kitchen.  This means passengers sometimes had to go up or down a deck to get from one end of the ship to the other.  Many new ships, in fact, have this similar arrangement.   

What it all comes down to is will I book another cruise on MSC?  The answer is a definite yes. The food and service were good, the shows were wonderful and the ship was simply beautiful.  Best of all, the pricing is very competitive with the major cruise lines and an excellent value.  Special online sales offer even greater savings.    I am already a member of the complementary MSC Club for returning guests. There are several benefits to becoming a member including a complementary cocktail party and various discounts.   Be sure to join after your initial cruise.  Arrivederci, MSC!

This ship was just ok. Embarkation was a breeze, no problems. Disembarkation was a mess. Don't pay for the transfer! just get a cab or Uber, it will probably cost about the same and it will be a lot faster. We had issues with our bags getting to our Cabins. If your's hasn't arrived when everyone else's has, look up and down the halls, one of our bags was all the way at the other end of the hall, and another one was on a different floor completely. Cabin was fine, about what you would expect for a cruise ship. There are 2 US electrical outlets over the desk and one in the bathroom. The one in the bathroom is in the ceiling and difficult to use. You do not need any converters or adapters. Just bring a power strip so you have more plugs. Put your do not disturb sign in the key slot on the wall inside your cabin to keep your ac on when you leave. Ship is a bit hard to navigate. Basically everything is on 6, 7, 8, 14, 15. If you want to get from one end to the other quickly, walk through on one of the cabin floors to avoid the traffic. When you first get on, head to the Casino to pick up your drink packages (fyi get a water package too), then head to the back of the ship, deck 15 to the garden bar, sit at a table and enjoy your first drink before the crowds get there. About the drinks, bar service is extremely slow all over the ship! I mean like really slow! They also have trouble getting your order right, be prepared. They only have 4 draft beers Heni, Heni light, Newcastle, and Cider. Buffet is crazy! try to go during off peak times, late at night the pump out fresh out pizza, really good. Activities on the ship are minimal, they will not keep you busy, bingo sucks, don't waste your money. Name that tune was fun, but short. Try the meter pizza, but don't do the beer flight, remember, only 4 beers on draft. Bowling was $8 per game and you only get 5 frames. Try it once. The water slide sucks, my friend was pushing himself half of the way down. Pools and decks get really crowded. If you want a chair get there early or really late afternoon. For people that like smoothies for breakfast, they have them up at the gym. They can't change the channels in the sports bar, so sit where you can see the program you want. Food there was good and it is free. Jamaica- Dunn's River Falls and bobsled were fun. Cayman- Private Stingray City, snorkeling, and starfish point were awesome! Our favorite. Mexico- don't do the tequila tasting, not worth it. Go on the sea and land tour, you get to do tequila tasting there too. Bahamas- I had already been there so we just went to the Melia hotel and spent the day on the beach. In port, people want you to tip them for every little thing, it got really annoying. Trying to get back on the ship after the day spent in port is a pain in the butt. You stand in line in the sun forever. Dinner at the main restaurant was ok. They really only serve one course at a time so if you order multiple apps. then everyone else has to wait for their main course. It still moved at good speed though as most of us all ordered more than one app. Dress code is not as fancy as we had imagined, however they did deny access to a man wearing shorts. For women, skirts, dress, pants are all fine. Men, slacks and a button down shirt are fine. Most of the staff are friendly and try to be helpful but a lot of them were confused when I asked them where to find a certain place on the ship. If they are confused, imagine how I felt. You have to pay a lot of extra things over the course of 7 days, just keep that in mind when booking. Overall, things were fine, we had fun! I probably wouldn't sail this cruise line again though. I prefer NCL. If anyone has any questions about the ship or excursion, please let me know, I would be happy to help.  

Following our journey of a lifetime aboard the MSC Divina, we're back with cherished memories from Jamaica, Aruba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and the ship's exclusive island retreat. The MSC yacht club delivered an unparalleled experience.

After much anxiety from reading negative reviews, we ending up having a great cruise. The cabin was comfortable, the food was okay, and the crew was nice. We could complain about the things we didn’t like, but we chose instead to like what we enjoyed. We took advantage of the many amenities on the ship and thoroughly enjoyed our vacation. This review is written for everyone who is skeptical after reading negative reviews. If you’ve already booked, then go enjoy your cruise. If you haven’t booked, then shop around, especially if you have experience with other cruise lines to compare.

