MSC Divina Review June 24 - July 1

[okstatefire]

Hi All,

 

We just returned from the Divina and overall had a very good time. There were 6 of us, 2 couples in our mid 30's and one child each (4 and 6 year old). As some background, I started cruising with my parents at a young age and have 30+ cruises under my belt. We are not particularly loyal to one line and book based on value, timing, itinerary, etc.

 

I am posting this while getting caught up from work so will be making individual posts for each aspect: Divina, Voyagers Club, cabin, dining, drink service, kids program, etc. If anyone has specific questions I will be glad to answer them as I get time. Thanks for reading!

[cruisecouple7]

I can't wait to read it!

[okstatefire]

Divina

 

As has been mentioned numerous times, the Divina is a beautiful ship. It is spotless and obviously very well maintained. The layout of the ship is fairly standard with the lower decks (5-7) holding the majority of dining/shopping/entertainment options and the upper decks being mostly staterooms.

 

We stayed on deck 10 aft close to the aft elevator bank so this made it very convenient to access the rear of the buffet (important) and upper decks. Accessing the main dining room was a bit more cumbersome as we had to walk midship and then take the elevator down because decks 5 and 6 don't allow passage aft due to the dining rooms and kitchen.

 

The decor was very classy and it's obvious a lot of thought went into the design. The furniture also looks like it was largely designed for the ship and has held up well.

 

Elevators functioned well but there were several instances where we had a considerable wait and just took the stairs. Many of the elevators do not have ventilation so they can get very hot and smelly when full - especially when folks are traveling en masse from the sun decks back to their rooms.

 

Public restrooms can be difficult to find at times but are generally well kept. One thing strange is that the toilets in the public restrooms began to smell like a port a potty midway through the cruise and stayed that way for the remainder. The one in our cabin did not have this issue. Not sure if this is common on other ships but is the first time I have noticed it.

 

The theater is beautiful but seats are a bit uncomfortable. It's important to go early to secure a seat because they fill up quickly. A large section up front is reserved for the children's program and they attend most of the shows.

 

Some of the outside areas can get very slick - especially in the indoor pool area. It looks like they are putting down long floor runners over the tile in this area to remedy the issue.

[okstatefire]

Voyagers Club

 

We status matched my Hilton Diamond to MSC and received Gold status. This was a bit disappointing but was expected. To be honest, we saw very little value in Gold status.

 

The fruit in the room was 2 sad looking oranges, a pear, and an apple. The fruit was not replenished during the week.

 

We received sporadic notes and flyers for our "benefits" but they were of little value to us.

 

We did not receive an invitation to the Welcome Back reception but saw it as we were heading to dinner. We were welcomed in when we asked but there was no apology for the oversight. Sparkling wine was served and butlers from the Yacht Club passed some finger foods.

 

The "free" photo is one that is taken at the welcome back reception on Thursday night. They said these wouldn't be posted until Friday evening which is a joke as the cruise ends Saturday. We went by to see if we could find it but there were so many people we just gave up.

 

 

In my opinion Black Card is the only tier that has true value but YMMV - especially if you are in a port that requires a tender.

[okstatefire]

Cabin

 

We booked the cruise very late and received an inside handicapped cabin on deck 10 as it was the last available. This actually worked out well as my wife has some mobility issues and the extra space gave her a bit more room to navigate.

 

The biggest concern I had about this cabin was the shower leaking but this only happened a few times and only when we were docked. I believe this had something to do with the slant of the floor when we were docked. We learned to build a dam with beach towels and it worked well.

 

Our cabin steward was very good and responded quickly to any requests we had. Our room was kept clean and he worked very quickly to make the room up for us. There were no towel animals but this wasn't a big loss for us. The steward did place my son's stuffed tiger in a different location in the cabin each time he made it up which was a nice touch.

 

Beds and sheets were pretty standard. I did bring my own pillow as I'm pretty picky.

