MSC Divina August 2017

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Last week we were on the MSC Divina again for the fourth time. The price was right and we weren’t doing anything that week so we decided to sail on it again. The captain is Marco Massa, Hotel Director is Zbigniew Lisowski, Cruise Director is Andre Schlemmer, and Guest Relations manager is Carmelina Juliano. We had cabin 12285 with a full balcony. Dinner was at 6pm at table 519.

Day 1: Saturday 8/19/17

We arrived at the port at 10am and was through security and checked in by 11am. At 11:30, they let us board and we were at the Calumet Buffet at 11:45 waiting for them to open lunch at noon. The cabins were ready at 2:30pm but we could get in our cabin and drop stuff off before then. We bought a couple of books of drink tickets to use (18 alcoholic drinks for $89 and 18 nonalcoholic drinks for $49). They said we can buy more during the cruise if we need to. After lunch, we walked around and then decided to have some drinks. Don had 4 martinis and I had 2 cosmopolitans before the 3:30pm excursion talk. At 4:30 we had the life boat drill and then went back to the cabin to finish unpacking. I realized that we did not pack any dress pants for Don. After a little nap, we went to dinner at 6pm. Don wore his slip on black sports pants. We ate with a very nice couple from Michigan: Billie and Artie and the service was very good. After dinner, we walked around the deck and then went back to our cabin for an early night.

Day 2: Sunday 8/20/17 At Sea

I was up on deck at 5am playing on my computer. After breakfast, we walked an hour on the walking deck. At 10 I went to the arts and crafts where we decorated t-shirts with solar eclipse pictures using markers. Then we went to have a Frappuccino at the coffee shop. After lunch, we went back to our cabin. The ship sent us a bottle of Prosecco and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries which we enjoyed on our balcony. Then there was a Captain's reception where we had free cocktails before our formal night dinner. Exciting evening though. Some guest had to be evacuated by a coast guard helicopter to the Caicos Islands and then flown to Miami because of a medical emergency. After dinner, we peeked in the theater and watched the end of the show Mask.

Day 3: Monday 8/21/17 At Sea

After breakfast, we walked an hour on the walking deck. At 10 we had a Cruise Critic meet up in the Black and White Lounge and they served cocktails and h’oeuvre’s. Plus, they had a huge cake for us and we took a group picture. We met a nice couple Linda and JD from Paducah, Kentucky. Before lunch we talked to Natacha from Portugal who oversaw the Arts and Crafts. At noon, we had lunch in the Eataly Steakhouse. I had a 16-oz. ribeye and Don had this huge lobster! We also had appetizers of cold cuts and cheeses. For dessert Don had the cannoli and I had the bombolino which were like powdered donuts. After lunch, we ended up having a coffee drink at the coffee shop while we tried to figure out when the solar eclipse happened. Then we decided to walk to deck 16 and see what was going on. We found a nice spot where there were 5 other people hanging out: Brian and Kevin and their son David from Connecticut and Tasha and Jeremy from Colorado. Brian kept lending us his special glasses so we could see the eclipse which was very cool. We watched it until about 3:40. At 4, we went to a Veteran’s meetup and the only other person who showed was Brian. Then we had pre-dinner cocktails until we had to get ready for dinner. At dinner, they moved a new couple to our table: Shamali and Debra from Ft. Pierce. Shamali is a chef at a nuclear power plant and Debra works in a jail. About 6:30, Artie and Billie showed up. After dinner, we went back to the room to prepare for our next day in St. Maarten.

Day 4: Tuesday 8/22/17 St. Maarten

We got off the ship around 9am. We got to the beach (water taxi was $7 pp round trip) and got 2 chairs and an umbrella for $15. The guy started at $20 but when we said we would walk around first, he lowered it to $15. We got our bucket of beer from Caribbean Blend and it was $2 per beer so we ended up with 2 buckets of 6 beers while we were there. I got to visit my friend Suzette and gave her a shawl that I made. She was very busy in the restaurant. We left around 2:30 and came back to the ship. After cleaning up, we had a snack and an hour nap before going to dinner.

