lIVE from Divina :)

Any chance you can report any noise factor on the aft port corner of deck 12 or 11, I am booked one deck below you in 11297 in a few months. Some folks have reported a slamming door - would love to see some pics of the end of the hall or stairway if you have a chance. Not sure if it's public or crew only and have been searching for pics of those hall corners on CC to no avail. Enjoying the review and info, many thanks.

It is a door that leads out to a large public access balcony/landing that has exterior stairs that run from decks 6 to 15. It is on both sides of the ship. Not many know about them at all. I am surprised they have not been converted to corner aft wrap balcony rooms; they'd get premium $$$ for them.

Here are photos of the area

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/MSC_Divina_poupe.JPG

http://cruisemarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/MSC-Divina-Exterior.jpg

http://www.destinationweddingmag.com/sites/destinationweddingmag.com/files/import/2014/files/_images/201404/msc-divina-2-web.jpg

LMaxwell, Many thanks for the great images - I may try to move to center if something opens up on aft (not likely at this point). I agree those would be prime locations for corner afts maybe not possible due to access regulations. BTW, enjoyed your review and great information as well.

LMaxwell, Many thanks for the great images - I may try to move to center if something opens up on aft (not likely at this point). I agree those would be prime locations for corner afts maybe not possible due to access regulations. BTW, enjoyed your review and great information as well.

I never heard those doors slam even when I was using them out on the balcony; they actually required a firm tug to fully latch. That's not to say your experience may not be different. You're in a great spot those because 3 quick flights up and you are at the back entrance to the buffet which is always less crowded than the front / mid-ship area. Where you enter there will be a 24 hour drink station, the kids corner (that's where you find fried shrimp at the buffet, no joke) and near to the changing daily ethic corner. One additional flight to the infinity pool and Garden Bar area.

Envious of you both; I wish I could have swung for an aft balcony. I did get to enjoy the view with a cup of coffee off those public balconies but that's just faking it til I make it.

So this is just my opinion. Full disclosure, I am a travel agent (but am not trying to recruit anyone and the only reason I disclose this is to indicate where I got this information from). My home office which will go unnamed has a very influential person at the top of the food chain. We just had a regional event in which he spoke and he said that he wants to see MSC become a "major player" in the industry because it would then have 4 major players. He cited that NCL was at one time where MSC is currently, but NCL got their act together and is now very definitely a major player.

 

So I sent him an email to ask him about this. I told him I am sailing on Divina in the next few weeks, and he implored me to please provide MSC with feedback.

 

Saying this to say, perhaps you might consider actually writing them (you definitely have a way with words and could do so constructively rather than just whine and complain) to give them constructive feedback.

 

Food for thought...

I would be more than happy to share my opinion(s) for whatever they are worth. Is there a way for you to share contact information with me that is not against board policy? You are clearly not soliciting business, as I would be willing to write to your contact directly. Hints at an email addy maybe?

All info in "my booking" has been blank for a week (Thank goodness!) The only thing showing up right now is a foreign phone # and email address! I think they finally have a handle on this!:)

HOT DAMN!! That's terrific!! All of the web site issues did play on my mind when selecting my August Mediterranean cruise. I did not select MSC, but would not hesitate to sail her again for the right price (and once we are positive the web issues are fixed). A web glitch when booking is one thing, breach of passport security is unacceptable. Keep us posted, I'm actually excited to hear how your trip turns out after all this.

Any chance you can report any noise factor on the aft port corner of deck 12 or 11, I am booked one deck below you in 11297 in a few months. Some folks have reported a slamming door - would love to see some pics of the end of the hall or stairway if you have a chance. Not sure if it's public or crew only and have been searching for pics of those hall corners on CC to no avail. Enjoying the review and info, many thanks.

I had a slightly different experience than Maxwell when it comes to the slamming of the doors, as I was the culprit even though I TRIED to grab the door so it wouldn't slam shut. Maybe it depends on how the wind is blowing? But sometimes the doors took a good tug to open and closed very freely.

In addition, the end cabins have the curiosity factor. That is, many people who use the aft stairs are curious what your balcony looks like so they do a little peek-a-boo. One time I actually witnessed a friendly conversation between the people in a corner balcony cabin on deck 13 and a random passenger using the stairs. Think how you can talk to your balcony neighbor on any cruise? This is the same, only your neighbor is public space.

With all that being said, I would NOT change cabins UNLESS you can move more toward the middle. There aren't that many people who do us the aft stairs, and even with a peek-a-boo and a random door slamming, I can't imagine it's worth giving up your wonderful location. Come back and let us know how it goes for you :).

I had a slightly different experience than Maxwell when it comes to the slamming of the doors, as I was the culprit even though I TRIED to grab the door so it wouldn't slam shut. Maybe it depends on how the wind is blowing? But sometimes the doors took a good tug to open and closed very freely.

