MSC SEASIDE - CRUISED MAY14-21 - FIRST TIME MSC - A REVIEW

[GoldenZoo]

 





 My family (husband and adult son and daughter) and I sailed MSC Seaside May 14-21.  It was our first cruise with MSC but about our 20th cruise.  We did the Fantastica level and had connecting balconies on deck 9.  My review may be helpful to future cruisers on this ship.

 

This was our first departure from Port Canaveral.  We always arrive the day before departure even though we live in Florida and drive.  On the 13th 3 of us drove from Tampa to the Orlando airport to pick up the 4th family member and then went onto Cocoa Beach to overnight.  We stayed at Best Western on the beach, and there was an Ale House next door - which gives a discount to Best Western guests - and a mini golf course a few minutes away.  There was a Publix a minute away with additional restaurants in that mini mall.  We thought the location was great, and the drive there and then to the port was easy.

 

For some reason my son and daughter had an 11 AM arrival and my husband and I had 12 Noon, but that did not seem to matter when arriving.  It might have had a role in the boarding group number your cabin gets when you check in, but our agent told us to just board with our son and daughter.  We were Group 9.  We were on board around noon.  An issue:  the announcements were not sufficiently loud enough to be heard.  With so many people talking you couldn’t hear what the announcer was saying.  One of the staff finally walked around shouting out the group number being called.  And they did strictly enforce boarding by group number.

 

The ship is beautiful!  Our cabins were nice with adequate storage space, but there was space that was not utilized for storage that some Royal Caribbean ships did provide.  Halfway through the week they did open the space between our balconies…I don’t know if they would have done so earlier if we had asked.  You do need your actual cruise card to keep the electricity on, and they do have a lighted system for Do Not Disturb and Make Up Room.  The shower had shampoo and body wash in dispensers. Our cabin steward was amazing.

 

The smart elevators worked well.  They were not smart enough to know the car was full and to bypass the stop but that didn’t happen too often.

 

On day 1 the Biscayne Buffet was not open, just the Marketplace.  But on day 2 we went there for breakfast and liked it better so that was our place for breakfast every morning.  Biscayne closes at noon and reopens for lunch at 12:30 but only on sea days.  When we were in port lunch was only in Marketplace.

 

MSC IT department lived up to its negative reputation.  We prepaid our gratuities but were charged for them on day 1.  Guest Services did resolve the issue but I feel it should never have been an issue.  Guest Services had long lines the first day or two so I am confident it was a wide spread problem.

 

And speaking of Guest Services, whoever thought it would be a good idea to position Guest Services in the Atrium with a bar and music never had to visit Guest Services.  The noise level made it hard to hear and guests trying to resolve an issue were only aggravated further.  I felt bad for the staff there as it was not their fault.

 

Bar service could definitely be improved.  Even with no crowds the service could be slow.  The best service was at the Wine Bar on deck 16.

 

The entertainment in the theatre was good but not varied - the variety needs to be improved.  And the theatre does not allow drinks…no bar service and therefore nowhere to place a drink.  And no hand rails either;  for some this is not an issue but we older folks like a bit of security when going up and down steps.

 

Drinks are not allowed poolside.  If you try to sit on the side with your feet in the water and a drink in your hand, the lifeguards are quick to blow their whistle and tell you No.

 

Of the 3 pools, we liked Jungle Pool and South Beach Pool better than the Miami Pool because there was absolutely no shade at Miami.  We enjoy the sun but need to get out of it from time to time.  And the only towel service is at the Miami pool.  Apparently they want you to have your stateroom attendant give you pool towels and only use the towel service to exchange wet for dry.  None of the pools are meant for 5 foot 5 inch non-swimmers like me.  Their depth is 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet, depending on the pool.  So the only way for me to enjoy the pool was to climb down the ladder and swing to the side to hang on.  

 

Deck games and trivia games were standard and offered frequently.  Our family did the ropes course and used the water slides.  We also did bowling, the Formula Racer, billiards, and the virtual reality.  MSC made out with me on the FunPass as I pre-purchased more than I really needed because I did not fully understand how it worked.

