MSC Divina Review
MSC Divina Transatlantic by a couple of Australians. We warned you!
Rating by category
Additional details
My partner and I spent 20 nights on the south bound transatlantic crossing which sailed from Genoa on 5-11-2019. We (41 and 42) were accompanied by 1 set of parents (64 and 65) and 1 couple who are friends our age. I researched thoroughly before choosing this cruise. Our primary reason to select this journey on MSC Divina was the brilliant itinerary. I read the reviews and noted the negative and positive accounts. We have been on Cunard QM2 and Q-Elizabeth, Celebrity Solstice, Golden Princess and Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas since 2015. We enjoyed Celebrity and RCL the most. I took a pragmatic view when reading past reviews as we were primarily motivated by the destinations and itinerary which were fantastic !!!! We were incredibly lucky with weather and the uneventful marine operation of the ship. Our group had a great time all up BUT the MSC experience was unfortunately mediocre at best. If you enjoy Celebrity or RCL you will have a very different experience on MSC.
The SHIP. Newish, cleanish, cheaply but tastefully decorated, okay layout, a bit worn – particularly the furnishings. Not much to do. Not much on. Not many crew visible.
The ROOM. We had fantastica balcony deck 10. Bigger than average, good bed, great bathroom, small tv, good fridge, just enough storage, well kept by our lovely room steward but VERY dusty as were the hallways. Buy some decent vacuums MSC and maintain them.
Cabin Review
Balcony Stateroom
More spacious than most with plenty of storage, decent bathroom but dust in all the crevices.
Port Reviews
Rome (Civitavecchia)
We did Rome in a day from Civitavecchia which was very straightforward other than a train cancellation from Rome back to the port which caused some excitement. We arrived back on time but others were not so lucky and the ship sailed nearly 3 hours late.
Valencia
The old town is worth a day roaming around and sampling Tapas. We used the ships shuttle to get there.
Lisbon
We loved Lisbon! The ship was berthed at Lisbon Cruise Port - Jardim do Tabaco Quay and you can walk into the main part of the old town easily. Tram 28 is a great ride to an old cemetery and back after a walk and a coffee at the tram terminus. We checked out the old town center near the main station and the old elevator then walked up to the St Jorge castle and back via various cafes and wine bars that had delicious food and wine.
Barbados
Didn't think much of Bridgetown. We encountered those annoying touting situations that are so worn and boring and there wasn't really much to do other than go to the beach which was pristine. Probably one of the boating excursions would have been a better use of the day as we heard others had had great trips snorkeling and diving from catamarans etc.
Martinique
A lovely island with modern infrastructure and a relaxed french flavor. The old library is a must see and walk around Fort de France is well worth braving the heat!
St. Martin
We took a taxi (painful experience) to the famous beach near St Juliana airport and watched planes while drinking and eating! It was fun and we made it back to the ship in time by sharing a cab.