 

The cabin took a while to cool down when we first boarded and we left it on the coldest setting the entire cruise. It never seemed to get as cold as we would have liked it though. Nights were pretty warm in the cabin as we are used to sleeping with a fan on in the room. The lack of air movement was problematic and I will probably bring a small fan with me next time.

 

There were very few power outlets and we found none near our bed. This made it difficult to charge our phones and other electronics.

[okstatefire]

Children's Program

 

This was probably the biggest issue we had on the ship. There were 900+ children on the ship and to be honest the staff were overwhelmed and poorly organized for this large of a group. The staff worked very hard but their numbers could have doubled and it still would not be sufficient.

 

Apparently there were some parent or staff issues (made vague reference to problems) during the previous sailing so they made adjustments to their schedule. This was poorly thought out and implemented.

 

On sea days the program was open from 9 or 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. It took 20-30 minutes to drop a child off due to the line and about the same amount of time to pick them up due to the same. This left only 1 or 1.5 hours to do something without a sidekick.

 

Afternoons and evenings were not much better. They had several events scheduled but all of them required parent attendance so there wasn't really an opportunity to have an adults evening.

 

We had early seating and the kids really wanted to do the pizza party for dinner one night. The time was 6:00 to 7:30 and they had a parents and kids event at 7:45. They wanted the kids picked up 7:15-7:30. I asked if it was possible for us to just meet them at 7:45 as it's impossible in the MDR to finish dinner that quickly. The answer was a curt no and she explained "Sir the staff needs an opportunity to eat dinner." I'm perfectly ok with that but couldn't they plan things a little better? Maybe take breaks in shifts? Just to be clear, I had to leave my dinner early so the staff could have theirs. I can't imagine how difficult their jobs are and have a tremendous amount of respect for what they do. With that being said, other cruise lines have this down to a science and if things are this big of a hassle for customers they should really reevaluate it.

 

They also take the kids to the show most nights. Seeing 100+ kids holding hands and walking from deck 15 to deck 6 forward is both impressive and terrifying. Its impossible for them to keep track of that many kids with the staffing they have.

 

 

We are not by any means the parents who dump our kids in the program all day but do appreciate the opportunity to have a few hours one or two evenings to have an adults night. This didn't happen this cruise and was a big disappointment. If MSC is serious about the US market they are going to need to up their game big time in this area.

[slei15]

Children's Program

 

 

 

This was probably the biggest issue we had on the ship. There were 900+ children on the ship and to be honest the staff were overwhelmed and poorly organized for this large of a group. The staff worked very hard but their numbers could have doubled and it still would not be sufficient.

 

 

 

Apparently there were some parent or staff issues (made vague reference to problems) during the previous sailing so they made adjustments to their schedule. This was poorly thought out and implemented.

 

 

 

On sea days the program was open from 9 or 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. It took 20-30 minutes to drop a child off due to the line and about the same amount of time to pick them up due to the same. This left only 1 or 1.5 hours to do something without a sidekick.

 

 

 

Afternoons and evenings were not much better. They had several events scheduled but all of them required parent attendance so there wasn't really an opportunity to have an adults evening.

 

 

 

We had early seating and the kids really wanted to do the pizza party for dinner one night. The time was 6:00 to 7:30 and they had a parents and kids event at 7:45. They wanted the kids picked up 7:15-7:30. I asked if it was possible for us to just meet them at 7:45 as it's impossible in the MDR to finish dinner that quickly. The answer was a curt no and she explained "Sir the staff needs an opportunity to eat dinner." I'm perfectly ok with that but couldn't they plan things a little better? Maybe take breaks in shifts? Just to be clear, I had to leave my dinner early so the staff could have theirs. I can't imagine how difficult their jobs are and have a tremendous amount of respect for what they do. With that being said, other cruise lines have this down to a science and if things are this big of a hassle for customers they should really reevaluate it.

 

 

 

They also take the kids to the show most nights. Seeing 100+ kids holding hands and walking from deck 15 to deck 6 forward is both impressive and terrifying. Its impossible for them to keep track of that many kids with the staffing they have.