Day 5: Wednesday 8/23/17 San Juan

We got off the ship around 8:15 and walked to the fort on the right but we got there around 8:45 and it didn’t open until 9am so we walked to the fort on the left. It was already so hot and humid that I was soaked in sweat by the time we got there. We walked around and bought a Gatorade before leaving and walking around town. We walked about 5 miles before returning to the ship around 11:30. We ate lunch and talked to the executive chef (from England who now lives in Spain). Then we went back to the cabin to relax. On the way, they said that the dock was closed while the Allure of the Seas tied up and we watched as two ambulances were waiting. Eventually two gurneys were taken aboard ship so I hope those people are going to be okay. Then we relaxed in our cabin until 4pm. We had a cocktail before the Black card party. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to have a picture with the captain. After that we went to dinner and then came back to the cabin. I watched a Sex in the City movie until I went to sleep.

Day 6: Thursday 8/24/17 At Sea

After breakfast, we did our exercise walk. For lunch, we went to the Eataly Steakhouse and I had a filet mignon (8 oz.) with a side of peppercorn sauce and Don had the surf and turf (5 oz. filet mignon and lobster tail). Both were excellent! After lunch, we had a Chococinno at the coffee shop. The rest of the afternoon we relaxed on our balcony until it was time to get ready for the evening. We had pre-dinner cocktails in the Divina bar and then went to dinner. After dinner, we went to the Welcome Back party where we sat with Linda and JD and Brian and Kevin. Before we left, we got a picture with the Captain. Then we went to the show Treasure Island which I enjoyed. There were a lot of Cirque du Soleil type acts in the show.

Day 7: Friday 8/25/17 Nassau

We didn’t get off the ship at all. After breakfast we did our exercising. Then we went back to the cabin and packed until lunch time. After lunch we relaxed on our balcony until it was time to get ready for dinner. We picked up our free photo with the Captain and then we went on to dinner. After dinner we stopped for a cocktail before the show. Then we saw the show: Tribute to Michael Jackson. After the show we had a couple of frozen coffee drinks before returning to the cabin and putting our suitcases out in the hall.

Day 8: Saturday Debarkation

We had breakfast at 5:45 and then met in the Pantheon Theater by 7am. At 7:15, they escorted us off the ship. Getting our bags and out through customs was extremely fast and easy. We were in our car and on the road by 7:30. We got back home by 6:30pm.

Things I Learned:

1.     Champagne is sparkling wine from France; Prosecco is sparkling wine from Italy.

2.     The number of cruise critics are growing at their meet and greet but the number of people that signed up didn’t all show.

3.     The number of Black Card members are growing.

4.     They didn’t offer martinis at the Black Card party or the Welcome Back Party

5.     It was nice to see Carmelina the Guest Relations manager again.

6.     We like the Choccocino (frozen coffee drink) the best at the coffee shop.

7.     The food isn’t that great on MSC unless you go to the specialty restaurant.

8.     The coupon books are the best value on the ship!

9.     You can’t save the coupons and use them on another cruise.

10.  We never got our 2nd bottle of Prosecco or plate of chocolate covered strawberries.

MSC Divina October 2016

 

For Pictures of our trip, click here.

Yes, you read the title right. Last week, we were on the MSC Divina for the third time this year. We were telling our friends, David and Kim about it and they wanted to give it a try so we all got on the MSC Divina on October 8, 2016. Our Captain is Pier Paolo Scala, the Hotel Director is Gianfranco Sampiero, and the cruise director is Darren McColl. We were upgraded from an interior cabin to a balcony cabin (13228) which is on the very back of the ship. The balcony is extremely small and impossible to sit on so I’m glad we didn’t actually pay for the balcony, otherwise the cabin is very nice. The interior cabin had more storage though with 4 closets instead of 3 so I think I actually like an interior cabin better. Our dining time is 8:30pm at table 608 in the Black Crab dining room. We like the Villa Rosa dining room better because the noise level in the Black Crab is horrendous. We had dinner with two couples form Port St. Lucie: Steve and Paula and Frank and Debbie.  Our itinerary was changed due to the hurricane and instead of going to Nassau on Sunday, we will be at sea. Then on Monday, we will arrive in Grand Turk. Tuesday we will arrive in St. Maarten at 2pm instead of 1:30pm, and on Wednesday we will be in San Juan from 9am – 2am.

