Seashore April 9-23, 2022

[bigblue1952]

This is our second cruise with MSC.  We love food, so this review is heavily based on that fact.  If you have any questions, I will try to answer them.

 

Seashore April 9-23, 2022

We flew to Miami on April 22^nd and stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown that night.  We tried to watch the Masters but they had problems with their antenna and that channel was not available even in the bar.

We walked to Fratelli Milani restaurant and had a wonderful Italian dinner.  This is an old school Italian restaurant that we would recommend do anyone.

Day 1

We caught the shuttle ($10 pp) to the pier at 11:00 AM Saturday.  The protocol for Canadians sailing with MSC out of the US is that we needed insurance that covered covid with quarantine coverage as well.  I was worried about this but when we arrived at the check in desk, all they wanted to see was our negative covid test results, our vaccination proof and our passports.  We were then escorted onto the ship were we waited in the lounge with champagne until we went to lunch.  We met a lovely couple from Illinois and ad lunch with them.  Kathie had a chicken Caesar salad and I had the lasagnette which was fantastic.  After lunch we went to our room and unpacked.

Afterwards, we explored this huge ship.  We had to watch the muster drill video, call a number and go to the casino to have our cards scanned.  We were then free to do anything on the ship.

We ate dinner in the Yacht Club restaurant.  We both had the roasted tomato soup and the cannelloni stuffed with veal.  Both were excellent.  The sommelier suggested a red blend from Tuscany to pair with the cannelloni.  It was very good. 

Next we went to the Cabaret Rouge lounge for the Women in Art show.  It was excellent but the music was very loud.  We left at the intermission and went to the Brooklyn lounge to listen to a trio who played much more to our liking. 

Then we went to the Yacht Club lounge to listen to the jazz guitar player who was good.

Day 2, Sea Day

We ate breakfast at the pool buffet.  Kathie had scrambled eggs, sausage, grilled tomato and fruit.  I had chocolate croissants and eggs benedict.  We also had fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee.

Next was registration for the slot tournament.  Then we went to the Yacht Club to meet the Captain and officers.  Then back to the casino for the first round of the slot tournament.  Kathie finished 5^th and I finished 4^th.

We changed and went to the pool.  I had some curried fish and biryani chicken.  Kathie abstained.

Kathie had a massage and I went to the gym.  I watched some of the masters in the Sports bar. 

Tonight’s dinner was in the Teppenyaki restaurant.  

We really enjoyed the food in the Teppenyaki restaurant.  We started with Miso soup followed by sushi and shashimi (I ate most of this).  This was followed by vegetable rice, butterfish, ½ lobster tail each and one scallop each.  The seafood was a $20 upcharge.  This was followed by fillet of beef cooked perfectly.  Dessert was matcha ice cream with pickled ginger.  Kathie had Canyon Creek sauvignon blanc and I had a Robert Mondavi Reserve cabernet sauvignon.

Afterwards we went to the theater for a really good show called Paris.

Later we watched the dueling pianos in the atrium before calling it a day.

 

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

We ate breakfast in the Yacht Club restaurant.  I had eggs benedict and Kathie had an omelet.  We also had fresh squeezed orange juice and cappuccino.

Our excursion was to the Green Grotto.  We had a wonderful time and learned much.  The Green Grotto is a 28 square mile underground tunnel system made out of limestone.  We also learned that many different groups hid here from different conquering peoples.  Also, Live and Let Die, the James Bond movie had a scene filmed here with the fight between James Bond and Kananga.

We were late coming back to the ship and missed lunch.  We ordered a pizza, marinara sauce, cheese, pepperoni and parma ham.  We washed this excellent pizza down with draft Heineken.

Dinner consisted of chicken kyev for Kathie and cioppino and chicken kiev for myself.  For dessert I had a chocolate soufflé which was outstanding.

Later we caught the Monet show with high energy singers and dancers.  Another excellent show.

Then we caught the Abba tribute in the atrium which had the whole place rocking.  What a great show.

Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island

Today we ate breakfast by the pool.  Kathie had scrambled eggs, sausage and a grilled tomato.  I had chocolate croissants and eggs benedict.

We went ashore to walk around.  We decided that with 60% of the shops being jewelry stores we really did not need to shop.  We came back to the ship just before the downpour.

Lunch was in the Yacht Club restaurant.  Kathie had a salad and I had the crab appetizer and lobster pasta.  Everything was good.

Afterwards, Kathie went for a massage and I went for a sleep.

Tonight is lobster night.  We each had asiago fritters for an appetizer.  They were so good, I had cioppino and the asiago fritters.  We then ordered lobster tails.  Unfortunately they were overcooked.  We were too full for dessert.

