Comparison between MSC Divina and Cunard QM2?

[Tracey/Thom]

We're booked (bucket list!) on the 8 day transatlantic QM2 in May 2023. Was wondering, if you've been on the MSC Divina, how does it compare? That has been the grandest, most elegant ship we've ever been on, thus far. If you've been on QM2 and Divina, would love to hear your thoughts!

[Bell Boy]

 OH my goodness  Poles apart ,  Grandest & Elegant  😅  That is like comparing a Holiday Inn with the Savoy London. 

A Transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2 is the Concorde experience of the Cunard fleet . 

[D&N]

I've no idea what it is like on Divina.

 

In this area MSC and Costa compete on 7 night Western Mediterranean cruises from Genoa/Savonna.

Most reports are of constant announcements in 6 or 7 languages and of a fairly low end experience.

A few years ago, we could have bought off season 7 night trips for €350 each!

We always felt we would enjoy staying at home much more. I imagine we would feel overdressed on one of those cruises wearing what we wear to a beach restaurant at home.

 

Queen Mary 2 is a real Ocean Liner and part of the experience is to feel how little movement there is in heavy seas.  I'm not a big fan of leaving my home environment at all, but we are considering doing another 14 night round trip crossing in a few years time. Our advice would be embrace the elegance of the surroundings and dress to the nines as often as you can.

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Divina is a very flashy ship, I certainly would not call her elegant.  Glitzy, about 40% non- North American/English speakers.  No real formal nights, although I found the European women tended to dress up more in the evenings than non-Europeans.  I understand there might be a more refined atmosphere in the Yacht Club, but my budget does not reach to that ( or the Grills).  But don’t let that put you off.  I enjoy MSC.  Enjoy the difference.  Entertainment is mainly musical, due to the many languages onboard, and it is very good.  EM

[MarkBearSF]

Poles apart. I've heard consistent complaints about the food on MSC (more than the usual cruise board bitching) and a very high density ship with much less room per passenger and fewer staff as well. Lots of glitz. That said, the Yacht Club experience is supposedly excellent and might be compared to the QM2.

QM2 is anti-glitz. A beautiful ship with lots of room and staff per passenger and consistently good food.

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by MarkBearSF

[MylesS]

I won't speak too much on the service differences of the two, having only been on MSC once, and even then not on the Divina. However, I'd like to touch upon the differences between the two ships.
 

One thing to understand is that MSC Divina is a cruise ship. Queen Mary 2 is an Ocean Liner, and is designed to maximize the comfort of her passengers whilst riding through rough seas. You can see this in the difference between the exteriors of the ships, where QM2 differs vastly:

- A strong, long bow with a break water to deflect any seas that make it on the deck

- No structure above the bridge

- Lifeboats high above the waterline

- The funnel towards the middle of the ship, making it more like a pyramid shape from the side

- Balconies protected either by a steel in the hull, or protected by the forward and aft superstructure

- Whilst harder to see, but part of the exterior: a deeper draft
 

And of course the things you can't see, but are very different between the two, such as things like power, reliability & speed. In terms of speed, Queen Mary 2, which is ~9000 GT more than Divina, is able to travel at up to ~7 knots faster.
 

If I had to touch on service, I think the key thing to mention would be MSC Divina carries a total of 3,502 passengers. Meaning, even being smaller than Queen Mary 2, is carrying nearly 1,000 more passengers. So traveling on Queen Mary 2 it will feel more like you have the ship to yourself, larger areas of the ship that won't be too busy, and the crew able to assist more passengers than I'd imagine MSC can.
 

I bring these points up because for me, and I'd assume some others, how unique the ship is part of the "glamor" and "elegance" of going on a transatlantic crossing. You're sailing on a ship designed to get you across the atlantic, no matter the weather, with better comfort than a cruise ship and always be on time.

 

[Dancer Bob]

I recall the lounge furniture on Dvina as being the most uncomfortable I have ever seen on a cruise ship. The dance floors are tile, one of them is also a main traffic corridor. There was one decent music group, their contract was finishing and they were being replaced by a Caribbean group. (I have found the Caribbean groups on Cunard to be badly-treated, under-appreciated, and quite capable when given the chance.)

I recall this was in the Caribbean and food service was set up for US market.

