Do you have any MSC Divina questions?

[BermudaBound2014]

Some co-workers and myself are trying MSC/Divina for our annual girls' cruise in Feb and I am enjoying your review! Quick question, do you know if they offer a gluten free pizza crust ? One friend attempts to avoid gluten if she can, but loves pizza. Thanks!

 

 

It is a great ship for a girls cruise!! My only piece of advice is to keep price in mind once onboard. The Msc divina is a "beer budget" priced ship and in my opinion you receive an truly excellent value. But to expect a champaign experience is probably unrealistic. Corners simply must be cut in some areas to compete. My advice is to Temper your expectations to match the price paid, embrace the differences in both policy and culture, and enjoy the things that the divina does excel at :). Have fun!!!

 

 

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[nw gardener]

We did a lot of research before booking [thank you cc posters!] and decided we wanted to try something different and we don't sweat the small stuff anyway. Several new ports for us, it'll be warmer and drier than home!!, and I'm sure we will enjoy the cruise. Thank you [re gluten free answer]!

[BermudaBound2014]

Random Thoughts Friday, June 24th

 

1) WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY TODAY! I've been cruising for 30 years, and I do believe that today was the most relaxed day I have ever experienced on a ship. Pure heaven. It was a Nassau day and we decided not to get off the ship. We arrived in Nassau around 11, which meant most people were dressed to debark not lounge at the pool. We got up and had a nice light breakfast in Top Sail. The waiter even understood cafe mocha so our drinks were correct and I knew this was going to be 'my' day .

 

2) We were in the pool by 10 am and had the ENTIRE POOL DECK to ourselves until nearly 3:00 p.m. Seriously, not another soul on the deck or in the pool. It was super hot, but not at all uncomfortable if you were in the water, and with no one else in the pool it was delightful to just float the day away. By the time I exited the pool, I was completely pruned up and water logged but not an ounce of stress left in my bones.

 

3) We grabbed a salad at One Pool for lunch. They had clams which were tasty. Overall though, we felt the selection at One pool for lunch was lacking each day. I'll post pictures later, but you can see that the 'main' dish in One pool was cold meatloaf (seriously). There was also a cold dish pasta and some skinned boiled potatoes. We were fine with a nice salad, so all was good, but overall we were not impressed with the food provided at One Pool. This is fine, because I do not cruise for the food (which makes MSC an even better choice for me); but the three most common complaints overhead the entire week were 1) Quality of food 2) Lack of service 3) Smoking (either too much, or not enough). My response to this is:

 

A) Quality of food: I agree with the majority of those complaining. I simply feel that OVERALL quality is not there. Our Piedmont beef was tough, very tough. Pasta was not el dente' as I remember from April (rather quite mushy), and getting an egg over easy in LeMuse proved impossible as the yolks were always cooked entirely through. In general, Our meals were just 'ok'. In fairness, there were some stellar dishes: The cold Maine lobster was cooked to perfection and the chili for lunch was amazing. And who can forget the pizza from the buffet .

 

B) Lack of service. This was not my first vacation with a Butler (and I'm truly not a butler gal, just blessed with some amazing vacations). Overall, Service in the YC was surprisingly lacking on the 'extra' touches. Lounge chair service pool side was nearly non-existent. Ordering coffee in the morning was always an adventure as some butlers could understand cafe' mocha and others looked at me like I had a third eye. One morning, we watched a butler clean an entire table (3 trips to the back of the kitchen) before he even asked us if we wanted coffee. and we were the only other table in top sail. We went 3 days without even seeing our Butler Victor, and on the other days we simply said hello passing in the hallway. Please don't get me wrong, He was SUPER nice, and I'm sure if we had called he would have done anything for us, but I'd consider Victor nothing more than a really good room steward. I realize I've probably been spoiled with my other butlers (which insisted on doing our ironing of all things). Victor did refill our fridge all but one day, and the room was always clean with ice bucket full. Three nights we had special treats left for us. But other than that, nothing. Nodda. Again, totally fine with me I am NOT at all complaining, but if you are going on-board with the thought that the butler is much more than a glorified room attendant you might want to adjust expectations. In fairness to Victor, we had a family of 4 next to us on BOTH sides and 2 wheelchairs/1 scooters in our area, so I have a feeling Victor was being kept busy by other guests as I noticed he was pushing the wheelchairs to various parts of the building. Please understand, this is NOT a complaint. I'm just sharing my experience so others can adjust expectations.

