Divina too crowded, needs a refit

[neptuno]

Having sailed Divina twice, Christmas '13 and Easter '14, we have moved on to Celebrity Reflection and Holland America ms Amsterdam most recently. With that said, Divina with 4600 passengers has the lowest space to passenger ratio of any commercial cruise ship afloat. While beautiful as she is, the crowding detracts from the overall experience. But then again, it was the price point which attracted us. However, her prices have risin so drastically, and "kids sail free" is a hoax, we are happy to have moved on. Btw, Divina's itinerary is just 'ho hum', and unless MSC can access the smaller ports, it will remain just another (human) container shipping line in the Caribbean.

[riclop]

You find HAL less crowded because most are asleep by 730.

[neptuno]

Well, not exactly. We are not promoting HAL, just commenting on how crowded we found Divina. Even though a large ship may deliver a larger variety of entertainment, Divina is still too crowded in the end. From the MDR to the pool deck and buffet, you will feel like a herd of humanity or DIShumanity as would be the case.

[AmoMondo]

I suppose sailing at Christmas or during Easter holidays is going to be peak time when there are going to be loads and loads of kids onboard.

 

I've never been on a Christmas cruise and the 2 New year ones I've done weren't particularly crowded becUse one was at the start of a 19 night repo and they are never crowded or have many kids and the other was in Dubai, so not your typical family NY cruise.

 

I've only been on a Fantasia class once and it wasn't full as it was late April/early May. I'm sailing the Fivina early June for the first time. I'm hoping that again, it will not be at peak capacity as it is before school holidays start.

[sidari]

Sadly this is one of the things that people do find wrong with Divina ie bigger ship but smaller spaces compared to the Musica class which has bigger spaces being smaller ships.

 

Compared to other ships of a similar size the Divina is overcrowded especially when it is full, but like the other classes the boat deck is totally under utilised unlike some ships of other lines and MSC have put deck games like Shuffleboard where they cannot be used due to people sunbathing!

 

So some re organisation in this respect needs to be done and they need to also look at lowering the overcrowding but i doubt it will happen.

[marcoigna]

Having sailed Divina twice, Christmas '13 and Easter '14, we have moved on to Celebrity Reflection and Holland America ms Amsterdam most recently. With that said, Divina with 4600 passengers has the lowest space to passenger ratio of any commercial cruise ship afloat. While beautiful as she is, the crowding detracts from the overall experience. But then again, it was the price point which attracted us. However, her prices have risin so drastically, and "kids sail free" is a hoax, we are happy to have moved on. Btw, Divina's itinerary is just 'ho hum', and unless MSC can access the smaller ports, it will remain just another (human) container shipping line in the Caribbean.

 

perhaps you should try sailing at a non-holiday time - of course the holidays is going to attract alot more children onboard - didnt find it over crowded at all on our sailing....

[American Bear]

Well, not exactly. We are not promoting HAL, just commenting on how crowded we found Divina. Even though a large ship may deliver a larger variety of entertainment, Divina is still too crowded in the end. From the MDR to the pool deck and buffet, you will feel like a herd of humanity or DIShumanity as would be the case.

 

 

We'd disagree, the Divina never felt crowded to us!

We always found a seat in the buffet, near the pool, in the smoke free casino, and in the show room without any problem!:D

[skyking]

We'd disagree, the Divina never felt crowded to us!

We always found a seat in the buffet, near the pool, in the smoke free casino, and in the show room without any problem!:D

 

Same experience with us, never felt crowded at all, never a problem finding a table, even on embarkation day. Loved the Divina and it's crew!!!

[Shippy]

When I first read about the Yacht Club, I immediately thought about the amount of available ship space for everyone else.

Having been in the Yacht Club, I was amazed at the size of the lounge and pool area dedicated to so few cabins...not to mention the concierge area & private restaurant. If you have not been in that area, you do not realize how big it is.

I absolutely love the YC & am sailing there again in March but do realize it takes away a lot from the rest of the ship. I almost feel like it is bringing back the 'class system'.

