Seascape Review. The Bad, the Ugly, the Bad, Some more Bad, actually a little bit of Good.

[LMaxwell]

We just returned from the 6/25 Seascape cruise that included problems beyond MSC's control (for posterity: There as an early morning pleasure boat crash into the Fisher Island Ferry in Miami that shut down the port and also impacted Carnival and NCL, not just MSC), problems within MSC's control (customer service), and problems too far gone to really rectify (poor design decisions with the ship that noticeably negatively impact our vacation enjoyment). 

 

There are plenty of reviews talking about how glamorous and beautiful the ship is. I agree, it is glamorous and beautiful, but there are a number of issues and that's what I'm here to share my experience and opinions about. 

 

As far as the delayed boarding: MSC texted us at 330PM to arrive to port between 6pm-9:30pm for boarding.  When we arrived right at 6 we were met with a steady stream of people debarking. No MSC employees were visible at either East or West entrances to Terminal C (this terminal is completely inadequate for a ship this size, which would lead to many issues).  At 9:00PM MSC texted check in is extended until 11PM. Some notice between 3:30 and 9 would have been helpful as we had driven in and would have left for a while to get dinner. Not an option for everyone of course, but MSC dropped ball on communications.  There was NO MSC employees anywhere, and around 10:30PM people were turning into more of a mob than anything, since there was no clear line, just 4 different lines of people feeding into a mass. There as no food or water provided, vending machines empty, and a single bathroom with 2 stalls.  MSC has new terminals in Miami, why they were at this horrid old terminal that can't process 5000 people is beyond me.  That MSC sent no one out, is MSC's fault.  

 

We finally made it into the terminal around midnight. The check in system crashed. We were finally checked in at 1:30AM and onboard a few minutes later where we were informed the restaurants had shut down but there was food in buffet.  There was just the pizza corner with lines going out the back of the ship. MSC's fault on this. We spoke w people on Carnival this week and they handled it way better. 

 

You may be asking...was I in yacht club? OBVIOUSLY not. 

 

Muster happened around midnight, but there was still over 2000 people not checked in. Sailaway occurred between 3-4am.  

 

Our itinerary was revised and MSC made what I personally consider a foolish decision to keep Nassau. The ship was moving at 21+ knots from departure until arrival at Nassau, over 2.5 hours later than the revised estimate called for. The Nassau port call ended up being approximately 1:30PM-6:15PM Monday, most of it raining (they don't control the weather, but they know what is going on where they are headed). That's a very short day and, IMO, MSC should have skipped this so we could have earlier arrivals to Puerto Rico and DR later in the week. But I'm not on their Ops team, I just pay for the experience. We did enjoy PR and DR with shifted times (although about same total amount of port time), but with no real advance announcement vacated Ocean Cay a full hour early and so the "light show" was done at dusk and not at night. No explanation. Strange.

 

As a Non Yacht-Club guest I can say this ship is one and done for us due to a number of bad design choices that can't really be overcome. We were told the advantages of booking "aft" as there are two panoramic elevators that don't get much use and take you to the adults pool as well as backside (less crowded) area of the buffet.  This is true. If the elevators are working. Instead of up/down, you select what floor you are going to and an elevator car is assigned to you. Often times we were met with "Unable to allocate elevator" no matter what floor we selected...and there is no aft stair case.  So you walk to the mid-ship elevators where you select a deck and more often than not it is 3-5 minute wait for an elevator.  You can't just hop in any one that comes along, because there's no buttons inside to select other decks. Ah, but there are midship and front of ship staircases "Why not just use the steps Mr.Lazybones?", well, not always practical with a small child and elderly relatives when you want to go from the dining room on Deck 6 to the Kids club on Deck 18; kind of need that elevator.  Have a cabin near rear of ship and want to get to Cabaret rouge?  Go to midship then down to 7 and walk all the way back.  Or take aft elevators down to 8, then walk to midship, take a set of steps down 1 deck, then walk all the way aft again since the rear elevators don't go to decks 7, 6, 5, 4. 

 

Far too often the system could not allocate an elevator at all, no matter which bank you were at; front, mid, or rear.  

