Stealthdog

Every sailing is so different that it’s hard to stereotype. We did a back to back on the Escape last December. The first 7 days, lots of rude behavior and it felt like a party ship. Second 7 days was completely different. We are going on the Jade in July, so I’ll be curious to see what the feel on board will be.

Internet and On Board App This cruise was probably our best experience with an on-board app and something that MSC appears to do much better than other cruise lines. The App was easy to navigate and use. On other cruise lines, I don't even bother using their on-board app because it is so bad. The ease of MSC's app made me want to use it for everything. From making reservations, easily creating your own daily on-board itinerary, checking the ship's deck plans, reviewing your on-board account....everything about it was great. We didn't try to use the app texting system because we could just text each other anyways...so not sure how good the app texting is. Well done with the app! The internet service was also really good on board. I'm assuming the Seashore was using Starlink because the speed of the internet service was really good with very little interruption. I didn't bring my laptop with me to check the speeds, but for basic browsing, app-based games, emails, etc....no complaints at all. One thing to highlight - I thought I read somewhere that you can't use FaceTime while on the MSC on board wifi. That is not true - we used it daily while on board. Ocean Cay has its own wifi connection. So, when you leave the ship, you have to log onto the Ocean Cay wifi. We just turned off airplane mode and went off wifi because we have free data in the Bahamas with our cell service. But for those who don't, you will have wifi access on the private island as well. Note - there is a little booth area near the photo desks where you can go if you have any internet/wifi issues while on board.

Food Compared to MDR and Buffet experiences on other cruise lines and ships, I thought the food was better than average on the Seashore. MDR. The quality of the meat (particularly NY strip) was much better than our recent experiences on Princess and NCL. The MDR menu itself wasn't very exciting, but the speed of the kitchen, the presentation, and the quality were all good. The two exceptions are the pasta and the deserts. Quite frankly, the pasta was boring and simple - it was like something I make at home, and on an Italian based cruise-line I guess I had higher expectations for the pasta. Several of the deserts (cheesecake and lemoncello cake) were very dry, and i didn't take more than one bite of them. Grandmother's Chocolate Cake was the only good desert I had in the MDR. The breakfasts were all standard - omelets, eggs to order, sides, breads, etc. I thought the breakfasts in the MDR were as good or better than our other cruise lines/ships. The one major food issue we had in the MDR was lack of variety for special diets. Eric switched to a vegan diet for health reasons and there really wasn't much for him in the MDR. The menu would normally have 1 item available for appetizer and 1 item available for entree that were vegan. The restaurant staff was pretty good in bringing him off menu things, but MSC should really step up its game in this department. Buffet. We were pleasantly surprised with the buffet. We typically avoid it because of other passenger's behaviors (touching things with fingers, eating in line, rude behavior, and other hygiene things), but we didn't see much of that this time. There was a really good variety of options in the buffet for breakfast and lunch, and it looked better than recent cruises we have been on. There was also a good selection of vegan items, so more options for Eric than the MDR. The pizza was pretty good, but it was American style and not Italian style, which is what I would have expected. But, it was still better than most cruises we have been on. There were peak times where seating in the buffet area was difficult, so I'd recommend go earlier or later than the bulk of the crowd. One area that was lacking on the Seashore that we have seen on other cruise ships was little cafes or free restaurants outside of MDR and the buffet. Typically you will see a little coffee cafe that has complimentary sandwiches, pasties, etc and some type of grill that provides your standard burgers, hotdogs, and french fries. Some cruise ships also have a restaurant that provide standard pub food (wings, nachos, etc). The Seashore doesn't have this, so your food options are limited to the MDR, Buffet, Room Services, or Specialty Restaurants.

Post Cruise Thoughts: Please keep in mind that this is just one person's (two, really) thoughts and its based on comparing experiences we have had on other cruises. Cruises experiences can also change, even on the same ship, so what we experienced could be different on the next sailing. Service Overall, I thought the service on the Seashore was ok. We have never been on a cruise with terrible service, so we were happy with the service on board. Bar Service. The speed of getting drinks on board was pretty good for us. We have been on sailings before where you could wait 15-20 minutes just to put an order in at the bar. We didn't have that experience on the Seashore. Each bar had multiple bartenders behind the bar, and one area where I think the Seashore exceeded was the waiters/waitresses did a great job walking the floor and getting drink orders from passengers. We were even standing in line at the bar one time and a waiter came up to us to get our drink order and brought them to our seats. At some of the theme parties, they brought out some portable bars which were great to help speed up the drinks for passengers. The quality of the drinks was hit or miss and they probably need a little more training on the drinks. This is based on receiving Mojitos with vodka instead of rum on a couple of occasions. Cabin Service. Again, no issues here. We very rarely saw our room steward, but our room was always well maintained and cleaned. We don't usually have many demands, but whenever we needed anything (ie extra towels) they were prompt. We even had a nice heart-shaped towel on one of the nights, which was greatly appreciated. Overall the service in the cabin was similar to our experiences on other cruise lines and was fairly good. Restaurant Service. One caveat is we very rarely eat dinners in the MDR, so most of our evening dining service is specialty restaurants where you expect a higher level of service. That said, restaurant service is probably the area where the Seashore needs the most training. It wasn't terrible, but there were times we were waiting 15-20 minutes to place a drink order, and one breakfast we never had anyone come to get drink orders. One night in the MDR, our waitress spilled a glass of wine that splashed on 4 people (at two different tables). Fortunately, it wasn't the White Party Night, but she disappeared for about 30-40 minutes, presumably to go back to her crew cabin to change shirts because one of her sleeves was stained. Noone covered down for her and we went most of the dinner without bar drinks or refills of water. The supervisors on the floor should have recognized and ensured her tables were covered while she was gone. Similar drink issues in the buffet. They had devices on the table that looked like you could call for beverage service, but none of them appeared to work. We only had one time the buffet where someone stopped to provide beverage service. Internet Service. On day one, there were multiple staff stationed near the photo shop to assist customers with getting onto the ship wifi. The staff there were quick and helpful. We never had any engagements with the Guest Services or Excursions, so really no basis to provide comments.

