Over 55's Have You Sailed and Did You Like MSC

My dh and I are considering a first cruise on MSC line on their Divina. There are a lot of negative reviews but we are wondering how an older couple would find them. We've heard that MSC has opera performances and that appeals to us. We're just thinking that it is a much younger generation that may not find them appealing. If anyone on this board has sailed them we would value your opinion.:)

We did, two years ago. We took our first MSC cruise on the Splendida sailing western Mediterranean. It was fine, but for some reason, I did not feel "at home". I found the atmosphere just different. My main concern was with the water situation. We got one coupon per day to trade in for a bottle of water at the MDR for the three of us as US passengers. We had to ration carefully. I understand that they work differently on the Caribbean cruises though. Many people complained about the food, but we actually liked the food they served. I was 58 when we sailed MSC.

P.S. I like your quote.

Thanks RO for your opinion. We would do a Caribbean itinerary if we sail on them. Leaning more and more to doing them for a change of pace.

We did not like MSC. Poor food, poor service. But other people swear by them. Maybe we just got a bad one??

I would travel on them if it was cheap enough. My husband says "never again". I am mid 50's, hubby 61.

With MSC just be careful to avoid European holidays as they often have "kids travel free" offers. I've heard horrendous things about kids running wild. I don't think they have the same rules that other ships have with regard to parents being responsible for their children. :eek:

We enjoyed our 'experimental' 3 day cruise on Divina. It was their first cruise from FL, so there were a lot of things to be tweaked, but we agreed we would like to try them again when they have adjusted to American expectations. Oh, and we were 69 & 70. EMEM

I took a seven days cruise on the Divina in April. It was my first solo cruise since losing my wife. Neither my wife nor I were very keen on Caribbean cruises as we had done a number of them when we were working. We generally did much longer cruises such as transatlantic cruises. I would say that on the whole the cruise was fine with the exception of the food. There I was very disappointed. When one of my daughters asked how the food was I responded with one word, "Mediocre." Then why did I take the MSC cruise? The price was right! I should mention that I am 75 but a young 75.

It's been a while since I sailed on Lirica on a 10-day cruise to the Panama Canal, but I'll never forget it.

The price was right. MSC was trying to break into the American market through our wallets. It worked! :)

The Lirica was a stunning ship. Just my size. Not too big, not too small.

There were many people 55+ onboard, possibly because the Tommy Dorsey band was featured nearly every night for Big Bands dancing.

The crew was surly. We walked on eggshells with our Italian waiter, whose mood seemed so mercurial, we never knew if he'd bring what we'd ordered, and were afraid to ask if he didn't, because then his attitude would get REALLY bad.

The wait staff in the bars would bring you a drink and then disappear for the duration of your stay. We were told this was the European way, and only Americans expected anyone to come back and check if we had further needs -- like WE were high-maintenance. :rolleyes:

We soon grew very tired of having every announcement made in 5 languages, with English being one in the middle. (Maybe this has changed.)

The food was OK, nothing memorable.

The cabin was fine.

The times for activities listed in the daily program seemed to be mere suggestions. Crew members hosting events would show up as much as 20 minutes late, and be surprised to see people leaving as they came in.

Every time I consider returning to one of the lovely MSC ships, what springs to mind is the crew and my many perplexing encounters with them. That's what keeps me away.

But maybe they've learned more about serving the American market and have modified some practices. I haven't read the MSC board here in quite a while.

Hi there,

We sailed on the Divina last year. We are 61/62. The ship is beautiful but the only thing that saved the whole cruise is that I upgraded to Yacht Club. Without that we really would have hated it. The pool deck was wall to wall loungers and they were all full. The food was laid out very oddly in the buffet and the hamburgers and hotdogs were premade in boxes like MacDonald's. They were gross. Shows were good and aimed at a more mature crowd. Activities were not good. The mini-put was a piece of green carpet they rolled out every now and then. The 4D theater was 7 minutes long and there was a charge. In Yacht Club we had our own restaurant, lounge and pool which made the whole trip tolerable. I would only go again if we stayed in a Yacht Club cabin.

Good luck.

about 4 years ago I sailed on the Poesia in the Caribbean. It was a different experience for sure but I like it. the price was great and I liked the food. Each night we had food from a different region of Italy.

Itilian friends recently returned from an MSC cruise after having been on Oceania for 9 past cruises. When asked "how was it?" the reply was "don't ask."

They hated everything about their cruise and both returned having lost 10 pounds. It may be the perfect DIET cruise if you like good food.

We have been on the lirica and we loved it!!!!!great shows food and entertainment was fantastic!!!! And the Musica. Also great!!!! Take a chance...

