My Late MSC Divinia Review

[monn_a]

This review is a bit late, a lot of life got in the way post cruise. It won’t be a day by day review with pictures just some information for those thinking about cruising with MSC.

 

I cruised with 2 other friends, that I met on a previous cruises. We are all veteran cruisers, I have cruised with several lines for a total of 35 cruises. We booked this cruise because MSC was running a super sale and the prices were too good to pass up and since it was an unknown line and ship it was a perfect time to try it out. We booked a back to back for the March 15th and March 22nd sailings. However we disembarked on the 22nd and didn’t return for the second half of the trip. These are my opinions and observations only.

 

Pre cruise planning is not MSC’s strong point the website is not very intuitive, but it can be done. Everything you sign up for is charged to your onboard account so nothing is prepaid. Not a deal breaker but I like to get a lot of that out of the way ahead of time so I don’t have a big bill getting off the ship.

 

I will address the things that MSC did well first, as they weren’t many. Their drink packages are a good value. They offer several options, from all inclusive to very tailored, in the form of coupons and on your card. All depending on the package you chose.

 

The cabins were nice nothing exceptional but roomy with plenty of storage. I had a decent size balcony. My couch had a nasty rip in it that never got fixed, though I was told it was going to be fixed. My room attendant was the only stand out on the ship. He was awesome and went way above what was expected on a couple of occasions.

 

The ship itself was well maintained, the staff was constantly cleaning and wiping. Aesthetically the ship was nice, not over the top gorgeous as I was led to believe but nice. The Solstice class ships are nicer in my opinion.

 

There were some hidden jewels…the gelato is delicious and the sports bar had really good fare. It’s worth an afternoon trip. The pizza in the buffet was pretty good, certainly worth a late night trip and the make your own sandwiches (in the buffet) were decent.

 

We did the winemaking class, which was a treat. It’s a outside program, but you do get to mix wine and take the bottle(s) home with your own label.

 

The rest.

 

My first disappointment of the cruise happened only 10 minutes after embarking. We were placed on late dining but had requested early. So when I boarded I went straight to the Maître ‘d to see if we could have it changed. When I got to the front of the line I explained my issue to the Maitre ‘d (who looked totally disinterested) and his first response was “Did you really expect to get your choice in seating when you booked the cruise so late?” I was flabbergasted. Never in all of my cruises had I experienced such rudeness. I am a pretty low maintenance cruiser, I don’t complain unless it’s a severe infraction. So we continued I explained to him that my cruise ticket had early dining on it but my card said late and then I politely asked him if there were any seats left in early for us. Again a rude response, instead of just saying not at the moment, he said “I already explained this to you”, which he hadn’t so at this point I’m losing my patience. He finally puts us on a waiting list. Before I stepped away I asked him about my drink vouchers (because my instructions said to retrieve them from the maitre ‘d). Again rude, he said they would be at our table that evening. It’s early afternoon at this point, so I said I have to pay for any drinks I want until 8:45 tonight even though I purchased a drink package? His response was “What you can’t wait until tonight to drink?” at this point the gentleman sitting next to him piped up and said I will help you with that. He directed me to the casino bar to pick up my vouchers, how simple was that? Nothing was easy on this trip..a lot of misinformation and misdirection. I initially blew this off as the only glitch in the trip. How wrong I was. We did get moved to early seating on the second night of the cruise.

 

Food is always a matter of opinion I have not been on any cruise line where I think the food is exceptional. I have had some really good meals but nothing super special. With that being said the food was on par with most lines, the biggest issue is lack of choices in the MDR. The few pasta dishes I tried were pretty good, but most nights just about everyone at our table ordered from the alternative menu (the steak). The biggest problem we had a dinner was the rude staff (new table-early seating). Our waiter was not personable at all. On the first night he wanted us to order our dessert with dinner, some at the table did some did not. I did not, so when dessert time came around he stuck the menu in my face and said “order something”, I hadn’t even had a chance to look at the menu, since he only brought one menu back to the table other people wanted to look at the menu to change their orders. He informed them that they couldn’t do that. What a joke, he then snatched the menu from them and put it back in my face and said order again…for that very act I took my sweet time and some of the others changed their orders, which in no way made him happy. This happened again on the second night, even after we went to guest relations

