MSC Divina getting mostly bad review

[PBC29]

Sailed on the Poesia and Orchestra when they first came to the US market and prior to our trips we had been reading many bad reviews for those ships. Both our trips ended up being fun and enjoyable, sure it was different than what we were used to but nothing we would rule out sailing with MSC again. We'll be on Divina for the first time in Feb and expect it to be pretty much the same as our past MSC trips.

 

Only thing I'm not happy about is sailing out of Miami, I much prefer Ft Lauderdale.

[mikesteg]

Mike ... Now that MSC have changed their kids free policy for next year certainly in Europe how is that going to affect you, is the same being rolled out over there?

 

I missed that, but it doesn't appears it will affect Miami for now. I had looked at July and October last night on this 2-for-1 deal, and got KSF. I just did a quote for March 18, 2017 and it was also KSF. Not that it couldn't change tomorrow, but as of now it seems to be bookable all the way out.

 

There are some real steals with this new sale. Oct 8, 2016, 2 adults, 2 6YO kids , FANTASTICA Superior cabin: $1565 (w/o the past guest discount.) Same price for May 7th... but of course most kids are in school. However, if you have pre-school kids, or can go during school could be a fantastic deal.

 

~~~~

 

Edit: I just tried May 2016 with the kids 13 to 17 and they were $289 (plus TT&L) each. A slight discount from the adult price for 3rd/4th pax which is $389pp on the same cruise. Not having any interest in that category previously, I don't know if that is a change or not. I feel like kids up to 14 used to sail free, but I am not sure.

Edited December 9, 2015 by mikesteg

[chong67]

I was at the Q&A session on my first cruise last month and the Norwegian captain (almost always) say no americans want to work on cruise ship.

 

My trip to West Caribbean got one indian dish, few chinese food and no Mexican food like fajita, chips, salsa or burritos. Amazing.

[sidari]

Mikesteg ... That might be a change they have made regarding the 13 to 17 year olds, in the March 2016 to April 2017 brochure I have here at home only Infants 0-2 go free, while Children 2-12 pay a specified amount as do those classed as 13-17.

[mikesteg]

I was at the Q&A session on my first cruise last month and the Norwegian captain (almost always) say no americans want to work on cruise ship.

 

Nobody from the U.S wants to work for cruise ship wages. Minimum wage here is between $7 and $9 an hour. Depending on who you believe, cruise ship workers get a couple bucks an hour (plus grats), work long hours on most days, etc.

 

I actually applied to work on a cruise ship. However, it was in an IT role that presumably would have paid decently. At the time I was single and in an apartment so could have just stored my stuff and had minimal expense at 'home'. And I had pipe dreams of mu 401(k) growing much much faster than it has... :(

 

NCL did (and may still) have the ship in Hawaii which was flagged U.S. and had U.S. staffing. The price was about 50% higher... but then again it's Hawaii where most everything is more expensive.

 

Mikesteg ... That might be a change they have made regarding the 13 to 17 year olds, in the March 2016 to April 2017 brochure I have here at home only Infants 0-2 go free, while Children 2-12 pay a specified amount as do those classed as 13-17.

 

I guess this is a case of RTFM. :o On the MSC USA site:

 

Starting from summer 2016: Children 12 and under traveling with two full fare paying adults in the same stateroom cruise free of charge when sailing as 3rd/4th guests ...... Until April 2016 children 11 and under cruise free, while children 12-17 years cruise at discounted rates when sailing as the 3rd/4th guests.

[MsTabbyKats]

Oh no!

 

We were on the Divina last Dec. and I loved the Italian feel.

I hope they didn't cut out the wonderful pizza selection in the buffet.

 

We are supposed to sail on her in May, and if I find out "the aura of Italy" is gone I may do some reconsidering.

[cdubmom]

We got a great deal for 3 (DH, DS age 8 and me)!! $1900 for midship balcony Fantastica experience !!! So excited! We've only cruised with Carnival so we're excited to try something new. We loved Carnival despite having read so many negative reviews! Hoping this will be the same! :)

[AmoMondo]

The multiple language announcement has never been a problem on any cruise I've been on that had them.

 

The multiple languages are interesting to listen to and pick out the similarities in the language (OK, the Chinese ones never sound remotely like anything else).

 

I just returned from a land tour that had 41 participants. There were four languages spoken in the group - Spanish (language of country being visited), English, Dutch, and French. The tour guide spoke Spanish and English. While everyone had some basic English; language help went as follows: Another English speaking couple translated for the Dutch (with my husband helping out in the limited German he knows and one of the Dutch couples also spoke), and one Dutch couple translated for the French speakers.

 

