Review of MSC Divina sailing with kids age 7 and 9. 3-18 to 3-25-17. any questions?

I will be using voice to type for most of this so I apologize for grammatical errors or missing commas and other grammar issues.

We just got back from our family cruise. It was a great time. I will say there were some good things and some just okay things. Going in we were a little hesitant about MSC because we had never done one before. Overall I would say it was definitely a good experience and depending on the price we would do it again. We did not book anything special, no yacht club or anything. Just a Bella cabin number 8254. My wife and I are pretty experienced Cruisers. We believe this is our 12th one... Pretty sad that we have lost track. However, this was only our second Cruise with our children. My wife and I are both 38 and our children are a nine year old daughter and seven year old son. My wife and I have been on most of the standard Cruise Lines -Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, and Holland America. The only cruise we have been on with the kids was Norwegian on the getaway which we also enjoyed, but definitely took some getting used to and acclimating to Cruisin with the kids rather than just the two of us.

Prior to boarding we purchased several drink packages. We got the Doremi package a coffee cuddle and the bottled beer package. All are well worth it and we ended up using them all on our 7 day cruise. The last day we actually had to make ourselves use a couple because we had some extra. We also purchased the dining package for three restaurants.

Embarkation

We actually got to the port a little later than we had initially hoped. We got there approximately 2 p.m. and from the time we were dropped off by our shuttle we were on the boat with in 15 minutes. We missed the major backup times but I still thought we got on very quickly. We then went and got the kids registered for the kids club.

We then went to our room which was very nice however we did notice a lot of Random stuff/stains in places. Don't get me wrong throughout the week our room stewards were very good and they did what was expected as far as making the room up and keeping it clean. They also pulled out the kids bed everyday and put it away every morning so that we didn't have to deal with it throughout the day. A lot of what we found was just stuff that accumulates over time and gets overlooked because it's in rare spots that room stewards really don't look at. There was dirt smudges in random places, we found some leftover catch up on one of the tables that was not cleaned off and my wife also found a lot of hair in one of the drawers where the hair dryer is located. We called the front desk and mentioned it to them and once we got back from our muster drill the hair had been cleaned up however the other random smudges and dirt we're still there. I then just cleaned them up myself with a washcloth because I did not want to cause any more hassle for us or the room steward. Just left a little sour taste in my mouth but I got over it quickly once we got underway. The rest of the ship was beautiful though and very well maintained. All of the common areas were spotress and people were always cleaning.

FOOD

The food on board was just middle of the road. I've definitely had better food on most of the other Cruise Lines. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad it just wasn't anything that I would write home about. One standout was the Galaxy Restaurant however. This was excellent and I would definitely recommend it again. However, Eataly was one of the most UNDERwhelming specialty restaurants we've ever been two on any of the cruise lines. I will definitely not go back there or waste my money. The steak was Bland and the vegetables and sides were very mediocre. The Pinnacle Grill on Holland BLOWS Eataly out of the water. Also I know many people have mentioned the pizza being very good and they were not wrong. The pizza on board was definitely the best I've ever had at sea. It would even put some New York City pizza joints to shame.

KIDS ACTIVITIES

The kids club on board was excellent. Both my children loved all of the counselors and seemed to have a very good time. My son actually spent one entire day in there. We tried two or three times throughout the day to come and get him and see if he wantee to join us at the pool and he told us that he would rather stay in the kids club. Initially my nine-year-old daughter was a little reticent about going in but she quickly made friends and after that was smooth sailing. I also really like the kids club on MSC because the hours are much more user-friendly than on Norwegian. Again we have never taken the kids on any other Cruise other than Norwegian to compare it to. The MSC kids club had lots of activities that they took the kids to around the ship and they also took them to meals. On Norwegian they would take them to meals but there was a charge if you wanted them to. The MSC kids club also took the kids to some of the kid-friendly shows late in the evening. The kids club also offers a late night package if you want the kids to stay till 2 a.m. but I believe the charges $20 per child. Otherwise you normally had to have them picked up by 10:45 or 11. On Port days the kids club was open the entire day, on sea days it would close for about an hour or two in the daytime and evening to allow the counselors to eat I assume. Again the kids club was awesome and our kids really enjoyed it.

