ashley@cruisecritic
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Posts posted by ashley@cruisecritic
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The Seaside was advertised to have a 5D theater similar to Carnival Vista's Thrill Theater. My kids loved it. Has anyone see a picture or have any info of the one that was supposed to be on the Seaside? Is there even one on the ship at all now? Any info would be great, thanks!
Hi there. I was just on Seaside last week for the first week of its current transatlantic sailing. Yes, there is a 5D cinema, and the prices others have posted are correct. I did it three times while onboard, and it's fun. The difference between this one and the one on Vista (which I've also done) is that the Seaside one is interactive. You have a gun and can shoot at zombies and giant lizards and other things. I believe there are nine different options, with a couple specifically for kids. There's one with a runaway mine cart and another with pirates. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos.
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For anyone interested, I've added some photos here (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2570575) of the MDR menus (lunch and dinner, including Elegant Night), nonalcoholic beverage options, Sports Bar chicken wing menu and sample kids club schedules.
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And, finally, I see the Baby Club question was already answered, but for anyone interested, here are samples of the Doremi Land schedules for all age groups. (Ages are indicated at the very top of each sheet. Sorry they aren't the best quality, but if you right click and choose "view image," you should be able to see an enlarged version.)
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Thanks for doing this TravelinGert .... Would love to see the Non Alcoholic drinks menus including Coffees please and any photos of themed evenings to get a gauge of participation and what people are wearing
And here are photos of the coffee and cocoa beverages offered at Venchi. There are two Venchi locations onboard -- one in the Piazza Grande on Deck 6 and another outdoors in the South Beach Pool area on Deck 7. The one on Deck 6 is more about Italian hot chocolate (which has the consistency of brownie batter and is absolutely amazing), specialty coffees and chocolate alcohol, as well as chocolate confections, while the one on Deck 7 serves ice cream bars, waffles and crepes. They both offer gelato and milkshakes (made with said gelato). This isn't the complete Venchi menu -- just the pages that have nonalcoholic drinks.
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Thanks for doing this TravelinGert .... Would love to see the Non Alcoholic drinks menus including Coffees please and any photos of themed evenings to get a gauge of participation and what people are wearing
Hi EssG. Sorry everyone for my spamming the thread, but I'm just finally getting around to reading all of these great questions. Here are photos of the nonalcoholic beverages offered at all bars onboard. The only one I saw that has a different mocktail menu is the Welcome Bar in Chef's Court (where most of the alternative eateries are located). That menu is the third one posted here.
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I would like to know where the smoking areas are so I can avoid them. I read on a social media site that smoking is allowed at the South Beach Pool at the AFT of the ship. That will ruin the entire experience for the 85% of the population that doesn't smoke. Why you would reserve a prime area on the ship for a nasty, unhealthy, disgusting habit is beyond me.
Smoking is allowed only on the starboard side of the South Beach Pool area.
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We asked, and were told not available on Seaside.
QUESTIONS:
Is there a cigar bar?
What restaurants are included for the Black card dinners?
Will be thinking of more
Thanks
Safe sailing
There's no cigar bar. I see lots of people asking about the black card dinners, but unfortunately I know nothing about that.
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And here are MDR menus for a regular night and Elegant Night. (Again, MDR menus change nightly, with the exception of the "Classic Favorites.")
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Apparently I waited too long and now can't edit my previous posts, but here are photos of the food on the Sports Bar menu, as well as MDR lunch. Obviously the MDR menu changes daily, but I only got photos of one day's menu.
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Hi I'm wondering about height orbage requirements for the zip line and slides
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There's no age requirement, but the minimum height requirement is 51.5 inches (130 cm). You have to sign a waiver, wear closed-toed shoes, tie back long hair, empty your pockets and avoid carrying loose items. There's a big board with all of the rules just before the platform:
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Oh , just thought of one more question . . . Will they offer a package deal on the Seaside for the Bowling , simulator , and 4 D movies, where you pay a fee (it was $85 on the Divina ) per cabin for unlimited use of these attractions ? TIA
I believe there is an unlimited package, but I'm not sure on the price. Individual prices are:
Formula 1: $10/person
Interactive Cinema: $10/adult, $8/child
Bowling: $25/half hour, $45/hour, $2/person shoe rental
Pool Table: $10/15 minutes
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I'd like to ask a question ( or 2 ) as well if I may . . .
I have not heard much about the comedy club on the Seaside . Perhaps it was not open on the pre inaugural cruise , but hopefully someone on the upcoming cruises could share some information .
And secondly , any confirmation that the " bar food " offerings in the Sports Bar in complimentary ?
