Worried about MSC Divina's Marketing Position

[jchipgcs]

Well, I've mentally prepared myself for "hate" response posts but I'll put it out there regardless.

 

I booked my Divina cruise last June (2013) for a sailing this April (2014). I booked it under a little faith that the marketing and Sr. executives were serious when they claimed that their product was in line with Holland, Celebrity, etc.....not Carnival.

 

So I grabbed a Yacht Club stateroom at a price I thought was fair for what was included.

 

But lately, it seems all I keep encountering is comments from clients booking and ad's from the company with pricing in line with and less than Carnival. And to be honest, although this is snobby, I'm worried about the clientele and also the product now offered.

 

I previously cruised Celebrity, HAL, Disney, Princess, etc.....because of the more upscale perception.

 

I know I can "hide" in the Yacht Club, and I'll have a great time regardless, but it just makes me wonder. Where is MSC and the Divina going to land in terms of market position.

[cruisetrail]

Yacht Club is faux exclusivity enclave that hosts less than 5% of the passengers. You will have very nice accommodation.

 

MSC competitors are Carnival and MSC - same target clientele and PAX per square inch density. Decor and service is slightly in a different way, so MSC have some pros and cons vs their competitors.

 

HAL or Princess product cannot be compared to MSC.

Many amenities we enjoy on HAL are simply missing on the Divina.

 

My research will tell you a lot.

 

Set your expectation properly. If the lack of amenities is not a deal breaker, the Divina is a good option for the right price.

 

Don't worry and enjoy your cruise!

Edited March 5, 2014 by cruisetrail

[alexkrn46]

what lack of amenities did you encounter on MSC? I have cruised on Carivsl, Celebrity, Ncl, and Princess. The Divina reminded my of Celebrity.

[cruisetrail]

what lack of amenities did you encounter on MSC? I have cruised on Carivsl, Celebrity, Ncl, and Princess. The Divina reminded my of Celebrity.

 

All the answers step by step:

 

How I was trying to cruise on MSC Divina..

[risotoman]

Hi i just came back form Divina I was in yatch club i feel it's one off the best product at sea for price ....

 

Ill whrite full review soon

[neptuno]

.....But lately, it seems all I keep encountering is comments from clients booking and ad's from the company with pricing in line with and less than Carnival. And to be honest, although this is snobby, I'm worried about the clientele and also the product now offered. ....

 

We have booked our fifth sailing on MSC-USA in April. Having sailed Poesia three times and most recently Divina over Christmas, we are still big fans of MSC-USA. Lately though, the Florida sailings are more "Americanized", eg; fast food bar in the buffet and even baseball caps in the MDR at lunch, and more blue jeans, but in all fairness, much less smoke and ink than on CCL. However, Divina far surpasses the Carnival ships we have sailed, (Glory and Freedom), in her sheer stunning elegance and Italian flair. I hope someday to afford Yacht Club and it's dining experience, as fine dining is the cornerstone of our cruise expectation, and MSC does not fall short, even the the crowded MDRs. I would encourage you to experience Divina without reservation, at least once, and then let us know how you would compare MSC to Celebrity. Thanks.

Edited March 5, 2014 by neptuno

[jchipgcs]

I'm looking forward to the trip and like I said, I know I'll have a good time.

 

The physical aspects of the ship, I'm not worried there at all. I'm in the industry and I've toured some of the super high end ships from Crystal, Seabourn, etc.... I wasn't blown away by their appearance although they were very, very nice.

 

For me, the experience is made or broken by the service and behavior of the other passengers. With the super cheap prices, will we see more of the "I don't care" attitude regarding dress code, behavior, etc.....

 

I guess it's like this......if Neiman Marcus took it's $200 shirts and dropped the price to $9.99 all the time.....the physical store and merchandise might still be "fancy" but suddenly it takes on a Wal-Mart vibe by who their attracting with the low, low prices.

 

Is this going to be the "Beer budget goes on a Champagne taste" ship?

 

I'm just wondering if that what MSC has decided to do.

[risotoman]

I'm looking forward to the trip and like I said, I know I'll have a good time.

 

The physical aspects of the ship, I'm not worried there at all. I'm in the industry and I've toured some of the super high end ships from Crystal, Seabourn, etc.... I wasn't blown away by their appearance although they were very, very nice.

 

For me, the experience is made or broken by the service and behavior of the other passengers. With the super cheap prices, will we see more of the "I don't care" attitude regarding dress code, behavior, etc.....

