Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

!!! DIVINA !!! Eastern Caribbean ^_^ The Ultimate Review and Complete Pictorial Guide

gambee

By gambee,
in MSC Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

Eng23

Eng23

Posted
Posted
We have GOT to get our schedules worked out so we can sail together again Harold! This one, our friends (who introduced us, and who we cruise with every 10-11 years) are forcing (haha!) us to take over Thanksgiving. If all goes well, we will be booked tomorrow in the stateroom next to theirs, and our partition will open. Give me any tips you've got on Breeze. You've got my email. And you should consider Allure next November with us! :)

 

Sorry Gambee - I think I've caused some interruptions. We are all obviously still loving your review.

 

I'll definitely give you some feed back on the Breeze but you can get more info about it by reading Gambee's review of her. November on the Allure, I'll keep that in mind while on the Allure this month. It looks like you are doing the sailing right after Allure comes back to the US. Is that correct?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
swwake

swwake

Posted
Posted (edited)
I'll definitely give you some feed back on the Breeze but you can get more info about it by reading Gambee's review of her. November on the Allure, I'll keep that in mind while on the Allure this month. It looks like you are doing the sailing right after Allure comes back to the US. Is that correct?

 

Believe me, I've read Gambee's Breeze review twice now!

 

We are doing the 2-nighter and then the 7-nighter B2B so we can stay on the flowrider :)

Edited by swwake
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mikesa1721

Mikesa1721

Posted
Posted
Yep I fully understand that may be true, just clarifying the fact that "Coke Light" is available far wider than Europe.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

I gotcha CruiseReg,,,I thought you may have been wondering why, since Divina sails from the US, that Coke Light was served rather than Diet Coke.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bonbi

Bonbi

Posted
Posted (edited)

Gambee, your reviews are just amazing. Always a joy to find a new one! Loving the new pics with the new camera too. ;) I too now sold my rx after less than impressive results. I'm looking forward to really testing out my 6000 this fall on the Getaway. Oh, by the way, I did find the tripod you were talking about and ordered one. It is awesome! Thanks so much!

 

I have only done one CCL ship myself (my husband has done several when he was a kid with his family) and I was not a big fan personally. However, after reading your Breeze review and sharing it with my family members; 8 of us booked the Breeze for the southern itinerary for next year!

 

So upsetting that your mom fell! I hope MSC reads your review (and the many other complaints about the same problem) and fixes the problem instead of just placing a sign there! They really should have done more for your mom that day! But, so glad she is now recovering and it wasn't serious.

 

Thank you for your endless hard work and attention to detail. You have a rare talent that we all appreciate here at CC. Looking forward to the rest of your review. Hope we get to cruise together someday!

Edited by Bonbi
Link to comment
Share on other sites
kkorman

kkorman

Posted
Posted
That's OK, but you must also be considerate to those that cost 'is' part of the top three, and who want the most for their money!

That's why there are high priced cruise lines like Oceania, Azamara, Crystal, Cunard, Paul Gauguin, etc. for those who have no budgets!

Then there's Celebrity, Princess, Disney, etc. for those with big budgets, but are not budget conscious!

And then there's the rest, RCL, NCL, Carnival, MSC, etc., and between these, where there is something for everyone!

So why bother in a forum with negativity unless you get off on it!:)

 

I am on here because I like looking at gambees pictures. This is cruise CRITIC and therefore there Are negatives along with the Positives. Why not have both sides of it instead of it is good because it is cheap. Honestly, I do not put much on here, but Divina was bad enough for me to say something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bimmer09 "Live from...." Rare

Bimmer09

Posted
Posted
I am on here because I like looking at gambees pictures. This is cruise CRITIC and therefore there Are negatives along with the Positives. Why not have both sides of it instead of it is good because it is cheap. Honestly, I do not put much on here, but Divina was bad enough for me to say something.

 

Kevin- did you write a review of Divina? Could you link me to it, please?

