Wow who ever heard of MSC Divina- vs, NCL Getaway

We always book a Jan cruise escape. Usually on X but we have done their itineraries and we booked spa balcony on NCL Getaway this Jan. (drink package critical and they offered one 'free') So far so good,m but honestly I am concerned about the change in NCL with their apparent new 'can we charge for this?' attitude. Anyway we, I,( my wife thinks I am out of control) wanted to look at some options since I was not completely comfortable with NCL. We cruised on Epic a few years ago and were not impressed. 'Cruising' the internet I saw an MSC cruise on the Divina (9 nights vs. 7 Getaway). I had heard of MSC but never considered them. You can't even book on AMEX or Costco my preferred sites.

Things looked interesting. They have a class (aurora?) where the spa access is free as well as free drinks on the ship, a dedicated sun area, and a couple free massages. Pricing is only a few hundred more than we will pay on NCL for a spa balcony room. NCL has spa access and free drinks with grats inc.)

The Divina looks gorgeous in the site video. I especially like what appears to be expanded pool areas, I know up front the pool experience on NCL will be crowded to put the best spin on it. We really enjoy spending time at the pool. I understand the passengers will be not from NA for the most part (might be a good thing). I have heard smoking is an issue and maybe service is slow.

What I would really appreciate is a comparison of this ship with NCL or perhaps the X S class which I am most familiar with. I was excited to see the Yacht Class but it is not available for this cruise.

Final payment in a few weeks so thanks you for your input and guidance!

I've cruised on both the Divina and Getaway this year, so can provide a few points:

Note: We took the Getaway in March and the Divina last month - not sure if this skews my opinions and comments to towards MSC.

The Ships:

- Both ships were beautiful, well maintained and spotlessly cleaned.

- The Divina is a little more glamorous, especially inside.

- The Getaway felt slightly larger, not sure why - I think because the promenade on deck 8 is used as an outdoor area (with bars & paid restaurants), whereas on the Divina it is just a place for fresh air.

- The main pool areas were crowded during sea days on both ships (however no problem to get a lounger a bit further away).

- The Divina has an indoor pool (with retractable roof) - not so useful in the Caribbean, but sometimes a welcome respite from the sun (but not the heat).

The food:

- We found the main dining room food to be roughly the same quality, but on the Getaway it was better presented (simply a better garnish).

- The Divina package we booked had set dining times and tables (though there was flexibility to change and I think the Aurora package is anytime dining). The Getaway was anytime dining. Both worked out fine for us.

- The buffet's were reasonably similar on both ships (decent food, but crowded at peak times - though never a problem to find a seat at the back). The Divina buffet was better late at night, if late night snacking is your thing. The Pizza on the Divina was great (again particularly late at night after a few drinks).

- We tried the speciality restaurants on the Getaway and found great quality food (Cagneys especially). On the Divina we didn't try them, but speaking to others they were impressed (particularly with Galaxy restaurant).

- Getting a rare steak was impossible on the Getaway (even in Cagneys), but no problem on the Divina (not sure if this is a good thing, however I had no stomach problems).

The service:

- On both ships there were an abundance of staff, most of whom went out of their way to ensure we had a great holiday (vacation).

- On the Divina our waiter in the restaurant was Italian, and provided typical Italian service (good natured, funny, and clear that he was the expert on food and wine). This was no problem for us, but the people on the next table found him rude, so they ended up being served by the Maitre-d' (also Italian, but clearly used to trouble shooting) who also provided great service.

- The Captain and officers were much more visible on the Divina, and were open and good humoured. I don't recall seeing them on the Getaway.

The Bars:

- I have the feeling there are more bars on the Getaway, no facts just a feeling.

- The service was definitely faster on the Getaway, I believe largely due to pre-mixed cocktails, not necessarily more staff.

- On both ships the waiter/waitress service when sitting at a table was friendly and decent.

- The all inclusive package on the Getaway included more premium spirits - whereas on the Divina there was a basic package and a premium package.

- If you don't have a drinks package, the drinks were much more reasonably priced on the Divina.

The Entertainment:

- The Divina wins hands down here, music in most bars and the shows were very good.

