MSC Divina vs. Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas: Which would you pick?

[cbelc]

We were there in early December, so there weren't many children. The buffet was very crowded, but we just sat with people. We didn't understand any protests so I just smiled and nodded and sat anyway. Being a Southerner, I looked for grits. It seems Europeans eat 'semolina' instead. It's cooked pasta flour. Babies eat it. I put butter and jelly and cheese and bacon in it. But I did enjoy the buffet and listening to all the various languages spoken around me.

 

 

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[Guest hrtcruises]

Thanks you all for covering the important and relevant aspects of your cruise experience. It is very helpful. I know people will have different experiences and opinions, but there appears to be a general agreement about the appearance of the ship, pizza, and the buffet area. :)

[Guest hrtcruises]

Take this with a grain salt as it's my experience and opinion. Others seemed to love Divina. That just wasn't our experience.

 

I will. A lot of reviews I've read in the past fall within the realm of your experience with the excitement going in and a certain degree of disappointment by the end. There are a lot of people that love Divina, but it's helpful to be able to tell if that is mostly within the Yacht Club where I would expect to read nothing less than great reviews.

[helen haywood]

As I mentioned before, I've sailed Divina both in a regular balcony cabin and in YC. We thoroughly enjoyed our regular balcony experience. I've never sailed during Spring Break so I can't speak to that. I had no problem getting a drink at any bar; I had a problem getting someone to take a tip. It's not expected on MSC as it is on other lines; I did tip for great service regardless. I don't really care if I ever see my room steward if the room is serviced appropriately. Sometimes I haven't seen them and just left notes.

 

All buffets seem to be crowded at peak times; Divina was no worse than any other large ship. If you read some reviews people state that if you go all the way to the back not only is there generally always space but beautiful views aft. The ship's officers were often back there. On every ship I've sailed we've had the plan that we find a table and one of us sits while the other goes and gets food.

 

 

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[edspec]

We had the Aurea experience, and service was great. One thing about getting drinks...they seem to expect you to sit down, they wait on you, and then you sit and enjoy what you ordered. I didn't get it at first, but it is a lot more relaxing than going up to the bar, ordering, and then wandering around with my drink, coffee, etc... The buffet was crowded at peak times, but there were always seats available. I liked that our room steward wasn't chatty. I have to be "on" for my work, and when I'm on vacation I don't want to chitchat w/ anyone. I want my room cleaned, my ice bucket filled, and extra towels or whatever if I ask. To echo a PP...the service staff really doesn't expect extra tips. We tipped our steward extra, and he was a little embarrassed, said it was too much. I can promise you that never happened on DCL, HA, or Carnival. We are firmly in the MSC camp, and have no desire to cruise other lines after our Divina cruise. My son requested a Harmony cruise, so we have booked that, but I am not looking forward to that as I would another trip on MSC.

[Tapi]

The price is what drew us at first and the chance to try another line we hadn't sailed. Originally we were very excited about MSC but I'm not sure we'll be back...if so, it won't be during a a school break.

 

I won't go into specifics about the kid's club unless that interests you. I'll just say I was really disappointed.

 

 

Curious about what made the kids camp disappointing. Although the facilities paled in comparison to what we've seen on other family friendly cruise lines, for some reason, our kids absolutely loved the kids program on the Divina and they begged to go every time there was something going on there. They participated in every activity possible, including the chef classes and the kids talent show.

 

Like you, we went with high expectations on this cruise, but came home a bit disappointed with a few things that we experienced, although it wasn't enough to dismiss MSC altogether for a future cruise. But considering how much we paid for this cruise (ridiculously cheap prices), I decided to ignore things that would've bothered me had we been paying more for this cruise.

 

 

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[lovelights]

I've been on both ships, and if I had to choose one to go back on, it definitely would be Divina. Plus I like the itinerary for Divina that you posted, better than the itinerary on Navigator.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

22 to 6 in favor for MSC Divina.

It would be curious to see the poll results if this poll had originated on the Royal Caribbean boards.

[Guest hrtcruises]

22 to 6 in favor for MSC Divina.

It would be curious to see the poll results if this poll had originated on the Royal Caribbean boards.