We all actually had a good time with the multiple languages and we all picked up words in the different languages.

This is one of the reasons that I really enjoy MSC and Costa. I've had some of the funniest a Nd most enjoyable times with a mixed bunch of nationalities at a big shared table at lunch all determined to join in and communicate despite all speaking different language. We've even resorted to Latin once!

 

Then there is the sheer enjoyment of people watching when you have such a multi cultural mix. It can keep me entrained for ages.

 

The thought of being on a ship that is just a little British or American bubble does t appeal, particularly when I'm not sailing in those regions.

Edited December 12, 2015 by AmoMondo

[Luckyzia]

I see that lately, the Divina has been getting bad reviews from user here. You can read it up.

 

I am thinking of getting on this ship in Nov 2016 to the Caribbean. It is price $350 cheaper for the balcony compared to other ships for this 7 day cruise.

 

So I dont know. Bad food. Bad service.

 

What should I do?

 

 

Sorry to hear you are not sure. Try not to let someone else change your mind, everyone has their own opinion. When I was on the Oasis of the Seas, I heard many people complaining at the customer service desk saying bad food, bad service, too big, blah blah blah. We thought it was a great ship and had a wonderful time, yes it is a big ship but we knew this going into it, the food was delicious, the shows great, we loved everything about it. We are going on the Divina in January and can't wait. My husband works at the port and says so many people that come off the Divina tell him what a wonderful time they had. Good luck in your decision.

[Joal]

We are on our first cruise with MSC for Xmas and New Year and have read no end of reviews.

We make our own enjoyment and am sure we will enjoy it. If you read and believed every review you would not cruise. You are on holiday enjoy.

 

We will be on the Divina for the New Year's cruise. Never been on MSC, but decided to give it a try. I agree, a lot has to do with your expectations, and there are those who no matter what are never happy. We are Americans, but very much enjoy meeting people from other countries. Lived in Europe for sometime, and loved it! I see you are from the UK. Maybe we will meet on board. We have British friends we met on the Queen Elizabeth with whom we still correspond.

[Russka]

I was on the Divina in March, 2015 for the Western Caribbean cruise. First impressions upon walking on the ship were amazing. Gorgeous throughout. I had a balcony cabin that was beautiful and well kept as well. The staff isn't the uber friendly ones you may see on Disney or Carnival, but they do their jobs well.

As for the complaints about all of the "foreigners"--- I found it to be a wonderful bonus. Their customs and manners may not be the same as ours, but it is important to remember, that on the ship, we are all "foreigners".

My only real complaint was the dining service. Water refills were more precious than gold and iced tea refills even rarer. I spoke to one of the head men in restaurant and it got a little better. The servers in the dining room worked extremely hard and were very friendly. It appeared the only problem was the division of jobs-- one person was scattered doing too many different jobs, leaving diners unattended. Food was good, but desserts were my favorite--

I have been on many cruises and have never experienced better production shows. I looked forward to seeing them every night. I will be leaving on the Eastern Caribbean cruise on Divina on 12/19-- I know what to expect, so I will be prepared to have a wonderful trip.

In closing, it appears most of the complaints are about the level of service while onboard-- I would hope that MSC is paying attention to the reviews-- better service is what all businesses should strive for anyway.

[jgallagh1944]

I see that lately, the Divina has been getting bad reviews from user here. You can read it up.

 

I am thinking of getting on this ship in Nov 2016 to the Caribbean. It is price $350 cheaper for the balcony compared to other ships for this 7 day cruise.

 

So I dont know. Bad food. Bad service.

 

What should I do?

 

We cruised on the Divina last month and you probably read my review "MSC Divina - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". It's an honest review and I don't feel I bashed MSC. We have cruised on RCCL, Celebrity, Disney, NCL, and Viking (Danube and Rhine River cruises), so I think I know what to expect on a cruise. We are booked on Divina for April 2016 cruise and after much back and forth have decided to keep our reservation. I think we can use our experiences from last month to work around some of the shortcomings; the biggest problem will be variety and quality of food in MDR; the buffet was better than MDR. Shows are great and ship is beautiful. Read my review Nd decide for yourself.

[wherestheship]

I like this ship because the price is good for this time period in Nov 2016.

 

It is a new ship.

 

I also like going to island and places which you can do just about anything you want vs going to a private beach.

 

