What to believe ??

[funship freddy]

I have been on 35+ cruises on several different lines. I have been in a suite and I have been inside. I prefer Celebrity and I prefer the specialty restaurants. We were on Princess several years ago when they rolled out the first specialty restaurant "Sterling Steak House." I am booked on MSC Divina in October for my 1st MSC cruise. My concern is the Love It - Hate It reviews of Divina on CC. I have watched several videos on you tube and read many reviews on CC. I don't understand how one person blasts MSC and another on the same cruise gives them great marks. Which is it ?

[Love2Cruz2015]

I was wary too when I booked my first MSC cruise...and I booked one in Europe mainly for price and itinerary and decided to just see for myself.

 

I was Pleasantly surprised and couldn't understand why it has such a poor reputation in the US. So my advice to you is go enjoy yourself! They do things a bit differently than other cruise lines, but all cruise lines have their own thing. I am going to book another MSC cruise for 2018 as I already have committed myself to Carnival for the next year...but I see myself cruising MSC for a long time to come.

 

I almost don't want the secret to get out as I'm concerned the price will go up once more people discover them.:o:D

[Mattnvick]

I have been on 35+ cruises on several different lines. I have been in a suite and I have been inside. I prefer Celebrity and I prefer the specialty restaurants. We were on Princess several years ago when they rolled out the first specialty restaurant "Sterling Steak House." I am booked on MSC Divina in October for my 1st MSC cruise. My concern is the Love It - Hate It reviews of Divina on CC. I have watched several videos on you tube and read many reviews on CC. I don't understand how one person blasts MSC and another on the same cruise gives them great marks. Which is it ?

 

I haven't been on MSC yet (booked for November ) but I i would hazard a guess somewhere in the middle with more good than bad.

 

If you are absolutely loyal to one particular cruise it's going to be different. That doesnt make it bad, but sometimes it does make people draw unfavorable comparisons.

 

I would suggest go with an open mind. Nothing in this world is perfect but if the pros outweigh the cons and you come home relaxed, having had some fun, some good food (again subjective) and a drink or two then IMHO thats good.:)

 

Enjoy!

Edited July 10, 2016 by Mattnvick

[enyliram]

it seems that the passengers who enjoy carnival and ncl also like msc. it appears that the passengers who prefer celebrity may not be satisfied with the msc divina. i have sailed celebrity and princess and just returned from the divina yesterday. i booked the four night cruise as a trial run. msc offers free kids and it is summertime when the kids are off from school. that may account for over the 1000 kids mostly well mannered including my 9 and 11 year old

i will not book again. it is a stunning ship, immaculate. food however was limited in choices and poor. when school is in session the ship will be quieter and more adult, however, and i am NOT a foodie, i would not book again as i was not satisfied with the food. for me the negatives outweighed the positives.i have tried it for myself and prefer other cruise lines.

[TORQ]

This you can believe, it was the most beautiful ship we had ever been on. And they also had the best shows we had ever seen! And as great as that was, here's the our take on the other aspect.

Rudest people we had ever seen in one place!

Service was next to NON Existence.

I could rant, but it would just raise my blood pressure!

That's was our find. Can't wait to hear your review.

Edited July 10, 2016 by TORQ

[Love2Cruz2015]

This you can believe, it was the most beautiful ship we had ever been on. And they also had the best shows we had ever seen! And as great as that was, here's the our take on the other aspect.

Rudest people we had ever seen in one place!

Service was next to NON Existence.

I could rant, but it would just raise my blood pressure!

That's was our find. Can't wait to hear your review.

 

In regards to your comment about rudest people, do you mean guests or crew?

I found the MSC crew to be some of the best both in friendliness and in service. I did find a few guests to be extremely rude, but I wouldn't blame that on the cruise line.

[dd likes to cruise]

I was on the Divina in April. Liked it enough to go again this Oct. I'm fairly new to cruising, so not alot to compare to, but found enough food choices for our party of 4. Ate most meals in MDR. Buffet we saved for off times, after dinner snacks etc. I found the rudeness being large groups or familys that feel the need to walk as a group, even hug the buffet as a group.

 

No problem with food, service or crew. Also booked on Seaside in 2018.

[helen haywood]

We are Elite Plus with Celebrity and tried our first Divina cruise in 2014. It is a beautiful ship. It has some quirky bottlenecks at times, all one needs to do is familiarize yourself with the deck plans. The shows were spectacular. The balcony cabin we had was elegant and the bed extremely comfortable and a full size, non of the X rounded end corners. Food is subjective but we thought both the buffet and the MDR's food was great. It was different from what we are used to on Caribbean cruises on our regular lines and we enjoyed it very much. I will say the spaces between tables in the MDR were non-existent. But this just made me feel sorry for the waiters; it did not diminish my enjoyment.

