Just Back - MSC Divina YC in the Med w/ Kids

Hi, All!

Just got back from a 7-day Med cruise on the Divina. We were in the Yacht Club with our two daughters, age 6 and 3. Let me know if anyone has any questions!

Curious what the kids menus were in the YC for dinners??

I'm looking at this cruise with kids next year wanted to know if you felt like Yacht Club was worth it with how Port intensive Mediterranean Cruises are

The YC is always worth it. The lounge, for us, was the best ever. It's an oasis of calm in an otherwise crowded ship. Breakfast there, or at the pool, is far less crazy than the buffet. Even for our port intensive Med cruise, having the lounge to come back to was priceless.

Can't comment on the menus, as our kids are older and eat off the regular menu.

Hi, All!

 

Just got back from a 7-day Med cruise on the Divina. We were in the Yacht Club with our two daughters, age 6 and 3. Let me know if anyone has any questions!

Hi - I will be on Divina May 11-18th in the Med with my 2.5 year old. What was your itinerary did and did you do a lot of the ship excursions? Any that you liked and would recommend?

How were the pools for the kids? Were they very crowded? We sadly we not able to get into the YC for this trip.

Did you use the Kid's Club at all?

Thanks!

Curious what the kids menus were in the YC for dinners??

There are NO kids menu.

First, let me say the Le Muse staff was AMAZING with my girls!!! Dinners do take about 90 minutes, but they bring the kids' meals out with your first course, so they aren't waiting for their meals while you eat your appetizer. Of course, they are free to order an appetizer off the main menu, or order two things off the kids menu, whatever they want! Our oldest ordered an adult appetizer and dessert a few times.

In regards to the children's menu, there was always a pasta option, though the type and sauce differed, and a chicken and fish option, and (I believe) a vegetarian dish. There are also the "always available" items: hamburger, plain grilled chicken, minute steak (which my oldest ate four times--it was quite good!). But, again, the staff was very liberal with making food for the kids--for example, my oldest didn't want potatoes one night, so they made her fries. My youngest likes penne pasta with marina sauce, and once they knew this, they offered it to her every night. One night, they were very concerned my youngest wasn't eating. I told them she'd been snacking all afternoon and just wasn't hungry, but the maitre d himself came over and asked if she would like pizza. She lit up, and he sent someone to the buffet to get her a slice.

Also, they had high chairs available in Le Muse--I saw a few families using them. After the first night, we started allowing our little one to play games on her Kindle, because it was a bit of a stretch for her after a long day to sit still for that long.

Finally, I would say the dress code is Le Muse is actually more casual than the MDR. My girls love to get dressed up, but I say several smaller children (less than 8 or so) in shorts, and many pre-teen girls in leggings. A couple of teenage boys and several adult men wore jeans, a couple had t-shirts or hoodies. I saw these same people repeat these items, so nobody must have said anything to them. So I wouldn't stress about having to get your kids dressed up or anything. (Also, there is a bathroom right outside the entrance--close enough I was comfortable letting my oldest go by herself, which is nice.)

Please see my reply--there was a kids menu every night of our cruise, including the Easter Dinner.

I think it was absolutely worth it, in part because it was port intensive. It was nice to be able to grab a super-quick breakfast in the lounge, then the butler escorts you off the ship to the front of the line, so we probably saved an hour or more every day. At the end of the day, the lounge was nice to just chill and hang out, especially if people were taking turns showering or getting ready for dinner. I know you could do these things in other areas of the ship, too, but having it soooo close to the room was wonderful. The concierge was also very helpful booking tours or giving recommendations if we were going it on our own. AND, the One Pool was GREAT! Even in late afternoon, when the main pool was a madhouse, there were plenty of lounge chairs available, the grill/small buffet never had a line, and bar attendant was always watching for drink refills. At night, we would go enjoy the hot tubs as a family, and only once was there ever anybody else there. The pool attendant got to know us and would have enough towels waiting. My six-year old even said the Yacht Club was her favorite part of the ship, and my 3-year old keeps asking if we can go back to the lounge. (They really doted on her in there.)

Hi - I will be on Divina May 11-18th in the Med with my 2.5 year old. What was your itinerary did and did you do a lot of the ship excursions? Any that you liked and would recommend?

 

How were the pools for the kids? Were they very crowded? We sadly we not able to get into the YC for this trip.

 

Did you use the Kid's Club at all?

 

Thanks!