 

C) Smoking. I traveled with a smoker. Port side of deck 18 is smoking friendly as is port side of deck 14 and 16. Only place to smoke inside is deck 7 in the cigar lounge. I though there was PLENTY of smoking areas around, but overheard smokers on deck 14 complaining that the Americans were taking away all their smoking rights and they were very unhappy that they could only smoke on port side and not on their balcony (I did have a smoker on a balcony next to us in YC this trip also). I suppose this is another challenge for MSC as it must be very difficult to please multiple cultures. I did appreciate the smoke free casino though!

 

To be continued..........

[Steve007NY]

Am few quick questions.

Planning on traveling with my mom, who is 86 and has some difficulties in walking other than short distances. I loved the convenience of her being able to get to both the show and the casino without having to walk a long distance is from the YC elevator.

When we previously stated in the YC, there was a small grill/lunch area On the far side of the pool. since Le Muse is way on the other end of the ship, pushing the wheelchair the entire distance for dinner is unavoidable; however, having lunch poolside Was a big plus for me. Do they continue to serve there?

 

When does the topsail bar close? I simply can't remember. What I recall us having cocktails made there and then carrying them down to the casino. Despite her age, mom can close down the casino With the blackjack players a third her age; and, frankly, I hate paying for additional cocktails in the casino knowing they are free in the YC.

 

Not to sound too alcohol focused, but will they provide a substantial number of vodkas and Tanquereys in the minibar if that's what I request? I often find myself getting up at around three in the morning. Sometimes, a book and a cocktail on the balcony is one of the highlights of the day. Or, in contrast, will 24 hour room service In YC deliver cocktails? (Last time, we took not only my mother but my partners teetotaling dad which is why some of the liquor questions weren't answered.

 

Thanks, By the way, for all the incredible effort you put in to your posts. They truly are a wealth of information.

[BermudaBound2014]

Am few quick questions.

Planning on traveling with my mom, who is 86 and has some difficulties in walking other than short distances. I loved the convenience of her being able to get to both the show and the casino without having to walk a long distance is from the YC elevator.

When we previously stated in the YC, there was a small grill/lunch area On the far side of the pool. since Le Muse is way on the other end of the ship, pushing the wheelchair the entire distance for dinner is unavoidable; however, having lunch poolside Was a big plus for me. Do they continue to serve there?

 

When does the topsail bar close? I simply can't remember. What I recall us having cocktails made there and then carrying them down to the casino. Despite her age, mom can close down the casino With the blackjack players a third her age; and, frankly, I hate paying for additional cocktails in the casino knowing they are free in the YC.

 

Not to sound too alcohol focused, but will they provide a substantial number of vodkas and Tanquereys in the minibar if that's what I request? I often find myself getting up at around three in the morning. Sometimes, a book and a cocktail on the balcony is one of the highlights of the day. Or, in contrast, will 24 hour room service In YC deliver cocktails? (Last time, we took not only my mother but my partners teetotaling dad which is why some of the liquor questions weren't answered.

 

Thanks, By the way, for all the incredible effort you put in to your posts. They truly are a wealth of information.

 

Thank you for the lovely compliment Steve. I try very hard to paint an accurate picture of my experiences. It is never my intention to be too negative (nor too positive); as I feel that managing expectations is critical for success in all aspects of life, including vacationing :).

 

Both my girlfriend and I are caring for aging parents at this time and I must commend you on your choice in YC. More times than I can count we both stated that YC would be the only way to take our parents at this time. The Butlers were very attentive to the elderly.

 

Yes, there is still a small food area starboard side in One Pool. Unfortunately, we weren't all that impressed. I'll post photos, but the main dishes were always odd (cold meatloaf? blah). There was a decent salad bar, but often no dressing or minimal dressing choice. We were fine with vinegar and oil provided. I'll post some photos below.

 

We felt that the food in Top Sail was much better than one pool; as the choices were more varied and rotated frequently. If your mom can't find anything in One Pool that she likes, I bet you will have success in Top Sail.

 

Top Sail closes at 2 am. You'll have no problem at all getting drinks to go. The evening bartender Alex was terrific. The day bartender did not appear to enjoy his job. If you tell them the drink is to go, Alex will hook you up. Even the waiters in LeMuse were on board with the to-go concept. Bravo to your mom for closing the casino, I found the casino quite friendly. :).

