MSC Divina Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Hi everyone. We sailed on the Divina for a 7 day cruise which departed Miami on August 2nd, 2014. Overall, we had a fantastic cruise. Here are my thoughts and opinions about our experience. We had 2 families traveling together. Our family of 4 (husband, wife, 2 college-age kids), and another family of 6 (husband, wife, 3 college-age kids and an 82-year-old grandfather).
EMBARKATION: As I posted previously from the port, embarkation day was a mess due to a gas leak at the terminal. Basically, thousands of people waiting to board were first stuck outside the terminal in the heat and there was much confusion about at which gate we would actually enter. The port authority employees were for the most part grouchy and not too helpful, which fueled the fire of the passengers' unrest. By the time we made it inside, there were understandably extremely long lines to actually check in. Upon check in, the MSC employee who helped us had zero information, and merely told us to "go sit over there to the left." Because they could not disembark the returning passengers until the port authority gave the AOK, the departing passengers could not board so that left a glut of people with nowhere to sit. Most were sitting on the tile floor, and it appeared especially hard on the elderly and those in wheelchairs.
As the hours ticked by, there was no word on what was happening either from the port authority employees or from MSC employees. That was the big problem, no information. I understand that it was a serious situation, and a gas leak meant that the safety of everyone was top priority – however, some official information should have been imparted to the waiting passengers. As it was, everyone was disgruntled and there were a lot of rumors and hearsay floating about. Any information would have gone a long way to placate passengers. They finally opened up a seating area in NCL's part of the terminal so that people could get off the floor. A port authority employee told our group that it was MSC's fault, and a MSC employee told us (once we were onboard) that their hands were tied and it was the port authority that was calling the shots.
Cabin Review
STATEROOM: We were in stateroom 11234, aft of the ship. It was a balcony room, with a bed that could sleep 2 and a large couch that folded out into a bed that slept another 2. Our family of 4 shared the room. Our college-age kids had the bed that separated into two (it was together when we arrived, but our room steward separated it while we were dining in the evening). The fold-out couch was extremely comfortable. I had my doubts as I've never experienced a truly comfortable fold-out before (usually you feel the springs in or under the mattress), but we slept very comfortably all week. The blackout curtain over the balcony window kept the room dark well into the morning.The room was tastefully decorated in burgundy. The bathroom was impressive for a small cruise ship space. Lots of storage space under the counter and 3 shelves in the corner above the sink. Our stateroom steward was wonderful. Always had a smile on his face and was quick to respond if we had a question or a request. Once or twice we ended up with 3 towels (instead of 4) in the bathroom, and after a call to guest services another towel was brought to our room quickly and cheerfully. The closet and drawers built into the wardrobe had enough space for 3 of us, but not enough room for 4 adults (which is understandable). My daughter had the most packed, so she just lived out of her duffle bag for the week. There was a lot of room under the beds for storage of empty bags, dirty laundry and luggage. We made constant use of the safe to store money, passports, casino vouchers, jewelry etc. At one point we messed up the code and locked ourselves out of it. Again, a call to reception and someone was at our door within about 10 minutes to unlock it for us.