 

In addition, the end cabins have the curiosity factor. That is, many people who use the aft stairs are curious what your balcony looks like so they do a little peek-a-boo. One time I actually witnessed a friendly conversation between the people in a corner balcony cabin on deck 13 and a random passenger using the stairs. Think how you can talk to your balcony neighbor on any cruise? This is the same, only your neighbor is public space.

 

With all that being said, I would NOT change cabins UNLESS you can move more toward the middle. There aren't that many people who do us the aft stairs, and even with a peek-a-boo and a random door slamming, I can't imagine it's worth giving up your wonderful location. Come back and let us know how it goes for you :).

Thanks for the great advice. I think I've arrived at the same conclusion. If another B2 pops up in the center great, if not we will just deal with it. I think the overall aft experience is a greater factor than the occasional intrusion or annoyance. Thanks again.

Great Review!!! Thanks for taking the time!

 

 

 

We are taking our first MSC cruise in September from Southampton on Splendida.

 

 

 

You mentioned the status match. Did you do status match before sailing? I would be curious, if you did, why you don't think it was worth it? We got "black status", and know not much comes with it, but what supposedly does is free and sounds better than nothing to me...free meal, some sweets, etc?

 

 

 

I'll be curious how our disembarkation is handled. On our 1 week cruise there are actually "overlapping cruises"...I think there are 3 different ports that people start their own "7 day cruises" from. I have never encountered that before.

 

 

 

We have never eaten in the MDR on any cruise we have taken (and we have taken enough to be elite plus on celebrity), so thanks for your information on the buffet.

 

 

 

Thanks again for great information.

I did not do the status match as i am only truly loyal to things that breathe- companies rarely gain what I would call exclusive loyalty. They might earn my repeat business but I wouldn't call it loyalty.

I would have qualified for silver (I relieve that was the category) but I did not bother. The amount of headaches I had with the web site was enough to make me use it as little as possible. Retrospectively, I may have been unfair in my I comments as the free diner should have some value, but foe me the list of free perks held vERY little value (think coupon books on princess). Heck. I could even go so far as to call it deceptive marketing. I received fruit and chocolate covered strawberries in my aft fantaSia- I think everyone on the aft received these regardless of status March.

I do hope those who can match loyalty points find them beneficial. For me. The program was too weak to match the hype.

I got the black card and since it cost me nothing and was an added perk, I definitely enjoyed it.

Two cocktail receptions

Two bottles of prosecco and plates of choco strawberries to the room

Two specialty dinners

Two 1 hour thermal area sessions in the spa

Two canvas string backpacks

Chocolate ship (more a novelty than anything)

Robes and slippers in the cabin waiting for us

Fruit plate

Priority line for check in and embarkation

Some free photos along the way

Priority debarkation and/or extended time in cabin final morning if we wanted it

5% off cruise fare

Coupon book (not much use to us, but may be for you)

I may be forgetting a thing or two. I was certainly pleased and grateful for these extra perks.

valancy1 this is really great thank you so much. you said you had yc menus and kids menus. did I miss them ?

Plucasana, no. I didn't post them. I will look them up and do that. There are a lot and each one requires that I save them individually and then post them individually here. :eek:

I cannot do it now, but I will put it in my calendar to put them in. The kids' menus are so cute!

thanks ia debra,

if you want some help I can post them in your name, if you sent them to me per email?

plucasana at gmail dot com

kr sandra

Kid_D1_CAR.pdf

Kid_D2_CAR.PDF

Kid_D3_CAR.PDF

Kid_D4_CAR.PDF

Kid_D5_CAR.PDF

Menus

YCDinner1.pdf

YCDinner2.pdf

YCDinner3.pdf

YCDinner5.pdf

YCDinner6.pdf

Yacht Club Menus

YCDinner1.pdf

YCDinner2.pdf

YCDinner3.pdf

YCDinner5.pdf

YCDinner7.pdf

YCDinner6.pdf

Yacht Club Menus

Thank you for the menus. What did you think of the Yacht Club?

Thank you so much for taking the time and patience to post all those menus!!!

Very nice scans of the menus.

The kids menus we got in Villa Rossa were different than those. Now I wish I had taken photos of them!

I haven't gone yet. I have access to the travel agent portal which is where these are housed. I leave in juuuuust under 3 weeks. We need a vacation so badly; I hope we have a great time!

Menus are terrific! Have an amazing time Valancy :)

A week from tomorrow we fly down to FL to stay overnight before getting on board! There will be lots o' pictures :)

Yacht Club Menus

Thank you for posting the YC menus. I believe they may be the menus from the European itineraries. While I recognize some of the menu items, those were not the menus on the 4/19 sailing of the Divina. They look good though. Dinner #1 and #2 look very much like I recall but I don't remember the others. Maybe I just ate so much I don't remember anything after the second day.

Thanks for the menus! I want to be daring and try some new stuff this time around!