Any Changes to Seaside?

[Reds4life]

We found a really nice itinerary and price on the Seaside 7-day to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel for 2019. After our own experience on Divina last year and the negative reviews of Seaside, I have to ask, has MSC listened to the critics and changed anything for the good?

 

The background for my question is that some of the same issues that we saw on Divina last year (poor customer service, unclear policies, non- "Americanized" shows, kids club, etc.) are mentioned in reviews of the Seaside. However, we did have a good time especially for the price and somewhat learned from our first experience. We know to avoid the kids club, not expect to watch TV, never ask guest services for anything at all, expect the same performers in the shows every night with a different theme, and don't do the drink coupon books since we don't drink alcohol. But, we also had excellent service in the MDR and cabin, ate good pizza and food overall, experienced a nice newer clean ship, and did it all on a budget. All in all, we know to tone down our expectations in some areas and enjoy our vacation by focusing on the positives.

 

So here's my questions (yes, I read the entire 25 page thread):

 

- On Divina, we really enjoyed the cabin pass for the extra activities (F1, 5D Theater, Bowling) for $60 (even though once on the ship they tried to overcharge us $85 after our PVC confirmed $60 days prior). Is that pass still available?

 

- Is the zipline free or not? How about the surfboard slide? I couldn't get a straight answer from the thread

 

- What's the deal with the buffet? I saw where the dinner buffet has very little in it's offerings. On Divina, the buffet was very good for dinner. Part of it closes or something also? I didn't understand that. We really enjoyed pizza pretty much 24/7 on Divina.

 

- Are the dinner times set? We had our table for 4 on Divina at the same time every night. Can we do that on Seaside?

 

- Are the shows the same? On Divina, all of them were basically the same performers with a different theme with no "story". As talented as the performers were, it was a little boring besides the Queen tribute. I had heard they were having comedy and some different "Americanized" shows.

 

- Do they still have the generic Vitamin Water in the buffet? That was an unexpected perk.

 

Thanks for any help in advance. The reviews of Seaside have been rather harsh and I'm not sure why MSC has decided against some of the policies that seemed to really work on Divina on the new ship. We are always on a budget and have to decide if a 2019 Seaside booking is worth the trouble even with a new ship and great itinerary.

[cruzeluver]

We were on the January 20th sailing of Seaside. Loved it.

 

- On Divina, we really enjoyed the cabin pass for the extra activities (F1, 5D Theater, Bowling) for $60 (even though once on the ship they tried to overcharge us $85 after our PVC confirmed $60 days prior). Is that pass still available?

Yes.

Is the zipline free or not? How about the surfboard slide? I couldn't get a straight answer from the thread

Zipline is free for those in Yacht Club. Otherwise, it is $10.00 for a single ride, or $50.00 for unlimited rides. The unlimited option covers everyone in your stateroom. Well worth it to us. Great time! The slideboard slide does not carry a charge for anyone.

- What's the deal with the buffet? I saw where the dinner buffet has very little in it's offerings. On Divina, the buffet was very good for dinner. Part of it closes or something also? I didn't understand that. We really enjoyed pizza pretty much 24/7 on Divina.

We ate all dinners in the main dining room so no first -hand experience. The smaller of the two buffets is open for dinner.

- Are the dinner times set? We had our table for 4 on Divina at the same time every night. Can we do that on Seaside?

If you book at the Bella or Fantastica level, you will have a set dining time (there are five separate times, three in one dining room and two in the other). If you book higher than Fantastica you can opt for a set time or choose anytime dining. We had booked Fantastica and had a great table right in the middle of the Seashire dining room for the 8:30 seating.

- Are the shows the same? On Divina, all of them were basically the same performers with a different theme with no "story". As talented as the performers were, it was a little boring besides the Queen tribute. I had heard they were having comedy and some different "Americanized" shows.

It is the same production cast each night. We found them superior to production casts on other recent lines we have sailed on. The singers were at a much higher level and the dancers were actually expected to dance, not just basic steps like some others we have recently seen. A couple of the shows have a bit of a loose story, but due to the clientele speaking several different languages the plots are very simple. There is an improv troupe that performs late night (most were at 11:15PM) in the theater. We went once. They were ok. Improv is one of those things that can be great one night and painful another.

