Mikesa1721

Thanks for sharing! I checked out their blog and saw that they were the company used for Disney's Teen Beach movie. That seems like it makes them a good company.

 

Can I ask what tour you're doing, and how much?

 

We too are on the Divina, 2 weeks after you!

 

Thanks!--CeleBrat

Ok,,spoke with Chino,,and the single rider tour is $110.00 per person for one hour.:eek:

I've been following the boards for months on here since booking our MSC cruise...and I've found that most of the positive posts are from YC cruisers.....but here is the thing...........I am going on a cruise....which means I'm not working, it means someone else is making my bed....well after I tidy it up because I'm OCD that way, and someone else is serving me meals and cooking them............so I don't care if the shows suck, and I don't care if someone doesn't smile at me..............maybe they just had a bad experience that I don't know about, and maybe my dinner lasts 2 hours...........mine in the past usually do....great dinner table mates and good wine....equal a good time........maybe I won't win at the casino....but so long as I played for awhile...it's good dollar value for fun......so.....pretty much unless the ship sinks and I don't make it off, I expect this to be a great adventure.......:D

Love the attitude neighbor!!:)

We were in the Black Crab Restaurant early seating. We went to the main dining room 5 out of the 7 nights. We always had our water glasses filled. Our dinners lasted about 90 minutes, but to be honest, I never actually timed them. I found the food to be very good every night except for the 5th night I think. On that night I was not impressed with the menu.

 

This was our 14th cruise and on most of our cruises we eat more often in the buffet, but on the ship we really enjoyed the main dining. Our waiter, Budana, was very friendly and remembered our preferences each evening.

 

On about the third or fourth night I remembered to ask for coffee, which was awesome. In fact, the coffee throughout the ship was great. On most cruise lines the coffee isn't even bearable. On this ship I was actually able to enjoy a decent cup of coffee without having to pay extra for it!

Michelle,,the coffee used onboard is Segafredo. I've seen a couple of coffee places on Collins Avenue selling this brand. Waiting for Publix to start carrying it!!! Love it!

We were on the Aug 2 cruise and the cruise director said in the disembark talk that if you wanted to tip someone extra to give it straight to them.

 

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We tip extra as well Golden, I was referring to MSC's written rule in my past post. We do however tip discretely, there have been past threads which mentioned that gratuities above and beyond the service charges are pooled and divided among the crew. Knowing this information prior to our first sailing was a big help when expressing our gratitude to our butler, concierge, and the crew at the One Bar and One Pool.:)

If I'm not mistaken, Divina is returning to the Med for some add-ons to "Americanise" her which I would imagine are as a response to feedback from Americans. Things such as an omelette station and perhaps a grill poolside for cooking burgers fresh have been rumoured. However, nothing has been announced by MSC (quelle surprise!) so it's a wait & see. Considering they haven't yet disclosed the new layouts for the "Renaissance" refits on the Lirica Class ships which begins soon - it would be nice to have some info which would help with future booking considerations.

I'm sure a few tweaks here and there will be ok Beam, so long as Divina maintains her European influences and core operating model. We love the casual, laid back atmosphere, the diverse cultures and The Mediterranean Way Of Life. MSC offers us here in the states something different,,another choice. It would be interesting to see just who MSC's target passenger is though. With the low rates, one would think it would be the Carnival pax as of late, but with the ship within a ship concept being the Yacht Club,,maybe the NCl, Royal, Princess, Holland pax?

I see that my concern has been fulfilled and now since yesterday the thread has been pulled.

 

You didn't ask for it yourself , did you?

 

I also noticed that you had removed some of the images before establishing the facts; a fit of pique perhaps, such a shame to lose a valuable sourceof information.

 

There is a saying in the best management books "Act on the Facts"

which might be useful for to to take note of, if you want to have your tome well received

 

Given the amount of effort you undoubtedly put in it would be in the interest of the forum if you were a litle less arrogant and accept that if you stick to facts and don't pad it out with extraneous verbage everybody, yourself included, would benefit.

 

Pete

Well said Pete!!