The Ambiance:

- on the Getaway we were in shorts and t-shirt the whole cruise, along with most other passengers. The only dress code I was aware of was for le Bistro restaurant (and even there there is an area for people in shorts).

- On the Divina the dress code was much more formal in the evenings - suits/tux for the 2 gala evenings and shirt&trousers for the rest. What to wear was published in the daily newsletter, and the vast majority of passengers dressed up in the evening (though we did see one or two exceptions so I don't believe it was totally enforced).

- As mentioned a lot in the reviews, the Divina has a lot of non-US passengers. On the Getaway all the people we became friends with were from the US, whereas on the Divina we made many more friends from around the world (as well as the US).

- On the Getaway most things (e.g. shows, dinner) were booked on the ships app (and often shown as fully booked). On the Divina it was just turn up (and we never had any issues getting seats in the theater).

The cabins:

- Basically the same on both ships.

- No towel animals on the the Divina (if thats your thing).

- Our cabin attendant was 100% better on the Divina, but I believe we were just unlucky on the Getaway.

The Itineraries:

- On the Getaway we did Jamaica, Gran Cayman and Cozumel - these all felt like (sometimes concrete) tourist traps.

- On the Divina we did St Maartin, San Juan and Nassau - these felt like small towns and not so touristy.

The Special things:

- when you get back on board the Getaway at a port you are given a glass of water and a hot towel. On the Divina just a glass of water.

- On the Divina a waiter brought round skewers of fresh fruit to the pool area on sea days.

Smoking:

- Almost identical on both ships. On the Divina smoking is only allowed in a part of the rear pool area, a special (sealed) cigar bar and the starboard side of the promenade on deck 7 (note the casino is smoke free).

- On the Getaway, smoking was allowed in a part of the rear pool, a [quite disgusting] smoke box by the main pool, the waterfront promenade (all round) and in the casino.

The booking experience:

- On both NCL and MSC I couldn't complete my booking online, and had to call. I just felt NCL were more organised and with far better IT.

- I felt NCL provided more pre-cruise information. For MSC most of the information came from here.

- MSC could really improve here!

Summary:

- We had two really great holidays, and I'd be happy to take both ships again, so would base the decision on the itinerary and price.

- Given the reviews here, I was worried about taking the Divina but in the end was impressed. Still worth noting that the Getaway gets a better overall review, and has less negative reviews - I wonder if this is because of the US nature of this site.

- We saw people complaining on both ships (of particular note was a lady screaming at the Maitre d' because she got lemon tea instead of orange tea at breakfast!). I just have the feeling the Divina management may have reacted with an Italian 'sorry, thats the way it is' style response, whereas the Getaway were more US 'sorry, we were wrong' type answer.

We always book a Jan cruise escape. Usually on X but we have done their itineraries and we booked spa balcony on NCL Getaway this Jan. (drink package critical and they offered one 'free') So far so good,m but honestly I am concerned about the change in NCL with their apparent new 'can we charge for this?' attitude. Anyway we, I,( my wife thinks I am out of control) wanted to look at some options since I was not completely comfortable with NCL. We cruised on Epic a few years ago and were not impressed. 'Cruising' the internet I saw an MSC cruise on the Divina (9 nights vs. 7 Getaway). I had heard of MSC but never considered them. You can't even book on AMEX or Costco my preferred sites.

Things looked interesting. They have a class (aurora?) where the spa access is free as well as free drinks on the ship, a dedicated sun area, and a couple free massages. Pricing is only a few hundred more than we will pay on NCL for a spa balcony room. NCL has spa access and free drinks with grats inc.)

The Divina looks gorgeous in the site video. I especially like what appears to be expanded pool areas, I know up front the pool experience on NCL will be crowded to put the best spin on it. We really enjoy spending time at the pool. I understand the passengers will be not from NA for the most part (might be a good thing). I have heard smoking is an issue and maybe service is slow.

What I would really appreciate is a comparison of this ship with NCL or perhaps the X S class which I am most familiar with. I was excited to see the Yacht Class but it is not available for this cruise.

Final payment in a few weeks so thanks you for your input and guidance!

