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

[suzyed]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with so much detail. I have sailed with MSc twice and find that much of what you described mirrors my experience.

 

 

I cant help but feel the need to apologize on behalf of my fellow travelers who feel the need to criticize your review and hope that the way you have been treated here does not prohibit you from continuing to share your experiences.

 

 

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Agree! His experience is his experience...he presented his impressions very well.

[Cap'n Ron]

Jim, really enjoyed your review and want to thank you for the effort and detail you provided. Even though MSC wasn't what you had hoped it would be overall, I think you did an excellent job sharing the positives and negatives of your trip in a fair and honest way. I love your YouTube channel, and look forward to your updates from each of your cruises. As of now, we are still planning to give MSC a try, but we have quite some time to see if things improve before our final payment date at the end of the summer. Thank you again, and look forward to your Norwegian Bliss review.

[LMaxwell]

Another top notch review! Thanks for taking the time and sharing.

 

Question: Did you do a status match? It would seem you'd be high enough with Carnival at least to get top status with MSC

[jimbob22]

Another top notch review! Thanks for taking the time and sharing.

 

Question: Did you do a status match? It would seem you'd be high enough with Carnival at least to get top status with MSC

 

I can't find it now on youtube, but I think he said he's 2nd highest status with Carnival, and it did carry over to msc, but he wanted this exact type of room (with jacuzzi on balcony) which is part of the 'aurea' experience. So it's not part of the yc and can't be part of the YC. I'm sure he can elaborate on this better.

[diesel1973]

Just took the time to read the review of the cruise we were also on . Agree it was the worst cruise we have ever been on. One thing I disagree with you about is "that smell". We had to be moved to another room after the first night because of it. I had to wait in the Guest Services line 5 times that day for a minimum of 45 min.each time.No Fun. They gave me a complimentary specialty dinner certificate for my trouble.No problem. Used it that night and next day saw a charge for the "free dinner".Off to Guest Services again. Questioned charge and they deny giving me certificate!! Whaaaat!! Ironic thing is this was the same person who gave me cert.the day before. I can sit here and list all the customer and waiter service problems,food quality and temp. problems,toilets backing up,etc.,etc. but it would not change anything. I would not use MSC again if it was a free cruise and am conveying my experience to my friends.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

There are so many criticisms I want to write about this review.... but I don’t want the warning points.

[LMaxwell]

I can't find it now on youtube, but I think he said he's 2nd highest status with Carnival, and it did carry over to msc, but he wanted this exact type of room (with jacuzzi on balcony) which is part of the 'aurea' experience. So it's not part of the yc and can't be part of the YC. I'm sure he can elaborate on this better.

 

Status match is completely separate from any experience/YC offering. It brings a discount when booking and a host of other onboard perks and amenities. If he received black card the specialty dinner would have been comped (not sure about upcharges, etc.)

[BestNC Cruiser]

There are so many criticisms I want to write about this review.... but I don’t want the warning points.

 

Thank You. Just go on the cruise and write your own review. Not interested in opinions on other people's opinions.

[Spaniel Lover]

Another top notch review! Thanks for taking the time and sharing.

 

Question: Did you do a status match? It would seem you'd be high enough with Carnival at least to get top status with MSC

 

You would have to be diamond with Carnival to get MSC's highest level, which is black.

 

I'm platinum with Carnival so MSC made me a gold member, which cracked me up due to the Austin Powers movie of the same name!

 

 

[Spaniel Lover]

I've been enjoying reading all the comments that people have been posting. However, there's one thing bothering me about the comments so far...

 

 

Isn't there anybody out there, anybody at all, that thinks this pizza...

looks hugely more tasty than this pizza?

[windlicht]

I've been enjoying reading all the comments that people have been posting. However, there's one thing bothering me about the comments so far...

 

 

 

Isn't there anybody out there, anybody at all, that thinks this pizza...

looks hugely more tasty than this pizza?

:D I‘m a thin crust kinda gal but I‘ll admit: I would totally devour either one of them!

I will also admit that the famed MSC pizza wasn’t my favorite on the Divina, either. I think I didn’t overly like the sauce.

Oh, and as someone else said: *gasp* I am European! Yes I‘d go for that Pizza Hut pie. Well, of the chains, it‘d be thin crust with bacon and onions and perhaps banana peppers from Donino‘s for me.