 

The buffet is...who designed this?!? It is laid out like a 1950's  Cafeteria style buffet. You have never seen such lines like on this ship.  I don't recall lines like this on the Divina or Seaside.  This is a really bad design with narrow passageways. The buffet food itself is highly repetitive and lots of carbs/starches. Hope you like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread. There is a daily salad bar, cheese, meats. Each day has a theme with 2-3 unique items, but overall just not much variety. AND THE LINES. Packed. ALL THE TIME. Drink stations quickly run out of ice, cups, coffee, coffee mugs...but not all at once.  So you go to one station and can get a mug, but there's no coffee, so you go to the next station halfway across the buffet and there's coffee, but now you want a cup of water and the little blue cups are out. No problem, there was no ice anyways.  I'm sure within 3 minutes of posting this, some absolutely loyal fanatic will tell me book YC or that none of this ever happened.  Pizza....this ain't the Divina baby! No 8-10 varieties of pizza here.  Plain, pepperoni (with max of 1 piece pepperoni per slice), and one specialty slice per day (white pizza....pizza with basil....forget about variety of toppings).  El Presidente would have been jaw dropped over the flop and grease. What happened? MSC pizza used to be like going to a real deal pizzeria. Now it's just barely average for a cruise ship. Meats, Fish, Chicken in buffet usually good quality, but again, very little variety and the lines discourage you from going sometimes.  Since everyone walks in soaking wet, and there's not much room to navigate, people are constantly sliding/tripping/spilling/.  Did anyone that designed this ship ever go on a cruise ship before?  This isn't the first in the class, how did they mess up so bad? Pro Tip - There is soft serve ice cream served 1 Hour per day in the buffet. 

 

Marina Pool is a nice size, good layout, the round dance stage in center should have been another hot tub, not just a round nothingness, movie screen nice, lots of activities and dance classes out here during the day, but everything gets covered in soot.  I had no problem getting one of those gorgeous sunbeds at 930AM one day (this ship wakes up late) and soon my swim gear, book, hat...all covered in greasy soot. The deck crew is out there power washing individual chairs all morning but you can already see the embedded soot stains all over the decks of this nearly new ship.  Why not go to jungle pool instead?  And sit where? And they never opened the top all week on the jungle pool so it was hotter than the thermal suite at the spa. How could this be? It's not air conditioned space, even when walking through here to go to kids club, it was like free sauna experience. The infinity hot tubs on the side of the ship are a nice design touch, and the aft adult pools are nice size.  There is precious little shade to be found near these pools. 

 

Bluetooth speakers: This isn't an MSC only thing, but they do nothing about it.  Plenty of bluetooth speakers and screeching cell phone speakers blaring out music incessantly. I don't mind a festive, fun vibe. But when 3 different screechy cell phones are competing with each others music within a few feet, that's quite a different thing. Inside the Aurea Spa thermal suite someone was using their phone to play music and when I went out to the spa sundeck...SAME THING! I left the spa and found that going to the spa early in the morning when they opened eliminated that because most people were not up yet. MSC does nothing about it so figure out how to avoid on your own. Same with the Technogym. Nice equipment, love the panoramic windows, but way undersized for the ship and they don't let you use the locker room or showers if you use the gym, which is a first for me on any cruise ship ever. Early in morning not bad, but by mid-morning this area is hit or miss because it is too crowded.  

 

Crowds. Everywhere. This ship is endless lines. Good ship for 3000 or 3500 people. 5000 no way. 

 

Dining room: Most of our meals were actually very good. I think MSC gets a bad rep for food quality, but our dinners were good to very good. Some dishes were excellent in fact. But despite our friendly servers, service is not great. You sit down and maybe you get water, maybe not. Maybe half your table gets water? Maybe 3/4 of you get silverware? Who knows. You've got a full 45 minutes to sort it out before the first appetizer arrives.  We had lunch in the dining room 3x and the dishes were excellent and helped us avoid the lines in the buffet.  Dining room lunch was an hour each time, dinners are 1.5 to 1.75 hours, without coffee or dessert some nights even.  We had dining room breakfast once and it was good, but service was super spotty and food arrived at all different times for everyone. Strange.  