 

Entertainment. Everyone raved about the entertainment on the ship. It was a bit disappointing. The first night the show was Alice (in wonderland- of sorts). It was a cirque style show. It was a good show, but every show after was pretty much the same routines with some added stunts here and there just different costumes. If it wasn’t cirque style it was opera. I don’t have a problem with opera or classical music but it gets repetitive and boring. They did a Michael Jackson show which was laughable at best. It was all lip synced and the even the “moonwalking” was faked by a sliding stage. When they actually sung a song it was with an Italian accent. After the main shows there was very little to do on the ship in the evenings. There was a piano bar but it was small and always packed. Not much to do on sea days either.

 

On the third day of the cruise we had made a decision that we couldn’t do another week on this ship. We went to guest relations and cancelled our next voyage. The cruise was cheap enough that we weren’t going to lose much and we’d get our taxes back (which were more than the cost of the cruise). All said my cruise motto has been even the worse cruise is better than being at work, but this one proved to be the exception.

 

Final notes, the ship is difficult to navigate, lots of dead ends and up and downs to move forward. The photo place is right in the middle of the only thoroughfare on the ship that goes from bow to stern without a detour…so it is always congested and hard to move through.

 

The MDR is table on top of table, literally no room to move around. Several times we would have to get out of our seats for waiters to move around the table or for others to get to their tables. I know ships tend to pack them in but I have never seen a dining room as tight as this.

 

I think I have said all I need to say, again these are my observations.

[monn_a]

I do want to add that when we went to cancel the second voyage they asked us the reason why and had us fill out a form. I explained about the rudeness of the Maitre 'D and the waiter. The woman at guest relations took their names and offered to have our service charges removed which we did (thinking I would just give my room attendant his in cash, but the asst. waiter I liked so this caused conflict with me. I did notice a difference in the dining room after that. I went back to guest relations and had my service charges reapplied. I wanted to note this because nothing was done when I initially complained about this.

[American Bear]

You're right, it was your experience, and your opinions are yours, but some things you stated are simply not true!

 

Dead ends? Maybe you mean corridors/passageways that have turns!

The Michael Jackson dancer does not use a moving stage to moonwalk, we sat in the front row! As far as how good the show was, that's subjective, but it got a standing ovation both times on our B2B in May!

 

You other listed disappointments are also confusing since it seems from your own writing everything you wanted, you got, maybe just not as quickly as you wanted!

 

Don't know who told you to go to the Maitre d to get your drink pkges. cause we were told they were in the Casino, and they were there! We also changed our dining time with the Maitre d's, and it was extremely easy, then again we were polite when we asked, and they were polite to us!

 

Also calling yourself low maintenance might be subjective, considering you canceled a week cruise in a balcony for what amounted to port and tax fees!:eek:

Edited June 12, 2014 by American Bear

[MSC Cruises USA]

Hi monn_a,

 

Thanks for taking the time to write and for share your candid comments. At MSC Cruises, we always hope to exceed your expectations and it appears that we did not accomplish that goal. If you'd like to share more feedback about your experience, please feel free to email our Customer Service Department at customer-srvc@msccruisesusa.com with more details.

 

Regards,

[riclop]

Thanks for your review, i disagree with the majority of your observations especially about the shows and that there is nothing to do after the shows but i totally agree with you as far as the matre d is concerned he has a very hasty attitude and is not very nice. The ship is much more beautiful than the solstice class on celebrity and speaking of boring after the shows that is celebrity.

[Mikesa1721]

This review is a bit late, a lot of life got in the way post cruise. It won’t be a day by day review with pictures just some information for those thinking about cruising with MSC.

 

I cruised with 2 other friends, that I met on a previous cruises. We are all veteran cruisers, I have cruised with several lines for a total of 35 cruises. We booked this cruise because MSC was running a super sale and the prices were too good to pass up and since it was an unknown line and ship it was a perfect time to try it out. We booked a back to back for the March 15th and March 22nd sailings. However we disembarked on the 22nd and didn’t return for the second half of the trip. These are my opinions and observations only.

