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MSC Seaside 3/3-3/10 YC

westham1

By westham1,
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westham1

westham1

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I have been cruising since 1986, as my first was on my Honeymoon with my amazing wife of now 31 years on the SS Amerikanis (A converted flat bottomed Cargo Ship servicing the UK to Southern Africa routes in the early 1950’s.) Took a break, raised a couple of daughters and now back at it.

 

Arrival

We arrived in Fort Lauderdale very late Friday evening on Delta Airlines after a re-booking due to the weather. We were originally scheduled to fly Southwest from Rochester NY to BWI then to Lauderdale; but due to the first of the many spring Northeasters we were very concerned that we would not arrive at all in Fort Lauderdale. Leaving Rochester might be a problem, as the snow storm hit dumping around 12 inches of wet snow, losing power in the hotel, and grounding many early flights ( and all this from a city, that has the snow removal equipment and deicing machines to handle this type of weather) but BWI looked to be getting hammered with snow and ice along with very high winds. Having grown up in upstate NY, the nor'easters generally dump lots of heavy snow after picking up moisture over the Atlantic, this one, combined with the lake effect blizzard coming down from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario made even the hardiest Upstater cringe. Many folks did miss their flights and I did talk to others who used ingenuity to get to Miami. From Lauderdale we simply took a warm weather Uber to Miami and get some well-deserved rest before boarding the next day. Or should I say later that day. lol

 

 

Embarking - Saturday morning was beautiful. It was like the 1930’s original movie the Wizard of OZ where the film starts in black and white, a storm hits Dorothy’s home, blows it all around and she wakes up in OZ where the film is now in color. I woke up and...My god everything was in COLOR !!!. Flowers, Blue Skies, Green lush Palm Trees; NO SNOW…NO WINDCHILL, NOT A SUV WITH SNOWTIRES, SNOWPLOW or SNOWBLOWER in sight.

We took a warm weather equipped Uber to Terminal F at the port and spotted the Seaside which rose form the pier like the Emerald City of OZ. And there to my left about 50 feet from the curb was the MSC tent for the Yacht Club check-in. Although no Yellow Brick Road. The annoying wicked witch cackle of “Tip me my pretty or I will lose your luggage and your carry-on too” from the Porters rang throughout the area.

 

After being escorted by a well-dressed butler waving a large YACHT CLUB SIGN( that would do Dick Van Dyke in Music Man proud) we sashayed thru security and settled in a tastefully decorated lounge on the second floor where our documents were processed, received our ships cards, our Ships Bracelets (suitable for Yacht Club entrance, room entrance, purchases, and identification) . We drank champagne, snacked on nicely prepared treats and various juices.

 

We were guided up to the concierge desk where room details, scheduling, dining, room directions and the MSC app were all explained and questions were answered. We dropped off our carry on in our already prepped and made up cabin (it was around 11:45 AM) and proceeded up to the dining room for lunch.

Luigi, the maitre'd directed us to a window seat on the port side of the dining room. Our servers were Andrei and Lyndon Johnson (like the president); the professionalism of the staff, quality of the food and service was second to none. These guys could give lesson to other cruise wait and serve staff we have been on how to properly attend to customer’s needs.

 

At lunch we sat down an enjoyed a leisurely lunch admired the two tier facility and used our MSC phone app to schedule all our shows.

 

Dining – For the most part all our dinners we in the YC restaurant but we did have two wonderful meals at the Asian Market and the Champagne Bar (which is also a raw seafood bar).

I can honestly say I did not have a disappointing meal, from appetizer to desert everything was well prepared, presented and the service was outstanding. Now we usually went to a show first and the have a long relaxed dinner. Unlike some posters on this site I do not enjoy the buffet, not that I am criticizing those who do or the quality of the food served. It is just I prefer to be pampered, waited on, and enjoy relaxing down time and conversation with my wife. I want the napkin placed on my lap, a pre diner wine recommended, and the chance to eat something I would never make for myself at home. Now again no offense to those who love ship buffets, but what amuses me sometimes is those individuals on YouTube who profess to be cruise experts and “score” the entire ships dining experience based on the buffet. Thank god they do not do city reviews for I am afraid they would base the entire New York City restaurant experience based on a Golden Corral in Queens. (Again no offence to management and staff of Golden Corral nationwide or the City of Queens NY)

 

The Sommelier was excellent and recommended complementary wines to our dinner selection and even suggested sampling different wines that she felt would match our tastes. What shocked me is she actually remembered what type of wine I enjoyed and would often ask if I would like to start my dinner with that particular wine.

