How can there be such widely varied opinions of the Seaside?

[bonagrad]

Again, one person wrote there were troubles with the toilets not flushing and everyone assumes that the whole place smells of sewage. I am on deck 16 and , yes, our toilet didn’t flush for a total of 3 minutes!!!! You know what I did? I waited and then it worked!!! I assume someone tried to flush something they shouldn’t have and they had to stop the system long enough snake it through and then they started it back up again. Honestly people calm down! If you are looking for problems you WILL find them. I prefer to enjoy my vacation.

 

Yes, this!!! I've seen toilet issues on other lines, mainly Princess and Celebrity. It's a rather sensitive system and you're right, if someone flushes something they shouldn't, it can muck up the system.

 

As for the YC vs. non-YC, I think it's unfair to people to say you'll be treated poorly outside of YC. Let people judge for themselves. Some of us choose cheaper cabins so we can cruise more often. We sail in April, not in YC and I'm confident we'll have a great time. Could we do YC, sure, but we are able to also do a 10 day cruise on Princess later in the year.

 

Finally, go back an look at the early reviews for ships like Anthem. I'd venture to say they were even worse than Seaside. People hated Anthem, especially the original dinning setup. Reviews on new ship balance out over time.

[waterlove1234]

Ok, now I'm starting to get frustrated.

 

I did not sail Seaside as a Yacht Club member.

 

I did smell the sewage smell a few times, once very very badly.

 

I had trouble communicating with the staff.

 

I did not have real butter in the dining room or buffet.

 

I had problems flushing toilets some times.

 

It was cold and rainy almost every day.

 

I had a FANTASTIC time!

 

I love everything about the ship layout, it's the most easy and intuitive ship I've ever been on.

 

Our room steward was a HERO. Absolutely amazing.

 

Our server in the dining room was so fantastic, he made every single night more enjoyable.

 

Stop cancelling your cruises because people let the smallest, meaningless things ruin their entire cruise! The layout of this ship, and the amount of outdoor space is so wonderful. I would love to see other cruise lines take this lead from MSC and design similar ships that feature outdoor space more than indoor money-making areas inside. Others block off the general public from the exterior in order to shove in more balcony rooms, which is not my cup of tea. This ship is perfect in so many ways but people are being sensitive about the most ridiculous things. Even if it's not the ideal cruise for you, some of us are cheering for MSC and their new ship.

 

Ok, rant over. I understand that I can't force everyone to like their experience, I completely understand that many people had a bad time and want to express their frustrations. But for everyone reading, pleasepleaseplease take it all with a grain of salt! Those people are not you, and you are not those people.You booked because you were intrigued by something different. Give it a try and don't go in looking for everything bad. Many people had a great time but it'smuch more likely people will post negatives than positives. Give it a chance. Decide for yourself.

Edited January 26, 2018 by waterlove1234
spell check...

[TravelinGert]

Firstly I think it is wrong to dismiss negative reviews as 'crybabies' or 'whiners'.

 

Yes it is possible they had unrealistic expectations. Or perhaps they just had bad luck. I read somewhere a number (think they said 17?) of crew members have been fired and more walked off the job already on Seaside. Perhaps they drew a particularly inexperienced new hire or a particularly disgruntled soon-to-be former employee.

 

This is why it is important to read many and look for commonalities. And I do see some rather striking commonalities in all Seaside reviews. Some of these are positives, some are negatives, and some only pertain to specific aspects. It is even possible the issue is something I can solve by my own initiative.

 

Mainly I want to know where you are all coming up with MSC is soooo much cheaper. I seriously am not seeing this now. I mean sure they're cheaper than certain lux lines but they seem to hit about the same price point as Royal for a similar cruise at least on the dates I have examined, and if I'm more flexible I can get a Carnival cheaper. I've got a couple of cruises I would like to book and I'd probably be ok with a YC inside if it were at all cheaper.

[windlicht]

Ok, now I'm starting to getfrustrated.

 

I did not sail Seaside as a Yacht Club member.

 

I did smell the sewage smell a few times, once very very badly.

 

I had trouble communicating with the staff.

 

I did not have real butter in the dining room or buffet.

 

I had problems flushing toilets some times.

 

It was cold and rainy almost every day.

 

I had a FANTASTIC time!

 

I love everything about the ship layout, it's the most easy and intuitive shipI've ever been on.

 

Our room steward was a HERO. Absolutely amazing.

 

Our server in the dining room was so fantastic, he made every single night moreenjoyable.

