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Our HONEST MSC Seascape Review – Are the Critics Right About this New Ship?

We have our honest MSC Seascape cruise ship scorecard review following the ship's maiden voyage from Miami, FL to the Eastern Caribbean!

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MSC Cruises just launched another new cruise ship in 2022. This month, the cruise line debuted MSC Seascape, with a naming ceremony in New York City . Following this event, we hopped on the ship for its first 7-night sailing from Miami, FL. We are back and ready to share all the details with you in our exclusive MSC Seascape cruise review.

MSC Seascape Review

MSC Seascape is the fourth ship in the Seaside Class and second in the Seaside-EVO Class. Her sister ships include Seaside (2017), Seaview (2018), and Seashore (2021), with Seashore being the first in the subclass of EVO ships. Yes, we know it is difficult to keep up with all of MSC Cruises classes and sub-classes of ships.

Our Complete MSC Seascape Review Video

MSC Seascape is a 154K gross ton ship featuring about 2270 staterooms and carrying over 5,100 guests at double-occupancy. The ship’s Yacht Club, the ship within a ship concept, is home to 131 suites, as well as several decks of private amenities.

This new cruise ship features many similarities to her predecessors but also a few new attractions not found on any other cruise ship.

Given this was only our second time sailing with MSC Cruises, and our first time on a Seaside Class ship, we were anxious to see how this cruise line stacks up to the competition. What did we think?

In this MSC Seascape review we rate the ship on several categories including dining, entertainment, onboard activities, and more.

A trend in recent mega-ship design is expanded pool offerings spread across multiple decks instead of one central pool area. MSC Seascape is no different as it features several outdoor spaces with pools and whirlpools on various decks. This meant that even on busy sea days, we could find a little space of the ship to call our own.

On the upper decks, there are two distinct pool areas. On deck 18 aft, there is the outdoor Marina Pool, which we would consider the main pool area. Flanked by whirlpools on the starboard and portside, there are plenty of loungers, a bar, and all the typical pool deck vibes. There’s also additional sundeck seating and the Horizon Bar one deck above.

In the center of deck 16, there is the Jungle Pool Lounge. We liked the exotic theming and décor in this family-friendly space. Not to mention, there is a retractable dome, which means it is always a pool day no matter the weather. This setup is much better than the often stuffy solariums you find on other mega-ships.

Above the pool, there are some table games like foosball and ping pong, as well as additional seating. Plus, this pool is located right next to the buffet and a bar. Further, it is one deck below the youth area, making it a great option for families.

At the aft of deck 8, there is the adults-only Infinity Pool. These two pools offer great wake views and even some in-pool loungers. Conveniently located nearby, there is an outdoor bar and gelato shop as well. Not to mention, both the portside and starboard sides of deck 8 midship feature additional outdoor seating and side-facing whirlpools for more fantastic views.

For cruisers staying in the MSC Yacht Club , there is a private sundeck all the way forward on Deck 20. A nearby exclusive pool, bar, loungers, and a starboard side whirlpool are available to Yacht Club guests.

Lastly, midship on deck 19 is the Top 19 Solarium. This adults-only space is open to cruisers who have upgraded to the Aurea experience on MSC Seascape. With whirlpools, a bar, and variety of seating, it is a nice escape from the crowds.

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Sports Deck

There are a variety of ways to stay active on MSC Seascape. These activities include a mix of complimentary and up-charge experiences.

At the center of Deck 18 is the Pirates Cove. This waterpark includes a tube slide, duel racing body slides, and a variety of water features for the little ones. Intertwined above the aquapark is the Adventure Trail. Though, it is a rather small ropes course.

Aft on Deck 20, there is the sports court. With free play basketball and soccer, it is open most of the day for some friendly competition with fellow cruisers.

The Pirates Cove aquapark and sports court on MSC Seascape are free to all guests. Though for this MSC Seascape cruise ship review, we made sure to test out all of the up-charge activities as well. And, you should too!

Behind the sports court is the newest thrill ride at sea, the Robotron . Combining state of the art robotic technology with synchronized music, this ride jolts cruisers up, down, and upside down 173 feet above sea level. This adrenaline-pumping attraction is $11 for an approximately 3 minute ride. There are varying thrill levels for all cruisers to enjoy this attraction.

For more thrills, the Hall of Games offers some virtual excitement. With the MSC Cruises’ signature F1 simulator, an XD Cinema, and several other VR attractions, this is one of the most high-tech arcades at sea.

Prices vary for each attraction at the Hall of Games. Although, Fun Passes can be purchased at discounted rates to provide even greater value. We highly suggest testing out the 360 flight simulator, as well as the motobike.

Additionally, cruisers can stay active at the Fitness center on deck 8. The wide-open gym features a variety of cardio equipment, free weights, and strength machines. Oddly, the ship does not feature an outdoor running track though. Also absent are other popular outdoor amusements on family cruise lines, like mini golf. 

Overall, the 1,600+ crew on MSC Seascape took good care of us during the week.

At times, there were some language barriers when ordering food or drinks. It also seemed that many times the crew were unfamiliar with American preferences. Though, any issues were corrected and improved over the course of the week.

The friendly bartenders and servers in the Loft Café were our go-to team for our coffees. They always had smiles on their faces and knew our daily drink order after a few visits. While espresso is served at all the bars and lounges on the ship, they seemed to be the only ones who could make the wife’s iced nonfat caramel latte.

Similarly, service in the Cocktail Bar was friendly and prompt. The waitstaff were quick to strike up a conversation with guests sipping drinks while waiting for dinner at the nearby specialty restaurants.

Most of the bars had adequate waitstaff, and it felt like the cruise line encouraged guests to order from servers as opposed to the bartenders. For instance, in the buffet, you can’t order from the bar at all. You need to order with a server, who then gives your order to a bartender.

Service and efficiency in the main dining room improved over the course of the week. Our assistant waiter was friendly and very attentive. She was always smiling and made sure to say hi when she saw us. She was also on top of filling our water glasses, delivering bread, and clearing plates. Our waiter on the other hand was much less interactive.

In the specialty restaurants, dinner was better paced and the service was more personalized. Whether we dined with a group or just the two of us, the overall experience felt more polished.

Since we arrived later in the afternoon on embarkation day, we never officially met our stateroom attendant. Honestly, while we saw him in the hallway, he never did take the time to introduce himself or ask if we had any special requests.

Since this was an inaugural cruise, we suspect any of the kinks we encountered will be resolved as the ship continues to sail the U.S. market.