 

Pre cruise planning is not MSC’s strong point the website is not very intuitive, but it can be done. Everything you sign up for is charged to your onboard account so nothing is prepaid. Not a deal breaker but I like to get a lot of that out of the way ahead of time so I don’t have a big bill getting off the ship.

 

I will address the things that MSC did well first, as they weren’t many. Their drink packages are a good value. They offer several options, from all inclusive to very tailored, in the form of coupons and on your card. All depending on the package you chose.

 

The cabins were nice nothing exceptional but roomy with plenty of storage. I had a decent size balcony. My couch had a nasty rip in it that never got fixed, though I was told it was going to be fixed. My room attendant was the only stand out on the ship. He was awesome and went way above what was expected on a couple of occasions.

 

The ship itself was well maintained, the staff was constantly cleaning and wiping. Aesthetically the ship was nice, not over the top gorgeous as I was led to believe but nice. The Solstice class ships are nicer in my opinion.

 

There were some hidden jewels…the gelato is delicious and the sports bar had really good fare. It’s worth an afternoon trip. The pizza in the buffet was pretty good, certainly worth a late night trip and the make your own sandwiches (in the buffet) were decent.

 

We did the winemaking class, which was a treat. It’s a outside program, but you do get to mix wine and take the bottle(s) home with your own label.

 

The rest.

 

My first disappointment of the cruise happened only 10 minutes after embarking. We were placed on late dining but had requested early. So when I boarded I went straight to the Maître ‘d to see if we could have it changed. When I got to the front of the line I explained my issue to the Maitre ‘d (who looked totally disinterested) and his first response was “Did you really expect to get your choice in seating when you booked the cruise so late?” I was flabbergasted. Never in all of my cruises had I experienced such rudeness. I am a pretty low maintenance cruiser, I don’t complain unless it’s a severe infraction. So we continued I explained to him that my cruise ticket had early dining on it but my card said late and then I politely asked him if there were any seats left in early for us. Again a rude response, instead of just saying not at the moment, he said “I already explained this to you”, which he hadn’t so at this point I’m losing my patience. He finally puts us on a waiting list. Before I stepped away I asked him about my drink vouchers (because my instructions said to retrieve them from the maitre ‘d). Again rude, he said they would be at our table that evening. It’s early afternoon at this point, so I said I have to pay for any drinks I want until 8:45 tonight even though I purchased a drink package? His response was “What you can’t wait until tonight to drink?” at this point the gentleman sitting next to him piped up and said I will help you with that. He directed me to the casino bar to pick up my vouchers, how simple was that? Nothing was easy on this trip..a lot of misinformation and misdirection. I initially blew this off as the only glitch in the trip. How wrong I was. We did get moved to early seating on the second night of the cruise.

 

Food is always a matter of opinion I have not been on any cruise line where I think the food is exceptional. I have had some really good meals but nothing super special. With that being said the food was on par with most lines, the biggest issue is lack of choices in the MDR. The few pasta dishes I tried were pretty good, but most nights just about everyone at our table ordered from the alternative menu (the steak). The biggest problem we had a dinner was the rude staff (new table-early seating). Our waiter was not personable at all. On the first night he wanted us to order our dessert with dinner, some at the table did some did not. I did not, so when dessert time came around he stuck the menu in my face and said “order something”, I hadn’t even had a chance to look at the menu, since he only brought one menu back to the table other people wanted to look at the menu to change their orders. He informed them that they couldn’t do that. What a joke, he then snatched the menu from them and put it back in my face and said order again…for that very act I took my sweet time and some of the others changed their orders, which in no way made him happy. This happened again on the second night, even after we went to guest relations

 

Entertainment. Everyone raved about the entertainment on the ship. It was a bit disappointing. The first night the show was Alice (in wonderland- of sorts). It was a cirque style show. It was a good show, but every show after was pretty much the same routines with some added stunts here and there just different costumes. If it wasn’t cirque style it was opera. I don’t have a problem with opera or classical music but it gets repetitive and boring. They did a Michael Jackson show which was laughable at best. It was all lip synced and the even the “moonwalking” was faked by a sliding stage. When they actually sung a song it was with an Italian accent. After the main shows there was very little to do on the ship in the evenings. There was a piano bar but it was small and always packed. Not much to do on sea days either.

