Today’s report is dedicated to the couple in 11165. The couple felt the need, at 4:30am, to open and slam shut every drawer in the closet (there are six) and slam all three closet doors. Now those who have been on a cruise before know that staterooms aren’t necessarily the most soundproof place on the ship. These things are prefabricated in factories where specific guidelines for weight have to be considered, so walls are not thick.
I remember being on the Carnival Liberty where the couple in the stateroom next to mine were quite amorous. Every night and every morning a rhythmic pounding on the wall behind my head would either lull me to sleep or wake me up. On the MSC Divina, the headboards are padded – thank you.
I also have a connecting room. They kind of freak me out on a ship or in a hotel. Here’s a thin little door that separates the inside of your room from the inside of the room next to you. Now, they are locked and can only be opened by a crew member, but they provide yet another way for extraneous noises to permeate your stateroom without warning. As I lay in bed yesterday morning, fighting the urge to hit the buffet, I heard this “crinkling” sound coming from near the desk. The first thing I thought was, “the peanut butter cups are over there, I hope there’s not a mouse eating them.” The crinkling turned to ripping and I realized that 11165 was doing their best impression of a paper shredder and my peanut butter cups were safe.
I got up and finished the bag just to be safe.
There’s no need to put your ear up to the door to hear what’s going on with my neighbors. They may also be a tad hard of hearing, as they talk loud. In two different languages. I think they’re Greek. But despite the paper-thin walls of a cruise ship stateroom and the quirks of the people living next door, it’s all to be taken with a grain of salt.
Whatever.
I’m writing this post from the buffet overlooking St. Thomas where we arrived around 9am AT this morning. The Event Manager onboard is giving me a tour of the ship-within-a-ship MSC Yacht Club this morning then it’s off the ship to begin my search for a drug store or supermarket to buy toothpaste. I pulled the first-time-traveler gaffe and didn’t pack any, and before I break out into scurvy, I need to accomplish this very important mission.
Yesterday we spent the day at sea, and the weather was not ideal. It was windy for most of the day and we traveled in and out of rain storms most of the afternoon. They would come on quickly and just as fast as they arrived, they were gone. While the wind was strong, the sea was not that rough. There were a few “bumps’ when we sailed into the storms but nothing whoopsie-worthy.
When the rain came, people ran out of the pools. I can never quite figure that one out. You’re already wet, so why are you getting out?
I started the day off with breakfast in the buffet. Being a sea day, it was packed again, but I was able to get a table in the back of the ship where the view is the absolute best. Normally breakfast on the MSC Divina is served until 10am, they kept the breakfast buffet open till 11:30am because there were so many late risers. The buffet remained packed right through breakfast service into lunch, with some people never skipping a beat… they moved right from eggs to burgers.
Around the ship, the “Baseball Greats” were having a passenger pitching contest up on the pool deck, and yet another art auction was going on. Let me pause there for a moment. Every single cruise line has art auctions and they’re normally run by a company called Park West. I would never think about going on a cruise to buy art, so it still piques my curiosity as to how these things can be successful. The cruise director makes very, very minimal (if any) announcements during the day, and the Captain doesn’t even do a noon update from the bridge… however…. at least twice a day, the game-show host-sounding voice comes booming out of every speaker on the ship saying, “Who wants to win a free cruise? Yes, a free cruise! If you want to win a FREE CRUISE come to the art auction happening….”
I think most people go to the art auctions on the ships strictly for the free champagne.
But I digress… in addition to the art auction and the pitching contest, Italian lessons, a watch seminar, trivia, pool games and line dancing were entertaining passengers. The pool (Aqua Park) was busy before the rain moved it, but there were still plenty of lounge chairs available. During the rain, most people moved into the indoor pool which was hot and steamy. I attempted to lay out and work on my tan which has somehow mysteriously disappeared, and the wind was just too much to take, so I did some walking around and found the self-service ice cream machines.
