The Divina is an elegant and amazingly beautiful ship. Many long time cruisers say the Divina is the classiest ship they have sailed on and to date I would agree. The theater (pictured above) is a stand out venue for the thoroughly entertaining shows offered. When we arrived on embarkation day there were several musical performers in the large open space near the Divina Bar. The musicians were quite talented. The public areas for guests consist of several lounges- such as the Black and White Lounge, multiple pools (waterslide too) and relaxation areas, basketball/soccer court. arcade, casino, a grand theater, a kids club, mini bowling,a teen club, a Galaxy disco, bars, a humongous buffet, two main dining rooms and several specialty dining rooms (paid), a spa, fitness center, simulator ride, 4 D theater and many artsy areas to relax around the ship.
I was impressed with the number of pools and hot tubs available, with one pool/hot tub area being in a covered solarium so if the weather was bad guests could still enjoy the water. The Divina is definitely not an adventurous ship however, and you will not find rock walls, ropes courses, mini golf or a Flow Rider. You will find plenty of space to relax and enjoy the sun and water, as well as many calming and quiet areas around the ship to decompress. As for the kids and teens activities there is a program, but it is not nearly as robust as the other mainstream cruiselines. The "Junior" clubs had some fun craft activities and games, as well as a parade around the ship. Legos and Smurfs are the main themes for the younger crew, and all the kiddos we saw seemed to be having fun. I thought it was great that when I stopped by the kids club and asked if I could take some photos for my blog the gals in charge told me sure but I was not allowed to take any pictures of the children-just the empty areas. I appreciate that they are careful and take the safety of the littlest passengers seriously. :) The teen club was open in the evenings and my son did enjoy hanging out with the others teens, ages 13-17. They did a few games, a little dancing and mostly hanging out and playing foosball and such. There was no sign up required and the teens came and went as they pleased- so be aware that if your teen, whether they are 13 or 17, will have freedom to come and go unaccounted for. This was pretty much the case on NCL and Carnival too, although adults needed to sign up their teens for the O2 and Entorouge Teen Clubs prior to them entering the clubs.
We were a bit disappointed in the lack of activities offered during the day on the Divina. Granted, two port days took over the majority of time but more than one activity every hour or so should have been offered in my opinion. We did enjoy a few dance lessons (although one did not occur due to lack of participants), several trivia games (which were actually really hard!:) ), a "White, Blue and Red" Deck Party (yes- oddly worded for the fourth of July:) ),
and we enjoyed various musicians around the ship. The pool was cooler than the outdoor temperature and all the hot tubs but one were hot. The shows were a highlight for us and we really loved the Starwalker show, which was a Michael Jackson themed show with an incredibly talented MJ lookalike. The Mask was another unique, fun and festive show, as well as the Italian Night performance. The singers are extremely talented and we all enjoyed the cultural glimpse into Italian music. We are really looking forward to the Opera on the seven day cruise on the Divina we are taking in December, as well as the other exciting shows they offer.
Our room was very nice and well appointed. We had cabin 11011, which was as far forward as you could get. Our legs got a workout- which was needed after all of our indulgence anyhow! :) The room seemed bigger than any other balcony room we have had on Carnival and Norwegian, and the outdoor balcony was definitely larger than the standard Norwegian and Carnival balconies. My son got a pull out sofa bed which was a queen, and he was very comfortable. Our steward, Adi, was super nice and made the bed back into a couch every morning after we went to breakfast. I say this because on Norwegian and Carnival the stewards left the couch turned into bed like that all week, thus making the couch unusable. There was lots of closet space, a flat screen television and Adi kept our ice bucket filled. The bathroom was decent sized, although the fold in shower doors were odd.
The photo directly above is of our balcony view. We had a steel hull, meaning if we sat back we could not see through plexiglass. We could lift our heads and view the vast ocean, but if we wanted a more direct view we needed to stand. This was our first time with a steel hull balcony and while it was still nice we are glad our room for December has a plexiglass railing. The one nice thing about being under a steel hull roof and more expansive balcony was that when it rained we were covered and still fine to sit outside.
