!!! DIVINA !!! Eastern Caribbean ^_^ The Ultimate Review and Complete Pictorial Guide

[gambee]

Regarding the bit I highlighted in red: Friends of mine sailed on Divina back in August also (not on your sailing though), and they told me that they witnessed on a few occasions people who appeared to be teenagers being served alcohol. Of course, my friends have no proof of their ages, but they said that "kids" they saw looked really young, like 14 or 15. Just wondering if you saw anything like this? By the way, it's great to read another Gambee review. Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review.

 

To be quite honest with you, I never noticed that. I also never noticed anyone under age acting funny or anything. But I could see that happening, the crew is not as concerned in MSC as they are in other lines. But then again their cards should show as underage, I am not sure how they could away with that.

[gambee]

Gambee, the pictures are so amazing! I love the way you travel with an open mind and always trying something new and switching things up. I love to cruise but I'm not loyal to any particular line either. I like the way you graciously handle all the negative and rude comments people make on your review when you have gone to the trouble of putting them on here. It's amazing that after all the work you have gone put in to inform and entertain that so many would interject with their opinion on how you should handle your cruise. Kudos to you for your graciousness! Great review as always!

 

Thank you kindly for your thoughtful comment :)

 

It is truly appreciated.

Edited September 7, 2014 by gambee

[Dragon31]

Hi Gambee, I'm a complete newbie to the boards but have been following your wonderful review following a recommendation / instruction from my wife to do so in preparation for our sailing on Davina in April 2015, same itinerary as yours.

 

First of all I must say a massive 'thank you' to you personally, for all the time and effort you have put into your review so far.... all those beautiful photo's, (illustration mode & fish eye) the wonderful video's (especially the aircraft taking off at Mayho) You are very talented man, your excellent photographic and writing skills are both evident throughout the numerous pages of your detailed review.

 

I also appreciate you sharing your 'own personal' views and experiences during your cruise (it's a little bizarre that some readers don't seem to get that you are making comments on food/shows/services etc from your own personal perspective) You must laugh at some of the post... How dare you leave the dining room or a show early ?:eek: You act like you are on holiday :D:D

 

I almost feel like I sailed with you and your family...:D I do hope your Mum's wrist is now fully recovered and your uncle seems good fun to be around.

 

Keep up the fantastic work Gambee and thank you so much for sharing your precious holiday time with us.

[gambee]

I've been reading this review for a few days now...always find Gambee's reviews entertaining and full of information. While I probably will never cruise MSC, his prior reviews have actually made me book and cruise the Oasis ( based on his Allure review) and the Breakaway. Both experiences I swore I would never do due to the size of the ship and the documented rough sailing from NYC to Bermuda. Yet all the information and photos that he shares and takes many, many hours to compile is invaluable as well as captivating and alluring.

 

What I don't get is why anyone feels the need to critique his cruising style and specifically mention it during this review.

 

My husband and I cruise to relax, enjoy the beautiful ocean and the ease of travel cruising provides. We have casual conversations on board but never make buddies...I'm sure many would find that odd yet we love to cruise. Different stroke for different folks. If Gambee enjoys the jacuzzi, quiet places on the ship, his family and photo documenting his cruise experience , that's his business. A lot of cruisers skip the shows and never show up to a "party"..why bash someone who has given so much to these boards in terms of information and enjoyment.

 

 

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I have always said that we cruise for very different reasons, if not, the ships would be crowded in specific areas at all times. Thank you for expressing your support. I am glad you gave the other ships a try, hopefully you enjoyed them?

 

I do love my jacuzzi and balcony time :D

 

Once again thank you :)

[gambee]

Spent a good part of the past 3 days reliving our last Thanksgiving's Divina cruise...with your wonderful review and gorgeous pictures! The dining room was our big disappointment (why my husband will not sail the Divina again), and I only wish we had thought to eat in the buffet a few times for dinner. Thank you for such a thoughtful, balanced and fun accounting of your time with MSC. When I have a few more days to with time to kill (??!?) I would love to look for your other reviews.

 

 

The buffet was our salvation during several nights, and I actually enjoyed the food there quite a bit. Thank you for following and commenting, it is truly appreciated :)

[riclop]

It was not there in our sailing. Maybe they are cutting costs :confused:

 

Maybe, I will check it when we go back in Nov. because my DW loves it.

[gambee]

Hi Gambee, I'm a complete newbie to the boards but have been following your wonderful review following a recommendation / instruction from my wife to do so in preparation for our sailing on Davina in April 2015, same itinerary as yours.

 

First of all I must say a massive 'thank you' to you personally, for all the time and effort you have put into your review so far.... all those beautiful photo's, (illustration mode & fish eye) the wonderful video's (especially the aircraft taking off at Mayho) You are very talented man, your excellent photographic and writing skills are both evident throughout the numerous pages of your detailed review.

