October 15 Divina experience...

October 15 cruise MSC Divina out of MIami

BACKGROUND....I actually wasn't planning on another cruise, but it's been a trying year....divorce....extremely stressful work....son moved back home (didn't mind that, just a change I wasn't expecting).

MSC was offering a status match program, so that nudged me into taking a look at them. Ended up status match to Black. Researching more, the Yacht Club looked quite interesting, and looked like a decent value when you consider what Suites in NCL Haven and RCCL comparable experiences cost.

Interestingly, the Divina didn't sail until 7:00 p.m. So, flew in early the day of the cruise. Got the first flight of the day and landed in Miami at. 10:30 a.m. That left for some wiggle room if the flight was delayed.

Came out of the airport and picked up UBER. A bit of a glitch with my driver. She insisted she knew where we were going when I put "MSC port" as the destination. She took me to the MSC offices, which were about 45 minutes from where we were supposed to go on the dock. No real problem given she gave me cash, refunding 1/2 the fare that was charged to my AMEX for the trip. Since I was early arriving, this didn't have much impact.

UBER dropped me off right at the YC tent about 1-ish. I was immediately approached by a Butler, in full tales tux. Very nice man, reviewed my ticket and passport. He gave my biggest bag to a porter, and took my two rollaboards from me and escorted me to the YC check in area, about 10 minute walk from the outside YC tent. He gave my ticket and passport to the check-in lady and proceeded to get me a glass of champagne. After that, he escorted me onto the ship, luggage in tow, and turned me over to my ship Butler. Nice touch.

My ship Butler (Eric) took over from there. He took me to Mercurio, Deck 15 and showed me how to log my credit card info in at the kiosk right by the Concierge Desk. I key card is mandatory to gain access to the YC.

Just an observation, there was no "washy-washy" person standing guard as I boarded. Noticed none as I traipsed throughout the ship all week, either. There was one when we re-boarded coming back from excursions, but that was it. I'll chalk that up to the cleanliness of the ship, as well as the recent news that anti-bacterial soaps and liquids really aren't effective.

I was then introduced to the Concierge on duty. As a side note, there are probably 3-4 people who rotate at the concierge desk. That's a big different than the Haven on NCL, where two people are at the concierge desks and seem to get to know you better vs twice as many on the Divina. Not good or bad, just different. The concierge noted my preferences in newspaper (I had a choice of about 75, and my local paper was one of them, surprising as I don't live in a major city). I was then taken to the Top Sail Lounge.....it overlooks the bow of the ship and is as pretty as any private area I've been in on any ship. This is the place to go for complimentary drinks and different snacks (depending on the time of day).

SAFETY DRILL....this needs work.....lots of work. You have to take your life jacket with you. And, once you get to your designated area, you sort of mill around while a ½ hearted audio instruction is given how to use it. No one really lined up. No one really seemed to care (talking about staff). Then, there was the proverbial idiot who thought it was a good idea to video walking down the stairs to the meeting point, who fell down not being able to see what's in front of him, nearly causing injuries to those behind him. As they say, there's no known u\cure for stupid.

SHIP....First thing I noticed was how clean the Divina is. I know it's a new ship, and frankly, most cruise ships are kept pretty clean. But, this one didn't have a spec of dirt, outside or in. It was bright white and blue (MSC colors) on the outside, without a hint of dirt that I could see. Same for the inside....clean as a pin. I saw cleaning people scampering about often throughout the entire cruise. They take cleanliness seriously.

The Swirofsky (sp?) crystal staircases are amazing. And, pictures don't do them justice. Throughout the ship, there was lots and lots of marble, chrome, wood. They spared no expense on the cosmetics of the ship.

Eric asked me what sort of drinks I wanted in my cabin fridge. I like Maker's Mark, but was informed that was extra. So, the best he could do was Johnny Walker Red. I'm not a scotch drinker, but given the Top Sail Lounge was right outside my cabin, I didn't complain. He also left little airline bottles of Tangurerey Gin and Absolut Vodka. Also, there were assorted nuts, beers, Sebastian (wine?), etc he left for me, in addition to the ever present fruit in a bowl left in the cabin. Also, a bottle of Prosceco (which I never drank).

CABIN....not a lot to say. It was fairly standard fare. Not really big, not small. Decent sized veranda that I used every day...bigger than the Haven Veranda I had on NCL.

The bed was super comfy. But, the two twin beds it was made of had the "crease" in the middle that was uncomfortable if you happened to roll into it while tossing and turning.

Plenty of marble in the bathroom (single sink vs double sink in Haven). Bathtub with shower was sufficient. Nice thick bath towels and nice big walk in closet (which lit up when you passed it....a nice touch when it's pitch black at night and you're looking for the bathroom).

