LITERALLY TERRIFIED of MSC DIVINA

Hi all,

I have booked in a suite on the Divina on 12/16 however after reading more reviews I am LITERALLY TERRIFIED of the experience we will receive. I almost booked a Celebrity Concierge Suite on Celebrity but changed last minute because of the suite.

I'm not so picky about food but hearing that the ship is a cluster of people and the bad service are really turning me off.

I also called MSC to inquire about upgrading and got the WORST customer service agent in the world. I was FINALLY routed to a manager (the first agent out right refused to let me talk to a manager until I got really angry) and she is trying to help get us into the Yacht Club but other than that, I am honestly thinking about throwing away this money and booking something else.

As the manager said, "I don't want you to feel like you are going on this cruise because you have to" however this is exactly how I feel.

My boyfriend hasn't had a real vacation in years so we are really looking forward to this trip and want a nice experience.

What should I do??????

Appreciate your help.

Signed,

TERRIFIED of MSC

I don’t think you should be terrified at all. We sailed the Divina last October with little expectation and we were pleasantly surprised. I don’t understand why people give it bad reviews. The ship is lovely, all the staff we encountered were very nice and we had no problems with the food. In my opinion, the pizza is the best at sea, and I’ve cruised sixty six times across all the mainstream lines. If you go in with a positive attitude I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Hi all,

 

I have booked in a suite on the Divina on 12/16 however after reading more reviews I am LITERALLY TERRIFIED of the experience we will receive. I almost booked a Celebrity Concierge Suite on Celebrity but changed last minute because of the suite.

 

I'm not so picky about food but hearing that the ship is a cluster of people and the bad service are really turning me off.

 

I also called MSC to inquire about upgrading and got the WORST customer service agent in the world. I was FINALLY routed to a manager (the first agent out right refused to let me talk to a manager until I got really angry) and she is trying to help get us into the Yacht Club but other than that, I am honestly thinking about throwing away this money and booking something else.

 

As the manager said, "I don't want you to feel like you are going on this cruise because you have to" however this is exactly how I feel.

 

My boyfriend hasn't had a real vacation in years so we are really looking forward to this trip and want a nice experience.

 

What should I do??????

 

Appreciate your help.

 

Signed,

TERRIFIED of MSC

Please, don't be terrified you can always jump overboard if you don't like your cruise. :halo:

Please, don't be terrified you can always jump overboard if you don't like your cruise. :halo:

Kinda feel like this cruise is going to make me want to jump overboard. Glad to hear it's an option.

We've sailed on Divina 3 times and have had a fabulous cruise on all occasions, there is no reason to be terrified. You need to remember to read some reviews with a bit of perspective. Any hotel, ship or restaurant is going to have an occasional issue and some staff who are friendlier than others.

We've found the staff to be friendly, the service good and it's a beautiful ship. Some areas are busier than other but you can find space to enjoy quietness if you want to.

Stop panicking because a few people have had an issue, the majority haven't, go on your cruise with an open mind and have a great time.

Grab a brown bag and inhale/exhale.

I'm not sure where you are reading all the negative. We were on in August and had a great time.

But...if you are really so worried already maybe it would be best to stick with Celebrity just so there isn't all the negative.

I really don't understand the bad reviews people are leaving. My husband I went on Divina in June and we had an amazing time. I think each person has their own idea about what they want/expect of a cruise and 90% of the time they are expecting what they had on another cruise line or ship.

For example - A lot of people who want a party ship would probably say "hey that sounds like Carnival"

Or "Hey we want to make sure its the best vacation for our children" well a majority of people may say that is what Disney Cruise Lines and RCL are known for.

With MSC or rather the MSC Divina in particular - She is a gorgeous ship with a wide variety of music/bar areas, tons of hot tubs through out the ship, nice pools, and the shows are more diverse I believe. We saw 3 shows and one was a musical, one had a bunch of acrobatics, and, the last one was a combination of both. We enjoyed all them because it was Different..