We did Genoa, Rome, Palermo, Cagliari, Palma, Valencia, and Marseilles. In Rome, we took the excursion that just drops you off at the Coliseum and then brings you back. I found this awesome do-it-yourself walking tour at https://www.rometoolkit.com/walks/rome_walks.html that allowed us to Metro from the Coliseum to the Spanish Steps (which was super easy), then walk to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Vatican (it was Easter Sunday, which was cool, but not nearly as crazy as I would have thought), and then Metro back to the Coliseum. We didn't go inside anywhere, but stopped for gelato and street pizza :) The directions on the site were spot on--never got turned around once. AND our three-year old did it without a stroller. She only got tired walking b/w the Vatican and the Metro, which was a little far.

In Sicily, the girls stayed in the club while we walked around. The staff gave explicit directions to beware of pickpockets, and area around the port is pretty run down. (I've been to several poorer cities in the Middle East, and that's kind of what it reminded me of.) Family that have been to Sicily say you have to get away from the port area, so it might be worth booking an excursion here. We didn't book anything in advance, b/c I never know what mood my girls will be in, BUT it seemed like the excursions always had room available, even though the ship was full.

In Cagliari it was raining, so we stayed on the ship that day. Palma we just took a cab to the beach--they were right outside the terminal, and our driver was awesome. There was a tax stand right next to the beach, and lots of little shops/cafes. Valencia was our biggest disappointment, because we really wanted to do the Oceanographic Museum. Everyone said just to take a cab, b/c with four of us it would be cheaper than the excursion. Well, the port shuttle driver was insane, swerving everywhere and knocking everyone over. When we got to the terminal, the taxi line was over an hour long (not really sure why) and there were no taxis in sight, so someone recommended we take the bus. We found the right stop a block or so away, waiting over 30 minutes (the sign said a bus would come every 15), and nothing came. Our GPS said the Museum was only about 2 miles away, so we starting walking. It was hot, we hadn't planned on walking, and all four of us were pretty mad at this point. By the time we got to the Museum, the line for tickets stretched back to the main gate. The ship was leaving at 4pm that day, and it was already getting close to noon. As hard as it was to get to the museum, we were concerned with getting back in time, since after we stood in line for tickets, we might only have a couple of hours, which just wouldn't be worth the cost. So we just gave up, waited outside for a cab, and went back to the pool. Now, I don't know if the public transportation issues are common or what, but that's the one port I wish we'd just splurged and paid for the ship excursion that does the city tour and then brings you to the Museum. A few people in the lounge also mentioned they had trouble getting to the Cathedral on the city bus.

Except for two sunny days and one hot afternoon, the weather was a little chilly, so the indoor pool was a madhouse--no loungers, very crowded. We used it once. Very few people were using the outdoor pool, though the hot tubs were always packed. I would think the pools wouldn't be too bad in May, if both could be used to full capacity. Again, since the trip was port intensive, the ship was usually pretty quiet during the day. Make sure your child is potty trained--one couple was trying to get pics of their baby in the indoor pool, and the staff (rightly so) told them to get him out. Except for the ledge around the pool, the indoor pool was over our oldest's head, so when she got tired the one time we used it, she had to get out. With swimmies, it wouldn't be bad with little ones. However, it was salt water, so our little one started calling it the "sour pool".

We did use the Kids Club, but I think they have to be at least 3 years old. They did have baby-sitting a few times a day for children under 3, as well, that you could sign up for, primarily around meal times. Both of our girls enjoyed the club and really liked how they would take them to other places on the ship. It was funny to hear our oldest say things like, "I like the B/W Lounge much better than Graffiti's--they have more comfortable chairs." :)

First, let me say the Le Muse staff was AMAZING with my girls!!! Dinners do take about 90 minutes, but they bring the kids' meals out with your first course, so they aren't waiting for their meals while you eat your appetizer. Of course, they are free to order an appetizer off the main menu, or order two things off the kids menu, whatever they want! Our oldest ordered an adult appetizer and dessert a few times.

 

In regards to the children's menu, there was always a pasta option, though the type and sauce differed, and a chicken and fish option, and (I believe) a vegetarian dish. There are also the "always available" items: hamburger, plain grilled chicken, minute steak (which my oldest ate four times--it was quite good!). But, again, the staff was very liberal with making food for the kids--for example, my oldest didn't want potatoes one night, so they made her fries. My youngest likes penne pasta with marina sauce, and once they knew this, they offered it to her every night. One night, they were very concerned my youngest wasn't eating. I told them she'd been snacking all afternoon and just wasn't hungry, but the maitre d himself came over and asked if she would like pizza. She lit up, and he sent someone to the buffet to get her a slice.