Did a Western Med cruise on the Splendida for my 50th. We loved it! Food was good, international crowd (mostly Italian) was fine. We were in the Yacht Club, which was really nice. Our only complaint was multi-lingual tours, which were very difficult to follow.

We were on MSC Opera. Never again!

DH and I (ages 71 and 57, respectively) did the Divina last month. Very pleasantly surprised. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44449042

Note that the Divina is the ONLY MSC ship where English is the main language. The entire on board experience has been altered to appeal to the north American market. Our feeling is that anyone considering the Divina needs to not even read the reviews of other MSC ships. They are simply not comparable experiences.

I'll add that opera fans and classical music fans will be very happy on the Divina. Much to offer on that score.

If there are specific questions, I'm happy to answer them in this tgread or the one on the NCL board.

Italian budget line built for Italians. Unless you are Italian, stick with the main lines. Plenty of bargains currently.,

I took a seven days cruise on the Divina in April. It was my first solo cruise since losing my wife. Neither my wife nor I were very keen on Caribbean cruises as we had done a number of them when we were working. We generally did much longer cruises such as transatlantic cruises. I would say that on the whole the cruise was fine with the exception of the food. There I was very disappointed. When one of my daughters asked how the food was I responded with one word, "Mediocre." Then why did I take the MSC cruise? The price was right! I should mention that I am 75 but a young 75.

Good for you,!! I'm 75 too and believe it not this is my very first cruise in March and I'm excited as a teenager. I don't plan on getting old anytime soon!

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My dh and I are considering a first cruise on MSC line on their Divina. There are a lot of negative reviews but we are wondering how an older couple would find them. We've heard that MSC has opera performances and that appeals to us. We're just thinking that it is a much younger generation that may not find them appealing. If anyone on this board has sailed them we would value your opinion.:)

Two years ago I traveled solo as a 74 year old on the Poesa from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale. It was a delightful trip. Yes, for Americans, it was different. You get used to the multiple language announcements. The entertainment was different due to the language multiplicity. A comedian wouldn't do well speaking in so many languages. It consisted of many good music presentations, excellent acrobats, etc. The ship was the cleanest I've ever perceived. A little oddity I noticed was the lack of any urinals in the mens' rooms on the ship. The food was good and sported the best, freshest fruit and salad bar I've experienced on a ship. Their drink package was fantastic. It included gelato, fancy coffee drinks, bottled water, etc, for only $31 per day. All the other lines are close to double that. I thought it was refreshing that no drinks were allowed in the theatre. I found no fault with any of the crew. The cruise price was reasonable. Living in Fort Lauderdale, I would love to patronize them again, but, for some reason, they only sail out of Miami for their Caribbean routes.

Im 56 and I did a 2 week Caribbean Cruise on the Divina in October 2014. I was in the Yacht Club and the food was very nice so I can't really comment on what its like in the rest of the ship apart from the Buffet breakfast in the main dining room which was good. I did however have a look at some of the Buffet Meals in the main dining room and they didn't look that great, but they may have taste better, but its not put me off booking another cruise on Divina in the spring and not staying in the Yacht Club. I just think there will be something nice to eat and if not I still won't go hungry, I will at least eat.

The Yacht Club I felt cuts you off to much from the rest of the ship and the people on it.

Age wise there is nothing to worry about being a senior on Divina because there's a great mix of all ages and truth be told - its the older people who take to the dance floors in the evening and show others how its done :)

I read the most recent CC reviews of MSC Divinia and they are quite good.

Need more information before booking as the negative reviews are of concern.

Would love to try it; I looked at the Yacht Club prices and they are equal to other lines.

The food was terrible.

The service terrible.

The cruise director was never to be seen.

So, we have scratched that line for all time.

It's a great line.

Hubby and I along with another couple did the Divina this past April. We had a good time. Good enough that we are booked again this coming October with my parents. We enjoyed the food and the shows. Only Opera like entertainment was an afternoon one. Some of the nightime singing is in Itailian, but for a 45 minute show was still okay. No matter if I understood or not, they sang beautiful. All crew member we had to deal with were great also. My 2 cents would be "try one".

Good for you,!! I'm 75 too and believe it not this is my very first cruise in March and I'm excited as a teenager. I don't plan on getting old anytime soon!

 

 

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I have sailed the Carib. 3 times on the Divina. I have to admit I am an easy traveler, love the European flair. The music and shows are fabulous. Food is subjective, only average and the buffet is very large. The service was great and everything was clean. i booked an inside and got upgraded to a suite so what can I complain about? Just the drive to Miami which is a bear!

75 and holding!