We are just back from a fantastic cruise around the Caribbean on the MSC Divina and first of all I need to set the record straight about some of the lies - yes lies, not opinions, that some of the negative reviewers have posted on this site. We met 2 American couples last February aboard the NCL Jewel and had such a great time with them we decided to do a cruise together this year. I had sailed on the Divina twice before, and recommended the ship to them. Before flying out to Miami to meet our friends they contacted me to say they had read some appalling reviews about the Divina, and it concerned me greatly, even though they assured me that they trusted my opinion and that we would have fun anyway. Great news - they loved it! So the lies are - miserable rude staff. Not true. Cabin staff (thanks Edi, you did a great job) bar buffet and restaurant staff were all friendly, polite and fun. After a couple of days they knew our drink preferences and even names! They seem not to have as many servers around the lounge areas, pools and casino as other cruise lines, but service at any of the bars was quicker than any other ship we have sailed on. There was however one server in the atrium and Dolce Vita bar on deck 5 who was amazing - thank you Sane for always promptly taking our orders with a smile and quickly bringing drinks and bar snacks to us!

Next lie - only burgers and pizza in the buffet. Absolutely ridiculous. I have always thought the buffet food was very good, but it excelled on this cruise. Our American friends loved it too, even saying it was better than some of the higher-end cruise lines. So much choice, and there was never a problem finding a table together. Yes it was sometimes chaotic around the food stations but that is largely due to the European (not British, hasten to add) behaviour where it seems it is quite acceptable to push in when everyone else is standing in line! Once you have your food however it was much easier to find a table than most other cruise lines. Evening dinner in the restaurant was also very good, and the waiters very attentive. After the second evening they even brought iced tea to one of our friends as soon as she sat down!

There are other opinions that almost qualify as untruths and I appreciate the use of the word "lie" is very extreme. However, I feel strongly about this because people could decide not to book a cruise on this beautiful ship and miss out on a fantastic experience. Read more