 

Stop cancelling your cruises because people let the smallest, meaninglessthings ruin their entire cruise! The layout of this ship, and the amount ofoutdoor space is so wonderful. I would love to see other cruise lines take thislead from MSC and design similar ships that feature outdoor space more thanindoor money-making areas inside. Others block off the general public from theexterior in order to shove in more balcony rooms, which is not my cup of tea.This ship is perfect in so many ways but people are being sensitive about themost ridiculous things. Even if it's not the ideal cruise for you, some of usare cheering for MSC and their new ship.

 

Ok, rant over. I understand that I can't force everyone to like their experience,I completely understand that many people had a bad time and want to expresstheir frustrations. But for everyone reading, pleasepleaseplease take it allwith a grain of salt! Those people are not you, and you are not those people.You booked because you were intrigued by something different. Give it a try anddon't go in looking for everything bad. Many people had a great time but it'smuch more likely people will post negatives than positives. Give it a chance.Decide for yourself.

 

Thank you!

I second that!

[Spaniel Lover]

43 cruises is impressive, how long were they and where?

 

If you simply expand my signature at the bottom of any of my posts, you'll get the full list, with links to full reviews of each cruise. I'll update my signature with the MSC Seaside cruise as soon as I have a full review to link to. Also, at my web site at www.jimzim.net there is a full list of all my cruises, too... and links to the reviews. I also have a YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/JimZimmerlin with quite a few videos taken on my various cruises.

 

Someone asked what was the 2nd worst cruise of the 43 cruises...

 

It was a long time ago, on the Norwegian Star. They just didn't have their act together on that ship at that time. It may be much improved now, I don't know. But at that point, they had lots of logistical problems and their food and entertainment was inferior to the solid cruising experience that Carnival offered at that time. We had done several Carnival cruises previously, and thought we'd try Norwegian to see how it compared. In those days, and this was a LONG time ago, it compared poorly. It was a long time after that before I decided to give Norwegian another try... and by the time I eventually did, they had come a LONG way in improving both the quality of the new ships they were building and the quality of the cruising experience they offered. These days, I consider Norwegian my main cruise line.

 

My plan with MSC now is similar. It will be a long time before I'll cruise with MSC, after what I saw on the Seaside. But if years from now I'm reading that they've made strides, I could see myself giving the Yacht Club a try... since I like Norwegian's Haven so much.

[DCGuy64]

Ok, now I'm starting to get frustrated.

 

I did not sail Seaside as a Yacht Club member.

 

I did smell the sewage smell a few times, once very very badly.

 

I had trouble communicating with the staff.

 

I did not have real butter in the dining room or buffet.

 

I had problems flushing toilets some times.

 

It was cold and rainy almost every day.

 

I had a FANTASTIC time!

 

I love everything about the ship layout, it's the most easy and intuitive ship I've ever been on.

 

Our room steward was a HERO. Absolutely amazing.

 

Our server in the dining room was so fantastic, he made every single night more enjoyable.

 

Stop cancelling your cruises because people let the smallest, meaningless things ruin their entire cruise! The layout of this ship, and the amount of outdoor space is so wonderful. I would love to see other cruise lines take this lead from MSC and design similar ships that feature outdoor space more than indoor money-making areas inside. Others block off the general public from the exterior in order to shove in more balcony rooms, which is not my cup of tea. This ship is perfect in so many ways but people are being sensitive about the most ridiculous things. Even if it's not the ideal cruise for you, some of us are cheering for MSC and their new ship.

 

Ok, rant over. I understand that I can't force everyone to like their experience, I completely understand that many people had a bad time and want to express their frustrations. But for everyone reading, pleasepleaseplease take it all with a grain of salt! Those people are not you, and you are not those people.You booked because you were intrigued by something different. Give it a try and don't go in looking for everything bad. Many people had a great time but it'smuch more likely people will post negatives than positives. Give it a chance. Decide for yourself.

 

 

 

Thank you, it’s easy for people to harp on the negatives (human nature, I guess), but the positives are what make life interesting. Thanks!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[riclop]

I have never seen such polarized reviews about a cruise ship. Some loved the Seaside and some hated it. The weighting in opinions seem almost 50/50.

 

very strange

It was the same way with the Divina yet we choose to go and form our own opinion and loved it so much we have gone back 7x. We take these reviews very lightly because like you said either you love or hate it.

[BestNC Cruiser]

If you simply expand my signature at the bottom of any of my posts, you'll get the full list, with links to full reviews of each cruise. I'll update my signature with the MSC Seaside cruise as soon as I have a full review to link to. Also, at my web site at www.jimzim.net there is a full list of all my cruises, too... and links to the reviews. I also have a YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/JimZimmerlin with quite a few videos taken on my various cruises.

