I may be biased and a little unqualified being that I have only actually been on one cruise in my lifetime. While I understand that perspective and somewhat agree, I don't think it can or should discredit my MSC experience. I must say that I do realize there are other great brands and cruise ships like Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean, etc. Even some of Carnival's newer ships I hear are pretty up to date and stylish. But, I must say MSC has set a pretty high bar for me going forward, and it will be hard for me to accept anything less.
First off, my wife is a travel agent and we were invited to spend a week on the MSC Divina for a FAM trip in the East Caribbean. We read reviews prior and most reviews were mixed, with most complaints being about the food and service due to language and cultural differences. This was really concerning, especially having never been a ship before, and for seven days at that. Also, although I am open to different foods, that's not the case for my wife. However, the deal was to good to pass on and we needed a get away. We were well aware that MSC was a popular cruise brand oversees, but was fairly new in the U.S. In fact, we later found out that it only had one ship in the U.S and only docked out of Miami, FL.
I don't know if it was my lack of experience, but MSC Divina and it's unique international cultural really blew me away. I loved the fact that most people on the boat spoke languages other than English. I also enjoyed the different cultural entrees and the staff that represented the many countries all over the world. It was like experiencing different countries while on one boat. Not only was the dining experience diverse, but so was the activities and shows. It was very refreshing and inspiring.
Not only did we get to experience breath taking scenes throughout the Caribbean, but our suite and the entire ship was nothing less than elegant, especially for a cruise ship. There was so much detail and style put into the ship that made walking around the ship just as fulfilling as the beautiful ocean views. The rooms were also spacious, comfortable, and appealing. We had a nice balcony suite which view was as good as it gets.
I can go on and on, but words and even pictures cannot express how delightful my experience was on the MSC Divina. I will always remember this trip, and it was the perfect 1st cruise. Like I said before, I can't go down from here. I look forward to more cruises like this. Plus, I hear that MSC has a new ship called MSC Seaside, and it's massive. I hope to experience it one day as well. Who knows, maybe my wife will get another invite :-)