 

Norris

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cruisetrail

cruisetrail

Posted
Posted
I am on here because I like looking at gambees pictures. This is cruise CRITIC and therefore there Are negatives along with the Positives. Why not have both sides of it instead of it is good because it is cheap. Honestly, I do not put much on here, but Divina was bad enough for me to say something.

 

Good point.

Cheap does not necessarily means best value for money.

 

I rank Divina product value for money 3 out of 5 (2 out of 5 for Yacht Club) - in present condition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I was on the Divina 3 weeks ago. Am enjoying your pictures and am able to see the things I missed. I noticed that some of your photos look like caricatures. Is this some special setting your camera has? I have never seen this before. If so what kind of camera and what is the setting called?

Keep enjoying the cruise and what ever you do do not miss the Michael Jackson review. He does an amazing Moon Walk. Best show of the cruise. Also they actually do the traditional Baked Alaska on the last formal night. They parade around with the baked Alaska on fire. A special treat is it does not have vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream. Instead it is pistachio and coffee ice cream. Best I have ever had. Also no smoke detectors went off as these flaming cakes past close to the ceiling. Just beautiful to see when the lots go out.

Marsha:D

 

The pictures that you're taking about are produced by an effect on my camera called "illustration mode". The mode is particular to most, but not all Sony cameras. You have to check on their website, to see if the camera you want has the option. We really did enjoy the MJ show, it was really neat. I was actually not crazy about the Baked Alaska parade. Mainly because our server did not tell us anything about it and we missed it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Can't wait to read your thoughts on Maho! We've been to St. Maarten four times now and spent my birthday this past April there! We just took the water taxi into Phillipsburg as my destination was the Pandora store so I could get my birthday gift!!

 

We've been to Maho twice, but never to a beach. I wonder what they're doing to renovate the Iguana Farm. It was just a dirt lot when we went there.

 

Well Maho itself is a beach, but I can see your point. It is not very relaxing at all. I was thinking of going there and heading towards the end were there crowds do no congregate and just wait there for the big planes to arrive. Personally, I think that they closed down the iguana farm, or at least everything I have read tends to point to that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Loving your day in St. Martin/San Maarten. We did Bernard's in 2012 on Allure and Sexy was our tour guide. He was very funny and very good. Thanks for taking me back to Orient Beach. It is by far the prettiest beach I've ever visited and I really want to go back someday. Maybe next November when we're there on Allure again. I've seen pics of Aruba though, and it may have Orient beat. We are about to book Carnival Breeze for 11/22 this year, so hopefully I'll get to see Aruba and compare to beautiful Orient Beach!

 

You know something, the Mailman told us that it was rated the prettiest beach in some magazine or something. But here is the this, that can be so subjective. I can tell you that I had much nicer than Orient in the past. But were Maho shines is with the amount of activities and options that it offers. I have never seen anything like that. If you have a nice budget, this is the beach for you. There is no question about it. Plus, it is indeed very nice, just not quite that tittle that I was told it had.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
We say never because while the cost of the cruise might be low, why would you waste your much more valuable PTO on a cruise that you did not enjoy. I am in the never crowd along with the people in cruises with. Price is not in the top 3 things I look at when booking a cruise. I am glad we only dealt with the 2 day cruise.

 

I used to cruise with an ample budget. However, things have changed for us and now I find myself looking at prices before anything else. But I do see your point, for those with no budget limits, there is no reason to cruise in ships like Divina. But I think MSC is still offering a good product, and one that fills in the market for many people. As you can see from my review, I have more than my share of problems with MSC. So by now means this was a perfect cruise, far from it. But it was not terrible either. We had a great time, and if the circumstances present themselves again, I would cruise with them.

 

Thank you for following along, I am glad you're enjoying the pictures :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Great review so far! We are doing this exact cruise in Nov and you have already provided some great new information...Thank you!