Onboard Activities

Our 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on MSC Seascape included four ports of call. During our days at sea, the cruise line offered a variety of daily activities.

There were several sessions of trivia, as well as other group quizzes like Name that Tune, Guess the Price, and the Guinness Book of World Records game show.

On the pool decks, there were organized competitions of foosball, corn hole, and ping pong, along with themed dance classes. Further, scavenger hunts and other family-friendly events were regularly part of the itinerary.

Jose, the cruise activities manager, and the rest of the team were lively and fun while hosting these events.

Not to mention, the Aquapark, Hall of Games, and other public venues were open throughout the day and evening. Of course, there was bingo on sea days, and the casino was open to take your deposits.

In the evenings, there were several sessions of karaoke on the pool deck. Further, live music occurred throughout the ship.

The dueling pianos tickled the ivories on deck 6 in Times Square on MSC Seascape. In the Loft Café, cruisers could sip cocktails alongside jazz music or a solo pianist. The Latin Duo had the crowd dancing at the Uptown Lounge on deck 8. Further, there was always live music in the Atrium.

Deck 7 is home to Le Cabaret Rogue. This large, yet intimate venue is home to a variety show which highlights several unique acts each evening. You never know what you will find when you pop into the venue.

From live singers, to a comedian pianist, to acrobats and a hula-hoop dancer, it is a hodge-podge of entertainment. We wish there was a schedule posted so we knew which entertainers would be performing at what times each night.

At midnight, the Cabaret becomes the dance club. The DJ keeps the music playing into the early morning, like 4 or 5 AM, for the late night party-goers.

Cruisers will also be happy to know that several of the parties they know and love occur on MSC Seascape as well. From the Silent Disco to the White Party and Tropical Party, you can have the time of your life.

Needless to say, there is plenty to do on MSC Seascape at all hours of the day.

Casual Eats

For a ship of this size, the casual dining is very limited on MSC Seascape. The only complimentary offering for breakfast, lunch, and dinner besides the main dining room is the ship’s buffet, the Marketplace on Deck 16.

At breakfast, the Marketplace Buffet features your typical offerings. Thankfully, there was a custom egg and omelet station all the way aft in the venue. Additional menu items included options like scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, pancakes and waffles, and breakfast pastries. Cereals, fruit, and other continental items were available in grab and go offerings as well. 

Similarly, lunch featured a number of different stands with various food offerings. These included a pizza station, a pasta station, a salad bar, international hot entrees, meats and cheeses, and hamburgers and hot dogs.

These selections were scattered across two separate dining areas. The midship elevators separate the venue into two restaurants. While there was a lot of overlap between the restaurants, occasionally, you could find items in one section that were not available in the other. This made the venue rather chaotic with cruisers often wandering around the stations. It didn’t help that the signage was extremely small.

The restaurant could certainly benefit from some better organization. Perhaps, it should be set up more like a food hall with themed areas serving a specific type of cuisine.

Overall, we found the food quality for breakfast and lunch in the buffet to be average at best.

While it was often crowded, there was plenty of seating in the Marketplace Buffet. So, we never had issues finding a table somewhere within the venue.

When compared to new cruise ships from competitor cruise lines, we were disappointed that MSC Seascape did not have additional casual dining options. Think the Indulge Food Hall on Norwegian Prima, Guy’s Burgers, Shaq’s Chicken, or BlueIguana Cantina on Carnival Celebration, the Park Cafe and El Loco Fresh on Wonder of the Seas, the International Cafe on Discovery Princess, etc.

By offering sandwiches at a deli or cafe, burgers by the pool, or additional complimentary options around the ship, it would certainly help to disperse crowds.

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Main Dining Room

For our MSC Seascape cruise ship review, we dined at the main dining room four times for dinner. We also tested out the venue one sea day for lunch.

Each morning, the Green Wave main dining room was open for breakfast. The restaurant had a very small menu and was open select hours. On sea days and early departure port days, this main dining room was open for lunch as well. It served pretty standard offerings like a hamburger, Philly cheese steak, or entrée salads. Service was quick during lunchtime, but once again, the food selections were average at best.

For dinner, MSC Seascape has three different dining rooms offering staggered traditional seating times. Given we had the Bella experience, we were assigned an 8:30 PM table in the Aegean Restaurant on deck 7.

However, between the Green Wave, Cala Jondal, and Aegan restaurants, there are a total of seven different seatings between 5:15 PM and 9:30 PM. The Skyline restaurant is exclusive to Aurea experience guests with “My Choice Dining” between 6 and 9:30 PM.

During dinner, our assistant waiter was personable and friendly. She quickly came over to take our drink order and inquire about our day. Though, the same could not be said about our waiter.

Dinner was reasonably paced most nights, taking about 90 minutes.

In terms of the food quality, the offerings were hit or miss. I enjoyed the selections more than Heidi. I liked the prime rib and lamb chop entrees on Day 1 and 6, respectively. Further, the veal osso bucco on Day 7 was on par with specialty restaurants on other ships. The Grandma’s Chocolate cake was also a favorite for dessert.

The rest of the items we sampled were rather basic and either at or below the quality of other cruise lines.

Specialty Dining

While the main dining room was just okay, the specialty restaurants were well worth the up-charge. Most of the restaurants are priced a la carte. However, we had a dining package.

For this MSC Seascape cruise ship scorecard review, we dined at three specialty restaurants. My favorite was Butcher’s Cut. This American style steakhouse ranks at the top of my list among Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises for best steakhouse at sea.

My oysters Rockefeller was expertly prepared. Likewise, my 8 oz. filet mignon was cooked medium rare with a sprinkle of salt. This delicate cut melted in my mouth and paired perfectly with the sides, including the mac and cheese. The lava cake was a decadent end to this meal.

Hola Tacos and Cantina offers an a la carte or all you can eat option. This more casual restaurant is a great spot for lunch or dinner. With a variety of small plates, like queso fundido, salsa, tacos, and enchiladas, this venue served up a spicy and delicious meal. Of course, the menu pairs well with some handcrafted margaritas as well.

Lastly, we dined at Kaito Teppanyaki. MSC’s version of this hibachi restaurant did not disappoint. The menu features a pretty standard setup with starters like miso soup and salad and freshly made fried rice.

Unlike other cruise lines though, the Kaito Teppanyaki dinner includes a few pieces of sushi and a grilled starter as well prior to the main course.

With the dining package, you get grilled shrimp and salmon as a starter. Then, you can carve into some grilled steak as the entrée. Of course, they were able to customize Heidi’s dinner so she had a double dose of chicken as her starter and entrée.

