SEASIDE "EXPERIENCE"

[susan1957]

Spent quite a bit of time reading the Seaside reviews....and basically have to come to the following conclusion.  Unless you are prepared to put out BIG BUCKS...(not the Bella experience)....you will get "3 meals a day and BARE BONES"...Unfortunately I cannot afford the Yacht Club...I know I know , you make your own fun....I just don't understand this concept....of "experiences"...😞

[irun5k]

I am personally disregarding the reviews you mentioned because they make no sense.  People complain about being "restricted" to the MDR and buffet for included meals.  How is that different from any other mass market cruise ship?  Sure, Oasis class has a couple extras such as the Park Cafe but that is an exception (and minor one at that) since those are the largest ships afloat.  

 

Fantastica level will get you more than you would get you on a lot of ships.  Free drinks, free room service, etc.  And to really drive it home I'm pricing a Fantastica Seaside balcony at $2,000 less than an equivalent stateroom on NCL Bliss for the same week.  $2,000!  That is a lot of specialty dining, extra drinks, massages, or whatever and you'll still have money left over.   I'm pretty sure when all is said and done that will actually be a major upgrade over the experience you'd get on RCL, NCL, or Carnival.

 

Whatever you choose, good luck!

 

 

[susan1957]

90% of the very positive reviews are NOT in the Bella or Fantastica 

 

[Hobby3333]

1 hour ago, susan1957 said:

90% of the very positive reviews are NOT in the Bella or Fantastica 

 

I have only cruised Seaside one time in the YC.  It was great but I did venture out and snacked on the buffet a couple of times to see if it was any different than CC, NCL or RCCL.  There was not much difference.  I never ate in the MDR.   The money that you will save can be used in specialty restaurants.  Having said that, if you don’t feel comfortable with MSC then stay with what you know 

[seldovia]

First time on Seaside coming up March 23 in Bella!  We'll see how it goes -- still looking forward to shows and movies under the stars; and the ports are different than we've been before (Divina a few years ago, Norwegian and RCI as well).  Susan -- are you booked on Seaside?  Surely got spoiled on Divina with a ridiculous $199 balcony rate.  Even got connecting rooms with our teenage boys and it seems the room service was free all day.  We'd have to be in a much better financial position to go Yacht Club, like after the college expenses are through!

[sidari]

Sailed Seaside on two occasions both in Aurea experience, we used the same dining room and buffet as  Bella and Fantastica, saw the same shows, used the same water slides and zipline, yes we had a separate sun deck but paid extra for Aurea as people do for the YC.

Take the reviews with a grain of salt and go and see for yourself, would you let these reviewers choose your holiday for you ?

[CGTNORMANDIE]

2 hours ago, susan1957 said:

Spent quite a bit of time reading the Seaside reviews....and basically have to come to the following conclusion.  Unless you are prepared to put out BIG BUCKS...(not the Bella experience)....you will get "3 meals a day and BARE BONES"...Unfortunately I cannot afford the Yacht Club...I know I know , you make your own fun....I just don't understand this concept....of "experiences"...😞

 

A lot of people do not like MSC as they try to compare it to their favorite cruise line.  

You will never really know unless you try it.  With over 7,000 pax sailing from Miami every week you would be reading thousands of negative reviews if it were really that bad.  If you love RCI and NCL then you might not like MSC.  A good friend of mine who has more than 25 cruises on NCL recently sailed on Seaside (Bella) and loved it.  He too had a lot of reservations before he booked.  I have never paid a lot of attention to the negative reviews.  We all know that bad things can happen when they shouldn’t.  As Hobby said, stay with what you know unless you are up for something different.  To me...cruising is an adventure.

Edited December 30, 2018 by CGTNORMANDIE

[Beamafar]

8 hours ago, irun5k said:

I am personally disregarding the reviews you mentioned because they make no sense.  People complain about being "restricted" to the MDR and buffet for included meals.  How is that different from any other mass market cruise ship?  Sure, Oasis class has a couple extras such as the Park Cafe but that is an exception (and minor one at that) since those are the largest ships afloat.  

 

Fantastica level will get you more than you would get you on a lot of ships.  Free drinks, free room service, etc.  And to really drive it home I'm pricing a Fantastica Seaside balcony at $2,000 less than an equivalent stateroom on NCL Bliss for the same week.  $2,000!  That is a lot of specialty dining, extra drinks, massages, or whatever and you'll still have money left over.   I'm pretty sure when all is said and done that will actually be a major upgrade over the experience you'd get on RCL, NCL, or Carnival.

 

Whatever you choose, good luck!

 

 

 

Great approach!!  I've never understood how people complained about MSC when they're often paying so much less than on their "favourite" ships.  Were they spend a fraction of those savings to enhance their cruise on MSC, I reckon they would have a much more enjoyable experience.

[sidari]

A case of paying for a Beer and expecting Champagne!

[susan1957]

11 hours ago, seldovia said:

First time on Seaside coming up March 23 in Bella!  We'll see how it goes -- still looking forward to shows and movies under the stars; and the ports are different than we've been before (Divina a few years ago, Norwegian and RCI as well).  Susan -- are you booked on Seaside?  Surely got spoiled on Divina with a ridiculous $199 balcony rate.  Even got connecting rooms with our teenage boys and it seems the room service was free all day.  We'd have to be in a much better financial position to go Yacht Club, like after the college expenses are through!

