MSC Divina Review
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My husband and I went on this cruise for our honeymoon and could not have loved it more! The entire ship was fantastic, but mostly I want to focus my review on food. We did a LOT of searching for cruises that would offer gluten-free food that did not run risk of cross-contamination because let's face it, being stuck in the middle of the ocean after gluten poisoning is the last thing I wanted. We were in the Yacht Club, so the Maitre 'd met with everyone the first night to confirm dinner reservations and I mentioned I couldn't have gluten. He was immediately very nice about it, assuring me the gluten-free food is prepared in its own kitchen on Deck 5 and that there would be plenty of options. He was very right, within the realm of Le Muse, the restaurant where Yacht Club eats. Each meal I was given my own separate menu and the entire wait staff knew who I was and was very friendly and accomodating to my needs. The gluten free food was FANTASTIC and I never once felt like I was missing out or nervous about cross-contamination. The concierge even set up sack-lunches for me to take into port so that I wouldn't have to find gluten free food off the ship. The lunch usually contained fruit, a muffin, a pastry, and a sandwich.
While I was very satisfied with my experience within the Yacht Club, unfortunately 0% of the rest of the ship offers gluten free items unless you want lettuce and olive oil from the buffet line... Even if a staff member tells you there are gluten free options elsewhere, they are incorrect and perhaps don't understand what you are asking (we learned this the hard way trying to order pizza). I was disappointed that dishes in other parts of the ship were not available, especially the pizza, but quite honestly I didn't feel a huge need to eat outside of Le Muse because of how kind the staff were and how safe I felt there. If you have a gluten sensitivity or are celiac I would STRONGLY recommend sailing with MSC! They took the most stressful part of vacation and turned it into my favorite part and I could not thank them more for the work they put in to making my experience great.
Also a side note on exercising: the fitness center is completely empty as you're leaving port making it a great time to see the whole city you're leaving and get a workout in!
Cabin Review
Yacht Club Deluxe Suite
The cabin was very nice! Fresh fruit was available every day and evening to us, and the mini bar was stocked with tasty champagne and drinks. Something else that we valued was how big the closet was! It was a walk-in closet with plenty of drawers and hangers to hang everything we brought on board, although to be fair we each had only a single carry-on bag. I didn't think having a bath tub would be a big-deal either, however being able to relax after a long day at the beach is really refreshing!
Port Reviews
St. Maarten
We loved simply sitting on the beach in our $10 beach chairs! Pretty much any restaurant down the boardwalk will rent you two chairs and an umbrella all day for that price and keep the $1 beers coming, which is a huge plus. The port was beautiful and the people were very friendly and everything was really cheap.
Nassau
Unless you take an excursion, there really isn't anything to do in Nassau. There are beaches you can walk to, but the view is mostly blocked by cruise ships which is unfortunate. However, there is a fantastic ally of wood carvers that are a must-see! They are desperate to sell you things, so be sure to talk them down in price. I never got a single counter-offer and I brought them down in price a lot.