Edited August 15, 2022 by Dancer Bob

[Tracey/Thom]

Thanks so much for all the input!

[buchanan101]

19 hours ago, MylesS said:

I won't speak too much on the service differences of the two, having only been on MSC once, and even then not on the Divina. However, I'd like to touch upon the differences between the two ships.
 

One thing to understand is that MSC Divina is a cruise ship. Queen Mary 2 is an Ocean Liner, and is designed to maximize the comfort of her passengers whilst riding through rough seas. You can see this in the difference between the exteriors of the ships, where QM2 differs vastly:

- A strong, long bow with a break water to deflect any seas that make it on the deck

- No structure above the bridge

- Lifeboats high above the waterline

- The funnel towards the middle of the ship, making it more like a pyramid shape from the side

- Balconies protected either by a steel in the hull, or protected by the forward and aft superstructure

- Whilst harder to see, but part of the exterior: a deeper draft
 

And of course the things you can't see, but are very different between the two, such as things like power, reliability & speed. In terms of speed, Queen Mary 2, which is ~9000 GT more than Divina, is able to travel at up to ~7 knots faster.
 

If I had to touch on service, I think the key thing to mention would be MSC Divina carries a total of 3,502 passengers. Meaning, even being smaller than Queen Mary 2, is carrying nearly 1,000 more passengers. So traveling on Queen Mary 2 it will feel more like you have the ship to yourself, larger areas of the ship that won't be too busy, and the crew able to assist more passengers than I'd imagine MSC can.
 

I bring these points up because for me, and I'd assume some others, how unique the ship is part of the "glamor" and "elegance" of going on a transatlantic crossing. You're sailing on a ship designed to get you across the atlantic, no matter the weather, with better comfort than a cruise ship and always be on time.

 

I believe that the QM2 had to get special dispensation to have the lifeboats that high - because of crossing the North Atlantic

 

The perils of the North Atlantic (especially in wintertime) are numerous, accordingly Payne designed the vessel with her lifeboats 88 ft. (27 m) above the water instead of the SOLAS recommended 49 ft. (15 m).  SOLAS made this exception because of the condition of service that the Queen Mary 2 is intended for.  According to Ellis, a SOLAS clause states that if a vessel will be traveling in poor weather, lifeboats can be secured at a higher level than the usual 49 ft. (15 m).  This clause, coupled with Lloyd's Register's assistance, was the focal point of a meeting in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Coast Guard, who after mulling Cunard's reasoning opted to waive the conventional lifeboat height requirement.

[LB_NJ]

On 8/14/2022 at 3:13 PM, D&N said:

Queen Mary 2 is a real Ocean Liner 

 

 

I could be wrong; however, I believe she is the ONLY ocean liner afloat.

[D&N]

2 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

I could be wrong; however, I believe she is the ONLY ocean liner afloat.

In service at least.

I think there's a few more moored around the world.

But are they afloat or resting on the bottom? 😂

[exlondoner]

19 minutes ago, D&N said:

In service at least.

I think there's a few more moored around the world.

But are they afloat or resting on the bottom? 😂

 

Is the Astoria, ex Stockholm still sailing. She would be one.

[D&N]

12 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

Is the Astoria, ex Stockholm still sailing. She would be one.

Not sailing. Moored in Rotterdam, not that far from where QM2 is today. Shows on MarineTraffic. [actually that position is from June 2nd, so it could have been moved]

 

Wikipedia: "The new owners intend to use the Astoria for conversion to a hotelship....... The plans were abandoned and the ship was again made available for sale, never having left port in Rotterdam.

Edited August 17, 2022 by D&N

[navybankerteacher]

There is NO rational comparison of Divina and QM2 - be it on the basis of food, service, space, general atmosphere, whatever.

 

 If Divina is MUCH less expensive, and budget is a concern, you might consider her —— otherwise, no.

[Tracey/Thom]

52 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

There is NO rational comparison of Divina and QM2 - be it on the basis of food, service, space, general atmosphere, whatever.

 

 If Divina is MUCH less expensive, and budget is a concern, you might consider her —— otherwise, no.

No rational comparison? LOL We're booked and going on the QM2 in 2023. Just wondering how it compared (perhaps irrationally!) to the other gorgeous ship we went on. I think I've got my answer. Thanks to all.