 

 

 

Someone asked what was the 2nd worst cruise of the 43 cruises...

 

 

 

It was a long time ago, on the Norwegian Star. They just didn't have their act together on that ship at that time. It may be much improved now, I don't know. But at that point, they had lots of logistical problems and their food and entertainment was inferior to the solid cruising experience that Carnival offered at that time. We had done several Carnival cruises previously, and thought we'd try Norwegian to see how it compared. In those days, and this was a LONG time ago, it compared poorly. It was a long time after that before I decided to give Norwegian another try... and by the time I eventually did, they had come a LONG way in improving both the quality of the new ships they were building and the quality of the cruising experience they offered. These days, I consider Norwegian my main cruise line.

 

 

 

My plan with MSC now is similar. It will be a long time before I'll cruise with MSC, after what I saw on the Seaside. But if years from now I'm reading that they've made strides, I could see myself giving the Yacht Club a try... since I like Norwegian's Haven so much.

 

 

 

Looking forward to your review. I will read it just as I have read all the others. I have not been on nearly as many cruises as you. That is the reason that I personally have opted to cancel my trip on the seaside. With so many cruise ship experiences ahead of me, I choose to stick with cruise ships that are overall well reviewed and fit the blueprint of what I am looking for. I’m in the good position of not having to take a chance on a new ship that may or may not be having issues. I’ll get to a MSC cruise eventually.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Hi Nunagoras,

Thanks for your insight and viewpoint from your region of the world. I think you are correct, from your perspective, MSC is filling the niche market in Europe. MSC is unique because they are offering cruises from almost all the major ports in Europe. They are embarking and disembarking passengers all along their cruise route and that is a new twist. MSC is making cruising accessible to all Europeans and that one fact is expanding their market. There is, however, a bigger story unfolding. About a dozen years ago MSC set up its American Division and that has been growing steadily ever since. Cruising in America is just getting started. I have not looked at the numbers recently but I know it is safe to say that at least 80% of Americans have yet to take their first cruise. I am willing to bet that less than 10% of Europeans have gone on a cruise. Top these numbers off with the fact that the first consideration of a novice cruiser (a newbie) is price. Add to this that MSC will continue to improve their product. All the mass market lines answer to a corporate board of directors who answer to stockholders. These mass market lines continue to squeeze the numbers to fatten the bottom line and reward the board and the stockholders. MSC is a privately owned corporation that is family owned and can make decisions and indulge in expenses that the other lines cannot. Ask yourself how much tweeking it would take to make MSC a formidable competitor. My prediction for MSC is a very healthy and successful future that will offer a superior product at a reasonable price. If America continues on the path to an economic boom there will be a lot more newbies taking their first cruise, not to mention the increase of repeat business.

Edited January 26, 2018 by CGTNORMANDIE

[Spaniel Lover]

I have not been on nearly as many cruises as you. That is the reason that I personally have opted to cancel my trip on the seaside. With so many cruise ship experiences ahead of me, I choose to stick with cruise ships that are overall well reviewed and fit the blueprint of what I am looking for.

I think that's a smart move, and it's basically what I'm advising my American friends who might be considering cruising on MSC Seaside. There are SO MANY other great cruise ships sailing out of Florida... ships with fantastic designs... and experienced crews where you simply will not have the logistical and customer service problems that are happening on MSC Seaside. I'm talking about ships that are tailored to an American audience, with excellent entertainment that will be right up your alley, and food designed for American tastes. Ships such as Norwegian Escape, Carnival Vista, and Harmony Of The Seas. Go on those ships, and you will not be anywhere near as frustrated as I think you'll be on MSC Seaside.

[lcpagejr]

I think that's a smart move, and it's basically what I'm advising my American friends who might be considering cruising on MSC Seaside. There are SO MANY other great cruise ships sailing out of Florida... ships with fantastic designs... and experienced crews where you simply will not have the logistical and customer service problems that are happening on MSC Seaside. I'm talking about ships that are tailored to an American audience, with excellent entertainment that will be right up your alley, and food designed for American tastes. Ships such as Norwegian Escape, Carnival Vista, and Harmony Of The Seas. Go on those ships, and you will not be anywhere near as frustrated as I think you'll be on MSC Seaside.

 

 

I was waiting to hear from Jim....This feedback clinches it for me. Jim is a very logical and objective reviewer.... I've followed him on 4 ships...utilizing his tips and recommendations...Never steered me wrong. Worst cruise out of 43??? No thank you. Someone else can have my cabin. I'm out!!

