“What is the MSC Divina?” For those of you wondering, MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company.

"What is the MSC Divina?" For those of you wondering, alberta motor association travel agency calgary MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company. MSC is one of the largest shipping and containers companies alberta motor association travel agency calgary in the world.  They have over 500 container ships, ferries, and thousands of containers worldwide.  MSC Cruises is a cruise division of MSC, and the fourth-largest cruise operator in the world with 12 state-of-the-art ships.
While the "MSC" in MSC Divina is short for "Mediterranean Shipping Company," the cruise line is proud of its Mediterranean heritage and prefers to associate "MSC" to "Mediterranean Style Cruising." And, I agree!
Built in 2012, the MSC Divina is one of MSC Cruises' newest alberta motor association travel agency calgary ships and a true star of the fleet. She is also their largest alberta motor association travel agency calgary at over 139,000-tons, accommodating approximately 3,500 guests. In November 2013, the MSC Divina became the first MSC Cruises ship to sail year-round in North America, cruising from PortMiami to tropical destinations in the Caribbean.
I was lucky enough to be invited onboard the MSC Divina in a balcony cabin (the only way to go!), and I had the pleasure of experiencing the ship's wonderful food, service, entertainment and  casual, laid-back Mediterranean atmosphere.
The ship is elegantly decorated and full of style. As you enter the main atrium you cannot miss the sweeping Swarovski crystal staircases and lovely glass elevators.  The grand staircases are so beautiful and intricate that you can be easily mesmerized, so a word of caution: remember to watch your step and not just the crystals!
The international staff was very accommodating and friendly minus a few language barriers that came up from time to time. A little patience is all it takes sometimes! alberta motor association travel agency calgary I enjoyed the many conversations that I had with the crew. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as well, and made a point to remember your name. Getting to know them was as much fun as meeting alberta motor association travel agency calgary our new-found friends at dinner!
MSC Divina's staterooms are modern with dark woods and warm color tones. The cabins were spacious, but I found there were empty spaces that could have been utilized for more shelves, drawers or somewhere to hang your clothes besides the bathroom door. Energy efficiency seemed to be a focus onboard, including light switches that require your key card to work so the power is not on when not in use. Like most other cruise lines, MSC Cruises provides a mini bar and bottled water for a charge. They keep track of your usage with a form left out on your bed you must sign. They will not refill your mini bar until have done so. I thought this was pretty clever.
I requested a tour of the MSC Yacht Club , an exclusive area of Fantasia-class ships reserved alberta motor association travel agency calgary for the few who can, and will, pay a premium to stay in the ultimate, luxurious all-inclusive suites. MSC Yacht Club guests enjoy countless complimentary "extras" such as wines and spirits, and signature Butler service.
Arrangements were made for a MSC Yacht Club butler to give me a personal, guided tour. Yacht Club guests have exclusive use of two forward decks on the MSC Divina, and access is only available by their MSC Yacht Club Suite key card.
This 'ship within a ship' offers concierge alberta motor association travel agency calgary service, a library and private access to the MSC Aurea Spa. MSC Divina's alberta motor association travel agency calgary Yacht Club also features its own lounge with complimentary breakfast, snacks and beverages, alberta motor association travel agency calgary plus a private restaurant in the back of the ship with great views of the infinity pool aft on Deck 15. The Yacht Club upper deck boasts its own pool, hot tub, solarium and sundeck with additional alberta motor association travel agency calgary snacks alberta motor association travel agency calgary and beverages alberta motor association travel agency calgary available while sunning.
Both of the floors dedicated to the MSC Yacht Club encompass the full front of the ship, from port to starboard.  Although all 69 suites were occupied, it was noticeably uncrowded. alberta motor association travel agency calgary I personally feel they only needed to dedicate half the space for the MSC Yacht Club , as it seemed like a tremendous amount of precious space that was only lightly used. I believe alberta motor association travel agency calgary the area could have been better alberta motor association travel agency calgary enjoyed by other guests hoping for a view off the front of the ship.
MSC Cruises is a family owned and operated company, so they take pride in being very kid-friendly. As a matter of fact, kids under 11 always sail free if cruising as the 3 rd or 4 th passenger in a stateroom. I cruised over the Thanksgiving holiday and there were many families having a great time together.  They offer comprehensive Kids Club programs for every age group filled with entertainment, fun, and games. I can attest to the fact that these kids were having the time of their lives (so were their parents)!
The MSC Divina may cater to families, but there were a few areas onboard that I would consider "adults only." After inquiring at about adults-only areas at guest services, I was told the only dedicated "adults-only" venue was on Deck 18 in the Solarium. Used exclusively for sunning the solarium features dedicated spa service, bar menu and complimentary fruit skewers. The area is not very large, but it does include alberta motor association travel agency calgary a hot tub. There is a daily surcharge upon entry. The fee is $5 a day per lounge chair, so it isn't outrageous.
