Back from the Divina.... ask away!

[Catlady1977]

Hi guys, I'm back from a week on the Divina, please ask away, however here's a few of my thoughts and experiences...

 

Embarkation:-

Easy enough, no major issues, once on you're sent up to the buffet on deck 14. However from the moment you're on you're bombarded and I mean bombarded with various people trying to sell the drinks and internet package. My tip is to pre book both then it's a case of going to the casino to pick them up. We got on the boat at 1 after arriving in the port at 12ish and were able to get into the cabins at 2pm. Cases arrived an hour later.

 

Loading your cruise card:-

If you want to do this via cash then see reception, if not then there are machines dotted around to link your credit card. Again fairly simple and straightforward.

 

Food:-

Buffet has a range of food, most fairly bland. Here's their first mistake in my opinion, it feels like they're trying to cater for a range of people and it's that old saying if it's better to do one or two things right than a lot of things wrong. I do not think they can sustain trying to please all markets.

 

Food in the Black Crab was variable, we are there 3 nights. The first formal night seemed a bit chaotic though. Service is average in black crab,. You can use your drinks vouchers in here too.

 

Cabins:

I was on a b2 fantasia on the 11th deck. It was more than comfy, no need to worry about the pillows either! Room service is included free of charge for this class, there is a tray charge between 2300-0600 and includes breakfast to your room starting from 0730. There is no room service on the last day. My only gripe is there is no tea or coffee making facilities in the cabin.

 

Pools:

I only used the infinity pool, however it's blooming freezing on the first couple of days!!! It did warm up during the week so bear with it!

 

Smoking areas:-

Deck 15 by the bar is a smoking area, on deck 5 there is the cigar lounge and on one side of deck 7 by the lifeboats you can smoke, I can't remember which side it was though, I've a feeling it's on the right hand side of the boat as you face the front of her.

 

Excursions:-

I pre booked excursions, sadly 2 of them were cancelled. Some of the excursions seemed a bit chaotic. Could you book them yourself independently, yes, yes you can. I booked with MSC to ensure that it was safe, is not go off on my own in Nassau but generally the rest of the stops is feel ok to book independently. I went to do sting ray experience and Balmoral beach day, however once you'd sat on the beach, ate (food is steep in price!) and swam it was time to do the experience. The guides were great and it was a great experience however, photos on a CD were $79, a bit steep! To be honest after we'd done our stingray thing we were ready to get back on the boat. There is a market there and various things for sale, however if you're smart you'll look at Cayman Island or Cozumel for your shopping!!! Also waiting to get off the boat is tedious! Take water off the boat with you!!!

 

Internet:-

I took the steamer package which lasted me to Thursday then I had to top up st $16 for 500mb.

 

Laundry service:

There is an offer for 20 pieces of clothing to be washed and ironed. Take it and book it before you leave! It's been nice getting back and not doing masses of washes!

 

Nightlife:-

Lots to do but to be honest we were in bed early as we were tired from travelling/time difference and from being out all day!

 

Daytime activities:

Loads of free stuff to do onboard, yoga in the morning was good as too was aerobics! Check out the dailies for activities, there is something for everyone!!

 

Disembarkment:

Fairly simple, you can go to reception to settle your bill on the Friday night. Bags and cases must be left outside your cabin by 0200 on Saturday morning. You need to be out of your cabin by 0700 so that's a ball ache especially if you've got a later disembarkment time. Once off dgs boat and through custoks you collect your cases from the conveyer belt. Be aware that there are 3 or 4 belts so check you're at the right belt!!! Getting through Miami port is a pain, there's bus stops and a taxi rank, expect to pay no more than $27 for a cab from the port to Miami airport regardless of number of people and cases.

 

Well that's all I can think of, please ask away and if I can help I will!!

[KiMnEvan]

Thanks!

[nw gardener]

I am leaving in a couple of weeks and when I looked at my edocs they say to pick up our drink vouchers at the service desk but most recent posts advise the casino? And do they deliver the excursion tickets to your cabin? Thanks for your report.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

[riclop]

I am leaving in a couple of weeks and when I looked at my edocs they say to pick up our drink vouchers at the service desk but most recent posts advise the casino? And do they deliver the excursion tickets to your cabin? Thanks for your report.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

 

The casino is correct.

[riclop]

Thanks for the report.

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

Hope you enjoyed your cruise!

