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

[BestNC Cruiser]

What amazes me, is, people are cancelling cruises on Seaside because some guy with 43 cruises thinks they should!

 

Yes, that level of experience is impressive...but, at the end of the day it boils down to one mans opinion.

 

The lack of critical thinking skills demonstrated on these boards daily is staggering.

 

 

 

I canceled by cruise on the seaside. I guess I need to go back and work on my critical thinking skills. My decision to cancel was based on several culminating factors. Why would anyone care anyway? But, I will say one thing. I have been following the reviewer (JimZim/Spaniel Lover) you mentioned in your post for a long while now. For other cruises that I have done in the past, I have found that his experiences and mine have matched up very well. He has yet to steer me wrong, so I personally take the information that I get from his videos and reviews to be very reliable as a part of my information gathering process.

 

I have read every review that I could find. I have read positive reviews, indifferent reviews, negative reviews. I formulated an opinion. I decided that the seaside does not feel right for us. I changed to another cruise and am very content with the decision. I apologize if my decisions and opinions do not covey the level of "critical thinking" that is expected on CC.

[Tall-Cruiser]

I am thinking more so of canceling just from the attitudes of folks here. Like, who attacks someone because they didn't like their own vacation? Is this representative of what it will be like on Seaside? Will people jump down my throat and bash my nationality because I don't like the food? Will people call me names or question my thinking ability if I don't like the smell? My gosh, some folks on this forum are downright scary.

 

 

 

DAJedu - First thanks for asking the questions here and voicing your concerns. You are the one paying for your cruise and the decision is ultimately yours. Ask yourself, is your taste, preference and tolarence level "Exactly" the same as all of us that posted a review, regardless if it's positive or negative? Your answer is probably No. So if you have not cancelled yet, good, take your time and if need be satisfy yourself with any other info you need to make that call.

 

If I may, let me give you an idea how I came to my booking Seaside. First question, are you willing to try and experience something different? In ship and amenities? In food and entertainment? For me it was a yes and I have a good example on this.

 

 

In July 2007 we pulled into PEV to board Carnival Liberty which was new at the time. We were in a van with a bunch of other people who all thought what a beautiful ship and we thought yeah we are the ****. Indeed she was beautiful and the biggest and best we had ever been on at that time and we also had a great cruise. One of the best on Carnival for us.

 

 

A few days later whilst on that cruise, we are pulling into San Juan and I see a beautiful looking ship as we turned around the fort. Never seen anything like it. We were all standing in our balcony saying wow. It was RCI's Liberty of the Seas. This was the first time we saw a RCI ship and then wondered how does it look inside and etc. Who is RCI and how are their cruises and etc. Mind you, at this time I had no idea about Cruise Critic, so I had no Intel to go by.

 

 

Upon arriving home from that great cruise on Carnival Liberty, we booked our first RCI cruise for December that same year on Mariner OTS. That reaction we had when we first boarded Mariner and seeing the Royal Promenade for the first time was like no other before. With Captain Johnny and all the good things we encountered and enjoyed on that cruise it was then the best cruise we ever took and still ranks in the top 5 for us.

 

 

If we never opened ourself up to try something different, image how much less cruise exposure we would have if we stayed just with Carnival. Yes, we spoke to many friends before we booked RCI and many told us at the time they preferred Carnival and including they are "fun" and etc. Besides if you lived in the West Coast at some point, your options were mostly limited to Carnival with some Princess as well. So if we based our decision mainly on what other people think we would never sail RCI, recently MSC and now looking forward to our first Celebrity cruise.

 

 

Hang in there and take your time. You probably had a good rate when you booked too. :)

 

 

Happy Cruising.

[fraffin]

I canceled by cruise on the seaside. I guess I need to go back and work on my critical thinking skills. My decision to cancel was based on several culminating factors. Why would anyone care anyway? But, I will say one thing. I have been following the reviewer (JimZim/Spaniel Lover) you mentioned in your post for a long while now. For other cruises that I have done in the past, I have found that his experiences and mine have matched up very well. He has yet to steer me wrong, so I personally take the information that I get from his videos and reviews to be very reliable as a part of my information gathering process.

