On Divina now 05/23/2016

[rbpjr]

we were on divina 5/21/2016, chopped up foam in a pillow:confused:, anyone notice that they don't change the sheets everyday more like once or twice a week.:eek: dingy sheets. but overall a great cruise, we submitted the comment cards of what issues that they need to improve on, you have a chance to win a free cruise when entered.

[photogcrazy]

The one thing that we did not enjoy was the table mates we were paired with, no fault of MSC though. They tried to pair us with another family that had a young child which is cool. The first night they showed up a few minutes after us and before sitting down or saying a word they took one look at us and began to complain and demanded to sit elsewhere...which was quickly denied due to the restaurant was at full capacity. They were oriental which made no difference to us but maybe us being American bothered them??? Anyway the wife could speak perfect English but never to us, in fact they basically tried to ignore we were even there. Oh well, you can't make people like you. The couple that sat behind us however were very friendly and nice, I wish we were seated with them. I think they would have been great table mates with good conversation.

Edited May 29, 2016 by photogcrazy

[photogcrazy]

we were on divina 5/21/2016, chopped up foam in a pillow:confused:, anyone notice that they don't change the sheets everyday more like once or twice a week.:eek: dingy sheets. but overall a great cruise, we submitted the comment cards of what issues that they need to improve on, you have a chance to win a free cruise when entered.

Our sheets were perfectly clean and smelled fresh, maybe your cabin steward got lazy...eeeww used dirty sheets yuck!

[rbpjr]

The one thing that we did not enjoy was the table mates we were paired with, no fault of MSC though. They tried to pair us with another family that had a young child which is cool. The first night they showed up a few minutes after us and before sitting down or saying a word they took one look at us and began to complain and demanded to sit elsewhere...which was quickly denied due to the restaurant was at full capacity. They were oriental which made no difference to us but maybe us being American bothered them??? Anyway the wife could speak perfect English but never to us, in fact they basically tried to ignore we were even there. Oh well, you can't make people like you. The couple that sat behind us however were very friendly and nice, I wish we were seated with them. I think they would have been great table mates with good conversation.

 

 

we had a table for two, but ended up for a table for 6 in the black crab deck 5, only one couple showed up from west palm beach very nice table mates, our table was 581 port side, a lot of Asians in our seating area, one guy had the black & golden shirt with white black print capris that he wore pretty much every night, they took a lot of selfies on 2nd formal night.

[Mattnvick]

Our sheets were perfectly clean and smelled fresh, maybe your cabin steward got lazy...eeeww used dirty sheets yuck![/quotemi

 

Maybe I'm missing something but "used dirty sheets" the only people using them were the cabins occupants. I certainly dont change my sheets every single day at home - maybe I'm in the minority?? And I certainly wouldn't expect them to be done daily on a cruise. Beds made yes, sheets changed - no. I don t even find or expect that in 4 star hotels that we stay in.

[gimletgal]

we were on divina 5/21/2016, chopped up foam in a pillow:confused:, anyone notice that they don't change the sheets everyday more like once or twice a week.:eek: dingy sheets. but overall a great cruise, we submitted the comment cards of what issues that they need to improve on, you have a chance to win a free cruise when entered.

 

What cruise lines change the sheets everyday? I know Celebrity certainly doesn't. Can't speak for any other lines other than MSC and Celebrity. I don't change my sheets every day at home either. ;)

 

I found the sheets to be clean and comfortable and couldn't really find fault with the pillows either. Slept great every night! Maybe it was that last snifter of Grand Marnier after dinner that did it. :D

[photogcrazy]

Our sheets were perfectly clean and smelled fresh, maybe your cabin steward got lazy...eeeww used dirty sheets yuck![/quotemi

 

Maybe I'm missing something but "used dirty sheets" the only people using them were the cabins occupants. I certainly dont change my sheets every single day at home - maybe I'm in the minority?? And I certainly wouldn't expect them to be done daily on a cruise. Beds made yes, sheets changed - no. I don t even find or expect that in 4 star hotels that we stay in.

Re read the post. I mis-understood, i thought he meant they were dirty from day one (not changed from previous users) sorry.

[photogcrazy]

we had a table for two, but ended up for a table for 6 in the black crab deck 5, only one couple showed up from west palm beach very nice table mates, our table was 581 port side, a lot of Asians in our seating area, one guy had the black & golden shirt with white black print capris that he wore pretty much every night, they took a lot of selfies on 2nd formal night.

We were in Villa Rossa table 847 starboard side. Our table mates never dressed up for formal nights or any other night , that did not bother us, but them being rude did.

[Mattnvick]

Re read the post. I mis-understood, i thought he meant they were dirty from day one (not changed from previous users) sorry.

 

Lol that's funny. Now yes I too would have a problem with someone else's sheets being on my bed when inhabit the cabin. But my own I'm fine for 7 days :D

[wayne_trisha]

we had a table for two, but ended up for a table for 6 in the black crab deck 5, only one couple showed up from west palm beach very nice table mates, our table was 581 port side, a lot of Asians in our seating area, one guy had the black & golden shirt with white black print capris that he wore pretty much every night, they took a lot of selfies on 2nd formal night.

