Review of MSC Seaside 12/23/17-1/6/18, SuperfamilyPlus, Menu, Dailies, Food Pr0n,Etc.

[helen haywood]

Thank you so much for your wonderful review!!! I'm so glad your MIL finally got the warm Christmas she'd dreamed of! [emoji41]

 

 

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[seaweeyin]

Thank you for the great answers to my questions. Which night/port was Italian Night for dinner?

 

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Italian night was Tuesday night both weeks.

[seaweeyin]

Thank you! I just ordered the all inclusive deluxe drink packages for my wife and I. I have two more questions for you. I have my two daughters 8 and 10 coming with us. Did MSC make/require you to purchase non-alcoholic drink packages for your kids as a rule when purchasing your adult packages? The website says these are the terms and conditions but the phone rep who sold me the drink packages said we didn't have to buy our kids a version of it. Also, was your room service food free with the all-inclusive deluxe beverage package as it states in the terms? Thanks so much in advance!

 

Yes, we were required to purchase the kids' packages. I won't be surprised if your phone rep gave you incorrect information, as the experiences across the board that I've seen have required everyone in the same cabin to have the packages. Our room service was indeed free....but then again, it looks like all room service is, lol. There were no prices in the room service menu other than the pizza, which we didn't try. That was one of those drink package "extras" that got a side-eye from me.

[JayceeP]

I really liked how you highlight the positive experiences on the trip yet identified, but did not overweight, the negatives. Someone else with your exact same experience could have come on here and said, "MSC sucks. They left puke all over my room, the lines for guest services were impossible, the technology sucked in the kids club etc etc etc". Hopefully the people who are threatening to cancel their reservations get a chance to read your review. I know this is all a matter of opinion, but you clearly took a lot of time to do this so it is much appreciated it.

[seaweeyin]

Seaweeyin,

 

Thanks loads for your review. DW Pat and I set sail 2/10/2018, and are looking forward to the trip, and we will also be doing 14 days.

 

If you don't mind, one question is still unanswered. I like to get up early and have a cappucino and pastry while DW is getting ready. Is there anyplace open that early to relax over a nice cuppa?

 

Stan

 

I've decided 14 days is a really nice length for a cruise! Enjoy your holiday!

 

The place to get your espresso fix in the early hours is the Seaside Bar on deck 5 in the atrium. It opens at 6:30 a.m. and there's a small selection of pastries on offer, as well. Croissants, chocolate croissants, mini muffins, fruit pastries, etc.

[seaweeyin]

On a video of the Breakfast Buffet offerings when they showed the bar in the buffet where they make drinks and it looked like espressos given there was a large espresso machine which could make several at one time. They had a sign on the counter which said they had fresh squeezed orange juice there. I didn't spot a juicer I recognized but the video only showed a glimpse of that area.

 

Sorry to jump in, Seaweeyin. Really appreciate your review with all the juicy details and photos. Thankfully my phone is somewhat water tolerant as I have been drooling over all those lovely photos of the food.

 

No worries on jumping in!! We weren't able to order fresh squeezed orange juice from the buffet bar, but yes, they make espresso drinks there.

[seaweeyin]

We went to Butcher's Cut the next evening, using the first of our specialty dining trio package. The menu has been posted on these boards a couple times, so I didn't take photos of it. Instead, here's a photo of the bone marrow starter and of the flat iron steak, a couple bites removed. Sorry about that. I've seen some ask about the three course menu and while they direct you to one starter, one main, and one dessert, I asked and was told we could order two starters instead of a dessert. About half our party took them up on that offer. I went for the chocolate lava cake which was goooood.

 

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[seaweeyin]

Oops, forgot the photos. Here they are. Wish we could have taken those bones home for our puppies! For my side I got the Brussels sprouts, but they were mushy. Next time I would get the jalapeno creamed corn. Sounds intriguing.

 

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[seaweeyin]

The next day was Nassau, and we got off for a couple hours to walk around the town and buy some hot sauce. Back on the ship, we had another day of water slides and pool fun. Regarding the size and capacity of the ship, other than the very first day when the atrium was overwhelmingly busy, I never felt like I was on vacation with 5000 of my closest friends. The ship's spaces do a great job of spreading people out, and even though there aren't a ton of events on during the day, people were obviously occupied. This is the first day I remembered to take a picture of the daily, so I'll post that in the next post.

 

At home, our family eats together at the dinner table nearly every night. With our late dining time and the length of the meals, the kids had been eating with kid's club as often as with us. We weren't offered the Happy Time Dining, specifically, but the dinner together time is listed in the kid's clubs schedule, so we just took the kiddos up around 6-6:30 and picked them up after we ate and had some drinks. My Tween was feeling the separation a bit and asked if we could just all go to the buffet together for dinner on this particular night, so that's what we did.