 

I have read every review that I could find. I have read positive reviews, indifferent reviews, negative reviews. I formulated an opinion. I decided that the seaside does not feel right for us. I changed to another cruise and am very content with the decision. I apologize if my decisions and opinions do not covey the level of "critical thinking" that is expected on CC.

 

You cancelled you cruise for all the right reasons. 'Most' people aren't criticizing your decision. You have no obligation to spend hundreds of dollars on something that your own research has indicated you probably won't enjoy.

 

That being said, my problem is with those that have cancelled their cruises with absolutely no previous experience with MSC and then have gone one to bash MSC based on other peoples reviews. They profess to know what all Americans expect in a cruise leaving from US port. You have not done this. But you shouldn't be so defensive either. You don't need to defend your decision to the likes of us.

 

I want to add that I do feel sorry for some early cruisers on the Seaside who didn't have the luxury of the knowledge we now have concerning this ship. There is no question that MSC has provided misleading and erronious information leading up the launching of this ship. They do seem to have issues with their website and customers service reps both here and abroad. I wholeheartedly understand the anger and frustation these folks have with MSC.

[8420PR]

I've also had a look at JimZim's video and other reviews - I'm interested to see the full review as I'm almost sold on the whirlpool balcony cabin now - especially as the Aurea sundeck looks also very nice with the bar and comfy furniture.

 

If I had to guess, the main reason for the Seaside being the worst cruise was the fact they only ever eat in the buffet and also look for comedy shows as entertainment (and maybe they had a service issue that required going to guest services).

 

While it doesn't affect me (I prefer dinner in the MDR) - I think MSC has dropped the ball with regard to the evening buffet setup. It's common to see empty tables some evenings in the MDR, which I assume is people eating in the buffet (or specialty restaurants), which I can understand is for some people preferable. Will be interesting to see if and how MSC can fix this.

 

I'm getting excited for my Seaside cruise in May. There are some balanced reviews posted in this forum and MSC seems to be resolving the issues (smell, butter, bar service). However I can understand why some people have decided to cancel (so no need to post 20 times in every thread justifying it - haha).

[Spaniel Lover]

I'm surprised at the criticism about my remarks about the walk-in closet!

OK... let me explain it to you.

Let's say it's 6:30 PM and you're both enjoying watching the sunset from your Jacuzzi. The sun goes down, and now you decide it's time to go get some dinner. So, you both need to get out of those swimsuits and get dressed for dinner. At the exact same time! You both need to access your dry clothes, which are in the walk-in closet. Because you're sharing the walk-in closet, you can't both get in to it at the same time. It's way too small. So, what you need to do is each go in, one at a time, and pull out everything you'll need, and then get dressed somewhere else in the cabin, where you won't be bumping in to the other person. What if she pulls out the green dress, and then changes her mind and decides to go with the blue dress instead? Back in to the closet. And then back out, because it's so small and dark and claustrophobic in there, you don't want to dress in there anyway.

 

Now let's see how it works on Royal Caribbean's "Anthem Of The Seas"... where they came up with a simple solution to the problem... they put two closets in the cabin, one on each side of the couch. Each person has their own closet. Each person can stand in front of the closet and stare at it as long as they want. They can dress in front of the closet, pulling articles of clothing out as needed... never worrying about bumping in to the other person, who is trying to dress at the same time... but is six feet away.

I've stayed in lots of different types of cabins, from cheap interiors to the Owner's suite. I've seen some interesting designs. The simplest solution I've seen to the problem of coming up with a way that two people can get dressed at the same time is what I saw with the two closets on Royal Caribbean's newest ships. The tiny little walk-in closet on MSC Seaside did offer a lot of storage space, but it created a big bottleneck and ultimately failed to work well in reality. And that was with just two people in the cabin. Imagine if you had brought the family along, in that cabin that sleeps six!