This dinner and a show is always an entertaining night out.

MSC Seascape also features two other specialty restaurants. Sushi lovers will want to try Kaito Sushi. The unique conveyor belt setup gives this restaurant an interesting twist. Finally, seafood lovers will want to dine at Ocean Cay. Given Heidi’s picky palette, we skipped both of these specialty restaurants.

Signature Entertainment

The Chora Theater on decks 6 and 7 features signature entertainment each night of the cruise. During our sailing, there were five signature productions and two headliner acts. Of course, we attended every show for this MSC Seascape cruise ship review.

Given the multiple dining times on the ship, there were three showtimes each evening. We tended to watch the 7 PM show before our 8:30 PM dinner.

Each of the production shows featured four singers and a dance troupe. Select shows also included two additional guest vocalists, a strength act, and/or an aerialist.

Given that we have sailed on several brand-new mega ships , we have certain expectations for onboard entertainment, and the MSC Seascape exclusive productions did not live up to these expectations. The production quality did not come close to the shows on newer ships in the Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line fleets.

Out of the five production shows, we liked Love Blooms and Premiere the best. Love Blooms was a whimsical tale with a decent mix of music and ornate costumes. Premiere was a nod to classic movies. From James Bond, to the Wizard of Oz, Dirty Dancing, and even Ghostbusters, it was fun, even if it was a bit cheesy.

The other shows included Dreamscape, In Concert, and ImaginOcean. While they were watchable, they were certainly not memorable. We did expect more in terms of choreography and digital imagery on a brand-new mega ship.

The two headliner acts included a comedian and a singer. Nina Skyy showcased her amazing vocals during her Forever Whitney performance, while Matt Bergman put on a mediocre comedy show.

Bars and Lounges

MSC Seascape features 20 bars and lounges. Many of them serve the ship’s standard menu. However, a few do offer signature cocktail menus.

The Cocktail Bar on deck 8 is a cozy spot right next to the specialty restaurants. Here, you can enjoy exclusive drinks like the Rose Lychee Sangria, a spiced Mai tai, or the Indochine martini. This venue is an ideal spot for a pre- or post-dinner drink.

On deck 7, there is the Champagne Bar. This venue offers a distinct menu that focuses on sparkling wine libations, like the Chambord Royale or French Kiss.

Other locales with specialty menus include the Sports Bar on deck 8 with the most extensive list of beers on the ship.

On the pool decks, there are many bars that serve up cruise classics, like a pina colada or the B.B.C. These venues include the Infinity Bar on deck 8, the Marina Pool Bar on deck 18, and the Horizon Bar on deck 19. There’s also the Sky Bar and the Jungle Pool Beach Bar on deck 16.

Indoors, there’s also the centrally-located Seascape Bar and Shine Bar. Not to mention, there’s the Hola Bar serving up margaritas and the Wine Cellar. The Uptown Lounge, Le Cabaret Rouge, and the Casino each have bars as well.

Perhaps the most unique bar on the ship is the Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar. This venue on deck 6 serves specialty coffee drinks and cocktails alongside gelato and other chocolate treats. Unfortunately though, none of the drinks here are included in the MSC beverage packages.

As far as theming goes, many of the indoor bars have a similar décor with lots of metallic and dark finishes.

One exception is the Sports Bar. This lively venue has several televisions and fun furniture with sports equipment accents and leather booths. Similarly, the Loft Café features oversized chairs and tables, with yellow and wood tones reminiscent of a writer’s room or a quiet hotel lounge.

For this cruise, we had the premium extra drink package. Essentially, this entitled us to any beverage $15 or less at any of the bars, lounges, main dining room, and specialty restaurants. Needless to say, we had no issues completing our drink around the ship on MSC Seascape.

For this MSC Seascape cruise ship review, we stayed in cabin 13265. This portside, midship cabin is a deluxe balcony cabin. The cabin is a short walk aft from the midship elevators, making it easy to access the public spaces.

According to the MSC Cruises’ website, this stateroom is 172 square feet with a 54 square foot balcony.

Immediately entering the room, our bathroom was on the left. The bathroom was on par with other cruise lines in terms of size and featured a stand-up shower with a glass door.

Just beyond this area, the closet was to the left and the sofa was to the right, leaving a rather small passage way to get into the main cabin area.

The closet was a good size. One half contained a clothes bar and shoe shelves. The other side had plenty of shelves and drawers for the rest of our clothes. The sofa too was fairly large, almost too big for the cabin.

Across from the sofa was the desk. While there was plenty of counter space, we would have liked more shelves in the cabin.

The king bed was on the forward wall facing aft. On each side of the bed were small night stands. Although, only one side had a USB outlet. There were no power outlets near the bed either.

The only other area with USB and power outlets was the desk. Thus, the wife and I had to share this table as both a work station and a getting ready area.

Our balcony was a standard size with just enough space for two upright chairs and a table.

Overall, this deluxe balcony cabin on MSC Seascape met our needs for this 7-day cruise.

The Verdict: MSC Seascape Review Recap

With a variety of dining and entertainment, plenty of pools and outdoor space, and one-of-a-kind attractions, MSC Seascape offers families and couples alike plenty to do, see, and eat over a 7-night Caribbean itinerary.

We really enjoyed the Hall of Games and the brand new Robotron. These activities, while an up-charge, are among the most thrilling and high-tech at sea.

The nightlife on MSC Cruises was lively as well, with live music, nightly parties, and a dance club open until sunrise.

Right now, MSC Cruises is running some amazing deals on this brand-new mega ship.

If you want to upgrade your experience, you should consider the MSC Yacht Club. This ship within a ship experience includes a premium extra drink package, WiFi, and private onboard amenities.

With a restaurant serving an elevated menu each day of the cruise, there is little reason to leave this area. Unless of course, you want to enjoy all of the other nightlife, entertainment, and onboard activities taking place around the ship.

With MSC Cruises expanding its offerings to the U.S. market, now might just be the perfect time to test out this brand by booking a Caribbean cruise on MSC Seascape.

Have you sailed with MSC Cruises? Do you agree with our MSC Seascape review? Drop us an anchor below with your thoughts on this newest MSC cruise ship!

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Id love to know what version of the MSC Seascape you were on because it certainly wasn’t the same fecking hell hole we were on!!! Unfortunately cheap cruises attract cheap people, loud rude and obnoxious who make 4 trips to the buffet during breakfast and dinner and have no respect for other passengers. There were a few fist fights by the terrible lifts and the pool area because there are simply too many stressed out people EVERYWHERE!!! Bar service is a joke but MSC management doesn’t give an actual fuck ! Never ever again!!!