 

One of my boys is wondering if there are chicken tenders/nuggets on board?

[KevintheIrishDJ]

We just disembarked from the Divina. We were with a group of over 500. At least 10% became sick, including my wife and myself. Every day at mass, more people were coughing. The stores onboard do not sell cough medicine. “Sir, you can go to the Medical center ($200 for the visit and 5 pills) or you can wait till the next port.” The line was down the hallway for the medical center.

The ship did have hand sanitizers; however, some did not work properly and there were no crew members encouraging you to use them.

We tried to eat dinner in the buffet. The food is TERRIBLE. Only 3 or 4 choices in addition to burgers and hot dogs that were on the hot table so long that the buns and fries were hard as a rock.

[shukapaw]

@Catlady1977, thanks for your thoughts on the cruise.

 

Looks like @KevintheIrishDJ has to try to copy and paste his negative comments into everybody's Divina review as well as start his own identical thread.

 

Since his comments run counter to others who were on the ship, I tend to discount his rant.;)

 

Again, thanks for taking the time to update us on your trip

 

~Brian

[riclop]

Hi guys, I'm back from a week on the Divina, please ask away, however here's a few of my thoughts and experiences...

 

Embarkation:-

Easy enough, no major issues, once on you're sent up to the buffet on deck 14. However from the moment you're on you're bombarded and I mean bombarded with various people trying to sell the drinks and internet package. My tip is to pre book both then it's a case of going to the casino to pick them up. We got on the boat at 1 after arriving in the port at 12ish and were able to get into the cabins at 2pm. Cases arrived an hour later.

 

Loading your cruise card:-

If you want to do this via cash then see reception, if not then there are machines dotted around to link your credit card. Again fairly simple and straightforward.

 

Food:-

Buffet has a range of food, most fairly bland. Here's their first mistake in my opinion, it feels like they're trying to cater for a range of people and it's that old saying if it's better to do one or two things right than a lot of things wrong. I do not think they can sustain trying to please all markets.

 

Food in the Black Crab was variable, we are there 3 nights. The first formal night seemed a bit chaotic though. Service is average in black crab,. You can use your drinks vouchers in here too.

 

Cabins:

I was on a b2 fantasia on the 11th deck. It was more than comfy, no need to worry about the pillows either! Room service is included free of charge for this class, there is a tray charge between 2300-0600 and includes breakfast to your room starting from 0730. There is no room service on the last day. My only gripe is there is no tea or coffee making facilities in the cabin.

 

Pools:

I only used the infinity pool, however it's blooming freezing on the first couple of days!!! It did warm up during the week so bear with it!

 

Smoking areas:-

Deck 15 by the bar is a smoking area, on deck 5 there is the cigar lounge and on one side of deck 7 by the lifeboats you can smoke, I can't remember which side it was though, I've a feeling it's on the right hand side of the boat as you face the front of her.

 

Excursions:-

I pre booked excursions, sadly 2 of them were cancelled. Some of the excursions seemed a bit chaotic. Could you book them yourself independently, yes, yes you can. I booked with MSC to ensure that it was safe, is not go off on my own in Nassau but generally the rest of the stops is feel ok to book independently. I went to do sting ray experience and Balmoral beach day, however once you'd sat on the beach, ate (food is steep in price!) and swam it was time to do the experience. The guides were great and it was a great experience however, photos on a CD were $79, a bit steep! To be honest after we'd done our stingray thing we were ready to get back on the boat. There is a market there and various things for sale, however if you're smart you'll look at Cayman Island or Cozumel for your shopping!!! Also waiting to get off the boat is tedious! Take water off the boat with you!!!

 

Internet:-

I took the steamer package which lasted me to Thursday then I had to top up st $16 for 500mb.

 

Laundry service:

There is an offer for 20 pieces of clothing to be washed and ironed. Take it and book it before you leave! It's been nice getting back and not doing masses of washes!

 

Nightlife:-

Lots to do but to be honest we were in bed early as we were tired from travelling/time difference and from being out all day!

 

Daytime activities:

Loads of free stuff to do onboard, yoga in the morning was good as too was aerobics! Check out the dailies for activities, there is something for everyone!!