[matt87]

going on her in september, just my wife and I. first time we are cruising alone since our honeymoon back in 04. we are keeping our minds open and not going to judge a book by its cover. we have sailed on rccl and ccl enough and want to try something different. regardless of what i have read, i'm still looking forward to this one.

[fraffin]

I'm surprised at the criticism about my remarks about the walk-in closet!

 

 

Jim, I just want to say I have really enjoyed your videos concerning the Seaside. I wasn't aware of your site until recently. I've found you reviews interesting, entertaining and informative.

 

I was also surprised by the ending of your whirlpool suite video. Up until the very end I would of thought you were filming an MSC Seaside promotional video. Everything sounded so positive. My wife and I are booked in an aft whirlpool suite next December on deck 15. Increased privacy was the major factor for the choice of deck. We also booked the aft suite based on your 'Why I'm So Excited' video and your concerns about the wind. Obviously your decision on the location was well chosen.

 

As to the walk-in closet...I wouldn't dare think to get in my wife's way while she's getting dressed no matter the place or time of day. It's SOP for me to always grab my clothes from whatever closet a full 30 minutes before she starts getting dressed. That includes the walk-in closet at home.

[DCGuy64]

Jim, I just want to say I have really enjoyed your videos concerning the Seaside. I wasn't aware of your site until recently. I've found you reviews interesting, entertaining and informative.

 

 

 

I was also surprised by the ending of your whirlpool suite video. Up until the very end I would of thought you were filming an MSC Seaside promotional video. Everything sounded so positive. My wife and I are booked in an aft whirlpool suite next December on deck 15. Increased privacy was the major factor for the choice of deck. We also booked the aft suite based on your 'Why I'm So Excited' video and your concerns about the wind. Obviously your decision on the location was well chosen.

 

 

 

As to the walk-in closet...I wouldn't dare think to get in my wife's way while she's getting dressed no matter the place or time of day. It's SOP for me to always grab my clothes from whatever closet a full 30 minutes before she starts getting dressed. That includes the walk-in closet at home.

 

 

 

Same here: when my wife and I cruise, I hit the shower and she chooses her wardrobe, then vice versa. We never “run into” this problem, no pun intended.

 

 

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[DCGuy64]

American cruise experience....Thats what I'm looking for.... You just don't get it!!! I see from your cruise history you've cruised in multiple areas of the world.... Likely cruised with a diverse group of passengers. MSC is a "walk in the park" for you. But remember there are many people who have only done carribean and/or Alaska cruises. They...like I... are used to certain offerings, food and service on a cruise line. Trying to force MSC experience on someone when they will be boarding expecting more American type offerings isn't right.

 

 

 

Since MSC and their promotional materials and quoted articles have made it clear they are bringing a European style experience to the Caribbean, I can only imagine that those were disappointed that it’s not an American style experience either are illiterate or don’t understand English. You keep banging on about how MSC promised something more Americanized, when clearly nothing could be further from the truth. They are bringing a European style of cruising to the Caribbean, and clearly that isn’t for you. But please do not misrepresent their purpose and then blame them for not fulfilling it. By the way, offering something is not the same thing as forcing it on them.

 

 

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[windlicht]

;););)

Same here: when my wife and I cruise, I hit the shower and she chooses her wardrobe, then vice versa. We never “run into” this problem, no pun intended.

 

 

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Exactly! Until today, I thought everyone did it that way. I mean... who goes and says Darn it, there should be two closets for two people! Most people have one closet at homr, in hotel rooms, on cruise ships etc. How do we manage???

[SMSACE6]

with regard to the walk in closet and other criticisms, I will say that I have very little in common with this poster other than a love of dogs, and his reviews are mostly of suites, and havens, and yes, yacht clubs, none of which I will ever see in my lifetime.