Aza1972,,I have to agree with you. We've taken quite a few weekend trips over to Fort Lauderdale and have stayed at the Ritz Carlton on Fort Lauderdale Beach(4 star) each time. Room and parking usually runs a little over $1,000.00 a night, around $1300.00 a night to stay in the Club Level. We are staying in a YC3 suite and paid a little over $600.00 a night. Once you factor in the all inclusive drinks, 3 gourmet meals minimum per day, and the entertainment,,we feel we get great value for our money, and The Port Of Miami is only an extra half hour drive for us!!!:D

i can only say that if this is what Europe has to offer, then im not going over there. Dinner is an event, i agree, but we were there in the Black Crab restaurant with a family of four and it took us two hours every night. Nothing but small portions of sub par food, empty water glasses and getting tired of waiving down our waiter for something...this european style is not for me. i go on cruises to be waited on by friendly staff who work hard for their tips.....and usually im a good tipper to them...The majority of this staff was horrible...and they didnt speak english or spanish...you know what, this is america and i will gladly sail one of those mass market choices. even the worst three day cruise on the oldest ship in the fleet was better than this.....i wont go again

Tipping is not allowed on MSC ships,,:)

There are a couple of videos on YouTube from Phantom quads following cruise ships out to sea at Port Everglades. I doubt any ship's crew would take kindly to a quad launching and recovering from on board. However, I don't see why they'd have a problem if you just brought one along to use off the ship on a port visit.

I saw that video!!! I must say,,that quad has incredible range. I'm not quite sure how I would feel if I was lying on the pool deck or the beach and saw one of those things hovering around me though.

Is it true the Butlers walk you to dinner? Do they escort you anywhere else? Also, I heard that they will reserve a seat in the theater for the shows and escort you there...is this true?

TIA :)

FLAMOM24,,Yes,your butler will escort you to dinner, escort you to the shows in the theatre, and escort you off the ship for shore excursions. We have heard stories of others who have had their butler insist that he/she carry their drinks from the One Bar, back down to their stateroom, and still others who wanted to carry left overs from the dining room back to their stateroom, and their butler was called to carry the food for them.

Your hard earned money will be better spent on Anything But MSC and this is my opinion but if you are a smart American and want your money spent for a great experience that includes great service, fun activities that have crew members actually show up on time and know what they are doing, enjoy comedy, bartenders that actually know what is in the drink you ask for

you will not find it on MSC. Choosing a cruise really is a hard decision really think long and hard before you choose MSC, they get upset about the bad reviews but they do nothing to fix things that couldmake them a better line, they use excuses of the different cultures that is so wrong just listen to what people are wanting to change and do it.

Sail American Pepc2. MSC is not for you, or those wanting her to adapt to the "American" way.

Was on this ship also for the August 2nd sailing, my experience was not the same as these friends above me. Would love to know what dining room and what sitting you got good service ours was over 2 hours every night from appetizers to desserts for 6 people in the villa rosa. All I have to say is do not take this cruise line if you have anything else to compare it to you will be disappointed, even if the price sounds good it won't make up for all the things MSC still needs to fix to make it American Friendly, and remember being a American Citizen I'm entitled to my own opinion.

2 hours?? You do realize that this is normal for Europeans,,and you were on a European Cruise Line. It's not bad or slow service,,it's the fact that dinners are designed to be an event, a time to interact with each other,,so time between courses can be 15-30 minutes at times.

I for one, do not hope they Americanize Divina anymore. If I wanted to sail on an American Line,,I have plenty of mass market choices,,for us,,we want something different,,we love Divina just the way she is, and there's really no need to change.

I was also on this cruise and despite the boarding issues the cruise was fantastic!! Loved the ship, the shows, and the food. Service was great for us!! We will also sail MSC again!!

Great to hear Michelle!!!! I'm so glad you had a good time despite the boarding issues!!!:D

Website does not show prices. Do you know how much per person?

We had to call to get pricing, I'm sorry. He does have different tours available depending on time and type of equipment,,e.g.: one or two seater jet-ski's.

Am headed home after the August 2nd sailing to the Caribbean. Will post a detailed review once I am home, but I want to say that we had a fantastic cruise and I would sail with MSC again.