[carlmm]

34 minutes ago, Tracey/Thom said:

No rational comparison? LOL We're booked and going on the QM2 in 2023. Just wondering how it compared (perhaps irrationally!) to the other gorgeous ship we went on. I think I've got my answer. Thanks to all.

Enjoy your voyage!

If you fing the time, please, share your thoughts afterwards.

[louiseB8888]

On 8/14/2022 at 7:21 PM, Tracey/Thom said:

We're booked (bucket list!) on the 8 day transatlantic QM2 in May 2023. Was wondering, if you've been on the MSC Divina, how does it compare? That has been the grandest, most elegant ship we've ever been on, thus far. If you've been on QM2 and Divina, would love to hear your thoughts!

Well we have just sailed on QM2 last month we booked Princess grill room paid £13.500 , the ship is shabby and in a lot of places filthy, we got off 9 days early, we’ve sailed  with Cunard since 2004 17+ times.. Cunard is being left behind with standards , entertainment and accommodation..  Msc  food is ok if you like pasta pizza etc but the rooms are lovely, Iona is a fantastic ship , rooms food entertainment blow Cunard out the water .. I’ve added some photos of QM2 

[Bell Boy]

I'm intrigued with the photos of the 'Afternoon tea cups', anyone can go over and take a photo immediately after the guests have left their tables . Rust stains out on balconies have always been part of QM2, it's an ocean liner back and forth the Atlantic .  

You didn't clarify why the need to leave the ship  nine days earlier

[exlondoner]

I too was on this cruise and thought it excellent. I was impressed by how much maintenance I found going on all over the ship, from finally getting the terrace pool open to varnishing the doors on the prom deck. I must admit I'm probably not the sort of person who notices slightly worn furniture, nor would it impact my enjoyment much, if I did. It all goes to show how greatly perception vary, and the different things people regard as important. But I agree a clean cabin really is a sine qua non. 

Edited August 18, 2022 by exlondoner

[D&N]

We've only taken 1 x QM2 cruise, May/June 2022 (18 years 4 months old). Only the 3rd proper cruise in our lifetime, after Sun Princess 1998 (2 years 8 months old). P&O Arcadia 2005/6 (9 months old).

We've sailed on many ships in the Med, Baltic, North Sea, Channel, Biscay and West Coast Scotland.

So this is not simply a defence of Cunard.

I just don't see the point of those photos.

If you don't expect to see rust and stains on outer decks of a ship you really should be choosing a holiday at a luxury resort hundreds of miles from the sea.

The door; Yes folk really should use the handle provided to open the door, keep their hands away from their face and wash them as soon as possible, but if you don't want to touch where others have then it's quite clear from the photo where you should hold. 😂

I don't really see the practical use of silver candlesticks or vases, so get rid of them and the polished wood won't get so marked. (You don't honestly think that those symmetrical marks were caused by a variety of different glasses?).

I wouldn't pick that mauve shade for my lounge, but I don't see anything wrong with that chair.

Personally I would tidy that afternoon tea table a bit more before leaving it, but then I know I have OCD.

 

We found everything we used to be spotlessly clean. The only marks on our clothing were where we splashed them with sauces etc.

 

This isn't the 1st post of this kind I've read. I find most of them laughable. I think folks expectations of various forms of public transport need to be more realistic.

 

Of course everyone has the right to their opinions and to choose where they spend their money, so some may not agree with anything I've typed and are welcome to do so.

 

 

[Tracey/Thom]

On 8/17/2022 at 3:17 PM, carlmm said:

Enjoy your voyage!

If you fing the time, please, share your thoughts afterwards.

Will do. I love doing reviews after the cruise, helps me to relive it and keep the joy going a bit longer!

[Tracey/Thom]

7 hours ago, louiseB8888 said:

Well we have just sailed on QM2 last month we booked Princess grill room paid £13.500 , the ship is shabby and in a lot of places filthy, we got off 9 days early, we’ve sailed  with Cunard since 2004 17+ times.. Cunard is being left behind with standards , entertainment and accommodation..  Msc  food is ok if you like pasta pizza etc but the rooms are lovely, Iona is a fantastic ship , rooms food entertainment blow Cunard out the water .. I’ve added some photos of QM2 

 

7 hours ago, louiseB8888 said:

