Divina Dining Changes Post-Dry Dock

Hopefully some of us can still make dinner into a leisurely experience.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

To answer about the size of the lobster; when I was on the Divina it was a 7oz tail.

Americans have become such tools. Can't even enjoy a proper meal. Rush, rush, rush. A two hour five course meal with friends (old or new) is a luxury, and yet there are those that whine that they can't take the time for it. Art of dining, lost. Art of conversation, lost.

 

 

 

Yet they insist that they have wi-if available so they can get back to their phones instead.

 

 

 

Unbelievable.

I'm an American, and I agree. It's sad, really. Personally, we enjoy disconnecting from electronics and meeting new people on board.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree about disconnecting from electronics and enjoying a leisurely dinner. I also enjoy meeting a diverse passenger group from around the world. The traditional dining, diverse passenger population and the discreet service by the staff (i.e., not constantly being asked if I want a drink) are what attracted my husband and I to try MSC and what has made us book another Divina cruise.

Totally agree with you !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Agree totally. It better be back to the full European experience when sailing the Med on Meraviglia next June.

Americans have become such tools. Can't even enjoy a proper meal. Rush, rush, rush. A two hour five course meal with friends (old or new) is a luxury, and yet there are those that whine that they can't take the time for it. Art of dining, lost. Art of conversation, lost.

 

Yet they insist that they have wi-if available so they can get back to their phones instead.

 

Unbelievable.

So very true my friend.

I agree about disconnecting from electronics and enjoying a leisurely dinner. I also enjoy meeting a diverse passenger group from around the world. The traditional dining, diverse passenger population and the discreet service by the staff (i.e., not constantly being asked if I want a drink) are what attracted my husband and I to try MSC and what has made us book another Divina cruise.

Very good points, but people complain no matter what.

They are striving for just three courses - appetizer, entree and dessert.

 

Bret

We enjoy the multiple course European style dining.

Thank you Bret for all the good info!

Thanks for the information Bret, as usual you are a wealth of knowledge. :)

Appears I'm going to once again be in the minority. My opinion is that msc cutting to 3 courses has little to do with appeal to Americans. Instead, I believe the changes are simply a cost cutting measures in order to compete. It's very basic economics. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the information Bret, as usual you are a wealth of knowledge. :)

 

Appears I'm going to once again be in the minority. My opinion is that msc cutting to 3 courses has little to do with appeal to Americans. Instead, I believe the changes are simply a cost cutting measures in order to compete. It's very basic economics. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agree just like all the lines are cutting back little by little.

I can't image how long Dinner was with 5 courses as it was 1 1/2 to 2 hours for just the three courses. We did order an appetizer, a pasta and an entree sometimes so you can make it to your liking.

 

I thought overall the food was pretty good in the main dining which is the only place we ate once we found out that gluten free meals are only available in the main dining.

 

This created a problem on the first port day when we got back early to have lunch on board. In addition to us, another couple and a family who were all gluten free showed up to have lunch. While it may have been in the daily planner that it would be closed ( I say may because times posted when it was open were not always accurate) none of us were informed what our options were when it was closed as evidently other passengers were informed what to do.

 

A crew member just happened to come by and told us it was closed we all asked what we were to do since this is the only place to serve gluten free food. She called two officers Flavio the Maitre D and Carlos, who was maybe in charge of all dining(?) and they got two waiters and had a cook report and we were made a meal that we ate in the pizza restaurant we had a GF pasta with seafood and salmon, both were very good. We were also given a free Mojito which was pretty strong and calmed us all down, lol. We were then told we could order lunch from guest services that would be made to meet our dietary needs and could be taken from the ship or eaten aboard. We were told that 14 guests had done that today.

 

There were clearly some communication issues about this and what was surprising is that we got a phone call on the 2nd day to make sure everything was ok. I told them the meals were good but the gluten free menu and where we could get gluten free food was limited. That would have been a great time to inform us about alternate arrangements because the dining room would not be open on port days.

