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

[suzyed]

I too am going to interrupt Pizza-gate to say thanks for the very detailed review. DH and I will be boarding Saturday. Reviews for MSC from “American” (Divina as well as Seaside) do lean toward criticism of mostly service and food. But as Jim pointed out earlier with the tomato soup...what one person finds dodgy another finds delicious.

 

I feel like in order to be fair (although I have heavily invested significant time in reading reviews and videos) I will go onboard with a very open mind. Short of the cruise being cancelled...I believe we can roll with the punches pretty well.

 

Any day on the water far outweighs any day in the office...��

Ditto on all your comments and ditto on sailing Saturday!

[suzyed]

You can not cut round pizza into square pieces, that is just wrong. Because the first bite is always the best. And one person gets all the first bites. The top one I would smash the heck out of it! :D:D

Right after we moved to Chicago from NY(many years ago), we ordered a pizza delivery. Wouldn't you know it....it was a round pizza cut into squares! Never saw anything like that before! :rolleyes:

[Two Wheels Only]

Seems to me the compromise between NCL Haven and MSC YC is there is more 'public' space on the latter and more 'private' (i.e. cabin) space on the former.

 

Would regular cruisers of both agree with that assessment?

It depends on the ship. NCL's newest ship (Bliss) will have a much larger (3-4x) Haven-only sundeck than BA/GA/Escape plus it will have a 2 level Haven-only observation area. The Bliss Haven area eats 2 Deluxe Owner's Suites and 4 Owner's Suites vs. Escape so the Bliss Haven area is much larger for Haven guests.

[jimbob22]

I'm just not getting: what aspects of the Italian heritage are supposed to be enticing?

 

I guess the pizza is fine, although Carnival pizza is excellent, so no need for Italian heritage here.

 

I've been on some other lines where they offered great Asian food, excellent curries, delicious tandoori chicken. And it's probably cooked by staffers native to these regions. That seems like a plus to me. I kind of like it when the kitchen staff get to put their native cuisines on the buffet.

 

Is it the focus on expensive 'bling' (eg. crystal staircases) in lieu of good customer service?

[sandpiper35]

Well Spaniel, I love your pictures and your detailed review. Thank You. I disagree some of your dislikes, others just sound not that important to the point of silly, but great review. I can understand it, sometimes when I get into a review I have been guilty of the same nonsense. Thank you.

Also thank you for the heads up about the indifference of the crew. Having travelled through Italy extensively, it sounds just about right.

You say you have been in 43 cruises, and gave us at least one good tip, about the bathing suit etc. Let me give you one cruise tip back. We have been in over 60 cruises and never have been held back at disembark due to finances. I have to thank my wife for that. What she does is either check the statement that they give us the night before, or check our bill via the TV system, and make sure all balances check out, and are zeroed out before we are caught up in and endless exit line.

 

Cheers.

[Moobaby214]

Thank you for your great thoughts and detailed review! I appreciate you taking the time to put this all together. I think that everything you didn't care for are all of the reasons I enjoyed MSC. And all of the things you enjoy about Carnival are the reasons I don't sail Carnival anymore.

 

Oh yeah, Pizza... give me a slice of the first one from the ship. I like them thin, with little sauce, and few toppings. :-)

[BermudaBound2014]

Thank you very much for this post.

 

Can I ask you does the concierge in YC accept cash. On DCL the concierge accepts cash so a trip to GS is not needed. On NCL, the concierge does not accept cash and if adding to account, a trip to GS needs to be taken care of yourself, not in Haven.

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

We tipped in cash :).

 

Ps- the pizzagate comment made me lol :)

 

 

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[lcpagejr]

Well Spaniel, I love your pictures and your detailed review. Thank You. I disagree some of your dislikes, others just sound not that important to the point of silly, but great review. I can understand it, sometimes when I get into a review I have been guilty of the same nonsense. Thank you.

Also thank you for the heads up about the indifference of the crew. Having travelled through Italy extensively, it sounds just about right.

You say you have been in 43 cruises, and gave us at least one good tip, about the bathing suit etc. Let me give you one cruise tip back. We have been in over 60 cruises and never have been held back at disembark due to finances. I have to thank my wife for that. What she does is either check the statement that they give us the night before, or check our bill via the TV system, and make sure all balances check out, and are zeroed out before we are caught up in and endless exit line.