Briefly mentioned the stock of items in the cabin fridge (all free when staying in the YC), Beer (bud light, bud, corona, Heineken, vodka, scotch, gin, assorted nuts, small pringle cans, bottled water-regular and sparkling, assorted juices, coke products, sprite, probably something else that I'm leaving out).

TIPPING....I'll get this out of the way while so I don't forget. I tried to tip the bartender...couldn't do it. I got a massage...same deal...couldn't tip her. I did tip the porter and the shore butler, as they handled one big bag for me. Neither refused my tip. Eric, my ship butler, I handed an envelope with a tip at the end of the trip. And, I left $20 on the bed of my cabin on the last day as my steward was outstanding. I hope they both were allowed to keep the tip.

Side note, I had not received my large luggage by the end of embarkation day. I quizzed the concierge. He tracked it down and said security had it. Now, that's a surprise. Knowing I had free drinks in the Lounge, I did not pack ANYTHING remotely resembling alcohol, or anything else that wasn't allowed....just clothes. My butler, Eric, overheard the conversation I had with the concierge. He immediately asked me to follow him to security. Once there (4th floor), he quizzed the security person about my luggage, which was drug out of some sort of holding room. Eric and the security person started speaking in another language and it became quite animated. After about 30 seconds, Eric grabbed my luggage amid what seemed like security protests, and we proceeded back to my cabin. I asked, but Eric didn't offer any details, so I let it be. He went to bat for me (not that I needed it). All's well that ends well.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.....afore mentioned lack of "washy-washy" personnel.

People from the U S were in the minority. Plenty of people from Europe. A surprising number from Australia, Russia and the Orient. There were some children, but there seemed to be a fair number of teens, too. Not sure the school schedules throughout the world, but none of them were from the U.S.

Another note....I only saw one person in an electric scooter (and she had just had knee surgery to reattach ligaments). At that, she didn't want to use the scooter at all, but her husband insisted. Still, I saw her using crutches more than the scooter. That kept halls, entry/exit ways, elevators relatively unclogged. Not making any sort of statement of those who use scooters. Just an observation. Either Europeans, Australians, Chinese, Japanese, Russians, etc don't have access to scooters, or they just don't see the need. Either way, it was a pleasant surprise.

Mentioned only noticing a few children on board, whenever there was a bottleneck in the hallways, in elevators, entrances or exits, there always seemed to be strollers involved.

I love children. I have two myself. But, on cruise ships, where space can become compressed, strollers just don't work....at least not well. I have to believe by the time you pack a stroller to carry on with luggage, store it in your cabin, and try to maneuver it around a crowded ship, you're better off just carrying your child around. No offense intended, just reporting what I observed.

Pleasant surprises, there were no high pressure sales pitches from the people in the spa to buy way overpriced elixirs, no one pushed any sort of drink packages, if there was an art auction, I sure wasn't approached to be involved. No one seemed to announce them.

I'm not a "smoking ****". I don't smoke but don't care if you do. There are just way too many "nasties" in the air that bother me more (perfume and diesel fumes come immediately to mind). Just don't blow it in my face, and we're all good. But, given the large European community, I thought MSC would be more liberal in their smoking restrictions. They weren't. No smoking in the casino. No smoking on balconies. I did notice a smoking area on one side of the pool(s) deck and in a cigar lounge, but that was it. I don't even remember seeing a bar that allowed smoking.

I think I've become spoiled by NCL with their outdoor promenade areas. There was no way to hike, stroll, jog, for any length of area on the outside because the ship is so broken up. As beautiful as the ship is, it didn't seem like much thought was given to the ship's flow. Just one example, if I wanted to go to the buffet, or Le Muse (YC's restaurant), I had to go from the bow of the ship on the 15th floor, down to deck 7 to the aft of the ship, and then go back to the 14th or 15th deck to get to them. You couldn't just walk to them on the same deck. Crazy!

FOOD....granted, I ate mostly in Le Muse, but did eat in the buffet once for dinner and once for lunch. Simply outstanding....better than buffet food I've ever had on any other cruise line. Le Muse was clearly a couple of steps ahead in both service and food than even the best specialty dining restaurants I've enjoyed on RCCL or NCL. The selection in the buffet isn't nearly as large as it is on other cruise lines, but the quality and preparation are clearly above other cruise lines.

Special mention to EATALY Steak House. I received free dinner here as a Black Card holder. I had surf and turf. It rivaled Ruth's Chris Steak House. Very Good!