 

On the third day of the cruise we had made a decision that we couldn’t do another week on this ship. We went to guest relations and cancelled our next voyage. The cruise was cheap enough that we weren’t going to lose much and we’d get our taxes back (which were more than the cost of the cruise). All said my cruise motto has been even the worse cruise is better than being at work, but this one proved to be the exception.

 

Final notes, the ship is difficult to navigate, lots of dead ends and up and downs to move forward. The photo place is right in the middle of the only thoroughfare on the ship that goes from bow to stern without a detour…so it is always congested and hard to move through.

 

The MDR is table on top of table, literally no room to move around. Several times we would have to get out of our seats for waiters to move around the table or for others to get to their tables. I know ships tend to pack them in but I have never seen a dining room as tight as this.

 

I think I have said all I need to say, again these are my observations.

 

Really???? You may want to watch this video. I was in the front row and stood up to film him moonwalking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyIsC3PDok0&feature=youtu.be

[big al]

This review is a bit late, a lot of life got in the way post cruise. It won’t be a day by day review with pictures just some information for those thinking about cruising with MSC.

 

I cruised with 2 other friends, that I met on a previous cruises. We are all veteran cruisers, I have cruised with several lines for a total of 35 cruises. We booked this cruise because MSC was running a super sale and the prices were too good to pass up and since it was an unknown line and ship it was a perfect time to try it out. We booked a back to back for the March 15th and March 22nd sailings. However we disembarked on the 22nd and didn’t return for the second half of the trip. These are my opinions and observations only.

 

Pre cruise planning is not MSC’s strong point the website is not very intuitive, but it can be done. Everything you sign up for is charged to your onboard account so nothing is prepaid. Not a deal breaker but I like to get a lot of that out of the way ahead of time so I don’t have a big bill getting off the ship.

 

I will address the things that MSC did well first, as they weren’t many. Their drink packages are a good value. They offer several options, from all inclusive to very tailored, in the form of coupons and on your card. All depending on the package you chose.

 

The cabins were nice nothing exceptional but roomy with plenty of storage. I had a decent size balcony. My couch had a nasty rip in it that never got fixed, though I was told it was going to be fixed. My room attendant was the only stand out on the ship. He was awesome and went way above what was expected on a couple of occasions.

 

The ship itself was well maintained, the staff was constantly cleaning and wiping. Aesthetically the ship was nice, not over the top gorgeous as I was led to believe but nice. The Solstice class ships are nicer in my opinion.

 

There were some hidden jewels…the gelato is delicious and the sports bar had really good fare. It’s worth an afternoon trip. The pizza in the buffet was pretty good, certainly worth a late night trip and the make your own sandwiches (in the buffet) were decent.

 

We did the winemaking class, which was a treat. It’s a outside program, but you do get to mix wine and take the bottle(s) home with your own label.

 

The rest.

 

My first disappointment of the cruise happened only 10 minutes after embarking. We were placed on late dining but had requested early. So when I boarded I went straight to the Maître ‘d to see if we could have it changed. When I got to the front of the line I explained my issue to the Maitre ‘d (who looked totally disinterested) and his first response was “Did you really expect to get your choice in seating when you booked the cruise so late?” I was flabbergasted. Never in all of my cruises had I experienced such rudeness. I am a pretty low maintenance cruiser, I don’t complain unless it’s a severe infraction. So we continued I explained to him that my cruise ticket had early dining on it but my card said late and then I politely asked him if there were any seats left in early for us. Again a rude response, instead of just saying not at the moment, he said “I already explained this to you”, which he hadn’t so at this point I’m losing my patience. He finally puts us on a waiting list. Before I stepped away I asked him about my drink vouchers (because my instructions said to retrieve them from the maitre ‘d). Again rude, he said they would be at our table that evening. It’s early afternoon at this point, so I said I have to pay for any drinks I want until 8:45 tonight even though I purchased a drink package? His response was “What you can’t wait until tonight to drink?” at this point the gentleman sitting next to him piped up and said I will help you with that. He directed me to the casino bar to pick up my vouchers, how simple was that? Nothing was easy on this trip..a lot of misinformation and misdirection. I initially blew this off as the only glitch in the trip. How wrong I was. We did get moved to early seating on the second night of the cruise.