 

If they are going to make you bring your phone so you can scan a QR code for the menu...and the waiter takes your order and puts it into an iPad....let us just order through our phone and let the waiters and assistants run food? It would be way more efficient for the cruise line and the guests alike.  

 

Crowds. Everywhere. Lines getting off the ship in port are ridiculous. In Puerto Rico there were huge snaking lines around the ship and debarking took nearly an hour. Huh? We waited a full hour after clearance before even attempting to go and still took an hour. In DR, we got off the ship and realized we forgot something in the room....it was early in day so there was actually NOT a line to get on but security created one by not processing people coming back and trying to knock down the outbound line by using a second security agent to scan people off. It took us 25 minutes to get back on when there was NO LINE.  You better forget something important if you need to go back, like your spleen or a kidney. 

 

This is my second visit to Ocean Cay. I see improvements from my first time there...it's very picturesque.  But there is a lot that is like a construction zone, the family beach is shut down for unknown reason, and it's more like walking in a gravel pit than a tropical beach. Bring water shoes.  The buffet lunch on the island had massive lines almost down to the bathrooms and they shut it down right at 2pm. Some people waited over an hour to get lunch. The snack trucks shut down early too despite the ship staying until 10pm, I mean 9pm, whatever time MSC randomly decides you will leave is still hours and hours after the food venues close down.  CocoCay is vastly superior to OceanCay. OceanCay is superior to Disney, Holland America/Carnival stops, it's been a while since I went to GSC on NCL so can't say how the updates have done...OceanCay is above average for a cruise line beach day, but it's not the best. Shade on the island is at a huge premium.  Royal Caribbean, Disney, and Virgin Voyages don't make Gen Pop rent umbrellas.  Holland and Carnival beach is a joke compared to everyone elses. Like everything else, with one area shut down and one reserved for YC, and almost no shade to be had, long lines...it felt very crowded at the beach. Lighthouse beach has no lounge chairs at all, strange. 

 

Between the hard to get around ship, lousy buffet, spotty service, constant crowds, no-Wow Factor to ocean cay...it just wasn't a great vacation. Some of these items can't be fixed. I am sure Yacht Club is much better...but am I willing to gamble 3x the money to find out? 

[LMaxwell]

Butchers Cut: We used our Diamond Dining Experience here.  Food and service was excellent. They hit us for $4 charge on a side dish though and wasn't worth the discussion.  Goat cheese app was excellent. I get that they can't provide that level of dining and service for the whole ship; but the differences between included and upcharge dining are pretty big.  Teppenyaki always looked busy. Spinning sushi bar was almost always empty and they tried some creative specials to get people to book.  Hola Tacos is basically a rip off in the dining packages; better off doing that a la carte if you must as they offer numerous specials there also, it's a part of the atrium, not a separate restaurant, with no ambiance and limited menu.  Ocean Cay restaurant looked gorgeous and would expect good quality but we ran out of time.  

[BermudaBound2014]

Thanks for sharing your views. I appreciate.

 

MSC was the worst of the lot when it came to handling the challenges created with the emergency port closure. I followed social media and news releases both during and after. On this day, I am confident to say that CCL was far superior. Their communication was continuous and comprehensive. They offered not only busses to head to bayside, OBC credit for lunch in Miami, but also refunds for day one alcohol and internet packages. They docked after MSC but sailed while @LMaxwell was still waiting to board.

 

This reminds me of a MSC cruise where we came back into Miami several hours late due to a medical emergency. Emergencies happen, but it's how the cruise line responds that matters. On that sailing we were in Yacht club, but the communication and organization were very poor. I am in the market for a world cruise, and while MSC's pricing is very attracting, how MSC handles things if they turned south that gives me great pause.

 

 

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

Read a very similar review in less detail on FB(uncanny). Cannot disagree with your balanced assessment of cruising now on ships sailing at maximum capacity and not enough service staff. MSC is a model of contrasts. Their Yacht Club is the best 'ship within a ship' in the cruising industry at reasonable prices compared to the competition. While outside the YC is "The Greatest Show on Earth" also attributed to the lowest prices compared to the competition. The only problem with MSC is when the carnies penetrate the "exclusivity" of the YC.  