- Do they still have the generic Vitamin Water in the buffet? That was an unexpected perk.

If you mean the flavored waters, then yes. Every day there were two, usually strawberry/kiwi and the other was mango with something else. We liked them very much.

[jcathers1]

The zipline is free for YC members? I had not read that before.

[Reds4life]

Thanks for the help with my questions. Anyone know if pizza is available most hours of the day?

[voyager89]

Thanks for the help with my questions. Anyone know if pizza is available most hours of the day?

 

It was. Breakfast pizza durng the morning, regular ones the rest of the day and night. I believe pizza was available 20 hours a day.

[voyager89]

 

- What's the deal with the buffet? I saw where the dinner buffet has very little in it's offerings. On Divina, the buffet was very good for dinner. Part of it closes or something also? I didn't understand that. We really enjoyed pizza pretty much 24/7 on Divina.

 

 

You may or may not know here are 2 buffets, Marketplace which is the main, big buffet on deck 8 is open for breakfast and lunch. It closes at 3:30 and they use it as a third main dining room at night. Past that time, you only have the Biscayne Bay Buffet on deck 16 which is a much smaller buffet with of course more limited options.

 

Past 3:30 you can only find snacks, finger foods, pizza, burgers, hot dogs. At I believe 6.30 they would put dinner options out, chicke, fish, beef dishes. It was not bad but I wish they used this smaller buffet for the MDR overflow and leave the main buffet as a buffet.

[tcneal]

The zipline is free for YC members? I had not read that before.

 

I have read a couple of people posting this but I have seen nothing written from MSC or anyone who has sailed YC saying they received it for free.

[BermudaBound2014]

We found a really nice itinerary and price on the Seaside 7-day to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel for 2019. After our own experience on Divina last year and the negative reviews of Seaside, I have to ask, has MSC listened to the critics and changed anything for the good?

 

The background for my question is that some of the same issues that we saw on Divina last year (poor customer service, unclear policies, non- "Americanized" shows, kids club, etc.) are mentioned in reviews of the Seaside. However, we did have a good time especially for the price and somewhat learned from our first experience. We know to avoid the kids club, not expect to watch TV, never ask guest services for anything at all, expect the same performers in the shows every night with a different theme, and don't do the drink coupon books since we don't drink alcohol. But, we also had excellent service in the MDR and cabin, ate good pizza and food overall, experienced a nice newer clean ship, and did it all on a budget. All in all, we know to tone down our expectations in some areas and enjoy our vacation by focusing on the positives.

 

- What's the deal with the buffet? I saw where the dinner buffet has very little in it's offerings. On Divina, the buffet was very good for dinner. Part of it closes or something also? I didn't understand that. We really enjoyed pizza pretty much 24/7 on Divina.

.

 

 

You have the right attitude. From what I can gather, the divina and seaside are more similar than different. Seaside has all the same glitches as divina, but I whole heartedly agree with you in that MSc is a good value product.

 

However; Two differences are worth mentioning.

 

1) many report a very strong sewer smell. MSc has admitted there was a flaw in design and is working to correct the problem. Whether or not this has been (or can be) corrected is still a mystery. Those coming off the ship tomorrow should offer some clues.

 

2) the buffet situation on seaside appears very poor. Not just the typical

Low quality food we associate with MSc, but an entirely new industry low :(. The main buffet is on deck 8 and is only open until 3:30. The alternate buffet on deck 16 is the only buffet offered after 3:30 and selections are extremely limited. Burgers, dogs, nuggets and fries. The deck 16 buffet doesn’t even offer a salad bar.

 

The main buffet on deck 8 is transformed into a mdr to serve Bella passengers. Don’t book bella if you think that might be an issue.

 

Hope this helps :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NMsunset]

Hi BB2014-

 

Hard to understand from your response, have you sailed Seaside?

 

If yes, do you have images or video of the buffet on 16 at dinner time?

 

Appreciation in advance.

Cheers!