 

I guess it's like this......if Neiman Marcus took it's $200 shirts and dropped the price to $9.99 all the time.....the physical store and merchandise might still be "fancy" but suddenly it takes on a Wal-Mart vibe by who their attracting with the low, low prices.

 

Is this going to be the "Beer budget goes on a Champagne taste" ship?

 

I'm just wondering if that what MSC has decided to do.

 

For now the principal body of passenger are European so for them this is not cheap vacation just plain ticket make it easily double the cruise fair .

 

It make for very much multiethnic cruise with multiple languages talk everywhere .

 

As for the american you see all range from old folks to young kid with no brain and Joe blow .. So it will very much depends off your luck off guest near you

 

Theres also European jack ass lol

 

For my part I like that they don't try to sell the shut out off you like carnival and RCC soo ...

[neptuno]

....Is this going to be the "Beer budget goes on a Champagne taste" ship?...

 

MSC-USA is definitely offering fantastic pricing on its FL sailings, but as the brand grows, they are also raising prices. Our family of four is grateful to MSC for providing us with the opportunity to sail together at an affordable price. We are definitely on a "beer budget", but do our best to stay abreast of the elegant European flair found aboard Divina. Although there are those Americans who insist on wearing jeans to dinner in the MDR, the maitre d', to his credit, will not seat men in tank tops at lunch, and generally speaking we found Divina guests better dressed than those aboard our four trips on NCL and CCL. For anyone who has not sailed Divina, it is a must, at least once. Divina is a destination in herself.

[SeaYa52]

MSC-USA is definitely offering fantastic pricing on its FL sailings, but as the brand grows, they are also raising prices. Our family of four is grateful to MSC for providing us with the opportunity to sail together at an affordable price. We are definitely on a "beer budget", but do our best to stay abreast of the elegant European flair found aboard Divina. Although there are those Americans who insist on wearing jeans to dinner in the MDR, the maitre d', to his credit, will not seat men in tank tops at lunch, and generally speaking we found Divina guests better dressed than those aboard our four trips on NCL and CCL. For anyone who has not sailed Divina, it is a must, at least once. Divina is a destination in herself.

 

Thank you ! Well said!

[jchipgcs]

Great feedback from some previous cruisers. I'm glad to hear people think it's still a higher end experience. I don't think Carnival needs any competition but I do think some of the higher end lines need it.

 

I'm pretty excited to check her out in person late next month.

[RMS Olympic]

I too wondered how pricing will position the product. But I am guessing the extremely low prices are purposely placed temporarily in order to generate a customer base. Once MSC out of Miami becomes better known the prices will go up. Out of curiosity I priced a MSC cruise out of a Caribbean embarkation port and found the prices higher...in line with what I would pay on Celebrity. So I figure mid 2015 to 2016 the Divina prices will be higher, in line with Celebrity, HAL and Princess.

I look forward to my first Divina cruise in September....and must admit I hope it is not too Americanized. I am hoping for a real Italian flavored cruise.

Ciao:D:D:D

[American Bear]

If you want high end, you must pay for it, and even then you could be disappointed! The mega ships have changed cruising forever!

I agree with others that high end in the 'large cruise ships' is HAL and Princess, but even they are getting picked on for cutting back! The 'smaller ships' are those you already mentioned!

Try a European river cruise, an expensive one, they tend to be more dressy!:D

[Tatka]

MSC is a very nice line. I would compare it to Royal and NCL. It is not Celebrity though. I am not sure who told you it was.

 

About pricing. I feel it is lower than it should be because MSC is still not as popular as other lines on American market and trying to "fit in".

Edited March 5, 2014 by Tatka

[MotownVoice]

With the super cheap prices, will we see more of the "I don't care" attitude regarding dress code, behavior, etc......

 

So it's not really the cruiseline, but the PEOPLE aboard the vessel that you have a beef with.

 

Lower prices means more of the Great Unwashed, am I right?

 

So your complaint is more of a problem with a certain CLASS of people. Because by your math, only low booking prices can be responsible for people who misbehave.

 

I don't like it when people shirk things like the dress code either.

 

But it's not because they're in some class that I think I'm superior to, and I think the underlying message in your comment is despicable.

Edited March 6, 2014 by MotownVoice

[neptuno]

.....Try a European river cruise, an expensive one, they tend to be more dressy!:D

 

The beauty of MSC-USA (Florida sailings) is that it brings a touch of European elegance to the Americas. Many cannot afford to fly a family of four to Europe for a vacation. Fortunately for us, MSC brings a touch of Europe to our doorstep.

