ABOARD MSC DIVINA: There was a time in the world of cruising where most passengers hurried to the nearest shop as soon as disembarking – especially here in the Caribbean and purchased such goodies as jewelry, fragrance, liquor and even electronics, returning shipboard with arms full. I recall a stop in St. Martin where my husband and I and another couple schlepped to cartons of booze back to the ship – with help from the shop owner, …
ABOARD MSC DIVINA: The crowds gathered around the stairwells awaiting the announcement of arrival in Phillipsburg, the capital of Dutch St. Martin, have gathered early. Eager to head to beaches, to shop or tour, they all want to be first off the ship. It is the same in Barcelona, in Monaco, Ketchikan or Singapore, and whether it is your first or 50th, that rush to disembark for a few hours is pretty universal. The choice of excursions …
ABOARD MSC DIVINA: Another evening, another show. Last night’s offering, entitled “Mask,” and loosely based on the old Jim Carrey movie, showcases the entire cast of singers, and dancers, acrobats and more in a skilled production that kept audience members – young and old alike – on their toes while they kept on tapping them. I have sailed on MSC some six or seven times and each time came away impressed with the caliber of entertainment. (More …
MSC Divina (Photo courtesy of MSC Cruises) ABOARD THE MSC DIVINA-We glided out of Port Miami promptly at 7pm last night. It is strange to use a verb like “glided” to describe a a vessel weighing close to 140,000 tons, but that is exactly how this ship left Miami. We were at dinner, in the aft dining room dubbed Villa Rossa, at a table overlooking the water, and it was lovely to watch. And make no mistake, …
MSC Divina, that big beautiful girl from Italy, now enjoying her first full year in the U.S., will soon be my home for a week. She debuted in 2012 with Italian film star Sophia Loren as Godmother. Headquartered in Geneva, MSC Cruises is a Swiss-registered, global cruise line and the world’s largest privately owned line. Twelve ships fly the MSC banner and are deployed across Europe, South America, Asia and the U.S. Two new vessels will join …
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