A Taste of Bali on the MSC Divina

You know you had a great time when you can’t believe a week has gone by. That’s how Mom and I felt on our last full day on MSC Divina.

It was another day at sea, but it wasn’t supposed to be. The ship was to go to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, where I was going to finally try windsurfing. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating. It was too windy for the tender to go out.

As excited as I was about spending the day in the Bahamas, I was fine with also staying aboard. MSC Cruises always makes sure there’s plenty to do on their ships and I would actually have a chance to finish a book!

I had gotten up and ready for the beach and instead headed to the Top Sail Lounge in the Yacht Club section of the Divina for breakfast.

Top Sail had my favorite breakfast because there was always a huge selection of fresh fruit. I took a bowlful, along with some yogurt and a freshly baked blueberry muffin. I also enjoyed a cappuccino, another complimentary perk to having our room within the Yacht Club.

I brought Mom some breakfast. She decided to stay in the room for a while and I agreed to meet her before our spa appointments. She had enjoyed her massage so much the other day that she had booked another.

I had decided to give the Himalayan Dream a try, but first I went up to the One Pool just above our suite. I tried to finally finished Fifty Shades Darker as I sipped a Bellini, but it was soon time for the spa.

Mom and I went our separate ways at the spa as I headed to the Himalayan Dream room with my therapists.

All of the workers at the Aurea Spa on the MSC Divina had trained in Bali. This particular treatment had been discovered and perfected there, to only be used by MSC Cruises.

It began with me laying down on a bed filled with heated Himalayan salt. It felt a little rough at first, but as soon as she started scrubbing salt on me I quickly relaxed.

The Himalayan Salt was on my skin from toes to neck when I went into the shower and washed it off. Next, a mask was put on my body and I was wrapped in plastic.

While the mask was working its magic, the therapist massaged my head and scalp. She then used warm towels to take the mask off.

The treatment ended with an oil massage. I felt rested, relaxed, and soft all over by the time I walked out of there. I decided to keep that mood going and went back to the pool to finish my book.

Before long it was time to return to the suite to shower and pMSC Divina.
ack. Then we dressed for our final dinner in Le Muse aboard the

The service and food was as wonderful the last night as it was the first.

Mom had salmon rolls filled with chive goat cheese and she loved them. I was equally happy with my cream of cauliflower soup, which was topped with toasted pistachios .

For the main course we both had the rack of lamb, which was in a pistachio crust and served with a cherry sauce. Yes, it tasted as amazing as it was.

Dessert was a decadently delicious chocolate chip cheesecake with chocolate sauce for me and Tiramisu for Mom.

After dinner, we went to play Bingo. We didn’t win the $1800 first prize, but we did stay for the Opera show before heading back to our Penthouse Suite in the Yacht Club of the MSC Divina for the last time.

It was an amazing voyage and I’d be happy to return to this taste of Italy on the water with MSC in the future.





Also read about my adventures on:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Denver Beer and Connecting with Friends

Image
It was day two of my press trip with SpringHill Suites Downtown Denver and Infinite Monkey Theorem Wine . We had tasted and paired the wine on day one , and now it was time to check out some more food and beer. Our schedule didn’t start until 9:30 a.m. so we got to sleep in a bit, which was much needed after the late night. We got started by all meeting for breakfast. The SpringHill Suites offers a nice hot breakfast to begin with, and the chef from the Degree restaurant next door brought us some scones and treats to go with it. After breakfast, we all piled back into our limousine to hit some of the breweries of Denver in the nearby LoDo and RiNo Art District. Even though I don’t drink beer, the tours were fun and informative as we went through Wynkoop Brewery, Falling Rock Tap House, and Epic Brewing. We then went back to the SpringHill Suites to say goodbye. Most of the group was heading home, but I decided to stay another day.
Read more

Last Day in Champagne-Robots & Bars in the Trees

Image
Our final day in the Champagne-Ardenne region was quite an unusual one, as we learned about and drank bubbly in the strangest places. Our first stop was in Trėpail.  I always thought I was a multitasker, but here I met a woman who certainly outdid me.  Madam Maizieres owns a champagne house. That in itself is not unusual for a woman in 21 st century France.  She decided, however, that she wanted everyone to learn about French in the most unusual way, so she created Pré en Bulles , an automated robotic show which takes you through 12 lessons (in your choice of four languages) in a fun and informative way.  At the end , there’s a puppet show with special effects George Lucas would appreciate, explaining champagne from the cultural aspect of how it relates to food and France. After the show, Madam Maizieres took us through the beautiful apartments and bed and breakfast she rents with incredible views of the quaint town of Trėpail.  Then we tasted some of the champagnes she makes und
Read more

My Thoughts as I Disembark the American Queen Steamboat Cruise

Image
It had been a wonderful trip heading north on the Mississippi River. The American Queen Steamboat experience was like no other cruise either Lynn or I had previously experienced. We were all packed to go and it was much easier than usual because we had my van waiting at St. Louis Airport. After a leisurely breakfast, we were able to just hang shopping bags on my scooter and head out without worrying about going through security and getting on a plane. The other thing that was nice was not having to go through a huge cruise terminal or deal with customs. We had a leisurely breakfast, walked off the boat, and got on the bus to the airport. A big thank you to America Queen Voyages for hosting us on this adventure. Lynn and I had a great time on this cruise. Here’s a break down of more detailed opinions:     The Boat Elegant is probably my best description for the American Queen. The boat definitely makes you feel like you are back in the 19 th century and expect to see Mark Twa
Read more