Seascape Reviews

[mcoler181]

We are booked on Seascape in February but haven't actually read any reviews before. Was having a look last night and MSC really are a Marmite cruise line aren't they.

 

You have one review stating, worst food, service, entertainment they have ever experienced to the complete opposite in the next review. You then have people rating them 1 star for the most trivial reasons (IMO), one persons experience had been completely ruined because a $250 charge had been made to their room on the first day of the cruise, I'm not sure why this would completely ruin your experience? A lot of hotels charge a security deposit when checking in in my experience. 

 

Someone claiming they had to queue for over an hour each breakfast and lunchtime in the Marketplace buffet, really? I've watched Youtube videos and although it looks busy it certainly doesn't look like hour long queues.

 

I'm almost certain we are going to have a great time as we are pretty laid back and will just go with the flow, nothing that people are complaining about would really be that much of a big deal to us. As long as the suns shining and I have a drink in hand, I will be happy. 😀

[mvh]

2 hours ago, mcoler181 said:

We are booked on Seascape in February but haven't actually read any reviews before. Was having a look last night and MSC really are a Marmite cruise line aren't they.

 

You have one review stating, worst food, service, entertainment they have ever experienced to the complete opposite in the next review. You then have people rating them 1 star for the most trivial reasons (IMO), one persons experience had been completely ruined because a $250 charge had been made to their room on the first day of the cruise, I'm not sure why this would completely ruin your experience? A lot of hotels charge a security deposit when checking in in my experience. 

 

Someone claiming they had to queue for over an hour each breakfast and lunchtime in the Marketplace buffet, really? I've watched Youtube videos and although it looks busy it certainly doesn't look like hour long queues.

 

I'm almost certain we are going to have a great time as we are pretty laid back and will just go with the flow, nothing that people are complaining about would really be that much of a big deal to us. As long as the suns shining and I have a drink in hand, I will be happy. 😀

I'm sure you will have a great time with that attitude. MSC in my opinion is more the same than they are different to any other cruise line. I have been on over 25 cruises on 6 lines and have always looked forward to it. I have yet to be disappointed because I knew I would make the best of it. I am not going to write a bad review about the elevators being slow or rude passengers. I am especially not going to write a review about food since it is 100% subjective.  You are spot on about some of the ridiculous bad reviews. Have a great cruise in February as I will in January. I will be sure to give you my honest opinion if you want it. 

[mcoler181]

26 minutes ago, mvh said:

I'm sure you will have a great time with that attitude. MSC in my opinion is more the same than they are different to any other cruise line. I have been on over 25 cruises on 6 lines and have always looked forward to it. I have yet to be disappointed because I knew I would make the best of it. I am not going to write a bad review about the elevators being slow or rude passengers. I am especially not going to write a review about food since it is 100% subjective.  You are spot on about some of the ridiculous bad reviews. Have a great cruise in February as I will in January. I will be sure to give you my honest opinion if you want it. 

We have done 4 but all RCCL between 2004 and 2019 so are not regular cruisers. Went for MSC due to such fantastic prices compared to RCCL. We got two weeks for less than 1 week on Royal. 

 

Would love to hear your opinion when you are back. 

[CruisnDeb]

I was on the Seascape recently, and as you said the buffet is extremely busy, but I did not wait an hour for anything.  I will say the line to get made to order omelets was long, and I chose not to stand and wait for that--maybe that is where the hour long queues were???  You can also eat breakfast at the Green Wave MDR.  The attitude you go in with is everything--enjoy your cruise 🙂 

[Two Wheels Only]

4 hours ago, mcoler181 said:

Someone claiming they had to queue for over an hour each breakfast and lunchtime in the Marketplace buffet, really? I've watched Youtube videos and although it looks busy it certainly doesn't look like hour long queues.

 

Wait times are usually exaggerated in reviews. Nobody waits an hour for buffet items. Nobody waits 30 minutes for an elevator. Nobody waits 30 minutes at a bar. It may feel that way when hungry, tired, or thirsty but the wait times aren't really that long. 

[joeyancho]

I have been on 53 cruises over 5 different lines.  I've never had a bad cruise,  including  MSC.  Bon Voyage 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

7 hours ago, mcoler181 said:

one persons experience had been completely ruined because a $250 charge had been made to their room on the first day of the cruise, I'm not sure why this would completely ruin your experience? A lot of hotels charge a security deposit when checking in in my experience. 

but cruises don't. And especially, to your room. Hotels put a HOLD on your credit card, which is not the same as charging $250 to your cabin.

Obviously, you haven't dealt with the MSC customer service yet. 🙂

 

7 hours ago, mcoler181 said:

Someone claiming they had to queue for over an hour each breakfast and lunchtime in the Marketplace buffet, really?

