Jim Zim's MSC Seaside Review With 84 Photos & 8 Videos

[Debde]

Hi Jim and Kellyn. My husband and I sailed with you guys on the Pearl!! I always read your reviews and watch your video's. Another great one! Hope to sail again with you both some time.

 

I just have one comment to make on pizza. I am from NY and no cruise line ever can compare to NY pizza or Italian food. Does not mean the pizza is not good-just cannot compare. Same for bagels and a deli sandwich!!!;)

The picture posted-that first pizza did not look good to me.:( I would give the other one a NY taste test though!! :D

 

Serious note:

I've enjoyed my NCL cruises but the Italian specialty restaurant on Breakaway was awful-IMHO. Pizza was just OK.

[Reds4life]

MSC pizza was very good on Divina. I would have liked to have seen a little more sauce, cheese, and toppings, but the crust was excellent. Super fresh too. It's definitely a highlight. We ate it almost 24/7. Is it almost always available on Seaside like it is on Divina?

[MisterBill99]

Can you explain this more? When you register your debit card, are you authorizing a certain amount? lets say for example $1000. Are you saying they immediately debit your bank account the $1000?

That is correct. It gave me a choice of how much I wanted to hold (well, I thought it was hold, obviously it was transfer) and $100 was the minimum amount.

 

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[MisterBill99]

The best method is credit card or cash... debit cards are not good to use on ships.... Too many bad storys..

 

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I think the main issue that people have with using debit cards on ships (or hotels) is that they can put a hold on a significant amount and that can cause problems when you try to use the funds in your account for everyday stuff like checks and payments. In my case that was not going to be a problem since it was not my primary account.

 

There is also the issue of possible fraudulent charges which is much less of an issue if it happens on a credit card since they're taking the bank's money, not yours.

 

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[ken_ll]

I think the main issue that people have with using debit cards on ships (or hotels) is that they can put a hold on a significant amount and that can cause problems when you try to use the funds in your account for everyday stuff like checks and payments. In my case that was not going to be a problem since it was not my primary account.

 

There is also the issue of possible fraudulent charges which is much less of an issue if it happens on a credit card since they're taking the bank's money, not yours.

 

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I use cash only on board.

 

Three years ago on departing a Celebrity ship I had to return to CS to get my $37.25 credit, I had assumed incorrectly it would have been put back on my CC.

 

Next cruise on Celebrity a new problem. I have a US$ CC with Canadian address. In spite of completing form to have on board charges posted as is to CC, Celebrity ignored it. Celebrity looks at your address, converts charges (as a service) to the currency of your country, I got dinged one exchange conversion. Then CC dings you again to get the charge back to US$, the currency of the CC.

 

Since then, I have always had a cash account on board, minimal if any purchases on cruise. Have not had a problem since.

 

Will be on MSC in 3 weeks, once the gratuities post after the first day, I’ll settle up in cash before day 7. No longer any CC issues.

[L454S]

I just got off the Jan 27 sailing of the Seaside and can echo a lot of what Jim has said. We were in a YC cabin, but spent a lot of time snooping around and just trying to learn the ship.

 

After all the reading(a lot negative) mind you.......we wanted to see for ourselves.

 

The YC is great, this was our first time there. There is another thread for the YC though, so I will stick to the rest of the ship. The ship is beautiful and a lot to see and do. I found the MSC for ME app to work well for all the show bookings etc. The crew and staff were friendly enough, BUT, there were some language issues from time to time. Some seemed to be going through the motions because they didn't know the answers to questions they are asked. With time this should get better.

 

We always looked over the buffets because of all the talk prior to our sailing. IMO, even deck 8(the big one) was not as good as Divina last year. I can understand people being very disappointed with the deck 16 dinner offerings. Nobody will starve....but compared to RCI, etc., I can do a lot better.

 

We did not notice any of the foul smells reported previously in the Piazza. The shows were on a par IMO with other lines. They made the theater small, so there are 30min performances and more of them. We tried to get to see as much as we could. They were still making changes and adjustments on the fly, and good for them.

 

I hope MSC does well. I have sailed with them twice now and enjoyed both(Fantastic and YC). I might wait a bit to book on the Seaside if not in YC.............

[stoneman56]

So the OP steals a fixture (reed diffuser) and no one feels the need to take him up on it?

 

Sorry but he sounds pretentious. Trying to look the gastronome but in fact makes himself look like most people's impression of a glutton. I mean, Margaritaville, Senjor Frogs and Hard Rock Cafe, as well as fawning over a bloody donut, says it all really.

 

You season food to your own taste, if there isn't enough salt or pepper in something, add it yourself, but don't hang a company out because they don't put salt in anything. Here's a clue, there is usually a salt and pepper shaker on the table.

[cruisin' friends]

So the OP steals a fixture (reed diffuser) and no one feels the need to take him up on it?

 

Sorry but he sounds pretentious. Trying to look the gastronome but in fact makes himself look like most people's impression of a glutton. I mean, Margaritaville, Senjor Frogs and Hard Rock Cafe, as well as fawning over a bloody donut, says it all really.