 

I would expect it to be completely different. I figured it was best to post on the MSC board because those that frequent this board are much more likely to at the very least experienced Royal Caribbean, have sufficient knowledge of MSC, and/or hopefully less likely to vote based on brand loyalty since MSC is still fairly new to the U.S. market, while Royal Caribbean has had time to cultivate a very loyal customer base. I like Royal Caribbean and of course didn't know that until I tried them, but outside of what appeared to be isolated incidents and the poor upkeep of older ships, I didn't read as many really bad reviews to make me hesitant. Knowing all of your opinions and what lead to them is helpful to me and I'm sure to many others that will come across this thread.

Edited June 5, 2017 by hrtcruises

[Guest hrtcruises]

I've been on both ships, and if I had to choose one to go back on, it definitely would be Divina. Plus I like the itinerary for Divina that you posted, better than the itinerary on Navigator.

 

Thanks. They both have an itinerary I would like to try, but the Divina's itinerary is what got me researching them in the first place. Unfortunately, some of the less frequented ports have few reviews in comparison to the ABC islands, and MSC has not released the available shore excursions for this cruise yet, so it's hard to gauge it.

[travelhound]

It doesn't look live Divina goes into the Panama Canal, just up to it and then back up the Atlantic/Caribbean coast. If it went into the Canal, I think that would be a better route. Without that, I'd prefer the Navigator. I think the ABC islands are much better than the island on Divina, but that's a matter of opinion.

[Danbee46]

If there was no major difference in price and you had to choose between a back-to-back cruise on the Navigator of the Seas (Dec. 22-Jan. 5) and an 11-night on the MSC Divina (Dec. 23-Jan. 3) both leaving out of Miami, which would you choose and why?

 

 

If we were talking about the Divina Yacht Club there would be no contest. The YC is the best experience at sea.

[KBPrimary]

If you could get thee Divina Yacht Club for near the same price that might tilt definitely to Davina!

 

 

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[KeywestK]

Based on itinerary only, it would be Navigator. The ABC Islands are wonderful. The Divina itinerary listed here is, IMO, awful.

[Guest hrtcruises]

If you could get thee Divina Yacht Club for near the same price that might tilt definitely to Davina!

 

 

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Most reviews from Yacht Club guest are very favorable.

[Guest hrtcruises]

Based on itinerary only, it would be Navigator. The ABC Islands are wonderful. The Divina itinerary listed here is, IMO, awful.

I've read a lot of positive reviews about the ABC islands. Why do you think the Divina's itinerary is awful?

[Lars997]

I'm writing this out of our owner suite on board of the Navigator. We are very disappointed. The Navigator feels outdated, thw carpets are old, the furniture broken. The suite experience is not any better than a stateroom. The Concierge Lounge smells terrible, doesn't have any Windows and is only operated some hours around breakfast and dinner. We are Diamond Plus on RCL but we are very dissapointed how this cruise line developed. Everything is about cost saving and making revenues. The only officer you can tell to be on board is the head of revenues.

 

We just booked NCL Haven and two MSC Yacht Club cruises for kater this year to see if we would like the other lines better.

 

 

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[blondietink]

We are thinking of trying MSC because of their past guest matching program. We always pick our cruises based on itinerary. Having been to the ABC Islands along with the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Belize on Carnival, we would pick the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Belize itinerary in a heartbeat. We loved every minute of those ports since they are somewhat off the beaten path and not as commercialized as the ABC islands.

[Guest hrtcruises]

I'm writing this out of our owner suite on board of the Navigator. We are very disappointed. The Navigator feels outdated, thw carpets are old, the furniture broken. The suite experience is not any better than a stateroom. The Concierge Lounge smells terrible, doesn't have any Windows and is only operated some hours around breakfast and dinner. We are Diamond Plus on RCL but we are very dissapointed how this cruise line developed. Everything is about cost saving and making revenues. The only officer you can tell to be on board is the head of revenues.

 

We just booked NCL Haven and two MSC Yacht Club cruises for kater this year to see if we would like the other lines better.

 

 

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We are thinking of trying MSC because of their past guest matching program. We always pick our cruises based on itinerary. Having been to the ABC Islands along with the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Belize on Carnival, we would pick the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Belize itinerary in a heartbeat. We loved every minute of those ports since they are somewhat off the beaten path and not as commercialized as the ABC islands.

