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15 hours ago, lptazbear said:

We sailed Seaside back in Sept and loved it so much that we sail out this Friday on Divina. The ship is gorgeous, the service incredible, love the little perks like pay $10 for a wrist  band that is your room key (makes it so easy)., and in buffet areas they have things on every table that you can press for bar service.  Any specific questions?  If you have any loyalty with another vendor they will status match you too.  That perk is the best 

I saw the loyalty match feature... that’s awesome! Will be matching my Princess Captains Circle loyalty with them! Wristband idea is neat... can it be used for disembarking and re-embarking at the ports? Or is it strictly a room key?

2 hours ago, Bluewake said:

 

We also were frequent NCL cruisers who gave MSC a year ago and found we very much liked the MSC experience. In fact, we are about to go on our third MSC cruise since and have a fourth scheduled.   We've been on Divina in a regular cabin and in the Yacht Club on Seaside.  Our next will be a balcony on Divina.  Each of us looks for something different in a cruise but please allow me to echo those who wrote that you do not need to be in the YC to enjoy MSC.  In fact, we could have booked YC for our upcoming cruise and decided that although we liked being in the YC, for us, it wasn't worth the added expense.  Yet, we realize others find the YC worth every penny!

 

Thank you so much! The positive

22 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

We love the Seaside, 4 times last year (2 with Princess last year).

We've done both YC ans non-YC on Seaside and honestly, enjoyed both ways very much. We're definitely not in the YC or nothing camp..  

We love having a full production show every night.  We love the differences in food - actually appropriate person sizes, multiple options, always available ribeye/salmon/chicken. The pasta and risottos are awesome. And the pizza blows Princess pizza out if the water. 

We also really like the MSC service, very much continental European style, not in your face checking every five minutes shilling for tips, but rather solid, efficient, friendly service, there if you need them, and not if you don't. Reminds us of being in Rome or Venice, etc.  

Rooms are great, sofas in all balcony cabins versus Princess one desk chair. Decent sized balconies. Closets need some work - that's a big difference from Princess and they're huge walk-in closets.  Bathrooms are comparable. And the no self service laundry is a let down, but who really needs it for a week long cruise. We get tbe laundry package as we do two weeks at a time, minimum.

We've thoroughly enjoyed Aurea on Seaside. Drink package, anytime dining, private deck and hot tubs with bar, thermal suite, two massages, priority boarding ans so forth. Great bundled package Experience.  Our next cruise will be Bella though, and we'll upgrade to Premium Plus, buy the thermal suiteand do a specialty dining package and still be a while seriously heck of a lot cheaper than YC and a good deal less than Aurea. 

Be sure to research the Experiences.  That seems ti be where most people have issues. - they assume the Experience doesn't matter, that everything works like other lines - that's not the case. The Experience determines what's included. All Experiences include the basics: cruise, entertainment, dining room, buffet, ports and so forth - basic no frills cruise Experience.  Bella is just that, basic economy, so to speak. No frills, basic cruise Experience. Fantastica is more like economy, with a few extras, free room service delivery, priority in traditional dining times, better room locations. Aurea is like Premium economy or business class. Priority boardings, anytime dining, thermal suite, drink package, two massages, private deck area,  and more . Yacht Club is like international business or First. Private section of ship, private dining room, private lounge, private pool and deck with grill, butlers, priority boarding (in ports also), premium drink package, etc.  Depends what's important to you for which Experience you book.  People complain when booking the cheapest, but then not getting the upgraded inclusions.  They didn't do their homework!

We personally thoroughly enjoy MSC and are looking forward to many more cruises with them. We'll still cruise Princess and Celebrity of course, but MSC has moved to the top of the list ti check first. 

 

Thank you for your detailed response! We booked the Fantastica experience which I figured for our first time on this line was a reasonable start.  This definitely puts me at ease... it is amazing the things people complain about on here. I was almost second guessing myself... I cannot wait for our cruise on the Seaside this summer!

7 minutes ago, NayRN said:

Like you, I’ve booked my first MSC cruise (August, 2020). I am platinum plus with NCL and was honestly intrigued by the loyalty match as well as what I’ve read about MSC. I took the advice of a great TA that I met on one of my cruises and he convinced me to take the leap of faith. So, probably like you, I’ve been reading and reading and reading reviews and yes, some of them make me cringe. BUT I’ve also been reading posts from CC members like Two Wheels Only and sidari which honestly has helped me put my “fears” aside. 
 

I am really looking forward to my first venture away from NCL....my only worry is this is my second solo cruise and on a new cruise line. 😳 I knew a lot of frequent cruisers on NCL which made my first solo cruise last year easier. BUT, no matter what, I will have a fabulous time on the Seaside....unless they run out of pizza and gelato! 😉

Thank you Nay! Yea I have seen some crazy back and forth reviews.. I just love the idea of cruising in general and make the best of it. I think the biggest leap of faith was from Princess to NCL and I will be honest, NCL blew Princess away in the entertainment and food department... as well as staterooms. In August are you doing the Puerto Rico/St Thomas/Nassau/Ocean Cay voyage also? I will do a follow up post when we get back to let you know how it is!

Hello all!  Just booked the MSC Seaside (Carib) for July 2020.  I have seen so many mixed reviews regarding both MSC and the Seaside herself.  Who has sailed MSC before? This will be my first MSC voyage.  Previously I have sailed Princess and Norwegian.   How likely would you guys sail MSC again? 

The Dawn is a lovely ship and Bermuda is one of our favorite itineraries. There is much to do there and the island is beautiful. Typically we spend one day at the beach (Tobacco Bay or Horseshoe Bay), one day in St. George and one day either in Hamilton or walking around the dockyard or split the day. But there is also a lot more you can do. Bermuda has some great restaurants and it is very easy to get around via ferry or bus.

 

This board will have lots of answers to your questions:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=196

 

Enjoy,

Tracy

Thanks Tracy! This was very helpful. 😁

The solo studios are fantastic... I got married on the NCL Getaway and we had a lot of family with us, a lot of which are single (including my grandmother). Everyone in my family loved the setup. Yes the room is small, but the storage is ample and you are just in the room to sleep anyway so it is perfect. You even get your own lounge so you can meet others. Very cool concept!

Hello everyone!

My wife and I got married on the Norwegian Getaway back in March, and we are currently planning our 1-year anniversary cruise for June 2018. The NCL Dawn 7day itinerary from Boston with a three night stay in Bermuda is really catching our eye... has anyone done this voyage? The overnight in port will be new to us. I appreciate any tips or feedback if you have gone! Thanks!

Just got off the Getaway from the 3/19-3/26 voyage. It wasn't our wedding cruise, had a bunch of family cruising with us. After we all got home, we have all been so sick... fever, Sore threat, etc. Has anyone else that hasn't sailed on that voyage also gotten sick?? I thought this was going to be the one cruise I get off that I wasn't going to get sick because of all the sanitizer stations! We were washing hands like crazy also.

Hello there,

This is an extremely accurate review of this voyage. I had my wedding on this ship on embarkation day, and when it came time to disembark with all of our stuff, it was a huge challenge. I have never had such a horrible disembarking experience. I am usually a Princess cruiser, and I have walked off Princess ships in 10 minutes. We were probably in line for 1 hour 45 mins.. (though it felt longer carrying a 30 pound wedding dress!)

Again, awesome post.. 😁

Nick