Breakfast and lunch were usually at the Pool 1 food area where fresh “pasta of the day” was available along with a variety of grilled foods and deserts. Breakfast consisted of omelets or eggs to order, a variety of breakfast sides, fresh baked goods, my favorite smoked salmon, amazing juices and coffees (the cappuccino’s are to die for ) mimosas, and even if you wanted French toast

 

YC Pool/Deck – Great if you love the sun, not so great if you don’t. Ok shade is an issue as there are about 6 chairs that are completely in the shade; however by simply requesting that your chair be repositioned with your back to the sun via one of the several pool attendants, problem is solved. Drinks you say!!! OMG the service was the best I have seen on any cruise ship and puts Norwegians Haven service to shame. I was never without proper service or selection of snacks during the sea days and was a welcoming refuge after a port excursion. Chairs a plenty!!! The pool was refreshing and great for a quick dip to cool off. I will admit I was pleased that the term swimming pool is actually used on the MSC Seaside. Perhaps others may prefer the “stand, drink and …….well you know…a more shallow variety of pool on their cruise line. The hot tub was not exactly hot. However being a hot tub owner myself, I know the difficulties of maintaining a hot stable temperature in an open hot tube on land with a mild breeze. Now imagine the difficulties while you are traveling in open water with a ships design meant to divert air flow to the sunnier parts of the ship with a cooling effect. Hmmmmmmm luke warm hot tub !!

The Theatre – Single level seating ...no obstructions. Every show was outstanding. The dancing, singing, aerials and acting are first rate. I highly recommend the improvisational comedy. That is a must see. I normally prefer live music during stage productions; however the musical production quality of the Seaside shows seemed “enhanced.” By chance I was able to speak to the sound production specialist after a show and found out the music for each production is prerecorded at a separate studio and is remixed on the ship then tuned specifically to the acoustics of the theater and the configuration of the theater. This eliminates the reverb and echo effects of a live orchestra and increases the tone and pitch of the music especially during time when there is singing. BRAVO MSC !!! pretty innovative !!!

 

 

Officer Visibility – They are everywhere especially the Captain who is open to your comments and suggestions.

 

 

Rumor, Myths, and Fables

 

Overall, in my opinion the best cruise to date.

 

I thought the Norwegian Haven was Great….. Then The Yacht Club Design of the Divina blew that away...Then the design elements, flow and overall comfort and layout of the Seaside blew the Davina away.

Never found that “smell” My wife got a whiff of something, once or twice, but nothing to speak of.

 

If you can afford the Yacht Club, do so!!

 

There is no language barrier. Every staff member we met spoke EXCEPTIONAL English, which either I was very lucky,or happen to come across staff that had exceptional skills serving YC patrons, but even in non YC areas the English was exceptional.

There was no opera !!!!

The adult pools really are six foot deep. And great for cooling off.

 

There is delicious butter at all meals.

 

There is plenty of American style coffee cups at the buffets

 

There is no reduction in service from the service provided on the Davina. In fact I found the Seaside staff much more professional and accommodating than the Divina.

 

The ship is the cleanest I have ever seen a cruise ship…and you know what they clean that thing CONSTANTELY !!!!!!

 

BIG BALCONY….BIG SHOWER…. LOTS OF STORAGE!!! NUFF SAID

Couple of things…. I would like to comment that I found several reviews on YouTube regarding the Seaside. Some fair; others not so much. However I would suggest that you do research with regard to your “ship of choice”, read reviews, and before you make a decision on whether a particular cruise line or cruise ship is for you, please consider value, accommodations, price, and itinerary. Not all cruise lines, cruise ships, experiences and expectations are the same and if you’re reading this board I suspect you know this. But after reading postings and the extreme nit picking, hypercritical examination and exploitation of the most trivial items or items on a ship or line is just plain silly. Not just for MSC but for all cruise lines. This is your vacation. Enjoy it. Also if you decide to post, then at least book a cruise on the ship before you make judgement. I am reminded of a YouTube producer who does “Family Vacation” videos. He did a review of the Seaside without ever being on the ship. Now I have never been to Iowa, but if I followed the same research methodology that this person did, I would conclude that the entire population of the Hawkeye State is a swine farmer, eats pork chops for dinner, lunch and breakfast and buys their wardrobe at Tracker Supply. And I am sure right at this moment there are people in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Sioux City, Davenport, Dubuque and Council Bluffs who are saying “What the…..?” “Is this guy serious?” That is ridiculous!!! My point is if you trash a cruise ship or cruise line because of third party information, rumor, conjecture, without experiencing yourself, you do everybody who read or views your video, post or article a disservice.