 

[MsTabbyKats]

Only 2 words to say about this...oy vey.

 

My next statements would have been politically incorrect....so I won't say anything, other than when you're selling cruises at ridiculously low prices, those prices don't attract the most sophisticated people.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Only 2 words to say about this...oy vey.

 

My next statements would have been politically incorrect....so I won't say anything, other than when you're selling cruises at ridiculously low prices, those prices don't attract the most sophisticated people.

What does sophistication have to do with MSC fumbling the port closure challenge? or elevation banks malfunctioning? Or missing coffee cups for coffee in the urn? 
 

I was shocked at how well CCl handled the port closure. Made me take another look at that company. 
 

 

 

[lcpagejr]

I do not mean to be condescending..... but I continue to read disappointed recviews from experienced cruisers who have taken a MSC cruise.  Not sure what improvements they expected to see when the same negative feedback is provided on many MSC cruises. They continue to share the feedback...but continue to cruise/try the line! 

 

I have said this numerous times.... Yacht Club is the only way to go if you cruise MSC. Even some bad experiences in Yacht Club can be overlooked due to above average service and amenities...the same can't be said for the other part of ship. Ive cruised YC 2x and have seen the chaos and inconsistent service when walking through the ship. Other than the occasional stroll to see the ship.... I usually just go to Sports Bar, Atrium or Casino. Outside Public areas and the buffet are a no go.

 

For the few hundred dollars you save.... just cruise other lines for a more enjoyable experience ...MSC still has alot of growing to do in the N American market

[BermudaBound2014]

10 minutes ago, lcpagejr said:

For the few hundred dollars you save.... just cruise other lines for a more enjoyable experience ...MSC still has alot of growing to do in the N American market

 

This ^

 

But as a side note, they have come leaps and bounds since MSC first entered the Miami market. I started following MSC with the Orchestra back around 2012. You want some entertaining reading see if you can dig up some of those reviews 🙂 

[BermudaBound2014]

30 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

This ^

 

But as a side note, they have come leaps and bounds since MSC first entered the Miami market. I started following MSC with the Orchestra back around 2012. You want some entertaining reading see if you can dig up some of those reviews 🙂 

 

actually I'm off by a decade. I started following MSC in the early 00's. 

[lcpagejr]

30 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

This ^

 

But as a side note, they have come leaps and bounds since MSC first entered the Miami market. I started following MSC with the Orchestra back around 2012. You want some entertaining reading see if you can dig up some of those reviews 🙂 

I can only imagine!! We cruised on Seaside in 2018 and 2019...  but prior all I read was negativity and inconsistency so although we always cruised in balconey cabins on other lines. as  a safety net, .... I took the leap to YC and haven't looked back....   In fairness they have beautiful ships and some  really nice areas...its just a shame that the service levels and customer service continue to be inconsistent and/or slow.  

[Bgwest]

4 hours ago, schooner_Drinker said:

I heard from a previous YC cheerleader that being Pompey Sailor 

They had a horrible time in Yacht Club

 

and Seascape was worst ship out of Miami they had ever been on

 

Elevator screen smashed domestic fights 

real nice crowd 

and very noisy in the morning. Hours too 

 

he said they are done with MSC and canceled 2 future cruises with them 

As the senior staff were not interested in resolving onboard issues 

You said what?

[morpheusofthesea]

The problem with MSC is that it is too popular. They haven't got the staff to handle the booked capacity of the ships. Crowds, crowds, mobs, lines at buffets, lines at ports, lines for tenders, lines for elevators, lines to get off, lines to get back on. 5000 plus. A theatre that only seats 1000, a Cabaret that seats 450 with only 150 good viewing seats, Uptowne lounge for 180 and a Cafe Jazz venue for 200. What can a cruise passenger expect for under $100 per person per day with kids sail free? A space ratio of < 33 is considered crowded on any ship. 170,412 tons / 5877 passengers = a space ratio of 29 for the Seascape. The next month or so it will be only worse as the remaining staff have finished their contracts and are being replaced with raw recruits. The best space ratio is supposed to be maintained in the Yacht Club, but even there the number of interlopers sneaking in and are increasing with the passengers outside the YC with "Access" (friends and family of officers, 44 on one of our cruises) and friends and family invited in by YC guests flaunting and intimidating the YC staff. For the next few months it will only get worse, before it gets better. We leave again on the Seascape in two weeks with our 'fingers crossed and eyes wide open'.