 

wait till you see a photo/video of the 2+ hour embarkation line in Cozumel. 🙂

 

A lot of people traveling in YC come back very happy. Some people traveling in steerage class come back unhappy. Most people traveling during non-holiday weeks at less than full capacity appear happier than people dealing with the crowds during school holiday sailings.

 

I am sure we'll be unhappy about some things and happy about other things when we sail in Seascape in 3 weeks. I do know I am already unhappy about the $5 additional entree charge in MDR. Also, my mobility challenged father will have to wait for the elevator. And they are turned off completely during muster drill.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Até]

MSC put a $250 charge on my registered credit card at embarkation,  not unusual.   Final night they charged the final bill amount.  I didn't see the release of the initial hold until after disembark.  No shortage of people arguing at customer service. 

 

[mvh]

If you know about the $250 fee and the extra $5 charge and don't like it, don't go. Otherwise don't complain about it. Very simple choice. Why whine about crap you can't change? Complaining just to complain doesn't help,  it's just going to make you more miserable. Yes, the website sucks, but it doesn't effect a week on vacation, nor should any of these petty issues.

[skittl1321]

We cruised Seascape this summer, not in Yacht club.  We had a fabulous time.

We had a balcony cabin for a family of 4, kids liked the bunk beds. 

 

The buffet was an absolute madhouse on embarkation, and after Grand Turk, but otherwise, while it was very crowded, it wasn't horrible. (We cruised in peak summer season).  We always ate dinner in the MDR, and the food was wonderful and the service beyond wonderful. We were so pleased.  On the last morning we had breakfast in the MDR, and had no wait, but by the time we left, the line was absolute insanity, and they had allowed people to pile their luggage outside the doors, so you could barely even get out of the dining room. (Seemed like a huge evacuation hazard, quite honestly. Which is really our only other complaint- the muster drill was an absolute disaster, I have never had a problem finding a muster station on any other cruise, and this one not only could we not find it, the staff we asked couldn't help us.  People wandering everywhere lost, it was an absolute madhouse. Don't have a lot of faith an emergency would have gone well.)

 

Our favorite part of MSC was the shows, which my kids were just enamoured with. We loved and appreciated that the performers took the time to come out and greet the audience and take photos afterwards.

 

The kids pool was wonderful, the slides super fun for the kids; the jungle a hot, humid, hell that we avoided.

The soft serve ice cream was DELICIOUS, but sadly only included with kids drink packages, so I had to beg my kids to share.  

The line to get back on the tenders at Grand Turk was about an hour long, but they had snowcone vendors, so it was a very reasonable hour. 

I truly expected a horrible cruise on MSC; and we only booked because of the ports and knowing it would be like a cheap hotel with cheap food.  It was the absolute opposite for us.  I can't wait to cruise MSC again. 
 

[thistimeplease]

We were on the Seascape in May and had a great time.  I actually don't remember anything bad about the cruise at all.  Our favorite cruise was on NCL and I thought the Seascape was right up there.  The ship is beautiful, we never waited for drinks or food. The service was exceptional.  The buffet wasn't our favorite but we don't like buffets in general.  You'll have a great cruise with your positive attitude.

[Frode]

I believe the many reviews (on Cruise Critics etc.) speak quite clearly for themselves...

If you compare the average ratings on MSC with other shipping companies (perhaps apart from Costa Cruises) it is quite clear what people in general think of MSC's cruise product 🤔

[Pizaz]

I treat MSC with the mindset of the YC beats any other cruise lines experience I have had (RCCL, Norwegian).  BUT, the steerage is like a Carnival cruise experience on steroids.  So much fun though!

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 11/1/2023 at 2:49 PM, mvh said:

If you know about the $250 fee and the extra $5 charge and don't like it, don't go

funny ha-ha. MSC introduced the $5 charge after the final payment but before my cruise. It would be very stupid to cancel a cruise after the final payment date because of the extra entree charge.

 

But I already cancelled the next one, because it's before final payment, and I don't like nickel and diming to this extent, especially since the general consensus for a steerage class on MSC ships is that it's below average to average (according to the latest reviews).

[mvh]

2 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

funny ha-ha. MSC introduced the $5 charge after the final payment but before my cruise. It would be very stupid to cancel a cruise after the final payment date because of the extra entree charge.

 

But I already cancelled the next one, because it's before final payment, and I don't like nickel and diming to this extent, especially since the general consensus for a steerage class on MSC ships is that it's below average to average (according to the latest reviews).

What's funny is you will spend $1000s on a cruise but won't spend $35 for a whole week of an extra dinner. People need to except times are a changing and MSC is not the only company with increases. The $5 footlong at subway is now $10. Sad, but true.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

20 hours ago, mvh said:

What's funny is you will spend $1000s on a cruise but won't spend $35 for a whole week of an extra dinner.

there are 5 of us, so it's not $35 for the whole week.

And you are right - it's "funny" that a cruise line would charge more money for additional entrees after people have already paid thousands for the cruise to have unlimited MDR meals they have been accustomed to throughout many years.