 

 

 

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rose102798

rose102798

Posted
Posted
I have been cruising since 1986, as my first was on my Honeymoon with my amazing wife of now 31 years on the SS Amerikanis (A converted flat bottomed Cargo Ship servicing the UK to Southern Africa routes in the early 1950’s.) Took a break, raised a couple of daughters and now back at it.

 

 

 

 

Arrival

 

We arrived in Fort Lauderdale very late Friday evening on Delta Airlines after a re-booking due to the weather. We were originally scheduled to fly Southwest from Rochester NY to BWI then to Lauderdale; but due to the first of the many spring Northeasters we were very concerned that we would not arrive at all in Fort Lauderdale. Leaving Rochester might be a problem, as the snow storm hit dumping around 12 inches of wet snow, losing power in the hotel, and grounding many early flights ( and all this from a city, that has the snow removal equipment and deicing machines to handle this type of weather) but BWI looked to be getting hammered with snow and ice along with very high winds. Having grown up in upstate NY, the nor'easters generally dump lots of heavy snow after picking up moisture over the Atlantic, this one, combined with the lake effect blizzard coming down from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario made even the hardiest Upstater cringe. Many folks did miss their flights and I did talk to others who used ingenuity to get to Miami. From Lauderdale we simply took a warm weather Uber to Miami and get some well-deserved rest before boarding the next day. Or should I say later that day. lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Embarking - Saturday morning was beautiful. It was like the 1930’s original movie the Wizard of OZ where the film starts in black and white, a storm hits Dorothy’s home, blows it all around and she wakes up in OZ where the film is now in color. I woke up and...My god everything was in COLOR !!!. Flowers, Blue Skies, Green lush Palm Trees; NO SNOW…NO WINDCHILL, NOT A SUV WITH SNOWTIRES, SNOWPLOW or SNOWBLOWER in sight.

 

 

We took a warm weather equipped Uber to Terminal F at the port and spotted the Seaside which rose form the pier like the Emerald City of OZ. And there to my left about 50 feet from the curb was the MSC tent for the Yacht Club check-in. Although no Yellow Brick Road. The annoying wicked witch cackle of “Tip me my pretty or I will lose your luggage and your carry-on too” from the Porters rang throughout the area.

 

 

 

After being escorted by a well-dressed butler waving a large YACHT CLUB SIGN( that would do Dick Van Dyke in Music Man proud) we sashayed thru security and settled in a tastefully decorated lounge on the second floor where our documents were processed, received our ships cards, our Ships Bracelets (suitable for Yacht Club entrance, room entrance, purchases, and identification) . We drank champagne, snacked on nicely prepared treats and various juices.

 

 

 

 

We were guided up to the concierge desk where room details, scheduling, dining, room directions and the MSC app were all explained and questions were answered. We dropped off our carry on in our already prepped and made up cabin (it was around 11:45 AM) and proceeded up to the dining room for lunch.

 

 

Luigi, the maitre'd directed us to a window seat on the port side of the dining room. Our servers were Andrei and Lyndon Johnson (like the president); the professionalism of the staff, quality of the food and service was second to none. These guys could give lesson to other cruise wait and serve staff we have been on how to properly attend to customer’s needs.

 

 

 

 

At lunch we sat down an enjoyed a leisurely lunch admired the two tier facility and used our MSC phone app to schedule all our shows.

 

 

 

 

Dining – For the most part all our dinners we in the YC restaurant but we did have two wonderful meals at the Asian Market and the Champagne Bar (which is also a raw seafood bar).