 

Cozumel

We had breakfast in the Yacht club restaurant.  I had eggs benedict and Katie had waffles and bacon.

We had an excursion called the best of Cozumel.  We bussed to a Tequila factory and had a tequila tasting. Then we went to a chocolate factory and learned how Mayan chocolate was made.  Of course we had to buy some.  Then we were off to the place where stingless bees make honey.  This was very interesting as the native bees were tinier than house flies.  The hive makes 1 litre of honey per year compared to 60 to 90 litres a year for regular bees.

Dinner was chicken soup for Kathie which was not memorable.  I had the crab cake which was really good.  We had asked the Maitr’D  if he cooked pasta at the Yacht Club pool like on the Seaside in 2019.  He said he was not allowed due to covid but he would cook a special pasta for us one evening.  This was the evening.  He cooked a butter pasta with clams.  It was phenomenal.  Dessert was a chocolate almond biscuit torte and I had the cheese plate made of parmesan, parmesan and parmesan from Italy.

Then we went to Cabaret Rouge for Van Gogh night and then to the casino where I lost and Kathie was lucky. 

Sea Day.

Today we had breakfast in the Yacht Club pool buffet.  Kathie had scrambled eggs with crispy bacon and I had eggs benedict (for a change).  We also had fruit and plain yoghurt and orange juice and coffee.

Afterwards we had to have our mandatory covid test for our cruise next week.  We then went to the casino to see if we made it to the finals of the slot tournament.  I finished sixth and the top five went on to the second round. 

We headed to the pool for a while before lunch.  Lunch was in the Yacht Club restaurant with asiago fritters for appetizers.  Kathie had pasta for the main and I had an angus burger.

Then we were off to our wine tasting.  This consisted of six red wines from around the world.  There was a pinot noir from Oregon, a Brunello from Tuscany, a Robert Mondavi Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, a Chateau Neuf de Pape, a Radillic from Italy and a Sargento from Italy.  The last three were fabulous.  The Sargento is a little known grape but a beautiful wine.

Dinner tonight is at the steakhouse.  This meal was amazing.  I had a shrimp cocktail and Kathie had roasted tomato soup.  For the entrees, Kathie had lamb chops while I had the fillet.  The sides were crispy fries (which weren’t crispy), roasted cauliflower, and mac and cheese.  The fillet was so tasty and tender that it was the best that I have had in a long time.  Kathie had Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc and I had a tempranillo blend recommended by the sommelier.

Afterwards we tried to get a seat at the Toulouse Lautrec show in the Cabaret Rouge lounge but it was full.  We went to the Yacht Club Top Sail lounge for a drink before calling it a night.

Ocean Cay

We docked at MSC’s private island this morning.  We missed doing so in November 2019 as it was not ready yet.  This island was an industrial dumping grounds before MSC cleaned it up.  It is now a marine nature reserve.  

We had a small breakfast of fruit and yoghurt at the pool buffet.

We left the ship early and caught the transportation to the Yacht Club area of the island.

Towels, beach chairs and umbrellas were awaiting us.  Kathie had a massage while I swam in the ocean while waiting for her.  It was supposed to be 77 F but it did feel warmer.  When she returned, we went for another swim before heading 100 ft. to the Ocean House restaurant. 

Lunch consisted of a cocktail for Kathie and red wine for me.  This was accompanied by lobster rolls.  They were so good that I had two.

We lounged around on the beach until it poured rain.  We stayed under the umbrella until it died down a bit and then walked back to the ship.  We had such a strenuous day that we needed a nap.

Dinner was in the Yacht Club restaurant.  Kathie had potato mascarpone flan and pistachio crusted lamb for an entrée.  I had guinea fowl supreme for an appetizer and roasted swordfish provole cheese roll for an entrée.  We shared a cheese plate for dessert.

As an aside, when we booked this cruise, we booked the same cabin for both weeks.  For some reason, MSC changed our cabin for the second week.  Our butler mentioned that we should see if we could stay in the same cabin by talking to the head concierge. She was working on this for days.  Yesterday when I asked her if we needed to pack to change rooms, she asked if I had anything stating that we originally booked the same room for April 16^th.  I went through our emails and actually found the original booking form.  When I showed this to Eva, she talked to her supervisor and we still have to change cabins but now we have a balcony cabin for our second week.  Thank you Eva.

 

Week 2 – Miami

We changed key cards at the concierge desk and waited in the Yacht Club lounge for quite a while.  US Customs was waiting for the ship count to be zeroed out and they could not find 4 passengers.  Finally we were escorted from the ship to US Customs and then we waited in line for new workers to be cleared so they can work this week on the ship before we could reboard.  We made it back on to the ship in time for lunch.  Kathie opted for a salad while I had an angus burger. 