This ship was clean and well kept, although the service was horrible, from the main dining room to most of the bars. DO NOT book on the 15th floor, the buffet is on the next level and all night long the noise from the chairs being moved to the the dollies they use is unbearable. I booked four rooms and was embarrassed that I excepted these rooms for my group. MSC took my complaint but did nothing to compensate us for the inconvenience. They charged me for items in the Mini bar in the room, I never opened the mini bar but they are standing firm with the charge. We did an excursion on thier private Island call the Ocean Cay Bahama Breeze Escape “cateraman excursion” owned by Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center, DON’T DO IT !!! $94/person and its a joke. The exursion was horrible, the young crew was cordial but played vulgar RAP music once we arrived at the swim area. As an adult I could ignore it but there were little kids on the vessal who didn’t need to be subject to this kind of music. The crew was more focused with partying with some young females at the swim area, and they were not paying attention to the other guest. We were advised that we sould not drink any of the rum punch theat was part of the package until we were done swimming. Well, once my wife and I got back on the boat, the only thing in the ice cooler was water and the cups we were suppose to use were floating around in it. Pathetic !!! Upon departure people were diving off the upper part of the boat in shallow water, very dangerous. The other disturbing thing the crew didn’t do was take a head count upon departure. Totally irresposible. The buffet on the island closes at two and was not very good, they had two vending trucks that they passed out DRY hamburgers and hot dogs for the balance of the day on the island. I dont think I will travell with MSC again, Royal Carribian beats them HANDS DOWN !!!

Is this a genuine review?? If it is then the ship was obviously empty at the time and I would invite this MDC sycophant to read the reviews of people who had the misfortune to book this horror show!!!

We just got off this cluster F cruise today and was by far the worst of any of our 40 plus cruises. There is zero organization on this ship and the food is atrocious. Never again in my life would I sail with MSC. I felt like a hostage at some prison camp for a week and couldn’t wait to get the hell off this ship.

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Welcome Aboard! We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Are you ready to embark on your journey to “sea the world, one port at a time”?

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1st impressions of MSC Seascape: 9 things I liked and didn't like about MSC's 4th Seaside-class ship

I've sailed all four of MSC Cruises' Seaside-class vessels , and MSC Seascape is the best one yet.

Apart from a few restaurants with different names, it's a near carbon copy of older sister MSC Seashore, which debuted in 2021 as the first vessel in the line's Seaside EVO (short for evolution) sub-class.

That said, there are still several noteworthy aspects that caught my attention. From major kudos to minor niggles, here's what I liked — and didn't like — on this glitzy 18-deck marvel.

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What I liked

Robotron , a robotic arm amusement ride on deck 19, sounded like a gimmick at first, but it's actually a lot of fun.

The ride holds three people and offers three speeds — slow, medium and fast. It lifts riders into the air, twisting and turning them to the beat of the music they select beforehand.

Not only is it more thrilling than I expected, it runs for about three minutes per ride and provides nearly 360-degree views of the ship's outdoor surroundings. It's well worth the $10-per-ride price tag.

The Yacht Club

For the first time, I stayed in MSC's Yacht Club, a private suite area you can only access with a special keycard.

I was blown away by the sheer elegance and high level of service, with my butler delivering daily newspapers and specialty coffee, handling spa reservations and escorting me to dinner each night.

A stay in the Yacht Club comes with extras like more cabin space (all cabins are suites) and an exclusive restaurant, lounge and sun deck with a pool and hot tubs.

In addition to nicer digs and semi-private facilities, cruisers also receive priority embarkation and disembarkation, butler and concierge services, unlimited in-cabin mini-bar beverages, free alcohol in the Topsail Lounge, an elevated dining menu, one free bottle of spirits, private elevator access, reserved theater seating and other perks.

Americanization

One of the biggest pain points for MSC Cruises in recent years is its seeming inability to understand what Americans want as the line continues to build ships specifically geared toward the North American market. I'm excited to say I think MSC Seascape represents a pivotal change in that area.

In addition to shorter dinners and larger portion sizes in the onboard restaurants, the level of service also feels elevated, even outside of the Yacht Club. Waiters are more attentive, the folks at guest services are more friendly, and I noticed more smiles from crew members all around.

That's not to say the service is bad on other vessels, but it's decidedly European. That means dinners routinely take two to three hours, waiters check in less frequently during meals to see what you might need, and service throughout is generally more brusque, bordering on aloof.

It seems MSC has, perhaps, begun training crew in a more American style of service.

Familiarity

Because this is the fourth Seaside-class ship and the second in the Seaside EVO sub-class, the vessel is familiar.

Those who have sailed on the others, particularly MSC Seashore , will find that MSC Seascape feels like home. You'll board knowing exactly where to go, which means you won't have to spend time learning your way around before enjoying your vacation.

You'll also find your favorites — the Jungle Pool, waterslides, kids club, arcade, Bridge of Sighs, buffet and restaurants — in all the same places.

Speaking of favorite returning venues, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shoutout to Venchi.

The chocolate-themed bar on Deck 6, named for its partnership with the famed Italian chocolatier, reprises its role on MSC Seascape. It offers some of the best coffee and hot chocolate beverages (with or without alcohol) I've ever tasted, along with both fresh sweets and wrapped chocolates for purchase.

Even more impressive are the chocolate sculptures the crew craft by hand for all sorts of special occasions. On my sailing, they constructed a bonsai tree, an anchor, a slightly creepy Santa Claus and a likeness of Doremi, the cruise line's mascot.

Venchi also features an adorable seating area with high-top tables and stools that look like chocolate sandwich cookies. It can be loud during peak times, but often is a nice place to meet friends, check email or simply relax with a drink.

What I didn't care for

Near-constant noise.

In line with MSC's standard of decor, MSC Seascape is elegant to the max. It drips with chrome and crystal. However, the glamour clashes hard with the noise level just about everywhere on board.

On one night of my voyage, I was eating dinner at Hola!, a specialty Mexican restaurant, which is just off the atrium. My dining companion and I jumped out of our seats when an atrium show abruptly started at a ridiculous volume that, frankly, made it impossible to have a conversation as we finished our meal.

Elsewhere, it's difficult to find a quiet place to read or work, as all lounges seem to either feature live music or tunes that are piped in at decibels that feel wildly inappropriate.