 

The standard mini-bar is Absolute, Tanqueary, and JW Red. We nearly always drank the absolute only. One day there was two bottles of absolute, but other than that our butler paid no attention to what we were consuming. I bet had we specifically requested only Absolute it would have been accommodated. People have reported YC fridge restocking twice daily but we did not find this to be the case. One day, they forgot us entirely. No big deal as Top sail was right outside our door.

 

I'm not sure about 24 hour room service availability :(. I know that there were specific hours listed (but don't recall what they were). I do think that with specific requests you will be able to have enough in your mini-fridge to enjoy your 3 am splurge. Again, bravo for selecting YC with your mother, its the perfect venue!

[dukeorbust]

Seems like money well spent. Would you happen to know where the quietest areas on the ship are? This cruise for me concludes a longer family vacation and I have never been much of a cruise person, so I was hoping to get through some work related stuff on board.

[BermudaBound2014]

Seems like money well spent. Would you happen to know where the quietest areas on the ship are? This cruise for me concludes a longer family vacation and I have never been much of a cruise person, so I was hoping to get through some work related stuff on board.

 

Are you YC or non-YC? I've sailed both ways on the divina and how you answer will determine my recommendation as they are entirely different experiences.

Edited June 27, 2016 by BermudaBound2014

[Mikesa1721]

Seems like money well spent. Would you happen to know where the quietest areas on the ship are? This cruise for me concludes a longer family vacation and I have never been much of a cruise person, so I was hoping to get through some work related stuff on board.

 

The Sky and Stars(Library) on deck 16 midship.

[Steve007NY]

BB-

 

Thanks SO Much for your thoughtful and comprehensive responses. Mom love the last sailing in YC her only complaint being that not enough folks spoke English which kept her from being the complete social creature that she usually is. My senses that increasingly, The MSC Caribbean Saillngs, at least, won't pose quite that problem for her ( thankfully I'm relatively fluent in French and Spanish and can get you in German, Italian and Indonesian so for me the Julio graft in German, Italian and Indonesian so for me the lingo-diversity is a part of the fun!) She continues to have fantasies of one of the cruise line she knows better part of the fun!) She continues to have fantasies of one of the cruise line she knows better (and I don't think she is completely aware of how much of the time she has trouble getting around on her own). Those ships work when my partner and or brothers accompany us but somehow, I can't imagine spending half the day wheeling her between casino, theater, dining room and pool.

 

Again, thanks for providing so much help for so again, thanks for providing so much help for self many, and enjoy the rest of the cruise.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Steve007NY

[dukeorbust]

The Sky and Stars(Library) on deck 16 midship.

 

Thanks. That'll probably be my home for 7 days.

 

Are you YC or non-YC? I've sailed both ways on the divina and how you answer will determine my recommendation as they are entirely different experiences.

 

Non-yc

Edited June 27, 2016 by dukeorbust

[BermudaBound2014]

dukeorbust: As Mike stated, the stars and stripes library may do the trick, but I remember it more of a conference room set up than a library. They had lots and lots of conference chairs lined up in rows and I don't recall any tables or comfy chairs to work on (I could easily be wrong on this one). It does have lots of natural light though which is a plus. If the library doesn't work out for you for any reason, I would think the bar area on deck 5 would be quiet during the day. They keep all the shades drawn, but you can lift one up if you want to connect to the ocean. I'll attach some pictures of what I mean below. This will have a desk to work on if needed. Hope this helps :).

[BermudaBound2014]

Possible quiet areas during the day: anything along deck 5 or 6 you can open up the blinds like this couple did to enjoy the ocean.

 

 

There will be quiet bars on deck 7 also, but you can't enjoy the ocean the view is blocked by lifeboats. I opened the blinds here to illustrate:

 

 

There are also quite a few lovely alcoves that would be semi quiet and great for people watching. Not sure if your work requires a deck or Internet, so selecting an area near a hot spot would be beneficial.

 

Hope this is helpful :)

 

 

 

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

Sorry, that top photo was take from deck 7 with the lifeboats blocking view- this is the view if you lift the shades on deck 6

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

Steve- you are going to have an amazing vacation. YC was built for you and your mother. As promised below are some photos of the food from One Pool

 

 

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

As mentioned- we liked the food choices available in top sail much better. This is shrimp, avocado wrap, and a celery dip that was great.