 

Also, they had high chairs available in Le Muse--I saw a few families using them. After the first night, we started allowing our little one to play games on her Kindle, because it was a bit of a stretch for her after a long day to sit still for that long.

 

Finally, I would say the dress code is Le Muse is actually more casual than the MDR. My girls love to get dressed up, but I say several smaller children (less than 8 or so) in shorts, and many pre-teen girls in leggings. A couple of teenage boys and several adult men wore jeans, a couple had t-shirts or hoodies. I saw these same people repeat these items, so nobody must have said anything to them. So I wouldn't stress about having to get your kids dressed up or anything. (Also, there is a bathroom right outside the entrance--close enough I was comfortable letting my oldest go by herself, which is nice.)

Thank you! Lots of great information. My daughter is 6 and last year when we did a Disney cruise she ordered steak every night and loved it! She didn't really order off the "kids" menu, but she basically told the servers what she liked and they would bring her steak, rice, and usually carrots. They were fantastic! I am sure our YC experience will be just as amazing! We are still 11 months out, but we are so looking forward to it! :)

We did Genoa, Rome, Palermo, Cagliari, Palma, Valencia, and Marseilles. In Rome, we took the excursion that just drops you off at the Coliseum and then brings you back. I found this awesome do-it-yourself walking tour at https://www.rometoolkit.com/walks/rome_walks.html that allowed us to Metro from the Coliseum to the Spanish Steps (which was super easy), then walk to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Vatican (it was Easter Sunday, which was cool, but not nearly as crazy as I would have thought), and then Metro back to the Coliseum. We didn't go inside anywhere, but stopped for gelato and street pizza :) The directions on the site were spot on--never got turned around once. AND our three-year old did it without a stroller. She only got tired walking b/w the Vatican and the Metro, which was a little far.

 

In Sicily, the girls stayed in the club while we walked around. The staff gave explicit directions to beware of pickpockets, and area around the port is pretty run down. (I've been to several poorer cities in the Middle East, and that's kind of what it reminded me of.) Family that have been to Sicily say you have to get away from the port area, so it might be worth booking an excursion here. We didn't book anything in advance, b/c I never know what mood my girls will be in, BUT it seemed like the excursions always had room available, even though the ship was full.

 

In Cagliari it was raining, so we stayed on the ship that day. Palma we just took a cab to the beach--they were right outside the terminal, and our driver was awesome. There was a tax stand right next to the beach, and lots of little shops/cafes. Valencia was our biggest disappointment, because we really wanted to do the Oceanographic Museum. Everyone said just to take a cab, b/c with four of us it would be cheaper than the excursion. Well, the port shuttle driver was insane, swerving everywhere and knocking everyone over. When we got to the terminal, the taxi line was over an hour long (not really sure why) and there were no taxis in sight, so someone recommended we take the bus. We found the right stop a block or so away, waiting over 30 minutes (the sign said a bus would come every 15), and nothing came. Our GPS said the Museum was only about 2 miles away, so we starting walking. It was hot, we hadn't planned on walking, and all four of us were pretty mad at this point. By the time we got to the Museum, the line for tickets stretched back to the main gate. The ship was leaving at 4pm that day, and it was already getting close to noon. As hard as it was to get to the museum, we were concerned with getting back in time, since after we stood in line for tickets, we might only have a couple of hours, which just wouldn't be worth the cost. So we just gave up, waited outside for a cab, and went back to the pool. Now, I don't know if the public transportation issues are common or what, but that's the one port I wish we'd just splurged and paid for the ship excursion that does the city tour and then brings you to the Museum. A few people in the lounge also mentioned they had trouble getting to the Cathedral on the city bus.

 

Except for two sunny days and one hot afternoon, the weather was a little chilly, so the indoor pool was a madhouse--no loungers, very crowded. We used it once. Very few people were using the outdoor pool, though the hot tubs were always packed. I would think the pools wouldn't be too bad in May, if both could be used to full capacity. Again, since the trip was port intensive, the ship was usually pretty quiet during the day. Make sure your child is potty trained--one couple was trying to get pics of their baby in the indoor pool, and the staff (rightly so) told them to get him out. Except for the ledge around the pool, the indoor pool was over our oldest's head, so when she got tired the one time we used it, she had to get out. With swimmies, it wouldn't be bad with little ones. However, it was salt water, so our little one started calling it the "sour pool".