TIA
Hello. Unfortunately they didn't have any comedy during the first week of the current sailing, so I wasn't able to see the show. The only food on the bar menu in the sports bar is chicken wings, and they aren't complimentary. They were $4.75 for six, $9.75 for 12 and $14.75 for 18.
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Sorry for yet another Seaside thread, but I have some questions regarding the experience onboard and I'm sure others do as well. Here's my list and if anyone has answers or any further questions please jump right in. :)
1. Do you board on deck 5 where it says "Seaside Reception" by the Atrium bar?
2. I've read a lot about musical offerings on the ship including Latin, Opera, and such. Are these all being held in the Metropolitan Theater? If not what other locations should we be watching out for on our cruise?
3. Do we need to book our seats for the shows in the Metropolitan Theater or can we just show up provided we don't mind where we sit? I've read the shows are amazing and won awards so we're really hopeful we'll get to see all of them.
4. How were the lines for the zip line and water slides?
5. What was the first thing you did when you got on the ship?
Hi there. I was onboard for the first week of the current transatlantic. To answer your questions, we boarded on Deck 4.
The concerts (Latin, Opera, etc.) are held in the Metropolitan theater. There's other live music throughout the ship (atrium, piazza grande), but that's mainly singers accompanied by piano or guitar.
They say that reservations are required for shows, but it's a ticketless system, it doesn't cost anything, and you don't reserve an actual seat -- just a show time. It's just so they can make sure there's enough room for everyone since the theater is smaller than on other ships. (The thought is that they can make the shows more intimate and more flexible by allowing multiple performances each night.) When you get there, they scan your card if you have reservation. Five minutes before showtime, all reserved but unclaimed seats are released for those who don't have reservations.
The water slides weren't open during the first week when I was on because it was too cold, and I suspect they were still testing things out. Only one of the ship's two ziplines was open, and only for two of the seven days I was there (also due to weather). There were four or five people ahead of me in line. I might have waited 10-15 minutes. I'm guessing the lines might be a little longer when the ship reaches warmer weather.
The first thing I did was go to my cabin to drop my bags.
Here's a link to a thread that has all of the specialty menus: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2570941. I've just added the ones for Bistrot La Boheme.
Some bits of the official Cruise Critic editor ship review are live on the site now: https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=994. The rest should be up by the end of this week. Hope this helps!
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Sorry to spam the thread, but here's a link to the dining section of my review, which was just published yesterday: https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=994&pgtype=dining. (The full review isn't live yet, as it's still being edited. The rest should be live by mid-week.)
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Here's the menu for Bistrot La Boheme. Sorry the quality isn't the best, but if you right click and choose "view image," you can see a larger size.
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I vote for incompetence on MSC's part. If you look at the Butcher's Cut menu, the experience menu is only shown on the brunch menu and the beverage pages are missing, so I think that menu is also broken. We need to hear from someone who is on board to get the real scoop.
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I was onboard for the first week of the current transatlantic. It's all on the same menu. If you go for brunch, you'll see the dining experience and dinner menus as well. If you go for dinner, you'll also see brunch, etc.
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I had thought that MSC was trying to compete with the US mainstream lines. Having their steakhouse being 100% a la carte and overpriced may possibly cut it over in Europe, but it just does not compare when you can go to a steakhouse on Celebrity, Royal, Carnival, and NCL and get the entire experience for a preset price with multiple apps, sides, etc.
The steakhouse isn't 100% a la carte. As with all specialty restaurants on Seaside, you can purchase a "dining experience," which is a separate menu for a set price. (The separate menu is what you'll find under the "Dining Experience" section. It consists of items from the full menu.)
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Does anyone know what this actually means? I will be traveling with children... but to be honest, that buffet looks very dull and I'm guessing we'll prefer to normal buffet. So I hope that we won't be expected to use only the desk 16 buffet because we'll have kids along.
Kids can eat in any buffet, but Biscayne (Deck 16) is smaller and has more family-style seating (big, round tables with chairs). The main buffet on Deck 8 is the one that will be open during off-hours and late a night to serve pizza and snacks.
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Hi guys. Cruise Critic covered the announcement live, along with the ship's steel cutting ceremony and Bellissima's coin ceremony: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=8214.
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I haven't personally tried the restaurant, but it did win an award. Holland America sent out a press release yesterday:
Holland America Line Wins Awards for O, The Oprah Magazine Partnership, Rudi’s Sel de Mer and Alaska Cruises
Seattle, Wash., Oct. 12, 2017 — Holland America Line recently collected a trio of awards from Seatrade Europe, AFAR Media and Kreuzfahrt Traume that recognized the brand’s marketing initiatives, Alaska cruises and culinary excellence, respectively.