 

You season food to your own taste, if there isn't enough salt or pepper in something, add it yourself, but don't hang a company out because they don't put salt in anything. Here's a clue, there is usually a salt and pepper shaker on the table.

 

The reed diffuser is something you are allowed to take home when staying in an Aurea cabin. It is one of the perks of booking that experience.

[stoneman56]

The reed diffuser is something you are allowed to take home when staying in an Aurea cabin. It is one of the perks of booking that experience.

I stand corrected and retract that allegation.

[ocbaylady]

Great review,we were on the Jan.27th sailing of the Seaside and had a great time although the weather was windy and cooler then we like. Agree with limited food on buffet deck 16, only rarely smelled sewer in different areas of ship wasn't ever that bad. Slow main elevators but were in the process of getting new software installed. Had a great cabin steward but dining staff could have been better. We went to Butchers Cut and it was just ok but since we have black cards it was free, wouldn't pay for it. We liked all the shows. We misses Gran Cayman due to wind and waves but had been there before so just enjoyed the ship. Didn't recieve any port fees back for missing a port. All in all we liked it enough to book again for Sept. We were on ship and off ship within 15 minutes.

 

Jim I have a question what program do you use to get your videos off your GoPro Hero6 we brought one just before cruise and we are having problems finding a good program. Any assistance would be great.

 

Debbie

[Spaniel Lover]

The way that I do it is to remove the micro-SD card from the GoPro, pop the micro-SD card in to a SD card adapter, and pop the adapter in to the SD card slot of my computer... then just transfer the files from the card to the hard drive of my computer. Seems like the simplest solution to me.

[ocbaylady]

Thank you but we want to edit and burn a DVD can you suggest a program that works with the GoPro Hero 6. All of your videos are great!

[Spaniel Lover]

Oh! Sorry, I misunderstood your question.

 

The software I use to edit my videos is VideoStudio Pro by Corel. Check it out, and download a free trial, at https://www.videostudiopro.com

 

If you use a Mac, there are probably other better choices... but if you have a PC, it's a solid choice.

[ocbaylady]

Thank you,Jim will check out that program.

 

Debbie

[h0twired]

So that being said... were there saltshakers available on the tables in the buffet and MDR?

 

Yes. There were salt shakers on in the tables inside at the buffet, salt packets on the outside tables at the buffet and salt mills (like a pepper mill) on the table at the main dining room.

 

As for butter. Each table in the MDR had the option of margarine, Lurpak (which is a whipped butter/margarine combination) and REAL honest to goodness butter. We told our waiter we preferred butter and always got a bowl of just butter at our table after that.

[h0twired]

How is cheddar cheese ever orange? When it's made naturally it is a light creamy yellow colour - we saw orange cheese in the U.S. in May 2017 it looks absolutely gross!

 

The cheese only looks orange in the picture because the photograph is of the pizza under a red heat lamp.

 

The cheese on the pizza on MSC Seaside is DEFINITELY mozzarella. In fact all of the cheese on the cruise was exceptional. I probably ate at least 10 different varieties during the week.

[OceansOfTravels]

JimZim,

 

I have been a loyal review follower for years, and I have always enjoyed your content. You take good quality photos, and provide an in-depth analysis to your cruise experience, and I have always anticipated your reviews. I really anticipated your review for this cruise, as I am cruising on the Seaview in July and I wanted to see some photos of the Seaside to start comparing.

 

I do have to say, however, that I am somewhat upset of your mostly-negative review of the Seaside. I do understand your points, and find them all valid. But after reading, I really want to know. What IS an 'American" cruise? How is a cruise ship "Made for the American market"? I continue to think of when Royal renovated the Quantum of the Seas for Asia, or when Carnival renovated the Spirit for Australia, and although I have not been on either in their new respective homes, I have read several reports from Americans who have. And albeit to some menu and entertainment changes, it is still the Royal or Carnival experience that the brand has based itself off of for years. I have paid extra attention to reviews of MSC cruises in Europe, because of Seaview this summer, and there are certainly differences in entertainment and food on MSC cruises from Miami than MSC cruises from Europe. But, the iconic MSC experience is not gone no matter which ocean you're cruising in.

 

So with this, I really want to know, what is an "American" cruise experience? What did the ship significantly lack compared to its counterparts? Because to me, it sounds like the slower service and entertainment weren't to your own personal liking.

 

I do respect your views though, even though they are different than mine. I found some of your major negatives and driving factors against MSC to be my major positives and driving factors toward MSC. But, to each his own. I guess we won't find each other on the same ship any time soon, because I absolutely loved MSC :)

[nikkiw60]

JimZim,

 

I have been a loyal review follower for years, and I have always enjoyed your content. You take good quality photos, and provide an in-depth analysis to your cruise experience, and I have always anticipated your reviews. I really anticipated your review for this cruise, as I am cruising on the Seaview in July and I wanted to see some photos of the Seaside to start comparing.