[riclop]

ok, now i'm starting to get frustrated.

 

I did not sail seaside as a yacht club member.

 

I did smell the sewage smell a few times, once very very badly.

 

I had trouble communicating with the staff.

 

I did not have real butter in the dining room or buffet.

 

I had problems flushing toilets some times.

 

It was cold and rainy almost every day.

 

I had a fantastic time!

 

I love everything about the ship layout, it's the most easy and intuitive ship i've ever been on.

 

Our room steward was a hero. Absolutely amazing.

 

Our server in the dining room was so fantastic, he made every single night more enjoyable.

 

Stop cancelling your cruises because people let the smallest, meaningless things ruin their entire cruise! The layout of this ship, and the amount of outdoor space is so wonderful. I would love to see other cruise lines take this lead from msc and design similar ships that feature outdoor space more than indoor money-making areas inside. Others block off the general public from the exterior in order to shove in more balcony rooms, which is not my cup of tea. This ship is perfect in so many ways but people are being sensitive about the most ridiculous things. Even if it's not the ideal cruise for you, some of us are cheering for msc and their new ship.

 

Ok, rant over. I understand that i can't force everyone to like their experience, i completely understand that many people had a bad time and want to express their frustrations. But for everyone reading, pleasepleaseplease take it all with a grain of salt! Those people are not you, and you are not those people.you booked because you were intrigued by something different. Give it a try and don't go in looking for everything bad. Many people had a great time but it'smuch more likely people will post negatives than positives. Give it a chance. Decide for yourself.

very well stated !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DAJedu]

I think something that is frustrating me is the idea that I should have to pay to, 'let things go'. MSC marketed Seaside in a VERY specific way. It isn't that I have unreasonable expectations, they literally set those expectations.

 

I guess if I were retired or not so busy I might be more willing to hand over my money and accept that toilets may or may not flush, that there may or may not be a sewage smell, it may or may not take over two hours to eat. I'm not. I work literally seven days a week, every week, 50 or so weeks a year. That isn't a bad thing, I love what I do. However, my vacation time is precious. I don't expect perfection - I cruise on Royal, NCL, and sometimes Carnival. I know at my price point - I am not going to get perfection. My price point varies - we generally do balcony cabins or suites (just had a 2 bedroom Royal Family Suite on Oasis). We also have a Viking Ocean cruise booked for 2019 as a treat for my husband and I. But again, I know what I am walking in to and I know that at the 'family cruise line' price point - there are going to be some issues.

 

However, to me there is a big difference between the occasional hit or miss cabin steward, hit or miss meal - and a systemic sewage smell or the main buffet closing at 3:00 to be turned into another dining room.

 

I appreciate the rants and raving as well as the reviews stating people had a great time - it allows me to better decide how I am going to spend my precious, hard earned vacation time and money. This will be cruise number 21 for me, I am not a newbie to the game. I took my first cruise twenty years ago.

 

We cruise with our minor age children - this will be cruise 10 and 11 for them respectively. Again, knowing what we are walking in to a planning accordingly makes sense. We know Royal and NCL works for our family and we know Carnival is 'tolerable' if it is a very specific kind of ship. What Seaside advertised - strongly, was they were going to take on and compete head-to-head with just those type of ships, the family market.

 

We have an aurea suite booked and I have plenty of time to change my mind (we just booked a NCL cruise as a back-up). Same price for the family, just two balcony rooms on NCL as opposed to a suite on Seaside.

 

My advice to the loyalist as well as the 'laid back' types is - STOP complaining about the complainers. Why? Because the complainers will help folks like ME not annoy folks like YOU by being on a ship that will cause me to complain as well. I am literally befuddled that folks who don't like complainers want to mute 'complainers' that will keep other 'complainers' out of your sacred space. You should ENCOURAGE it.

 

I am a JimZim/Spaniel Fan - fan. His cruising style is similar to my family's style - except we travel with kids. I will pay more for a 'family' cruise line. I can afford a suite on the family cruise line, or get a couple nice balcony rooms. However, I am going on vacation and there are certain things I want for that vacation experience. No, I am not willing to just hand over money to a for profit company and say, "Hey man, screw up and have a sewer smell, I'll just go with the flow." Guess what? YOU don't want me on that ship if it is still smelling like sewer when it is time for me to cruise. I don't want to hurt your 'laid back' vibe by being frustrated because I don't like smelling sewer on cruise 24 hours a day.