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!

First cruise back. Cheap, short cruise to test the waters. Masks suck, having few people on board is great.

I had anxiety about possibly getting sea sick and I was surprised that I didn't get sick. I had a wonderful time and I'd love to go on another cruise.

It was awesome 10 day escape from reality. All the staff were amazing and went above and beyond. Being smokers, we spent alot of time on the aft of deck 15 where there is the Garden Bar and adults only pool. The food was very good with an awesome variety. I would happily sail with MSC again!

This is the third cruise that we have taken on the MSC Divina. It has gotten progressively BETTER! Better food, better service, better ports and overall BETTER experience!

First and foremost, I can say I would cruise with MSC again. I felt that the crew provided outstanding service and the food was just as good if not better than what I've had on other cruise ships and MSC's private island Ocean Cay is really one of the nicest ones I've ever visited. I know lots of people are loyal to one specific cruise line and they will never venture out beyond that and while I suppose that's admirable it's also unfortunate because you don't get to experience how things can be done on other cruise lines. MSC was also the only cruise line I could find going out of Port Canaveral that offered reasonable rates for solo cruisers. This was my first solo cruise and I feel that if I was to ever do another solo cruise I would go with MSC because I did not pay a single supplement like almost every other cruise line charges. It was a beautiful ship and a relaxing getaway and I would encourage anyone to try MSC. Lastly, one thing I kept reading about and hearing about is the fact that MSC makes all of their announcements in five different languages and that absolutely did not happen at all during my cruise. Everything was presented in English and Spanish and that was the end of it.

We had a group of 12 and everyone had a great time and are ready to book again on the MSC Divina or Seaside. All of my group except my husband and I were first time cruisers. I think I created cruise monsters now...lol Everyone said they will book with me again through Perfect Getaways LLC. This ship and cruise line was amazing!

MSC is one of those cruise lines that tends to be polarizing - people generally either really love it or really hate it. I can kind of see why. The Euro-flavor isn't for everyone. Our experience was neither of those. It was ok and not terrible - but it wasn't overly amazing like our sailings on Cunard have been. The cruise line appeals to families and the average American cruiser. I know that MSC have been working since 2012 to get into the North American market. Having said that, we think we'd prefer sailing MSC in Europe with a full-on European experience and were a little disappointed at the lengths to which they've tried to Americanize the cruise experience, as we were hoping for more of a European flavor cruise. The Mediterranean menu is there - and we appreciated that. For us, MSC will be a cruise line that we'll consider when we want a quikkie weekender short cruise at a budget-y price point. I felt that it was a little nicer (food/ship) than Carnival - but to be fair, I haven't been on Carnival in 7 years, so they may have gotten better since then. We generally choose traditional lines like HAL, Cunard, and Celebrity - less family oriented, more mature clientele. We were very happy to be back sailing since Covid, and this was an opportunity for a dry-run cruise in preparation for a much longer sailing we have booked in December.

Love MSC, they need to hire me as their Chief People Officer, because as a seasoned cruiser, I give them a 4/5 when it comes to common cultural norms as they said within the Caribbean waters. I like them, but I don't love them, yet. The ship is super pretty, the staff are great, food was great, drink vouchers were great, but its the little things that country sometimes.

The bad was simply a little bit of a language barrier with a few of the crew. The second day I stood in two very long but incorrect lines because I asked where I needed to be only to wait and wait and wait in line, get to the front and be told I was at the wrong desk. This happened twice. I finally found the correct line on my own. I was nearly in tears after the frustration of standing and waiting. I seriously thought my vacation was going to be ruined.

The only other things, which are really kind of minor to me, was that the buffet was really crowded and there was not enough seating during meal times (just go before or after meal times...easily solved) and my husband really hated going to the dining room because it is very, very slow. It's an Italian ship and they serve like Italians eat. It always took us more than 2 hours for dinner. I didn't mind, but it drove my husband crazy to take 30 minutes to get our appetizers and 30 minutes after we were done with our appetizers to get our entrees and then another 30 minutes after we finished them to get our dessert. He's a chef so wanted to jump into the galley to speed things up, LOL. Now not being able to get my water glass refilled, or the bread server to come to our table was a little irritating to me. We had the early seating and the pace didn't bother me until our server would start rushing us (to the point of kind of being rude) because they were getting ready for the second seating. I just thought if there wasn't a half hour of waiting for our next course every single time, there wouldn't have been a rush to get us out of there.