10/8/16 Embarkation:

We didn’t get in the building until 10:30 and didn’t get on the ship until noon. Checking in went very smoothly and then we had to wait. We got on the ship and went straight to the kiosk to register our credit card. Then we ate lunch. It did not take long for David and Kim to get on the ship and meet us for lunch. After lunch we showed them our cabin and then went to look at their cabin. After that Don and I went to the pool area to enjoy a bucket of beer. In the evening we went to see the show Voices which was very good but lasted longer than 30 minutes. While we were waiting for the show to start, we saw Shomee from Hungary again and it was so nice to see him! We left the show about 8:40 to go to dinner but they didn’t even open the doors until 8:45. Dinner was okay but I was disappointed because I had asked for a table for 4 and we ended up at a table for 8 which made having a conversation nearly impossible due to the noise level in the dining room. After dinner we walked up to the Calumet buffet and Don and David had a little snack.

10/9/16 At Sea:

We had a nice breakfast at the Calumet buffet and then went for a walk and eventually had a chocochino coffee at the specialty coffee café. At 11am, I went to the cruise critic meet up but found out that there was a mix up and that the officers weren’t available until the 4pm meeting so after talking we agreed to come back. We had lunch with David and Kim and went to look at the sports bar to see what changes were made. Then we had a little nap before taking a little nap. In the evening we went to the La Luna Bar and listened to the music by the band Unforgettable that we like. Then we saw the show Mask and I was afraid I would be bored since this is the third time we saw the show but some of the acts in the show were different and I really enjoyed that. The best part was that our dining assignment was changed for us, thanks to the deputy purser, Guglielmo, who is my “friend” from the previous cruises. The first night in the middle dining room, the noise level was so loud, my husband could not hear any of the conversation and was miserable at a table of 8 people. We have a new table in the quieter dining room (Villa Rosa Table 966) with just the four of us and it was so lovely! I think the food even tasted better because we all were happier.

10/10/16 Grand Turk:

We arrived around 7am but didn’t get off the ship until after 8. We had to wait until the Carnival Splendor tied up to the dock before we could get off. The weather was beautiful so we went swimming. The water was really rough and choppy.  We sat in the free lounge chairs with umbrellas and was surprised when some guys were charging $25 for the 2 chairs and an umbrella in the row right in front of us. After that, I made sure I told everyone who was looking at them, that our chairs under the green Cruise Center umbrellas were free. When we got back, we had a big lunch and then took a nap. In the evening we went to the show Simply Italian which featured Italian songs.

10/11/16 St. Maarten:

In the morning we had a party for Black Card members (top level of their loyalty club) and it was great seeing many of the crew members again! We met a nice couple, Don and Sherry, and ended up giving them a look at our cabin and they brought us to their cabin. We have what is called a Juliet balcony (basically, standing room only). They have a cabin on one of the side angles and their balcony was enormous! At 2pm we met David and Kim in the lobby and then walked around St. Maarten. We went to see our friend, Suzette, who works at the restaurant on the beach. In the evening we went to the show, Witches in Paris, and then had a very nice dinner.

10/12/16 San Juan:

We got off the ship at 9am and went to the Castillo San Cristobel. It was wonderful seeing it with Kim and David! Then we walked towards the other Castillo but stopped at this outdoor patio café where we had Mayorcas with cheese. Then we walked to the other fort and had beautiful views from there. As we walked to the Old San Juan Gate, we stopped for lunch at Rosa de Triana where Don and David had Cazuela de Bac which was a huge soup bowl with chick peas and cod stew  ($20.95 each). Kim had Tostones which were plantains with shrimp ($9.75). I just had French fries ($4) because I was hot and thirsty but not very hungry. After walking to the gate and around town, David and Kim headed to Walgreens and back to the ship. Don and I headed to Ecomania which is Don’s favorite thrift store. We got back on the ship around 3:30pm and went to the buffet to have some fruit. In the evening we went to the show The Show Must Go On which is a tribute to Queen and then went to dinner.