 

 

 

 

 

We are not by any means the parents who dump our kids in the program all day but do appreciate the opportunity to have a few hours one or two evenings to have an adults night. This didn't happen this cruise and was a big disappointment. If MSC is serious about the US market they are going to need to up their game big time in this area.

 

 

 

It's amazing the difference a week makes. We were on the Divina 6/17-6/24 and had no issues with kids club! Our kids loved it and thought it was their favorite of the 4 cruise lines they have been on!

 

 

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[okstatefire]

Drink Service

 

We booked on the Fantastica package which included 12 alcoholic drinks per adult and 12 non alcoholic drinks for our son. Prior to sailing we purchased 2 18 pack drink booklets and almost purchased a third but instead purchased the dinner wine package for around $80. This included a bottle of red or white wine each evening and turned out to be a great bargain as the menu price for the wine was $25. We had the red which was a cabernet from Chile but I can't remember the name. It wasn't bad. The second to last day we ended up splitting a book of 18 tickets with the couple traveling with us and this was just enough to get us through the trip.

 

We really enjoyed the concept of the drink tickets as we didn't feel obligated to have a drink in our hands the entire time as with the all inclusive package. For some reason I always feel that I have to get my money's worth with the all inclusive. The only issue was having to physically hand them a voucher and your ship card every time you wanted a drink. They run everything through the computer so I don't know why they can't just automate the system.

 

Every bar person imaginable tries to sell you a package or drink tickets when you board. I just wish I could find them as often when I wanted a drink. They have a very odd system where in most instances you try to order with a bartender and they call over a server to take your order. The server then puts it in the computer and the bartender makes it. They then give the drink to the server and they bring it to you - even if you're sitting at the bar. When it's busy or you're at the pool bars the bartenders take your order but they are largely understaffed. There were also very few servers walking around the pool areas. We found by sticking a few $ in with our ticket and card we got some quicker/better service.

 

The pool bars sell beer in glass bottles. Don't know how this hasn't been more of an issue but I also didn't see broken glass anywhere. Liquor drinks were generally pretty weak.

 

Overall the "rail" liquors were good quality and the bars had a good assortment of drink options. They had Yuengling which was nice since we can't get it out west where we live.

[okstatefire]

It's amazing the difference a week makes. We were on the Divina 6/17-6/24 and had no issues with kids club! Our kids loved it and thought it was their favorite of the 4 cruise lines they have been on!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Yes indeed. Were there about the same number of children on your sailing? I'm interested to know what the "issue" was that prompted the schedule change. We are looking at a March sailing on the Seaside and to be honest the same kids club schedule would probably be a deal breaker for us.

[slei15]

Yes indeed. Were there about the same number of children on your sailing? I'm interested to know what the "issue" was that prompted the schedule change. We are looking at a March sailing on the Seaside and to be honest the same kids club schedule would probably be a deal breaker for us.

 

 

 

I know there were 250 teens on our sailing. Our kids are 5 and 7, and when they went there were between 40-50 their age in kids club. Lots of kids not in kids club as well, but don't know the total number. The schedule sounds the same as what we had, so not sure about a change, but to our knowledge there were no big issues with the club on our sailing. The only complaint we even saw was when the kids buffet dinner filled up and they wouldn't take more than 75 kids with them so some families got left out (but they also didn't sign up in advance, so it was their own fault). The counselors knew our kids by name after the first day, even with all the other kids there, and everything seemed to be smooth.

 

 

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[okstatefire]

Dining

 

MDR

 

We had early seating in the Black Crab with a table for 6. I typically like to eat late but with the kids that was a non starter. We were on the upper level at a nice table in the corner by a window. We quickly realized we were in the "kids" section which was fine but I think we were the only table around us that didn't have a high chair.

 

The MDR food was pretty good overall. The fish dishes weren't the best except for the red snapper on the last night which was fantastic. The beef options were all very good except for the steak you can order every night. One of the kids ordered it and it was very tough and fatty. I asked for my beef dishes rare which came out as medium rare which was just fine. I'm not a big dessert person but they were very good - especially the cheesecakes.

