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

[jimbob22]

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]

 

I've never encountered this or maybe I paid it little attention. Servers checking up on you seriously bothers you?

 

You may want to steer clear of Chick Fil A ;)

[js]

We tipped in cash :).

 

Ps- the pizzagate comment made me lol :)

 

 

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Sorry, I meant can you settle your account with concierge or do they not accept cash. Yes, I too, always tip cash.

 

Thank you!

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

Sorry, I meant can you settle your account with concierge or do they not accept cash. Yes, I too, always tip rid=76452[/url]

 

 

Oh! Now that I can not confirm or deny based on personal experience, but my guess is that it can be done.

After all, they insisted on giving JimZIm his refund in cash so we know they deal in it. If you are on seaside, the cash onboard is USD.

 

 

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[riclop]

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)

I will take #2 also.

[DCGuy64]

I've never encountered this or maybe I paid it little attention. Servers checking up on you seriously bothers you?

 

 

 

You may want to steer clear of Chick Fil A ;)

 

 

 

Haha, I’ve gotten used to it in American chain restaurants but find it a nuisance when eating in the MDR of a cruise ship. Surely I’m not the only who thinks the service should be a little more sophisticated while on vacation, or am I mistaken?

 

 

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[lcpagejr]

Haha, I’ve gotten used to it in American chain restaurants but find it a nuisance when eating in the MDR of a cruise ship. Surely I’m not the only who thinks the service should be a little more sophisticated while on vacation, or am I mistaken?

 

 

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I haven't lol....It bothers the heck out of me when a Chik Fil A associate asks if I need anything... I mean I'm only in there for 10-15'....Let me eat in peace lol

[Spaniel Lover]

I've been going through my photos and videos from the cruise and I discovered a couple of things I forgot to mention in my review. Two are positive things and one is a negative.

 

One of things I totally forgot to mention in my review is that the MSC Seaside has a really great sports bar. In fact, I think it's the best sports bar I've seen on all the cruise ships I've been on.

 

Of course, there was a large bar and a staff eager to set you up with your favorite drinks... and of course, there were televisions EVERYWHERE, including a giant television that you could watch big sporting events on in a large group of cheering fans... but what really impressed me was that all around the outer edge of this very large sports bar, there were numerous little private nooks with their own TVs.

 

 

You could sit in one of those nooks and watch the game with just your friends and family, rather than in the large area with a big crowd around the biggest TV. There wasn't just one or two of these nooks either. There were quite a few of them. I thought it was a really nice design.

 

Another positive thing I forgot to mention is a nice little area of the ship, located between the Jungle Pool and the waterslides... where there are some comfortable couches to relax on, as well as several covered day beds that would be perfect for a little snuggling. If I were on this cruise with kids or grandkids, I'd send the kids off to have fun on the waterslides (which are right next door) and I'd tell them that when they were done, they'd find me and Kellyn right here...

 

 

The negative thing that I had completely forgotten to mention in my review was that MSC made what I think was a really bad design choice regarding all three of the swimming pools. They're all over six feet deep and do NOT have a shallow end at all. Even the Jungle Pool, which is primarily used by kids and families. It seems insane to have a pool for kids and it's over 6 feet deep the entire length of the pool! No wonder they have a lifeguard stationed there! With swimming pools that are that deep, your choices are to swim, tread water, or cling on to the side of the pool, like these ladies are doing in the South Beach pool...

 

 

There really weren't very many people using the swimming pools, because it's uncomfortable to stay in them for very long. You can't stand up... it's so deep.

 

Viking Ocean cruises made this same choice on the swimming pools on their ships... so I have to ask, is this a European thing again? On all the other cruise lines I've been on, there's always at least been a shallow end to the pool... and usually the maximum depth of most of the pools has been about five feet or less... so that people can just get in the pool and stand up in the pool while conversing with their friends for an extended time.

 

What are your thoughts on designing the swimming pools to be so deep, with no shallow end at all?

 

[SnowManBob]

One of favorite lido deck pass times is to stand in the pool leaning on the edge and sipping a cocktail. Looks like I may have to sit on the edge.

[fraffin]

I

 

 

What are your thoughts on designing the swimming pools to be so deep, with no shallow end at all?

 

What??? No swim up bar! I'm cancelling my cruise.

[BestNC Cruiser]

What??? No swim up bar! I'm cancelling my cruise.

 

 

 

Swim up bar. I like that idea.

[suzyed]

 

There really weren't very many people using the swimming pools, because it's uncomfortable to stay in them for very long. You can't stand up... it's so deep.

 

Viking Ocean cruises made this same choice on the swimming pools on their ships... so I have to ask, is this a European thing again? On all the other cruise lines I've been on, there's always at least been a shallow end to the pool... and usually the maximum depth of most of the pools has been about five feet or less... so that people can just get in the pool and stand up in the pool while conversing with their friends for an extended time.

 

What are your thoughts on designing the swimming pools to be so deep, with no shallow end at all?

 

My thoughts? Well this 5 foot tall woman thinks it's a VERY BAD idea! I hate that! That is certainly disappointing that all my time in the pool will be spent clinging to the side! I don't get it!