 

Again, I don't cruise at the price point to expect perfection. We are a suite or couple balcony rooms on a family cruise line sort of family. In my 21 cruises, it has never been 100% perfect and I don't need it to be perfect. But, there is a minimum level of competence that I need. I 'thought' I was ready to experience something new. I realize from reviews of Seaside that I am not quite ready for the Titanic level 'class' based cruising. Like I said, I am in a aurea suite, but I still don't want to play the 'greater than/less than' game. Even on Royal with the 'suite class' - I wasn't able to control elevators for others simply because I was in a Sky class suite. I know some folks that are cruising with us that are in the Bella rooms. They cruise 4 - 5 times a year and aren't necessarily 'budget' cruisers; they picked those rooms because they were 'trying out' MSC - I know they had no idea they were relegating themselves to possibly eating in the buffet with some table cloths slapped over the top. I am letting them know (they aren't social media type folks) - That is just something that is unheard of in the American market. I am letting them know, Seaside may not be the best choice. Let folks 'whine' so the people that fit the Seaside market find her and the people that don't will choose accordingly and have a better shot at the vacation they are looking for.

Edited January 26, 2018 by DAJedu

[EssG]

Total number of reviews, very tiny compared to the numbers of those who have already sailed, most of whom are not members of CC.

Usually those who shout the loudest in a car accident are the least injured, it appears that this is also the case here coupled with a certain number who are determined not to like MSC regardless of the product. Some people cannot adapt to new things and want what they have at home, so far after 6 cruises on 6 different ships outside of the YC we have had few problems including Seaside over Xmas, we will be on Seaside again at the end of April.

 

Well said Dave

[just erica]

I think something that is frustrating me is the idea that I should have to pay to, 'let things go'. MSC marketed Seaside in a VERY specific way. It isn't that I have unreasonable expectations, they literally set those expectations.

 

I guess if I were retired or not so busy I might be more willing to hand over my money and accept that toilets may or may not flush, that there may or may not be a sewage smell, it may or may not take over two hours to eat. I'm not. I work literally seven days a week, every week, 50 or so weeks a year. That isn't a bad thing, I love what I do. However, my vacation time is precious. I don't expect perfection - I cruise on Royal, NCL, and sometimes Carnival. I know at my price point - I am not going to get perfection. My price point varies - we generally do balcony cabins or suites (just had a 2 bedroom Royal Family Suite on Oasis). We also have a Viking Ocean cruise booked for 2019 as a treat for my husband and I. But again, I know what I am walking in to and I know that at the 'family cruise line' price point - there are going to be some issues.

 

However, to me there is a big difference between the occasional hit or miss cabin steward, hit or miss meal - and a systemic sewage smell or the main buffet closing at 3:00 to be turned into another dining room.

 

I appreciate the rants and raving as well as the reviews stating people had a great time - it allows me to better decide how I am going to spend my precious, hard earned vacation time and money. This will be cruise number 21 for me, I am not a newbie to the game. I took my first cruise twenty years ago.

 

We cruise with our minor age children - this will be cruise 10 and 11 for them respectively. Again, knowing what we are walking in to a planning accordingly makes sense. We know Royal and NCL works for our family and we know Carnival is 'tolerable' if it is a very specific kind of ship. What Seaside advertised - strongly, was they were going to take on and compete head-to-head with just those type of ships, the family market.

 

We have an aurea suite booked and I have plenty of time to change my mind (we just booked a NCL cruise as a back-up). Same price for the family, just two balcony rooms on NCL as opposed to a suite on Seaside.

 

My advice to the loyalist as well as the 'laid back' types is - STOP complaining about the complainers. Why? Because the complainers will help folks like ME not annoy folks like YOU by being on a ship that will cause me to complain as well. I am literally befuddled that folks who don't like complainers want to mute 'complainers' that will keep other 'complainers' out of your sacred space. You should ENCOURAGE it.

 

I am a JimZim/Spaniel Fan - fan. His cruising style is similar to my family's style - except we travel with kids. I will pay more for a 'family' cruise line. I can afford a suite on the family cruise line, or get a couple nice balcony rooms. However, I am going on vacation and there are certain things I want for that vacation experience. No, I am not willing to just hand over money to a for profit company and say, "Hey man, screw up and have a sewer smell, I'll just go with the flow." Guess what? YOU don't want me on that ship if it is still smelling like sewer when it is time for me to cruise. I don't want to hurt your 'laid back' vibe by being frustrated because I don't like smelling sewer on cruise 24 hours a day.