$199 for a balcony?  How is that possible....

[riddle]

Just talked last nite with a travel agent and her friend who have been on many cruises including Seaside.  They both raved about how wonderful the shows were, loved the ship in general.  They were not YC.  One even won a cruise while in the casino.  They have cruised many lines and had nothing but good to say about MSC.  

[cmdchiefthom]

Well I'm booked on the Seaside for three weeks in the next two years.  I booked with MSC because the deal for a week or two was so much better financially than other lines I've cruised with.  I finished my 35th cruise in November aboard a Princess ship, and wanted something different.  NCL raised its' prices for suites, HAL is the same old thing and I wanted something different, so it's the Seaside.  I'll decide for myself if MSC will the my go to line, but will certainly be checking in here to get a feel for opinions shared by other cruisers.

[camofwilliamsburg]

The Bella experience was including the Drinks on Us package until a short time ago. So his experience was no different than fantastica except for location of cabin as per bella and fantstica locations. I find MSC does not nickel and dime you as many other cruise lines do. They have a great product and a great price, although I never found the ship, service, crew or entertainment to be indicative of anything budget! We LOVE MSC and will continue sailing on MSC. To each his own and we welcome people who cruise who understand the differences and embrace them!

[kazsushi]

Even though I was in the yc, I went everywhere and it is a wonderful ship. The service is fabulous, the ship is beautiful,  and I loved the diverse and European crowd that was on board. Very refreshing, calm and lovely.

[dznymom]

I cruised on the Seaside last March in a Bella oceanview and I loved it.  Service was good, food was good and plentiful, and the ship is beautiful. I did splurge for the Spa pass ($99 at the time) and it definitely enhanced the experience for me even though I am not usually a spa person.  

 

I am getting ready to book another MSC cruise, and will likely choose the Seaside again.  (Itinerary is the only thing that might deter me.)  Just for comparison sake, I have sailed most of the major cruise lines in cabins ranging from ocean view all the way up to high end suites.  For me, the Seaside compared very favorably. 

 

I just remembered that I did a little mini-review while onboard.  Here's the link if you want to check it out.  

 

Edited December 31, 2018 by dznymom
added info

[seldovia]

19 hours ago, susan1957 said:

$199 for a balcony?  How is that possible....

My True Love is always watching rates -- found this one when Divina entered the Caribbean market... couldn't resist!

[Linda the Book Lover]

I am looking forward to our cruise on MSC. I have read good and bad reviews on cruise lines we have vacationed on throughout the years. Of course, we ignored what others said and went on the cruises and had a great time. I agree with what others have posted, if you want to stay with something familiar then do so but if you up to new experiences then sail a new cruise line. 

[deliver42]

We are booked in the YC for 02/2020. There is nothing like it. We were in th YC on the Divina in 2015, and lived it. We are not demanding, but the service was unbelievable. I thought we were members of the Royal family.

[camofwilliamsburg]

MSC is fabulous. Go with a smile and enjoy whichever cruise you are on!

[hummer88]

On 12/29/2018 at 8:02 PM, susan1957 said:

Spent quite a bit of time reading the Seaside reviews....and basically have to come to the following conclusion.  Unless you are prepared to put out BIG BUCKS...(not the Bella experience)....you will get "3 meals a day and BARE BONES"...Unfortunately I cannot afford the Yacht Club...I know I know , you make your own fun....I just don't understand this concept....of "experiences"...😞

I've sailed on MSC and NCL.  I'm by far not the most seasoned cruiser, but I couldn't disagree with your statement more.  

 

I sailed in the Fantastica experience and there was nothing that was bare bones about our cruise.  There are many subtle differences from MSC to NCL, and I will assume between all of the other lines as well.  

 

Dont' judge an entire line because people reviews who love the Yacht club out number the reviews of the "regular folk".   I didn't see any Yacht club members walking around in gold robes, so apart from there exclusive sections (which is what they are paying for) their many positive reviews include both the Yacht club and the rest of the ship.  

 

Also don't expect to get preferential treatment similar to that of the Yacht club outside of the club, again, that is what they are paying for.  

 

Find out if the differences MSC provides to their cruisers are for you or not.  If so, jump in, if not, then enjoy your cruise with another line.

[lakelorain]

Haven't been on Seaside yet(have one booked) but loved Divina, fantastica experience.  We normally cruise RC(32 cruise) and Celebrity (5 cruises).  However, MSC has won us over and we will be doing a lot of cruises on MSC in the future.  

It is different from the usual US cruises since MSC attracts a more international clientele.  We find that fun as we were able to learn more about different cultures.

The ships are gorgeous and spotless.  In general, the food is comparable to other cruise lines but far superior if you like Italian food.  The buffet is open late so it's easy to get a snack at night if you desire.

We found the cabins to be as good or better than other ships and the staff was efficient and friendly.  Also found the officers very visible and always willing to stop and talk for awhile.  

Many of the negative reviews are because of MSC isn't an American line.  If you like the European aspect of it, you will enjoy MSC.  If you want a truly American experience, you may not be happy.

[deliver42]

Our last cruise on the Divina, last November, we were in Aurea, and didn't see any difference on how we were treated in th rest of the ship. Nobody cares how you are booked. Everybody gets treated the same way by the crew, which is great.