Anyone booking the Seaview for 2018?

[CruiseIreland]

Welcome back from your epic cruise, Bea! Are you gonna tell us all about it? Ken

[Beamafar]

Welcome back from your epic cruise, Bea! Are you gonna tell us all about it? Ken

 

Hi, Ken .............. thanks!

 

It was a great trip but I don't think I'd do another on a ship that small again. However, I never say never but it would want to be some amazing itinerary to tempt me.

 

I'm hoping that Seaview will do a repo with an interesting itinerary and not just be year round in the Med - she's not an all-weather ship so chances are she'll winter in the sun. There's so much more to do on the bigger ships and, having done 2 repos on Fantasia class ships - Preziosa and Divina - I'll be watching for Seaview's reviews and Winter 2018 itinerary with interest.

[1fifthavenue]

Welcome back Bea! I know what you mean about the small ships, the onboard experience is incredibly different - service still excellent, but facilities like choices of bars and therefore entertainment can be limited. They're charming in their own way

 

 

Re Seaview... we've booked the maiden voyage :)

[Beamafar]

Welcome back Bea! I know what you mean about the small ships, the onboard experience is incredibly different - service still excellent, but facilities like choices of bars and therefore entertainment can be limited. They're charming in their own way

 

 

Re Seaview... we've booked the maiden voyage :)

 

Hi Tim ............. Cheers ;) There was a terrific married couple singing in the Sinfonia lounge who we had amazing craic with. They were from Zimbabwe but had 'Ireland' as their country on their MSC badges as they have Irish passports! We had a good laugh about the fact that they're probably the only ones on any MSC ship showing that as their country of origin........... The entertainers in Manhattan were hit and miss!

 

With regards to your Seaview maiden voyage - I hope it works out for you! I thought I'd booked the maiden voyage on Meraviglia 'til they brought the launch date forward :rolleyes: I'm not too bothered at this stage as I got the 20% Black Card discontinued discount at the time of booking (June 2015) plus I had a €10 Future Cruise Voucher (also since discontinued) which gives me €400 OBC. Now, if this new, all-inclusive drinks policy in YC being extended to the rest of the ship in "Summer 2017" comes into effect at the time of sailing, I'll be a very happy cruiser indeed! I usually buy the Allegrissimo package when in YC which the OBC would cover - it'd be nice to have that €400 to spend elsewhere.

 

As for the Seaview - as she's doing the same itinerary in 2018 as Meraviglia is in 2017 I'll probably give it a miss. I'd love to try her out as Seaside looks amazing ............. we won't go to the US to cruise on Seaside .......... I just wish the itinerary was different. One of our criteria for travel is access to duty-free which her route doesn't provide for.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Beamafar

[1fifthavenue]

i hear ya there re duty free!! We got some bargains in Gibraltar off Splendida, with some to bring home and some to drink during our stay in Italy.

 

There's a good deal on the repositioning of Seaside I saw yesterday, but with the new design of ship being an 'unknown quantity' to us at the minute 21 days might be a bit much - off the deck plans it looks like there may not be that many bar areas etc - I'd worry about overcrowding, so the 5 nights on Seaview will be a good way to try it.

 

I think if it was Meraviglia then I'd have booked it, as it looks like they've taken the best bits of Fantasia and added more

[glittergal1]

Ive booked a 6 day on Seaview for November 2018, (price seemed to good to miss ):) is the ship going to be exactly the same as Seaside?

[Beamafar]

Ive booked a 6 day on Seaview for November 2018, (price seemed to good to miss ):) is the ship going to be exactly the same as Seaside?

 

As Seaview will be Seaside's sister ship, she'll be practically identical.

[glittergal1]

In that case I will wait patiently for photographs videos and reviews of Seaside :)

[geniedoc1]

we have booked a super plus cabin (3 rooms in total) ..... on the seaview june 2018..... for hubbys 40th birthday. So their is us in one cabin,then 3 kids in another and then my 2 sister in laws sharing the 3rd............ we are travelling from ireland and looking forward to a bit of "craic" ......... we are msc virgins so to speak , we have cruised with royal carribean before but that was child free and for our honeymoon so I am expecting a different holiiday now x

 

please can you enlighten me to this fantistica package ...... only on here tonight have i heard of it my travel agent didnnt mention it .....also msc whats the gauge on drinks packages what should i expect thanks so much for your help

[geniedoc1]

hi suron, what packages/perks did you avail of booking a super plus cabin x thanks in advance

[sidari]

Geniedoc ... Take a look at the pinned thread at the top of the main board by Skier, he has listed all the packages in there.

[calgaryhhr]

Does anyone know what Seaview is doing from Nov 2018 to March 2019? I might be interested in a Feb 2019 sailing in the Med if Seaview is there and if we have a good experience on our Seaside cruise scheduled for Feb 2018.