 

Let me try to remember some of the food that stood out. For the Embarkation Lunch in the buffet I remember a Welcome Aboard cake that was moist and delicious and a cream puff that was totally filled with cream. For dinner I remember a zucchini Napoleon, a triangle of zucchini slices, marina sauce and cheese topped with a basil leaf that was delicious. Lamb chops, buccatini alla Romana, cannelloni, torta caprese....do you see a theme here?

 

For breakfast in the buffet, everything under the sun. I remember MSC's French toast was a lightly grilled square of bread with an inside the consistency of bread pudding. Delicious and not eggy or soggy. I could go on but you get the idea that we were happy with the food. On our sailing, on the first formal night, compliments of the Captain, there was a Happy Hour with free champagne, martinis or cosmos.

 

There were times when I was aware that the staff didn't really understand me due to the language barrier. That was when Divina was first breaking into the USA market, maybe that's changed now. Anyway, it was never a big deal.

 

I just read a post by a person who had just completed a cruise on Divina where they said the ship was beautiful and staff good, etc., but their cruise was ruined by their OBC not showing on their account, having to argue at Guest Services about it, and still having it unresolved once back home. That is unfortunate about the OBC issue, but your experience might vary. So if you read that negative review you need to put yourself in that position. I did not have any OBC and I had a wonderful experience.

 

Lastly, and as another poster mentioned, I almost hate to mention this for fear the cat will get out of the bag....but Divina's prices are so good comparing to other lines! For example, I priced a cabin in the Yacht Club and it was $1700 less than the same week in NCL's Haven and $1500 less than Celebrity's lowest price suite.

 

Have I ever had a "perfect" cruise? Probably not. But I have enjoyed all of them. Probably the "worst" was my first cruise on a Solstice Class, the Solstice, and the itinerary changed just as we hit the first sea day to ports I had absolutely no interest in. But the ship was so, so beautiful, and we had a wonderful time just never getting off the ship!

 

So I'm a positive Divina reviewer....and I just booked three more cruises on MSC, including one on Seaside!

[Beamafar]

I've been on Celebrity and didn't enjoy it one little bit - I was in an SS1 with a fantastic butler, but the experience didn't come next nor near my experiences in YC on MSC. Had I written a bad review, would you consider the same point you've made here as in:

I don't understand how one person blasts MSC and another on the same cruise gives them great marks. Which is it ?

Edited July 10, 2016 by Beamafar

[SuiteTraveler]

If you like Celebrity and if you are in the Yacht Club on Divina, you will LOVE Divina! The Yacht Club is superior to Celebrity in every way. You will be wowed. I can't speak for the regular cabins - we have only been in the Yacht Club.

[funship freddy]

Thanks Helen Haywood (and All) I am going with an open mind. I remember a $149/pp Carnival 4 nighter (my 1st inside cabin) I went expecting a good cruise and got far more than my moneys worth. The MSC price intrigued me and that was my original reason for choosing Divina, Then I started reading the reviews. Over and over I read that the ship is stunning, beautiful and the cleanest ship. Even without having completed my first MSC cruise, I have booked Seaside for March 2018. I agree about the cat getting out of the bag but so many of us follow CC it is hard to keep a secret. I will post a review when I return in October. Then it is on to Silhouette in January 2017 :D:D

[RichNY]

When I read some of the reviews I wonder the same thing...

 

I have been on many cruises and have some things that are pretty constant.

 

Short cruises 3 or 4 night or even b to b are a different breed of cruise. The passengers appear to be a lot more rowdy, trying to fit every ounce of alcohol into their systems as possible. .

The staff will probably be less attentive probably since the are abused more. Themed cruises fit into the same category

The chances of having more children on board a short cruise are greater.

 

Since MSC is European based line their European based cruises would probably have a different feel than the USA based cruises. So if you use MSC from Europe you should expect more European passengers than on an American bases line sailing Europe. Expect more multi lingual announcements.

 

Very often reviewers don't do their homework and want to blame the cruise lines for their displeasure.

 

If reviewers added a little more detail it would be easier to sort through their review.

 

Personally I do read some of the reviews usually chuckle to my self. I look for facts and would never change or book anything based on the negative opinion of total strangers.

[Bra_BE2014]

It always intrigues me when people say 'food was poor' what does it mean? Poor seasoning? Poor ingredients like, no lobster? I will leave some pictures here to explain how I feel about MSC food: Yum!

 

 

[musik07]

We sailed the June 25th Davina in the Yacht Club. We had a great time. Was it our favorite cruise? No. Was it our worst cruise? No. I do't know if I would do the Davina if I wasn't in the Yacht Club again because of how crowded the pool decks were, however we really enjoyed ourselves. The food everywhere we ate, including Le Muse (Yacht Club restaurant), the One Pool buffet, Top Sail Lounge, and the regular buffet was great. I actually thought there were more options I liked on the buffet than on the Oasis last summer, however I wasn't a huge fan of how they cut the fruit and the salad items, or the meat the had at the carving stations. Even with that I was always able to find other veggie, pasta, meat, pizza, and desert options. I realized when we came back that we never even saw half of the buffet (partially because I traveled in a waking cast and we always stuck to one area). The food in Le Muse was great, however we felt the appetizer choices were lacking. That being said we NEVER went hungry. We always found something, or substitute an entree or a pasta dish as an appetizer .

