Why Go
MSC is perhaps the best cruise line you never heard of. MSC Cruises is a family-owned company, and leader in Europe, South America, and South Africa. Looking to break into the lucrative North American cruise market, MSC Cruises has one ship, the MSC Divina, that sails year-round to the Caribbean out of the Port of Miami. Families can often find very good deals on these Caribbean cruises including children under 11 sail for free as well as many 2-for-1 offers. The MSC Divina debuted in 2012, and accommodates 4,345 passengers in 1,751 staterooms. The vast majority (1,106) are balcony staterooms from 183-280 sq. feet.
Italian, Academy-award winning actress Sophia Loren serves as the godmother to MSC Cruises, and her glamourous movie star style is reflected throughout the MSC Divina. Elegant decorations adorn the ship including Swarovski crystal staircases, European marble finishes, rich textures & coloring, and an exhibition of La Dolce Vita photographs illustrating movie stars and celebrities from the Italian 50’s (Sophia Loren’s era). While gorgeous, MSC Divina’s heavy decorations sometimes feel better suited for a Mediterranean setting than beachy Caribbean cruises.
MSC Cruises works hard to welcome families on board, and that is apparent with their kids sail free program. Currently, kids 11 and under sail free when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare paying adults. In summer 2018, kids 17 and under will also sail free when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare paying adults during low and mid-season (kids 12-17 pay fares during high season). That means you can expect lots of families and kids on board the MSC Divina.
MSC Cruises also collaborates with Chicco, and families can get complimentary bottle warmers, strollers, bouncers, and caddy backpacks for use during the cruise. A partnership with LEGO brings cruisers the LEGO experience, where kids and adults compete in LEGO competitions and children earn an official LEGO Junior Master Builder Diploma. Families can also purchase LEGO building kits in the shop.
There are four kids clubs on the MSC Divina broken down by age: Mini Club (ages 3-6), Junior Club (7-11), Y-Team (12-14), and Teens (15-17). Mini and Junior cruisers utilize I Puffi (The Smurfs) play space decorated with Smurf artwork, mushrooms, see-saws, and climbing equipment. Tweens and Teens can head to Graffiti’s to hang out with friends and various video games and electronic devices.
Courtesy of Dave Parfitt
Where to Go
The MSC Divina currently alternates between week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami, Florida. Eastern Caribbean itineraries call on Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Nassau, Bahamas. Western Caribbean sailings dock at Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico; and Nassau, Bahamas. Many non-U.S. passengers book back-to-back cruises incorporating both the Eastern & Western Caribbean itineraries.
Courtesy of Dave Parfitt
What to Do
In addition to the activities in ports-of-call, with a waterslide, four pools, bowling, video game arcade, Formula 1 race car simulator, 4D cinema, children’s areas, sports arena, gym, seven restaurants & buffets, 21 bars, and a casino, families won’t lack for things to do on board MSC Divina. In addition, there is award-winning live entertainment each evening in the Pantheon Theatre, nightly movies outside on the big screen by the pool, various trivia, activities, and parties throughout the day and into the night. Evening performances are high quality, but not quite Broadway style shows. Because the MSC Divina has an international clientele speaking many languages, productions are mostly revue-style variety shows with singing, dancing, and acrobatics around loosely based themes such as French witches, Italian opera, and Caribbean pirates. There were tributes to the music of Freddy Mercury and Queen, as well as a spectacular commemoration of the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson called “Starwalker.” However, you can’t talk about cruise activities without mention of the biggest activity… eating!
Included in the price of your cruise are breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as ample snacks throughout the day. The majority of guests eat breakfast and lunch in the Calumet & Manitou buffets – breakfast is served from 6:00 am until noon with seating getting progressively more crowded the later into the meal. Traditional options for breakfast include assorted breads & pastries, pancakes, waffles, French toast, eggs, potatoes, and breakfast meats (bacon and sausage), cold cuts & cheese, yogurt, cereals, oatmeal, etc. To avoid the buffet crowds, families can opt for a plated, served breakfast in The Black Crab restaurant or room service is also available. Lunch offers plenty of sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, pasta dishes, a carving station, and vegetarian options at the buffet. The buffet lunch could get extremely crowded at times, but another option is the MSC Divina Sports Bar serving wings, reuben sandwiches and more. There’s no extra charge to eat in the Sports Bar.
There are two seatings for dinner in the main dining room – 6:00pm and 8:30pm. Dinners are three courses: appetizer, entrée, and dessert with a fresh baked bread serving too. All-and-all we found the food high quality, very well prepared, and tasty. Meals are traditionally served in a European style meaning, you need to ask for water during your meal, entrées are smaller than American portions (not necessarily a bad thing), and the pacing is slower. Dinners typically lasted between 90 to 120 minutes, which could get long for the 8:30pm seating. Additional specialty dining options for an extra charge included Eataly Steakhouse, Eataly Pizzeria, Ristorante Italia, and Galaxy Disco Restaurant. Eataly is an Italian company with restaurants and marketplaces throughout the U.S. The meter-long Eataly pizza served on board MSC Divina had the freshest sauce, cheese, and toppings, and the steaks served in Eataly Steakhouse were tender and very well prepared. One stumble during our visit was the service at Eataly Steakhouse was muddled, confused, and slow, but the food was delicious.
Courtesy of Dave Parfitt
Getting Around
The beauty of a cruise vacation is once you board the ship, you no longer need to worry about transportation. The MSC Divina takes you from port-to-port, and you can unpack once and wake up in a new destination each morning. Most excursions are within walking distance to the cruise port or provide transportation with the cost of the excursion.