[Spaniel Lover]

Just for clarification... it's not a pizza from Pizza Hut. It's from a popular local pizza place with only two locations. In our area, if you check Yelp for pizza, this is the one at the top of the list because we all like it so much. The name of the joint is Klondike Pizza, and the entire restaurant is decorated in a tongue-in-cheek Alaska theme.

 

I assume you can imagine a restaurant decorated in an Alaska theme, but perhaps not a "tongue-in-cheek" Alaska theme. Well, the owner apparently has a good sense of humor. For example, on their web site, they tell "The Klondike Story" about how the founders met at a blackjack table in Skagway Alaska. But you realize it's all a fake when you later find "the real Klondike story" and later "the genuine Klondike story" and then "the true Klondike story"... which all spin different tales about how the pizza joint came to be. In the actual restaurant, they wear t-shirts promising to "cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to you". Anyway, it's a pretty great place, and if you ever tasted the pizza I think you'd understand why the MSC pizza didn't do it for me.

[BestNC Cruiser]

I've been enjoying reading all the comments that people have been posting. However, there's one thing bothering me about the comments so far...

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't there anybody out there, anybody at all, that thinks this pizza...

looks hugely more tasty than this pizza?

 

In my opinion, the pizza on the top looks better than the bottom one. My final judgement would be withheld until tasting both. But if I had to make a purchase based on the pics alone, it would be the top. ( I sure someone will say that my opinion is wrong)

[Spaniel Lover]

And at the risk of beating a dead horse... take a look at the slice of pizza in the 6 o'clock position of the MSC pizza...

 

 

 

That piece in the 6 o'clock position... it only has one full piece of pepperoni and two half pieces. It has two crust bubbles, one of which is burned. It has perhaps one teaspoon of sauce on it and one tablespoon of cheese. At a decent pizza place, they would have thrown that pie away and made a new one for the customer! :')

[fraffin]

I've been enjoying reading all the comments that people have been posting. However, there's one thing bothering me about the comments so far...

 

 

 

 

Isn't there anybody out there, anybody at all, that thinks this pizza...

looks hugely more tasty than this pizza?

 

Born and bred in Chicago. Neither one of these comes close to looking like a real pizza to me. But if I'm willing to try the Seaside, then I'm willing to try that California 'pizza???'.

 

BTW, pepperoni is pretty much an American thing, so I don't think you can call either a true Italian pizza.

[windlicht]

Just for clarification... it's not a pizza from Pizza Hut. It's from a popular local pizza place with only two locations. In our area, if you check Yelp for pizza, this is the one at the top of the list because we all like it so much. The name of the joint is Klondike Pizza, and the entire restaurant is decorated in a tongue-in-cheek Alaska theme.

 

I assume you can imagine a restaurant decorated in an Alaska theme, but perhaps not a "tongue-in-cheek" Alaska theme. Well, the owner apparently has a good sense of humor. For example, on their web site, they tell "The Klondike Story" about how the founders met at a blackjack table in Skagway Alaska. But you realize it's all a fake when you later find "the real Klondike story" and later "the genuine Klondike story" and then "the true Klondike story"... which all spin different tales about how the pizza joint came to be. In the actual restaurant, they wear t-shirts promising to "cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to you". Anyway, it's a pretty great place, and if you ever tasted the pizza I think you'd understand why the MSC pizza didn't do it for me.

Oh, sounds like a great place!

And I already understand why MSC pizza didn't do it for you. It didn't do it for me either. In your picture, the MSC pizza truly looks dry and unappealing. Lots of people love it, though.

 

I have never had Kondike pizza but I've had some pretty awesome pizza in my life anyway.... one of those places offering excellent pizza was the Moose's Tooth, since we're talking Alaska....

[Christi209]

And at the risk of beating a dead horse... take a look at the slice of pizza in the 6 o'clock position of the MSC pizza...