 

We had a set dining time in Seashore Restaurant which was the second seating at 7:30.  The first seating was 5:15 and the third was at 9:15.  Our waiter, Ace, was terrific, but it seemed the staff were really hustling.  We had no complaints with the food.

 

The ship had designated smoking areas, but they really were not separated.  I do not smoke and am not really bothered by it, but if you are bothered by it you need to move to the farthest point in that area.  

 

The casino had no place to simply sit.  If you weren’t at the bar or the tables and slots you were standing.  It was nice on other ships to have a lounge area in the casino.

 

The 2 days at Ocean Cay was great!  The night show on the lighthouse is pretty and ran twice - 9pm and 11pm.  For all the cruise lines with their own private island, I put MSC at the top because of the overnight stay.  We stayed at Lighthouse Bay both days but did take a walk around.  Deck 16 gives you a great view of how the island is laid out.

 

It appears that tipping, other than the gratuities charged by the ship, is not expected. We always tip our room steward and waiter a little extra - we have always had great service - but they seemed surprised.  The ship also does not provide envelopes for this.  I have heard tipping is not big in Europe so it seems reasonable as MSC is a European company.

 

Other than Ocean Cay we did not get off the ship at Cozumel or Costa Maya.

 

MSC provided disembarkation luggage tags and information after 2 pm on Saturday…later than I am used to receiving them.  The tags also include an additional sticker with your group number to be put on the back of your cruise card and another sticker to be put on your clothes.  I assume it is their way of strictly controlling who is leaving.

 

Overall we had a great cruise.  None of the little things were ever at the level of a problem.  Although I would cruise MSC again, they would not be the first cruise line I look at when planning a cruise.  We are Diamond level on Royal Caribbean with reciprocal status on Celebrity so they are my go-to.  I would add MSC to NCL and Princess as cruise lines I would cruise again if they had a perfect itinerary and a great price.

[GoldenZoo]

Sorry - third seating was 9:45.

[OmegaSeamaster]

1 hour ago, GoldenZoo said:

 





 My family (husband and adult son and daughter) and I sailed MSC Seaside May 14-21.  It was our first cruise with MSC but about our 20th cruise.  We did the Fantastica level and had connecting balconies on deck 9.  My review may be helpful to future cruisers on this ship.

 

This was our first departure from Port Canaveral.  We always arrive the day before departure even though we live in Florida and drive.  On the 13th 3 of us drove from Tampa to the Orlando airport to pick up the 4th family member and then went onto Cocoa Beach to overnight.  We stayed at Best Western on the beach, and there was an Ale House next door - which gives a discount to Best Western guests - and a mini golf course a few minutes away.  There was a Publix a minute away with additional restaurants in that mini mall.  We thought the location was great, and the drive there and then to the port was easy.

 

For some reason my son and daughter had an 11 AM arrival and my husband and I had 12 Noon, but that did not seem to matter when arriving.  It might have had a role in the boarding group number your cabin gets when you check in, but our agent told us to just board with our son and daughter.  We were Group 9.  We were on board around noon.  An issue:  the announcements were not sufficiently loud enough to be heard.  With so many people talking you couldn’t hear what the announcer was saying.  One of the staff finally walked around shouting out the group number being called.  And they did strictly enforce boarding by group number.

 

The ship is beautiful!  Our cabins were nice with adequate storage space, but there was space that was not utilized for storage that some Royal Caribbean ships did provide.  Halfway through the week they did open the space between our balconies…I don’t know if they would have done so earlier if we had asked.  You do need your actual cruise card to keep the electricity on, and they do have a lighted system for Do Not Disturb and Make Up Room.  The shower had shampoo and body wash in dispensers. Our cabin steward was amazing.

 

The smart elevators worked well.  They were not smart enough to know the car was full and to bypass the stop but that didn’t happen too often.

 

On day 1 the Biscayne Buffet was not open, just the Marketplace.  But on day 2 we went there for breakfast and liked it better so that was our place for breakfast every morning.  Biscayne closes at noon and reopens for lunch at 12:30 but only on sea days.  When we were in port lunch was only in Marketplace.