Holland America Line’s partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine won the 2017 Seatrade Cruise Award for Marketing Initiative of the Year; the AFAR Travelers' Choice Cruise Awards recognized the line’s Alaska Cruises; and Rudi’s Sel De Mer was given the International German Cruise Award for Best New Restaurant Concept by German publication Kreuzfahrt Traume.
“We are always deeply honored when our brand is recognized for an initiative we worked tirelessly to develop or an experience that elevates who we are and what we deliver,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “Thank you to the readers and decision-makers from Seatrade, AFAR and Kreuzfahrt Traume who awarded us with these three prestigious honors.”
Seatrade Europe Recognizes O, The Oprah Magazine Partnership
Holland America Line’s partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine earned the 2017 Seatrade Cruise Award for Marketing Initiative of the Year. The new award recognized the cruise line’s onboard programming that was designed to unite the soul-stirring power of travel with the magazine’s deep commitment to connection and personal growth.
Five special theme cruises feature exclusive programming developed with the magazine’s editors, along with guest motivational speakers and one very special cruise that Oprah Winfrey sailed on in July 2017. Additionally, more than 300 cruises sailing from North America through the remainder of 2017 and 2018 have a variety of inspiring and engaging activities that bring the magazine to life on board.
AFAR Audience Names Holland America Line’s Alaska Cruises Number-One
In the AFAR Travelers’ Choice Cruise Awards, Holland America Line earned top accolades for its Alaska cruises. This is the first year AFAR Media broke their esteemed awards into three categories: hotel, cruise and destinations. More than 130,000 votes were received in the cruise category alone, and Holland America came out as number-one in the Alaska Cruise Line category.
In 2017 Holland America Line celebrated its 70th year as a leader in Alaska exploration. The line’s award-winning Alaska cruises and Land+Sea Journeys are the heart of the company’s global itineraries, and every itinerary is highlighted by scenic cruising of Alaska’s Inside Passage and one or more of Alaska’s famous glaciers and fjords.
Holland America Line’s Land+Sea Journeys combine a three-, four- or seven-day Inside Passage or Glacier Discovery cruise with in-depth overland tours to the Yukon and Alaska’s interior. Holland America Line is the only cruise company to weave must-see sites such as Denali National Park — the centerpiece of every Land+Sea Journey — with seldom-seen ones, such as Dawson City, in the heart of Klondike Gold Rush Country.
Rudi’s Sel De Mer Wins Best New Restaurant Concept
German publication Kreuzfahrt Traume named Rudi’s Sel de Mer Best New Restaurant Concept at the International German Cruise Awards. First launched on ms Koningsdam as a stand-alone venue, Rudi’s Sel de Mer recently debuted as a pop-up in the Pinnacle Grill on several ships in the Holland America Line fleet, and will expand to the entire fleet next year. The specialty restaurant was created and named for the cruise line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, who conceived and developed the concept.
For Rudi’s Sel De Mer, Sodamin created Food Faces art for the exclusive show plates made by Bernardaud. Each plate portrays an image of a work of art crafted from food.
Rudi’s Sel de Mer is built around a menu of classic French Mediterranean dishes with a contemporary twist, featuring locally sourced seafood. The setting is an intimate brasserie with custom décor, plates, menus and uniforms reflecting the ambiance. Guests can indulge in a diverse selection of dishes over several courses that includes Rudi’s Seafood Tower, Bouillabaisse Marseillaise, Fruits de Mer, Duck Cassoulet, Soufflé au Fromage, Salt Crust Baked Branzino and desserts like Crêpes Suzette, Profiteroles with Hot Chocolate Sauce and Rudi’s famed Souffle – a version of the Salzburger Nockerl.
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The line sent out a press release yesterday. "Success" is often subjective, but the partnership did win an award:
Holland America Line Wins Awards for O, The Oprah Magazine Partnership, Rudi’s Sel de Mer and Alaska Cruises
Seattle, Wash., Oct. 12, 2017 — Holland America Line recently collected a trio of awards from Seatrade Europe, AFAR Media and Kreuzfahrt Traume that recognized the brand’s marketing initiatives, Alaska cruises and culinary excellence, respectively.
Holland America Line’s partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine won the 2017 Seatrade Cruise Award for Marketing Initiative of the Year; the AFAR Travelers' Choice Cruise Awards recognized the line’s Alaska Cruises; and Rudi’s Sel De Mer was given the International German Cruise Award for Best New Restaurant Concept by German publication Kreuzfahrt Traume.