Smoking on board is allowed only in designated outdoor areas and in the casino. However, the air filtration isn't great in the latter, which means the smell wafts out into the atrium, making for a somewhat unpleasant experience for anyone who doesn't light up.

Additionally, given the casino's central location, passengers are forced to walk through it to get from one end of Deck 7 to the other unless they choose to go up or down a deck.

With the smoke as bad as it is in that area, I smelled like cigarettes for the rest of the night after spending just 15 seconds passing through on my way to the theater.

Capacity issues

Even though my sailing wasn't at capacity — there were just 3,065 passengers out of a possible 5,632 when all berths are full — many spaces felt crowded and seemed incapable of handling the number of cruisers on board.

For example, the Times Square lounge, just beyond Venchi on Deck 6, hosts multiple trivia sessions on sea days, but there are never enough seats for everyone. Twice, I had to walk around the corner and sit at one of the tables at Venchi as I filled out my answer sheet.

In addition, the ship has the same type of digital elevator buttons that MSC Seashore implemented when it debuted.

The system, which forces you to select your floor before boarding and then assigns you a particular car based on traffic, didn't work on Seashore, and it doesn't work on Seascape, either.

On several occasions, the screen would tell me to expect my car to arrive in 20 seconds and then, inexplicably, update to read it would be two minutes.

In one particularly frustrating instance, I was forced to walk from Deck 15 to Deck 6 — nine decks, 18 flights of stairs — in high heels because my estimated wait time for an elevator was an astounding four minutes.

Single-use items

I'll admit that I'm not always as environmentally conscious as I should be. However, with how much cruise lines have been touting their green initiatives, I pay special attention to things like single-use items when I sail.

MSC Cruises makes a point of advertising its green efforts through The Foundation, the line's charitable arm, which aims to protect oceans and wildlife, among other things.

The line has also used its Ocean Cay private island as a marine cleanup project and made a pledge to become carbon neutral by 2050 as part of a larger industry effort organized by the Cruise Lines International Association, a cruise industry advocacy organization.

However, I noticed on MSC Seascape that daily programs are still printed and left in each cabin nightly, along with shore excursion brochures, spa price lists and more.

Plastic straws are still used for drinks, and single-use pats of butter were provided in the dining rooms during meals.

I was also rather shocked to discover that the Hola! Mexican restaurant on board provides cloth napkins but doesn't reuse them. Instead, they're thrown away after they're used. (A new one came with each course, so I had five of them by the end of my dinner.)

Bottom line

Overall, MSC Seascape provides lively elegance at a reasonable price point but also offers over-the-top accommodations for those seeking a higher level of exclusivity and service.

Even though it's not much different from MSC Seashore, there's plenty to love about the ship, and it truly feels like MSC has finally come close to cracking the code in terms of what Americans want.

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MSC Seascape: Yacht Club Feels Like ‘Ship Within a Ship’

For a wonderful week, Mary Sanz seemed almost like a best friend. She would accompany me to dinner, escort me to the theater, made sure I got a great seat. She would share little tips about upcoming events and shortcuts around the ship.

One time, she even carried my camera for me. I was walking down the hall with my camera in hand to capture a sunset. Hearing Mary’s familiar voice behind me, I turned to see her hurrying to catch up and take the camera from my hand. Believe me, my camera is not heavy and is usually safely tucked in my purse. But it is an example of Mary’s ever-watchful care.

Mary was my Yacht Club butler and she was excellent at her job. Mary seemed to be everywhere and could answer any MSC Seascape questions I had. Of course, she never ate with me or enjoyed a Chora Theater show with me but she made sure I was where I wanted to be, then she headed on to the next passenger she was helping.

I was booked in Stateroom 18049 on Deck 18 in the Yacht Club. Mary explained that the Yacht Club is almost like “a ship within a ship.” And she was right.

For my last post about my terrific voyage aboard the MSC Seascape, I’d like to share some of the joys of cruising in the MSC Seascape Yacht Club.

Great Yacht Club Benefits

The two-story Top Sail Lounge is a popular spot in Yacht Club

MSC Yacht Club on board MSC Seascape features 131 cabins spread across decks 16 to 20 on the forward of the ship. Yacht Club also offers its own pool, solarium, panoramic whirlpool, premium drinks, premium Internet package, MSC for Me wristband, newspaper of choice delivered to cabin, luggage packing/unpacking service, access to the spa’s thermal suite, pillow menu, a concierge, assistance booking dinner reservations and shore excursions, shopping help and that popular 24-hour butler service.

My cabin fridge was restocked every day with beer, wine, juice, water and soft drinks. When I first arrived, a bottle of prosecco was chilling in an ice bucket on my cabin table. Chocolates, nuts, chips and other snacks waited nearby on the desktop along with a coffee maker.

The Top Sail Lounge is one of my favorite places on the ship. Located in the front of MSC Seascape, Top Sail Lounge has large two-story windows with great ocean views. The Lounge offers creative cocktails, beer and wine, plus snacks and live music. On my cruise, we have had a pianist and singer plus a guitarist who sings.

The Yacht Club restaurant serves delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner

The Yacht Club also has special experiences when the Seascape docks at Ocean Cay Reserve, MSC’s private island in the Bahamas. At Ocean Cay, Yacht Club members can enjoy Ocean House Beach, an exclusive area with a private bar and premium food with butler service.

I’ve already written about how my butler Mary helped me board the ship so quickly when I arrived. She also will help me quickly disembark when my cruise is over. That is a huge benefit. Mary knows how to cut through long lines. She also totes my carry-on luggage and backpack. Not necessary but that is Mary’s insistence.

The Yacht Club restaurant is above Top Sail Lounge

Exclusive Yacht Club Eateries

Yacht Club also has a buffet-style eatery called the One Pool Grill & Bar on the exclusive pool desk on Deck 19. I ate lunch there a couple of times to enjoy the outdoor breeze, sit at a shaded table and watch the ocean roll.

The cooked-to-order lobster at One Pool for lunch was terrific as was the staff. About the time I decided I would have another cold drink, a server appeared and asked what I would like.

Creative touch from Top Sail Lounge bartender

If the Yacht Club Restaurant above Top Sail Lounge were the only benefit of paying extra to cruise in the Yacht Club, it would still be worth it. The Yacht Club dining room is a very short walk from my cabin and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with menus changing daily.

Waiter adds balsamic vinegar to caprese salad in Yacht Club restaurant

The Yacht Club Restaurant is quiet with wonderful ocean views. Needless to say, I’ve been enjoying many of my meals in the restaurant. In addition to seeing what tempting choices are on the menu, I also like to read the “Deliciously Healthy” notes.