Nothing will make me to cruise on NCL again :rolleyes: MSC is way better but it's just my opinion. ;)

Can only speak of Divina - did one in March, going again in Oct. Formal night might be more formal than NCL, but I only wore a nice knee lenght dress or a skirt and nice top and did not feel out of place. Husband did wear a suit.

Divina is beautiful. Like it enough and the price was good enough we are taking my parents. And yes the entertainment was great too.

I've cruised on both the Divina and Getaway this year, so can provide a few points:

 

Note: We took the Getaway in March and the Divina last month - not sure if this skews my opinions and comments to towards MSC.

 

The Ships:

- Both ships were beautiful, well maintained and spotlessly cleaned.

- The Divina is a little more glamorous, especially inside.

- The Getaway felt slightly larger, not sure why - I think because the promenade on deck 8 is used as an outdoor area (with bars & paid restaurants), whereas on the Divina it is just a place for fresh air.

- The main pool areas were crowded during sea days on both ships (however no problem to get a lounger a bit further away).

- The Divina has an indoor pool (with retractable roof) - not so useful in the Caribbean, but sometimes a welcome respite from the sun (but not the heat).

 

The food:

- We found the main dining room food to be roughly the same quality, but on the Getaway it was better presented (simply a better garnish).

- The Divina package we booked had set dining times and tables (though there was flexibility to change and I think the Aurora package is anytime dining). The Getaway was anytime dining. Both worked out fine for us.

- The buffet's were reasonably similar on both ships (decent food, but crowded at peak times - though never a problem to find a seat at the back). The Divina buffet was better late at night, if late night snacking is your thing. The Pizza on the Divina was great (again particularly late at night after a few drinks).

- We tried the speciality restaurants on the Getaway and found great quality food (Cagneys especially). On the Divina we didn't try them, but speaking to others they were impressed (particularly with Galaxy restaurant).

- Getting a rare steak was impossible on the Getaway (even in Cagneys), but no problem on the Divina (not sure if this is a good thing, however I had no stomach problems).

 

The service:

- On both ships there were an abundance of staff, most of whom went out of their way to ensure we had a great holiday (vacation).

- On the Divina our waiter in the restaurant was Italian, and provided typical Italian service (good natured, funny, and clear that he was the expert on food and wine). This was no problem for us, but the people on the next table found him rude, so they ended up being served by the Maitre-d' (also Italian, but clearly used to trouble shooting) who also provided great service.

- The Captain and officers were much more visible on the Divina, and were open and good humoured. I don't recall seeing them on the Getaway.

 

The Bars:

- I have the feeling there are more bars on the Getaway, no facts just a feeling.

- The service was definitely faster on the Getaway, I believe largely due to pre-mixed cocktails, not necessarily more staff.

- On both ships the waiter/waitress service when sitting at a table was friendly and decent.

- The all inclusive package on the Getaway included more premium spirits - whereas on the Divina there was a basic package and a premium package.

- If you don't have a drinks package, the drinks were much more reasonably priced on the Divina.

 

The Entertainment:

- The Divina wins hands down here, music in most bars and the shows were very good.

 

The Ambiance:

- on the Getaway we were in shorts and t-shirt the whole cruise, along with most other passengers. The only dress code I was aware of was for le Bistro restaurant (and even there there is an area for people in shorts).

- On the Divina the dress code was much more formal in the evenings - suits/tux for the 2 gala evenings and shirt&trousers for the rest. What to wear was published in the daily newsletter, and the vast majority of passengers dressed up in the evening (though we did see one or two exceptions so I don't believe it was totally enforced).

- As mentioned a lot in the reviews, the Divina has a lot of non-US passengers. On the Getaway all the people we became friends with were from the US, whereas on the Divina we made many more friends from around the world (as well as the US).

- On the Getaway most things (e.g. shows, dinner) were booked on the ships app (and often shown as fully booked). On the Divina it was just turn up (and we never had any issues getting seats in the theater).

 

The cabins:

- Basically the same on both ships.

- No towel animals on the the Divina (if thats your thing).

- Our cabin attendant was 100% better on the Divina, but I believe we were just unlucky on the Getaway.

 

The Itineraries:

- On the Getaway we did Jamaica, Gran Cayman and Cozumel - these all felt like (sometimes concrete) tourist traps.