Your reservation books you A seat. There is no assigned seating (except maybe Yacht Club and status holders, but I don't know). You are correct, seating is first come first serve. We had no issues making reservations, but someone else mentioned the shows sold out. These things can change from cruise to cruise, depending on what the passengers like. We even changed reservations to an earlier show while we were standing in line at the theater to enter. I don't know how early in advance you can reserve, but I recommend checking once you board to see if you can make reservations on the App. The MSC App is very simple and one of the better cruise line apps we have seen. If you can't make reservations that early, check every day.

She was the star of the production show. Really talented dancer. Our shows were only 35 minutes long. On other ships, the theater shows have been 50-70 minutes. They may have modified the shows to accommodate three showings vs two, and made them shorter durations. Or, it could also be the difference between the shorter vs 7 day cruises.

Yes - there are TVs at the bar, at booths, and on a big screen. I'd estimate there are probably about 15-20 TVs in total in the Sports Bar. You can ask the bartender to change the channel at the TV near you.

I didn't see any Old Fashioned on any of the bar menus. You can get a Manhattan with the Easy Package, so there is no reason why you couldn't get an Old Fashioned for $10 or less. Attached is the spirits menu to give you an idea of the costs for the different types of whiskey. We upgraded a couple drinks to Grey Goose and just paid the difference. Given our challenges with Mojitos, what I would say is find a bartender(s) that makes your Old Fashioned the way you like it and then just keep going back to them.

Multiple people asked about the Sports Bar and the TVs, so I'll roll it all into this post. On Friday, it looked like they were showing some of the NCAA conference tournament games and soccer games. On Saturday afternoon after we returned from Ocean Cay, we went to the Sports Bar hoping to see the University of Florida - Texas A&M game, but it wasn't showing. They had golf and a soccer game (I think it was Manchester vs someone in the Premier League, but I also remember seeing a Spanish League game, so don't remember which was Saturday). The Sports Bar was still closed, but one of the staff gave me a remote, so I was able to play around with the TV a bit. It looks like the service MSC Seashore uses is some kind of ESPN streaming service. They had 5 ESPN channels available on the TV, but all 5 had the same 2 events on (golf and soccer). Its possible they have some other kind of streaming service that will show the NCAA games live, or ESPN streaming may have contracted to air the games, but I can't confirm that. Given that they were showing some of the conference tournament games, I assume you will be able to see some of the March Madness games, but......? They do have a handful of private booths in the sports bar. So if you have a small group and you don't want to sit in the bar area, you might be able to get a private booth with your own TV.

Every night had a "theme" party. All three nights were very popular and well attended. The first two nights went really late. We went to bed earlier on Night 3, so not sure how long that lasted. Night 1 was a Silent Party. Outside of Cabaret Rouge you will sign for headphones and the party happens inside the Cabaret. Most people were on the lower level of the dance floor portion. But there are multiple levels inside the Cabaret where you can either sit, watch over the railings, or dance, while you listen to your headsets. No special types of clothes are needed - the staff will give you everything you need. Night 2 was a White Party. Everyone was wearing white. It was held outside at the Long Island Pool at Deck 18. There was a DJ and some dancing. They set up a couple of portable bars around the pool area so you didn't have to leave to get some drinks. Just wear something white and you will fit in! Night 3 was the Sunshine Party. It had music from the 60s-90s. Most people were wearing some kind of Hawaiian shirt, or shirts with flowers, sunsets, etc. Go ahead and pack a Hawaiian shirt for this event. It was held in the atrium, so multiple levels of watching on the upper levels, or you can be down on Deck 5 for the dance floor.