 

MSC IT department lived up to its negative reputation.  We prepaid our gratuities but were charged for them on day 1.  Guest Services did resolve the issue but I feel it should never have been an issue.  Guest Services had long lines the first day or two so I am confident it was a wide spread problem.

 

And speaking of Guest Services, whoever thought it would be a good idea to position Guest Services in the Atrium with a bar and music never had to visit Guest Services.  The noise level made it hard to hear and guests trying to resolve an issue were only aggravated further.  I felt bad for the staff there as it was not their fault.

 

Bar service could definitely be improved.  Even with no crowds the service could be slow.  The best service was at the Wine Bar on deck 16.

 

The entertainment in the theatre was good but not varied - the variety needs to be improved.  And the theatre does not allow drinks…no bar service and therefore nowhere to place a drink.  And no hand rails either;  for some this is not an issue but we older folks like a bit of security when going up and down steps.

 

Drinks are not allowed poolside.  If you try to sit on the side with your feet in the water and a drink in your hand, the lifeguards are quick to blow their whistle and tell you No.

 

Of the 3 pools, we liked Jungle Pool and South Beach Pool better than the Miami Pool because there was absolutely no shade at Miami.  We enjoy the sun but need to get out of it from time to time.  And the only towel service is at the Miami pool.  Apparently they want you to have your stateroom attendant give you pool towels and only use the towel service to exchange wet for dry.  None of the pools are meant for 5 foot 5 inch non-swimmers like me.  Their depth is 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet, depending on the pool.  So the only way for me to enjoy the pool was to climb down the ladder and swing to the side to hang on.  

 

Deck games and trivia games were standard and offered frequently.  Our family did the ropes course and used the water slides.  We also did bowling, the Formula Racer, billiards, and the virtual reality.  MSC made out with me on the FunPass as I pre-purchased more than I really needed because I did not fully understand how it worked.

 

We had a set dining time in Seashore Restaurant which was the second seating at 7:30.  The first seating was 5:15 and the third was at 9:15.  Our waiter, Ace, was terrific, but it seemed the staff were really hustling.  We had no complaints with the food.

 

The ship had designated smoking areas, but they really were not separated.  I do not smoke and am not really bothered by it, but if you are bothered by it you need to move to the farthest point in that area.  

 

The casino had no place to simply sit.  If you weren’t at the bar or the tables and slots you were standing.  It was nice on other ships to have a lounge area in the casino.

 

The 2 days at Ocean Cay was great!  The night show on the lighthouse is pretty and ran twice - 9pm and 11pm.  For all the cruise lines with their own private island, I put MSC at the top because of the overnight stay.  We stayed at Lighthouse Bay both days but did take a walk around.  Deck 16 gives you a great view of how the island is laid out.

 

It appears that tipping, other than the gratuities charged by the ship, is not expected. We always tip our room steward and waiter a little extra - we have always had great service - but they seemed surprised.  The ship also does not provide envelopes for this.  I have heard tipping is not big in Europe so it seems reasonable as MSC is a European company.

 

Other than Ocean Cay we did not get off the ship at Cozumel or Costa Maya.

 

MSC provided disembarkation luggage tags and information after 2 pm on Saturday…later than I am used to receiving them.  The tags also include an additional sticker with your group number to be put on the back of your cruise card and another sticker to be put on your clothes.  I assume it is their way of strictly controlling who is leaving.

 

Overall we had a great cruise.  None of the little things were ever at the level of a problem.  Although I would cruise MSC again, they would not be the first cruise line I look at when planning a cruise.  We are Diamond level on Royal Caribbean with reciprocal status on Celebrity so they are my go-to.  I would add MSC to NCL and Princess as cruise lines I would cruise again if they had a perfect itinerary and a great price.

Great review, thank you for taking the time and effort. 

[Fissues]

Gotta ask. Soft serve???

[Nunagoras]

Wonderful review that I fully subscribe.