You may recall on my Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas cruise last week, I took a photo of the disgusting condition of the ice cream machines onboard and how nobody seemed to take ownership of them:
Here in Divina, there are three stainless steel machines and they were all spotless. Why? Because an attendant is stationed nearby to clean them when they get dirty. Plus, they are only open between 2pm – 5pm.
The afternoon quickly turned into the night (aka “I fell asleep”) and it was time to get ready for the evening’s show and dinner. The performance in the Pantheon Theater was one I saw before on my last Divina cruise, “Simply Italian.” It’s a song and dance show of the music of Italy and popular Italian songs in America – think That’s Amore, Mambo Italiano, etc. The show’s three main vocalists, Adrian Mocanu, Enrico Bernardo, Silvia Specchio, and Rodrigo Mellado did an excellent job at getting the audience to enjoy the music of Italy despite many of the young people in the audience wondering when they were going to sing a Katy Perry song.
The show lasted about 40 minutes and ended with the Star Spangled Banner which about one-quarter of the theater did not stand up for.
From the show, it was time to grab a pre-dinner cocktail in the ship’s piano bar, La Luna, where Duo Ameritalian was once again entertaining. Tonight they were doing folk songs, and like every other night they were playing, they had a packed house. You will recall yesterday I mentioned that they were also on the ship when I was on last December as well.
On to Italian Night! My last dinner was in the ship’s main dining room, Villa Rosa. The tables were decorated in the colors of Italy and the servers were all wearing their red, white, and green. Liviu, one of the head waiters who has been looking after me, brought me over an antipasto plate and said, “don’t order… I will order for you.” Why not, he knows best, right?
First up was lightly fried calamari which was served with a marinara sauce and caramelized lemon. They were fried to a perfect golden color, not overdone and not under-cooked. The calamari themselves were tender and not rubbery.
Next was something Liviu and the ship’s head maitre d’ discussed the other morning – Pasta Fagioli. This was not the Pasta Fagioli Soup that was on the menu that night, but a special version cooked up by the chef. Rather than being a soup, this was a pasta dish. The bowl was loaded with white beans, pieces of linguine, and more pasta. With a few dashes of pepperoncini flakes for heat, I was off and running in what was a simply amazing dish. It was thick, hearty, and was enough for a meal.
Being just about full, the main course arrived – Ossobuco Gremolata. A braised veal shank Milanese style with saffron risotto, carrots, and sugar snap peas. When I say this was the best Ossobuco I ever had, I mean it. It was fork tender, not fatty, the sauce was incredible and at the end of the night, I asked for some to take home! A stellar dish that would make Nonna proud!
For dessert, no Italian night would be complete without a traditional Tiramisu and a Nutella Ice Cream Sundae, both of which made their way to my table. The sundae… well, let’s just say that anything with Nutella is awesome. I’m not really a Tiramisu fan, but when in Rome… I gave it a try and it was light and fluffy with a hint of liquor and a great-tasting mascarpone cream filling.
Needless to say, Italian Night featured the absolute best food of the cruise so far… hands down. But being on an Italian ship, great Italian food is to be expected.
A quick walk around the ship saw most of the public areas busy around 10pm AT. Outside it was still very windy, but there was one woman who had her personal front seat to Pavarotti on the big screen by the pool. Later in the evening, “Little Italy” was going on in the Black and White Lounge where the entertainment staff was putting together an evening of Italian culture, dance, music, etc.
The weather this morning in St. Thomas is hot and we’re in port here until 6pm tonight. It’s just about time for me to sign off and go on the quest for toothpaste!
Personal Day-By-Day MSC Divina Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of the MSC Divina:
Photography is a key aspect of preserving vacation memories, and my recent voyage aboard the MSC Divina was no exception. From the ship’s striking interior design and inviting swimming pools to my own cozy cabin, I captured numerous photos that showcase the highlights of my journey. If you’d like to take a look at my snapshots, feel free to check out the MSC Divina Photo Tour or browse the daily cruise review by clicking on the links provided above.