 

Since the buffet on deck 8 is closed during dinner hours to accommodate a third table service venue, the only other dinner option is the Biscayne Buffet on deck 16. Yes, this is the smaller buffet. On the night we went, there was the fantastic pizza, two types of burgers (one basic and one with caramelized onions and bacon), hot dogs, salads, sandwiches and wraps, soup, a rotating pot pie filling with baked puff pastry to top your bowlful, various meats and cheeses, and various desserts. Those items were always available, though the flavors would change up. There was also 2-3 different pasta dishes, plus the night's theme foods. On the night we went, the theme was Indian, so there was a lamb curry, chicken biriyani, and several vegetable curries. I peeked in a couple other nights when we were in the area to grab Toddler from kid's club and saw a Chinese food night with sweet and sour pork, Chinese steamed fish, sesame stir fried vegetables, and spring rolls, and another night saw Greek food with moussaka and feta stuffed tomatoes. There were other things, but those were what I saw with a quick glance.

 

Is it enough for those who don't ever want to do sit down dinner? I don't know. It would be for me, but I know others like a very large buffet selection. I think even if MSC opened the deck 8 buffet for dinner, things like a mongolian grill or build a burrito section wouldn't come along. It just doesn't fit with MSC's culture. I'm okay with that and appreciate that MSC has a unique culture. Others feel differently and that's fine--differences make the world go round!

[seaweeyin]

Daily for Nassau.

 

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[seaweeyin]

Mini club and juniors club schedules for the second week (western Caribbean)

 

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[Mpls35]

Awesome info, and so helpful! Some more q’s if you don’t mind:

 

Did toddler enjoy BabyCare? Were the hours as represented? Were there beepers if you needed to come pick up?

 

What Chicco products were available for use? Strollers? PNP? Did you take a stroller off the ship?

 

Were you able to get dinner done in an hourish? Was service slow?

 

Thanks! Traveling this Saturday with toddler and tween and extended fam. Taking lots of notes from your post!

 

 

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[seaweeyin]

We had planned on doing the HOHO bus in Miami because my FIL loves a good HOHO bus! However, the weather was poor, so instead we decided to grab Lyfts and check out South Beach. Those who want to stay on the ship still have to go through immigration, but you'll gather in a designated spot and get off, then back on again, together. We went with the regular disembarking masses and waited in a not-terrible line to get to the street. Our rides found us easily and we were off to do a touch of shopping and walk to the beach. Back on the ship--very quick and painless back through security--we prepped for our stroke of genius: specialty dining! After the madness of the first Saturday in the main dining rooms, we decided we wanted nothing to do with that and went to Ocean Cay, instead. Drinks in my favorite bar first, of course, then the seafood.

 

This is another menu that has been posted on these boards before, but no one seemed to know what the dining package covered since there wasn't a dedicated Dining Plan section. Turns out, you simply get to choose one thing from each category--one from First Dive, one from The Sea, one from Dive Depper. The single exception is the Loup de Mer. As with Butcher's Cut, we asked about the possibility of ordering two starters instead of a dessert and this was granted, as long as we picked one started from the top half of the starter section and one from the bottom half. Most agreeable.

 

Dear reader, this meal was truly excellent. Even the wacky, ultra-long bibs we got added to the ambiance of a beautiful restaurant and a fantastic menu. Our table ordered the 12 oysters, the crab selection, the yellowfin, and the minute tart. For mains, there was the seabass and the 12 hot oysters. They did not have the soft shell crabs the night we went. Everything was delectable. The oysters were fresh and bright, the crab sweet (the snow crab was the best--it often is!), the yellowfin was a huge portion and beautifully creamy and seasoned, even the vegetable tart was excellent. The mains were fresh and well-prepared and we all left feeling like this was a great bargain.

[seaweeyin]

ocean cay:

 

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[seaweeyin]

Awesome info, and so helpful! Some more q’s if you don’t mind:

 

Did toddler enjoy BabyCare? Were the hours as represented? Were there beepers if you needed to come pick up?

 

What Chicco products were available for use? Strollers? PNP? Did you take a stroller off the ship?

 

Were you able to get dinner done in an hourish? Was service slow?

 

Thanks! Traveling this Saturday with toddler and tween and extended fam. Taking lots of notes from your post!

 

 

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Thanks for reading! Toddler was in the mini club, so we didn't use the BabyCare service. We also didn't use any Chicco products. Sorry can't answer those questions. Toddler loved mini club! he talked about dance parties, playing with legos, face painting (well, we saw that one, too!), and the theme events like Halloween night and pirates night. The hours were true to the printed schedule.

 

Even when dinner service felt well-paced, it still took about an hour and a half start to finish. We do tend to linger a touch, so you might be able to shave 15-20 minutes off our average if you're in more of a hurry.

 

Have a wonderful time with all your family!!! I think this ship does offer a lot of great things for families.

[riclop]

The next day was Nassau, and we got off for a couple hours to walk around the town and buy some hot sauce. Back on the ship, we had another day of water slides and pool fun. Regarding the size and capacity of the ship, other than the very first day when the atrium was overwhelmingly busy, I never felt like I was on vacation with 5000 of my closest friends. The ship's spaces do a great job of spreading people out, and even though there aren't a ton of events on during the day, people were obviously occupied. This is the first day I remembered to take a picture of the daily, so I'll post that in the next post.

