Thursday, February 27, 2014

MSC Divina: Delicious Dining

Pizza! It’s become a staple on cruises and nowhere at sea will you find more authentic pizza than aboard MSC Divina and her fleetmates. Not only is it freshly prepared and complimentary in the Calumet Buffet restaurant, but pies can be ordered with your favorite toppings in Pizza Eataly and even delivered to your stateroom—each of those options for a nominal charge.

Dining doesn’t stop with pizza. Of course the Calumet and Manitou Buffet restaurants are popular choices for breakfast, lunch, and even laid back dinners after a day in port. With open seating for breakfast and lunch and set seatings for dinners, the Black Crab and Villa Rossa are MSC Divina’s main restaurants with wide varieties of menu options, including wonderful pasta. While large, each restaurant is elegantly designed in such a manner that dining seems intimate. The food and service have been exceedingly good.

Specialty restaurants on board MSC Divina are unique dining selections for a special occasion or just as a treat. Eataly Restaurant is where we each enjoyed Caesar salad, a tenderloin steak for Linda, and a specially prepared pasta dish for Mel. My steak was perfectly cooked—juicy, tender, and flavorful, it was one of the best I’ve ever been served on a cruise. Eataly specializes in healthy, high-quality foods and the menu with à la carte pricing offers sixteen selections, from cold meats and fish to Piedmontese beef from “La Granda.” Adjacent to the main Eataly Restaurant is Ristorante Italia, a more cozy dining section with a set menu and set pricing that includes sparkling wine with dinner.

To take a taste of Italy home with you, the Eataly Shop is stocked with such ingredients such as Gragnano Pasta, RIO extra-virgin olive oil, and Slow Food meat sauces. To brush up on your Italian cooking, there are also cookbooks to create authentic dishes.

While we haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet, the Galaxy Restaurant sounds appealing with its à la carte menu of Mediterranean fusion cuisine and trio of three, five, or seven course Gourmet Dinners paired with wine selections to complement each course.

Eataly Shop
On a casual note, sports enthusiasts don’t have to leave the big screens in the Sports Bar to grab a bite. While you’re cheering on your favorite team you can order American-style chicken wings, onion rings, chicken nuggets and other finger food for a nominal charge.

Complimentary snacks are also abundant. In addition to the buffet restaurants, self-serve ice cream cones are available every afternoon beside the Aqua Park pool and croissants are found every morning at the Divina Bar and Café Italia.

At the heart of MSC Divina is one of our favorite spots for a specialty coffee, pastry, or gelato—Piazza del Doge, where the atmosphere is quiet and relaxing during the day and lively with music and dancing every evening.

Naturally there is room service around the clock for continental breakfast and sandwiches, salads, soups, fruit, cheeses, and desserts throughout the day. A $3.50 delivery charge applies for orders from 11:00pm to 6:00am.

Images © CruiseDiva.com

1 comment:

honeychile said...

What was your experience with the main dining rooms? I've read many gloomy reviews and am hoping the reality is more positive.