MSC Seaside - looking to book but need some info

[Canadian Guider]

We are considering booking a cruise on the MSC Seaside for November 2019.  However, in spite of reading several reviews, we still have a few questions in order to make an informed decision: 

1.  How is the food, especially in the buffet area?  Has anyone sailed on Seaside recently?  I am reading a lot of negative reviews from mid to late 2018.   Has the international selection improved from being more than tacos?  How much of a variety of  meats and vegetables are offered?  Is it just hamburgers and hot dogs?  

2.  Are the self serve drink stations offering coffee, tea and juices available 20 - 24 hours per day? 

3.  Are there soft serve ice cream stations?  

4.  How many sittings are there for dinner in the Main Dining Hall.  What are the times?

5.  Is breakfast and lunch also served in the Main Dining Hall daily.

6.  Is there a designated outdoor jogging track?  On what deck? 

7.  Is there an adults only sun deck area available for all passengers (ie. not sailing in Yatch Club). 

 

Thanks in advance for your response.  Any information would be greatly appreciated. 

 

   

[Skier52]

5 hours ago, Canadian Guider said:

We are considering booking a cruise on the MSC Seaside for November 2019.  However, in spite of reading several reviews, we still have a few questions in order to make an informed decision: 

1.  How is the food, especially in the buffet area?  Has anyone sailed on Seaside recently?  I am reading a lot of negative reviews from mid to late 2018.   Has the international selection improved from being more than tacos?  How much of a variety of  meats and vegetables are offered?  Is it just hamburgers and hot dogs?  Don't know anyway how food is as food is a personal subjective issue 

2.  Are the self serve drink stations offering coffee, tea and juices available 20 - 24 hours per day? Available 24 hrs day

3.  Are there soft serve ice cream stations?  unsure

4.  How many sittings are there for dinner in the Main Dining Ha/ll.  What are the times?

5.  Is breakfast and lunch also served in the Main Dining Hall daily. yes

6.  Is there a designated outdoor jogging track?  On what deck? not sure

7.  Is there an adults only sun deck area available for all passengers (ie. not sailing in Yatch Club).   top 18  not adults only. kids in AUREA have access

 

hope this is helpful

 

 

Pete

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by Skier52

[Beamafar]

Question 1 actually contains 5 (I'll label them A-E) questions.  I can answer D + E

 

1D.  There is always a choice of meat and fish dishes as well as vegetable offerings, a carvery with a large joint of beef, pork, or turkey, a salad bar, selections of cheeses and cooked meats, breads, pastries and desserts.

 

1E.  Hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza and fries are available in addition to 1D.

 

3.   There usually is a soft-serve ice-cream station on MSC ships;  hopefully someone who's sailed Seaside can confirm for this ship.

 

4.   I believe there are 3 sittings;  times will depend on the itinerary but are usually on/or around 5.30pm  7.30pm and 9.30pm.

 

5.  Breakfast is always available in the MDRs;  sometimes they're closed for lunch when in port - this depends on port times.

 

 

 

 

 

[Beamafar]

42 minutes ago, Skier52 said:

 

hope this is helpful

 

 

Pete

 

 

Pete ... while you're here - do you have anything booked for this year?  There's no indication in your signature (the 10 line limit on signatures seems to have prevented some from updating - perhaps that's the case for you?)

 

OP ... apologies for being off-topic.

[CruiseIreland]

6 hours ago, Canadian Guider said:

We are considering booking a cruise on the MSC Seaside for November 2019.  However, in spite of reading several reviews, we still have a few questions in order to make an informed decision: 

1.  How is the food, especially in the buffet area?  Has anyone sailed on Seaside recently?  I am reading a lot of negative reviews from mid to late 2018.   Has the international selection improved from being more than tacos?  How much of a variety of  meats and vegetables are offered?  Is it just hamburgers and hot dogs? 

2.  Are the self serve drink stations offering coffee, tea and juices available 20 - 24 hours per day? 

3.  Are there soft serve ice cream stations?  

4.  How many sittings are there for dinner in the Main Dining Hall.  What are the times?

5.  Is breakfast and lunch also served in the Main Dining Hall daily.

6.  Is there a designated outdoor jogging track?  On what deck? 

7.  Is there an adults only sun deck area available for all passengers (ie. not sailing in Yatch Club). 

 

Thanks in advance for your response.  Any information would be greatly appreciated. 

 

   

Food in general was very good. International section had curries mostly, bit disappointing that no Mexican food after day 1. It is NOT just hamburgers and hot dogs and it never was! Soft serve available as mentioned.

 

No juice available in buffet after breakfast. Tea, coffee and water available 20 hours a day.

 

There are 3 sittings in each MDR, Ipanema - 5.15, 7.15 and 9.15. Seashore - 5.30, 7.30 and 9.30.

 

No jogging track. No adults only sundeck but few if any kids in Aurea Top 19 solarium.

 

HTH. Ken

[Skier52]

34 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

 

nothing booked as yet

 

grandparenting duties are taking precedence at the moment

 

but I hope to have something in the pipeline later this year.

Pete

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by Skier52

[TrinaLC]

There is an adult pool area but IIRC the deck associated with it is open to all. But few kids as they really enforce the adult pool rules. Thee is a lifeguard on duty and we saw him prevent several teens from entering as well as a father who was insistent in having his toddler swim. 

 

Unfortunately no jogging track. Get up early and deck 8 is quite acceptable for a jog.  

 

There is is a wide variety of food in the buffet on 8. 

 

IMO all the bad “press” from 2018 has been corrected or was wrong to begin with.  Super friendly staff, no language barrier for English, good food and hot when supposed to be, no sewer smells, elevators run well, all guests have a dining room assignment, yes there is butter!, seating re-arranged to provide better shade options on YC...