The food was awesome, in our opinion. We ate at the buffet twice and really liked the breakfast pizza.. let's be real - The pizza period was AMAZING!!! and don't forget to try some Gelato :). Now I will admit we were in the Yacht Club so we ate at Le Muse for dinner most of the time - and of course the food was perfect - but we had no complaints with the food in the buffet ( It does get crowded sometimes so just head to the back of the buffet area to grab seats ) The little extras Divina has like the 4D theatre ride and the Formula 1 game were icing on the cake for us.

My husband and I both have been on other cruise lines and we used to be avid RCL only cruisers until we found MSC. Again I really think it is all in how you approach the experience. It's going to be different then you are used to no matter what because it is a completely Different cruise line.

I have seen some people state that the other cruisers were rude. We personally didn't have that issue at all. Again I think it is how you carry yourself and what you expect. MSC is not a US cruise line. They are just getting there foot wet in the American market soo bearing that in mind.. A lot of your fellow cruisers may be from other countries like Italy, France, UK, Etc... each country has a different way of interacting with each other.

In some countries you have to take the initiative to call your waiter over at dinner because in their culture its rude to approach otherwise.. If you are used to say RCL (where your waiter checks on you a lot during dinner ) then you may think your waiter is being rude.. They aren't .... It is there culture.. And before anyone says it.. Yes they are in an american market but that doesn't mean the company should toss all its culture and history out the window..

:):):)

Sorry for this being such a long reply, but I think if you go into it with an open mind and without the influence of everyone else that you will truly enjoy the cruise. If you were going on the Dec 9th sailing we would definitely be there to help answer any questions etc.

I sincerely hope you give the Divina a chance. she really is an amazing ship.

Remember that out of Thousands of people every cruise the reviews are likely to be less than 1% of them ! can all those others be wrong ?

At Xmas we have Seaside coming up, our 6th cruise with MSC which includes the Divina, yes their land based operation needs a lot of fine tuning but the ships are spotless and usually the crew are excellent. Everyone has a bad day at some point and with all ships it is possible to come across that person.

Go on the Divina you will be pleasantly surprised, the trouble is there are people who want a Cunard / Celebrity cruise at MSC prices and complain when they do not get it.

If MSC was anywhere near as bad as you think, how do you think they've survived this long. There are many repeat passengers. I myself have been on Divina twice, and have Seaside booked for next April.

Literally? ;)

Relax. Ultimately a vacation is what you make of it, so go into it with an open attitude. That said, there is nothing to be "terrified" of even if your worst assumptions are true.

If you go in expecting a bad vacation, you're going to have a bad vacation.

Oh and take more vacations. That way there won't be so much pressure if one isn't quite what you hoped... ;)

Don't worry. Think of like an adventure. The hubs and I, after cruising on Divina in February, are choosing to continue with MSC because of the food and service. It was much better than Carnival. Is it different than the other cruise lines? I think so, but in a good way.

Literally? ;)

 

Relax. Ultimately a vacation is what you make of it, so go into it with an open attitude. That said, there is nothing to be "terrified" of even if your worst assumptions are true.

 

If you go in expecting a bad vacation, you're going to have a bad vacation.

OP - First, take a deep breath. Second, the quote above is really well put. Read it again....and again.

I realize you have high expectations for this vacation, but NOTHING is perfect. If you want to have a good time you will, and if you want to see something wrong around every corner, I'm sure you will find that as well.

I hope you come back and tell us how wonderful it was! Bon Voyage!

Oh and take more vacations. That way there won't be so much pressure if one isn't quite what you hoped... ;)

Would love to but unfortunately it's very difficult for my boyfriend and I to take off of work. And even when we do on vacation we have to work. Such is corporate life.

I remember feeling something similar after booking our first MSC cruise. I had done a cruise 11 years before with Carnival and thought I'd never cruise again.

My parents wanted to do a cruise and asked us to do one with them. It was a late offer on MSC Fantasia, so we booked and then I began the research. After reading a lot of negative reviews I was very apprehensive. That was November 2011 - It's now 6 years and 17 cruises with MSC later and I've 3 more booked. Need I say more?!