Put in perspective the Explora 1 should have a space ratio of 68, plenty of room to dance all over the ship.

P.S. It cost $80 -$137 per day to feed and house the homeless in the US every day.

Edited July 3, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[Fla Mike]

Thanks for your review.

I'm really starting to rethink our Nov cruise on Seashore.

As much as we are looking forward to the Aft "condo", I may not want to take a chance

on a FUBAR (a nod to the new Arnold Schwarzenegger series series on Netflix) experience.

 

[Bgwest]

9 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

We leave again on the Seascape in two weeks with our 'fingers crossed and eyes wide open'.

Excellent. Another “from the poop deck” thread. 
😃

makes my day. 

[LMaxwell]

13 hours ago, schooner_Drinker said:

I heard from a previous YC cheerleader that being Pompey Sailor 

They had a horrible time in Yacht Club

 

and Seascape was worst ship out of Miami they had ever been on

 

Elevator screen smashed domestic fights 

real nice crowd 

and very noisy in the morning. Hours too 

 

he said they are done with MSC and canceled 2 future cruises with them 

As the senior staff were not interested in resolving onboard issues 

 

Seascape might be the worst ship out of Miami I have ever been on as well. 

 

Management onboard can't fix the lack of service staff, bad elevators, chokepoints in buffet, or figure out a faster way to get on and off at ports, I am sure they are sick of annoyed guests weekly, so they smile, turn their heads, and turn off their ears. 

[LMaxwell]

12 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Only 2 words to say about this...oy vey.

 

My next statements would have been politically incorrect....so I won't say anything, other than when you're selling cruises at ridiculously low prices, those prices don't attract the most sophisticated people.

 

An example of not-so-sophisticated - At the first comedy show (Stand up comedy being relatively new for MSC) people in front of us kept getting up, leaving, coming back, making phone calls, recording the show, getting up, finding more people, then coming back, then EVERYONE left, then you could hear the group fighting at the top of the steps, then one lady came back to continue recording the show. It's only a 40 minute comedy show and these clowns got up and came back like 3 times. 

 

Then the second night song and dance show a lady was on her phone, then standing up waving the phone halfway through, to flag down her late friend who had nowhere to sit because the row was full, so of course they started arguing with each other. Finally I told her to sit down and be quiet please and she gave me the look of death to which I responded with "thank you". 

 

People smoke/vape everywhere on the ship. Yes, there are designated sections but this means absolutely nothing. I even saw people vaping in the arcade. Never saw that before. People vaping in buffet because why not? 

 

The bluetooth/cell phone speakers have been mentioned. 

 

I didn't see any fist fights between guests, but I did see a guest try to start one at the pizza corner because the staffer would not give them a to go box (these cost extra). 

[thistimeplease]

1 hour ago, Fla Mike said:

Thanks for your review.

I'm really starting to rethink our Nov cruise on Seashore.

As much as we are looking forward to the Aft "condo", I may not want to take a chance

on a FUBAR (a nod to the new Arnold Schwarzenegger series series on Netflix) experience.

 

Don't overthink it.  We sailed on the Seascape in May and our cruise was the exact opposite of the OP's.  Our ship was at capacity and we experienced no crowds.  Probably the only thing I can agree with the OP is the buffet.  I think the cruise started poorly due to the accident at the port and a lot of people couldn't get past it.  