 

Thank you for sharing your viewpoints on the ship and itinerary.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I'm writing this out of our owner suite on board of the Navigator. We are very disappointed. The Navigator feels outdated, thw carpets are old, the furniture broken. The suite experience is not any better than a stateroom. The Concierge Lounge smells terrible, doesn't have any Windows and is only operated some hours around breakfast and dinner. We are Diamond Plus on RCL but we are very dissapointed how this cruise line developed. Everything is about cost saving and making revenues. The only officer you can tell to be on board is the head of revenues.

 

We just booked NCL Haven and two MSC Yacht Club cruises for kater this year to see if we would like the other lines better.

 

 

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I am a big fan of RCI, Diamond almost Diamond Plus. Even I would be reluctant to book the Navigator as she is in dire need of a complete overhaul. RCI is now charging some of the highest rates and making cutbacks. RCI management is only interested in delivering the highest amounts of returns to the shareholders and especially the upper management while they continue to cut back on basic hospitality for the guests.

 

I would definitely vote for Divina...and I am sure "a bigger bang for the buck".

[KeywestK]

I've read a lot of positive reviews about the ABC islands. Why do you think the Divina's itinerary is awful?

 

Sorry for the delay in responding.....first time I've been on since my original comment.

 

Yes, the ABC islands are excellent. We've been to all of them, and would go back in a heartbeat. We've been to Aruba many times over the years. The ports listed on this Divina itinerary are not appealing to me at all. We've been to all of them, and I'd happily pass on them in the future. I'm not a big fan of the Western Caribbean ports, with the exception of Grand Cayman, which unfortunately is not on this itinerary.

 

Certainly opinions are subjective.

Nassau: For the first time visitor there, it's OK. Anyone can always find something of interest.

Ocho Rios: Only go on organized tours. Do not wander around on your own. Do not take a taxi. Friends of our felt very threatened in a taxi. Our friends made an agreement before getting in the taxi for a driving tour of a specified amount of time for a specified amount of money. The driver totally disregarded their agreement, took them for a ride that long exceeded their comfort level, and charged them a lot of money. It was a horrible experience.

Cartegena: I honestly can't remember what we saw or did there, so I have to wonder how memorable it was.

Cristobal: This was the pier that we docked at on a partial-Panama Canal cruise. There was some shopping at the pier, but nothing much else there to see or do.

Puerto Limon, CR: We took a tour here, and there really wasn't much to see. The Caribbean side of CR is nothing compared to the Pacific side--or even the central part of the country.

 

As I said, these are merely my opinions, but I would never pick this itinerary. There are too many beautiful and interesting ports to go to. And the ABC Islands are winners, every one.

[Guest hrtcruises]

Sorry for the delay in responding.....first time I've been on since my original comment.

 

Yes, the ABC islands are excellent. We've been to all of them, and would go back in a heartbeat. We've been to Aruba many times over the years. The ports listed on this Divina itinerary are not appealing to me at all. We've been to all of them, and I'd happily pass on them in the future. I'm not a big fan of the Western Caribbean ports, with the exception of Grand Cayman, which unfortunately is not on this itinerary.

 

Certainly opinions are subjective.

Nassau: For the first time visitor there, it's OK. Anyone can always find something of interest.

Ocho Rios: Only go on organized tours. Do not wander around on your own. Do not take a taxi. Friends of our felt very threatened in a taxi. Our friends made an agreement before getting in the taxi for a driving tour of a specified amount of time for a specified amount of money. The driver totally disregarded their agreement, took them for a ride that long exceeded their comfort level, and charged them a lot of money. It was a horrible experience.

Cartegena: I honestly can't remember what we saw or did there, so I have to wonder how memorable it was.

Cristobal: This was the pier that we docked at on a partial-Panama Canal cruise. There was some shopping at the pier, but nothing much else there to see or do.

Puerto Limon, CR: We took a tour here, and there really wasn't much to see. The Caribbean side of CR is nothing compared to the Pacific side--or even the central part of the country.

 

As I said, these are merely my opinions, but I would never pick this itinerary. There are too many beautiful and interesting ports to go to. And the ABC Islands are winners, every one.

 

Thank you for taking the time to provide details about each port.