 

 

My favorite!!

 

 

 

 

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[welove2cruise232]

Regarding smoking areas -- are cigars allowed in the outdoor smoking areas, or only at the cigar lounge? And was there a smoking area in the YC?

 

TIA!

[susanrobert]

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your vacation again for this review.

 

I have a question. Another poster asked about gelato in the YC. I too had thought I read somewhere that it was available in the YC. But, you stated it wasn't there. Do you remember if it was available in LeMuse? I've got 2 teenagers that LOVE their gelato!!

 

Thanks again!

[BermudaBound2014]

Welove2cruise: I did not see a sign excluding cigars from the exterior smoking areas. The only smoking area available in YC is on deck 18 port side. This worked out fine for my travel companion with the exception of the evening it poured. There is no shelter on 18 so she had to resort to the inside smoking area on Deck 7. The deck 14 outside area does provide partial shelter.

 

Susanrobert: We were told no ice cream or geleto in top sail (which is why they couldn't make ice cream drinks :(. There is positively gelato offered in LeMuse during lunch and dinner hours. There is a special geleto of the day, but I would imagine they would serve any flavor. The geleto from the stand on deck 14 and doge on deck 7 and is actually very reasonably priced as well, plus stands have much better hours of operation.

 

Hope that helps! :)

[susanrobert]

Susanrobert: We were told no ice cream or geleto in top sail (which is why they couldn't make ice cream drinks :(. There is positively gelato offered in LeMuse during lunch and dinner hours. There is a special geleto of the day, but I would imagine they would serve any flavor. The geleto from the stand on deck 14 and doge on deck 7 and is actually very reasonably priced as well, plus stands have much better hours of operation.

 

Hope that helps! :)

 

Yes it does! Thanks!

[rtn]

We had geleto everyday up at One Pool. They offered three flavors which changed each day. Even if we did not have our lunch at One Pool, we would go up to try a new flavor...we loved it!!

[BermudaBound2014]

We had geleto everyday up at One Pool. They offered three flavors which changed each day. Even if we did not have our lunch at One Pool, we would go up to try a new flavor...we loved it!!

 

Well I'll be darned, you were on the sailing right before us I believe. They definitely told us they did not have ice cream in YC, but offered to make a mudslide with cream instead. Maybe they were just out the day we asked? We only asked once. Hopefully it was just a miscommunication for all the YC sailors in the future :).

[dukeorbust]

Thanks so much!

[jillbur]

Thanks so much for all of your information!

 

Do you happen to know if we purchase alcohol in port when we are able to get it before disembarking? I'm hoping it'll be Friday night. I've look on their website but could not find the info.

 

Thanks :)

[rtn]

Well I'll be darned, you were on the sailing right before us I believe. They definitely told us they did not have ice cream in YC, but offered to make a mudslide with cream instead. Maybe they were just out the day we asked? We only asked once. Hopefully it was just a miscommunication for all the YC sailors in the future :).

 

Hi BermudaBound....really enjoyed your review. Yes, we were on the week before you and had a great time. Our butler was Carlos and he was spot on. As far as the geleto goes, I had read on cc that it was available so we asked otherwise we would not have known about it. I notice you are from Michigan. My DH is from the thumb area, not to far from Port Austin. After college he relocated to NJ and the rest is history! We go back every summer for a few weeks. Happy cruising and hope to read some more future cruise reviews!

[BermudaBound2014]

Jillbur: I do believe they were delivering alcohol on Friday evening. In fact, I'm nearly certain that they were allowing guests who purchased alcohol in the duty free shop onboard Friday Evening actually just walk right out of the door with it. This was a bit later, maybe around 10:00 p.m. But I made a mental note of it because it was right before Quest lol.

 

rtn: Ahh... the beautiful thumb. We live primarily in the lakes area of Oakland County, but also have a place in the Upper Peninsula to escape. I see you purchased a B2B on Divina YC, you must have really liked it, wonderful!

 

I'm home and catching up with work. We leave in a few weeks for a Mediterranean Cruise (RCCL), so I have made a promise to myself to finish this review ASAP before I forget anything else :). I have loads of photos to post so I hope to make some serious progress tonight.