 

Again, I don't cruise at the price point to expect perfection. We are a suite or couple balcony rooms on a family cruise line sort of family. In my 21 cruises, it has never been 100% perfect and I don't need it to be perfect. But, there is a minimum level of competence that I need. I 'thought' I was ready to experience something new. I realize from reviews of Seaside that I am not quite ready for the Titanic level 'class' based cruising. Like I said, I am in a aurea suite, but I still don't want to play the 'greater than/less than' game. Even on Royal with the 'suite class' - I wasn't able to control elevators for others simply because I was in a Sky class suite. I know some folks that are cruising with us that are in the Bella rooms. They cruise 4 - 5 times a year and aren't necessarily 'budget' cruisers; they picked those rooms because they were 'trying out' MSC - I know they had no idea they were relegating themselves to possibly eating in the buffet with some table cloths slapped over the top. I am letting them know (they aren't social media type folks) - That is just something that is unheard of in the American market. I am letting them know, Seaside may not be the best choice. Let folks 'whine' so the people that fit the Seaside market find her and the people that don't will choose accordingly and have a better shot at the vacation they are looking for.

 

Thank you for posting this. It was very well said. The kind of negative details I have posted are exactly the reason why I go to Cruise Critic. I want to hear everything. Good and bad.

 

I don't understand why I am being told to "just go with the flow" and "let things slide" and "just enjoy your vacation and stop complaining". I can only vacation once a year and it takes a lot for me to save up the money to go. Like you, I do expect a minimum level of competence. I did not experience that on this ship. It's hard to explain...it's just the vibe of the ship. It's a constant build up through the week of lots of things that contribute to a not great experience. It is just a non service ship and the design of the ship is not good.

 

It has nothing to do with the European slant. I prefer that, it's one of the reasons we chose it. I'm Italian. I witnessed quite a few heated exchanges regarding the service and the MDR situations and guess what? those passengers were all Italian! I could understand them and it all had to do with exactly the same issues most people are mentioning.

 

The Marketplace buffet being turned into an MDR at night? You could do whatever you wanted to that space but it is never going to look like an MDR and certainly not like the actual two MDRs on the ship. It is a nice buffet space for sure but it is not an MDR. This ship was simply not built correctly to handle 5000+ passengers.

 

So, the Seaside was advertised to compete in the North American market? I think someone forgot to tell the designers.

[EssG]

....My personal opinion is that people who likes to be treated like Kings with 5star dining and their every need met, needs to book with lines like Cunard ..... When I choose a holiday its about seeing places I haven't been before, having fun and not have to deal with the daily chores ... At home we choose not to eat at 5 star restaurants, as I just can justify spending an amount that can feed a small village on two meals, when I can get a very nice meal at a family restaurant for 1/4 of the price and have a lovely night out ...same goes for my cruising....When the per night price is around $100 pp and we're getting a comfortable/modern room, 3 meal and snack per day with greater variety than we eat at home on a day to day basis , I get taken to various different new ports (countries ) and at the same time get evening entertainment thrown in, I think its great value, and my expectations is realistic for what I spend, especially when I consider that one night in an average 3* pre cruise hotel with breakfast only is costing $230 for the two of us.

[DCGuy64]

Hi Nunagoras,

Thanks for your insight and viewpoint from your region of the world. I think you are correct, from your perspective, MSC is filling the niche market in Europe. MSC is unique because they are offering cruises from almost all the major ports in Europe. They are embarking and disembarking passengers all along their cruise route and that is a new twist. MSC is making cruising accessible to all Europeans and that one fact is expanding their market. There is, however, a bigger story unfolding. About a dozen years ago MSC set up its American Division and that has been growing steadily ever since. Cruising in America is just getting started. I have not looked at the numbers recently but I know it is safe to say that at least 80% of Americans have yet to take their first cruise. I am willing to bet that less than 10% of Europeans have gone on a cruise. Top these numbers off with the fact that the first consideration of a novice cruiser (a newbie) is price. Add to this that MSC will continue to improve their product. All the mass market lines answer to a corporate board of directors who answer to stockholders. These mass market lines continue to squeeze the numbers to fatten the bottom line and reward the board and the stockholders. MSC is a privately owned corporation that is family owned and can make decisions and indulge in expenses that the other lines cannot. Ask yourself how much tweeking it would take to make MSC a formidable competitor. My prediction for MSC is a very healthy and successful future that will offer a superior product at a reasonable price. If America continues on the path to an economic boom there will be a lot more newbies taking their first cruise, not to mention the increase of repeat business.

 

Just need to quibble slightly about this line in your post:

"They are embarking and disembarking passengers all along their cruise route and that is a new twist."