[thistimeplease]

3 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

I’d actually not compare May to June

school in session - schools out for summer

Different countries not on vacation - Now on vacation 

 

Time of year can make a big difference with the demographic and sailing out of Miami is a different crowd than Port Canaveral 

 

Some people never seem to have bad experiences, or they do and just brush them off, Seascape in Summer is from many seasoned cruisers 

Bad, really Bad with a little drizzle of good

 

I don’t doubt your cruise had no issues, but some just walk around with blinders on, just sayin 

Lol, our ship was completely full and maybe we just don't let things get to us.  We are on vacation and don't look to criticize everything.  If something is bothering us, like bluetooth speakers, we head to do something else.  We found the Jungle pool was great, never had a problem getting seats and was never really crowded.  I also researched the Seascape and found a lot of helpful info that. If people are looking for issues they will find them.  

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

, chokepoints in buffet,

There is never a line or "choke point" at the hand washing stations,,,,,I wonder why?

[Ocean Boy]

@LMaxwellI appreciate the time you put in to writing this review. I keep exploring MSC but I can't yet bring myself to pull the trigger.

[Fla Mike]

14 minutes ago, thistimeplease said:

Don't overthink it.

 

Therein is my problem...Overthinking.

 

It does seem, as others have mentioned,  that Miami sailing are where most of the problems are.

We haven't done a cruise out of Miami in about five years, since we moved out of Broward County when I retired.

We live on the treasure coast now, so Canaveral is convenient, and we always cruise when school is "supposed to be" in session.

 

The problems we had on our last cruise on Mera, (from PC) were all staff and service related, no crowd problems.

[LMaxwell]

11 hours ago, lcpagejr said:

I do not mean to be condescending..... but I continue to read disappointed recviews from experienced cruisers who have taken a MSC cruise.  Not sure what improvements they expected to see when the same negative feedback is provided on many MSC cruises. They continue to share the feedback...but continue to cruise/try the line! 

 

I have said this numerous times.... Yacht Club is the only way to go if you cruise MSC. Even some bad experiences in Yacht Club can be overlooked due to above average service and amenities...the same can't be said for the other part of ship. Ive cruised YC 2x and have seen the chaos and inconsistent service when walking through the ship. Other than the occasional stroll to see the ship.... I usually just go to Sports Bar, Atrium or Casino. Outside Public areas and the buffet are a no go.

 

For the few hundred dollars you save.... just cruise other lines for a more enjoyable experience ...MSC still has alot of growing to do in the N American market

It was not just a matter of a few hundred dollars. There was several thousand dollar delta to Royal Caribbean, and this MSC cruise was not what I would call bargain basement either.  Over $2500 per cabin for a standard category balcony. 

 

Our last few cruises were Virgin (amazing, adult only experience, worth it!), Holland America (good food and service, but super boring with few activities, lack of entertainment), and Celebrity (very nice overall but that was 2022 and their recent cut backs are a bit too much to reconcile with price increases, plus with young kids this time we wanted a few more attractions for them to enjoy (slides, bigger kids club, a private beach day).  I purposely said NO Carnival because I believe they only keep their latest and greatest ships maintained/cleaned well but I had no desire to be on a Carnival ship with 6000 guests.  

 

I think I'm just not a mega-mega ship type. The ships don't really get longer or wider (in fact the new trend is narrower hotel section with more decks stacked like layer cake) so newer ships are only getting more and more densely packed - all the mass market lines.  We are not high end luxury types, and $10K a week cabins are beyond our means.  4000+, 5000+, 6000+ pax ships simply can not deliver high levels of service to everyone on board. I've been on a lot of megaships and find the gimmicky attractions aren't of much value to me personally, nor do they have the space and bandwidth to truly move people around and keep it "flowing".  

 

I don't pine for the days of 1st and 2nd seating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; strict dress codes and forced fake formality; but I am coming to understand my sweet spot is probably the midsize ships from Celebrity, Virgin Voyages, Holland America (I would return for specific itineraries, wife will not, until they add some entertainment and I can't really blame her - Read a lot of books on holland america!) that hold 2500-3500 guests.  I've been on the older Divina numerous times and although I recognized it was a value proposition, it never felt as chintzy or like a cattle call like Seascape did. 

 

I am reluctant on YC because it is significantly more money and I'm not sure how much of the problem areas MSC can really improve on in the YC enclave.  Being in YC won't fix the obnoxious guest behavior in shows, bluetooth speakers in the thermal suite, ridiculous lines for a slice of pizza, or elevator situation (unless YC cards somehow override other elevator requests as I have seen on older ships - I am unsure about this). 

