Are you considering a cruise on the MSC Divina? If you’ve never sailed with MSC before, you will certainly notice a few differences compared to popular American cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian. There are some benefits, such as their status match program, and there are a few drawbacks, in my opinion. My husband and I were excited to give MSC a try, so I could share my thoughts and experience with all of you. As usual, the following is just my experience and my opinion.
In this review, I’ll cover 5 major components of our experience on the MSC Divina for a 3-night sailing. I will share my thoughts on our embarkation process, stateroom, dining experience, onboard activities, entertainment, and overall service.
Embarkation/Debarkation
I hate to kick off this MSC Divina cruise ship review on a negative but the embarkation process was rough, to say the least. It can be summed up in one word – lines. We embarked from the Port of Miami, which is typically quite efficient.
However, we experienced a long winding queue to get through security. An even longer line to get to a check-in agent, then a waiting area to board the ship. Once the boarding groups started being called, they were called quickly, but boarding definitely seemed delayed. We arrived at the Port of Miami around 11:00 a.m., and we boarded the ship around 1:00 p.m.
Stateroom 9275 Aft Balcony
We had an aft-facing balcony on deck 9 in a category B2 cabin. While we are experienced balcony cruisers, this was the first time we had an aft-facing view, and we were super excited. For most cruisers, the ship’s aft-trail is iconic and one of the most relaxing and picturesque views on the ship. The stateroom was well-appointed and very clean. Our attendant was friendly, attentive, and did a fantastic job!
Check out the YouTube video tour of our room.
In general, the room felt a little narrow, and the space at the entrance was a little tight. The closet and drawer area was directly across from the bathroom door and right inside the entrance. We had to be careful if one of us was pulling something from the closet, if the other person was exiting the bathroom, but it all worked out.
Dining on the MSC Divina
Main Dining Room –
Both the food and the service were very good in the main dining room. We had early, set time dining at the same table each night. We were seated at a table for 6. One evening, we had the table to ourselves as our tablemates had other dining plans. The nightly recommended dishes had a European flair, but each evening they offered a “classics menu” which offered the same items you will see on most cruise lines – salmon, steak, chicken, and a vegetarian option. One thing we found confusing was that the posted menu outside the dining venue didn’t match what was presented at dinner. We asked our server about the discrepancy, and he politely told us that we must be mistaken. ;-).
Buffet
Once we mentally get past the germ concerns, we typically really enjoy the buffet. We like the casual atmosphere and being able to dine at our own pace as well as have a variety of options to choose from.
Our experience on Divina was a little different. The options seemed to be the same, and there was an issue with serving trays being empty and not quickly replaced. Of course, as with any cruise, we certainly didn’t go hungry! But, in general, it seemed as though they weren’t as adept at keeping up with a crowd.
One thing I personally enjoyed was the beverage stations. The Divina seemed to have more tea options, as well as coffee mate, flavored creamer to add to your coffee. The coffee mugs were also very nice and larger than those available on most lines. We also really loved the pizza! It was our favorite food item on our cruise!
Specialty Dining
This is an area where we were a little disappointed. The ship had two specialty dining venues – a sushi restaurant and a steakhouse. You could purchase a package or one of the restaurants at a discount, but there was a set, limited menu available for that price, referred to as a “Dining Experience”. Alternatively, you could purchase each item à la carte.
On the first day of our cruise, a slight discount was offered, so after some thought, we decided to try the steakhouse. However, when we walked by (several times) there wasn’t anyone there to take our reservation. We called from our room and were told we called the wrong number. Finally, we just went to the restaurant just before dinner. We tried to make a reservation but were told we had to book for the next night. I asked if they were full/booked up, and the staff member said no, but in order to get the “special,” which was only a $9 discount, you had to book a day in advance.
My husband and I have 20+ years of marketing experience, and that just didn’t sit well with us. We simply moved on and went to the main dining room, but it didn’t seem to us that they had an effective business model to turn away paying customers. So, unfortunately, we were a bit soured on the experience and decided to stick with traditional dining for our short 3-day sailing.