Disembarking from the Seashore was a really seamless and simple process. Port Canaveral is one of the easiest embarking and disembarking ports we have used. Luggage needs to be outside your door by 10pm the night before disembarking. You can carry your luggage off on your own if you want. Everyone should be out of their rooms by 7am on disembark day. There are two breakfast options on disembarkation day - buffet or MDR. We went to the MDR because our wait location to get off the ship was the Cabaret Rouge. The MDR breakfast was much more, understandably, limited in options compared to other mornings so they could process people quickly. The buffet probably had a wider variety. Our departure group was 38, so we waited in Cabaret until our number was called (which was about 10 minutes earlier than the posted time). The staff repeatedly told people not to leave early because the luggage is prepared based on deboarding groups. When we got down to the luggage, they were probably correct - we only saw 5 groups of luggage numbers, so if we tried to leave earlier, our luggage may not have been there yet. No passports were needed for US citizens - we went through a facial recognition station and exited the terminal. Our deboarding time was 845 and we were out of the terminal and in the parking garage by 915, and got home a little after 10am after a pit stop at Dunkin. For those traveling to the airport, it’s about a 1 Hr drive (there shouldn’t be much traffic traveling from Canaveral to Orlando). But, it takes a while to get through security at Orlando’s airport because it is a very busy airport. Even tsa-pre and global entry has long lines every time I have been there. So, make sure you give yourself enough time if you are flying home out of Orlando. On Sunday morning they had decorations for St Patrick’s Day that looked nice…and I did wear green getting off the ship! This concludes the “live” portion of the review. I’m going to go through the thread to respond to some posts and provide updates from questions, and then I’ll go into a more cohesive post cruise review. I plan to post about food, service, entertainment, itinerary, gym/spa, internet/app, ship cleanliness/appearance, casino, and passengers. If you have any other topic of interest, let me know!

Here is a picture of the cast in the Cabaret Rouge nightly shows. We only went night 1 - so not sure if the acts change or they modify their variety.

On Night 3 we went to see the Theater Show - Rock Royalty. We didn’t go to the show on night 2, so weren’t sure what to expect. The shows are not long - about 35 minutes so it is not a huge time obligation. It’s your typical production style show with 5 singers and a half dozen dancers. I prefer the new style shows cruise lines are starting to bring onto their new ships. But, if you like traditional cruise style productions, you will probably enjoy the shows in the theater. The singer and dancers are all pretty good (some harmonizing challenges with the singers). They went through the traditional major rock hits - Queen, Journey, Bon Jovi, etc. NOTE - there is an entrance to the Theater on Deck 6, so you can enter at the stage level to either avoid traffic on the stairs or avoid stairs if they are difficult for you to use.

Dinner for day 3 was Italian Night. The staff does a great job of decorating the MDR! For appetizers I got the Caprese Salad and Antipasto, chicken parmigiana for the entree, and limoncello cake for desert. The Caprese salad and antipasto were both good. The Caprese was a little weird because it came with a pesto, rather than the traditional olive oil and balsamic. The mozzarella and tomatoes were fresh. The antipasti was a couple of different slices of meat (salami, ham, etc), a couple chunks of Parmesan cheese, and pickles. It’s not a charcuterie board, but it was a better spread and presentation than I have seen on other ships. The chicken was pretty good - it was a good sized breast and the marinara sauce was nice. The pasta again was disappointing. For desert I got the lemoncello cake, which was essentially a dry lemon meringue pie. After a bite, I asked for the chocolate cake again. My expectation for a MDR is pretty low, so I was pleasantly surprised (although disappointed with the pasta).

Day 3 was the private Island, Ocean Cay. I love the private island! I like Coco cay better, but Ocean Cay was wonderful. I’d be perfectly fine with a cruise that only goes to, and spends a couple overnights at Ocean Cay. One nice aspect of Ocean Cay is there was only one ship docked (at Coco there is often two) so the island did not get overcrowded. From the ship you can see the whole island, so it is fairly easy to know where you want to go. There are shuttles that will take you around the island, so people with difficulty walking can have the assistance of the shuttles. We spent the day at Bimini Beach and Pineapple Beach on the far left of the map. It’s then furthest away, and in our experience the beaches closed to the ship fill up quickly. At Bimini and Pineapple there were rows of loungers on the beach that were complimentary. Even by noon time, there were plenty of loungers that weren’t occupied. If you want an umbrella, it does come with a cost that you can charge your on board account (we declined). In Ocean Cay Lagoon, some people saw a shark swim past them! Unfortunately I missed it, but I heard there are three ~5 foot long sharks that are typically find in the areas of Ocean Cay. I don’t know the species, but am guessing it is one of the harmless types like Nurse Sharks. But, you might get lucky and have a free swim with the sharks excursion! There are bars and food trucks scattered throughout the island, as well as larger food buffets, with options of fruit and vegetable salads, hot dogs, hamburgers, jerk chicken, and some fish options. It was typical food at other private islands and unremarkable. But the convenience of being in the island is good because you don’t have to go back to the ship. Near the ship are a handful of your typical tourist shops where you can get tshirts, mugs, etc. Ocean Cay was a great stop for us, and if we do another sailing on MSC, we will want Ocean Cay on the itinerary.