 

The service wasn't great but improved toward the end. I believe our waiter was an assistant waiter and he was either training or they were understaffed. They often messed up our orders and brought out the wrong dish but we ate it anyway because we hate to waste food. I don't know if this disappointed our servers or not because at times we saw them frantically eating extra food in the wait station. We saw other tables with a risotto dish waiting on the kids when they got to the table and asked for this as well. This definitely helped keep the kids busy while we ordered and waited for our starters.

 

Dinner typically took around 2 hours. Service seemed to still be very "European" where if you asked for something they were happy to get it for you but didn't come by to check and see how things are going. I'm fine with this but just different. We had to regularly ask for water to be refilled but by the end they came by regularly and also brought us coffee with dessert without being asked at the end as well.

 

One morning at breakfast the waiter opened the valve on the coffee pot and the pressure was so great that hot coffee flew all over our table and us. The waiter looked as if he was about to cry and we tried to not make a deal about it but he was very upset. Luckily we were not burned but did have to go change our clothes.

 

Buffet

 

We had the buffet several days for breakfast as well as for snacks here and there. It is the zoo that everyone says it is. The rear of the buffet usually has empty seats at breakfast which worked well. The food at breakfast was fine but didn't change the entire week which got old. If you want an omelette you have to go out to the pool deck.

 

The pizza was excellent and would rival most offerings you could get on shore. The toppings, however were pretty sparse and also repetitive.

 

Specialty Dining

 

We had planned to eat in Eataly as well as Galaxy but due to the kid's club scheduling we were unable to do so. I'm glad we didn't prebook these.

[okstatefire]

I know there were 250 teens on our sailing. Our kids are 5 and 7, and when they went there were between 40-50 their age in kids club. Lots of kids not in kids club as well, but don't know the total number. The schedule sounds the same as what we had, so not sure about a change, but to our knowledge there were no big issues with the club on our sailing. The only complaint we even saw was when the kids buffet dinner filled up and they wouldn't take more than 75 kids with them so some families got left out (but they also didn't sign up in advance, so it was their own fault). The counselors knew our kids by name after the first day, even with all the other kids there, and everything seemed to be smooth.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Yes the staff were great. No issues there at all. Glad things ran smoothly for you and I'm hoping this is an isolated deal!

[slei15]

Yes the staff were great. No issues there at all. Glad things ran smoothly for you and I'm hoping this is an isolated deal!

 

 

 

We are going to be on the Seaside inaugural on Dec 23...I'll definitely do a review on that one to help decide on March!

 

 

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[okstatefire]

Casino

 

The casino is not large but is very nice. They have a good mixture of table games and electronics. However, they do not have craps which was a disappointment. In speaking with a casino manager he indicated the margins aren't good enough for them to have a craps table.

 

Happy hour .50 roulette was nice. They also had electronic roulette that had .50 minimums all the time.

 

The staff were pretty friendly and it was nice that there was no smoking. Drink service was also good.

 

When you get a cash out voucher you have to go to the cage to get it redeemed. They give you the dollar amount and if there is any change they give you another voucher for the change amount. I've never seen this before and it's kind of shady be honest. I mean who hangs on to a .17 voucher? I'm sure this adds up over time for the casino though.

[okstatefire]

St Maarten

 

We booked a beach trip through Shore Fox and it was great. We boarded a van for Orient Beach and they took us to Kakao Beach Bar and Restaurant. The excursion included beach chairs and umbrellas, a welcome rum punch, lunch (choice of mahi, grilled chicken, or ribs) and a beer, glass of wine, or liquor drink at lunch. The food and drinks were very good. For $58 for adults and $30 for kids it was a great value.

 

Drink service on the beach was excellent and the prices were fairly reasonable. We had a few buckets of Presidente and a bottle of white wine. The server came by frequently with ice to top off the buckets as well as water. When we were ready for lunch they had a table in the shade waiting for us. This was definitely one of the highlights of our cruise.

