Things I wish MSC had told me about the Divina

Like how to turn on the lights! Everyone single person I talked to ended up calling customer service and reporting that there was no electricity in their cabin. Ends up you have to leave your cruise card in a very obscure slot by the door for the lights to work. Also, there is a switch that will turn off the main lights but will let you use the bedside lights at night time. For a while we thought it was all or nothing-dark or bright lights.

Also, don't forget to double bolt the door when you are in your cabin. If you don't have the cruise card in the slot and the door is not bolted from the inside then the cabin steward can walk right in. My roommate left to work out and took her key card while I tried to sleep in and I got a surprise awakening!

Also, there is trash basket in the bathroom in the bottom cabinet. I thought there was only one trash can for the whole cabin for a few days.

The balcony was nice but there was a lot of salt spray. When it wasn't wet then there was bits of dried salt everywhere that came off on your clothes and skin. They did clean them once during the cruise.

The internet is really slow. I bought the 100 minute package and it wasted so many of my minutes for just logging on and off. I ended up going into the cyber cafe and paying the 5.00 for 10 minutes after I ran through my 100 minutes but it was still slow.

I was on the KLOVE Christian cruise so I don't think my experience will be exactly the same as the regular Divina Caribbean cruise. The interaction with staff was very limited as KLOVE provided activities, etc. The ship's staff was polite but very reserved.

I do have to say embarkation in Miami was challenging. It took us 2.5 hours of standing in line before we got on the ship. Also, our first port was Montego Bay and we decided to take the ship's bus excursion to Doctor's Cave Beach. Bad decision. All of the ship excursions were backed up in the terminal and all of us had to stand in line for hours and hours to get on our excursion. The Carnival Magic was also in port and I don't think Montego Bay can handle that many people. Traffic was really backed up and many people were late coming back from their excursions. One of the excursions was so late coming back due to traffic that they had to have a police escort!

Our only other port was Grand Cayman and tendering went quickly both ways. Which makes me think that the back up in Montego Bay was due to the Jamaican excursion staff and not the ship's fault.

The food was good and I stuck to salads for the most part which were very good. Someone mentioned on this forum to stick with Italian food and their pasta and pizza was great.

I think I am going to see if KLOVE goes back to using Carnival after their contract is up with MSC in 2017. I am looking for a little bit more fun for when the bands aren't playing. All in all, it was a great cruise and the ship is just lovely. I so enjoyed the tasteful decor!

Had you read these boards you would of known all that, or done some research.

thank you for your review!

Almost every ship I've been on the slot next to the door is for your card to control the lights and AC. I haven't been on a new carnival ship so maybe they are different but MSC, NCL and I believe Celebrity it's card controlled. When your card isn't in the slot a little light above the door comes on to alert your steward the room is empty.

Personally I look thru all draws & cabinets once I'm in the room that's how I found the hair dryer, bathroom trash can and additional storage.

Staff on MSC is great unlike Carnival they don't badger you about drinks and such.

I guess they can't tell you everything that's what these forums are for and getting on the ship and checking it out.

Oh BTW we used the Internet and it was pretty fast... no problems. Maybe there were so many using it it made it slow. I've been on Divina twice and had no issues with the wifi/internet.

Almost every ship I've been on the slot next to the door is for your card to control the lights and AC. I haven't been on a new carnival ship so maybe they are different but MSC, NCL and I believe Celebrity it's card controlled. When your card isn't in the slot a little light above the door comes on to alert your steward the room is empty.

Personally I look thru all draws & cabinets once I'm in the room that's how I found the hair dryer, bathroom trash can and additional storage.

Staff on MSC is great unlike Carnival they don't badger you about drinks and such.

I guess they can't tell you everything that's what these forums are for and getting on the ship and checking it out.

I do the exact same. Doesn't matter whether it is a hotel or a ship, I poke around everywhere to work out where everything is.

The card slot is pretty common now in a lot of hotels too. It doesn't have to be your cruise card either, any card left in it will stop cabin stewards coming in as it is not only the power activation but also a small light outside the door so the steward can tell of

Pic the cabin is closed.

If the rummaging around and trying different switches etc doesn't solve things for me, I then check the guest services book and would only call reception after that if I was still stumped. Trying to find a bottle opener on the Opera was one such occasion. A wall mounted one in the bathroom never even crossed my mind!

Trying to find a bottle opener on the Opera was one such occasion. A wall mounted one in the bathroom never even crossed my mind!

Yep just where you would expect to find it LOL ... :)

If our Emergency Fire escape is down a set of stairs that the crew use I sometimes go and check it out, guess that is the Firefighter in me ... :D

Intersting negatives if you ask me, a little research would have solved most these issues, BUT glad you enjoyed the good, the Divina is a beautiful ship.

Thanks for the good info.

Intersting negatives if you ask me, a little research would have solved most these issues, BUT glad you enjoyed the good, the Divina is a beautiful ship.

Agree

Curious regarding internet being slow what devices OP was using and what time of day.

canajo - Thanks for the post.

With the pricing offers that MSC is making now (like the balcony BOGO that prompted us to try them) there are a lot of new-to-MSC cruisers. It they haven't encountered the lighting interlock system before I doubt that they are going to do a search for "how do I turn on the lights":D

Charlie

Lot of 2 4 1 BOGO deals are now sold out. Prices have gone up or only cabins in crappy location left.

Lot of 2 4 1 BOGO deals are now sold out. Prices have gone up or only cabins in crappy location left.

Yup. We booked ours a couple of months ago when a balcony was going for the price of an inside. It's up about $200 pp now.