I think you are worried a little too much. You must go with a positive attitude ! Any situation you encounter will be as bad or as good as you make it, it all depends on how you react to the situation . Someone may encounter a rude staff member and automatically think every staff member is rude. You can not control what happens at times but you can alway control how you respond . Go expecting everything may not be perfect or exactly how you expected it to be, but embrace the difference . Don't let " the little things " ruin your vacation .

We read a lot of reviews before our cruise on the Divina in July and there was some really negative stuff , but we were determined to make it a wonderful trip, and we found it to be our best cruise ever!

Give it a chance with the expectations of a great trip and I am sure you will have a great review to share when you get back !

Best of luck to you !

Grab a brown bag and inhale/exhale.

 

I'm not sure where you are reading all the negative. We were on in August and had a great time.

 

But...if you are really so worried already maybe it would be best to stick with Celebrity just so there isn't all the negative.

Unless I want to forfeit all my money, that is not an option

If MSC was anywhere near as bad as you think, how do you think they've survived this long. There are many repeat passengers. I myself have been on Divina twice, and have Seaside booked for next April.

I am also a repeat customer however the MSC cruise I went on was years ago and it was a specialty cruise. I think they have survived because they are strong in the European market.

Would love to but unfortunately it's very difficult for my boyfriend and I to take off of work. And even when we do on vacation we have to work. Such is corporate life.

I completely understand having to work some on vacation, as I own a small business and my wife is an attorney. We have to buy a sizeable internet package every time we cruise.

You still have to find a way to make the time, and to enjoy the time you do get.

I promise I'm really trying to help, not to be a jerk. :)

Take a deep breath and enjoy your trip.

I really appreciate all of the constructive feedback I received. It did make me feel MUCH better. I called MSC again and this time got a very nice, pleasant and wonderful agent who was very happy to help me. Polar opposite of what I experienced earlier this week. Since bailing on MSC really isn't an option, we have switched to the Seaside which I feel much more comfortable with. Again, thanks for the constructive feedback, it is very much appreciated.

I really appreciate all of the constructive feedback I received. It did make me feel MUCH better. I called MSC again and this time got a very nice, pleasant and wonderful agent who was very happy to help me. Polar opposite of what I experienced earlier this week. Since bailing on MSC really isn't an option, we have switched to the Seaside which I feel much more comfortable with. Again, thanks for the constructive feedback, it is very much appreciated.

Hopefully you have also moved to YC accommodations on the Seaside.

So glad to hear you got a good representative ! That's a step in the right direction !

Don't feed into the negativity you have received here. There are some of us who really want to be helpful . I totally get you being a little anxious . If you're like me we get one vacation a year and we want it to be the best it can be . Plus you are spending a pretty penny on a cruise so there is a lot at stake .

Keep a positive attitude and you'll have a great time !

Would love to but unfortunately it's very difficult for my boyfriend and I to take off of work. And even when we do on vacation we have to work. Such is corporate life.

Only if you continue to allow it.

Terrified...of the DIVINA? It's a beautiful ship...the staircase in the Atrium alone is worth the sailing! We took our 2 granddaughters on a cruise to Nassau & Freeport, and the ship was truly amazing! The staff is there to ASSIST you, not to jump at your beck and call, so be aware of that. The food has improved greatly, and the buffet goes on forever. There are sanitation stations all around, but most American cruisers tend to not use them,:eek: then bitch when they get sick. We saw no evidence of any sickness, and the staff does not have anyone standing guard at the entrance. At the rear of the buffet is a section for children, including smaller chairs & tables, and it was used by most of the children we saw on board. :cool:

Remember that out of Thousands of people every cruise the reviews are likely to be less than 1% of them ! can all those others be wrong ?

 

At Xmas we have Seaside coming up, our 6th cruise with MSC which includes the Divina, yes their land based operation needs a lot of fine tuning but the ships are spotless and usually the crew are excellent. Everyone has a bad day at some point and with all ships it is possible to come across that person.

 

Go on the Divina you will be pleasantly surprised, the trouble is there are people who want a Cunard / Celebrity cruise at MSC prices and complain when they do not get it.

Can't wait for your impression of the Seaside.

We have her booked for the middle of January & again for September.

To the original poster...I do hope you were able to secure a yacht club cabin. They are without a doubt, the best experience at sea at the best price !