 

Be sure to try the Guavaberry rum in the hut at the cruise terminal. It is excellent!

[okstatefire]

San Juan

 

San Juan is a great port and I love that there is so much within walking distance from the pier. Our friends had never been before so of course we went to the fort. It was very hot and humid and the kids started to get antsy so we looked to find something for them.

 

We ended up taking an Uber to Carolina (suburb of San Juan past the airport) to their Children's Museum (Museo del Nino). It was really incredible and we could have spent a few days there. The museum is new and is 2 stories with a beautiful atrium in the center and they have really great activities and experiments for the kids. They also have a nice go kart track, a decommissioned American Airlines plane that you can tour, a small zoo, a very large play area, paddle boats, nature trails, etc. It was well worth the trip out of town!

[thegraminator]

I'd love to hear about the Children Museum . Can you tell me more like the price , what's included and about how far it is from the port in San Juan ?

 

I am loving your review ! We leave for the Divina in 2 weeks !

[okstatefire]

I'd love to hear about the Children Museum . Can you tell me more like the price , what's included and about how far it is from the port in San Juan ?

 

I am loving your review ! We leave for the Divina in 2 weeks !

 

I believe admission was $10 for adults and $6 for kids. If you wanted to do the zoo, paddle boats, and go karts it was a few dollars extra. We just paid to access the museum because we only had about 2 hours to spend. The museum has a mini city, race car pit crew area, space simulator, construction area, a play fishing trawler, and lots of other things. They also have a cafe there where we had lunch. The food was good and was very reasonable.

 

We have been to a number of children's museums and this one was very well done. I really liked it because it wasn't a "touristy" place and my son was able to interact with local kids on their turf which is always a great learning experience.

 

It took about 15-20 minutes each way from the port and the Uber was around $12.50 each way. The museum has a website but it is in Spanish. If you're looking for something outside the norm to do in San Juan I would highly recommend it!

[okstatefire]

Nassau

 

We almost didn't get off the ship here but at the last minute booked day passes at the British Colonial Hilton. We liked it because it was right around the corner from the ship and didn't require much effort to get there. The rate included access to their facilities as well as a $40 f&b credit per person which we felt was a good deal. The beach was nicely groomed and we were able to get some chairs with some shade. The water was very clear and there were a number of fish that would swim up to you looking for a treat. You also get some great shots in the water with the ship in the background if that's your thing.

 

The service was very good. While food and drinks were expensive on the menu, we all had lunch and a few beers each and only owed around $10 extra. There were a few areas (cabanas and pool loungers) that were "off limits" to us with the day pass but we were never made to feel like second class citizens.

 

This is also a great location because you can walk through a few shops on your way back to the ship. We have become pretty bored with Nassau but would definitely go back to the Hilton.

[okstatefire]

Internet

 

I teach a college class online and have a weekly live lecture. I purchased the "streamer" package because I needed live streaming capability one evening while we were at sea to deliver the lecture. I was pretty skeptical going in because I am used to dial up speeds but the internet quality overall was very impressive! My class went off without a hitch and the students had no complaints about audio clarity. How cool is that!?

 

Download speeds were 2-3 Mbps and upload was 1.5-2 Mbps. Not screaming fast but considering the circumstances it's pretty dang good. I was able to make some calls using AT&T wifi calling and these worked great as well. Nothing like getting a call on your cell phone on a cruise in the middle of dinner...

 

The package also included 4 logins so the adults all had a chance to check their email, do the Facebook thing, etc. We could also text each other which was nice.

 

We had 1.8 GB for the week and had 85 mb left when we got off the ship in Miami. There were also significantly reduced rates available for additional data if needed.