SLIDE

I know I had questions and I've seen a lot of questions about the slide. THE DIFINITIVE RULE is the child has to be the minimum height requirement which is 48 inches and 8 years old. Not either or. Once we found this out i was not a happy camper. I knew my son was looking forward to the slide. We live in Orlando so there is no way this slide remotely compares to Universal Studios Disney SeaWorld or any of the other Resorts that we go and ride rides at all the time. This slide is fun but it's pretty weak and I don't feel I need to be 8 to ride it. In order to ride the kids have to have a wristband. I might have accidentally fudged my son's birthday and got him a wristband. He easily meets the height requirement so I might have accidentally put that he was born in 2009 instead of 2010. he got his wristband and rode the slide all week long. I have heard rumors that there's a list or something but the pool attendant had me sign the waiver and there was no questions asked whatsoever.

We also purchased the $60 all you can play entertainment package. This was also well worth it because there are not a lot of other activities to do with the kids on board. We played a ton of bowling and rode the virtual reality ride many many many times.

Let's be honest this is not a Disney cruise. The kids club is awesomte however there is not a lot of active things to do on board. I mean in comparison to Royal Caribbean or some of the newer ships that have lots of water slides and ropes courses and bumper cars and all of the other newfangled things.

BUFFET

One thing we did hate about this ship was the buffet. It is completely disorganized and the layout is not user-friendly whatsoever. Going into the buffet you have to know that you were going to eat a burger one day or pizza one day or salad. Etc. If you want to try and take a little bit from one or the other its practically impossible to get through because of the way everything is laid out and the length of the buffet itself. When the ship isn't busy it's not as much of a problem however during the peak times this can cause some frustration.

One other thing that MSC cannot control however people should go in knowing is that there are a lot of flat-out rude people on the boat. Not workers but other Cruisers. I by no means think Americans are above anyone however there were a lot of foreign speaking people who were blatantly rude. I don't mean one or two but a pretty significant amount. Don't know if there was any occasion that I tried to get off an elevator that I wasn't pushed aside or had someone walk in the elevator before letting me out. Again I'm sure Americans do this as well however everyone I encountered this with was foreign speaking during the cruise. There was also a lack of giving someone personal space while at the buffet. If you were dishing something up people had no qualms with reaching over you around you or just blatantly going in front of you. Again nothing that MSC can control however you might want to go in knowing that there will be a lot of different nationalities with different behaviors on this Cruise Line versus some of the standardized American ones.

SHOWS

The shows were all very good. One or two were mostly singing and kind of became a snoozefest. However,the singers and dancers all did an excellent job. I think it was just a matter of the material they were using. The Michael Jackson show in the pirate show we're definitely the best. The acrobats singers and dancers all did a very good job and the vocalist sounded great. The Michael Jackson show was lipsync but the dancing and performances were still very good. I think in order to compete MSC is going to have to adjust their performances just a little though or at least add some other options. Our last cruise wae on the Oasis and we had Endless Options as far as entertainment. This cruise, and I would guess MSC in general, is definitely more traditional. You eat and go to a show or you go to a show and then eat. And you only have one option as for the show. Nowadays on Royal and some of the other lines you have your choice of ice skating shows diving shows shows Broadway shows such as cats, etc. Having the only option be the one show was somewhat disappointing and got a little repetitive every night.

Okay. I will try to wrap this up. Overall we had a great experience and I think MSC is headed in the right direction. The captain spoke on several occasions during the performances or after them and mentioned how MSC is growing and needs everyone's support to break into the American Market. The kids club was one of the high points of the cruise for us. If we were to go back it would be primarily because of that and the hours the kids club is open. The fact that they take them to the shows and to dinner without charging extra is a big benefit. If MSC stays as it is we would definitely cruise with them again however if we were to find a cruise on one of the more traditional line for the same price we would go with them over MSC. If MSC continues to do the Kids Sail Free and their prices stay low we will definitely look into cruisingagain. But again if we can find a cruise on Royal or princess or Holland for the same price or maybe even a little bit more we would probably lean towards that .