 

We did use the Kids Club, but I think they have to be at least 3 years old. They did have baby-sitting a few times a day for children under 3, as well, that you could sign up for, primarily around meal times. Both of our girls enjoyed the club and really liked how they would take them to other places on the ship. It was funny to hear our oldest say things like, "I like the B/W Lounge much better than Graffiti's--they have more comfortable chairs." :)

Wow, you went to the beach now? Is it that hot in Palma? Could you swim as well? :confused:We are going in mid May I was sure it will be too cold for beach... I am really confused now what to do in Valencia .My plan was to take a cab to DT and do some shopping ,I hope taxi situation will be better in May. :o

Really glad MSC started to kick out kids with diapers from pool now.

Hi, All!

 

Just got back from a 7-day Med cruise on the Divina. We were in the Yacht Club with our two daughters, age 6 and 3. Let me know if anyone has any questions!

Hi Labrugnoli

I was on the same cruise in YC. And I'm sure I remember your daughters, did the both wear lovely white dresses on the formal night. My 6th time on Divina and I can't wait for lucky number 7.

I agree with everything you've written. Everyone just wants to make you happy.

What did you think of Mr Kamil, isn't he such a lovely man. Glad you had a great time :)

Wow, you went to the beach now? Is it that hot in Palma? Could you swim as well? :confused:We are going in mid May I was sure it will be too cold for beach... I am really confused now what to do in Valencia .My plan was to take a cab to DT and do some shopping ,I hope taxi situation will be better in May. :o

Really glad MSC started to kick out kids with diapers from pool now.

We weren't able to swim (well, we could have, but I don't do the Polar Plunge stuff), but the girls splashed around for a long time, and it was warm enough to lay in the sun in a bathing suit. We did this on the pool deck a few times, too.

Most of the crew was surprised when we mentioned the taxi problem. If I had known ahead of time, I would done some research on the buses and gone that route. Also, one American family went through a tourism agency (I'm not sure which one) and hired a private driver to meet them at the port and take them around the city. They said it was amazing! The driver even had a son the same age as their son, and asked if he could come along, so their boy had someone to hang out with.

Hi Labrugnoli

 

I was on the same cruise in YC. And I'm sure I remember your daughters, did the both wear lovely white dresses on the formal night. My 6th time on Divina and I can't wait for lucky number 7.

I agree with everything you've written. Everyone just wants to make you happy.

What did you think of Mr Kamil, isn't he such a lovely man. Glad you had a great time :)

No, but I know which family you mean! My girls were the oldest with two missing front teeth (one of which she lost our first day in Le Muse) and the little one with the sparkly "heels". :)

I thought the entire staff was amazing; I wish I had written down names, because SO many different people helped us/went out of their way to make the trip memorable. It was a wonderful experience!

I'm looking at this cruise with kids next year wanted to know if you felt like Yacht Club was worth it with how Port intensive Mediterranean Cruises are

Floridian1,

I was trying to figure out how to message you directly as this thread is a bit old.

I was on the Divina that same week, when we booked YC wasn't available, we ended up with us in a fantastica balcony and our boys 13 and 15, across the hall in a fantastica interior. To answer your question above I think that it depends on your family. Where I do think it would be nice to have a less hectic breakfast, there was plenty of choice and we always found a clean table. We were off the ship as soon as we could get our acts together. We didn't have to wait in line more the 10 people to get off and they were really quick at scanning the cards. By the time we got back to the ship there was little time to enjoy any activities since we were getting up to do it again the next day. We had lovely dinners in the dining room most of the nights and ate in the buffet twice.

If we had to do it over I'm not sure that I would spend the extra $800+ per person. That probably equals more then we spend ashore in all the ports.

We did all the ports on our own and have the most wonderful time. I'd be happy to tell you about any of them.

Happy planning!!

Lois

Did you feel the magic in the air?

Wow, you went to the beach now? Is it that hot in Palma? Could you swim as well? :confused:We are going in mid May I was sure it will be too cold for beach... I am really confused now what to do in Valencia .My plan was to take a cab to DT and do some shopping ,I hope taxi situation will be better in May. :o

Really glad MSC started to kick out kids with diapers from pool now.

You could swim in Mallorca around mid May, if it has been warm enough the previous days and you don't mind cold water... it will be cold, but some years it is doable. Many people swim in May, and I usually start swiming around that time of the year actually. It's not perfect temperature until early to mid June though.

Hi, All!

 

Just got back from a 7-day Med cruise on the Divina. We were in the Yacht Club with our two daughters, age 6 and 3. Let me know if anyone has any questions!

Hi, Thanks for the info! Doing this cruise the end of June with my hub and 8 year old daughter, can't wait! Planning now...thanks for the tips and that link for the walking tour, led me to the Iteritaly site which a golf cart tour of Rome sounds awesome!