 

$80 is a lot for a little bit of data but considering the airlines charge $20+ for access on a single flight it's probably pretty fair.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[shukapaw]

@okstatefire, thanks for the review. We were on both the June 17 and June 24 sailings. The first week we were in a regular balcony cabin. Like you, we were seated upstairs in Black Crab. We had a nice location, a corner booth for our group of 5. However, we were completely hemmed in by a large party (18 to 20) that surrounded us. They were about half kids and were very noisy. As you might imagine, the waitsatff was preoccupied trying to take orders for a group of 20, get their meals, etc so our service was lukewarm. The booking I'd made for the cruise included mealtime drink package (bottled water, wine, etc) and it was like pulling teeth to get any of that. After a day of this, I made a comment to the Hotel Director (Did not complain, just explained my situation) He asked for our table information and the next night at dinner the maitre d came to our table and handed us some nice cards indicating that he'd re-assigned our table. I told him he didn't have to do that but he asked that we look at the new table and let him know before dinner the next night.

 

We looked and decided to make the switch. The new table was in a MUCH nicer spot and the waiter was fantastic. He looked at our cruise card which indicated that we had the mealtime bev package and immediately brought us bottled water. He asked our wine preference and kept our wine glasses filled. He brought us coffee after dinner. I was so impressed with this guy that I hunted down the maitre d to thank him and ask if the waiter was told to provide us better-than-normal service based on my previous comments. He told me that was not the case. I again told him how great our waitstaff was. The next evening, the maitre d had chocolate-dipped strawberries delivered to our cabin (I assume as his way of saying thanks for taking the time to praise the waiters)

 

I'd say that our meals averaged about 90 minutes.

 

The second week of our trip (the week you sailed) we splurged and stayed in the Yacht Club. We've been home 5 days and my liver is almost ready to forgive me for what I put it thru in the YC. ;p

 

NOTE: Please, on MSC (or any cruise line for that matter) if you feel anything is less-than-satisfactory on your cruise, please say something to somebody and let them have a chance to fix it. Don't wait until you get home and then complain on CC about it.

 

It seems that MSC is making a concerted effort to establish a solid foothold in the North American market. Sure, there are a few things they need to fix but overall the cruises were great. In fact, we have B2B booked on Seaside for next year

 

 

Brian

 

Dining

 

MDR

 

We had early seating in the Black Crab with a table for 6. ..... We were on the upper level at a nice table in the corner by a window. .

 

The MDR food was pretty good overall. The fish dishes weren't the best except for the red snapper on the last night which was fantastic. The beef options were all very good except for the steak you can order every night. One of the kids ordered it and it was very tough and fatty. I asked for my beef dishes rare which came out as medium rare which was just fine. I'm not a big dessert person but they were very good - especially the cheesecakes.

 

The service wasn't great but improved toward the end. I believe our waiter was an assistant waiter and he was either training or they were understaffed. They often messed up our orders and brought out the wrong dish but we ate it anyway because we hate to waste food. I don't know if this disappointed our servers or not because at times we saw them frantically eating extra food in the wait station. We saw other tables with a risotto dish waiting on the kids when they got to the table and asked for this as well. This definitely helped keep the kids busy while we ordered and waited for our starters.

 

Dinner typically took around 2 hours. Service seemed to still be very "European" where if you asked for something they were happy to get it for you but didn't come by to check and see how things are going. I'm fine with this but just different. We had to regularly ask for water to be refilled but by the end they came by regularly and also brought us coffee with dessert without being asked at the end as well.

 

One morning at breakfast the waiter opened the valve on the coffee pot and the pressure was so great that hot coffee flew all over our table and us. The waiter looked as if he was about to cry and we tried to not make a deal about it but he was very upset. Luckily we were not burned but did have to go change our clothes.

 

Buffet

 

We had the buffet several days for breakfast as well as for snacks here and there. It is the zoo that everyone says it is. The rear of the buffet usually has empty seats at breakfast which worked well. The food at breakfast was fine but didn't change the entire week which got old. If you want an omelette you have to go out to the pool deck.

 

The pizza was excellent and would rival most offerings you could get on shore. The toppings, however were pretty sparse and also repetitive.