 

I also appreciate you sharing your 'own personal' views and experiences during your cruise (it's a little bizarre that some readers don't seem to get that you are making comments on food/shows/services etc from your own personal perspective) You must laugh at some of the post... How dare you leave the dining room or a show early ?:eek: You act like you are on holiday :D:D

 

I almost feel like I sailed with you and your family...:D I do hope your Mum's wrist is now fully recovered and your uncle seems good fun to be around.

 

Keep up the fantastic work Gambee and thank you so much for sharing your precious holiday time with us.

 

Welcome to CC, and tell your DW thank you for me. I very glad that you're finding the review informative, hopefully it has helped you some in the preparation of your cruise. Mom has healed properly, thank you for asking.

 

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it.

 

I hope you have a great cruise aboard Divina :)

[floridianny]

Hi Gambee,

I never post on these boards but felt compelled to do so tonight. I just want to say THANK YOU for all your hard work. I have been reading your reviews pretty much since the beginning and they are by far my favorite. They are so informative and your photos are AMAZING! I often refer people to your website since you give a much better feel of the ships than the cruise line websites.

I have viewed the tour videos and "liked" them on YouTube:) Personally, since you asked, I like the ones with the fisheye best..mainly because I feel it gives a more realistic perspective when you're walking around filming. Either way, they give a great way for people to get a feel of the ship.

I really appreciate the enormous amount of time you put into these reviews and sharing your experience with all of us.

I wish you and your wonderful mom many more years of "happy cruising"

[gambee]

Hi Gambee,

I never post on these boards but felt compelled to do so tonight. I just want to say THANK YOU for all your hard work. I have been reading your reviews pretty much since the beginning and they are by far my favorite. They are so informative and your photos are AMAZING! I often refer people to your website since you give a much better feel of the ships than the cruise line websites.

I have viewed the tour videos and "liked" them on YouTube:) Personally, since you asked, I like the ones with the fisheye best..mainly because I feel it gives a more realistic perspective when you're walking around filming. Either way, they give a great way for people to get a feel of the ship.

I really appreciate the enormous amount of time you put into these reviews and sharing your experience with all of us.

I wish you and your wonderful mom many more years of "happy cruising"

 

 

OMG! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

 

 

I miss my fisheye for the walking tour. I think from now on I will stick to that lens.

 

Also, thank you for posting tonight, it is much appreciated. I needed a pick me up =)

 

Happy Cruising!

[SenatorsFan]

Hi Gambee, I'm still really enjoying your review and pictures! I know it's a huge time commitment for you, but I hope you keep at it for all of us who continue to enjoy your efforts. :)

Heather

[kkpcruiser]

Gambee... Loved both Oasis and Breakaway! Looking at Allure or Epic for maybe next summer for a Mediterranean itinerary!

 

Happy to lend support and greatly appreciate all your efforts!

(I haven't read your Breeze review yet... I think I'll do that in the next week and maybe give Carnival a try😄)

 

 

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[cruiserking]

Hello Gambee,

 

I just wanted to express again how much I enjoy your impeccable, detailed and extensive reviews. I know how time consuming they can be, but, they are a labor of love and it shows with each picture, passage and comment you post.

 

I just finished watching your wonderful assortment of Divina Cruise Ship videos and they were excellent, I feel as I was aboard with you.

 

You final summation and review breakdown of each cruise is always my favorite part as they are filled with such valuable insight and often more helpful than reviews in guide books and elsewhere around the internet.

 

Looking forward with great anticipation for the final act of this review, Thank You Gambee.

 

Jonathan

[maureencruiser]

 

:D That's Jello? What flavor, dishwater? :D

[doberwoman]

Too bad security hadn't removed the disruptive woman from the theatre. I can't help but think how upsetting that situation would've been for my elderly parents had they been sitting next to her.

That sort of behaviour is pretty much expected for a stadium show but not acceptable in a cruise ship theatre in my opinion. Especially when it's obviously affecting other passengers enjoyment of the show.

From what you've said earlier though Gambee, I understand the staff are not too interested in enforcing rules.

[janeyzee]

Please give me input on the lens, I am personally more inclined on going back to the fisheye one for future videos.

 

I like the fisheye for video tours a little better than this lens. When you first did the fisheye thing, it seemed like an odd perspective but I got used to it and loved it in your other reviews. No lens is a bad lens, but I'm giving my vote to the fisheye.

[gambee]

Day 7, Daily

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

Day 7, Great Stirrup Cay! Last Day =(

 

 

 

I woke up that morning, and as usual the first thing I did was open my computer to see if I could turn it on. Just like I thought it was dead and there was nothing I could do. But I was not concerned anymore, I had already happily rescued the data. My main concern now was how long it was about take to get it fixed, and if the issue was going to be covered under the warranty or not.