 

Cheers.

 

I think he knows that....LOL. He just assumed the balance owed him would be credited back on his CC or a check sent . He had no intention of going to GS until he got the notification when he left the ship!

[DCGuy64]

Laughing right now about the comments regarding Italian indifference. If that means I don’t have some overly zealous server bound up to my table with a fake smile and exclaim “how are we doing tonight?“ well then please give me the indifference. LOL [emoji23]

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

Laughing right now about the comments regarding Italian indifference. If that means I don’t have some overly zealous server bound up to my table with a fake smile and exclaim “how are we doing tonight?“ well then please give me the indifference. LOL [emoji23]

 

 

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Be careful what you ask for..... that same indifference also means you could be sleeping in a water soaked cabin rather than getting a dry room after a flood (described here), eating at the time they tell you with the amount of people they tell you in spite of having fantastica ...( I personally experienced this), and getting everyone in your cabin up and out by 7:00 am departure day. Indifference

Isn’t just lack luster service, at times on MSC it’s “take it or leave it” also.

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

.

 

Is it the focus on expensive 'bling' (eg. crystal staircases) in lieu of good customer service?

 

 

Sadly, the short answer here is “yes”. MSc has GREaT hardscape and they pride themselves on maintaining spotless ships. However most reviewers do agree that basic customer service lacks. That is NoT to say everyone is terrible, there are some very good servers onboard.

The biggest complaints seem to come from the resolution end. In other words, MSc does not always resolve conflict with a service centered approach.

 

 

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[DCGuy64]

Be careful what you ask for..... that same indifference also means you could be sleeping in a water soaked cabin rather than getting a dry room after a flood (described here), eating at the time they tell you with the amount of people they tell you in spite of having fantastica ...( I personally experienced this), and getting everyone in your cabin up and out by 7:00 am departure day. Indifference

Isn’t just lack luster service, at times on MSC it’s “take it or leave it” also.

 

 

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We’re in Aurea and all the reports I’ve read from others in the same experience have reported excellent service. We’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. [emoji6]

 

 

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[austenfiend]

If your a buffet only person I can see the disappointment with the deck 16 buffet. How many people only eat buffet?

 

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We always liked to eat at the buffet, especially when our son was younger. However, we are traveling with friends on Seaside on February 17th. They are European, so I guess we'll be doing the dining room.

[sidari]

The problem with MSC customer service is micro management and their military style pass it along the chain of command until the complaint gets to the person who deals with it, who then HS to clear it with a senior manager!

[NYHartChapp]

Jim,

 

Thanks for the very detailed and in-depth review. Have been waiting for this since I found your "Seaside in the Turning Basin" video on youtube. Don't necessarily agree with all your points ( and who will? ), but appreciate your straightforward presentation.

[Spaniel Lover]

He just assumed the balance owed him would be credited back on his CC or a check sent . He had no intention of going to GS until he got the notification when he left the ship!

Exactly!

I did go to guest services on the day before disembarking, and got a print out from them. When I saw the negative balance, I figured I was good to go. After all, they had my credit card number... so they could easily refund to my card. It never occurred to me that they would prevent me from disembarking until they could give me cash. Who refunds in cash?!?!:'):')

[lcpagejr]

Hey DCGUY64.... Looks like we have a "hater" or atleast a "dissenter" LOL I notice how patiently your playing along with that poster! Keep working on it....You helped me see both ways LOL

[volk904]

Ok Jim Zim. Great review. Question is would you choose the Seaside again over NCL or RCCL?

 

 

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[Jaco5NC]

Thank you Jim for taking the time to share your thoughts. I enjoyed reading through and looking at your pictures. I actually found many of your complaints to be positives for my family (for example, our family never eats dinner at the buffet, ever. I am happy to hear the MDR food was better). I also found several of your complaints just plain silly but that is just my opinion and I won't restate what others have said. I am hoping that MSC does not "Americanize" itself anymore then it is. We have NCL and RCCL for that which we always enjoy. We have been very impressed with MSC so far: easy booking, status match to Black, 5% off immediately following Status Match and prompt friendly customer service via phone calls. That has been our experience but have read that others have not had the same experience. We can't wait for our turn and will report back after sailing to answer questions.