I did run into one really rude server on our last night on the ship. She worked at the specialty coffee shop, brought us 2 incorrect coffees and then when I (very politely) told her that wasn't our order, she said "well we don't have what you ordered" turned and walked away without even attempting to apologize, correct our order or do anything at all to make things right. If I could have taken her tip away, I would have instantly, except that would have required me standing in yet another very long line and it wasn't worth it. Obviously she knew this so didn't care how she treated her guests. 

Now for the GOOD!! Our cabin steward, Albert, was FANTASTIC!! Albert learned our names immediately. My name is very unusual and no one ever remembers it, but Albert did :-D He was just so friendly and smiley and seemed to enjoy what he was doing or at least the interactions he had with guests. If I could choose my cabin steward next time, I would for sure ask for him. Our cabin, 13049, was AMAZING. Not only was it a little bigger than I expected, but there was way more storage than I expected. The best part was the balcony!!! It was on a part of the ship that curves around so we had a huge balcony. We couldn't see forward, but we got to enjoy the water, the breeze, pulling into and out of ports and could see all the balconies behind us, LOL. We could hear deck chairs scraping the floors while the crew was cleaning the deck and moving chairs around, but it was very minor. I would definitely try to get this cabin again!

Another thing I liked, was the fact that I saw the Captain a lot...A WHOLE LOT. This was our first cruise so maybe that's normal, but I didn't expect to see him around that much. It made me feel like he really cared what was going on with his ship. He was very polite and seemed to enjoy interacting with the guests.

Speaking of the ship, oh my gosh it was BEAUTIFUL!! Sparkled everywhere. I don't think I saw one dirty spot on the entire ship. Clean, clean, clean and fancy. Can't even think of anything negative to say!!

The food...YUMMY! I saw some negative about the buffet in previous reviews but we never did run into anything bad. I realized the first day that if we got our food first and then found seating our food would get cold. So after that first lunch, we made sure we had a place to sit first and we never had cold food again. The pizza was wonderful. We had pizza every single night for a midnight snack, LOL. The food in the dining room was also very good. I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews about the food, because what we had was wonderful. The buffet is massive. It just kept going and going and going. I walked into the next room and there was more buffet. Then I walked into the next room and guess what? Yep more buffet. There was at least 5 or 6 additional "rooms" with buffet AND it went all the way around, so double buffet in all those rooms. I've never seen anything like it!! Even my extremely, horribly picky 9 year old always found something he liked to eat. I got him to try a croissant and after that he had croissants for breakfast every morning (along with bacon and eggs)!

One of my son and grandson's favorite things onboard was the soft serve ice cream machine in the main pool area. They probably had ice cream at least 3 times a day (we were on vacation, so no food was off limits, hee hee). 

The kids cooking class was so much fun! The kids made gnocchi and we got to watch, record, take pictures and even ended up with flour on our faces!! Our kids were a little too old to stay in the kids club. They were 9 and 13 but said most of the kids were 7 and under. So they pretty much hung out at the pool, ate ice cream, explored the ship and occasionally would join us (not their choice).

The entertainment was very good, but the daily entertainment crew (which was busy day AND night) were FABULOUS!! There were several that entertained the crowd before the big shows and at the theme parties and they were really great. I just wanted to follow them around all the time to keep laughing!!

Embarkation, debarkation and shore excursions seemed to be very well organized. We signed the kids up for the dolphin and stingray swim in Georgetown. The day before we got a letter in our cabin saying one of us had to book at least an observer excursion for $70 in order for the kids to be able to go. I didn't want to pay $140 for both of us to simply observe, so I booked my photographer husband to go with them and I took a tour of "Hell" (small town on Grand Cayman). The bus tour was a lot of fun, but after the boys' swim I found out the "observer" fee included swimming with the stingrays. I wish they had told me that when I was booking my husband. I thought it only paid for the observer to travel with the swimmers and that they wouldn't be close enough to actually see much except through a long lens camera. I would have paid the $70 to join in and get to watch the boys have so much fun!! FYI: The Cayman Islands shops do NOT negotiate like Jamaica and the Bahamas do.