 

That depends on what you mean by "new." I can tell you that on both of my cruises with Costa, in 2012 and 2016, they allowed embarkation and disembarkation at various ports along the route. So I think your comment is inaccurate.

 

Since others have commented about the number and type of negative reviews, I feel compelled to say the following: I dislike it when people cast aspersions about their experience without bothering to give any details. It's not that I think people who complain are just "whiners" and should "just shut up" as some other posters imply. Not at all. I also appreciate hearing both the good and the bad, as it would seem to me very improbable that a ship carrying upwards of 5,000 passengers at a time would only have uniformly excellent or terrible outcomes. Call me a skeptic if you will, but when I read comments about a toilet not working and the author says "worst thing ever, never happened in 20 years of cruising, etc" and another passenger on the same cruise says "the toilet didn't flush at first so I waited 5 minutes and it worked fine," it causes me to give the negative reviewer's comments less weight. Furthermore, over the past 3 days, I've read glowing reviews of the Seaside and also ones condemning it as the worst vessel since the Titanic. I take any review that is melodramatic with a grain of salt. And lastly, I think it's VERY important to understand how individualistic a cruise can be. My wife and I have sadly not been blessed with children, so the comments about others' experiences in terms of cruising with kids don't apply to us. I am fortunate to get a lot of vacation time where I work, so we take a lot of trips. This year we're going to Florida, Hilton Head, Italy, and then this cruise. That's a very different experience than "I work 50 weeks a year and this is my only vacation so I can't brush off the bad stuff." Some people have extremely high expectations, others not as high. So my point is, I try to read between the lines and see whether a reviewer's negative viewpoints are the result of the ship and crew failing to do their jobs properly, or whether the reviewer went on the cruise with the same expectations and needs as I would. To me, that's a HUGE consideration. And I renew what I've said many times: every veteran cruiser knows to avoid brand new ships. The Seaside was christened last month, December 2017. And despite being a brand new ship, I have read some really great reviews from the first few sailings as well as others that offered less praise. That's not a bad track record, if you ask me. (Now if the issues being written about persist 6-8 months from now, that'll be another story, but I for one think it's only fair to give MSC the chance to remedy them before writing them off as doomed to failure in the US market, as others have suggested). I think they deserve the opportunity to prove they can meet American expectations, and I'm certainly looking forward to my cruise with them later this year.

[leos037]

" And lastly, I think it's VERY important to understand how individualistic a cruise can be"

 

 

 

 

SO true!

[jmele999]

Just need to quibble slightly about this line in your post:

" (Now if the issues being written about persist 6-8 months from now, that'll be another story, but I for one think it's only fair to give MSC the chance to remedy them before writing them off as doomed to failure in the US market, as others have suggested). I think they deserve the opportunity to prove they can meet American expectations, and I'm certainly looking forward to my cruise with them later this year.

 

I agree that they deserve a chance to improve, but there are two questions that come to mind.

 

1) Why advertise something (a cruise for the North American market) that they cannot deliver from the beginning.

 

2) Have they done their homework to understand what the North American clientele expects and desires during a cruise? We were on MSC last week (Yacht Club) and had a great time. However, the few times that we left the Yacht Club, I was not impressed with the service we received.

[nikkiw60]

I agree that they deserve a chance to improve, but there are two questions that come to mind.

 

 

 

1) Why advertise something (a cruise for the North American market) that they cannot deliver from the beginning.

 

 

 

2) Have they done their homework to understand what the North American clientele expects and desires during a cruise? We were on MSC last week (Yacht Club) and had a great time. However, the few times that we left the Yacht Club, I was not impressed with the service we received.

 

 

 

They are also catering for the European / rest of the world market not just the American market and have to strike a happy medium.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[lcpagejr]

It amazes me what I'm reading....It's like people are making excuses for MSC. #1....Their cruising experience will never make it in the American Market as a "true player"....Sure they will have a small loyal base who also uses them over seas. I would be interested to know how many people have just cruised MSC in Caribbean and/or Caribbean and also Europe. They are a "niche" cruise line....period!!

#2 Their ship design pwas obviously flawed.... You can improve service but you can't improve people flow without a major refurbishment. #3 The location of some of their venues is a "head scratcher".... The outside movie screen location is a joke??? Why so high?? No protection from wind, etc?? Same with some of the other upper decks....wind barriers appear to be non exisistent

 

Lastly...Like with any business...when you roll out a new product or open a new site....You make sure you have enough people at that site to help support the new business and do trouble shooting, review input for possible improvements, etc Its obvious MSC dropped the ball big time here. Their staff is running around with their heads cutoff to appease passengers...a good portion do not speak the languages of the passengers on board....Their staff cannot just do their job because they are dealing with all these requests and complaints. MSC should have had a seperate Customer support team onboard for atleast the 1st month of the cruises. This way the staff could focus on their job responsibilities 100% of the time. The customer support team could also review/monitor complaints and see if a more efficient way can resolve or implement new policies and workflow. Lastly this group could provide feedback to upper management so things can get fixed.