[Beamafar]

we have booked a super plus cabin (3 rooms in total) ..... on the seaview june 2018..... for hubbys 40th birthday. So their is us in one cabin,then 3 kids in another and then my 2 sister in laws sharing the 3rd............ we are travelling from ireland and looking forward to a bit of "craic" ......... we are msc virgins so to speak , we have cruised with royal carribean before but that was child free and for our honeymoon so I am expecting a different holiiday now x

 

please can you enlighten me to this fantistica package ...... only on here tonight have i heard of it my travel agent didnnt mention it ....

 

Here's a link to the MSC Ireland webpage explaining 'Fares by Experience'

 

http://www.msccruises.ie/en-ie/Cruise-Deals/Our-Fares.aspx

 

According to the website, the only "Experience" available in a Super Family Plus cabin is 'Fantastica'.

 

http://www.msccruises.ie/en-ie/Cruise-Ships/MSC-Seaview.aspx

 

also msc whats the gauge on drinks packages what should i expect thanks so much for your help

 

Here's a link to the drinks package prices

 

http://www.msccruises.ie/en-ie/Already-Booked/Cruise-Upgrade/All-Inclusive-Packages.aspx

Edited February 14, 2017 by Beamafar

[Beamafar]

Does anyone know what Seaview is doing from Nov 2018 to March 2019? I might be interested in a Feb 2019 sailing in the Med if Seaview is there and if we have a good experience on our Seaside cruise scheduled for Feb 2018.

 

AFAIK MSC hasn't released that info yet. From the dates she's sailing in the Med in November and the itineraries ending mid-month on the website, I'd hazard a guess that she'll do a repo to warmer climes - she's built, like Seaside, "to follow the sun" unlike Meraviglia which is an all-weather ship.

[sidari]

Seaview is currently to sail from Genoa to Santos on November 18th 2018 on a 19 day cruise.

 

The return will depart on March 30th and be in Genoa on April 14th for 16 days.

 

That is the info from the 2018/19 UK online brochure.

[Beamafar]

Now that you say it, Dave, I think that was posted here before. It's not on the website in the 'Plan & Book' section. :( I could be very tempted to do one of those repos - if the price is right, of course.

[sidari]

YC Deluxe is £3,579 pp .... :eek:

 

Aurea Suite is £2,579 ... :eek:

 

Prices from June to November for the Med cruise, the prices remain the same for every week in that period, under 2 Free, upto age 11, £119 and 12 to 17 £160 when sharing a cabin with two adults.

Edited February 14, 2017 by sidari

[Beamafar]

YC Deluxe is £3,579 pp .... :eek:

 

Aurea Suite is £2,579 ... :eek:

 

God be with the days when you could get the £25/£30/£35 specials on repos, eh?

 

As for the Med sailings - I haven't seen any decent special offers for Meraviglia so far for this year, either, and the prices are ridiculous for a Med cruise in November - which leads me to believe that Seaview will be pricy, too. I'd love to give her a try but, between the itinerary and the current rates, there's no way I'd book a Med cruise on her.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Beamafar

[sidari]

Those prices will come down before then for a while, the Divina return to Miami in 2018 looks a decent route with 1.5 days in Ponta Delgada, 2 days time wise in Bermuda and two days in NYC.

 

The Bella Inside start at £1,299 but the YC deluxe suite is £4,209 ... :eek:

 

Looks like the prices have begun to increase in order to pay for the new ships.

[Beamafar]

After our experience with US immigration on Divina in 2015, never again! I imagine things are only going to get worse in that regard. Such a shame, as I do like that itinerary.

 

There's a great deal on offer here at the moment for the Seaside's crossing to Miami, but, again, for the same reason, I've passed on it, even though I would luv to try her. I'll bide my time, though, 'til reviews start coming in and will keep an eye on the Seaview repo prices. If they're both favourable I may book one.

[Beamafar]

Good points re itinerary. As a 3rd cruise next year is off the cards, l might consider a new ship in 2018. The early booking discount of 5%+5% was tempting but l will hold off, l think...for now! Ken

 

So, Ken - have you given Seaview any more thought? Would you consider one of the repos?

 

Prices this year for Med cruises are certainly looking a lot more pricey than they used to. It looks like MSC is determined to have people pay to have all-inclusive drinks packages, with OBC and internet access included whether they want them or not under the 'Get more, get all' promotion. As Sidari has said

Looks like the prices have begun to increase in order to pay for the new ships.

[CruiseIreland]

So, Ken - have you given Seaview any more thought? Would you consider one of the repos?

 

Prices this year for Med cruises are certainly looking a lot more pricey than they used to.

You've nailed it there Bea. Also, herself refuses to venture into the Atlantic or TA. The kind of deals l got for Sinfonia and Splendida are nowhere to be seen...yet! Patience my boy! Patience!