 

I do have to say, however, that I am somewhat upset of your mostly-negative review of the Seaside. I do understand your points, and find them all valid. But after reading, I really want to know. What IS an 'American" cruise? How is a cruise ship "Made for the American market"? I continue to think of when Royal renovated the Quantum of the Seas for Asia, or when Carnival renovated the Spirit for Australia, and although I have not been on either in their new respective homes, I have read several reports from Americans who have. And albeit to some menu and entertainment changes, it is still the Royal or Carnival experience that the brand has based itself off of for years. I have paid extra attention to reviews of MSC cruises in Europe, because of Seaview this summer, and there are certainly differences in entertainment and food on MSC cruises from Miami than MSC cruises from Europe. But, the iconic MSC experience is not gone no matter which ocean you're cruising in.

 

So with this, I really want to know, what is an "American" cruise experience? What did the ship significantly lack compared to its counterparts? Because to me, it sounds like the slower service and entertainment weren't to your own personal liking.

 

I do respect your views though, even though they are different than mine. I found some of your major negatives and driving factors against MSC to be my major positives and driving factors toward MSC. But, to each his own. I guess we won't find each other on the same ship any time soon, because I absolutely loved MSC :)

 

 

 

[emoji122]

 

 

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[KnoxRunner]

Fredric how many cruises have you done? i am a 52 and have NEVER had a ships pool without a shallow end

 

 

Newfie, in response to your post above I have only been on 4 cruises but the very first Carnival one that I went on didn't have a shallow end in one of the pools. I actually enjoyed it to be very honest but can see where others might find it disappointing.

 

While I admire 52 cruises I can't really see the need to be so negative to Fredric. Hope that wasn't the way you intended your post to be interpreted but that was the way I read it. Whether you have been on 52 cruises or only 1 you are still entitled to your opinion.

 

I am booked on the Seaside for the June 16th sailing and am very excited!

 

Will

[Europeantraveler1]

We took a cruise on the Konningsdam (HAL) last April to (mostly) Greece. Prior to the cruise my husband and I spent two glorious days in Rome and surrounding areas. One tour we signed up for and loved was a ‘food tour’ of Rome which began in the late afternoon and lasted well over four hours; sampling foods from various, well-known restaurants and deli’s. One of the most interesting stops was at a pizza place called, “BONCI” (owned by Gabrielle BONCI) and supposedly the most famous and well-liked pizza place in Rome.

There our tour guide ordered about 5-6 different and wonderfully delicious pizzas EVER!!! Those pizzas didn’t resemble the “Italian” pizza shown in the top picture at all but rather pizzas of all types with all sorts of toppings and LOADED to the gills! The crust on all of them, however, were very thin.

I wish I knew how to post pictures (!!!!) as then you could see what I’m talking about!!!

[KatRangoon]

Downloads

 

If you're interested in the MSC Seaside, I think you'll also find the following PDF files to be quite interesting. Most are scans of documents that MSC gave me during our cruise, a few are interesting things I found on MSC's web site...

 

Daily Planners from our cruise

Daily Programs from our cruise

Miami Disembarkation Information

MSC Seaside Brochure

Alternate Brochure

MSC Brochure (198 pages!)

Cabin Map

Deck Plans (for 11x17 printing, double sided)

Shore Excursion Price List

Show Schedule

Priority Tender Information For Aurea Guests

Welcome Aboard Information

Technical Sheet

Butchers Cut Steakhouse Menu

Roy Yamaguchi Menu

Ocean Cay Menu

Suite Information

Thank you for this!

[vdh77]

Jim, Thanks for the very in depth review, however I just got off the Seaside on Saturday and don't agree with a lot of what you had to say. Everyone has their own opinions and I respect that. I just wanted to write this so people considering the Seaside give it a try without being turned off by a very well written review.

 

I read a bunch of reviews in the weeks coming up to my cruise bashing the decor of the ship and MSC's "American Style" but once on board I was happy to see that I did not agree with them.

 

My trip did not go as smooth as I would have liked and I had a few "MSC moments" throughout the week but we really enjoyed the ship.

 

Again, Thanks for taking the time with such a great reviews and great pictures.

 

**MSC moments are those times when things don't make sense, like when Jim had to stand in line for 45 minutes to get a credit removed off his account to get off the ship**

[NYHartChapp]

Fredric how many cruises have you done? i am a 52 and have NEVER had a ships pool without a shallow end

 

Newfie,

 

Are you 52 years old? Or a 52-time cruiser? In any event, I'll bet good money that LeBron has NEVER had a ship's pool with a deep end ;)...it's all a matter of perspective.

[alreadypacked]

MSC cheap prices are enticing, but I've been wary. Thanks for the in-depth review. I see now that there are many more things to consider before booking.

 

A close friend (American) sailed an older MSC ship in the Mediterranean a couple years ago and thought the food not great and way TOO salty. I wonder if MSC has reduced salt too much, thinking they're in line with American tastes...

 

Just a thought.

[tjlj]

This is a very old thread almost all of the things talked about have already been changed.

 

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