[BermudaBound2014]

Hi NMsunset, I must have you confused with someone else. I thought you already sailed on seaside and loved it. So many screen names sound alike.

 

Unfortunately I have not yet been able to sail seaside. She was on my very short list for a trip next month. I had a really nice value based cruise on Divina and was really routing for seaside.

 

Unfortunately, I can’t turn a blind eye (or nose lol) to the reviews mentioning sewer smell. It’s an issue for me.

 

The second issue i can’t get past is lack of a salad bar for dinner. When i sail solo i much prefer to make a nice salad for dinner and avoid the 2 hour process.

 

Thankfully, As far as the buffet is concerned, there is much better evidence than relying on reports alone (as we must do with the sewer issue). The biscane buffet has a plethora of videos available to show he food choices in this smaller area on deck 16. Clearly they are aimed at the fast food crowd.

 

I think of myself as pretty realistic. I don’t expect a lot from MSc because I don’t pay a lot for the MSc experience. However, I do expect to be able to make a decent salad for dinner. This video shows the entire deck 16 dinner buffet. The only thing resembling a salad bar is the bowl of lettuce, onions, and cabbage you see about half way through :(.

 

 

I’m still hopeful that seaside will make the changes necessary for us to choose her for the annual girls trip this June. Last time the girls and I sailed we chose yacht club and felt it was a tremendous value and enjoyed it enough to consider choosing the venue again. Seaside buffet in YC looks even better than on divina!

[kerryincork]

Hey Bermuda bound

I just watched that video you posted and there were two sections in the buffet that had salad.

 

The first that had the lettece and tomatoes after the burgers. And another section after the pasta which looked to have 15 bowls of different salad foods.

 

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[nikkiw60]

Hey Bermuda bound

I just watched that video you posted and there were two sections in the buffet that had salad.

 

The first that had the lettece and tomatoes after the burgers. And another section after the pasta which looked to have 15 bowls of different salad foods.

 

Sent from my VTR-L09 using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

I am seeing the same as you re salad. Also comments in other threads re only baked pasta dishes this video shows other pastas.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[BermudaBound2014]

Hi Kerryincork, I couldn't figure out what you were referencing so I actually got off my cell phone and logged into my desktop :). I see so much more now lol.

 

At 2:20 in the video I have identified the tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn you could add to a salad. I can not identify what is in the small square bowls. That doesn't look like salad ingredients to me, it looks more like things you'd add to a soup or rice dish but I absolutely reserve the right to be wrong there as I can not identify even though I've slowed the video down and take screen shots.

 

On the bigger desk top screen I think I solved the missing salad dressing mystery :'). Looks like the salad dressing is in the little tower of condiment packages. If someone else can spot them in another area please share.

 

Even on the bigger screen, I'm still very disappointed with the variety offered in deck 16 Biscayne Bay buffet for dinner. There are many people who, for a variety of reasons, don't want to dine in MDR every single night. Those with children, or coming off long excursions, contradictions with show times, or simply folks not wanting to sit for 2 hour dinners each and every night, etc... Unfortunately, I stand by my comment that the dinner buffet offerings on MSC is a new industry low.

 

Even the salad bar on Divina wasn't terrific. As you can see from the photo below, many of the ingredients are quite inexpensive which goes along with MSC's cost cutting theme. However, the saving grace for my dinner on Divina was a salad station where you could get a salad hand tossed. I'd just make my way around the big buffet to obtain the ingredients I wanted and the salad person would work her magic. Totally acceptable given the cost paid for Divina, but this would be unacceptable if I were paying Celebrity (or even NCL) prices.

 

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w130/fet123/MSC%20Divina%20Day%201/DivinaDay1-49_zps5446c391.jpg

 

 

I'm sure many will chime in that they would never eat at a buffet for dinner, and that's perfectly acceptable. Since this issue does not matter to you, it shouldn't be taken into account in your decision making process and you can easily skip over this discussion.

 

However; I'm betting that the majority of US cruisers want a better dinner buffet option, even if they only use it sporadically. For those thinking about booking Seaside, I feel that lack of dinner buffet options is something worth mentioning.