Charlie

:) :) :)

canajo - thanks for the post.

 

With the pricing offers that msc is making now (like the balcony bogo that prompted us to try them) there are a lot of new-to-msc cruisers. It they haven't encountered the lighting interlock system before i doubt that they are going to do a search for "how do i turn on the lights":d

 

charlie

I sailed on the Divina and found out most of that info here on CC. It is nice that you put it all in one post and that will help future cruisers. There is a light above the cabin door that tells the attendant when there is a key in the slot. If it is out (Or on, I forget which)they assume you are not there. BTW any credit or similar card works as well as your room card. On our Divina cruise we would have boarded in about 30 minutes but a couple of teenagers decided to hide onboard and they needed to find them before they could clear the ship. The Divina does hold over 4000 guests so I can see there being a problem at the pier if too many people show up at the same time. On my recent Celebrity Eclipse sailing there was a master switch that can be used to turn off all of the electricity to the cabin and it is right above the normal light switches. One of our friends turned it off accidentally and had to call the front desk for help! I think that part of the fun of cruising is finding out something new about the ship every day. Bob

How about the dress code? Do they really not allow shorts at night? I read that for common areas but the buffet is a common area.

How about the dress code? Do they really not allow shorts at night? I read that for common areas but the buffet is a common area.

From the website-

Traveling with MSC Cruises is a pleasant mix of relaxing moments, parties, dinners, sports activities and shore excursions. So, when packing your suitcases, make sure you include appropriate outfits to suit each occasion.

Casual wear is recommended for life on board ship and for excursions.

For informal evenings, we recommend summery dresses for women and a lightweight jacket for men.

For the Gala evenings the dress code is more formal. We suggest a tuxedo, dinner jacket, or dark suit and tie for gentlemen, and a dressy outfit, formal gown, or cocktail dress for ladies.

We offer daytime and evening Theme Parties, so bring your finest 60s and 70s floral gear to step back in time at the Flower Glory Party, pack white clothing to join the White Party, and don’t forget something green, white and red to celebrate in true Italian style during the MSC Little Italy entertainment.

For sports lovers, gym shoes and tracksuits are must-haves when using our cutting-edge gym and attending yoga and dance courses, where available.

We also recommend you bring a pullover or shawl to help with the changes in temperature between the air conditioned interior of the ship and the deck areas.

For excursions including visits to religious sites we advise that appropriate clothing be worn (covered knees and shoulders, no low-cut tops).

I know what the website says that is why I was asking if that was really the case.

How about the dress code? Do they really not allow shorts at night? I read that for common areas but the buffet is a common area.

I know what the website says that is why I was asking if that was really the case.

Yes, what the website says is what the cruise line says. The only one mentioning shorts not being allowed at night and common areas is you.

Like how to turn on the lights! Everyone single person I talked to ended up calling customer service and reporting that there was no electricity in their cabin. Ends up you have to leave your cruise card in a very obscure slot by the door for the lights to work.

I had to laugh when I read that hyperole. How many of the 3900 passengers did you talk to? Did you mean to type "my entire family"? Because it isn't a surprise to anyone who has been on a cruise ship (not just MSC) or to a hotel outside the USA, that a card is needed to power the lights. :rolleyes:

Thanks for posting. Although I have taken cruises before and travel occasionally, unlike some of the world travelers and smart alecks on this thread, I have never seen that type of light switch arrangement either. The idea of sitting down and checking the guest services manual is laughable, too, if you can't get the lights in the cabin on to find or read the manual. It's such a basic thing, and the first thing that needs to be done, when you enter the room with all your baggage. Not at all a big deal, if you know what to expect... and now I do, thanks to your helpful post.

Thank you, canajo, for your review! Please disregard the snarky comment by riclop, which to me, was totally uncalled for.

I have never stayed in a hotel or been on a cruise ship that required a card being in a "slot" by the door in order to control the lights. I have learned something new! I do like the idea of a light above the door in the hallway which alerts the cabin attendant that you have left the room! (Hopefully he/she will clean it while you are away?)

Since this April will be my first cruise on MSC I am always looking for helpful hints about their way of doing things. Thanks again!

I have never stayed in a hotel or been on a cruise ship that required a card being in a "slot" by the door in order to control the lights. I have learned something new! I do like the idea of a light above the door in the hallway which alerts the cabin attendant that you have left the room! (Hopefully he/she will clean it while you are away?)

I guess this is a "feature" on newer ships. The Carnival Magic had when we sailed her, and more recently the NCL Breakaway had it. My guess is that the cruise lines are adding it to the newer ships to try to cut down on the amount of fuel they have to burn.

A hotel key card also worked on the Breakaway.

I think Cruise Critic should take some of these thoughts and issues and make a brochure for new cruisers with the "little" things that people might not know. It should come with your email tickets and luggage tags. It can contain these types of things. I found the hair dryer in the vanity drawer.... that was different. Even a sticky on the forum would help.

If you already know these things you wouldn't have to read or print if it was included in your e-tickets package. Just an idea.

Almost every ship I've been on the slot next to the door is for your card to control the lights and AC. I haven't been on a new carnival ship so maybe they are different but MSC, NCL and I believe Celebrity it's card controlled. When your card isn't in the slot a little light above the door comes on to alert your steward the room is empty.

Personally I look thru all draws & cabinets once I'm in the room that's how I found the hair dryer, bathroom trash can and additional storage.

Staff on MSC is great unlike Carnival they don't badger you about drinks and such.

I guess they can't tell you everything that's what these forums are for and getting on the ship and checking it out.

Carnival's new ships have the key slot too.