 

Our experience with the staff was very different than some of the others. In the Yacht Club the staff is literally there to do anything and everything for you, from unlocking your door when they see you in the hall, to getting you a drink refill when they see your drink half full. They even printed our boarding passes for our flight home and delivered them to our room for us. The best perk was being walked to the front of the line for tender and getting on and off at ports, being in a walking cast it saved a lot of standing! By the end of the week the bar staff knew my drink orders at the pool and the topsail before dinner, and our waiters knew how we liked our meat cooked, that we drink still water, and that we prefer white wine. We agreed that our waiters were some of the best we had ever had! On the rest of the ship I felt the service was no different, everyone was nice. In the buffet I had so many people offer to help me, because I was in a walking cast, even though I could carry my plate. And all around the ship people were friendly. The only place I was not so happy with a staff member was when I was prevented from taking a drink in the theater, only to see someone brining one in just a few minutes later.

 

I think the main reasons we wouldn't cruise MSC without being in the Yacht Club again (and then would still have our hesitations) were the lack of shade at the pools, including the One Pool. We even got up very early to get shady chairs on the main pool deck and the only chairs we could find had no air circulation making them uninhabitable. We also missed all of the activities we are accustomed to on RCCL, and missed some of the more conventional choices at dinner. However, we did enjoy our experience and are glad we did it!

[artypharty]

 

I just read a post by a person who had just completed a cruise on Divina where they said the ship was beautiful and staff good, etc., but their cruise was ruined by their OBC not showing on their account, having to argue at Guest Services about it, and still having it unresolved once back home. That is unfortunate about the OBC issue, but your experience might vary. So if you read that negative review you need to put yourself in that position. I did not have any OBC and I had a wonderful experience.

 

Just for the record, I don't believe I ever said my cruise was" ruined". If I am on a ship, out on the ocean, wind in my hair... it's a positive. Also, I never "argued". I was respectful and pleasant in all of my dealings with guest services on board. Rude behavior gets you nowhere.(Haha..in this case pleasant behavior didn't get me anywhere either.;)) I would classify arguing with overworked people as rude... never my MO.

 

I am sorry if my discussion made it appear as if my cruise was ruined, it was not or that I argued with anyone, I did not.

 

I agree with everyone that we all need to try different experiences for ourselves. We all see things with our own eyes... and we all see things differently. Viva la difference! :)

[helen haywood]

You are correct that I paraphrased you inaccurately. I apologize. My point was that your statement "I cannot recommend this cruise line" (as I understand from your posting) stems solely from the Customer Service experience you had regarding your OBC, not from anything negative about the ship.

[mjonis]

I have been on 35+ cruises on several different lines. I have been in a suite and I have been inside. I prefer Celebrity and I prefer the specialty restaurants. We were on Princess several years ago when they rolled out the first specialty restaurant "Sterling Steak House." I am booked on MSC Divina in October for my 1st MSC cruise. My concern is the Love It - Hate It reviews of Divina on CC. I have watched several videos on you tube and read many reviews on CC. I don't understand how one person blasts MSC and another on the same cruise gives them great marks. Which is it ?

 

I think a lot is your mindset and expectations. I tend to read as many reviews in full and then if I notice a trend, I decide for myself:

 

Is that something really important to me? If so, is it something that I can deal with given the fact I'm going to be seeing all sorts of nice places?

 

Sometimes people will put a negative review because they had a bad port experience/tour. I think that's outside the control of the Cruise company. Weather is another reason people can put a bad review.

 

I've had 2 good cruises on Carnival and 1 good cruise on RCI (ok only cruised 3 times). None of the 3 were perfect. So that's kinda the way I look at it. As long as I don't get sick, and the weather is good, I'm pretty convinced I'll have a good time. I'm not a picky eater though either. I'm sure some meals will be better than others. Heck, when I cook stuff myself I've had good/bad experiences. LOL!!!

 

The only thing I was really leery about was the "european" style. But once people explained that's how they operate, and you just have to give a subtle signal sometimes, the waitstaff will be over promptly and that your meals are more leisurely, I can deal with that. Heck, the last AI resort I was at, I had to get drinks myself a few times because the one person serving the entire pool area couldn't keep up. But I needed the "exercise" anyway. :)

 

Maybe also it helps if you set your expectations "low" and then you can be pleasantly surprised? At least that's what I'm going to do (as you can see, my requirements now are quite low. No getting sick, decent weather, I'll be fine).

 

:)

[Beamafar]

Well said, Mairi

[mairead224]

After 35 plus cruises ... why not. Something different

[Beamafar]

After 35 plus cruises ... why not. Something different

 

Where's the 'Like' button? ;)

[alpal1993]

The ships have run nearly to full if not full capacity the three times I have cruised MSC so they must be doing something right!