BLACK CARD MATCH....that netted me the above dinner, and one party, drinks included, for BLACK CARD holders with MSC Captain and management. Beats a stick in the eye. It also seemed to carry some weight with staff (although I could not be certain of that). The YC also sponsored a party with the Captain and his crew in the Top Sail Lounge.

LANGUAGES.....being based out of Miami, English was dominant and always came first, but Italian, French and German were also used for announcements. All the staff I encountered, from servers to cabin stewards were very good with English and other languages.

STAFF...none of them felt rushed or hurried, as you'd experience with NCL, RCL, Celebrity, or CCL. Better trained? More Staff? Who knows. But, they seemed less frantic than what I experienced on other lines. Oh, and all were great.

ENTERTAINMENT....this was a let down. Not that any of it was bad. I'm just used to NCL's shows, which to me is some of the best on land or sea. MSC doesn't come close, even to RCCL's shows (which are a half step behind NCL's). I saw two musicals....one based on the music of Queen, the other based what I guess was the movie with Jim Carey called "The Mask". Not sure if it was the writing, or the translation of the material, or the "synthesized" musical accompaniment, but none of it quite hit the mark. The lyrics sung were more akin to trying to phonetically sound songs out, than actually singing.

Then there was the fact the shows I saw used pre-recorded music....no bands accompanied the singers/dancers. To me, that's weak, at best!

There were live duos and trivia games going on throughout the ship, as well as an attempt at a '70s themed party (lukewarm) and a "White Hot" party, which wasn't very well attended. In fairness, it rained a lot at night, so doing anything outside was hit and miss.

I understand this is relatively new for MSC addressing the North American Market. But, they have a ways to go as they get their footing in the entertainment area.

CHILDREN...as mentioned, didn't see a whole lot of them. They were around, maybe 6-10 of them the whole week. Not sure MSC is the cruise line to keep children (or even teens) entertained. There are no "character themed" activities, as a matter of fact, there are no characters that I saw, at all (thinking Disney, Nikolodeon, etc types). Aside from the water slide (which really pales in comparison to the ones you find on RCL and NCL) there's nothing I found that is really geared towards children. I made a couple attempts at the F1 Simulator and 4D experience, but both times they were inoperative. So, even something that might interest children wasn't working.

That said, Disney seems to have the children's market cornered, so maybe it doesn't really matter.

Long and short of it, MSC Divina is an "adult focused" ship/cruise.

In summation, I'm not sure how to categorize the MSC Divina out of Miami, and in particular, the YC experience. Beautiful ship, with as an attentive staff as I've experienced on any cruise line. Food, was for the most part, outstanding, regardless of where I dined.

There wasn't the wealth of activities you would find on NCL, RCL or Carnival....not even close. But, maybe that's not what they're shooting for. Maybe the target is Celebrity or HAL. Those cruises tend to be more attuned to a "sedate" crowd. Again, that's not a bad objective, just different.

The vibe on NCL is something more that I align with, RCL too!

Entertainment was the only real let down, and even there, it wasn't bad, just not up to the lofty levels you'll find on NCL or RCL ships.

YC, while really a great experience, doesn't quite match up to NCL's Haven. The Haven was much more personal and even with less staff, more accommodating.

Then again, there is a price difference of about $1,000-$1,500 between my YC Divina experience and the Breakaway/Getaway Haven experiences....and closer in price to a Superior Ocean Balcony on RCL (which the service pales in comparison to the Black Card experience on MSC).

I really do like the idea of not being hassled about art auctions, or buying spa elixirs (while not cheap, the spa services were priced under other cruise line services), etc.

MSC is new to the uber competitive North American market. Clearly, they're trying very hard. And, I have no doubt they'll match/surpass the others at some point.

From what the Capt told the Black Card reception audience, MSC is going after the Caribbean with a vengeance with their upcoming ships, and that they've heard some of the complaints (namely, the disjointedness of the ship). They are going to continue to get better, and I think they're on the right track.

I'll sail them again given my status match...probably in the Mediterranean, which is where they're strongest. They have to get a better handle on entertainment and North American expectations in order to make any sort of dent in the Caribbean sailings focused on competing against some of the best cruise companies in the world.

I have assorted pictures I'll post soon!

Thanks for the well balanced review.

fantastic review...

Since you sailed post dry dock I am wondering if you noticed if they added any shade on The One pool deck? It was on the one big negative of our Davina cruise this summer. We ended up sitting at the bar all of our pool time because we are not big sun people!

Since you sailed post dry dock I am wondering if you noticed if they added any shade on The One pool deck? It was on the one big negative of our Davina cruise this summer. We ended up sitting at the bar all of our pool time because we are not big sun people!

Unfortunately, didn't. See any "shade" posts outside of the bar area.