 

Disembarkment:

Fairly simple, you can go to reception to settle your bill on the Friday night. Bags and cases must be left outside your cabin by 0200 on Saturday morning. You need to be out of your cabin by 0700 so that's a ball ache especially if you've got a later disembarkment time. Once off dgs boat and through custoks you collect your cases from the conveyer belt. Be aware that there are 3 or 4 belts so check you're at the right belt!!! Getting through Miami port is a pain, there's bus stops and a taxi rank, expect to pay no more than $27 for a cab from the port to Miami airport regardless of number of people and cases.

 

Well that's all I can think of, please ask away and if I can help I will!!

 

Wrong you get your bags before going to customs.

[gtaylor]

I believe that you disembark and go through Immigration, then claim your bags and clear customs.

 

gary

[Catlady1977]

We just disembarked from the Divina. We were with a group of over 500. At least 10% became sick, including my wife and myself. Every day at mass, more people were coughing. The stores onboard do not sell cough medicine. “Sir, you can go to the Medical center ($200 for the visit and 5 pills) or you can wait till the next port.” The line was down the hallway for the medical center.

The ship did have hand sanitizers; however, some did not work properly and there were no crew members encouraging you to use them.

We tried to eat dinner in the buffet. The food is TERRIBLE. Only 3 or 4 choices in addition to burgers and hot dogs that were on the hot table so long that the buns and fries were hard as a rock.

 

I'm afraid that is standard that you pay the medical centre first then claim back off your insurance.

 

As for food, I stayed away from the burgers, the chips were rock hard.. I think this is where they are trying to cater for everyone and not getting it right m.

[Catlady1977]

I believe that you disembark and go through Immigration, then claim your bags and clear customs.

 

gary

 

Sorry folks, tiredness had truly kicked in last night!!! I'd been up since 5am on the Saturday and it was after 11pm last night when posting this.

 

Edit, toy get off the ship, get your bags and then go through customs!

[Catlady1977]

Hope you enjoyed your cruise!

 

One of my boys is wondering if there are chicken tenders/nuggets on board?

 

There is a kids section which I did see nuggets there and I'm sure at least one of the days there was chicken strips/nuggets there.

 

Hope you have a good cruise.

[Catlady1977]

We just disembarked from the Divina. We were with a group of over 500. At least 10% became sick, including my wife and myself. Every day at mass, more people were coughing. The stores onboard do not sell cough medicine. “Sir, you can go to the Medical center ($200 for the visit and 5 pills) or you can wait till the next port.” The line was down the hallway for the medical center.

The ship did have hand sanitizers; however, some did not work properly and there were no crew members encouraging you to use them.

We tried to eat dinner in the buffet. The food is TERRIBLE. Only 3 or 4 choices in addition to burgers and hot dogs that were on the hot table so long that the buns and fries were hard as a rock.

 

Hi Kevin,

 

Firstly the Irish tour was fab! We weren't with you guys but joined in on a few of your public events and we felt right at home!!

 

As for the sanitisers, you're right, there was no one enforcing their use, I guess it comes down to personal responsibility, I saw a few people use them when entering and exiting the canteen.

 

Food wasn't the best, admittedly for the first 2 lunchtimes I lived on pizza, however room service soon became my friend very quickly!!!

 

As for the sick bay, I'm afraid it's standard practice that they charge and you pay them and claim it back off your insurance. I needed medical advice but when I found how much it was I decided against it and messaged a friend of mine back home who is a nurse!

 

Hope you guys had a good cruise though.

[Catlady1977]

@Catlady1977, thanks for your thoughts on the cruise.

 

Looks like @KevintheIrishDJ has to try to copy and paste his negative comments into everybody's Divina review as well as start his own identical thread.

 

Since his comments run counter to others who were on the ship, I tend to discount his rant.;)

 

Again, thanks for taking the time to update us on your trip

 

~Brian

 

Hi Brian,

 

You're welcome.

 

Don't discount what Kevin is saying as he does raise valid points in my opinion, the food wasn't the best, the chips were hard as rocks and not everyone used the hand sanitisers. Kevin also raises a good point regarding the medical centre.

 

I've written a lot of info from my experience and I do understand where he's coming from. There's a lot of great stuff on board the Divina but it's also important to acknowledge the not so great.

 

Would I go back on the Divina, absolutely, in a heartbeat! I loved the experience and loved what she had to offer. I'll be interested to see how the seaside gets on as this is aimed more at the American market rather than the European market. There are teething problems on the divina, both the staff and the officers admitted this, however hey are working on getting them fixed. For me this was my first cruise and now I'm hooked!!!