 

Food is always a matter of opinion I have not been on any cruise line where I think the food is exceptional. I have had some really good meals but nothing super special. With that being said the food was on par with most lines, the biggest issue is lack of choices in the MDR. The few pasta dishes I tried were pretty good, but most nights just about everyone at our table ordered from the alternative menu (the steak). The biggest problem we had a dinner was the rude staff (new table-early seating). Our waiter was not personable at all. On the first night he wanted us to order our dessert with dinner, some at the table did some did not. I did not, so when dessert time came around he stuck the menu in my face and said “order something”, I hadn’t even had a chance to look at the menu, since he only brought one menu back to the table other people wanted to look at the menu to change their orders. He informed them that they couldn’t do that. What a joke, he then snatched the menu from them and put it back in my face and said order again…for that very act I took my sweet time and some of the others changed their orders, which in no way made him happy. This happened again on the second night, even after we went to guest relations

 

Entertainment. Everyone raved about the entertainment on the ship. It was a bit disappointing. The first night the show was Alice (in wonderland- of sorts). It was a cirque style show. It was a good show, but every show after was pretty much the same routines with some added stunts here and there just different costumes. If it wasn’t cirque style it was opera. I don’t have a problem with opera or classical music but it gets repetitive and boring. They did a Michael Jackson show which was laughable at best. It was all lip synced and the even the “moonwalking” was faked by a sliding stage. When they actually sung a song it was with an Italian accent. After the main shows there was very little to do on the ship in the evenings. There was a piano bar but it was small and always packed. Not much to do on sea days either.

 

On the third day of the cruise we had made a decision that we couldn’t do another week on this ship. We went to guest relations and cancelled our next voyage. The cruise was cheap enough that we weren’t going to lose much and we’d get our taxes back (which were more than the cost of the cruise). All said my cruise motto has been even the worse cruise is better than being at work, but this one proved to be the exception.

 

Final notes, the ship is difficult to navigate, lots of dead ends and up and downs to move forward. The photo place is right in the middle of the only thoroughfare on the ship that goes from bow to stern without a detour…so it is always congested and hard to move through.

 

The MDR is table on top of table, literally no room to move around. Several times we would have to get out of our seats for waiters to move around the table or for others to get to their tables. I know ships tend to pack them in but I have never seen a dining room as tight as this.

 

I think I have said all I need to say, again these are my observations.

 

You should read this- from a writer at Cruise Critic- how can her observations and reviews be so opposite?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2038971

 

I have been told by many that the buffet is THEE best at sea, and the shows are THEE best they've ever seen...not one or two people, but dozens...I'm not saying you are lying or perhaps exaggerating , but after 29 cruises & 52 ship tours ( including the Divina 2 months ago & I thought she was gorgeous..) , it CAN'T be that people have completely opposite takes on a ship...food, yes..service I find good to very good to fantastic on 98% of all my cruises..entertainment is also subjective...I thought Hairspray on the Oasis was the best musical I've seen to date...some others hated it or walked out...the Disney Dream shows ( all 4) were spectacular..BUT, if you hate Disney or aren't familiar with the Disney movies & characters , you probably wouldn't like it..BTW, I have no kids, am 61 & LOVED every show I saw...from what I saw, & the great prices MSC is offering, I would sail the Divina any time...

[big al]

Really???? You may want to watch this video. I was in the front row and stood up to film him moonwalking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyIsC3PDok0&feature=youtu.be

 

Very nice clip...great moonwalking ...dancers are terrific, BTW....I don't mind if he lip-syncs because I already knew that, but his dancing is tremendous....