I know this was kind of scattered and probably didn't hit on a lot of topics. If anyone has questions feel free to shoot them to me and I will try to answer them as best as I can. I have no problem filling you in on what I can. We didn't do a lot of late-night activities since we have the kids so our nights typically shut down around 11.

Thanks very much for taking the time to review your cruise. We really enjoyed our time on Divina as well.

Could you please tell me more about the $60 all you can play entertainment package? Is that per person? What is it good for? Also how much is things individually if you do not purchase the package? :confused:

Thanks for writing a great, informative review.

Could you please tell me more about the $60 all you can play entertainment package? Is that per person? What is it good for? Also how much is things individually if you do not purchase the package? :confused:

Thanks for writing a great, informative review.

The $60 package includes the F1 race car simulator, the 4D theater, and the bowling alley,. The $60 is for the cabin. We had four in our cabin so it was definitely well worth it. Otherwise the bowling alone was $8 per person per game. The other things were both about the same between 7 to $10 per person per item. Those add up quite a bit when you play three back-to-back games of bowling with 4 people. A lot of people don't really know about the deal either so none of the items were that busy during our cruise. Some people spoke of the bowling alley being broken quite a bit however we never had an occasion whe're both lanes were broken. Occasionally one would be down but they were very quick to get it fixed. Also you cannot book the $60 package before getting on board, this was an item you had to get once you are on the ship.

I remembered one other thing I wanted to mention in a review. I couldn't believe how few kids were on the ship. There were an average amount. I was definitely expecting a lot more though seeing as how MSC offers the Kids Sail Free and the fact that it is spring break time in the states. I asked the counselors in the kids area how the capacity was and they said it was about average. They said the only time they really have a large-capacity is during the summer. This ship as a whole also seemed under capacity which was confirmed To Us by another crew member when we asked them. Other than the hot spots being the buffet , the sun decks on sea days, and The Late Show most of the ship was never really crowded it seemed.

Sorry but I keep thinking of other things I wanted to mention in a review and forgot. We spoke with quite a few other Cruisers and a couple of people who went to the Cruise Critic meet and greet. They said it was well-received and had quite a few people. We were not able to make it because of a kids event going on at the same time. Sounds like a lot of the officers were there and we're interested in feedback. Also I know some people have questioned the bedding and pillows being Lumpy. For us they seem sufficient and we're comfortable. I think some of the newer beds on some of the bigger lines are better but these we're definitely good enough and up to a normal standard. Another thing to note was that the casino on this ship seems very small. Maybe it was because we are used to some of the bigger ships like the Oasis which has more people so I guess have a larger Casino. Just a small thing we noticed. However, the no smoking in the casino was very nice. I wish all of them would go to that. Makes it a lot more enjoyable. I'm sure I'll have something else pop in my head.

Thanks for the review and i think MSC has the best buffet for lunch at sea, no problems getting food at all but then again we go right when they open. Totally agree with the MANY rude European people on every cruise, we have been on the Divina 7x and it's always the same.

Thanks for the review and i think MSC has the best buffet for lunch at sea, no problems getting food at all but then again we go right when they open. Totally agree with the MANY rude Europyean people on every cruise, we have been on the Divina 7x and it's always the same.

Seriously? Rude? Do you know your ancestry? Are you native American?

If there was one thing I could change, it would be the fact that so many people don't know or understand the different cultures and what to expect when being met with the different cultures. I understand that some things seem to be seen as rude but if you're not familiar with their culture, you will think that something totally acceptable and not rude at all in their culture is rude.

We expect things to be all American but guess what, you may very well be seen as Rude to others, especially Europeans. Accept that we are all different and try to learn from your experience... yeah I know I sound like I'm preaching but I've done my DNA and Ancestral background and I know I'm European. The Americas are made up of Europeans, Asian, Africans, and all other Ethnicities.

Try to learn their cultures before you judge them as rude, you'll be surprised what you will learn.

Rant over.

Learn to love le difference. (flame away I have my flame retardant suit on)

What the reviewer mentioned and what several others have mentioned is rude no matter what culture you're from. Don't cut line, say excuse me, being respectful of personal space, etc. are not too much to ask. Maybe those that have not yet mastered those skills can learn a little from the good old U S of A.