I have had 3 amazing cruises with MSC - Splendida, Magnifica and Musica, prior to each cruise I read bad reviews yet never seen any evidence to justify these bad reviews, I think its one disgruntled passenger or travel agents on kickback from other cruises lines. Beautiful welcoming comfortable ships, some big, some small but all nice not like a plastic theme park.

[Capricruiser]

The majority of the bad reviews seem to have been written by new CC members (2015) and consist of their only review. For an honest and objective review, whether it be one star or five, I tend to believe those by members who have already submitted others in the past. This should also mean that the reviewer probably has previous cruise experience and knows what he or she is talking about. MSC is an Italian cruise line that caters to international guests so if someone whines about multiple languages, different cultures and unsatisfactory food, he probably should have stayed at home.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Capricruiser

[jgallagh1944]

I have had 3 amazing cruises with MSC - Splendida, Magnifica and Musica, prior to each cruise I read bad reviews yet never seen any evidence to justify these bad reviews, I think its one disgruntled passenger or travel agents on kickback from other cruises lines. Beautiful welcoming comfortable ships, some big, some small but all nice not like a plastic theme park.

 

Reviews are based upon two things; expectations and experiences. If you set your expectations low enough, you won't be disappointed. Having cruised on better ships (Celebrity, RCCL, Disney, NCL, and Viking), I was expecting quality food in the MDR. Other than the lobster night, the food was terrible. With MSC being an Italian line, I expected fantastic Italian dishes; that didn't happen. Steaks were a quarter inch thick and regardless of how ordered were served well done and tough. The buffet had better food than the MDR. Enough on food; the starboard side of the pool deck was like a chimney with way too many smokers. The staff did not enforce their rules concerning lounge chair and table occupancy on the pool deck; people reserved chairs for the entire day even if they weren't using them at the time. The shows were fantastic; best I've seen on a ship. The ship is beautiful; nice spa and gym area. Good wifi and drink packages are reasonable. Divina has many good points, but they fall short in some important areas as mentioned above. We cruise again in April 2016; made reservation before our first cruise on Divina. I will have lower expectations and will visit buffet on evenings the MDR menu doesn't meet my tastes. I had a nice time in No ember and will enjoy April cruise, but will go back to the more American lines in the future.

[emory2001]

The "complaints" I see in the reviews about the European flavor of the ships and the food are the very things that encouraged us to book the Divinia for March 2016.

 

We are looking forward to being on a ship where the passengers' idea of food is not a greasy hamburger, french fries, grits or biscuits and gravy.

 

And yes, a multicultural passenger list will add to the enjoy of the experience.

 

As someone who is considering a MSC cruise after many Royal Caribbean cruises, I am excited to experience the differences. We enjoy meeting people from other countries and exposure to other cultures and languages (and adopted our daughter from China). My husband and I hate ethnocentrism.

[emory2001]

If you want Micky mouse go to Disney.

 

For real! :D:D:D

 

 

I don't expect ice in my drinks EVERYTIME I order one, but (and here's the kicker) if I did I would just ask for it and after that the drinks would come with ice, or a straw, slice of lemon or what ever the case may be (I just used that as an example)

 

I'm American and I don't understand our obsession with ice in drinks. I usually prefer no ice or just barely enough to cool the drink. Plus, when they fill a cup full of ice, there's no room for the drink I paid for. :rolleyes:

[helen haywood]

We sailed Divina last year. I loved her! I thought the food was amazing both in the MDR and the Buffet. The cabin was beautiful. Yes, the staff do not always understand English. I had blue cheese dressing on my salad one night. Didn't care for it and next night ordered Thousand Island. I got blue cheese. I said to the waiter, "Um, I ordered Thousand Island dressing." He smiled and said, "Yes! Blue cheese!" I said, "Yes, but I ordered Thousand Island...." It became our tag line saying for everything "Yes! Blue cheese!" Not a big deal.

 

The production shows should have been on a stage in New York or London. Best I've ever seen and I've sailed Celebrity (Elite +), Royal (Diamond), HAL, NCL, Carnival and Costa.

 

The only negatives were the ship can feel crowded due to some bottlenecking. There are decks where there is only a hallway on one side of the ship and everyone is in it going both ways.... The MDR tables are extremely close together. The waiters cannot walk between them and must pass dishes over heads. I felt very bad for them. But the food was wonderful.

Edited December 19, 2015 by helen haywood