In Cozumel we did the Tulum Mayan Ruins and it was magnificent. I wouldn't do that excursion again because it was 7 hours and it was very fast paced. We didn't really get enough time at Tulum to see everything and take as many pictures as we wanted. We were also supposed to be able to swim there but ran out of time. It was so hot that our 9 year old got sick. If we ever get a chance, we want to take a trip to Tulum not by ship, but actually book a hotel and get to spend a couple of days there. 

We didn't have excursions booked for Jamaica or Nassau. The "harassment" of all the people trying to sell you stuff was almost scary. FYI: Both negotiate everything, so don't pay full price for anything!! In Jamaica we got to take a $10 per person glass bottom boat tour that guests on our ship paid $50 for because there was a guy negotiating to fill the boat up. He started at $25 and then dropped all the way to $10 when we said no. That was unplanned but ended up being a whole lot of fun!! In Nassau we were so exhausted from the heat and it was raining off and on, that we basically bought a couple of souvenirs and went right back on the boat. The harassment there was even worse than Jamaica and I was so exhausted from the heat and pace that I just couldn't deal with it. I wish we had taken the ferry over to Atlantis ($4 per person), but didn't find out about that until it was too late to make it back to the ship in time. 

This was our first cruise, but we had such a fantastic time! I would have liked to give it 4.5 stars but it had to be 4 or 5. I only chose 4 because of the lines I waited in and the one rude server. Other than that I would have given it a 5. I highly, highly recommend this ship. I am already planning to try out the new MSC Seaside next year!!

My mom and I just returned from the 7-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the MSC Divina, and it was beyond amazing! I can not wait until we book our next cruise! The overall experience was remarkable. The staff on board is very on top of everything. I swear that housekeeping was waiting for us to leave because every time we came back to the room it was in tip-top shape! Reception was very helpful.We went on one excursion through MSC. We were initially told that the excursions were all full for St. Thomas, but when we went back later another gentleman helped us and we were able to get on the Pirate Schooner for snorkeling with turtles, which was so much fun! All of the waiters/waitresses were friendly and attentive. My mom and I especially enjoyed dining at The Black Crab. Our second night there we were seated with Erick and Novan, and requested to be with them for the remainder of our cruise. They were so personable, attentive, and outgoing with all of their tables. We enjoyed talking with them, and they made the experience even more amazing. They made recommendations for food when it was had to choose and just did everything to make our experience a pleasant one. I think that I may miss them the most! The Buffet is good for a quick meal because it can get crowded, but the food is delicious as well. Just make sure to make it all the way down for some more unique dishes! They also have some amazing photographers on board (although I will admit some not so great ones so I would recommend having your photo taken by a few different people), but when you find a good one, they take amazing photographs. It was hard for us to choose! We especially enjoyed Ghokan's style and photographs. The process for finding the photos is a little crazy, but you just have to be patient and remember how man other people had their pictures taken. I also think that MSC does a great job of making anything possible for their passengers. My mom and I had something planned for Great Stirrup Cay to remember my aunt who passed a few years ago, yet the water was too choppy for us to be tendered over. When we talked to reception and explained our situation, they spent all day finding a way to help us, even when we were told it was not possible to do anything. By the end of the day, we were able to celebrate my aunt, and it meant so much to my mom. I do not have enough good things to say about MSC. The whole experience was amazing. It was my first cruise, but I don't ever want to cruise with any other line! I could go on and on about how amazing our experience was! I very highly recommend MSC to anyone looking to take a cruise!

This was our 2nd MSC cruise. We had a fabulous time. The ship is beautiful. The ports were amazing. The shows were outstanding. Was a great 7 days, just went by too fast.

MSC was a great post pandemic cruise. Felt very safe. Food was god. Staff was excellent and very happy to be there. Great view from balcony. Two days at Ocean Cay was relaxing and wonderful. Yes you can complain about food but everyone’s taste is different. Try new things and enjoy life! MSC was a great cruise line to travel on!

This was our 4th time on the Divina, but our first time in Yacht Club. We had a wonderful cruise, met some new friends, and have become completely spoiled by Yacht Club.

I loved it and the Divina has improved on a lot of things since the last time I went on her. The shows, the the food, the entertainment and service has improved that we miss being in the ship now. She does look her age but that made it even more special.