Your experience is VERY similar to what we experienced when we sailed on the Divina last summer. From the food, to the kids club, to the waterslide, to the entertainment, down to the cleanliness hiccups with the stateroom.

We paid a ridiculously low price thanks to the kids sail free, 2 for 1 balcony and loyalty match discount promotions so we were more than willing to overlook the flaws which we considered minor. The ship was indeed beautiful, but overall it was a budget minded experience and people need to understand that before they set foot on an MSC cruise.

About the flame inducing comments concerning fellow cruisers: there are indeed many nationalities and cultures represented onboard, so a little bit of tolerance and acceptance goes a long way. But we've traveled extensively by land, including Europe and other continents and both my wife and I agreed that, even being open to cultural differences, we still found a disproportionate amount of rude fellow cruisers onboard. It was annoying at times specially at the buffet, elevators, or any place where people had to stand in line. We didn't blame it on the large percentage of Europeans onboard but on the fact that this cruise line, with its attractive pricing, attracts a demographic similar to what we've encountered on certain American cruise lines where rude passengers have also been an issue. Just like there are rude American passengers, there are rude passengers in other parts of the world, and many seemed to be onboard our sailing.

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Thanks for the very detailed review.

Thanks for the review!

A few questions on food for the kids...

Did you take the kids to the specialty restaurants? Was there a kids menu?

Was there a kids menu in the regular dining rooms and do you remember what was in them?

Thanks!

Ok this is not meant to insult anyone or anything just some insight as to what others feel are Europeans etc being rude to them. I'm Canadian. And often when we travel people mistake us for American. I see a huge difference in how people treat us when they think we are American compared to how they treat us when they learn we are Canadian. People of different nationalities are way more friendlier and inviting when they find out we are Canadian. I'm not kidding either it's like a switch is flipped.

There are reasons why many Canadians wear things to identify themselves as Canadian when we travel.

So I hate to say it but some of the rudeness people encounter may be directed at people because they are American. It's not right but that happens. Unfortunately American tourists don't have a good reputation around the world.

Again not saying I agree with that. Just what I've encountered talking to people.

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I will be on the NCL Epic soon and can't wait to see how the 'standardized american' behaviour compare to us rude europeans [emoji23]

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So I hate to say it but some of the rudeness people encounter may be directed at people because they are American. It's not right but that happens. Unfortunately American tourists don't have a good reputation around the world.

 

Again not saying I agree with that. Just what I've encountered talking to people.

We've encountered the same thing when traveling abroad. I will always remember one time when we were on a tour bus crossing the border between Spain and France. We were traveling with people from several countries. When the customs agent boarded the bus and asked the nationalities of those onboard, guess who got pulled off the bus for secondary screening. You guessed it, the 5 Americans onboard. And we were questioned and searched as if we were criminals. In the meantime, they were sweet as pie to the rest of the passengers, even telling jokes and wishing them a pleasant stay in France. No checks, no passport verification, nothing.

Ever since, we've learned to downplay the fact that we are Americans, and when people ask us where we are from, we normally say that we are from Puerto Rico, which is where I'm originally from. That usually elicits warm and welcome feelings everywhere we go.

We are all very proud of being Americans, but we are also fully aware of the way that many people in other countries visualize and stereotype the USA.

But going back to the OP's observation on this thread, I don't think that the rude behavior on the Divina is a Europeans hating on Americans thing, but more of a first time cruiser, unaware of proper social behavior and etiquette, budget cruise experience thing. We encountered this on the Divina but we've also found it on American cruise lines targeting similar demographics.

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If MSC continues to do the Kids Sail Free and their prices stay low we will definitely look into cruising again. But again if we can find a cruise on Royal or princess or Holland for the same price or maybe even a little bit more we would probably lean towards that . .

I've been saying this very same thing on cruise critic since I sailed with MSC last year. In order for me to consider MSC again, the price has to be significantly lower than the main stream lines. If price was the same (or slightly more), I'd choose another line. MSC provides a great value for the dollar at current pricing, but they have to cut some corners in order to offer cruises 50% less than the nearest competition.