 

I am hearing the same problems ongoing....I can almost guarantee you...very little is being done to address the problems...instead a quick bandaid put on things. This is no way to run a business or introduce a product/experience which is supposedly to target the North American market.

 

MSC has dug themselves a huge hole.....Its going to take a while to get to where their initial vision was aimed for. I for one ....have no interest to deal with the inconssitencies of service, poor design flow and other repetitive issue. We all have choices...feedback has made my choice very easy on how to spend my hard earned vacation money. I am pretty sure Jim Zim's indepth cruise review will tell a more indepth tale of the challeneges MSC has.... Then again they have no where to go but up since Jim rated this cruise rock bottom to his 43 previous cruises.

[Beamafar]

They are also catering for the European / rest of the world market not just the American market and have to strike a happy medium.

 

Sounds more like they're falling between two stools.

[Tall-Cruiser]

Ok, now I'm starting to get frustrated.

 

I did not sail Seaside as a Yacht Club member.

 

I did smell the sewage smell a few times, once very very badly.

 

I had trouble communicating with the staff.

 

I did not have real butter in the dining room or buffet.

 

I had problems flushing toilets some times.

 

It was cold and rainy almost every day.

 

I had a FANTASTIC time!

 

I love everything about the ship layout, it's the most easy and intuitive ship I've ever been on.

 

Our room steward was a HERO. Absolutely amazing.

 

Our server in the dining room was so fantastic, he made every single night more enjoyable.

 

Stop cancelling your cruises because people let the smallest, meaningless things ruin their entire cruise! The layout of this ship, and the amount of outdoor space is so wonderful. I would love to see other cruise lines take this lead from MSC and design similar ships that feature outdoor space more than indoor money-making areas inside. Others block off the general public from the exterior in order to shove in more balcony rooms, which is not my cup of tea. This ship is perfect in so many ways but people are being sensitive about the most ridiculous things. Even if it's not the ideal cruise for you, some of us are cheering for MSC and their new ship.

 

Ok, rant over. I understand that I can't force everyone to like their experience, I completely understand that many people had a bad time and want to express their frustrations. But for everyone reading, pleasepleaseplease take it all with a grain of salt! Those people are not you, and you are not those people.You booked because you were intrigued by something different. Give it a try and don't go in looking for everything bad. Many people had a great time but it'smuch more likely people will post negatives than positives. Give it a chance. Decide for yourself.

 

 

I agree with a lot of what you stated. Part of our motivation to book Seaside besides pricing is embedded in you next few lines;

"Those people are not you, and you are not those people.You booked because you were intrigued by something different."

And so we gave it a try and enjoyed "our" cruise. From our group of six, did we encounter some negatives from perspective? Yes we did but, it did not stop us from enjoying our cruise. We all have different taste and preferences and we will not always agree on what is good, a great cruise or fantastic ship. For example, while we had a really great time and cruise on Harmony OTS in 2016, nothing beats our first cruise on Oasis OTS thus far. And whilst we have sailed on many bigger ships, the cruise on Mariner OTS is right up there with the rest of the good ones. Why? It was our first RCI cruise and gave us a different exposure to cruising we never realized until the day we boarded her. What a Royal Promenade, what's that? There again, we tried something different and ended up liking it. Indeed not everything we try in live will be something we like. But we can discuss it, because we have experienced it and have "our own perspective and measure".

So whatever cruise "you" decide to book/take happy cruising :)

 

Edit

Here is the review I posted of which some of you have seen and read. I have tried to be as objective as possible. But again, either way, it's through "my" lens, taste and preferences.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2583715

[toinoi]

Sounds more like they're falling between two stools.

Wonderful insight Bea! I couldn't agree more.

 

I truly hope MSC recognise this sooner than later (preferably before our Nov 2018 sailing :D) - and are successful in the American market - whichever stool they take. Competition is a good thing!

[h0twired]

food designed for American tastes

 

What does this even mean?

 

I would rather eat a wide variety of different foods from different ethnic cultures than be on a ship that caters to those who like eating at the Golden Corral.

 

These kind of comments remind me of Americans who go to other countries with exceptional local cuisine and complain that the hamburgers aren't as good as they are back home.