Next time you sail, go to customer service & tell them you are considering the Yacht Club for your next cruise & ask them to give you a tour. We met some people who did that the last time we cruised ( they really did it just out of curiosity) & they were actually shocked how much space is dedicated to it.

[DENIE]

Our 10-day cruise in November did not feel overly crowded at all. Sure, the pool deck was often full on sea days, but could usually find a place after a bit of a search. One place we found wonderfully quiet was the Cantina di Bacco. Great place for drinks, and often fairly empty when we went (pizza was awesome too!). And, they even brought free snacks of olives, cheese, and finger sandwiches as long as you were ordering wine or drinks. We did choose this cruise due to the 'low' probability of kids aboard, and we guessed correctly.

[neptuno]

Lucky are those who can sail at off-peak times (and rates). I saw seven night balconies aboard Divina selling for $199 last month. It is all about capacity, price and expectations. However, at full capacity of nearly 4600 passengers, Divina is a mess. The MDR is so packed you will be rubbing elbows with those at the table next to you. There are some published numbers known as "passenger space ratio" where Divina is one of the most crowded. And, try tendering 4600 passengers to Half Moon Cay, be prepared to wait. But if I could sail seven nights in a balcony for $199, I'd probably be an MSC cheerleader too. I just feel sorry for those who spend thousands on airfare for a special occasion aboard a fully loaded Divina.

[FTLcruisers]

We'd disagree, the Divina never felt crowded to us!

We always found a seat in the buffet, near the pool, in the smoke free casino, and in the show room without any problem!:D

 

same with us - we sailed in Oct 2014. I didn't feel it was crowded at all.

 

Marianne

[g8rfan94]

We are sailing on Saturday. I just looked at the website and it appears that all cabin categories are sold out. I am a little concerned with the crowding of 4600 people. I think the most I've been on board with is a little over 2000, with both Celebrity Summit and Millennium. This will be a big difference. That being said, there have been some great tips on CC on where to go to steer clear of the crowds.

[mrstrod]

When I first read about the Yacht Club, I immediately thought about the amount of available ship space for everyone else.

Having been in the Yacht Club, I was amazed at the size of the lounge and pool area dedicated to so few cabins...not to mention the concierge area & private restaurant. If you have not been in that area, you do not realize how big it is.

I absolutely love the YC & am sailing there again in March but do realize it takes away a lot from the rest of the ship. I almost feel like it is bringing back the 'class system'.

Next time you sail, go to customer service & tell them you are considering the Yacht Club for your next cruise & ask them to give you a tour. We met some people who did that the last time we cruised ( they really did it just out of curiosity) & they were actually shocked how much space is dedicated to it.

 

Oh yeah! LOVE LOVE LOVE the Yacht Club - and if the Yacht Club means they're bringing back the class system well then, bring it on! I will gladly pay for first class in the Yacht Club and will feel no guilt at all over watching the steerage mill bout in the cattle calls to the dining room. We've sailed in the Yacht Club three times now (two of which have been the last two Thanksgivings on the Divina) and we have never felt crowded, we always feel like there's plenty of space! I rue the day when I have we get bored of the itineraries and we have to book with another line. We are extremely spoiled now.

[MsTabbyKats]

We were on the 12/6 sailing....and never felt crowed.

 

As a matter of fact...we thought it was very roomy.

 

We ate strictly at the buffet....never had a problem with seats.

 

Never had a problem with seats in the atrium, theatre, lounges, casino.

 

Never had a problem with elevators........

[riclop]

We have been on 4 times and never felt crowed either.

[CTBob]

Never felt crowded on either week of my B2B. The ship wasn't completely full on either week with about 4000 passengers each week. Never had a problem getting a seat in the theater or in the buffet. The main pool may have been crowded, but we aren't pool people so I really don't know.

[Jessy74]

I was also on Divina for Easter 2014. We really only noticed the crowding in the Main Dining room. The tables were very close together. The buffet was busy at times, but we never had difficulties finding a table. We found the events and shows to be pleasantly full, but we were always able to find a seat. They set up tables with items to sell in the Piazza in the evenings and that area would get a little crowded but not unpleasantly so.

