The Eataly Experience Aboard The MSC Divina

Stepping aboard the MSC Divina is a memorable experience within itself, but the Divina experience reaches a whole new level with MSC's cruise-exclusive partnership with Eataly. A well-known Italian marketplace with locations in New York, Chicago, and Tokyo, Eataly is a food and dining adventure complete with the finest Italian-inspired restaurants and cuisine, wine counters, bakery items, retail items, and hands-on food and drink classes. (The New York and Chicago locations recently appeared in our list of the 50 best food halls in America.) In line with its top-notch Mediterranean vibe, MSC Cruises brought Eataly to its first ship, the Preziosa, in 2013 and soon followed with an expansion to the Divina later that same year.

True to the European custom of defining special experiences with food, Eataly becomes a food destination aboard the MSC Divina. The quality and uniqueness of the dishes, spices, and ingredients creates a gastronomic mecca in the middle of the sea.

Epicurean explorers will find a variety of Eataly dining and culinary choices to choose from on the Divina including Eataly Steakhouse, Ristorante Italia, and the Eataly Marketplace. Adjacent to Eataly is La Cantina di Bacco, featuring Eataly Pizza. Each designation within Eataly offers their own set of food specialties and dining delights.

Eataly Steakhouse is an informal Italian Steakhouse featuring à la carte dining. Guests can choose from a selection of prime cuts of beef which can be ordered alongside traditional Italian appetizers like beef carpaccio, Italian cold cuts, and cheeses. To round out the meal you can also order fresh salads, fresh pasta dishes, potatoes, and vegetables. Additional entree options include lamb chops, salmon steak, or "The Divina," a specialty fish soup with croutons. The entrees are served with Eataly sauces including (but not limited to) a Béarnaise sauce, a gorgonzola sauce, and a chimichurri sauce. The Steakhouse is open for lunch and dinner and has a modern, casual vibe.

Ristorante Italia is Divina's gourmet dining experience. The restaurant features limited seating with an elegant, sleek ambiance. Each night's menu changes to reflect the chef's inspiration for that evening. The meal can also be expertly paired with the sensational wine list from the Vino Libero menu. Guests can opt for à la carte dining or a full tasting menu. With just 30 seats, Ristorante Italia requires reservations and is only open for dinner.

Eataly Marketplace is a boutique marketplace that is available for guests to purchase some of the authentic Italian products used onboard including delicious olive oils, dried pastas, and aged balsamics. The products offered at the Eataly Marketplace are of the highest quality products and are available at affordable prices.

La Cantina di Bacco and Eataly Pizza - Sip on Italian wines, beer, and antipasto at Divina's rustic wine bar, La Cantina di Bacco. In the background of the cantina, watch the ship's master pizza-maker spin fresh-made pizza dough at Eataly Pizza. The pizza is then topped with an assortment of fine ingredients and fresh toppings before it is placed in a piping hot oven. The pizzas can be ordered as a traditional pie or as a larger "meter of pizza." Make the Eataly Pizza dining experience even more enjoyable by ordering a meter of beer, which is a flight of specialty beers, to accompany this not-to-be-missed pizza. The cantina is also the location of the ship's unique wine-blending experience.

Beyond Eataly, guests can find additional gastric delights throughout the ship including rich Segafredo Italian coffee at the Caffe Italia; to-die-for gelato made by Venchi, the official ice cream of Divina; Nutella crepes from the Nutella bar; and expertly prepared gourmet desserts and pastries from world-renowned French chocolatier and pastry chef, Jean-Philippe Maury. The Eataly experiences and other dining delights are offered to guests outside of the all-you-eat packages and can be enjoyed for an additional fee or via add-on packages.

MSC Divina's Eataly is truly a food-lover's destination. The Eataly experience sends the message to cruisers that food is understood, appreciated, and celebrated. Eataly not only appeals to the American palette but also to those guests who have a more advanced palette with International tastes.

The quality and variety of the dining experience stands out above the rest of the food on the Divina and gives it a level of distinctiveness one would typically not expect on a cruise. If you find yourself cruising on the MSC Divina, take the time to immerse yourself in the spirit of slow food and embrace the quality artisanal delights that Eataly brings with each dining experience.

Linda Arceo is the voice behind the popular food and drink blog, Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps, where she enjoys sharing easy, relatable food and cocktail recipes, as well as travel and events-related features. Linda is also a contributor to several food, drink and travel sites where she dishes on everything you need to know when it comes to food and traveling.