Thanks for a very detailed and honest review!!:)

Thanks Graphic guy, for taking the time to post your review. I love reading about trip reports. Happy cruising. :)

Great review, and well balanced. We were on the Divina last year in the YC, and couldn't have been happier.

Great review, thanks!

Disappointing that they didn't add any shade. That is a big negative for so many!

Forgot to mention that I did have an issue that no matter who I got involved there was a glitch in the charges for the internet package I pre-booked before boarding. The package was ~US$80. But, according to the promos I received when I booked, I would get 1/2 off the price of the internet package.

So, I booked it. Once I did, my credit card was charged the full amount. After calling MSC and my TA, they said they'd look into it. Then, after no replies, they said it would be taken care of once I boarded. When it wasn't, the concierge told me it should have been taken care of by MSC customer service before I boarded as she had no way of giving me a credit.

Bottom line, it was never taken care of. And, just trying to get reasonable information from MSC's web site is an exercise in frustration to begin with.

That was disappointing and looks like I wasn't able to take advantage of the promo.

Thank you for taking the time to review.

As far as smoking areas, I recall the aft pool deck as being half smoking allowed. The main pool was also half allowed. Since most of the passengers are European, smoking is a big thing. I'm surprised no Casino smoking, I think it was allowed last year.

Great review, thanks!

 

Disappointing that they didn't add any shade. That is a big negative for so many!

This was a huge negative for us! I traveled in a walking cast and had to have my foot elevated much of the time and ended up using two chairs and multiple towels. We were close to the bar (convenient when you are hobbling!). We actually mentioned the Divina for this summer (if they have the same great deals as we saw last summer on YC) since we are planning on booking last minute, but this ruins that for me. Not being able to enjoy the pool decks is huge.

Thanks for the great review

~Brian

Main area where most gathered......

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Customer Service Area

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Water Sculpture in Main Area

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One of many crystal stair cases

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Best dining view on the ship was actually in the Buffet...

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4 ships docked in Nassau

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My Cabin

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View from Top Sail Lounge in the YC

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Drinks and snacks in Top Sail

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Nightly Piano/Violin duo in Top Sail

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Key Card entrance to YC

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Liquor Selection in Top Sail (note....there were only a few of these which were no charge)

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One of the few smoking areas...pool area during sail away...

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Le Serene Pool area right outside of YC

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Crystal staircase, promenade with shops, some art viewing area (was less intrusive than it looks)

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Cool...quirky art found throughout the ship

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White Night Party (pretty dead when I checked it out)...

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F1 simulator which was never operational whenever I checked it out....

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Haven't heard of a salon called this in a lonnnnnng time....

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More pics from around the ship....

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Pretty ship....

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EATALY....great food!

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Thank you for those great pictures!

You are welcome. I think I have more on another SD card, which I'm going to load and post.

Thank you for your review.

How did you get surf and turf for your Black Card dinner? Was this because you were also in the YC? I ask, because we are always given only a pre-set menu for our Black Card dinner and most of it I cannot eat, because I have Celiac (no gluten). Surf and Turf would be a much better choice for me.

Thank you for your review.

 

How did you get surf and turf for your Black Card dinner? Was this because you were also in the YC? I ask, because we are always given only a pre-set menu for our Black Card dinner and most of it I cannot eat, because I have Celiac (no gluten). Surf and Turf would be a much better choice for me.

You're welcome!

I had a paper "invite" in my cabin that stated dinner was courtesy of being Black Card.

I don't know of any menu other than the one they gave me when I was seated at EATALY. My waiter is the person who suggested the Surf and Turf. I also had prisciutto and arugala for my appetizer, and tiramasu for desert. Everything was excellent. I don't know if it was the set menu or the regular menu.

There were no extra charges on my account, and I wasn't asked to sign anything at the endo the meal, either.

Hope that helps.

Thank you for your review.

 

How did you get surf and turf for your Black Card dinner? Was this because you were also in the YC? I ask, because we are always given only a pre-set menu for our Black Card dinner and most of it I cannot eat, because I have Celiac (no gluten). Surf and Turf would be a much better choice for me.

You're welcome!

I had a paper "invite" in my cabin that stated dinner was courtesy of being Black Card.

I don't know of any other menu other than the one they gave me when I was seated at EATALY. My waiter is the person who suggested the Surf and Turf. I don't know if it was the set menu or the regular menu.

In either case, it was excellent!

Interesting review of the white party. On our recent Mediterranean sailing on Splendida, the event was packed. I seem to find this, on European sailings the disco and events like this are well attended, on Caribbean sailings out of the US, the attendance is dismal. Must be a cultural thing.