For example, a menu note asked, “Did you know? Red vegetables, such as tomatoes, contain two phytochemicals: lycopene and anthocyanins, which are both powerful antioxidants. Red vegetables also contain vitamin C, which aids the production of collagen, maintains blood vessels, stimulates the immune system and increases the absorption of iron from plants.”

Appropriately, the menu that evening offered buffalo mozzarella caprese with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. I ordered it and savored every bite.

Yacht Club restaurant sommelier Bogdan Gheorghe pours wine

Another night, the Deliciously Healthy note asked, “Did you know? A common scene in the Greek islands is octopuses hanging in the sunlight from a rope, just like laundry from a clothesline. They are often caught by spear fishing close to the shore.

“The fisherman brings his prey to land and tenderizes the flesh by pounding the carcass against a stone surface. Thus treated, they are hung out to dry and later will be served grilled, either hot or chilled in a salad.”

The menu that evening offered steamed octopus carpaccio with potato caper salad and basil oil. I don’t care for octopus so passed on that one.

Seafood pasta in Yacht Club restaurant

Other menu highlights include veal ossobuco, pan-seared swordfish, broiled filet mignon, breaded chicken breast kiev, lemon-scented creamy oyster risotto, grilled lobster tail, roasted prime rib, duck ragout, seared diver scallops, surf & turf and so much more.

Private Yacht Club pool

Yacht Club restaurant entree

Special Key Card Entrance

Of course, a special key card is needed to enter Yacht Club. The key card also can be scanned when calling for an elevator anywhere on the ship. With the Yacht Club key card, the elevator provides an express ride bypassing any other deck on the way to my destination. Mary pointed out that Yacht Club perk when I first boarded MSC Seascape.

On my cruise, Seascape was home for a week to 4,200 passengers and 1,648 crew members. Even though the ship is big and filled with passengers, when I walked into the Yacht Club and was greeted by Mary, it felt as though I were on my own private yacht to be royally pampered. Indeed, I was.

MSC Seascape

Photos by Jackie Sheckler Finch

See sailings here:  All MSC Cruises (cruisecompete.com)

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MSC Seascape Review: A Great Ship for Your Family Vacation

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The MSC Seascape is a beautiful new addition to the MSC fleet. Currently sailing the Caribbean out of Miami, this ship offers the same stunning views, elegant common areas, and wonderful service we’ve come to expect from MSC Cruises.

If you’re a fan of the MSC Seashore , you’re going to love the MSC Seascape. As its sister ship, the Seascape is strikingly similar in both design and feel – bringing guests closer to the sea than ever before.

Want to know more? Let’s take a look around this incredible ship!

Cruise Cabins

The MSC Seascape offers a variety of cabin types to meet your needs and preferences. Some cabins, like Yacht Club and Aurea Suites, include special amenities and onboard experiences for a premium price.

The Deluxe Balcony Suite measures about 180 ft 2 and includes a balcony. Inside, you’ll find a king bed and a sofa that converts into a sleeping space for the kids. This room is a cozy but solid option for families, especially considering it comes at a good price. Here are a few photos:

If you’re looking for something a little larger, the Premium Suite with Whirlpool may be for you. This cabin type measures in at about 300 ft 2 and boasts a whirlpool on your balcony. It also includes the Aurea Experience – which includes things like any time dining, priority boarding, and access to the Aurea Solarium.

Of course, the Yacht Club cabins are some of my personal favorites. Although they cost a bit more, they come with all the benefits of the Yacht Club – including access to exclusive areas like the Yacht Club pool, the Yacht Club Dining Room, Top Sail Lounge, a personal butler, and more.

I love the Yacht Club Deluxe Grand Suites. For a relatively minor price difference, these rooms offer considerably more space than the YC Deluxe Suites, making them perfect for our family of four. Not every ship with Yacht Club offers these rooms. Thankfully, they are available on the MSC Seascape.

MSC Seascape Bars & Lounges

With 20 bars and lounges scattered throughout the ship, there is always something happening on the MSC Seascape. Here are a few of my favorite spots.

Atrium and Champagne Bar

Like other ships of the Seaside Class, the MSC Seascape features a massive open area in the center of the ship. The Atrium spans several decks and boasts a three-tiered entertainment stage as its centerpiece.

The crystal staircases surrounding the Atrium are a great spot to snap some photos. Personally, Greg and I love this spot for live music in the evenings. It also serves as a gathering point for many activities and excursions during the day.

The Atrium is surrounded by several bars and lounges on the each deck, allowing you to enjoy the entertainment from a spot of your choosing. One of my personal favorites is the Champagne Bar. It provides a comfortable yet elegant setting to cap off any evening.

Times Square

Times Square is another lively and interesting area of the ship. Located forward of the Atrium, you’ll find more live music, bars, and even some shopping here.

The casino and casino bar are also located near this area of the ship.

After listening to dueling pianos or winning a few bucks at the blackjack tables, head over to Venchi for a chocolate cocktail or some delicious gelato – both of which are available for purchase.

If you’re a pool person, you’ll want to get familiar with the Marina Bar. This spacious bar is located next to the main pool and is sure to be serving your favorite drinks while at sea!

Top Sail Lounge (Yacht Club Only)

The Top Sail Lounge is one of my favorite places to relax on the ship. I stop by every morning to grab a latte, come back for a pre-dinner drink, and usually finish my day here with an Aperol Spritz for a nightcap.

Located in the front of the ship, the large windows offer some of the best views available onboard. I absolutely adore the two-story design which leaves the lounge open to the Yacht Club Dining room above. This means diners can enjoy the live music playing in the lounge during their dinner.

Save Big on MSC Cruises – Looking for a great cruise deal? MSC Cruises regularly offers free balcony upgrades, free drink packages, and more! Plus, kids under 18 sail free on many itineraries! Get help finding the best current deals with MSC Cruises here .

MSC Seascape Restaurants & Dining

Speaking of dining, there is no lack of options on the MSC Seascape. The ship features a total of 11 dining areas – including 4 main dining halls and 1 buffet.

Marketplace Buffet typically offers more casual selections and some killer pizza. The main dining rooms prepare more elegant plates, with at least one dining room open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

As I mentioned earlier, Yacht Club guests can enjoy the views from the Yacht Club Dining Room – located directly above the Top Sail Lounge.