 

At home, our family eats together at the dinner table nearly every night. With our late dining time and the length of the meals, the kids had been eating with kid's club as often as with us. We weren't offered the Happy Time Dining, specifically, but the dinner together time is listed in the kid's clubs schedule, so we just took the kiddos up around 6-6:30 and picked them up after we ate and had some drinks. My Tween was feeling the separation a bit and asked if we could just all go to the buffet together for dinner on this particular night, so that's what we did.

 

Since the buffet on deck 8 is closed during dinner hours to accommodate a third table service venue, the only other dinner option is the Biscayne Buffet on deck 16. Yes, this is the smaller buffet. On the night we went, there was the fantastic pizza, two types of burgers (one basic and one with caramelized onions and bacon), hot dogs, salads, sandwiches and wraps, soup, a rotating pot pie filling with baked puff pastry to top your bowlful, various meats and cheeses, and various desserts. Those items were always available, though the flavors would change up. There was also 2-3 different pasta dishes, plus the night's theme foods. On the night we went, the theme was Indian, so there was a lamb curry, chicken biriyani, and several vegetable curries. I peeked in a couple other nights when we were in the area to grab Toddler from kid's club and saw a Chinese food night with sweet and sour pork, Chinese steamed fish, sesame stir fried vegetables, and spring rolls, and another night saw Greek food with moussaka and feta stuffed tomatoes. There were other things, but those were what I saw with a quick glance.

 

Is it enough for those who don't ever want to do sit down dinner? I don't know. It would be for me, but I know others like a very large buffet selection. I think even if MSC opened the deck 8 buffet for dinner, things like a mongolian grill or build a burrito section wouldn't come along. It just doesn't fit with MSC's culture. I'm okay with that and appreciate that MSC has a unique culture. Others feel differently and that's fine--differences make the world go round!

Thanks for letting us know that there are other option in the evening buffet besides hot dogs hamburgers and rolls like the Admiral stated.

[windlicht]

What a great balanced review. Sounds like some hiccups but you “dinna lose yer headie” when something wasn’t perfect. [emoji6]

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Hahahaha. :') I completely agree. Reading some reviews, one cannot help but feel sorry for the unfortunate author who let him- or herself be bothered so much by imperfection.

[windlicht]

OMG, thank you so much for this delightful and soooo informative review! I wish CruiseCritic had "like" or "Love" buttons for discussion posts :-) Thanks a lot!

[EssG]

Hahahaha. :') I completely agree. Reading some reviews, one cannot help but feel sorry for the unfortunate author who let him- or herself be bothered so much by imperfection.

 

Was thinking exactly that myself windlich ....."Attitude" has a lot to do with it IMO ;p ...FANTASTIC balanced review seaweeyin ...cant wait for our cruise in April where I am not expecting everything to be "perfect" , but know it will still a heap of fun and much better than being home and working :cool:

[EssG]

OMG, thank you so much for this delightful and soooo informative review! I wish CruiseCritic had "like" or "Love" buttons for discussion posts :-) Thanks a lot!

 

Me to windlicht <3

[lifeasme123]

OP (Seaweeyin) thanks again for the great posts. I have a few questions:

 

1. Are there any free food venues that are opened late?

2. For the Kids Clubs - were there a lot of English speaking kids?

3. Is Lobster Night available on all cruises, or was it a special for Christmas Eve?

4. Did you eat at Butcher's Cut?

 

Thanks!

Edited January 9, 2018 by lifeasme123

[scottygirl]

Hahahaha. :') I completely agree. Reading some reviews, one cannot help but feel sorry for the unfortunate author who let him- or herself be bothered so much by imperfection.

 

I am beginning to think Seaweeyin was on a different cruise than others! ;)

[scottygirl]

ocean cay:

 

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I am so glad we booked the Trio Specialty dining! That looks marvelous and those oysters are going to make my husband very happy! Did you happen to notice if there was a non-seafood dish for my seafood hating daughter? (not sure who's genes she got ) Also, I pre-booked our dining and they told me I couldn't book the first night. Not sure why.

[voyager89]

I am so glad we booked the Trio Specialty dining! That looks marvelous and those oysters are going to make my husband very happy! Did you happen to notice if there was a non-seafood dish for my seafood hating daughter? (not sure who's genes she got ) Also, I pre-booked our dining and they told me I couldn't book the first night. Not sure why.

 

This is straight from the Ocean Cay menu:

 

If you do not eat fish or seafood, please tell your waiter who will be happyto arrange an alternative

 

So while there are no items listed on the menu as it is, you can certainly have something done for her (or probably brought from another venue). I´ve been thinking of getting the trio but my husband won´t eat ANY seafood at all as well, so even with that option I´m still unsure if it will be worth it.

[scottygirl]

This is straight from the Ocean Cay menu:

 

If you do not eat fish or seafood, please tell your waiter who will be happyto arrange an alternative

 

So while there are no items listed on the menu as it is, you can certainly have something done for her (or probably brought from another venue). I´ve been thinking of getting the trio but my husband won´t eat ANY seafood at all as well, so even with that option I´m still unsure if it will be worth it.

 

Thank you. Out of the six of us she is the only one who objects so she will just have to eat what they offer!