- On the Divina we did St Maartin, San Juan and Nassau - these felt like small towns and not so touristy.

 

The Special things:

- when you get back on board the Getaway at a port you are given a glass of water and a hot towel. On the Divina just a glass of water.

- On the Divina a waiter brought round skewers of fresh fruit to the pool area on sea days.

 

Smoking:

- Almost identical on both ships. On the Divina smoking is only allowed in a part of the rear pool area, a special (sealed) cigar bar and the starboard side of the promenade on deck 7 (note the casino is smoke free).

- On the Getaway, smoking was allowed in a part of the rear pool, a [quite disgusting] smoke box by the main pool, the waterfront promenade (all round) and in the casino.

 

The booking experience:

- On both NCL and MSC I couldn't complete my booking online, and had to call. I just felt NCL were more organised and with far better IT.

- I felt NCL provided more pre-cruise information. For MSC most of the information came from here.

- MSC could really improve here!

 

Summary:

- We had two really great holidays, and I'd be happy to take both ships again, so would base the decision on the itinerary and price.

- Given the reviews here, I was worried about taking the Divina but in the end was impressed. Still worth noting that the Getaway gets a better overall review, and has less negative reviews - I wonder if this is because of the US nature of this site.

- We saw people complaining on both ships (of particular note was a lady screaming at the Maitre d' because she got lemon tea instead of orange tea at breakfast!). I just have the feeling the Divina management may have reacted with an Italian 'sorry, thats the way it is' style response, whereas the Getaway were more US 'sorry, we were wrong' type answer.

Terrific comparative post! I enjoyed reading it and found it very informative.

Thanks for the review. I have been on the Getaway, and liked it a lot. But, I was in the Haven....which is fantastic.

Leaving in a few weeks to sail Divina in the Yacht Club. Looking forward to that, too.

Not taking a suit (or a jacket or tie). So, sounds like that's not out of the ordinary on Divina (and definitely NOT on the Getaway). Not sure about eating in the restaurants (maybe Eataly or Galaxy) because I understand the Yacht Club has its own restuarant, similar to the Haven Restaurant on the Getaway.

Will report back about the experience. I hear the Divina is beautiful, though.

Recently off the Divina, and see no reason to pack a tux, suit or even sport coat, even for formal/gala night.

Even in the Yacht Club private restaurant Le Muse.

gary

I've cruised on both the Divina and Getaway this year, so can provide a few points. I have cruised both recently also and largely agree with everything you've stated. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I hope you don't mind if I add some additional thoughts in red below.

 

Note: We took the Getaway in March and the Divina last month - not sure if this skews my opinions and comments to towards MSC.

 

The Ships:

- Both ships were beautiful, well maintained and spotlessly cleaned.

- The Divina is a little more glamorous, especially inside.

- The Getaway felt slightly larger, not sure why - I think because the promenade on deck 8 is used as an outdoor area (with bars & paid restaurants), whereas on the Divina it is just a place for fresh air. The waterfront on deck 8 of the Away ships is amazing. The divina had a hard time connecting to the sea. Interiors were dark and the lifeboats completely block the promenade. For those looking for a more traditional experience (like the SS Norway); The waterfront concept is truly unique in the industry

- The main pool areas were crowded during sea days on both ships (however no problem to get a lounger a bit further away). Unfortunately, I had problems on both ships. And just when I though the deck design on the away class ships couldn't get worse, I met Divina. Due to the large section of smoking tables and another entire section of the pool reserved for selling trinkets, the space around Divina for a lounge chair was greatly reduced. Both are a bad design (imho), but Divina had fewer chairs to pick from overall.

- The Divina has an indoor pool (with retractable roof) - not so useful in the Caribbean, but sometimes a welcome respite from the sun (but not the heat). The divina also has the aft infinity pool which I believe to be a stellar addition. Really great views in a unique venue. Hard to get a seat, but if you can manage it's worth it. Neither ship have adults only areas (huge strike against both). The Divini is perfectly set up to make the indoor pool or the infinity pool adults only. She can then compete with the solarium concept on X and RCL.