 

 

I can honestly say I did not have a disappointing meal, from appetizer to desert everything was well prepared, presented and the service was outstanding. Now we usually went to a show first and the have a long relaxed dinner. Unlike some posters on this site I do not enjoy the buffet, not that I am criticizing those who do or the quality of the food served. It is just I prefer to be pampered, waited on, and enjoy relaxing down time and conversation with my wife. I want the napkin placed on my lap, a pre diner wine recommended, and the chance to eat something I would never make for myself at home. Now again no offense to those who love ship buffets, but what amuses me sometimes is those individuals on YouTube who profess to be cruise experts and “score” the entire ships dining experience based on the buffet. Thank god they do not do city reviews for I am afraid they would base the entire New York City restaurant experience based on a Golden Corral in Queens. (Again no offence to management and staff of Golden Corral nationwide or the City of Queens NY)

 

 

 

The Sommelier was excellent and recommended complementary wines to our dinner selection and even suggested sampling different wines that she felt would match our tastes. What shocked me is she actually remembered what type of wine I enjoyed and would often ask if I would like to start my dinner with that particular wine.

 

 

Breakfast and lunch were usually at the Pool 1 food area where fresh “pasta of the day” was available along with a variety of grilled foods and deserts. Breakfast consisted of omelets or eggs to order, a variety of breakfast sides, fresh baked goods, my favorite smoked salmon, amazing juices and coffees (the cappuccino’s are to die for ) mimosas, and even if you wanted French toast

 

 

 

 

YC Pool/Deck – Great if you love the sun, not so great if you don’t. Ok shade is an issue as there are about 6 chairs that are completely in the shade; however by simply requesting that your chair be repositioned with your back to the sun via one of the several pool attendants, problem is solved. Drinks you say!!! OMG the service was the best I have seen on any cruise ship and puts Norwegians Haven service to shame. I was never without proper service or selection of snacks during the sea days and was a welcoming refuge after a port excursion. Chairs a plenty!!! The pool was refreshing and great for a quick dip to cool off. I will admit I was pleased that the term swimming pool is actually used on the MSC Seaside. Perhaps others may prefer the “stand, drink and …….well you know…a more shallow variety of pool on their cruise line. The hot tub was not exactly hot. However being a hot tub owner myself, I know the difficulties of maintaining a hot stable temperature in an open hot tube on land with a mild breeze. Now imagine the difficulties while you are traveling in open water with a ships design meant to divert air flow to the sunnier parts of the ship with a cooling effect. Hmmmmmmm luke warm hot tub !!

 

 

The Theatre – Single level seating ...no obstructions. Every show was outstanding. The dancing, singing, aerials and acting are first rate. I highly recommend the improvisational comedy. That is a must see. I normally prefer live music during stage productions; however the musical production quality of the Seaside shows seemed “enhanced.” By chance I was able to speak to the sound production specialist after a show and found out the music for each production is prerecorded at a separate studio and is remixed on the ship then tuned specifically to the acoustics of the theater and the configuration of the theater. This eliminates the reverb and echo effects of a live orchestra and increases the tone and pitch of the music especially during time when there is singing. BRAVO MSC !!! pretty innovative !!!

 

 

 

 

 

Officer Visibility – They are everywhere especially the Captain who is open to your comments and suggestions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rumor, Myths, and Fables

 

 

 

Overall, in my opinion the best cruise to date.

 

 

 

I thought the Norwegian Haven was Great….. Then The Yacht Club Design of the Divina blew that away...Then the design elements, flow and overall comfort and layout of the Seaside blew the Davina away.

 

 

Never found that “smell” My wife got a whiff of something, once or twice, but nothing to speak of.

 

 

 

If you can afford the Yacht Club, do so!!

 

 

 

 

There is no language barrier. Every staff member we met spoke EXCEPTIONAL English, which either I was very lucky,or happen to come across staff that had exceptional skills serving YC patrons, but even in non YC areas the English was exceptional.

 

 

There was no opera !!!!

 

 

The adult pools really are six foot deep. And great for cooling off.

 

 

 

There is delicious butter at all meals.

 

 

 

There is plenty of American style coffee cups at the buffets

 

 

 

 

There is no reduction in service from the service provided on the Davina. In fact I found the Seaside staff much more professional and accommodating than the Divina.

 

 

 

The ship is the cleanest I have ever seen a cruise ship…and you know what they clean that thing CONSTANTELY !!!!!!