The Divina is a gorgeous, new ship with many enjoyable amenities. I will report back after our December voyage about a full week's worth of activities, which will hopefully be more plentiful and varied. Look for Divina Hints and Tips coming next, as well as a review of The Embassy Suites Miami port hotel and Watlings Distillery in Nassau! :)
MSC is known for their amazing pizza and we are now major fans of it! Above is a delicious breakfast pizza with egg and spinach. Freshly made pizza was offered 20 out of 24 hours daily, with a few new varieties daily, along with standards like plain cheese pizza. A cheeseless pie was also offered daily which was a multi-grain healthier version of traditional pizza. As you can imagine we ate a lot of pizza- with vegetable, pepperoni and white pizza with spinach being favorites of ours. The breakfast pizza was my all time favorite though! However, pizza is certainly not the only food available on the MSC Divina. There is a huge buffet at the aft of the ship on deck 14 with many sections. I had read prior to the cruise that we should be sure to check out every area and all sides of the buffet-which was great advice. The only downside to such a vast buffet is that if you start at one end and circle the entire dining area and then find a seat your food may be a bit cold! We picked a spot to sit and took turns, trying to visit certain areas of the buffet at a time. Now, if you are in a hurry or don't have the patience for this you could just choose an area for your family members to meet up at to sit- like the very back by the children's buffet which tends to be the least crowded. This was a short cruise so we only got to dine in the buffet for a few lunches and one breakfast, but everything we had was really tasty! Here is a rundown of some of what we encountered at the buffet:
Lunch- An ethnic section was in the back area of the buffet and featured a different theme of ethnic cuisine daily. My husband and son enjoyed the Indian foods one day and another day they featured Mexican cuisine. There are several areas of the buffet dedicated to fruit-both whole fruits and fruit cut up, as well as a mixed fresh fruit salad. A salad bar area was offered and included Mediterranean style toppings. One thing I noticed was the only dressing out that I saw was oil and vinegar. I like blue cheese dressing but since I couldn't find it I went with the traditional oil and vinegar-which was good too. There was a section with many types of cheeses and meats of Italy, as well as olives. An American style area of the buffet in the front part of the venue included a few types of hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries (steak fries and a thinner cut), mini sandwiches and sliders. A carving station with salmon or roast beef was offered, as well as many types of pasta dishes. I liked many of their baked ziti type dishes and my husband and son enjoyed the various meats and cheeses. The children's buffet in the very back of the ship had a pasta each day-like shells with ham and peas as well as fried shrimp, mashed potatoes, carrots and a few other kid friendly foods. The fried shrimp was yummy! There was a sizable station with various breads and rolls, ranging from focaccia to brioche, as well as a dessert area with different pastries and mini brownies, etc. Drink stations for coffee and tea were on each side of the buffet, as well as a self serve area for water, ice tea, lemonade and low calorie fruit water. There was also a bar where you could get wine, beer, water (bottled) and soda, which was for a charge. Since we had the "104" All Inclusive package we got bottles of water and sodas easily. There are servers walking around too and they are happy to take your order for a drink from the bar. Just look for an employee carrying a tray and wave them over. The buffet can get really busy so if you are a person who does not like crowds you should plan to go earlier to ensure a hassle free meal.
Breakfast-Omelettes made to order, eggs made to order, scrambled eggs, various breakfast meats and yummy breakfast pizza could be found at the buffet. The ethnic area had miso soup and sticky rice. Lots of breakfast pastries and bread were offered, as well as cereals, oatmeal, casserole, quiche, juice and breakfast potatoes. One thing we found was that while we loved the hasbrowns from the dining room, for breakfast at the buffet they were not as good and seemed oily and less crispy.
We did not experience the dinner buffet but other folks told me it was similar to the lunch offerings and was quite tasty. Late night snacks were available also, with pizza being the star of the buffet. Cookies, desserts, salads, burgers and fries rounded out the late evening goodies at the buffet.