 

However, I will say, while he has never responded to my remarks on his previous reviews, I have appreciated them for what they are, and appreciate the time and effort he takes to make them. While I will never know his level of cruise experience, for some reason I still like to read his. So be it.

 

Thank you Jim Zim for your posts, and your separate review. I will never experience a yacht club, or a haven or similar, but your reviews are informative for some, and for me are still enjoyable to read.

 

 

I will read your review and enjoy it, regardless of ever expecting to be there some day.

[leos037]

"And they stuck with the opera." Umm Musical is not opera?

[gkbiiii]

I think the OP has some good points, but YC would have been a great experience.

 

1. Cunard: British experience, that caters well to Americans.

2. Princess: British/Italian Dining experience, that caters well to Americans.

3. Holland America: Dutch experience, that caters well to Americans.

4. NCL: Norwegian experience, that caters well to Americans.

 

So based on the above, it does seem reasonable that MSC's American ship would follow the others, for the American market. Yet many on here, poo, poo this idea?

[DCGuy64]

I think the OP has some good points, but YC would have been a great experience.

 

1. Cunard: British experience, that caters well to Americans.

2. Princess: British/Italian Dining experience, that caters well to Americans.

3. Holland America: Dutch experience, that caters well to Americans.

4. NCL: Norwegian experience, that caters well to Americans.

 

So based on the above, it does seem reasonable that MSC's American ship would follow the others, for the American market. Yet many on here, poo, poo this idea?

 

 

 

Based on the above, you seem to think that MSC should be exactly like its competitors. And that’s where you’re wrong. They’re distinguishing themselves FROM the competition, not copying them.

 

 

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[JAGR]

Jim, I just want to say I have really enjoyed your videos concerning the Seaside. I wasn't aware of your site until recently. I've found you reviews interesting, entertaining and informative.

 

I was also surprised by the ending of your whirlpool suite video. Up until the very end I would of thought you were filming an MSC Seaside promotional video. Everything sounded so positive. My wife and I are booked in an aft whirlpool suite next December on deck 15. Increased privacy was the major factor for the choice of deck. We also booked the aft suite based on your 'Why I'm So Excited' video and your concerns about the wind. Obviously your decision on the location was well chosen.

 

As to the walk-in closet...I wouldn't dare think to get in my wife's way while she's getting dressed no matter the place or time of day. It's SOP for me to always grab my clothes from whatever closet a full 30 minutes before she starts getting dressed. That includes the walk-in closet at home.

 

You are a very smart person, indeed! It is how I've lived through forty years of marriage.

;)

[geonurse]

I think it's because there are so many " levels" ..... Not to mention if you are a Yacht club member or not. We were amazed at how many areas of the ship were inaccessible based on if you are Yacht club or not, or Aurea or not, etc...

[geonurse]

I have much cognitive dissonance regarding this cruise. It's not easy driving distance for us, and thus I'm very hesitant to book it.

 

On the one hand, I priced out the aurea suite with balcony jacuzzi for family of 4 over a break and it was around $5,100, which is only around $1,100 more than we'd pay for two inside rooms on another line for same time. So I think we could get a really awesome room on the Seaside for a reasonable price.

 

But some of the things I like most on a cruise are getting out of bed and going to really nice, well stocked, breakfast buffet, without having to wait on coffee, utensils, food, etc. And when the evening MDR is really slow, we sometimes like a really well stocked lido buffet where you can barely decide what to get because it all looks so good.

 

It doesn't sound like this ship satisfies those desires at all.

 

I guess I'm very 'irritation-averse' when on a cruise. I'm willing to pay a bit more and/or give up the deluxe suite in order to avoid these kinds of irritations. I do plan on monitoring reviews; we know people that went on Divina and loved it, so we're not at all writing-off MSC.

Yes - you are completely right. Some of the basic things that I cruise to enjoy - simple things really, were not met on the Seaside.

[sidari]

The areas not accessible are the YC area and the Deck 19 Aurea area, not sure which other areas you found inaccessible other than not being able to walk all the way around the ship.