[geonurse]

You hit it on the head in your review- so many of the same experiences - much better choices in the American market overall

[geonurse]

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

Absolutely! Go on the cruise and then add your two cents people. Doubting and criticizing others actual experience makes no sense to me! Maybe your experience will be different- it probably will be. No one ever said everyone will have the same experience. They are simply reviewing their own cruise experience. I think I've written the word experience plenty of times now. 😂

[geonurse]

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.

Why would he know that he had to deal with a CREDIT on his account prior to being allowed to disembark? Why should he have to. They should have simply credited his credit card or zero out the onboard credit balance automatically. The way Msc handled this makes no sense whatsoever.

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

My guess is that if a gluten-free person was to eat in one of the main dining rooms, rather than in the buffet, they would probably be fine on MSC Seaside. We're just not main dining room people, and Kellyn was not pleased with the buffet.

What she would have liked to see in the buffet would have been an indicator of what foods are gluten free. Up above the sneeze guard, they would have a little sign indicating what each item was. In other words, above the french fries would be a sign that said "French Fries". If I recall correctly, there were foreign language translations underneath the English name of the food, too. What Kellyn would have liked would have been the words "GLUTEN FREE" added to the sign above any foods that were gluten free.

 

The other thing we've seen on a few cruise ships in the buffet is that they would actually have a section of the buffet that had a whole bunch of gluten-free items together in one place... a place that a gluten-free person could just go directly to in order to find many gluten-free items. They definitely did not have this on the MSC Seaside, and neither do most cruise ships, but a few of the best do.

 

Thanks, I wish they better labeled the buffet items as well, would make it so much easier! We have mentioned this on different lines and have been told they don’t do it because due to cross contamination issues from other passengers, they can’t guarantee an item will be gluten free. I get that, but I think anyone who needs gluten free ( or has other allergies) realizes the risk of cross contamination at a buffet already but it would be nice to know the ingredients of each dish anyway to make an informed decision as it is not always obvious.

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

If you watch the posts by „It’s our Fenwick life“ on YouTube, you‘ll see that they have gluten free menus in the dining rooms. She seems to really like the food, too. She also had no problem eating at Teppanyaki. My guess is that Butchers Cut would have a gluten free menu, too, since it’s a steak house.

 

Thank you, will check those out on YouTube!

[Two Wheels Only]

My thoughts? Well this 5 foot tall woman thinks it's a VERY BAD idea! I hate that! That is certainly disappointing that all my time in the pool will be spent clinging to the side! I don't get it!

The intention is probably to prevent a pool full of people standing shoulder to shoulder.

 

It doesn't bother me.

 

 

...sink or swim..:evilsmile:

[DCGuy64]

The intention is probably to prevent a pool full of people standing shoulder to shoulder.

 

It doesn't bother me.

 

 

...sink or swim..:evilsmile:

 

Me, too, the fewer bratty kids in there, the better. :evilsmile:

[leos037]

Agree about the pools! and in the jungle one the sign says 5 3 feet its over 6 :(

[bluefish17]

Agree about the pools! and in the jungle one the sign says 5 3 feet its over 6 :(

Maybe they need the extra volume of water for cleanliness. Pools on cruise ships are small and given the bather load on heavy use days, I can't imagine the sanitation can keep up. That's why I don't get in much and never get my head or face in the water.

 

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[dolls123]

There wasn't any kind of coffee maker in our Aurea suite. An excursion to the buffet is a good option, though. I bet in the Yacht Club there is a coffee maker in the suite, though... and certainly a butler to bring coffee, if you don't have a coffee maker.

 

Thanks for another great review. I'm surprised you didn't stay in the YC. I'll be in the Royal Suite on Seaside next year. I stayed in the Royal Suite on Divina last November and have another booked this November.

 

Was excited to see you're going to be on the May NCL Bliss cruise. Hopefully I get to meet you during the meet & greet or cabin crawl. I'm showing my Haven Aft facing room.

Edited February 7, 2018 by dolls123

[mabones]

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?

Sorry! :(:( But the top Pizza looks very unappetizing! I prefer the thin crust pizza. Possibly with some fried eggplant scattered on top!

[thegraminator]

I agree about the depth of the pools being troublesome . It's hard to relax when you are constantly treading water.

 

My other beef is the salt water used in the pools . I think the only freshwater pool we experienced was on the Disney ships. Is desalination a costly thing ?

[BestNC Cruiser]

Sorry! :(:( But the top Pizza looks very unappetizing! I prefer the thin crust pizza. Possibly with some fried eggplant scattered on top!

 

Sorry! :(:( But the bottom Pizza looks very unappetizing! I prefer the thick crust pizza. Possibly with some onions scattered on top!

[MisterBill99]

Maybe they need the extra volume of water for cleanliness. Pools on cruise ships are small and given the bather load on heavy use days, I can't imagine the sanitation can keep up. That's why I don't get in much and never get my head or face in the water.

Until Seaside, I'd never been in a pool on a cruise ship that did not have a shallow end. Agree with others that it was unacceptable. I'm 6' and could not find the 5' section in the jungle pool, it all seemed to be 6'.

 

Let's stop making excuses for a poor design decision.