PS - Just to chime in on "PizzaGate"... We wouldn't eat a pizza that looked like the one with the orange stuff on top. I don't even know what that is? We don't sail Carnival anymore but one thing we did enjoy was their pizza - thin and crispy and not smothered in toppings.

 

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

Ok Jim Zim. Great review. Question is would you choose the Seaside again over NCL or RCCL?

 

Unlikely....

 

My suggestion would be that my American friends should cruise on the Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Breakaway, Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Anthem Of The Seas, or Harmony Of The Seas... long before they cruise on MSC Seaside.

 

....although, I have a feeling that if JimZim ever does sail on Seaside again, it will be in the Yacht Club....probably in the Royal Suite if he books early enough to get one of them.

[cruisin' friends]

Exactly!

I did go to guest services on the day before disembarking, and got a print out from them. When I saw the negative balance, I figured I was good to go. After all, they had my credit card number... so they could easily refund to my card. It never occurred to me that they would prevent me from disembarking until they could give me cash. Who refunds in cash?!?!:'):')

 

Believe it or not, it is on the terms and conditions.

[BermudaBound2014]

Hey DCGUY64.... Looks like we have a "hater" or atleast a "dissenter" LOL I notice how patiently your playing along with that poster! Keep working on it....You helped me see both ways LOL

 

 

 

Hey icp... ~ you can call me out- I have very thick skin. :)

 

I don’t think you are haters or dissenters..... fact is, neither of you have set foot aboard a MSC ship to form a valid conclusion of the product either way.

 

I do appreciate that you largely refrained from giving others advise until you have actually experienced the MSC yourself. I understand human nature- your paid for - and now want - a great vacation. We all get it.

 

Believe it or not, those of us trying to share BOTH sides of the MSC experience want the same thing. I think seaside will deliver for you because you haven’t bought into all the nonsense posts about smells being “entirely gone” or the “European experience” being superior, or that you should settle for meatloaf because after all, “it’s still food.”

 

I’m very hopeful that you will come back and report your experiences and that they will be largely positive but sprinkled with a healthy dose of MSc reality so that cruisers after you will also go with realistic expectations. It’s a thankless, but worthy, endeavor.

 

 

 

 

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[DCGuy64]

Hey icp... ~ you can call me out- I have very thick skin. :)

 

I don’t think you are haters or dissenters..... fact is, neither of you have set foot aboard a MSC ship to form a valid conclusion of the product either way.

 

I do appreciate that you largely refrained from giving others advise until you have actually experienced the MSC yourself. I understand human nature- your paid for - and now want - a great vacation. We all get it.

 

Believe it or not, those of us trying to share BOTH sides of the MSC experience want the same thing. I think seaside will deliver for you because you haven’t bought into all the nonsense posts about smells being “entirely gone” or the “European experience” being superior, or that you should settle for meatloaf because after all, “it’s still food.”

 

I’m very hopeful that you will come back and report your experiences and that they will be largely positive but sprinkled with a healthy dose of MSc reality so that cruisers after you will also go with realistic expectations. It’s a thankless, but worthy, endeavor.

 

 

 

 

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Hahaha, wow, Bermuda, take a page out of “Frozen” and ‘let it go.’ [emoji23]

 

 

 

 

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[DCGuy64]

Hey DCGUY64.... Looks like we have a "hater" or atleast a "dissenter" LOL I notice how patiently your playing along with that poster! Keep working on it....You helped me see both ways LOL

 

 

 

Thanks, as I mentioned earlier, I appreciate your willingness to give MSC a chance unlike the bullies who believe every negative comment and are clearly hoping MSC goes bankrupt, makes Captain Scala walk the plank, fire all of the staff and sink their ships. (OK I’m exaggerating for the sake of illustration, don’t take that all literally)

Despite what the naysayers claim, I’m not a cheerleader for MSC. My cruise later this year on Seaside will be my first ever with them. I just believe in giving a company the benefit of the doubt and I generally dismiss negative reviews IF the poster’s reasons are counterfactual, filled with hyperbole or simply the result of poor planning.

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

Hahaha, wow, Bermuda, take a page out of “Frozen” and ‘let it go.’ [emoji23]

 

 

 

 

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Not a chance :).

 

 

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