“We are always deeply honored when our brand is recognized for an initiative we worked tirelessly to develop or an experience that elevates who we are and what we deliver,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “Thank you to the readers and decision-makers from Seatrade, AFAR and Kreuzfahrt Traume who awarded us with these three prestigious honors.”
Seatrade Europe Recognizes O, The Oprah Magazine Partnership
Holland America Line’s partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine earned the 2017 Seatrade Cruise Award for Marketing Initiative of the Year. The new award recognized the cruise line’s onboard programming that was designed to unite the soul-stirring power of travel with the magazine’s deep commitment to connection and personal growth.
Five special theme cruises feature exclusive programming developed with the magazine’s editors, along with guest motivational speakers and one very special cruise that Oprah Winfrey sailed on in July 2017. Additionally, more than 300 cruises sailing from North America through the remainder of 2017 and 2018 have a variety of inspiring and engaging activities that bring the magazine to life on board.
AFAR Audience Names Holland America Line’s Alaska Cruises Number-One
In the AFAR Travelers’ Choice Cruise Awards, Holland America Line earned top accolades for its Alaska cruises. This is the first year AFAR Media broke their esteemed awards into three categories: hotel, cruise and destinations. More than 130,000 votes were received in the cruise category alone, and Holland America came out as number-one in the Alaska Cruise Line category.
In 2017 Holland America Line celebrated its 70th year as a leader in Alaska exploration. The line’s award-winning Alaska cruises and Land+Sea Journeys are the heart of the company’s global itineraries, and every itinerary is highlighted by scenic cruising of Alaska’s Inside Passage and one or more of Alaska’s famous glaciers and fjords.
Holland America Line’s Land+Sea Journeys combine a three-, four- or seven-day Inside Passage or Glacier Discovery cruise with in-depth overland tours to the Yukon and Alaska’s interior. Holland America Line is the only cruise company to weave must-see sites such as Denali National Park — the centerpiece of every Land+Sea Journey — with seldom-seen ones, such as Dawson City, in the heart of Klondike Gold Rush Country.
Rudi’s Sel De Mer Wins Best New Restaurant Concept
German publication Kreuzfahrt Traume named Rudi’s Sel de Mer Best New Restaurant Concept at the International German Cruise Awards. First launched on ms Koningsdam as a stand-alone venue, Rudi’s Sel de Mer recently debuted as a pop-up in the Pinnacle Grill on several ships in the Holland America Line fleet, and will expand to the entire fleet next year. The specialty restaurant was created and named for the cruise line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, who conceived and developed the concept.
For Rudi’s Sel De Mer, Sodamin created Food Faces art for the exclusive show plates made by Bernardaud. Each plate portrays an image of a work of art crafted from food.
Rudi’s Sel de Mer is built around a menu of classic French Mediterranean dishes with a contemporary twist, featuring locally sourced seafood. The setting is an intimate brasserie with custom décor, plates, menus and uniforms reflecting the ambiance. Guests can indulge in a diverse selection of dishes over several courses that includes Rudi’s Seafood Tower, Bouillabaisse Marseillaise, Fruits de Mer, Duck Cassoulet, Soufflé au Fromage, Salt Crust Baked Branzino and desserts like Crêpes Suzette, Profiteroles with Hot Chocolate Sauce and Rudi’s famed Souffle – a version of the Salzburger Nockerl.
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I have looked at cruisett.com in the past to see how many cruise ships will be in port the same time my cruise is but I don't think this has the port changes. Any other good site?
Thanks,
Yes, Cruise Critic has been diligently keeping up with all of the changes. You can find them here in our massive amount of coverage: https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/.
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NY Times posted a good summary of tourism in the Caribbean after Irma and Maria
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/travel/maria-irma-caribbean-tourism-island-by-island.html
Cruise Critic published a similar article on Sept. 11, after Irma hit, and it's updated daily: https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8067.
We also have this one on where the lines are taking their ships: https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8082.
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Hi there. If you go to Norwegian's homepage and look just below the giant image of the ship, there's a "weather alert" button. Click it, and it will provide you with the latest information.
Dancing on Seaside?
in MSC Cruises
Posted
I was onboard last week, and this is correct, although I'm not sure I'd call either of these areas romantic. The Garage Club is fun, and there are no closing hours. (The DJ told me it sometimes stays open as late -- or early -- as 4 a.m.) The Haven is more of a walk-through venue, where dance classes are also taught during the day. That might be a more romantic way to get your dancing in and to meet people if that's the aim. I saw waltz, paso doble, foxtrot, bachata, rumba, merengue and jive listed in the daily schedule. They usually offer two different lessons each day.