Regarding the 'rudeness". I'm American and did not find my fellow passengers "rude" on either of my MSC voyages, nor do I find Europeans rude when I travel across the pond. BUT...There are cultural differences in terms of queuing and personal space that one should be aware of before choosing MSC. A little like dressing for dinner when in the UK :).

Sorry to have caused a stir. My intent was not to place one nationality or group of people in a box. I grew up as an army brat and have lived throughout Europe and Asia and enjoy the different nationalities and cultures both abroad and on this Cruise. My point was just to say that there were some rude people on this Cruise. Like some of the other Cruisers pointed out, it's probably just a cultural difference. My intent was just to point this out so that people coming onto the cruise can have an understanding of this prior to boarding. Who knows, the people who were rude to me might have been American, however, they were speaking different languages when it occurred. Like Tapi said, some of the rudeness might be attributed to the low price point of the cruise. Again was not trying to start up World War 3, stating one of my observations.

What has the low price of the cruise to do with people being rude?

For people travelling from Europe it isn't a cheap cruise.

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Thanks for the review!

A few questions on food for the kids...

 

Did you take the kids to the specialty restaurants? Was there a kids menu?

 

Was there a kids menu in the regular dining rooms and do you remember what was in them?

 

Thanks!

Sorry but we did not take the kids to the specialty restaurant. Since the kids club took the kids to meals we took full advantage of that and did not really eat many dinners with them. The main dining room did offer us a kids menu but we did not take it. My nine-year-old daughter ordered items off of the main dining room menu. Our son never ate dinner with us in the dining room. I felt a little bad about it but he seemed to be having fun with the other kids in the club so we let it slide.

When they take the kids to the Buffet they make their plate for them and just give them a little selection of each thing off of the kids buffet menu. If the child is older you can get them a certain wristband which gives them the Liberty to walk through the buffet on their own and make their own plate. You also have the option when registering the kids to give them the Liberty to check themselves in and out of the kids club. We did not feel our kids were quite ready for this so they got the red wristband which meant they could only leave with my wife or I.

The kids Buffet consisted of fish sticks macaroni and cheese hamburger hot dog french fries spaghetti excetera. My nine-year-old said it got a little repetitive and she didn't love all of the stuff. My seven-year-old boy however was perfectly content with it.

What has the low price of the cruise to do with people being rude?

For people travelling from Europe it isn't a cheap cruise.

Because unfortunately when financial means are limited, taking upscale vacations or attending establishments or events where etiquette or strict social behavior is not only expected but enforced does not occur frequently if at all. Some people have done an excellent job learning these skills regardless of their financial situation or social status, but let's be realistic for a minute and realize that learning proper etiquette is not something that takes priority in many households these days, unless it's something that is required in their lives.

Yes, we should never stereotype and automatically assume that budget automatically translates into rudeness, just like we should never assume that upscale translates into proper. But let's put our egos aside and stop being offended any time that someone makes a generalization.

You're correct. These cruises are not cheap for someone coming from Europe. But they are still considerably cheaper than a cruise on another cruise line. Secondly, for many, taking a cruise across the pond may be a one time thing, just like taking a European cruise may be a one time thing for many Americans.

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The main rudeness we came across was the sun bed hoggers and we were led to believe they were actually South Americans. But this was a relatively minor thing.

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If I travel abroad, I become familiar with the customs of the region I'm traveling to. I don't think it's too much to ask foreign travelers to the US to do the same. The Divinia departs and returns to a US port. I don't think it's too much to ask for the same common politeness from foreign travelers that we expect from US citizens (I did say expect, as not all Americans demonstrate these either). You know the saying...When in Rome...

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To those of you have sailed on the YC: Is the rudeness prevalent here as well?

I think we are getting a little off topic . So back to the OP review...

First thank you for posting . There is not much posted about the kids club , and I sincerely appreciate your input .

My question is, is there some way of the kids club staff contacting the parents (like a pager, or beeper type device ) other than using the in cabin phone ? For example, if there's an emergency and the parents are pool side , how would they contact them .

We are sailing in July with our 5, 7 and 8 yr old grand babies . TIA

Hello. Where did you pick up the life vest for your Children? We will be on the divina next month with a 7 year old.