 

 

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Good to see you had a great time considering the issues with embarkation last Saturday. Looking forward to your review Inishmore!!:)

I love repos as you get a holiday on. 2 different continents and all those relaxing sea days in between.

 

Hope you mange to have some time in Italy before you board.

Amo,,5 consecutive days at sea!! Oh what will we do?? LOL.

We plan to spend at least 4 days in Genoa prior to the sailing. My girlfriend is half Italian and half Greek,,and she would kill me if she didn't get to experience Italy for a few days. I'm sure I'll be picking your brain for hotel recommendations, sites, and restaurants.:)

It is hard to know if they will change some Divina things back to the European norm or leave them as they are in the US.

 

I'm on the same sailing as you, except I board 2 days later than you in Napoli.

Amo,,we just booked the October 2015 repo sailing from Genoa to Miami aboard Divina. Even though we are American, we are hoping to experience the European way of things. It will be refreshing to step out of our American comfort zone, and try something very new to us.

Has anyone taken the AQUATICA jet ski tour in Old San Juan? Any info? Would you recommend?

 

Thanks!--CeleBrat

I'm wondering if they are still in business. I'm not sure if this is the same company we saw on The Travel Channel's, Top Caribbean Escapes, show. We did however find a company that we will be using:

http://gosurfpr.com/index.php/rentals

Hope this helps.

Shootr,,,You need to get yourself one of these::eek:

Wonder if any cruise line would allow one on their ships,,,not to use onboard, but for shore excursions?

http://www.dji.com/product/phantom-2-vision-plus/feature

Thank You so much for this review Moss. I literally just hung up the phone with my pvc at MSC after booking the Divina repo sailing from Genoa to Miami in October 2015, to see all these great videos. I'm gonna spend all night watching them all,,,Thanks again!!:)

Nellie-

 

Was there smoking in the casino? That's my hangout....but smoke...makes me cough and cough.

No smoking in the Casino MsTabby.

Has anyone seen this yet??? Great video of the Divina crew during The World Cup

Specifically the Divina. I'm taking my niece on the cruise and want to make sure I'm not hit with a surprise requirement when trying to board with her. I checked the MSC USA website but couldn't find any information on what I need to bring. Checking other cruise line websites it looks like I'll need to bring a notarized letter from the parents authorizing me to take her on the cruise. Does anyone know if this is sufficient or if I need anything else?

 

I'm not sure if her passport will be here in time so I'm planning on bringing her birth certificate. She doesn't have a picture ID though.

Cruiser,,you will need a notarized travel consent form for your niece. Be sure it is notarized by both legal guardians(If applicable). Here is an example form,,there are others out there, but just be sure to put the ship name on the form.

http://www.freewebs.com/docdiva/Minor%20Travel%20Consent.pdf

If she is under 16, a photo ID is not required, just a birth certificate, long form, with a raised seal, or passport.

Can someone who has sailed on Divina answer:

 

Explain the buffet situation. The deck plans show Manitou Buffet and Calumet Buffet. Is it 2 complete separate areas?

 

Is the Top Sail Lounge on deck 15 for everyone or just Yacht Club?

 

What is the Sky & Stars on Deck 16?

 

Can you explain the layout of Deck 18....is it all just Yacht Club?

 

Thanks in advance...

Joyce,,,Yes,,they appear to be two separate buffets on deck 14, but as Skier posted,,they are essentially one.

Top Sail Lounge is dedicated just for Yacht Club members.

Sky and Stars?? I'd like to know as well,,we've been to the Galaxy Disco a few times and never seen this area,,I'm sure someone will chime in with a description though.

Deck 18 forward is the Yacht Club One Pool and Bar, Deck 18 midship is the Solarium, extra fee for lounge chairs and clam shells apply here.

Hope this helps some.:)

We have selected early dining as we both just cannot eat a large meal so late at night. On looking at my paperwork, it says we are 'wait listed seating' What exactly does that mean?

We have booked this cruise quite a while ago if that means anything

 

Cheers

 

Len

Len,,,"wait listed" means that you have not been assigned a table number yet for your selected dining time.