We upacked our suitcases and then walked around the ship to see parts we missed the first week.  We went to the lounge for a drink and then came back to enjoy our balcony.

Dinner was roasted tomato soup and veal stuffed cannelloni.  We both had the coconut pistachio cake for dessert.  We were waiting for our cappuccinos when the waiter brought us forks.  We stated that we already had had dessert.  A few seconds later a piece of birthday cake arrived.  A fellow we met had a birthday yesterday and sent over a piece of birthday cake for each of us.  Of course we had to be polite and eat that as well.

Later we listened to the dueling pianos and then listened to a band singing a Beatles tribute in the atrium.

Easter at sea

We woke up to high winds and soon after, rain.  Breakfast was in the Yacht Club dining room.  Kathie had an omelet and I had eggs benedict and a pain au chocolat.  At 10:45 AM was the Captain’s reception in the Top Sail lounge.

Later we checked out the shops (as you can imagine, this was my favourite part of the day) and then tried our luck in the casino.  My luck was nonexistent but Kathie won. 

Then we went to the main buffet for some pizza and salad.

Next came a dip in the pool and some relaxing on deck.

Dinner was scallops for an appetizer and spinach ravioli for the entrée for both of us.  Both were excellent. 

We went to see the dueling pianos and the band in the atrium.

 

Taino Bay, Dominican Republic

We had cappuccino and pastries in the Yacht Club lounge before our excursion called the Best of Puerta Plata.  Our tour guide was Manny and he was excellent.  We learned about the governance, medical system, their national sport (baseball) and of course Vladamir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Before we came back to the ship we had an empanada which was very good. 

Back on board we went to the pool for a drink.

Dinner was in the Yacht Club restaurant.  Kathie had the vegetarian risotto for an appetizer.  We both had the chicken kiev for the entrée.  Dessert was chocolate soufflé for both except it was so good that I had two.

Afterwards we went to the Cabaret Rouge for Picasso night and then the dueling pianos.

We had a nightcap in the Yacht Club lounge with Irina, the pianist playing piano.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

We ate breakfast in the buffet by the pool until we were rained upon.  We ate very little because of the rain and the fact that we booked a San Juan food tour.  We left the ship just before 11:00 AM and walked 5 minutes to our meeting point for the Flavors of San Juan tour.  Our guide Jolie was a very knowledgeable university student.  We started out with Puerto Rican coffee and a ham and cheese Cuban sandwich with guava butter.  This was our favourite.  Then we had the passion fruit popsickle.  Then we had a deep a deep fried empanada and grouper ceviche. Then we had mofongo (mashed plantain), chicken and red beans and rice along with a pina colada. Then we went to a chocolate restaurant (Familia Cortez) for a chocolate puff pastry filled with cream cheese and rolled in sugar.  The tour was 3 hours and all ten of us on the tour were stuffed by the end.  This is rated the number one food tour in Puerto Rico and now we can see why.

Since we were still full at dinner time, we had two appetizers for dinner.  We had asiago fritters and shrimp cocktail.  We skipped the lobster tails, although they looked much better than last week.

We caught the band in the atrium and finished in the Yacht Club lounge with the guitar player.

Sea day

We ate breakfast by the pool.  Kathie had an omelet and I had eggs benedict.  I am not sure how I will manage when we go home.  We then had fresh squeezed orange juice and cappuccino in the lounge.

Lunch was in the restaurant.  We had asiago fritters.  Kathie had penne pasta and I had spaghetti with calamari.  We tried not to eat so much as we have our free Butcher’s Cut meal at 6:00 PM tonight.

We spent some time by the pool and had a swim.  We are now on our balcony.

We ate dinner at Butcher’s Cut.  We both started with the shrimp cocktail.  These were huge shrimp with two sauces for dipping and were excellent.  Kathie had the fillet with a baked potato and I had the fillet with onion rings.  The fillets were cooked perfectly but the baked potato was warm and the onion rings were cold.  This was somewhat disappointing for MSC’s best specialty restaurant.  Dessert was chocolate lava cake which was excellent again.

Afterwards, we watched the dueling pianos and then crashed.  This part about doing very little during the day is most tiring.

Ocean Cay

We ate breakfast in the Yacht Club restaurant as it was very windy by the pool buffet.  I had the eggs benedict and Kathie had an omelet.  We walked around the ship and checked out some prices in the shops.  We then hit the casino which turned out to not be a good plan.  Lunch was at the pool buffet and we had some seafood which they cooked right there (shrimp, calamari, scallops).

We landed at Ocean Cay at 4:00 PM.  The channel to the dock is very narrow and the captain backed this massive ship about a mile or more to the dock.  It was very impressive.