If you don't want to pay for the adults-only Solarium, but still want a quiet space head over to Deck 16 aft. You will find two hot tubs and additional space for sunning. Or, the kids can enjoy the main aqua park pool and you can head to the infinity pool on Deck 15 aft. We happened to love this area the best. More quiet than most, not as busy and at dusk they have live music at the Garden Bar. We also found this to be an ideal spot to eat, the Manitou Buffet restaurant is just one deck below.
The buffet is very busy like most cruise ships and should be avoided on sea days if possible (or at least try and go at off times).  The Calumet Manitou Buffet is open 20-hours a day, so if possible, going to lunch at an off time like 2:00pm alberta motor association travel agency calgary is more desirable than fighting the crowds. Or visit to the main dining room which is an excellent choice for busy sea days. If you do opt for the buffet make sure you don't stop at the first service line you come to upon entering the restaurant, you can head further and enter another, possibly shorter, line as the buffet stretches from mid-ship to the back of the ship.
There are 4 alternative dining alberta motor association travel agency calgary venues on board the MSC Divina .  My favorite was the Galaxy alberta motor association travel agency calgary club restaurant. This dining room sits at the top of Deck 16 with excellent views creating a very romantic alberta motor association travel agency calgary atmosphere coupled with attentive service. Although alberta motor association travel agency calgary they call this the 'disco' dining room, do not let the name fool you, it is in fact not a loud disco with a dining room.
On sea days they offer an extensive brunch that includes everything under the sun for a nominal fee. The cost is $24 per adult (includes a Mimosa), $10 for children 6 and up and children under the age of 6 are free.  For dinner they offer reasonably priced a la carte menu of traditional items or full menu of Mediterranean fusion cuisine. To me I thought the Galaxy restaurant was a hidden alberta motor association travel agency calgary treasure!  Did I happen to mention that we were serenaded by a solo sax player?!
The 1,603-seat Pantheon Theater is very large but well laid out, providing a good view from every seat which is essential because the shows and entertainment were out of this world.  Do not miss Wonderland and the Michael Jackson alberta motor association travel agency calgary tribute, Starwalker !  The MSC Divina offered some of the best cruise ship entertainment that I have ever experienced.
MSC Cruises has partnered with a boutique winery, Blend Craft Wines , to offer guests a wine making experience onboard. alberta motor association travel agency calgary I have to say this was the highlight alberta motor association travel agency calgary of our cruise alberta motor association travel agency calgary in terms of onboard entertainment!  It was so different than your average wine tasting that most cruise lines offer.
The wine making experience is truly that, an experience!  If you like wine this is something not to miss.  Greg our winemaker, and his adorable assistant Jenny, set us up with 4 wine glasses containing 4 different generously-poured unblended wines. We tasted each and made our notes, along with all the other wine enthusiasts who signed up.
We then moved on to blending our own wines by percentage with our individual beakers (remember science class?) and droppers of milligrams.  We made 3 different blends, carefully tasting and taking notes. Glasses were always replenished if needed. Once we tasted our favorite blend, we had officially made our own custom wine at sea!  We chose the name of our winery and gave Greg our notes so he could blend our personal and unique blend to be bottled right there on the ship.  Greg made sure our wine would be ready and labeled if we wanted to consume alberta motor association travel agency calgary it at dinner or take it back to our stateroom for a night cap. He was always available at a designated location to answer questions or make more wine. Greg and Jenny made this such a fun event I could have done it everyday!
Another program featured on the MSC Divina that I thought was very interesting is offered by an onboard astronomer that held a number of lectures during sea days and led stargazing alberta motor association travel agency calgary at night on Deck 18.  I always thought the cruise lines should offer this because alberta motor association travel agency calgary there are so many stars to see when you are out in the middle alberta motor association travel agency calgary of the ocean!
If lots of laughs and singing along to your favorite tunes is your thing, you will totally enjoy the dueling pianos.  This was a big hit with everyone onboard and they performed frequently throughout the cruise.  If you like piano music, but on a more subdued level, next door in the La Luna lounge you will find a wonderful couple performing the classics nightly.  This is a great place to have an after dinner drink.
If you prefer to dance your feet off, head to the Black and White lounge in which themed dancing events take place each night. For the diehard late-night partiers, the Disco is lively into the wee hours of the night.
Speaking of sports, kids young and old can make their way up to Deck 16 for Virtual Formula 1 Auto Racing or the 4D Cinema.  The interactive 4D Cinema lasts 10 minutes and you get to choose between a few different virtual ro