Amenities on board the MSC Divina
There were several fun things on the MSC Divina that were exciting and pretty unique. Doesn’t it seem like many cruise lines are starting to add unique adventure items to ships, such as go-carts, bumper cars, and escape rooms? Here are a few of the extras on this ship. Bowling – located in the sports bar. This two-lane alley was out of order for the first two days but up and running by the final day.
In addition to bowling in the sports bar, the ship had a 4D movie theatre and an F1 Simulator. We didn’t have time to try out these two on our short sailing, but we will plan to on a future sailing. These activities are also available on other MSC ships. An interesting thing about this ship is that several of the bars were accessed through another bar.
One outdoor area we particularly enjoyed on board was the Garden Pool. This was an adults-only area that featured a smoking deck (we stayed on the other side), a bar, and a pool. There were loungers, and this was a great place for sunset or to video the aft trail and leaving port. The “adult” only aspect was not enforce,d but we did see them enforce no drinks allowed in the pool.
Entertainment/Cruise Director Staff
Overall, the entertainment onboard was quite unique. The large shows on the main stage featured talented performers. The major difference between MSC and other cruise lines, to me, is the lack of continuity in the performance. One evening featured a Tribute to Queen. However, 3 songs in, there was an opera number complete with costume, then back to Queen and one number from the ’50s or ’60s.
The performers were talented, it just didn’t seem to flow well. I believe that because the cruise line does such a nice job of welcoming all nationalities, there really isn’t any speaking during the performances, and even though the songs were in English, I don’t believe it was the performer’s native language. I had heard that the Michael Jackson review was quite good but that wasn’t offered on our short sailing.
We really enjoyed the cruise director and staff. There were a couple of staffers in particular who led trivia and dance parties that were quite friendly and engaging. We arrived early at an entertainment venue, and they approached us, chatted, and made us feel very welcome.
Overall Service on MSC Divina
I would describe the service onboard MSC Divina as understated. All of the staff members we interacted with were kind and helpful. However, unlike standard American cruise lines, they didn’t seem to go out of their way to make your experience better, especially the bar staff.
The bar staff, in our experience, operated like they had a job to do, and that was it. We only saw one laughing and joking with a guest throughout our cruise. We received better service when we sat at a table and waited for a waiter or waitress to take our drink order. That was fine if we were sitting to have a drink and enjoy music but if we were just passing from one venue to the next, it seemed a bit inefficient.
I also noticed that most of the bars were closed. Ok, now I’m starting to sound like a big drinker, and that’s not the case. It’s just an observation. For example, trivia was held in one of their larger bars and was very well attended, but the bar in the venue was closed. Guests had to leave the area and were directed to the one bar on that floor that was open. Several times, we noticed workers walking behind a bar to get something, and a few people would jump up or pass by and try to order a drink, but were told the bar was still closed.
Again, as someone with a marketing background, it seemed as though they were missing a money-making opportunity. Additionally, as mentioned above, when we spoke with our waiter in the main dining room about the posted dinner menu being different, he politely told us we were mistaken. But he was nice about it. 🙂
Survey
For those of you who have sailed recently on Carnival or Royal Caribbean, etc., you know all about THE SURVEY.
To be honest, I get pretty uncomfortable on that last night of a cruise. I always pay my daily gratuities, and I always give extra to our room steward, dining staff, and a few bartenders who have added to our enjoyment. But the constant talk of ratings and surveys makes me a little uncomfortable. I want to wear a sticker that says, I promise I’ll fill out the survey and give you a great review.
During our cruise, there was NO mention of a survey or the option to tip additionally for exceptional service. There wasn’t an additional line for tipping on drink receipts, our room steward didn’t mention the survey, etc. While I rather liked the peaceful last night, my husband had a different viewpoint.
He felt that because the other lines rely so heavily on the survey, the staff go above and beyond to get in your good graces. They want you to mention them by name in the survey; do they want to earn your extra tips? He may have a point!
I did receive a survey via email a week after our cruise.
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