 

My wife offered to buy me a new set of clothes so I could dress like him. What a clashing combo he had on.

[rbpjr]

The sheets were clean from the start, i thought they clean them once or twice during the cruise, it saves on resources.. just imagine how many sheets they have to clean. next time i wont eat chocolate chip cookies in bed:D i'll tell my cabin steward to change the sheets at least one time.

[Tapi]

anyone notice that they don't change the sheets everyday more like once or twice a week.:eek: dingy sheets.

 

 

We had a very faint yellow stain on the top sheet which we noticed as soon as we walked in the room on day 1, but it didn't bother me because otherwise they looked and smelled clean (my wife had a bigger issue with it, but she let it go).

 

Halfway through the cruise the yellow stain was gone so we assumed that they had changed the sheets, but when I walked to the other side of the bed, the stain was now on that side, so the cabin steward just flipped the sheets around, haha!

[Tapi]

The soda package....MSC figured out how to charge 30.00 for 15 12oz sodas, good for them expensive for us

 

I bought this soda package. Otherwise I would've paid $3 per soda instead of $2 per soda once you add the tip, so I considered it to be a good deal.

 

The beverage packages/ vouchers are a deal if you buy in advanced but I think the staff get screwed on tips.

 

 

I did ask about tipping when you buy the soda package and the bartender that I spoke to said that they get tipped the same as if I had purchased a soda individually at regular price. This is why your card gets swiped and the receipt shows a soda at regular bar price with a tip even though you're paying with a coupon. They don't get screwed.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Tapi

[BermudaBound2014]

The cruise was good and a great value. There are things I like better about it than other lines and things I like less. Are there things I would change, of course. But in no way shape or form is there any basis for all the bad reviews. The pillows are baaaaadddd but if you get a couple extra you can make a comfortable nest and sleep like a baby. The ship is big and heavy which makes for a smooth ride even when going through storms, I think their stabilizers must work good too. Our cabin steward was excellent and on par or better than service we have had on any other lines. Dinner service was decent, not the best we have had but not bad either. The food was average but they still have Lobster tail night which many other lines have stopped doing. The ship is beautiful and well maintained. The staff as a whole is excellent. The shows are good and there is one every night, but they are all very similar except for the Michael Jackson show. The piano bar never had a piano player just a guitar picker/ singer but entertaining none the less. Showers would be small for a bigger person. The buffet is always crowded which I think is due to lack of other free eating venues on the ship. They have a sports bar that serves american style bar food but at a heavy price, they should make it free like O'Sheehans on Norwegian. The port time in San Juan was awesome but in St Marteen it could have been better. The beverage packages/ vouchers are a deal if you buy in advanced but I think the staff get screwed on tips. Also by good deal I mean cheaper than paying per drink. The soda package....MSC figured out how to charge 30.00 for 15 12oz sodas, good for them expensive for us. The internet package value may depend on where your cabin is. Our cabin, my wife's Ipad air 2 would not even find the signal nor would my sons Ipad air, my Asus transformer book picked it up but only 1 bar and my wife could get on with her android phone, with such a weak signal it was slow. However there are routers throughout the hallways and if your room is next to one you may have better results, also the dining room and Buffet have good signal strength. Like I stated before, over all it was a fun cruise, a great time with good service on a beautiful ship with a fair price tag. What is not to like???

 

Thank you for your review. I truly think the bad reviews come from those that aren't keeping price in mind when doing reviews and making comparisons. You can't expect filet mignon at Salisbury steak prices. Imo, MSC pricing is consistent with salsbury steak yet MSC delivers a decent of New York Strip. What's not to like? :)

[BIG_Steve]

The entertainers are extremely talented, and the shows are produced nicely. You are going to love it.

 

How is the entertainment on the ship and what entertainment is there?

[BIG_Steve]

we had a table for two, but ended up for a table for 6 in the black crab deck 5, only one couple showed up from west palm beach very nice table mates, our table was 581 port side, a lot of Asians in our seating area, one guy had the black & golden shirt with white black print capris that he wore pretty much every night, they took a lot of selfies on 2nd formal night.

 

LOL, saw him around the ship.

[BIG_Steve]

Bad pillows? My head hit the pillow, I slept. Didn't have a sore neck when I woke up. They worked for me.

[Tapi]

The entertainers are extremely talented, and the shows are produced nicely. You are going to love it.

 

 

I agree, they were talented. But I think they recycle acts way too much. We went to Witches of Paris, Treasure Island and The Mask, and ALL of them had the same exact acts but in different costumes. By the third time, even my 6 year old was commenting that we were watching the same exact people performing the same exact acts.

[photogcrazy]

I bought this soda package. Otherwise I would've paid $3 per soda instead of $2 per soda once you add the tip, so I considered it to be a good deal.

 

 

 

 

I did ask about tipping when you buy the soda package and the bartender that I spoke to said that they get tipped the same as if I had purchased a soda individually at regular price. This is why your card gets swiped and the receipt shows a soda at regular bar price with a tip even though you're paying with a coupon. They don't get screwed.