 

Standard Balcony to Standard Balcony, with all Virgin Voyages includes, and MSC does not include - I am not even sure there was an actual per person, per day costs savings on MSC (although again, this was an all ages family cruise, not possible on VV). 

 

 

[LMaxwell]

20 minutes ago, thistimeplease said:

Don't overthink it.  We sailed on the Seascape in May and our cruise was the exact opposite of the OP's.  Our ship was at capacity and we experienced no crowds.  Probably the only thing I can agree with the OP is the buffet.  I think the cruise started poorly due to the accident at the port and a lot of people couldn't get past it.  

I addressed your hypothesis in my opening post and blew it away; I recognize that a pleasure boat accident is not in MSC's control. Their communication and handling at the port is within their control. Was it poorly run and set the tone for what to expect from MSC? Yes. Was I able to "get past" it? Sure. I addressed this. But I also addressed the itinerary changes that they knew could not be met and my opinions on those. 

 

I find it hard to believe, to the point of incredulousness, that you experienced no crowds on your cruise if you were not in YC. People bonded across language barriers this week; me understanding no German or Portuguese, could understand the frustrations at the elevators for example. 

 

 We would leave the show room on Deck 6 or 7, depending where we sat, and the forward bank of elevators would have NO cars available to allocate; either port or starboard bank. How can it be you can't call a single one of 8 elevators? One night we go ok, take steps to deck 8, let's go outside on port side (non-smoking) and walk aft to midship; well, turns out that Infinity Bridge is closed, and there is only one entry door between where we got outside and the bridge, and that's roped off for maintenance, so we have to back track to where we came outside. So we walk back to midship, then another 3-5m to get an elevator up to 18.  Then we have to walk forward through the arcade to get to kids club to do pick up.  On a Celebrity ship that's a 3 minute push button, go here, e.z. process.  On Seascape that is at least 20 minutes if not more sometimes. At least once you learn deck 8 has maintenance all week, you skip that walk and try to go through Liberty Plaza or Casino instead.  

It's just a really poorly laid out and designed ship. Long lines, crowds all over, and nonsensical elevator/stair situation all feels like a waste of time on vacation to me. "Well, you're on vacation, slow down!".  If there's a couple of things on schedule you want to do, MSC provide no break in time so you really have to choose 1 or the other, because you can't leave one and get to the other. Who thinks its a good idea to have 1 long snaking buffet line if they have been on (any other) cruise ship in the past (15) years? 

 

People will twist themselves into gold medal winning Olympian gymnasts defending the indefensible when someone comes here and says they didn't like something and here is why. I do agree that shoulder season COULD be better, and I knew I was sailing in summer, but any traveler should look at what week and what's going on.  You say November shouldn't matter...and you're from NJ? You all don't still have Jersey Week for teachers at start of November?  That's always a pretty packed week for family cruises out of FL.  So it does matter. 

 

 

[LMaxwell]

11 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

What can a cruise passenger expect for under $100 per person per day with kids sail free? A space ratio of < 33 is considered crowded on any ship. 170,412 tons / 5877 passengers = a space ratio of 29 for the Seascape. The next month or so it will be only worse as the remaining staff have finished their contracts and are being replaced with raw recruits.

 

Well, ours certainly was not $100 per person per day; significantly more.  You are right on the space ratio, but even that number is a little janky because the space obviously skews towards YC, with disproportionately less in Gen Pop.  However, it does not account for exterior unenclosed spaces like Marina deck, or deck 8 exterior.  

 

I may even start looking for some of the older ships as I find the more expansive lounges and venues to be more comfortable, versus many small, tight lounges.  Providing 20 different bars isn't so impressive if they are all tiny and packed.  10 spacious, comfortable choices would be better. Just my opinion

[LMaxwell]

Fair Disclosure: MSC has extended an offer of 10% FCC of cabin fare paid for this cruise to all cabins; letter on our door final morning. I don't know the actual terms or deadline; I am not saying I would never use it, but I doubt it would be for their next, newest, bigger ship, IJS.