 

The food:

- We found the main dining room food to be roughly the same quality, but on the Getaway it was better presented (simply a better garnish).

- The Divina package we booked had set dining times and tables (though there was flexibility to change and I think the Aurora package is anytime dining). The Getaway was anytime dining. Both worked out fine for us.

- The buffet's were reasonably similar on both ships (decent food, but crowded at peak times - though never a problem to find a seat at the back). The Divina buffet was better late at night, if late night snacking is your thing. The Pizza on the Divina was great (again particularly late at night after a few drinks).

- We tried the speciality restaurants on the Getaway and found great quality food (Cagneys especially). On the Divina we didn't try them, but speaking to others they were impressed (particularly with Galaxy restaurant).

- Getting a rare steak was impossible on the Getaway (even in Cagneys), but no problem on the Divina (not sure if this is a good thing, however I had no stomach problems).

Food is so subjective, but for me personally, NCL wins this category hands down. It's not just that the food is "european" on Divina. I spent 3 weeks in Europe last month and had not one bad meal. In my opinion, MSC has lower food budget (gotta cut costs somewhere).

 

The service:

- On both ships there were an abundance of staff, most of whom went out of their way to ensure we had a great holiday (vacation).

- On the Divina our waiter in the restaurant was Italian, and provided typical Italian service (good natured, funny, and clear that he was the expert on food and wine). This was no problem for us, but the people on the next table found him rude, so they ended up being served by the Maitre-d' (also Italian, but clearly used to trouble shooting) who also provided great service. LOL.... having just returned from Italy I love this comment. I feel that the service on MSC is more European in nature. Much more reserved. Dare I say somewhat stuffy? Not sure if that is the right word, but I went from Divina Yacht club to one of Royal's smaller ships within one month of each other and the service on RCL in a regular cabin far exceeded the service I received even in the Yacht Club. Service is much more friendly/family atmosphere on the traditional lines. Service was fine on Divina, but it did have a much different vibe.

- The Captain and officers were much more visible on the Divina, and were open and good humoured. I don't recall seeing them on the Getaway.

 

The Bars:

- I have the feeling there are more bars on the Getaway, no facts just a feeling.

- The service was definitely faster on the Getaway, I believe largely due to pre-mixed cocktails, not necessarily more staff.

- On both ships the waiter/waitress service when sitting at a table was friendly and decent.

- The all inclusive package on the Getaway included more premium spirits - whereas on the Divina there was a basic package and a premium package.

- If you don't have a drinks package, the drinks were much more reasonably priced on the Divina. This is a huge score for MSC. Onboard I never felt completely taken advantage of with any of their purchases.

 

The Entertainment:

- The Divina wins hands down here, music in most bars and the shows were very good.I very much enjoyed the shows on Divina, but I feel the larger production shows on NCL are far superior. Burn the floor, Legally Blonde, We will rock you, etc.. these are much more in line with real production shows. MSC has great entertainment, but it's much more disjointed and there is zero live music in Divina shows which I did miss.

 

The Ambiance:

- on the Getaway we were in shorts and t-shirt the whole cruise, along with most other passengers. The only dress code I was aware of was for le Bistro restaurant (and even there there is an area for people in shorts).

- On the Divina the dress code was much more formal in the evenings - suits/tux for the 2 gala evenings and shirt&trousers for the rest. What to wear was published in the daily newsletter, and the vast majority of passengers dressed up in the evening (though we did see one or two exceptions so I don't believe it was totally enforced).

- As mentioned a lot in the reviews, the Divina has a lot of non-US passengers. On the Getaway all the people we became friends with were from the US, whereas on the Divina we made many more friends from around the world (as well as the US).

- On the Getaway most things (e.g. shows, dinner) were booked on the ships app (and often shown as fully booked). On the Divina it was just turn up (and we never had any issues getting seats in the theater).I did appreciate not making reservations for shows on Divina, but the ying to that yang is that unless you are in YC or Aureau you are told when to eat. I experienced zero flexibility. Eat at 5:30 or head to the buffet. I MUCH prefer free style dining.

 

The cabins:

- Basically the same on both ships.

- No towel animals on the the Divina (if thats your thing).