[Mikesa1721]

Very nice clip...great moonwalking ...dancers are terrific, BTW....I don't mind if he lip-syncs because I already knew that, but his dancing is tremendous....

 

 

All the dancers including the dancer portraying Michael Jackson were all in the Galaxy Disco later that night. We were able to dance and talk with them for a little bit. The dancer portraying Michael talked just like him,,it was so funny.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[papcx]

Hi Monn_a

 

I love your signature.

 

It would seem MSC are a chapter not to your liking.

[Steftacular]

Whoa guys - no need to attack monn_a! Ive read lots of things and I think I could believe these statements. There have been some bad reviews about the service and its not that off par Im sure. Im going to chalk it up to the fact that since this was months ago, MSC was still working out the kinks. It sounds like theyve had a difficult time transitioning since theyve been in the states, but every review I read it sounds like they get better and better. Im going in September and expect nothing less than wonderful :)

[papcx]

Whoa guys - no need to attack monn_a! Ive read lots of things and I think I could believe these statements. There have been some bad reviews about the service and its not that off par Im sure. Im going to chalk it up to the fact that since this was months ago, MSC was still working out the kinks. It sounds like theyve had a difficult time transitioning since theyve been in the states, but every review I read it sounds like they get better and better. Im going in September and expect nothing less than wonderful :)

 

 

Why does MSC have to change its service style to be "good"

 

It's different, it's European, it's not American. That doesn't mean it's not good (I'm of course not referring to "rude" encounters)

 

Just because a bar server or MDR waiter doesn't act like he / she's been your best friend since school doesn't mean the service is bad.

[MsTabbyKats]

Whoa guys - no need to attack monn_a! Ive read lots of things and I think I could believe these statements. There have been some bad reviews about the service and its not that off par Im sure. Im going to chalk it up to the fact that since this was months ago, MSC was still working out the kinks. It sounds like theyve had a difficult time transitioning since theyve been in the states, but every review I read it sounds like they get better and better. Im going in September and expect nothing less than wonderful :)

 

My take on it. He pays "next to nothing" and wants royal treatment.

[stormynow]

my take on it. He pays "next to nothing" and wants royal treatment.

like

[AmoMondo]

My take on it. He pays "next to nothing" and wants royal treatment.

 

Also like!

[American Bear]

Whoa guys - no need to attack monn_a! Ive read lots of things and I think I could believe these statements. There have been some bad reviews about the service and its not that off par Im sure. Im going to chalk it up to the fact that since this was months ago, MSC was still working out the kinks. It sounds like theyve had a difficult time transitioning since theyve been in the states, but every review I read it sounds like they get better and better. Im going in September and expect nothing less than wonderful :)

 

 

 

Gonna disagree, but we're 'not attacking you', its just some statements by the OP were flat out wrong, and some were right!

The OP's statement about the MJ dancer using a moving stage, was wrong, no big deal, we all make mistakes!

The positive comments by the OP's about the drink pkges., the gelato, the pizza, and make your own sandwiches we happen to agree with!

 

We encountered a few problems (like the OP)on our 2 weeks on the Divina, and after contacting guest services, they were solved to our satisfaction, just like the OP! But it seems we differ from the OP in that we were happy the crew satisfied our requests while the OP seemed to let it bother them!

 

We disagree with the OP's views of the shows, and there is little to do after the shows, we found the shows excellent, (check out youtube videos for yourself) and we thought the Divina a very lively ship after shows, but that again is subjective!

One responder to the OP stated you could have met the dancers and even danced with them in the disco after the show! We met several entertainers in the buffet and found them very easy to talk to!

 

As far as your statement of 'difficulty in transitioning', our subjective opinion from 2 weeks on the Divina is the Divina offers the best 'bang for you buck' in the Caribbean right now! Even the OP thought the sale was 'super and too good to pass up'!

 

We loved not being hassled every other minute on the Divina, like most other cruise lines today to buy, buy, buy! The relaxing approach of service on the Divina was very appreciated by us! Others may find this as poor service, which we couldn't disagree with more! If that's Americanizing to bother you more, we can do without it!

