kj_connections Posted November 13, 2021 #1 Share Posted November 13, 2021 Hi, I am having a hard time deciding which ship to go on. I will be traveling with two kids age 6 and 9. We have done MSC Seaside before and enjoyed it. Currently based on the itineraries these are my reasons for one ship over the other: Seashore is $400 cheaper Meraviglia goes to Costa Maya (I have never been) and has the galleria Does anyone have better reasons than I do for one ship vs the other? 😆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alohayall Posted November 13, 2021 #2 Share Posted November 13, 2021 Your cruise history indicates you don’t just stick with one ship or cruise line. Based on that, I’d say Meraviglia. Otherwise, I’d say save the money and try a ship similar to one the kids previously enjoyed. I see we both sailed the WBTA on the Magic on 2011 - hello, fellow cruiser. I’m sailing the Seashore in 2 weeks and the Meraviglia in January. Never sailed MSC before. Bon Voyage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj_connections Posted November 13, 2021 Author #3 Share Posted November 13, 2021 Thanks for the reply! I wish I stuck to one cruise line - I would have accumulated some loyalty points by now! But you are right, I do like trying new ships. Curious to hear what you think of the 2 ships after you return. PS. Would love to return to Disney but the prices have jumped significantly since 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karmamule Posted November 13, 2021 #4 Share Posted November 13, 2021 We've been on the Meraviglia and the Seaside (smaller sister ship to the Seashore) and as an overall way to distinguish them I'd say that Meraviglia-class ships are a little more inward focused, with really large inside spaces and less of an emphasis on exterior decks and such. On the other hand the Seaside ships emphasize outdoor spaces and connecting with the ocean more. The Meraviglia's central galleria with its LCD arched ceiling is the heart of the ship. I'd recommend watching a video and if you love the look of it, then maybe go for that. Otherwise I'd lean towards the Seashore just because it's their newest ship and it looks wonderful. We loved our time on the Meraviglia, but we're really looking forward to being on the Seashore in January and seeing it for ourselves. And, by the way we love trying out different cruise lines too. We've also been on NCL and RCL, and in addition to the Seashore our cruises after that will be 2 more on NCL, one on Carnival Mardi Gras, then one on Virgin Voyages. It'll be interesting to see if we have a clear favorite after doing all those. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deweytrader Posted November 14, 2021 #5 Share Posted November 14, 2021 I would choose the Seashore, Seaside class is more fun for the kiddos. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alohayall Posted November 14, 2021 #6 Share Posted November 14, 2021 22 hours ago, karmamule said: We've been on the Meraviglia and the Seaside (smaller sister ship to the Seashore) and as an overall way to distinguish them I'd say that Meraviglia-class ships are a little more inward focused, with really large inside spaces and less of an emphasis on exterior decks and such. On the other hand the Seaside ships emphasize outdoor spaces and connecting with the ocean more. The Meraviglia's central galleria with its LCD arched ceiling is the heart of the ship. I'd recommend watching a video and if you love the look of it, then maybe go for that. Otherwise I'd lean towards the Seashore just because it's their newest ship and it looks wonderful. We loved our time on the Meraviglia, but we're really looking forward to being on the Seashore in January and seeing it for ourselves. And, by the way we love trying out different cruise lines too. We've also been on NCL and RCL, and in addition to the Seashore our cruises after that will be 2 more on NCL, one on Carnival Mardi Gras, then one on Virgin Voyages. It'll be interesting to see if we have a clear favorite after doing all those. MSC describes Seashore as following the sun, focused on the outside, while Meraviglia is interior-focused. From your description, it sounds like that really came through to the cruiser. I thought I liked the smaller ships (Disney’s first two), but I have certainly enjoyed some larger ones - most recently NCL Encore. I’m not sure if it’s the bigger size or the newness of these ships. …. And I totally agree about Disney pricing; it has gone so far beyond outpacing inflation. And currently, MSC has no penalty for cruising solo. And my January Meraviglia sailing is about 1/6 the price of my Sep Disney Dream sailing - both with two days at private islands. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj_connections Posted November 15, 2021 Author #7 Share Posted November 15, 2021 I was leaning towards Seashore but now I'm changing my mind because I am interested to see the LCD ceiling display in the Galleria on Meraviglia. I assume Seashore will be shiny and new just like when I went on Seaside when it first came out 😉 Btw which one has a larger/longer outdoor pool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perakcruiser Posted November 16, 2021 #8 Share Posted November 16, 2021 On 11/14/2021 at 12:15 AM, kj_connections said: Meraviglia goes to Costa Maya (I have never been) and has the galleria Costa Maya is in my opinion on of the worst cruise stops in the world and the worst in the Carib. Of cause you can ignore this if you just hop on the bus for the excursion to the Maya ruins/pyramids. On 11/14/2021 at 12:15 AM, kj_connections said: I am having a hard time deciding which ship to go on. I will be traveling with two kids age 6 and 9. Both kids clubs are equally excellent. When it comes to the ships I would prefer the Mera. But who wants to go with MSC and not try out both ship classes anyway? 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexddd Posted November 17, 2021 #9 Share Posted November 17, 2021 On 11/15/2021 at 1:53 PM, kj_connections said: I was leaning towards Seashore but now I'm changing my mind because I am interested to see the LCD ceiling display in the Galleria on Meraviglia. I assume Seashore will be shiny and new just like when I went on Seaside when it first came out 😉 Btw which one has a larger/longer outdoor pool? For us, the Mera LCD show was a big let down. I saw videos and it seemed they ran shows all day long, maybe they did but recently they had a couple late afternoon shows lasting maybe 5 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRH Posted November 17, 2021 #10 Share Posted November 17, 2021 We love Costa Maya! We go to Maya Chan. A family run small beach day. Transportation and lunch included. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonsterJoe Posted November 17, 2021 #11 Share Posted November 17, 2021 56 minutes ago, dexddd said: For us, the Mera LCD show was a big let down. I saw videos and it seemed they ran shows all day long, maybe they did but recently they had a couple late afternoon shows lasting maybe 5 minutes. I didn't even watch the shows beyond maybe 1 minute of the first time after we got on the ship, but I found the static LED ceilings that were always on, absolutely beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Wheels Only Posted November 17, 2021 #12 Share Posted November 17, 2021 On 11/16/2021 at 3:25 AM, perakcruiser said: But who wants to go with MSC and not try out both ship classes anyway? 🙂 That's the plan. Within the next 6 months, I'll try both ships for the first time. Then, when one sails out of Miami, I'll try a World Class ship (World Europa, World America, whatever). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now