- Our cabin attendant was 100% better on the Divina, but I believe we were just unlucky on the Getaway.

 

The Itineraries:

- On the Getaway we did Jamaica, Gran Cayman and Cozumel - these all felt like (sometimes concrete) tourist traps.

- On the Divina we did St Maartin, San Juan and Nassau - these felt like small towns and not so touristy.

 

The Special things:

- when you get back on board the Getaway at a port you are given a glass of water and a hot towel. On the Divina just a glass of water. Little things go a long way. NCL also gives out popcycles when returning from a super hot day. Seems silly, but such a nice touch to feel welcomed back onboard with cold towels, ice water, and popcycles. That was the best popcycle I've ever eaten.

- On the Divina a waiter brought round skewers of fresh fruit to the pool area on sea days. Never had the pleasure of lounge chair service on Divina. Even in the YC we needed to fetch ourselves

 

Smoking:

- Almost identical on both ships. On the Divina smoking is only allowed in a part of the rear pool area, a special (sealed) cigar bar and the starboard side of the promenade on deck 7 (note the casino is smoke free). Boy, we had a different experience here. On both of my Divina sails, the entire port side of the main pool area was reserved for smoking. A huge section of prime real estate. In addition to the rear pool area, cigar board, and deck 7. And there were TONS of smokers. Both trips on Divina I smelled smoke on my balony. I've never smelled smoke on the balcony of any NCL (or mainstream) line. Did like that it was smoke free casino though, bravo MSC!

- On the Getaway, smoking was allowed in a part of the rear pool, a [quite disgusting] smoke box by the main pool, the waterfront promenade (all round) and in the casino.

 

The booking experience:

- On both NCL and MSC I couldn't complete my booking online, and had to call. I just felt NCL were more organised and with far better IT.

- I felt NCL provided more pre-cruise information. For MSC most of the information came from here.

- MSC could really improve here! Yes, unfortunately the issues have been going on for a long long time and include switching passport numbers which kinda freaks me out from a security standpoint. In fairness to MSC, I believe quite a bit of the problems they have in the customer service area are due to language barriers.

 

Summary:

- We had two really great holidays, and I'd be happy to take both ships again, so would base the decision on the itinerary and price. Me too!

- Given the reviews here, I was worried about taking the Divina but in the end was impressed. Still worth noting that the Getaway gets a better overall review, and has less negative reviews - I wonder if this is because of the US nature of this site.

- We saw people complaining on both ships (of particular note was a lady screaming at the Maitre d' because she got lemon tea instead of orange tea at breakfast!). I just have the feeling the Divina management may have reacted with an Italian 'sorry, thats the way it is' style response, whereas the Getaway were more US 'sorry, we were wrong' type answer. I couldn't agree more, in terms of customer service, Divina was a European experience, and anyone who has traveled to Europe understands that there are significant differences in how customer centered service is interpreted.

Again, I hope you don't mind me piggybacking on your response in red above. You did such a lovely job with the way the comparison was set up I didn't want to try to duplicate.

In short, I've sailed NCL, RCL and MSC within the last year. Overall the lines have more in common than different. If pricing was identical, MSC would be my least favorite choice. However; quite often pricing on the Divina makes it a very value driven vacation and I would not hesitate to sail any of the MSC ships for the right price. My next two are NCL (December) and RCL (March); but I'm not ruling out MSC for the summer of 2017. :)

Extremely enlightening!!! We have never sailed either of these lines so I really enjoyed reading the comparisions!!

Thank you both so very much:)

Again, I hope you don't mind me piggybacking on your response in red above. You did such a lovely job with the way the comparison was set up I didn't want to try to duplicate.

 

In short, I've sailed NCL, RCL and MSC within the last year. Overall the lines have more in common than different. If pricing was identical, MSC would be my least favorite choice. However; quite often pricing on the Divina makes it a very value driven vacation and I would not hesitate to sail any of the MSC ships for the right price. My next two are NCL (December) and RCL (March); but I'm not ruling out MSC for the summer of 2017. :)

I have done the Divina (July) and Getaway(second time in March)- I reviewed them both at length on my blog-

http://thecheerfulcruiser.blogspot.com/