 

You state you will cruise this Sept., if you like a relaxed cruise, you'll enjoy yourself, if you want waiters bugging you every 2 minutes for drinks, if you want to hear constant messages about bingo, or some sale going on somewhere to feel you're getting good service then you won't like this!

 

The OP canceled their 2nd week in a balcony for what amounted to port fees and taxes, and stated they are 'low maintenance cruisers'! We would disagree! Again subjective by both the OP and us! :D

 

It'll be interesting to read your review when you return, have a good cruise!

[JK300]

Why does MSC have to change its service style to be "good"

 

It's different, it's European, it's not American. That doesn't mean it's not good (I'm of course not referring to "rude" encounters)

 

Just because a bar server or MDR waiter doesn't act like he / she's been your best friend since school doesn't mean the service is bad.

 

Very well said, as I understand most of the people on CC are Americans, it's not because it is not American = not 'good'. Travel with an open mind.

John

[saphir]

Very well said, as I understand most of the people on CC are Americans, it's not because it is not American = not 'good'. Travel with an open mind.

John

 

I am french canadian (Montreal) and i like the europeen style.:o

[tarheelmjfan]

Whoa guys - no need to attack monn_a! Ive read lots of things and I think I could believe these statements. There have been some bad reviews about the service and its not that off par Im sure. Im going to chalk it up to the fact that since this was months ago, MSC was still working out the kinks. It sounds like theyve had a difficult time transitioning since theyve been in the states, but every review I read it sounds like they get better and better. Im going in September and expect nothing less than wonderful : )

 

I agree that most of the replies were harsh. People get very protective over their vacation preferences. :confused: Most of the review went in one eye & out the other. ;) It certainly wouldn't deter me from booking MSC. The rude maître d & server is a different story. We encountered a rude maître d on Celebrity & it definitely affected our enjoyment of the cruise. This was the only Celebrity cruise we wouldn't have repeated. The others have been fantastic. When you encounter rude employees, it's difficult to not allow it to affect the entire cruise. We are all human, after all.

 

Why does MSC have to change its service style to be "good"

 

It's different, it's European, it's not American. That doesn't mean it's not good (I'm of course not referring to "rude" encounters)

 

Just because a bar server or MDR waiter doesn't act like he / she's been your best friend since school doesn't mean the service is bad.

 

Some Americans, including us, are fine with European service. We actually prefer it to overly chatty service. We're not looking for a new best friend & we're good with 2 to 2 1/2 hr. dinners. All we expect is efficient service. That said, if having a waiter that expects you to order your entire meal at once, then is rude when you don't is part of European culture, you can keep it across the pond. :p It's contradictory to expect an entire meal ordered at once, but say you should expect meals to be relaxed & can take over 2 hrs. Which one is it? I'm guessing the maître d & waiter's behavior would be considered rude in Europe also. If this was the first complaint for either, there probably wouldn't have been an offer to remove tips.

[JK300]

I am french canadian (Montreal) and i like the europeen style.:o

 

Nice to hear.;)

[American Bear]

Some Americans, including us, are fine with European service. We actually prefer it to overly chatty service. We're not looking for a new best friend & we're good with 2 to 2 1/2 hr. dinners. All we expect is efficient service. That said, if having a waiter that expects you to order your entire meal at once, then is rude when you don't is part of European culture, you can keep it across the pond. :p It's contradictory to expect an entire meal ordered at once, but say you should expect meals to be relaxed & can take over 2 hrs. Which one is it? I'm guessing the maître d & waiter's behavior would be considered rude in Europe also. If this was the first complaint for either, there probably wouldn't have been an offer to remove tips.