Dinner was in the Yacht Club restaurant as it was Italian night.  Luigi, the Maitre’D told us he was making a special pasta for us.  When he brought it out, I started laughing.  It was shrimp and many, many peas on pasta.  I thought Kathie’s eyes would fall out of her head.  She hates peas.  Needless to say she sent hers back and just had shrimp on pasta.  Dessert was ice cream and petite fours.

We watched the dueling pianos and then watched the light house light show from the Yacht Club lounge.

Ocean Cay

We had a light breakfast, fruit and yoghurt in anticipation of the lobster rolls for lunch.

We walked to the Yacht Club section of the island and sat on the beach.  The wind was strong and cool until the clouds left and the sun came out.  Then it was hot.

Lunch was a salad and lobster roll and mojito for Kathie and two lobster rolls and red wine for me.

After lunch we came back to the ship and Kathie had a manicure and pedicure.  We then started to pack.

Dinner was in the Yacht Club dining room.  Kathie had butter chicken and I had a fillet.  Dessert was lemon sorbet.

We went back to the room to finish packing and then went to the lounge for one last drink, Grand Marnier on ice for Kathie and Martel VSOP for me.

Disembarkation Day

We rose early as we had to be out of our room by 8:00 AM.  We had breakfast in the Yacht Club restaurant.  We had pastries, fruit and yoghurt and a mushroom omelet.

We then sat in the Yacht Club lounge until a butler led us to the front of the line for disembarkation.  We lined up for customs which was facial recognition and then out to get our luggage and stand in line for a taxi.  We stood in line for half an hour and then got a taxi to the airport.  Check in was easy and we got our luggage tags and boarding passes at the kiosk.  Then we dropped off our bags and went through security fairly quickly.  We ate at Earl of Sandwich for lunch.  Just before lining up to board they asked people to check their carryon luggage which was checked through to Thunder Bay.

The flight left late and landed 9 minutes late.  People with connecting flights left the plane before everyone else.  Customs consisted of filling out a declaration at a kiosk and showing our declaration and passports to the customs officer.  He asked us if we spent more than our limit and then let us go.

We ate supper at Mill Street Brewery.  Kathie had a burger and I had fish and chips and of course beer.

Observations

The ship was as clean as possible.  Someone was cleaning all the time.  One evening we observed them checking the glasses in the dining room with a blue light.  We felt really safe throughout our cruise.

We felt that the food was not quite as good as it was on the MSC Seaside in 2019.  However, we still managed to gain 10 pounds each.

The service was as good or better than in 2019.  Everyone that we saw both in and out of the Yacht Club was working really hard.  The only place we went where service was lacking was in the Brooklyn Café.

This was our first time on Ocean Cay.  The island is delightful.  The food, drinks and service was outstanding. 

We had a terrific time aboard the Seashore and yes we will cruise with MSC again.

[mafig]

We were cruising about the same time as you...only on Norwegian Joy in the Haven.

 

Our cruise was over-run with kids....too many were out of control.   How was MSC?

[bigblue1952]

6 minutes ago, mafig said:

We were cruising about the same time as you...only on Norwegian Joy in the Haven.

 

Our cruise was over-run with kids....too many were out of control.   How was MSC?

There were many kids on the ship.  Quite a few in the Yacht Club.  Most of the time they were well behaved.  A few times they would jump into the pool and splash others in the face.

[jcathers1]

Thanks for the nice review. I'll have to try the eggs benedict. 🙂

[clemsonlori98]

Great review!!   We were on the April 9th cruise also.    My lobster tail was terrible also.  🙂

[perakcruiser]

Very nice review! 

 

After 20 years searching somebody found edible egg Benedict on board MSC, great. What a surprise, they are hidden in the YC.

 

In my opinion, egg Benedict is the worst thing on board MSC. 

[ken_ll]

20 hours ago, bigblue1952 said:

This is our second cruise with MSC.  We love food, so this review is heavily based on that fact.

Enjoyed your detailed review.  Thanks for the insurance comment.  I would gather you had a YC inside the first week and had to vacate and move into a balcony for the second week, if that was the case, I consider it a fair trade.

 

We have been on the Seaside before, food was good, chef made a lamb Korma one night for DW.  We’re on the Seashore YC in October. We got the last inside cabin.

[1kaper]

21 hours ago, bigblue1952 said:

  The protocol for Canadians sailing with MSC out of the US is that we needed insurance that covered covid with quarantine coverage as well.  I was worried about this but when we arrived at the check in desk, all they wanted to see was our negative covid test results, our vaccination proof and our passports. 

 

Ugh. This is what I was wondering about.  I have insurance the covers it but it considers COVID 19 an illness (and it covers cancellations due to illness) but doesn't specifically state Covid. 
You are the second person to say they didn't even ask to see it.