 

The previous year I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Sea for Easter 2013 and WOW was that overcrowded. It was really unpleasant. The ship seemed overrun by teenagers. I have a teenager and she would not even go to the Oasis Teen Club because it was so overwhelming.

 

Cruises during Holidays and peak times are always going to be more crowded.

 

I'm Diamond on Royal, but I loved the MSC Divinia and I am excited that I will be sailing on her in the Mediterranean this spring.

[GOLDENBONNY]

You find HAL less crowded because most are asleep by 730.

 

and 4600 MSC VS 2000 on HAL + Xmax cruise.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Lucky are those who can sail at off-peak times (and rates). I saw seven night balconies aboard Divina selling for $199 last month. It is all about capacity, price and expectations. However, at full capacity of nearly 4600 passengers, Divina is a mess. The MDR is so packed you will be rubbing elbows with those at the table next to you. There are some published numbers known as "passenger space ratio" where Divina is one of the most crowded. And, try tendering 4600 passengers to Half Moon Cay, be prepared to wait. But if I could sail seven nights in a balcony for $199, I'd probably be an MSC cheerleader too. I just feel sorry for those who spend thousands on airfare for a special occasion aboard a fully loaded Divina.

 

What ship is not a mess with alomst 5000 pas on it? On what ship with 5000 pas you dont need to wait to tender ?

[GOLDENBONNY]

Lucky are those who can sail at off-peak times (and rates). I saw seven night balconies aboard Divina selling for $199 last month. It is all about capacity, price and expectations. However, at full capacity of nearly 4600 passengers, Divina is a mess. The MDR is so packed you will be rubbing elbows with those at the table next to you. There are some published numbers known as "passenger space ratio" where Divina is one of the most crowded. And, try tendering 4600 passengers to Half Moon Cay, be prepared to wait. But if I could sail seven nights in a balcony for $199, I'd probably be an MSC cheerleader too. I just feel sorry for those who spend thousands on airfare for a special occasion aboard a fully loaded Divina.

 

Amen:rolleyes:

[neptuno]

 

How could you not be bored of Divina's Caribbean itinerary, St. Thomas, San Juan and NCL's Great Stirrup Cay? The most overbooked ports in the Caribbean, not to mention tendering to Great Stirrup. HAL just offered nine islands in fourteen nights on ms Amsterdam, a much smaller and more intimate ship, with a price better than MSC's.

[American Bear]

How could you not be bored of Divina's Caribbean itinerary, St. Thomas, San Juan and NCL's Great Stirrup Cay? The most overbooked ports in the Caribbean, not to mention tendering to Great Stirrup. HAL just offered nine islands in fourteen nights on ms Amsterdam, a much smaller and more intimate ship, with a price better than MSC's.

 

Maybe because all the 'old folks' on HAL will be in bed by 9pm!:D

Seriously the eastern Caribbean 7 day cruise MSC offers is very similar in ports as most other American ported ships doing a 7 day eastern Caribbean cruise!

[Aza1972]

Lucky are those who can sail at off-peak times (and rates). I saw seven night balconies aboard Divina selling for $199 last month. It is all about capacity, price and expectations. However, at full capacity of nearly 4600 passengers, Divina is a mess. The MDR is so packed you will be rubbing elbows with those at the table next to you. There are some published numbers known as "passenger space ratio" where Divina is one of the most crowded. And, try tendering 4600 passengers to Half Moon Cay, be prepared to wait. But if I could sail seven nights in a balcony for $199, I'd probably be an MSC cheerleader too. I just feel sorry for those who spend thousands on airfare for a special occasion aboard a fully loaded Divina.

 

We sailed Xmas and New Year as it was the childrens vacation time (we are from Australia) and it was a special treat for Xmas and they got to have Xmas with their pop and uncle who both live in the US and don't get to see very often. I also wish we had the luxury to sail off peak and pay $399 for a balcony as opposed to the $21000 we paid for the 9 of us for 2 weeks.

 

Yes it was crowded. Overcrowded was the word. Sure it might be nice and spacious off peak but your comments are very fair and correct