 

 

 

 

 

We are Americans and we love 'European style' service if that's what you call it, I call it 'stop bothering me' service!:D

When did American style service become constant loud speaker announcements reminding you about things you should know if you have a brain, and constant efforts by ship employees for you to buy, buy, buy, buy, buy, every other minute? I must have missed the notification that rude service was to be called American Style!:D

We've been to Europe many times over the years, and European Style service isn't 'making you' order your entire meal at once, that's a figment of imagination!:D

On the Divina, you 'could' order your entire meal including desert at the beginning, some on the forums even suggest it if you were not ordering every course, and didn't want to wait for others at your table eating a course you didn't order! But we didn't hear of, or see anyone being 'forced' to order their entire meal! That's more imagination!:D

Edited June 15, 2014 by American Bear

[tarheelmjfan]

We are Americans and we love 'European style' service if that's what you call it, I call it 'stop bothering me' service!: D

When did American style service become constant loud speaker announcements reminding you about things you should know if you have a brain, and constant efforts by ship employees for you to buy, buy, buy, buy, buy, every other minute? I must have missed the notification that rude service was to be called American Style!: D

We've been to Europe many times over the years, and European Style service isn't 'making you' order your entire meal at once, that's a figment of imagination!: D

On the Divina, you 'could' order your entire meal including desert at the beginning, some on the forums even suggest it if you were not ordering every course, and didn't want to wait for others at your table eating a course you didn't order! But we didn't hear of, or see anyone being 'forced' to order their entire meal! That's more imagination!: D

 

As I noted in my other post, we prefer slower more professional service also. I don't think the service was due to it being a European server. This didn't sound anything like service you'd typically receive in Europe. Unfortunately, no restaurant is immune from a bad server. It sounds like the OP drew the short straw & got one. It's not uncommon for 2 parties at the same restaurant to have totally different experiences. It's how MSC responded to the complaints that makes the difference. It appears the poor service was corrected. The maître d is a bit more disconcerting. He would have worked his way into that position. You would hope a business wouldn't promote rude people into a level this high, but we've experienced it ourselves. It does happen. Power can change people or bring out their true nature. Hopefully, MSC took care of this issue months ago. As I said before, I highly doubt this was the first complaint for one or both of these employees. The cruise line wouldn't have been so quick to offer to remove the daily service charges, if it were. FWIW, Celebrity is our cruise line of choice. The fact that they don't make a lot of announcements & hawk their wares is part of that. I'm not sure why people have the impression that all Americans enjoy that type of thing. It's not like the US is a one size fits all country.

 

The rest of the review was nitpicky to me, but starting a cruise with issues can cloud your opinion of the whole experience. To me, the responses were harsh considering the OP obviously had negative experiences with the maître d & server. There's no reason to assume the OP was rude to the maître d to warrant his response. We definitely weren't, when we encountered the "holier-than-thou" maître d on a Celebrity ship. My DH is one of the most laidback people you'd ever meet & doesn't do rude. He'll walk away first. Perhaps the harsh reaction was due to the obviously bogus negative info & review posted by a member recently. Not everyone has an agenda though. It's entirely possible that the OP had a different experience than others who have sailed on Divina. It only takes a bad server or room steward to change one's experience from an outstanding cruise to a less than positive experience. The OP may have very well felt this way about Divina. That doesn't mean everyone else does nor does it invalidate her opinion. It's just one person's opinion which was obviously negatively influenced by the encounter with the maître d & server.

[mutleytex]

WELL after reading through this post from June 2014... i am very confused:confused:,,

My DH and I are( plus 6 other friends) looking at booking a cruise with MSC in Oct 2015... and really want to have a great experience we have all traveled with Holland America Celebrity and royal Caribbean,, and yes we had small issues with them all but nothing that would ever stop us using them again,,

My problem at the moment is that i cant find many nice reviews on this cruise line,,,:(

 

so if any one can help me i would appreciate this,:)

we are wanting MSC as they are the only ones to go where we all want to visit at the time of year.

[Inishmore]

 

My problem at the moment is that i cant find many nice reviews on this cruise line,,,:(

 

so if any one can help me i would appreciate this,:)

we are wanting MSC as they are the only ones to go where we all want to visit at the time of year.

 

There are many, many positive reviews of MSC. How's this one for starters? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2041893 :)

 

We have an upcoming cruise booked for early August on the Divina. Can hardly wait!!