Yes the soda package was a better deal than purchasing at the bar, but 2$ a can is expensive when other cruise lines will let you bring 12 packs of soda on board, some will let you check them in so you don't have to carry them on board. That said 2$ is a bargain if you consider convenience.

[Kruizin'Kath]

We sailed the Divina last week as well. A few thoughts:

Pillows - Terrible! but my husband uses "My Pillow" at home and loved them....as did my cousin who ordered "My Pillow" when we got home!

Food - Mediocre at best! But pizza was awesome!

Customer service - THE WORST! This sentiment share by others on the ship!

Itinerary - Terrible! Long stops and short stops. IMHO they need to NOT stop at Nassau, stop earlier in St Maarten and less in San Juan

Value - The best! $1250.00 for 2 in an aft balcony on deck 12!

 

All in all - probably would not book again! Looking forward to NCL in October!

[Tapi]

 

Food - Mediocre at best! But pizza was awesome!

 

Customer service - THE WORST! This sentiment share by others on the ship!

 

Itinerary - Terrible! Long stops and short stops. IMHO they need to NOT stop at Nassau' date=' stop earlier in St Maarten and less in San Juan

 

[b']Value[/b] - The best! $1250.00 for 2 in an aft balcony on deck 12!!

 

 

I agree about the food. Very disappointing. Even Italian night which should've been the highlight of the cruise left a lot to be desired. I'd like to think that they are keeping food simple in order to appeal to the diverse clientele onboard but simple for us translated into mediocre.

 

I disagree about the Customer Service. In the most part we had no issues, including the kids club staff and guest services staff, but the stateroom and MDR staff did look overworked although they still did a good job. Overall we found the staff to be very friendly but unobtrusive. They don't approach you unless you summon them. I appreciated not having bar staff on my face trying to sell me a drink of the day. I think that a lot of people mistake this hands off approach to customer service as rude but I personally preferred it.

 

Itinerary: AMEN! Get rid of Nassau! What a waste of a stop! Loved the extended stay in San Juan though. I wish we could've arrived in Sint Maarten earlier. We rushed to get to Maho Beach to catch some airplanes but majority of the big jets had already landed.

 

Value: another Amen! Our grand total for a Fantastica balcony for 4 passengers was $1,357 including all taxes. Doesn't get much cheaper than that for a cruise like this one!

Edited May 31, 2016 by Tapi

[photogcrazy]

I agree about the food. Very disappointing. Even Italian night which should've been the highlight of the cruise left a lot to be desired. I'd like to think that they are keeping food simple in order to appeal to the diverse clientele onboard but simple for us translated into mediocre.

 

I disagree about the Customer Service. In the most part we had no issues, including the kids club staff and guest services staff, but the stateroom and MDR staff did look overworked although they still did a good job. Overall we found the staff to be very friendly but unobtrusive. They don't approach you unless you summon them. I appreciated not having bar staff on my face trying to sell me a drink of the day. I think that a lot of people mistake this hands off approach to customer service as rude but I personally preferred it.

 

Itinerary: AMEN! Get rid of Nassau! What a waste of a stop! Loved the extended stay in San Juan though. I wish we could've arrived in Sint Maarten earlier. We rushed to get to Maho Beach to catch some airplanes but majority of the big jets had already landed.

 

Value: another Amen! Our grand total for a Fantastica balcony for 4 passengers was $1,357 including all taxes. Doesn't get much cheaper than that for a cruise like this one!

I agree with Tapi....100%.....We had great service, better than we had on Disney and I heard no one complain at any time.

Also agree 100% about food and itinerary .

[photogcrazy]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=535071

[eric135i]

After reading countless bad reviews and ratings, I was worried this was going to be a marginal-bad cruise. I have only been on 1 bad cruise out of many and that was Carnival. I can say honestly this so far has been a great cruise. The ship is beautiful, the crew attentive, meals last just the right amount of time. Buffer is a bit crowded but that is normal. No strong smoke odors anywhere. Decent cruise food. Our room steward is excellent (room 10060). Only small complaint would be most pillows are lumpy, but that would be a nitpick. So far this cruise has been a great value. I would say the percentage of US passengers is very low but who cares.

 

I was on the same sailing as you....in room 10061 on the opposite side of the ship.

 

We did a ton of walking from one end of the ship to our room every day. next time I think i'll book a room closer to Mid ship or rear of ship.

[eric135i]

The pillows felt like they were filled with a chopper gun. Really weird feeling. But, as others said, I woke up with no aches or pains, so didn't let it bother me.

 

I often wonder about the extreme negative reviews of this ship. I just don't understand the wildly negative ones. Clean ship, nice crew, good food, plenty of entertainment, great value.

 

Totally agreed! was worry at first, but after the 1st day on the ship, I felt all the extreme negative reviews not true or overly exaggerated.

 

As soon as I hit the embarkation lunch buffet, I realized the food is going to be fine. I mean prosciutto for lunch??? NICE :D and to top it off... Bigelow tea bags!