 

Wonderful to see some US citizens now understanding the cultural barriers that sometimes happen with MSC. Its not on whether they're better or worse, it is that they're definitely different.

 

Hope this haven't been your last MSC cruises!... Have a nice day!...

[Mark_T]

4 hours ago, GoldenZoo said:

We are Diamond level on Royal Caribbean with reciprocal status on Celebrity so they are my go-to.  I would add MSC to NCL and Princess as cruise lines I would cruise again if they had a perfect itinerary and a great price.

Don't forget to do a status match if you intend to cruise with MSC again... unless of course you have already done that 🙂

[mmbcater]

PS-you can get small envelopes for tipping at the guest services desk. 

 

[ChattTenn]

Soft serve ice cream is available on embarkation day and on every sea day on deck 16 buffet on the children side near all the sweet (right side).  This ice cream was very smooth and had good flavor.

Deck 8 (main buffet) has hand scooped ice cream everyday from 4-5.

[GoldenZoo]

We did find the soft serve on deck 16 on the last sea day with lunch.  We enjoyed the gelato most afternoons at the chocolate bar…..which no longer has the chocolate waterfall.  It was stopped when returning to sailing after Covid according to a crew member.

 

We did a status match right after booking.  One of the perks was a free photo…but we found out the photo is one of their choice, not yours.  So we paid for the photos we wanted.  The screens in the atrium offered some stunning backgrounds.

 

 

[skipsaur]

7 hours ago, GoldenZoo said:

We also did bowling, the Formula Racer, billiards, and the virtual reality.  MSC made out with me on the FunPass as I pre-purchased more than I really needed because I did not fully understand how it worked.

 

Could you elaborate on the misunderstanding here? I was thinking of buying the fun pass too. It sounds like you took advantage of a lot of the fun pass activities so I'm curious what went wrong.

 

Thanks!

[Calker]

Thank you for your review!

 

we sail on MSC Seaside for the first time on Sunday.

[GoldenZoo]

The FunPass cost $80.00 if purchased before boarding.  I thought it was a cost per person to be able to do all the activities.  Actually, each activity is a cost for the group…be it one person or 4.  The cost of bowling was $50.00 for the hour and all 4 of us played but the cost would have been the same if only 2 of us played.  Billiards was $10.00 for the hour, not $10.00 per person.  Purchasing the FunPass ahead of time for $80.00 gives you actual value of $140.00, and each activity you do is charged against that value.  We could have done everything we did with only 2 FunPass accounts.   Live and learn!

 

[MsTabbyKats]

@GoldenZoo Tip for the theatre and lack of handrails:  Instead of walking down the middle, go down the sides and use the wall for stability.

[ray98]

We were on that sailing also.  We are also at 20 cruises and it was our first on MSC.  We are still debating if MSC is right for us going forward and truthfully it is only the price that has stopped us from writing it off.  For everything they did right there was always something that came along to knock it back down.  

 

Our issues seemed to mainly center around food.  We had the 5:15 seating for dinner.  I had forgot how much I hated assigned dining until we were thrust into it again.  On top of that our service was painfully slow, it ran 2 hours every time we were there. On several days we ended up with a late lunch and were simply not hungry at our assigned time.   So that sent us to the buffet where the real disappointment started.  There was simply no creativity and it was the same thing all week.  You could guarantee the meat selections; thin sliced beef steak, pork chop and a fish filet, would be cold and dry.  The chicken may or may not be better.  The sides were uninspiring and the highly touted pasta was presented as the simplest of simple.  On every other cruise line we've been on you will find items on the dinner buffet that are on the menu that night in the MDR.  Not MSC.  It was a sea of bland and nothing stood out to anchor the meal and then when you got something you wanted there is a good chance it was cold and unappetizing.

 

Other peculiar things were a couple of popular drinks.  For example, I've drank margaritas and Bloody Mary's literally all over the world more times than I can count.  These were 100% the worst version of either I've ever been served.  But then other things like Mojitos were awesome.  True Jekyll and Hyde.