[American Bear]

The beauty of MSC-USA (Florida sailings) is that it brings a touch of European elegance to the Americas. Many cannot afford to fly a family of four to Europe for a vacation. Fortunately for us, MSC brings a touch of Europe to our doorstep.

 

We certainly hope you are right as we love our vacations in Europe, and trying out different cultures!

And true, at the prices MSC has on the Divina right now, people can find out if they would like a European vacation in their future!

[Tatka]

The beauty of MSC-USA (Florida sailings) is that it brings a touch of European elegance to the Americas. Many cannot afford to fly a family of four to Europe for a vacation. Fortunately for us, MSC brings a touch of Europe to our doorstep.

 

 

I completely agree with you. Very nice experience.

It is also fun to meet people from different countries. We noticed that people are much more likely to interact with each other during cruises than during land based vacations.

[jchipgcs]

So it's not really the cruiseline, but the PEOPLE aboard the vessel that you have a beef with.

 

Lower prices means more of the Great Unwashed, am I right?

 

So your complaint is more of a problem with a certain CLASS of people. Because by your math, only low booking prices can be responsible for people who misbehave.

 

I don't like it when people shirk things like the dress code either.

 

But it's not because they're in some class that I think I'm superior to, and I think the underlying message in your comment is despicable.

 

 

MotownVoice. To be quite honest yes. I am not interested in cruising with 4000 Honey Boo Boo family members. So there's no "underlying message". There it is. If MSC wants to price low end and therefore attract low end. I'll complete my cruise and move on. But I'll make that choice after seeing the product myself.

 

 

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[resstation]

MotownVoice. To be quite honest yes. I am not interested in cruising with 4000 Honey Boo Boo family members. So there's no "underlying message". There it is. If MSC wants to price low end and therefore attract low end. I'll complete my cruise and move on. But I'll make that choice after seeing the product myself.

 

I agree.

 

If you don't think there is a distinct difference, let's say in "behavior", not class, between the majority (NOT ALL) of the people who prefer Carnival, those that prefer Celebrity and those that prefer Crystal, you're are in serious kumbaya denial. It is not only an age difference.

 

Disney ships are not priced double/triple what other ships with same itineraries are priced because they have people dressed up in Disney character costumes. They are priced, in part, to eliminate some "behaviors".

[cruisetrail]

MotownVoice. To be quite honest yes. I am not interested in cruising with 4000 Honey Boo Boo family members. So there's no "underlying message". There it is. If MSC wants to price low end and therefore attract low end. I'll complete my cruise and move on. But I'll make that choice after seeing the product myself.

 

 

A huge factor I see here is ships design and amenities.

This determines a set of things to do on the ship.

 

Generally speaking, conditions of existence determine our consciousness.

 

If you play piano, it will sound like piano.

If you play drums, most likely it will sound like drums.

 

Take a careful look at the latest posts in the thread about Divina reviews.

:)

[American Bear]

MotownVoice. To be quite honest yes. I am not interested in cruising with 4000 Honey Boo Boo family members. So there's no "underlying message". There it is. If MSC wants to price low end and therefore attract low end. I'll complete my cruise and move on. But I'll make that choice after seeing the product myself.

 

 

When you say 'low end', what do you mean by 'low end', families, criminal types?

Let me give you some peace of mind at what I found in my research,,,

The Coast Guard which keeps a record of crimes on Cruise Ships shows in the last 2 years!

MSC '0'

Princess 3

Carnival 14

RCL 6

Cunard 2

Seven Seas 1

Holland 3

From a statistical view, MSC is the safest, even safer then so called 'high end' lines!

 

PS I've cruised on most of these lines, and they're all great!:D

So have a great time!:D

[stormynow]

Agree with the OP, have seen first hand what the free drink pkgs have done to Celebrity and stated might as well sail CCL. Admit usually have a good time on CCL knowing what to expect.

[Mattingly23]

Agree with the OP, have seen first hand what the free drink pkgs have done to Celebrity and stated might as well sail CCL. Admit usually have a good time on CCL knowing what to expect.

 

It's statements like this that make me scratch my head. I've sailed celebrity a number of times both before & after 123go. The only differences I noticed were cutbacks in staff, cutbacks in food quality, and more added fee areas. The rest of the experience, including the wonderful fellow human beings I was vacationing with, I found quite similar (and similar to any other line I've been on as well).

 

Perhaps you're extra sensitive to people slightly different than yourself?

[American Bear]

Agree with the OP, have seen first hand what the free drink pkgs have done to Celebrity and stated might as well sail CCL. Admit usually have a good time on CCL knowing what to expect.

 

Why cruise on Carnival, MSC costs less, and the Divina is a better looking ship!