We dined in the main dining room for breakfast a few times and lunch as well. Here is what we found and liked in the main dining room:
The Black Crab was the dining venue for breakfast and lunch daily, although hours were limited. Breakfast was about 2-2/12 hours (6:30-8:30 for example) and lunch was typically from noon to 1:30. The breakfast service was good and different servers brought trays of juice to choose from and dedicated servers brought around coffee and tea. I never once found a server who was unwilling to help with a smile and good attitude! :) We tried the waffles, which look like they are not really cooked but they are actually hot, soft and delicious. The omelettes were customizable and they got our order correct each time. My son enjoyed herring and kippers, which are unique breakfast items for sure. The hashbrowns in the main dining room for breakfast are fabulous-they were super crispy and really delicious.
Lunch in the main dining room was nice- although I wish a larger menu was offered. There were some different appetizers, soups and salads available, as well as pasta dishes and desserts. We did ask servers to get us soda and bottled water from the bar and they pleasantly helped-even if they were not our actual waiter. The staff seemed to work together really well and I appreciate how they worked as a team to help the guests, and one another out.
Dinner was a good experience in the dining room, although it was not what we expected. We had asked for the first seating as Fantastica guests, and to be seated on our own. We did get the 5:30 seating in Villa De Rosa, but we were seated at a table for 8. We asked about getting a smaller table for just us, as this is what we have been used to on Norwegian the past two years, but the Maitre d' expressed firmly that the ship was full and he could not help us. So, we decided to go with the flow and eat at our assigned table. Our waiters were really great though- and we did end up meeting some lovely people-even a young man who is around my son's age and lives in central Florida like us! It's a small world for sure! :) The menu each night featured really flavorful Italian classics- if you want to love your meal choose one of their pasta dishes! The Hoki fish I had one night was really good, and my husband and son thought the calamari was outstanding. The pad thai my guys ordered one evening was really more of a pasta primavera, so they were a bit disappointed there. Some things on the menu were odd-such as the cold pumpkin soup with ginger crumbles I had as an appetizer one night-the Fourth of July to be exact. It was really a seasonal Fall favorite but as weird as it was I did like it. A few classic choices were entrees offered nightly, like chicken breast with baked potato. The standout dessert for us one night was the cannoli- the best cannoli we have ever had to be sure. My husband enjoyed the nightly sorbet offered-with lemon and peach being the flavors he tried. There was also a few flavors of their famous gelato offered in the main dining room each evening.
Gelato, ice cream and pastries were available to purchase at the pool deck gelato bar and at one of their specialty pastry areas on the ship. I also noticed many of the bars, which served espresso and coffee, as well as soda, water and alcoholic/non alcoholic beverages had small pastries out on trays in the morning and cookies in the afternoon. So, if you wanted a light breakfast of espresso and a croissant or danish you could visit the Divina bar in the morning to get it. We did not get to try any of the specialty venues, although we have another cruise on the Divina booked for December so we are hoping to try one then.
Signs regarding gluten free options in the buffet and on the menu were prevalent-so if you are looking to dine on gluten free foods this cruiseline is very helpful. I do wish they had signs in the buffet indicating what meat was in their dishes-especially pasta. I did ask an employee one day at lunch what meat was in the "Meat and Pasta" dish and he told me politely he would find out. He went to the kitchen and got back to me in less than a minute telling me it was ground beef. I appreciated his swift and friendly service. Perhaps MSC could label their signs with what meat was in dishes, as not everyone who eats beef also eats pork. Kosher items were also labeled in the buffet.