[skipsaur]

3 hours ago, GoldenZoo said:

The FunPass cost $80.00 if purchased before boarding.  I thought it was a cost per person to be able to do all the activities.  Actually, each activity is a cost for the group…be it one person or 4.  The cost of bowling was $50.00 for the hour and all 4 of us played but the cost would have been the same if only 2 of us played.  Billiards was $10.00 for the hour, not $10.00 per person.  Purchasing the FunPass ahead of time for $80.00 gives you actual value of $140.00, and each activity you do is charged against that value.  We could have done everything we did with only 2 FunPass accounts.   Live and learn!

 

 

Ahh thank you for the clarification! We were planning to just buy 1 pass and use it together because $140 is a lot even between 2 people! I can definitely see being unable to use up the credit buying passes per person! I'm sorry you had that experience, I can see where that is unclear.

[Morecruisesplz]

23 hours ago, Mark_T said:

Don't forget to do a status match if you intend to cruise with MSC again... unless of course you have already done that 🙂

Status match doesn’t get you any free drinks like on Royal. Don't see much that it offers.

[Morecruisesplz]

7 hours ago, ray98 said:

We were on that sailing also.  We are also at 20 cruises and it was our first on MSC.  We are still debating if MSC is right for us going forward and truthfully it is only the price that has stopped us from writing it off.  For everything they did right there was always something that came along to knock it back down.  

 

Our issues seemed to mainly center around food.  We had the 5:15 seating for dinner.  I had forgot how much I hated assigned dining until we were thrust into it again.  On top of that our service was painfully slow, it ran 2 hours every time we were there. On several days we ended up with a late lunch and were simply not hungry at our assigned time.   So that sent us to the buffet where the real disappointment started.  There was simply no creativity and it was the same thing all week.  You could guarantee the meat selections; thin sliced beef steak, pork chop and a fish filet, would be cold and dry.  The chicken may or may not be better.  The sides were uninspiring and the highly touted pasta was presented as the simplest of simple.  On every other cruise line we've been on you will find items on the dinner buffet that are on the menu that night in the MDR.  Not MSC.  It was a sea of bland and nothing stood out to anchor the meal and then when you got something you wanted there is a good chance it was cold and unappetizing.

 

Other peculiar things were a couple of popular drinks.  For example, I've drank margaritas and Bloody Mary's literally all over the world more times than I can count.  These were 100% the worst version of either I've ever been served.  But then other things like Mojitos were awesome.  True Jekyll and Hyde.

Why didn't you switch to MTD?

[Mark_T]

19 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Status match doesn’t get you any free drinks like on Royal. Don't see much that it offers.

There is more to life than just free drinks...

 

The OP did do a status match though as confirmed in a subsequent post.

[Morecruisesplz]

18 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

There is more to life than just free drinks...

 

The OP did do a status match though as confirmed in a subsequent post.

Deep thoughts by Mark Twain. 😉

[Georgia_Peaches]

6 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Status match doesn’t get you any free drinks like on Royal. Don't see much that it offers.

The 5% off is nice tho. 

[Morecruisesplz]

16 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

The 5% off is nice tho. 

Yes, that was nice. Thx for reminding me.

[ray98]

20 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Why didn't you switch to MTD?

.....because it isn't an option.  Only Aurea cabins have that perk.

[Jamie7777]

On 5/22/2023 at 12:35 PM, GoldenZoo said:

We stayed at Best Western on the beach, and there was an Ale House next door - which gives a discount to Best Western guests - and a mini golf course a few minutes away.  There was a Publix a minute away with additional restaurants in that mini mall.  We thought the location was great, and the drive there and then to the port was easy.

 

Was the Best Western not too far from the Days Inn?  That's where we're staying for the night before our cruise and it's next to the Ale House.  It's 5500 North Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach.  I stayed there in 2005 before my very first cruise.

[nicolen1101]

Do you know what soda options they have? 

[GoldenZoo]

I believe I remember seeing Days Inn on the other side of the Ale House….the address is definitely close to that of Best Western.  The location is great.

 

We are not big soda drinkers but my husband occasionally got a can of Coke.  Other than that I can’t speak to what other soda options there were.