I recently sailed on MSC Divina for the first time on a super cheap four-night cruise to the Bahamas.
Being an older ship, I was able to get a fantastic deal, $185 per person, including w-fi and drinks.
It was a bit of a crazy cruise as we sailed through some major storms and endured some rocky seas. In addition, the cruise was packed with many families enjoying spring break. In some ways, it was not what I expected.
Was it worth it? Let me take you through my four days sailing on MSC Cruises' oldest ship in the Caribbean and whether I would do it again.
A serious bargain
My cruise on MSC Divina was $185 per person, which included basic wi-fi and MSC’s basic drink package (aka Easy Package in MSC lingo). This came to a total of $371.26 plus $100 taxes. Not bad at all.
The four-day cruise included stops in Nassau as well as two days at Ocean Cay. A limited itinerary, but I was particularly excited to spend a night docked at the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas, which is one of my favorite port stops.
This cruise was a quick add-on to another trip, so I did not do much research. I figured it was worth the gamble at such a low price and short cruise.
Overview of MSC Divina
MSC Divina was launched in 2012 and was initially called MSC Fantastica, but was renamed in honor of famed Italian actress Sophia Lauren. The ship is currently homeporting in Miami, Florida, running 3 and 4-day short cruises.
The ship is a good size, at 139,000 gross tonnage, and has a capacity of 4,345 passengers. For context, MSC Meraviglia, which has just started sailing out of New York, is 25% larger in gross tonnage and can welcome 5,642 passengers. MSC Divina is large enough to provide traditional cruise ship amenities such as pools, shows, casinos, lounges, entertainment, dining, and more. I was excited to see what the ship would be like in person.
Embarkation was extremely quick, and as I walked onto the ship for the first time, I could immediately see signature MSC design elements. MSC Divina has the characteristic MSC atrium adorned with Swarovski-laden crystal staircases. Although dated, its elegant European décor still looked good. In typical MSC style, there is a lot of attention to design with exciting art and plenty of unique spaces.
My cabin
For this journey, I was booked in an interior cabin on deck 12, which turned out to be quite quiet, although being farther back on the ship, I did feel the rocky weather more than I was accustomed to on previous ships.
The stateroom was a little dated with orange carpet but had a decent amount of space, with a queen bed, sitting area, desk, and lots of drawers and closet space. The area flowed well, and cruising solo, it was definitely enough room for me. It was immaculate, always a good sign for me. This attention to cleanliness continued throughout my cruise, and my friendly room attendant came twice a day.
I have found, in general, that MSC cabins have plenty of storage. The cabinetry looked newer than the décor, and I had tons of drawers and shelves. My suitcase fit under my bed, providing extra space in the cabin. The small desk was useable, and I also had a chair and table where I could sit and watch tv. The compact bathroom was a very bright white with a good amount of storage. Bath products included shampoo and shower gel but no conditioner.
Muster Drill
I don't usually write about muster drills, but this one seemed particularly crazy. The muster drill on MSC is a bit different than other cruise ships I have been on. You cannot start the process before boarding. At a specified time, later in the afternoon, guests are notified to go to their cabins and watch a muster video.
Following this, guests are asked to sign in at their muster stations located throughout the ship. This was when pandemonium ensued. MSC was calling specific decks at a time, but so many people rushed to the hallways, most going down to the lower decks where their stations were located. Guests weren’t allowed to use the elevator during the muster drill, adding to the crowds and a serious bottleneck around the stairs.
Despite instructions, so many people seemed confused, and some guests even showed up in life jackets. Going back up was worse, so I took the time to walk around the ship while the crowds settled down. I don’t recall this on my MSC previous sailings. But in the end, this process was done rather quickly, and there were no stragglers being called out. We were free to depart.
Dining
With maritime requirements out of the way, my most important order of business on a cruise ship is scoping out the food situation. It deserves a good amount of discussion, even on a short cruise. MSC Divina has two main dining areas – the buffet and the main dining room. Although MSC usually has good pre-cruise specialty dining packages, I did not buy on this time due to the shortness of the cruise.
Similar to other MSC ships I have been on, the main buffet was huge and wrapped around the back part of the ship. Typical for MSC, there was freshly made pizza, lots of hot dishes, salads, grill items, and much more. The pizza and salad were tasty, and both were even available at breakfast. Although there was tons of seating, especially near the back of the ship, the narrow walkways created bottlenecks during peak times.
I was lucky enough to get an early dinner seating in the main dining room, and as I cruised solo, I was seated at a large table right by the window. Three other guests (also cruising solo) joined me, which turned out to be a fun group. However, the service was slow on the first evening, probably close to an hour and 45 minutes. My Indian bean dish with roti was fantastic, though.
On subsequent nights, the process became more smooth, and dinner was under an hour and a half. Some meals were better than others, but the pasta dishes – including bucatini were delicious, and it was nice to get to know our servers over time. The dining room, however, was quite crowded, and the tables and chairs were too close together, making it feel a little cramped and, at times, noisy.
More on food
While we had our very rainy sea day, missing our first scheduled day at Ocean Cay, I decided to have a little excursion on the ship booking lunch at Butcher's Cut, one of the three open specialty dining venues. The last time I ate there, I had a fantastic meal, so I hoped it would live up to my previous experience.
Lunch was incredible, the service was impeccable, and it was a peaceful break from the ship. I highly recommend it. Another bonus, with my "Easy" drink package, I had a better selection of complimentary wines at the steakhouse, making the meal even better.
I also discovered Piazza del Doge, a quaint Italian stone piazza with shops. It has a great café/ bar, gelato, and complimentary pastries and sandwiches.