[teachv]

I have read conflicting reports about food in Sports bar. One posted it was included and another posted it cost extra. Can you clarify this?

[AEckhardt]

I have read conflicting reports about food in Sports bar. One posted it was included and another posted it cost extra. Can you clarify this?

 

 

 

It was recently changed to complimentary after the dry dock this past Fall.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Catlady1977]

I have read conflicting reports about food in Sports bar. One posted it was included and another posted it cost extra. Can you clarify this?

 

Hi

 

Unfortunately I didn't make it to the sports bar so couldn't comment. From what I've seen on these boards it's all included but haven't any personal experience of this.

[easyboy]

Thanks for the feedback.

[sailer1234]

Hi guys, I'm back from a week on the Divina, please ask away, however here's a few of my thoughts and experiences...

 

Embarkation:-

Easy enough, no major issues, once on you're sent up to the buffet on deck 14. However from the moment you're on you're bombarded and I mean bombarded with various people trying to sell the drinks and internet package. My tip is to pre book both then it's a case of going to the casino to pick them up. We got on the boat at 1 after arriving in the port at 12ish and were able to get into the cabins at 2pm. Cases arrived an hour later.

 

Loading your cruise card:-

If you want to do this via cash then see reception, if not then there are machines dotted around to link your credit card. Again fairly simple and straightforward.

 

Food:-

Buffet has a range of food, most fairly bland. Here's their first mistake in my opinion, it feels like they're trying to cater for a range of people and it's that old saying if it's better to do one or two things right than a lot of things wrong. I do not think they can sustain trying to please all markets.

 

Food in the Black Crab was variable, we are there 3 nights. The first formal night seemed a bit chaotic though. Service is average in black crab,. You can use your drinks vouchers in here too.

 

Cabins:

I was on a b2 fantasia on the 11th deck. It was more than comfy, no need to worry about the pillows either! Room service is included free of charge for this class, there is a tray charge between 2300-0600 and includes breakfast to your room starting from 0730. There is no room service on the last day. My only gripe is there is no tea or coffee making facilities in the cabin.

 

Pools:

I only used the infinity pool, however it's blooming freezing on the first couple of days!!! It did warm up during the week so bear with it!

 

Smoking areas:-

Deck 15 by the bar is a smoking area, on deck 5 there is the cigar lounge and on one side of deck 7 by the lifeboats you can smoke, I can't remember which side it was though, I've a feeling it's on the right hand side of the boat as you face the front of her.

 

Excursions:-

I pre booked excursions, sadly 2 of them were cancelled. Some of the excursions seemed a bit chaotic. Could you book them yourself independently, yes, yes you can. I booked with MSC to ensure that it was safe, is not go off on my own in Nassau but generally the rest of the stops is feel ok to book independently. I went to do sting ray experience and Balmoral beach day, however once you'd sat on the beach, ate (food is steep in price!) and swam it was time to do the experience. The guides were great and it was a great experience however, photos on a CD were $79, a bit steep! To be honest after we'd done our stingray thing we were ready to get back on the boat. There is a market there and various things for sale, however if you're smart you'll look at Cayman Island or Cozumel for your shopping!!! Also waiting to get off the boat is tedious! Take water off the boat with you!!!

 

Internet:-

I took the steamer package which lasted me to Thursday then I had to top up st $16 for 500mb.

 

Laundry service:

There is an offer for 20 pieces of clothing to be washed and ironed. Take it and book it before you leave! It's been nice getting back and not doing masses of washes!

 

Nightlife:-

Lots to do but to be honest we were in bed early as we were tired from travelling/time difference and from being out all day!

 

Daytime activities:

Loads of free stuff to do onboard, yoga in the morning was good as too was aerobics! Check out the dailies for activities, there is something for everyone!!

 

Disembarkment:

Fairly simple, you can go to reception to settle your bill on the Friday night. Bags and cases must be left outside your cabin by 0200 on Saturday morning. You need to be out of your cabin by 0700 so that's a ball ache especially if you've got a later disembarkment time. Once off dgs boat and through custoks you collect your cases from the conveyer belt. Be aware that there are 3 or 4 belts so check you're at the right belt!!! Getting through Miami port is a pain, there's bus stops and a taxi rank, expect to pay no more than $27 for a cab from the port to Miami airport regardless of number of people and cases.

 

Well that's all I can think of, please ask away and if I can help I will!!

where do I pick up the coffee coupons from?