[seeriteR]

The areas not accessible are the YC area and the Deck 19 Aurea area, not sure which other areas you found inaccessible other than not being able to walk all the way around the ship.

 

When we sailed Seaside on the 21 day TA in December, Deck 8 forward was accessible for Aurea only. Has that changed? Granted, it was only a small section of the ship, but I felt it was another reminder of our limited status on board.

 

We were disappointed that we could not walk around the outside of the ship on any deck.

 

In response to the OP, I think the pre-cruise hype from MSC and the limited amount of official information led to endless conjecturing posted on Cruise Critic forums which in turn caused "higher than reasonable" expectations that Seaside would be a "new & improved" MSC ship in more ways than just design. I know we were very excited to be on the maiden voyage and had little doubt this would be the best cruise ever!

 

I think if we went on Seaside without the high expectations, we would have enjoyed our cruise more than what we did. Having sailed MSC once before, we noticed that some things had not changed at all on Seaside - like the attitude of the staff (not the crew, they were great!) The staff has little or no empathy for their customers.

 

While Seaside does have some distinctive features, we found there were things (e.g.: water slides, theater shows, closed buffet for dinner, 2 hour dining, etc) that failed to WOW! the customer. They did do good on pizza, sweet potato fries and desserts!

 

In my opinion, if the current method of operations on Seaside doesn't turn a profit, they will change it - not because people are complaining but because the bottom line is suffering.

 

We will be giving MSC another chance as we are booked on the Divina in March!

[BestNC Cruiser]

Jim, I just want to say I have really enjoyed your videos concerning the Seaside. I wasn't aware of your site until recently. I've found you reviews interesting, entertaining and informative.

 

 

 

I was also surprised by the ending of your whirlpool suite video. Up until the very end I would of thought you were filming an MSC Seaside promotional video. Everything sounded so positive. My wife and I are booked in an aft whirlpool suite next December on deck 15. Increased privacy was the major factor for the choice of deck. We also booked the aft suite based on your 'Why I'm So Excited' video and your concerns about the wind. Obviously your decision on the location was well chosen.

 

 

 

As to the walk-in closet...I wouldn't dare think to get in my wife's way while she's getting dressed no matter the place or time of day. It's SOP for me to always grab my clothes from whatever closet a full 30 minutes before she starts getting dressed. That includes the walk-in closet at home.

 

 

 

That last paragraph had me laughing. Our routine is simple. I get dressed and get out of the way. I walk to the bar and she comes and gets me when she is ready. Everybody’s [emoji2]

 

 

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[sunny2runner]

We did the 12/23 sailing in a regular balcony. We had a lovely cruise. No complaints at all. Everything went so well for us. We loved so much about the ship, crew and food options.

 

We went into this cruise very open with no exceptions given it was a new ship and a new cruise line experience. We found MSC did several things much better than other cruise lines yes even Disney!

 

We have done 13 DCL, 4 NCL and 1 Princess. Each cruise lines seems to have the niche on what they are good at and somethings that are kind of not so great.

 

They were aces at embarkation and debarkation - both for us went so smoothly and pretty darn fast. Much faster than our previous NCL Epic and Princess boarding process.

 

Like MSC Seaside beat out NCL on pool deck. We have been on Breakaway, Epic and Escape and enjoyed MSC's open pool deck plan much better than NCL but than the Royal Princess pool beats both and Disney's is unique that is hard to compare to but Princess beats Disney are well.

 

And we thought MSC did just as well with food and food options as NCL and Princess which all beat Disney.

 

We enjoyed the entertainment better than NCL and Princess but Disney beats all in entertainment.

 

What I am getting at is there are pros and cons to all cruise lines. Some things you will enjoy and some things you won't so much.

 

If we get a chance to do Seaside again soon, we definitely will. I am hoping more people cancel so we get a good deal. Cancel away people :-) Its was so sucky, you really should cancel :-)

[geonurse]

Having sailed on the Seaside last week, I can tell you exactly why there are such widely divergent reviews.