Well we have just sailed on QM2 last month we booked Princess grill room paid £13.500 , the ship is shabby and in a lot of places filthy, we got off 9 days early, we’ve sailed  with Cunard since 2004 17+ times.. Cunard is being left behind with standards , entertainment and accommodation..  Msc  food is ok if you like pasta pizza etc but the rooms are lovely, Iona is a fantastic ship , rooms food entertainment blow Cunard out the water .. I’ve added some photos of QM2 

Blows Cunard QM2 out of the water?? That's high praise indeed, I wouldn't have thought that MSC Divina (the only MSC we've been on) could do that - but that's why I asked the question. Love the discussions on the boards, even if the comments are sometimes diametrically opposed!LOL

[WestonOne]

This tale is not really connected, except in so far so.people can tolerate a certain amount more  mess than pthers. Tables should be cleared, of course, but if it takes two minutes rather than instantly I can cope.

 

However here is the tale.

I was still working and my wife was having problems with arthritis so we arranged a local small company to do the ironing once a week.  About the third week they knocked on the door and my daughter answered.  One of the shirts was "do not iron" but they had started and a corner of the shirt collar melted.  They were very apologetic and wanted to replace the shirt and let us off that weeks' charges

 

My daughter response was no, no replacement and we will pay what we agreed because she knew me well enough that

a) I would probably not notice.

b) If I did, I would probably not care

c) If I did care, my daughter would make it clear to me in no uncertain fashion that it was my fault for sending a non-iron shirt to be ironed.

 

She was, of course, right.

Edited August 19, 2022 by WestonOne

[Windsurfboy]

 

On 8/18/2022 at 2:53 PM, louiseB8888 said:

Well we have just sailed on QM2 last month we booked Princess grill room paid £13.500 , the ship is shabby and in a lot of places filthy, we got off 9 days early, we’ve sailed  with Cunard since 2004 17+ times.. Cunard is being left behind with standards , entertainment and accommodation..  Msc  food is ok if you like pasta pizza etc but the rooms are lovely, Iona is a fantastic ship , rooms food entertainment blow Cunard out the water .. I’ve added some photos of QM2 

 

Looking at photos above, there's nothing that would ruin my holiday or I'd even notice  , as long as the most important things, ie the food and service were good/great ( Cunard pre covid standards).

 

However if service and food are poor or things go wrong then you start to notice all the other lttle things. Rust is inevitable  but the door clearly needs a thorough clean with specialist upvc cleaner, my wife would have noticed and said something there and then.

 

As to "Iona rooms , food entertainment  blow Cunard out of water".

 

Iona is a brand new ship so will be sparkling. P&O entertainment is different to Cunard, it depends on the style of entertainment you like. As to food my one experience with P&O , Cunard PG was far better than the P&O regular restaurants and so it should be at PG premium, if it's not anymore something is wrong, but no one else has commented . However if you use pay for restaurants in P&O these are up there with Cunard PG, and offer more variety.   

 

P&O better than Cunard where's the explosions.

 

 

[D&N]

On a Panama Transit at New Year 2005/6 from Acapulco to Barbados on P&O's Arcadia generally things were very good.  I couldn't fault the service. Apart from Carnival's inability to make Kir Royale to my liking, the wine and drinks were good and reasonably priced. The sommelier jumped whenever we suddenly decided that a desert wine or liqueur was required with a particular desert. There was dancing in The Globe most nights. The shows were to a fairly high standard although I'd rather be dancing.

 

The food was all well presented and cooked correctly. However for us the food was incredibly bland. It was as if they were catering exclusively for "British" tastes. Every single dinner was offered with potatoes and two vegetables, including curries and pasta dishes. When I asked for rice with a particular fish dish they were unable to provide any, even though they had an Asian/fusion restaurant on board.

 

I suppose it was to be expected as the passengers were almost exclusively British, all having been flown out from various UK locations on charter flights to Acapulco and returned in same manner from Barbados. We had expected to find some local Caribbean produce but apparently everything is shipped from UK to a base in Barbados.

 

We resolved not to travel with P&O again unless the itinerary offered was something we had to do and no one else was offering it.

Since they don't offer day trips around The Baie des Anges on the Cote d'Azur or North Atlantic Crossings using an ocean liner that is never going to happen!

 

In comparison Cunard's food offering is much more international and can closely match our regular diet.

Edited August 19, 2022 by D&N