Msc Divina or Ncl Epic?

[Arthur2k]

Hello!

My Name is Arturo, i'm new in the forum. :) I´m from México City. I want ask you about choose our first cruise between Ncl Epic or Msc Divina in a Mediterranean Cruise. I have read negative comments about Msc Divina i dont know if it is a good option. :confused:

I want a spa cabin balcony in Epic (14129 in deck 14). In Msc divina a Balcony with "Aurea experience"

Can you give me your opinion about this type of cabins, entertainment, food, (in case of Ncl, ultimate dining and beverage package is a good promotion) gratuities per day per person and any more information you can give me thank you very much!

We travel for october or november.

Than you!

PD. Excuse my basic english.

[Cruzaholic41]

Divina is the only MSC ship I have sailed. I have also sailed Epic, along with several other NCL ships. There is no doubt in my mind that Divina is the superior cruise. The ship is spectacular and the entertainment is excellent. Service on MSC blows away the service on NCL.

 

If you do decide to cruise Epic, the dining package is a must. NCL free food is widely regarded as the worst of all major cruise lines.

[Dancer Bob]

MSC will be much more Spanish-friendly- European cruise lines are to having all Western European languages on board. Also, be cautious about reviews- Divina had some changes on board to suit the Caribbean market, they might change back to MSC-standard in the Mediterranean.

Edited January 30, 2015 by Dancer Bob

[Lerin]

Both have both lousy and great reviews.

I'd go with Divina as it is touted as one of the most beautiful ships at sea.

[SuiteTraveler]

Arturo,

The NCL Epic has a full scale water park with lots of slides, a rock climbing wall and so much more on the top deck. It has one of the most beautiful spas at sea with steam rooms, saunas, and a water circuit and heated tile loungers with ocean views - a very relaxing way to wind down. The food is good to excellent. You can make reservations for specialty restaurants. The design of the Epic is kind of like a hotel in Las Vegas with the Casino at the heart of the ship and then various restaurants and bars located in peripheral areas. There is bowling, skeeball, an ice bar, a pub, and much to do all over the ship. The restaurants include specialty restaurants: Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, Cagney's Steak House, Moderno (Churriscaria), La Cucina, Shanghai's Chinese, Shanghai's Noodle Bar, Wasabi (sushi). There are several free restaurants as well. You can pre-reserve your restaurants on the internet so you will never have to wait. The shows include Cirque du Soliel in the Speigle Tent, Blue Man Group and Legends in Concert. On NCL you never have to dress up and you can eat when you want with only the person you are traveling with. The specialty restaurants cost only a nominal amount more ($20 or so) and you can prepay to dine in them every night on the internet and pay even less. NCL allows smoking in the casino as long as you are playing and in one area on the open deck. Here are highlights from the Cirque Dreams show:

and a good tour of the ship:

 

The MSC Divina is lovely, but it is a much more traditional cruise ship without all of the elaborate options on the Epic. There is one water slide. It has 3 specialty restaurants which appear to be more expensive than the specialty restaurants on Epic and then traditional dining rooms. The casino is smoke free. The entertainment is very good but may be aimed at an older audience. Take a look at this scene from The Witches from Paris and decide for yourself:

It is a cute way to imitate a typewriter, but how many people under 30 or 40 have even seen a typewriter?

Here you can see a tour of the ship:

 

I think you need to consider what type of vacation you want. If you want something similar to being in Las Vegas with lots of things to do and lots of excitement day and night, then the Epic is for you. If you want a more traditional cruise that is quieter with not so much going on, then the MSC Divina is for you. IMO, both types of cruises are good. It is really a question of what YOU want to do on YOUR vacation.