 

 

 

 

 

 

That piece in the 6 o'clock position... it only has one full piece of pepperoni and two half pieces. It has two crust bubbles, one of which is burned. It has perhaps one teaspoon of sauce on it and one tablespoon of cheese. At a decent pizza place, they would have thrown that pie away and made a new one for the customer! :')

 

Looks like a lot of the Neapolitan style pizza we eat .( although never with pepperoni). Those “burnt” bubbles are pretty typical. Here’s a definition:

Neapolitan-style pizza typically consists of a thin and soft crust (if it is cooked properly at a high temperature, the crust will bubble up and be charred in spots) that is topped with a simple tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.

Although I would not let the pizza make or break my cruise! To each his own.

[riclop]

I am an American and the #1 picture of the pizza is the one i would chose and i don't like alot of salt in my food so as they say food is very subjective and i have been on 7 MSC cruises and love there bacon more then any other line. Jim you do a great review with some fabulous photos and videos. THANKS!!!!

[perakcruiser]

That piece in the 6 o'clock position... it only has one full piece of pepperoni and two half pieces. It has two crust bubbles, one of which is burned. It has perhaps one teaspoon of sauce on it and one tablespoon of cheese. At a decent pizza place, they would have thrown that pie away and made a new one for the customer! :')

 

I guess the first and last time you have been to a decent pizza place was on that boat.

 

Actually I saw a (european) TV program about pizza a couple of days before. They found some excellent "real" pizza some might call "New York" or "Napoli" style. But they also liked a Chicago style "pizza" with loads of chesse. "Maybe you cannot call it pizza, but it really tasts great". But this pizza looked much better than what you are showing here. Looks artificial, is it real Mozzarella? What the hell is this yellow "cheese", looks even more artificial. Cannot see really the crust but I guess it is much to high.

Edited February 6, 2018 by perakcruiser

[fraffin]

Now this is real pizza, Chicago style.

 

 

 

 

 

While Chicago is well renown for its Deep Dish pizza, Chicago thin crust is every bit as unique.

[Christi209]

I've been enjoying reading all the comments that people have been posting. However, there's one thing bothering me about the comments so far...

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't there anybody out there, anybody at all, that thinks this pizza...

looks hugely more tasty than this pizza?

 

Is that Cheez Whiz on the top pizza? ��. If not what is that gloppy orange stuff. Would not find that “pizza” anywhere in Italy. I’ll go with thin crust number 2 any day ( minus the pepperoni but maybe with some fresh basil)

[suzyed]

Looks like a lot of the Neapolitan style pizza we eat .( although never with pepperoni). Those “burnt” bubbles are pretty typical. Here’s a definition:

Neapolitan-style pizza typically consists of a thin and soft crust (if it is cooked properly at a high temperature, the crust will bubble up and be charred in spots) that is topped with a simple tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.

Although I would not let the pizza make or break my cruise! To each his own.

As a matter of fact I always have dibs on the pizza slice with the bubble!! My favorite!

[suzyed]

I guess the first and last time you have been to a decent pizza place was on that boat.

 

Actually I saw a (european) TV program about pizza a couple of days before. They found some excellent "real" pizza some might call "New York" or "Napoli" style. But they also liked a Chicago style "pizza" with loads of chesse. "Maybe you cannot call it pizza, but it really tasts great". But this pizza looked much better than what you are showing here. Looks artificial, is it real Mozzarella? What the hell is this yellow "cheese", looks even more artificial. Cannot see really the crust but I guess it is much to high.

I'm with you! I, too, was wondering what the orange stuff was! LOL!

[Two Wheels Only]

In your picture, the MSC pizza truly looks dry and unappealing.

Any pizza that sits under a heat lamp for an extended period of time will be unappealing. :D

 

Not all NY pizza tastes the same. As a NY'er, I can state that since there are so many pizzerias in NYC, everyone can find which neighborhood pizzeria is their favorite. True aficionados can even tell which person in a particular place made the pizza and can even learn the work schedule of that person and plan accordingly.

 

Anyway, nobody can taste test a pizza from a photo. However, I am interested in the "special order" pizzas that MSC offers and if they can be customized (extra sauce, extra cheese for JimZim). :p

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

Thank you for the very detailed review.

 

You mentioned at the beginning that Kellyn was disappointed with the gluten free accommodations. I read about her concern at Butcher’s Cut, but didn’t see it mentioned regarding the buffet or MDR (unless I missed a post). How did she make out in other venues? My DH gets sick if he has any gluten and did ok on Divina; I am hoping he will be ok on Seaside.