Activities and entertainment
MSC Divina is not a small ship by any means. It has numerous bars, lounges, and entertainment options. With our long dinners, it was nice to relax and listen to some music in the evening. There were lots of music options, and we enjoyed the piano and jazz music. Additionally, the Latin show on a white night was a fun event in the Black and White lounge. I wish they ran shows during the day, as most seem to conflict with our long dinners.
I found a couple of other fun spots. The Golden Jazz Lounge had a strong 60s retro feel, and I ended up visiting it often for music and trivia. The Sports Bar was full of TVs, a fun bowling alley, and classic American décor.
In terms of water fun, there were three main pools. One was covered by a retractable roof, and another was in the adult-only area. There were also a number of hot tubs throughout the ship. The adult-only area on the upper level deck, was enjoyable. The bartenders were very entertaining, and it never seemed overwhelmingly busy.
During our rainy days, the interior pool and games areas seemed well used. There were also the standard cruise options – dance lessons, movies, spa, gym, bingo, and more.
Itinerary gone awry
A four-day itinerary can be a nice quick getaway or a good sampler to see if cruising is right for you. Our plan was to leave Miami and visit Nassau for the day, followed by two days at Ocean Cay. I was excited to spend an overnight at Ocean Cay and partake in the evening onshore activities. But mother nature had other plans.
No more than a few minutes after the ship left the Miami terminal did I start to feel the ship move while eating dinner. Shortly thereafter, there was an announcement about us sailing into bad weather and that people should avoid the outside areas. The inclement weather continued throughout the night, and the next day we arrived to angry grey skies in Nassau. Determined to get off the boat, I gathered my umbrella and ventured down the gangway.
The MSC staff had ponchos on hand, but they were no match for the Bahamian wind that whipped me as I walked along the dock. My destination was the Pompey Museum, a good activity on a rainy day. I enjoyed the tour and walked along Bay Street, which was unusually quiet. Although there were a few breaks in the rain in the afternoon, I decided to stay on the ship and explore for the rest of the day.
Ocean Cay – MSC Marine Reserve
On our third day on the cruise, we were supposed to dock at Ocean Cay; however, the Captain advised that the seas were far too rough and it would be a sea day. Honestly, it was a disappointment, no one wants bad weather on a cruise, but it was not the end of the world, and I found things to do on the ship. Thankfully, the next morning, we docked early at Ocean Cay, the skies opening up with a warm golden sun, and I happily made my way off the ship.
My goal for Ocean Cay was to explore the whole island and see how much I could do without spending any money. I spent the day walking around, taking in the scenic vistas of the island. I stopped for a drink at the Lighthouse Bar, a nautically themed watering hole with epic views of the surrounding Bahamian waters. It is one of my favorite spots on the island. The view of the ship and the surrounding blue waters are incredible. Although the forecast showed cloudy skies, the afternoon became hot and humid, and I hung out at the main beach.
Many of MSC's itineraries in the Caribbean make a stop at Ocean Cay, which is a great bonus for me. The cruise line’s private island is a repurposed industrial site with a natural island feel. Another added advantage, the food is free. There are several food trucks throughout the island that serve grilled items like hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as a buffet.
Loungers and umbrellas are free on a first come basis. So you can easily have a great day on the island without spending any extra money. Word of advice, if you are going to tour on foot, bring appropriate footwear. I did this time, and it made a huge difference as I walked more than 20,000 steps while exploring the island.
Wi-fi and MSC for Me app
As part of a cruise promotion, I received the basic wi-fi package. Since it was only a 4- day cruise, I thought I would see how I would manage without the premium version.
Although it initially worked reasonably well, it completely dropped for a couple of hours and then mysteriously returned. It also workednbetter in some of the public areas versus my cabin. I was able to check email, social media and use Facetime audio. An important note for MSC, you can’t switch devices like other cruise lines.
MSC Divina does not support the MSC for Me app. Guests receive a Daily Program with a schedule of activities and other relevant information. Although sometimes I missed the convenience of checking activities and schedules on my phone, it was fine. This also means that you cannot communicate with other passengers onboard unless you have internet / cell access.
Overall thoughts
MSC Divina is priced extremely competitively, which is fitting for its age. For such a low cruise fare, it is hard to complain. The ship is dated but well maintained. My main takeaways from my trip:
- The staff were friendly but seemed to be working very hard, and could use more help. This was magnified by the cancellation of port days, and unfortunately, some passengers took it out on the crew.
- The food varied, but overall I was satisfied. I liked the addition of the complimentary sandwiches and pastries at Piazza Del Goge. I could always find something I liked at the buffet. There is a multitude of options, and you just need to spend time looking around.
- The wi-fi was spotty, and the MSC for Me app was not available onboard.
The complimentary Easy Package was not bad. I enjoyed some good cocktails and beer. However, wine choices were quite limited with this option. - No one wants to have bad weather on their vacation, but it is beyond the control of the cruise line. I am glad I brought seasickness meds.
- The ship was running close to full capacity, this, combined with bad weather, made it feel crowded at times, especially at the buffet.
- I traveled on this cruise on my own and found a lot of the guests friendly. My assigned table mates became a great source of fun, and we went to listen to music after dinner in the evenings and hung out often.
- With a planned stop in Ocean Cay, cruisers don’t have to spend extra money to have a good time.
Despite some setbacks, I had fun and met nice people, making the experience so much better. By the last night, I felt like I was getting to know the ship and enjoying all it had to offer, but the cruise was over. Maybe shorter cruises aren’t for me.
Chantal McPhee
Chantal McPhee has a great passion for travel since first venturing to the Bahamas as a child with her grandparents. Today, she loves cruising with her husband and two daughters to new places and aspires one day to do a world cruise. Living on the east coast of Canada, she shares cruising tips and information with fellow Canucks seeking a reprieve from the great white north. She also teaches business studies at a university, with a focus on strategy