 

 

 

BIG BALCONY….BIG SHOWER…. LOTS OF STORAGE!!! NUFF SAID

 

 

Couple of things…. I would like to comment that I found several reviews on YouTube regarding the Seaside. Some fair; others not so much. However I would suggest that you do research with regard to your “ship of choice”, read reviews, and before you make a decision on whether a particular cruise line or cruise ship is for you, please consider value, accommodations, price, and itinerary. Not all cruise lines, cruise ships, experiences and expectations are the same and if you’re reading this board I suspect you know this. But after reading postings and the extreme nit picking, hypercritical examination and exploitation of the most trivial items or items on a ship or line is just plain silly. Not just for MSC but for all cruise lines. This is your vacation. Enjoy it. Also if you decide to post, then at least book a cruise on the ship before you make judgement. I am reminded of a YouTube producer who does “Family Vacation” videos. He did a review of the Seaside without ever being on the ship. Now I have never been to Iowa, but if I followed the same research methodology that this person did, I would conclude that the entire population of the Hawkeye State is a swine farmer, eats pork chops for dinner, lunch and breakfast and buys their wardrobe at Tracker Supply. And I am sure right at this moment there are people in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Sioux City, Davenport, Dubuque and Council Bluffs who are saying “What the…..?” “Is this guy serious?” That is ridiculous!!! My point is if you trash a cruise ship or cruise line because of third party information, rumor, conjecture, without experiencing yourself, you do everybody who read or views your video, post or article a disservice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the review.

 

 

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Fredric22

Fredric22

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the review! We sailed in the YC the week after you and have the same sentiments. And I also have to say.. where was the opera!? I was actually looking forward to seeing at least 1 opera show! Did MSC just completely do away with it? We saw the shows every night so I know we didn't miss it.

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paulsurf

paulsurf

Posted
Posted

Thanks,

Love your writing flair !

My wife and I have stayed within the Haven five times and are booked in the YC Seaside May 12th. Your review just set our expectations higher.

Appreciate your contribution !

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helen haywood

helen haywood

Posted
Posted

What’s wrong with pork chops for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Just kidding. Loved your review! I’ve never been in the Haven but have priced it and Celebrity’s Suites vs MSC and there is a shocking difference! We been in YC on Divina several times and are looking forward to Seaside. I do wonder if the private island will ever come into existence... So glad you and your wife had such a good time!

 

 

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windlicht

windlicht

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Posted

I am so glad you had such a wonderful time! Thanks for the review!!!

 

No opera, though? Awww. I thought there was a show named "Butterflies," which was supposed to be an adaptation of the opera Madama Butterfly. Not?

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JAGR

JAGR

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Posted

We were on the ship when you were, and we were also impressed with "Call me 'D'!" She was excellent, and my wife had her Malbec in hand every night, almost before the kind hostess had placed her napkin on her lap! "D" quickly picked up on my like for dry wines and constantly amazed me with her recommendations. The pool staff were excellent as well. The telling point for us, is that we changed our reservation next year from one week to a B2B. Thanks for your review. It brought back fond memories!

 

Dining – The Sommelier was excellent and recommended complementary wines to our dinner selection and even suggested sampling different wines that she felt would match our tastes. What shocked me is she actually remembered what type of wine I enjoyed and would often ask if I would like to start my dinner with that particular wine.

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Fredric22

Fredric22

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Posted
I am so glad you had such a wonderful time! Thanks for the review!!!

 

No opera, though? Awww. I thought there was a show named "Butterflies," which was supposed to be an adaptation of the opera Madama Butterfly. Not?

 

Nope! There was another show that replaced it, I believe. I think it was called Timeless which was a collection of musical theater songs. And I did look in the daily planner every day to see if perhaps they changed it to be performed on an afternoon, and it was not there. I think it is odd they changed a show so soon!

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windlicht

windlicht

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I think many people confused the classically trained singers with opera when they were not in fact singing opera material ... especially the set that included Phantom of the Opera.

 

 

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I know the difference between musicals and opera! Madama Buttterfly is an opera... and so was the mini version of La Traviata on the Divina.

 

But yes, I did read the post in which someone called “The Phantom of the Opera” an opera. :-)

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mafig

mafig

Posted
Posted

Thank you for your review.

 

I enjoyed reading it.

 

Did you, by chance, go to the casino?

How about the Cruise Critic M&M?

 

Only thing I didn't like was that the hot tubs weren't hot.

Maybe they can figure out how to make them hotter by the time we're on her (in July).

I've been in many a hot hot tub on other cruise lines, so it can be done.

 

Otherwise, loved that you loved your cruise.:D

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spidybabe

spidybabe

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We saw Butterflies in January and it was fantastic. Timeless was shown another night. We are sailing again in April and was very much looking forward to seeing Butterflies again.

All the shows,on the Seaside were phenomenal with outrageous pageantry

Safe sailing

 

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