 

So while it was an issue once informed we were ok. While I was impressed with the officers and how they accommodated all of us, the waiters were very unsure of what could be done and we typically got responses of I don't think I can do that.

 

I can tell you they were busting their butts and we appreciated them but empowering them would be good for business imo.

 

Dave

I've never heard of this before, as don't most ports have stringent regulations about bringing food ashore?

gary

Thanks for the information Bret, as usual you are a wealth of knowledge. :)

 

Appears I'm going to once again be in the minority. My opinion is that msc cutting to 3 courses has little to do with appeal to Americans. Instead, I believe the changes are simply a cost cutting measures in order to compete. It's very basic economics. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You are not alone in your opinion..MSC along with other lines is cutting back and adding sur-charges for some items.

I guess we Americans want less food and want to pay for our lobster..:D

If someone want to spend more time in the dining room just tell the staff that you are NOT in a rush.

As far as other passengers being connected it's non of my business as long as the sound is turned down...

Brett thanks fore the info..

It's a shame the kids menu was discontinued, but I can sort of understand why. This was not "American" kids menu nuggets and fries. It was real food just in a smaller portion. We got our baby to try a few new things but would often order dishes off there as appetizers too. Maybe they've incorporated some of those dishes to the adult menus?

Shame about the lobster and trying to get away with 3 course meal.

Props to making sports bar complimentary; that place was always dead and nothing on menu looked worth paying for. Could be good for a late night snack now though.

We are just off Divina and stayed in the Yacht Club. Le Muse was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the cruise. Cold Water lobster was offered on the second formal night and it was large and very good. The menu at Le Muse implies a 3 course offering, but we chose 3 or 4 courses depending on what the choices were. We thought the lunch menu was as good as dinner and sometimes better. Yacht Club was a very solid upmarket offering and can definitely compete with the likes of Seabourn, Crystal and Silversea.

We are just off Divina and stayed in the Yacht Club. Le Muse was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the cruise. Cold Water lobster was offered on the second formal night and it was large and very good. The menu at Le Muse implies a 3 course offering, but we chose 3 or 4 courses depending on what the choices were. We thought the lunch menu was as good as dinner and sometimes better. Yacht Club was a very solid upmarket offering and can definitely compete with the likes of Seabourn, Crystal and Silversea.

Good day

Do you remember if Giuseppe was the maitre'd and Luigi the wine steward still - thanking you in advance.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We are just off Divina and stayed in the Yacht Club. Le Muse was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the cruise. Cold Water lobster was offered on the second formal night and it was large and very good. The menu at Le Muse implies a 3 course offering, but we chose 3 or 4 courses depending on what the choices were. We thought the lunch menu was as good as dinner and sometimes better. Yacht Club was a very solid upmarket offering and can definitely compete with the likes of Seabourn, Crystal and Silversea.

Thanks for the info..we board the Divina/YC this Saturday the 29Th......:D:D:D:D

Good day

 

Do you remember if Giuseppe was the maitre'd and Luigi the wine steward still - thanking you in advance.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Davide was the maitre'd for Le Muse. They did not appear to have a dedicated wine steward. The waiters always served the wine and I quite liked having them serve as my glass was never empty.

Thanks, Bret. It does make me sad and I am going to have to tell my friends joining us in Dec that lobster is now a surcharge. And I did love the prawns too. I guess to soften the blow I will tell them that they can use their on board credit for dinner now. Hopefully, the dinner menus will still make most everyone happy and keep the pizza coming still. I already told them the sports bar was free now too. So take the good with the bad news.

...I already told them the sports bar was free now too. So take the good with the bad news.

Any thoughts on how the sports bar food actually is? Anyone? Seems convenient and also probably one of the less busy spots to grab some food, at least until the word gets out... :D

Any thoughts on how the sports bar food actually is? Anyone? Seems convenient and also probably one of the less busy spots to grab some food, at least until the word gets out... :D

I thought it was good but food is subjective.

I thought it was good but food is subjective.

As long as it is better than most land-based sports bars. Some of them have some real issues.