Although meals in the main dining halls are included with your cruise, guests can also enjoy several specialty restaurants for an additional charge. Our family typically eats at least one meal at a specialty restaurant, although we have purchased up to three meals during longer cruises.

Specialty dining options on the MSC Seascape include Butcher’s Cut Steakhouse, Ocean Cay, Hola! Tacos & Cantina, and Kaito Teppanyaki. Additionally, this ship features one of my favorite dining experiences – the Kaito Sushi Bar. This unique spot is both fun and delicious, allowing diners to choose their sushi rolls as they slowly pass by on a moving belt. Yummy!

>> Related: Discovery Princess Review

Pools & Entertainment

The MSC Seascape boasts 13 pool and “water features” that can be found around the ship. Additionally, there are several other activites and entertainment options for guests to enjoy.

Marina Pool

The Marina Pool is the ship’s main pool area and the spot to be during days at sea. The entertainment team keeps things lively during the day with contests, parties, bingo, and more. During some evenings, you can enjoy a movie under the stars on the the giant video screen.

Jungle Pool

Want to take a dip during the evening or when it is raining outside? Check out the Jungle pool! This pool has a retractable roof that is perfect for any cool or rainy days.

The Pirates Cove Aqua Park is another fun way to spend the day. This area sports a giant splash pad, some waterslides, and a ton of water-based fun!

Infinity Pool

Need a break from the kids? Watch the ship’s wake slowly fade away as you bathe in the serene waters of the adults-only Infinity Pool.

Located in the far aft of the ship, this is truly one of the most beautiful and peaceful spots on the MSC Seascape.

Bridge of Sighs

Sitting high above the Infinity Pool is the spectacular Bridge of Sighs. This glass bridge offers unobstructed views of the surrounding waters, making it a wonderful place for romantic strolls and dramatic selfies.

Other Entertainment Options

Of course, pools and bars aren’t the only things the MSC Seascape has to offer. This ship also features a number of other entertainment areas – including two theatres, a VR flight simulator, an MSC Formula Racer, and more!

The MSC Seascape also boasts the first robotic coaster ride at sea. The Robotron is a robotic arm coaster that flies, flips, and spins guests over 175 feet above the sea. If you’re a coaster lover, you should definitely check it out!

Kids Club & Teen Areas

One of the first things I came to love about MSC was their Kids Club. As their fleet has grown, MSC’s kids and teen facilities have gotten even better.

Honestly, their kids programming and entertainment continues to be absolutely fabulous. Even better, kids under 18 sail for free on many itineraries.

MSC Seascape: Final Thoughts

With the MSC Seascape, MSC has once again exceeded my expectations. The ship is gorgeous, the food is good, and the service is spectacular – all at a price that is hard to beat.

If you’re seeking a Caribbean getaway, I wouldn’t hesitate to book a trip on the MSC Seascape. In fact, I highly recommend it!

Book Your Cruise on the MSC Seascape – Our travel agency can help you explore incredible itineraries and spectacular deals on the MSC Seascape! Get started here.

Want to know more about MSC? Check out these other reviews:

• MSC Meraviglia Review
• MSC Seaside Review
• MSC Divina Review
• MSC Bellissima Review

Holly Johnson is a financial expert and award-winning writer who has traveled to over 40 countries and counting. She is the co-founder of Club Thrifty , co-author of the book Zero Down Your Debt , and is recognized as one of the top credit card experts in the field.

Holly's work has been featured in publications like The Wall Street Journal , CNN , and Fox Business . She is also a regular contributor to publications that include Business Insider , Forbes , Bankrate , Money.com , LendingTree , U.S. News and World Report Travel , CreditCards.com , and more. Learn more about Holly here.

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MSC Seaside Cruise Review

I f you are looking for a good value for your money (and who isn’t these day?), then I’d recommend taking a look at MSC. On our recent fall cruise on the MSC Seaside, we found the Seaside to be clean, with nice open public spaces, and a gracious crew. The value of the cruise to the money we spent was fantastic, and this was the weighty factor in our choosing this ship and line.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

Table of Contents

How to get to port canaveral cruise port, hilton orlando buena vista palace – disney springs area, wyndham grand orlando resort bonnet creek, cabana bay resort, booking your cruise on msc seaside.

Bella, Fantastica and Aurea Experiences: What are the Differences & Perks

Stateroom Perks and Features

All suites on msc seaside come with aurea experience perks, pre/post cruise option orlando theme parks.

The ship is home-ported in Port Canaveral, Florida. Port Canaveral is easily reached by flights into Orlando International airport, Orlando Sanford International, and even Jacksonville International airport. However, out of the three, Orlando is the easiest, both in terms of the number of daily flights, and ease of airport navigation.

My suggestion, especially if arriving through either Orlando International or Orlando Sanford International is to add a day to the front end and a day to the back end of your MSC Seaside cruise and explore the area. There is so much to do in Orlando, and certainly don’t discount Port Canaveral – it has a lot as well, including Kennnedy Space Center. Once you’ve arrived, you can either rent a car , or hire a car service to take you to the port on the day of embarkation.

Where to Stay If I Arrive Early

There are so many options here! You can stay in Orlando, and there are several hotels we like in this area. If you want to arrive a few days prior to your cruise and visit the theme parks – Disney or Universal, you can stay at one of the park-affiliated hotels. If visiting Disney, and staying in one of the affiliated hotels, you will get complimentary transportation to and from the resort and the park.

Hotel Options for Pre/Post MSC Seaside Cruise Stay for Disney World

I don’t know about you, but I hate having to pay for parking….especially at theme parks! So whenever we visit Disney or Universal, we try to stay at one of the theme park recommended hotels that offer shuttle service.

The Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace is located within the Disney World Resort and provides FREE theme park transfer service, making it one of our top choices for a theme park resort stay. Another plus is that it is connected to the Disney Springs dining and entertainment complex, which is one of my favorite places to visit.

The guest rooms have flat-screen TVs, small refrigerators (a nice perk!) and good bed linens. It is part of the Hilton brand, so if you are a frequent traveler and part of their reward program, you may get better pricing and/or perks. Amenities include on-site parking, breakfast, two pools, 4 restaurants, wifi throughout, fitness center, bar, and a golf course nearby.

The Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek is another hotel within the Disney resort group, and offers a FREE shuttle to the Disney parks. This hotel offers five swimming pools, they are pet friendly (Zach loves staying at the Wyndham!), two restaurants, and a spa. Perched on Lake Buena Vista with gorgeous tropical foliage, this hotel is amazing!