 

Specialty Dining

 

We had planned to eat in Eataly as well as Galaxy but due to the kid's club scheduling we were unable to do so. I'm glad we didn't prebook these.

[okstatefire]

@okstatefire, thanks for the review. We were on both the June 17 and June 24 sailings. The first week we were in a regular balcony cabin. Like you, we were seated upstairs in Black Crab. We had a nice location, a corner booth for our group of 5. However, we were completely hemmed in by a large party (18 to 20) that surrounded us. They were about half kids and were very noisy. As you might imagine, the waitsatff was preoccupied trying to take orders for a group of 20, get their meals, etc so our service was lukewarm. The booking I'd made for the cruise included mealtime drink package (bottled water, wine, etc) and it was like pulling teeth to get any of that. After a day of this, I made a comment to the Hotel Director (Did not complain, just explained my situation) He asked for our table information and the next night at dinner the maitre d came to our table and handed us some nice cards indicating that he'd re-assigned our table. I told him he didn't have to do that but he asked that we look at the new table and let him know before dinner the next night.

 

We looked and decided to make the switch. The new table was in a MUCH nicer spot and the waiter was fantastic. He looked at our cruise card which indicated that we had the mealtime bev package and immediately brought us bottled water. He asked our wine preference and kept our wine glasses filled. He brought us coffee after dinner. I was so impressed with this guy that I hunted down the maitre d to thank him and ask if the waiter was told to provide us better-than-normal service based on my previous comments. He told me that was not the case. I again told him how great our waitstaff was. The next evening, the maitre d had chocolate-dipped strawberries delivered to our cabin (I assume as his way of saying thanks for taking the time to praise the waiters)

 

I'd say that our meals averaged about 90 minutes.

 

The second week of our trip (the week you sailed) we splurged and stayed in the Yacht Club. We've been home 5 days and my liver is almost ready to forgive me for what I put it thru in the YC. ;p

 

NOTE: Please, on MSC (or any cruise line for that matter) if you feel anything is less-than-satisfactory on your cruise, please say something to somebody and let them have a chance to fix it. Don't wait until you get home and then complain on CC about it.

 

It seems that MSC is making a concerted effort to establish a solid foothold in the North American market. Sure, there are a few things they need to fix but overall the cruises were great. In fact, we have B2B booked on Seaside for next year

 

 

Brian

 

Hi Brian,

 

Thanks for your great comment and for sharing your experience on the Divina. I did pull one of the supervisors aside after dinner on Monday to let him know the service was lacking and we did notice an improvement as was mentioned in my review. It wasn't a substantial improvement but was sufficient. I would have expected someone to come by the table the next evening to see how things were going but this did not happen. In fact, this is the only 7 night cruise I can remember where one of the management staff or the Maitre D did not come by the table at least once during the cruise to inquire about the food and/or service.

 

I don't feel that I was complaining in my review and thought I was making observations. Sorry if it did not come across as such. I try to give the good with the bad and don't expect every experience on every cruise to be a home run.

 

You're right that MSC has some things they need to work on. Their hard product is great but the soft product is still rough around the edges. There is a certain charm in this as we all mentioned that things didn't feel as "corporate" as on other lines.

 

We had a great time on our trip and thought MSC was a great value. We are also looking to book the Seaside in March and I'm sure that a lot of these issue will be ironed out by then. Thanks!

 

Mike

[hihosilvers]

could you comment on room service. there seems to be a lot of confusion around cost. i was told that at the Fantasica level, there is no charge for food or delivery. seems like that may have changed though.

[shukapaw]

Hi Mike,

 

I re-read my post and can see how you'd think I was targeting you. That was not the case. My comment was directed at the CC membership overall. I thought your review was very even-handed.

 

Sorry for any confusion.

 

Brian

 

 

I don't feel that I was complaining in my review and thought I was making observations. Sorry if it did not come across as such. I try to give the good with the bad and don't expect every experience on every cruise to be a home run.