 

I also noticed substantial dust in the camera sensor so I decided to attempt to clean it. I managed to get most of it out, but some stubborn particles were impossible to get out.

 

I took some pictures from the balcony. The weather was looking just as fantastic as the rest of the cruise.

 

 

I relaxed on the balcony for a little while, and enjoyed the fresh ocean breeze! It was the last day of our cruise and I wanted to take in as much as possible.

 

Good times!

 

 

In the distance I noticed a Carnival ship.

 

 

And a cargo ship?

 

 

[gambee]

Love this photo!

 

 

We got to Great Stirrup Cay on time. The Carnival ship was using RCCL’s private island Little Stirrup Cay.

 

 

A private yacht went by as well. I have been watching "Below Deck" recently and I am completely addicted to that TV show. I highly recommend it! I have to thank my friend Rich for introducing me to the show. I can't wait for the new episode to come out. I am not a fan of reality TV shows, but give me anything that floats and I am in!

 

 

I have not talked about the bed yet, I found it to be ok. Personally, I like softer beds and this one was a bit firm. I think when she split my bed, she took off the down cover that made the bed softer. I never got around asking her about it. Either way I think my back suffers enough in my bed at home, it is possibly the softest bed you will ever sleep on. So I think sleeping on a harder surface was good for me, lol.

 

I called mom and they were getting ready, I told her that I would stop by her room in a few minutes to head up for breakfast. Once we got to the buffet, we each took off and got what we liked most.

 

I decided to mix it up that day :D. I am a big lover of bagels, but I try to stay away from them as much as possible. I tend to put too much cream cheese on them, and then I get all messed up, lol.

 

 

[gambee]

 

It only lasted for a few seconds.

 

 

The way the tender system works is fairly simple, you simply go to the Black and white lounge and pick up a ticket. Then you wait for your number to be called, so you can board the tender. If you purchased any kind of shore excursion, you get priority tender tickets. We had priority tender tickets, quite honestly, I do not know why. I think they came with the VIP package that MSC gave me. So we had pretty much nothing to be concerned about. Keep in mind that your entire party has to go to the B&W lounge to get the tickets, or so they said in the speakers. Something tells me that's another rule that they break.

 

We waited at the buffet until they came up on the speaker saying that we had cleared and the tender process was about to begin. We took the elevator down and got in front of the stairs that took you directly to the tender.

 

We saw a lot of people waiting everywhere for their numbers to be called.

 

They kept saying only priority and group one, they also asked us to have the tickets in your hands. They soon cleared the ropes and the stampede started!!! The funny things is that they never checked our tickets… I got a little worried about my mom. Mainly because she was way ahead of me and I was not there to create a shield from all the people behind her.

 

 

We all got to the tender nice and safe and headed downstairs. It was hot as hell, and I knew it would take some time to load everyone on it.

 

 

You can see how bright the sun was!

 

 

[gambee]

This was the first time that I wore the bracelets on this cruise, the tender was moving a lot and I was afraid I would sick before I would get off the tender. My mom was using my bracelets as a brace for her hand, so she gave them to me temporarily.

 

 

 

I think it took about 10-15 minutes to fill up the tender.

 

 

Soon enough we were on our way!

 

 

 

That's the first time I notice any kind of oxidation on the ship.

 

Edited September 7, 2014 by gambee

[rstout]

Hi Gambee...I am thoroughly enjoying your review, as always. I don't think MSC is for me, but I so enjoy reading your reviews that I eagerly check in multiple times a day to check the updates. I'm glad your mom is better. I agree that my favorite part is the final rating. It's always interesting to see where each cruise stacks up. And I have to say that I thought I'd never sail Carnival again but I think I would consider the Breeze after your review. Thanks for all the work you put into the reviews and I hope you get to sail with your extra family members some day again - you seemed to have a great time with them.

 

 

 

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[gambee]

 

 

My uncle getting in the way of my picture :D

 

 

 

I think this is one of the best pictures that I have of Divina. I struggled during the entire cruise to really capture her in her entirety.

 

[gambee]

 

 

 

Does anyone know what those inlets are for? My guess is that they are there to break the waves? Am I way off?

 

 

 

They all bought something at the market that day. Apparently the prices are really good, although I am not sure if they were able negotiable or not.

 

 

[gambee]

 

 

We were among the first people to arrive to the island!

 

 

These are always convenient.

 

 

You guys have no idea how hot it was that day!!! This is coming from someone who lives in Florida.

 

 

[gambee]

I found Great Stirrup Cay to be much cleaner than my prior visit. There is also much more grass areas than before, I think NCL has invested a lot of money into the development of this Island. The smell of standing contained water was completely gone.

 

 

 

 

 

Very cool display.

 

 

Last time the stingray adventure was by the main beach. I think NCL realized that they were losing money by having it there and moved it. I am not entirely sure where it is now. I never saw it during my entire stay there. Maybe towards the back?