It will become even funnier when people start cancelling because of the excessive nickel and diming. I prefer to pay a bit more but have every MDR meal included, along with all inclusive fun activities like on RCI.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Scottdalfonso]

Thanks for your positive outlook- you sound just like us! We are Royal regulars but have Seascape booked next Winter to try it out! We've seen the reviews, but a lot really do sound like exaggerations and even if they are remotely realistic, we don't mind. The ship looks awesome, we have a balcony on deck 10 (Fantastica, not splurging for YC) and the itinerary is great. Unless we get food poising or terrible weather, we will enjoy it. 

[mcoler181]

5 minutes ago, Scottdalfonso said:

Thanks for your positive outlook- you sound just like us! We are Royal regulars but have Seascape booked next Winter to try it out! We've seen the reviews, but a lot really do sound like exaggerations and even if they are remotely realistic, we don't mind. The ship looks awesome, we have a balcony on deck 10 (Fantastica, not splurging for YC) and the itinerary is great. Unless we get food poising or terrible weather, we will enjoy it. 

I feel the same as you, it would take something major to ruin our holiday, we have only booked Bella on deck 9, myself, the wife and two daughters but we have already booked a 5 night YC on Virtuosa out of Southampton next June for just me and the wife to see what it is all about. As we are in the UK, YC would be out of our budget for the full family to the Caribbean when you take flights etc into account so am really looking forward to our little 5 night one next year. 

 

[Two Wheels Only]

46 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I prefer to pay a bit more....

 

Never let a company know that. They will be more than happy to oblige. 

[peder]

21 hours ago, mvh said:

What's funny is you will spend $1000s on a cruise but won't spend $35 for a whole week of an extra dinner. People need to except times are a changing and MSC is not the only company with increases. The $5 footlong at subway is now $10. Sad, but true.

 

And the $5 surcharge can make an enormous difference in food quality and level of service. I think some passengers were abusing the additional free entrees, leading to logjams in the kitchen and probably starving other tables of attention for their servers. It's small enough of a price difference that it rounds down to zero relative to the cost of the entire trip, yet it's probably enough of a disincentive to order excessively that it improves dinner for everyone.

[peder]

32 minutes ago, Scottdalfonso said:

Thanks for your positive outlook- you sound just like us! We are Royal regulars but have Seascape booked next Winter to try it out! We've seen the reviews, but a lot really do sound like exaggerations and even if they are remotely realistic, we don't mind. The ship looks awesome, we have a balcony on deck 10 (Fantastica, not splurging for YC) and the itinerary is great. Unless we get food poising or terrible weather, we will enjoy it. 

 

Another possibility in these reviews is that MSC--maybe more than any other cruise line--does not appeal to a fairly large % of cruise consumers. High probability that the cruise will be great, and also a fairly high probability it can be awful for some folks. I very much enjoy an MSC cruise, but I know that some people would really not like any of it and would be better served by a Royal/NCL/Carnival.

[Scottdalfonso]

Just now, peder said:

 

Another possibility in these reviews is that MSC--maybe more than any other cruise line--does not appeal to a fairly large % of cruise consumers. High probability that the cruise will be great, and also a fairly high probability it can be awful for some folks. I very much enjoy an MSC cruise, but I know that some people would really not like any of it and would be better served by a Royal/NCL/Carnival.

Honestly, we are pretty boring eaters, so the menus have us thinking a little. But that's not on the cruise line, that's on us. We will find something to eat every night. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

38 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Never let a company know that. They will be more than happy to oblige. 

other companies already know and use the AI model. Like I said  RCI includes all the fun and all the MDR entrees you want. We also didn't have to pay extra for the rock climbing wall or trampoline on NCL.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Itchy&Scratchy

[mcoler181]

9 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

other companies already know and use the AI model. Like I said  RCI includes all the fun and all the MDR entrees you want. We also didn't have to pay extra for the rock climbing wall or trampoline on NCL.

I'm yet to sale MSC, Only been on RCCL but I would guess you paid a lot more for RC and NCL than MSC?

We priced up RC for next Feb and on the majority of ships it was more for a week than the 2 we are having on Seascape, hence why we thought we would give them a try. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 minute ago, mcoler181 said:

I'm yet to sale MSC, Only been on RCCL but I would guess you paid a lot more for RC and NCL than MSC?

we would now since DS is 12 (considered an adult by RCI), but not when we sailed before. I do agree that post-pandemic pricing got out of control for the other cruise lines, but it only started this year. Pre-pandemic I booked an MSC cruise out of curiosity rather than it being twice as cheap as other lines (it wasn't), but it was cancelled due to the pandemic just starting.

 

But we all could do all the carousel rides, all the zip lining, all the ice skating, all the surfing, all the rock climbing, etc. as many times as we wanted, and eat all the MDR food on RCI and NCL, and it was all included. You get what you pay for, I guess.