Do you have any questions about the food? If so please post your question and I will be happy to answer it if I can. :)
Our recent voyage on the MSC Divina was lots of fun-and I have many things to share with you all! I decided to break up my review into sections so I could share more photos and specific information about each topic. Beginning with beverages seemed natural as a "cheerful" cruiser! We bought 2 drink voucher packs titled "More for Less Escape Pass", which was 18 coupons for $84.00. These were paper coupons that were valid for any alcoholic cocktail, beer, wine, soda, bottled water, milkshake or gelato up to $7.50. Now, although I was assured by my Personal Vacation Planner that there were very few cocktails priced above $7.50 on the menus that was actually not the case. The first day I only ordered drinks $7.50 or less as a female bartender at the Divina Bar told me cocktails like the famous Purple Rain were not able to be purchased with a voucher. When asked if I could pay .25 cents more (Purple Rain was priced at $7.75) she told me no, that I would need to pay the full amount. However, the second day there was a different bartender at the Divina Bar who said I could absolutely use my voucher for a Purple Rain (I had to have one in honor of Prince) and the vouchers were fine for all cocktails except the ones indicating premium specialties. Happily, this was the case at every bar thereafter, so I am still a bit unsure of their overall policy. Additionally, the elevators had signs saying the Purple Rain was $7.50, so this was confusing. The drink menus are posted below so you can see the up to date prices and types of beverages offered. We did end up getting gelato with the vouchers as well- even sorbet is offered and the flavors are delicious! We also had the "All Inclusive" package (known as 104), which was available to us for $28.20 for my self and my husband (the combined tota- the individual cost was $14.10 each). We wanted a package for our son but since the "104" included wine and draft beer at dinner only he was not applicable. That being said, when we handed servers our card and ordered bottled water, sodas or cappuccino they brought enough for all three of us so it was not an issue. This package was by far the most worthy, as we drank tons of bottled water due to the heat. Only one or two servers were unsure of the "104" printed on our card and tried to charge us for water or soda. Once we told them they clarified it quickly with their managers and back out the charge (although we still have a $4.03 charge they need to back out from our final bill). The buffet had complimentary ice teas, lemonade and low calorie fruit flavored water from a self service machine. Coffee and a variety of tea were also at the buffet. In the main dining room tap water was offered, and juice and coffee or tea in the morning. I did see other guests get iced coffee or ice tea at dinner but they needed to ask their server for it. By far Sunoj and Randy were the best bartenders we encountered- Sunoj was at the Divina Bar and Randy was at the Pool Bar. Now, with the all inclusive package we were told we had a choice of house wines and draft beers at dinner only. My husband was disappointed as they had only had one beer on draft- Heineken. He was really looking forward to trying some different beers. The wine was explained as red or white to me, but when I asked for a rose' they said they could do that too. So, our server Savnell brought out a bottle each night of White Zinfandel, which was pink in color. This Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi wine was actually very tasty and refreshing. So, the verdict on house wine and draft beer is that if you like Heineken beer you will be happy, and if you are okay with a simple house red or white wine, and maybe another blush type wine option you would appreciate this drink package. The low price is worth it for the bottled water, soda and cappuccino though. The cocktails were all made well, with a bit of inconsistency from bar to bar for the drink of the day, like the Firecracker drink. There were definite times there was a back up at the bars as there would only be one or two bartenders making drinks for waiting guests as well as orders from servers. MSC needs to beef up their bartending staff during busy times, such as deck parties. They also need to clarify their policy on vouchers and what drinks are actually applicable to use them on, as at least 3/4 of the cocktails offered should really be in the price range for the vouchers. The purple rain was delicious, although it really turns into more of a gray-green-purple when mixed.
My husband was happy Johnny Walker Black was able to be gotten with a voucher, and my son like the Coke products offered- especially Dr. Pepper. Stay tuned for a separate review of the food, activities, ship layout and rooms, hints and tips, a hotel port review of the Embassy Suites Miami and a port review of Watlings Distillery in Nassau! Here are several of the drink menus, taken on July 3, 2016. I did not get to take a photo of the martini menu at the La Luna Piano Bar, but there was a nice array of martinis which were mostly priced at $7.50 per drink. I had a martini called The Floridian and it was great!