 

I had a question about currency in St. Maarten. One of the pics you included listed the prices in Euro. Do they only accept Euro? Or do they have an option to pay in USD? Are the exchange rates/prices comparable or should we bring some Euro with us? We are planning on booking the same tour with Bernard's...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

You can pay anywhere with dollars, the exchange rate for the euro is going to be at market price at that time. But the exchange rate for the Guilder is a set price at all times, it never changes. Well, at least that is what the Mailman told us.

 

Personally, I would not bother bringing more currencies. Unless you want to buy something very expensive and you can get some cheap Euros somewhere else. Keep in mind that is only for the french side. From what I noticed the island fully works on the dollar. Keep in mind that the island economy relies 100% on tourism, and a lot of those tourists are from the US.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Your pictures are amazing! I'm in the process of shopping to replace my very old Canon, and your pictures are making me seriously consider Sony. I know the man behind the camera plays a great role in how the pictures turn out, but they're just so beautiful and clear, even in lower lighting!

 

Loved the candy and scotch pictures. Those Milka products look delicious.

 

I can't wait to be in St Maarten! Did you get the opportunity to hang out after your tour? If so, I'll take recommandations of things to see/do close to the port.

 

I look forwards to the rest; thanks for sharing!

 

 

Keep in mind that the low light pictures are clear because of the ability of the sensor to climb to high ISO without ruining the pictures. Well, that and a faster lens.

 

We got to walk a little the shopping area and to use the internet. The tour we did takes some time to travel through the island. By the time we arrived to port we only had about an hour before the ship called all aboard. I guess it all depends on your ships hours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Thank you Gambee, another excellent review from you.

 

I am very motivated by price of cruises, because honestly I am not flush with funds, and my work does not pay a good wage, but cruises are my vacation of choice. I do like to get a good deal, and for me, MSC Divina offers a decent option. I am also of European heritage, so the food is highly appealing.

 

Your photos are wonderful, and some day, I do hope to get to sail on this ship.

 

Thanks again for your review.:)

 

Divina is not for everyone, but for some like me, it was a good deal. I guess you know if the ship will fit you or not.

 

Thank you for posting, glad you're enjoying the review :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Keep it coming, Gambee, I am doing the same Bernard's tour in 3 weeks. You said drinks were not included where you rented your chairs, could you have walked down a little to another place that included them or was that the only option where you were dropped off?

 

Also, what restaurant did the other people go to instead of Serafina's? What did they say about it? I guess it is safe to say your uncle is a bona fide cruiser, now? :D

 

Yes, you can walk around a little and see if someone offers a better deal. Keep in mind that they only give you 2 drinks. Well, this is all coming with what the Mailman told us. I think you could get a clearer answer from your tour guide that day. Also, you have around 1:50 of time there, I am not sure if you want to spend your time walking around looking for a deal, instead of relaxing. That was the way we thought of it. What I suggest for you to do is this. Before getting off the bus, ask for a couple of beers and a couple rum punches. I think that pretty much takes care of things. Remember, it's open bar until it runs out ;)

 

The name of the restaurant is Enoch's Place. I never spoke to the ones who went there, but I will tell you one thing. When we walked pass by the restaurant I knew we had made the wrong choice. The smell coming from the restaurant was ABSOLUTELY FABOULOUS!!!!! Like I said, I was outnumbered on this stop.

 

Here is a picture of the restaurant.

 

MSCDivinaDay4-192_zps13fb6bc4.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gambee

gambee

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Great to see another one of your reviews. I find this one interesting as I have never sailed MSC but I have seen a couple of their ships in different ports and wondered what they were like. I had to go back and read through your Breeze review to refresh myself as I will be onboard her this month. :)

 

Oh by the way, don't let those grammar snobs bother you. Those of us who follow your excellent reviews understand you perfectly! :D

 

Thank you :) It is very to see you here.

 

Have a great cruise aboard The Breeze, she is one amazing ship! One of my favorites.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...