10/13/16 At Sea:

It is hard to imagine that we faced a major hurricane just a week ago!! Yesterday was a fabulous day at sea. After breakfast we relaxed until it was time to watch David and Kim in the ping pong tournament. The Captain also announced that he would be changing his route back to Miami because of Hurricane Nicole. After that we went to the Eataly Steakhouse for our complimentary dinner. We were able to have anything off the menu which was a nice change from the last time! Last time we had a special Voyageur’s Club menu where we basically had a small sampling of dishes. This time I had an appetizer of cold cuts that could have been a meal by itself. Don had an appetizer of different cheeses. Then I got a ribeye that was huge and Don had two lobster tails. Both were cooked perfectly! We also saw the Captain and he stopped to talk with us. A few minutes later, he sent us glasses of red wine. Then we shared a cannoli for dessert. It was the best meal I had in a long time and the prices were really reasonable so we would definitely recommend this restaurant to others! After lunch we relaxed on our balcony and had a bottle of champagne. Then we went to the Welcome Back Cocktail party and took a picture with the Captain. It was also great seeing the officers and senior staff! I took another picture with my friend Guglielmo, the deputy purser. After the party we went to the show Treasure Island which was a fabulous show. Before the show we enjoyed talking to Showmee Tamas from Hungary who is part of the entertainment staff. At dinner the Captain gave everyone a glass a champagne and then gave an apology to all of the guests for changing the itinerary and any problems that people had service wise due to the coming out of dry dock early and missing some crew members, all due to Hurricane Matthew.

10/14/16 At Sea:

We had another lovely day at sea. After breakfast we packed our suitcases. For a reward we went to get a Caramel Coffee Frost (frozen coffee) and sat with David and Kim. Then we all went to the Eataly Steakhouse for lunch which we all loved. We had the cold cuts, cheeses, ribeye and lobster tails again. After lunch we walked around and then watched David play in the ping pong tournament. In the afternoon we took a nap before we went to the Michael Jackson show. At the end of the show, they sang the Star Spangled Banner. Then the Captain came out and thanked everyone for sailing with MSC.

10/15/16 Debarkation:

We met in the Casino at 7am for priority debarkation and was allowed off the ship by 7:30. We were in our car and on our way by 8am. I really think they have improved their debarkation procedures and it is much better than the time we were on the ship in June. I will miss the crew and ship because we had an awesome time!

Things I Learned:

1.     I really like seeing crew members who remember us! It makes us feel special.

2.     I don’t like the Black Crab restaurant upper level because it is too noisy.

3.     If it is too noisy at dinner, it is impossible to have a pleasant conversation with 8 people.

4.     We really like the Villa Rosa dining room.

5.     We like the music by Unforgettable (a man and a woman who play music I recognize!)

6.     I think it helped make the dinner so much better when you can enjoy the conversation!

7.     Use the free Cruise Center chairs and umbrellas on the beach at Grand Turk. There are some people trying to charge $25 for the chairs and umbrellas. They also tell you that there aren’t any chairs left but there are plenty.

8.     I like going to St. Maarten in the morning better than the afternoon.

9.     They charge for room service on the ship depending on the type of cabin class you purchase.  

10.  We really enjoy the forts in San Juan every time we have been there.

11.  You can rent a car for the day in San Juan for about $60. If we shared with another couple and someone else would be willing to drive, this is something we would like to do.

12.  We loved the perks for Voyageurs Club Black Card members. They have changed the program where now we each get a complimentary meal for 2 in the specialty restaurants which includes anything off the full menu. Last time we were on this ship, we were given a small sampling of specific dishes which was a special menu for the Black Card members. This full meal is so much better!

13.  We really like Captain Scala and he is extremely professional but has a wonderful personality. Every time we saw him, he took time to speak.

14.  We like priority debarkation.