Generally speaking, if they stayed in the Yacht Club, they loved it.

If they are from Europe, or have traveled to Europe extensively, they love it.

If they are from the United States, and especially if they have sailed previously with Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival, or Princess... they are disappointed in many aspects because they encounter things that either are not tailored to American tastes or things that they have seen done so much better on other cruise lines.

I'm going to be posting a full review of my cruise, which will show detailed examples of the things I'm alluding to here... it just takes time for me to edit photos and videos and write a detailed, comprehensive review. I'll post it when it's ready, and you'll see why I say that although there were some really great things about my cruise on the MSC Seaside, overall it was (by far) the worst cruise I've been on... and I've been on 43 cruises.

Have a feeling I'm going to be saying " Amen" to much of your review- having just returned from a Fantastica balcony on the Seaside- you'll probably explain these things much more clear and concise than my minor attempts so far. I'm at the point now where I don't care to get embroiled in any arguments about it, I will just choose to go back to cruiseliness that are a bit more fair and balanced.

[geonurse]

The areas not accessible are the YC area and the Deck 19 Aurea area, not sure which other areas you found inaccessible other than not being able to walk all the way around the ship.

As far as outer decks for walking , that the average person could access ( average meaning classes below Aurea)

Deck 7 outer deck consists of Aft pool, a bar, a cafe, and 2 sets of stairs that go up to 8. Deck 8 is primarily outside dining, where u would have to weave around tables and chairs , until you get to loungers, then get stopped partway past the first set of loungers by the locked door hot tub for Aurea spa members.

Deck 16 is a standard main pool area with loungers - made for sunning - up to deck 17 which is bar, and tables and chairs, 18 is water slides and then Yacht Club area. 19 is a partial deck but Top 19 area is also exclusive - honestly don't know who was allowed to use that area, but was too discouraged to really care all that much at that point.

[BestNC Cruiser]

We did the 12/23 sailing in a regular balcony. We had a lovely cruise. No complaints at all. Everything went so well for us. We loved so much about the ship, crew and food options.

 

We went into this cruise very open with no exceptions given it was a new ship and a new cruise line experience. We found MSC did several things much better than other cruise lines yes even Disney!

 

We have done 13 DCL, 4 NCL and 1 Princess. Each cruise lines seems to have the niche on what they are good at and somethings that are kind of not so great.

 

They were aces at embarkation and debarkation - both for us went so smoothly and pretty darn fast. Much faster than our previous NCL Epic and Princess boarding process.

 

Like MSC Seaside beat out NCL on pool deck. We have been on Breakaway, Epic and Escape and enjoyed MSC's open pool deck plan much better than NCL but than the Royal Princess pool beats both and Disney's is unique that is hard to compare to but Princess beats Disney are well.

 

And we thought MSC did just as well with food and food options as NCL and Princess which all beat Disney.

 

We enjoyed the entertainment better than NCL and Princess but Disney beats all in entertainment.

 

What I am getting at is there are pros and cons to all cruise lines. Some things you will enjoy and some things you won't so much.

 

If we get a chance to do Seaside again soon, we definitely will. I am hoping more people cancel so we get a good deal. Cancel away people :-) Its was so sucky, you really should cancel :-)

 

I believe you will be getting your wish on those lines. I just spoke with friends who canceled 4 rooms and switched over to another cruise line. Out of pure curiosity I looked back at the the cruise date that I originally booked on the seaside. At one point about 6 weeks ago it was completely full. (at least for the group of 4 that was trying to join us). Now, I see a couple of dozen rooms showing as available. One thing though, when I plugged in to start a booking, it was 800$ more than I had originally paid. I guess early bookings can save money.

Edited January 31, 2018 by BestNC Cruiser

[DCGuy64]

These cancellations haven’t affected our Oct 20 sailing. I did some checking yesterday on the US, UK, Italian and French lines. Only the French site showed any availability, the others showed no cabins to be had.

 

 

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