The rooms have flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, refrigerators, robes and spa amenities in each room. The spa is perfect for getting relaxed from all the park activities before you leave for your cruise. It offers both inside and outside treatment rooms, and a nail salon. There is also a fitness room and lagoon style resort pool. We’ve stayed at the Wyndham, though it has been several years, and one of our top reasons for choosing this hotel is that they are pet friendly, IF you are not visiting prior to a cruise departure, you’ll be really pleased with the dog-friendly option .

Hotel Options for Pre/Post MSC Seaside Cruise Stay for Universal Orlando

At Cabana Bay Resort not only do you get COMPLIMENTARY shuttle service to the parks, you also get EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter & Volcano Bay water park an hour before the park officially opens, making this resort one of the best choices for a pre-cruise stay. All the rooms at the resort feature flat-screen TVs, and other amenities include on-site parking, six restaurants, two pools, coffee shop (I love hotels and resorts that offer this – I don’t function without my early morning cup of coffee!) and wifi throughout the resort.

10 Quick Facts About the MSC Seaside

• The Seaside debuted in 2017, and was considered the 14th largest ship in the world
• The Yacht Club provides more than other ship’s VIP sections. On the Seaside, the exclusive Yacht Club area is extremely large, covering 5 decks! In addition to the perks listed above, the private Yacht Club offers a themed restaurant, private theater, private pool and a private bowling alley!
• The ship does not offer a quantity of dining experiences; however they are laser focused on the quality of the food that they serve.
• The entertainment is high quality; one of the things we love about this ship is that the shows were all broadway quality.
• There are nine bars and lounges onboard the Seaside, so there are plenty of options for sipping.
• There are four pool, four water slides, three hot tubs.
• The spa is phenomenal, and I loved the hydro therapy pool and heated ceramic beds
• MSC puts a high priority on kids , so there are kids clubs for all ages, including teens, and a fun waterpark that will keep them entertained.
• Dress onboard is casual during the day and business casual in the evenings.
• They designed the ship for maximum passenger flow, meaning that there are shorter wait times for the elevators, even during the high traffic times.

What To Not to Take on a Cruise

First time cruisers, and even some seasoned travelers struggle with what to take on a cruise. Here is a list of things you don’t need to take on your MSC cruise:

• Coffee maker/electric kettle
• Beach towels
• Candles / Incense
• Expensive jewelry
• Too many clothes/shoes
• Power strip / Extension cord

What should you bring with you on your cruise:

• A lanyard to keep your cruise card
• Backpack / Beach bag
• Cash for tips (PRO TIP: Prepay for your gratuities)
• Cross body purse (women)
• Waterproof phone case
• Rain poncho

Cruising on MSC Seaside – What to Know & How to Plan

We were pleasantly surprised by our MSC cruise , especially the cost to value. MSC is a relative newcomer to the North American cruising market, having entered into the US market in 2017. It has undergone many changes during this time, and now, in my humble opinion, with the options it brings it is quickly becoming a major competitor for Carnival, Royal Caribbean and even Celebrity.

Prior to my booking our MSC cruise on the Seaside , I did extensive research, reading countless reviews across a myriad number of publications. The reviews were mixed, but there was one strand running through them all – MSC has a few quirks and snags that are still being worked through in the North American market. That said, in our experience, having taken two MSC cruises in 2023 they are working out their quirks.

The booking process is a multi-step and multi-stage process. First you choose where you want to cruise to; then your departure port option(s); in the US these departure ports are New York, Miami, Port Canaveral (Orlando), and debuting in 2025 will be Galveston. Once you choose your departure port, then you will choose your departure date, a selection of all the ports that encompass the destination will show, click on the port you want, and then a selection of dates will show, along with the length of the cruise, and the beginning price, along with the ship.

The next stage is to select the cruise you want, with the itinerary you want. Once you do that, a screen pops up that reads “Choose Your Cruise Offer.” We choose the Best Value because it includes a drink package, and it is still quite affordable. Once you’ve chosen your cruise offer, the window brings you the total cost of the cruise, without any upgrades. When you click “Next” you’ll be taken to a screen that reads “Select Your Stateroom Category.”

Choose your category, you’ll see the new total for the cruise, click “Next.” Now you choose your cruise experience – Bella, Fantastic, or Aurea. We prefer the Aurea experience, because of some of the perks like Anytime Dining that are included. Then you get to choose your stateroom (in both the Bella and Fantasia experiences, you will be assigned a stateroom). Finally the last few steps involve inputting your personal information, and voilá you’ve booked your cruise! The booking process is not hard nor complicated, but there are a lot of steps to the final “I’ve booked my cruise stage.”

Bella, Fantastica and Aurea Experiences : What are the Differences & Perks

MSC’s cabins are attached to bookable “experiences,” which are Bella, Fantastica, Aurea and MSC Yacht Club. Each of these experiences offers a list of amenities and multiple cabin types.

The Bella Experience is the most basic of all and includes all the standard amenities, including line-branded toiletries, free buffet and main dining room meals, and most entertainment. Fantastica adds a few perks, such as free breakfast delivery to the cabin and the chance to request preferred dinner sitting in the main dining room.

Passengers who book the MSC Seaside Aurea Experience will get the most spacious cabins, along with privileges such as priority embarkation and disembarkation; prosecco and chocolate on arrival; free 24-hour room service, and free access to the Top Exclusive Solarium, anytime dining, and other perks.

The MSC Yacht Club is the highest cabin category, and it really is an all-inclusive luxury experience! This experience offers access to the accommodations via key card. The experience also includes dining in a private restaurant just for the Yacht Club, a private sundeck and pool, and an exclusive lounge with food and drinks, 24-hour butler service, free access to the spa’s thermal suite, and luggage packing/unpacking services.

Now that your cruise day is finally here, and you are set to depart, so what can you expect onboard your MSC Seaside cruise?

MSC Seaside Cabins

The standard cabin sizes on the MSC Seaside are, by industry standards, average. They all have two twin beds that can be pushed together for a king. Every cabin includes a couch, small nightstands, hair dryer, desk with chair, and a minibar (you will pay for these items), a spacious closet with sliding doors, flat-screen TV that is interactive with the MSC for Me app, on-demand movies (again for a fee), news channels, and cruise information channel.

The lights are turned on with your cruise card, and near the door are two switches to let your cabin steward know the room needed to be made up – this was confusing, because the lights are outside your door in the hall, so we had to double check we had hit the correct button.

A major plus for us was the number of outlets, including USB outlets. We each had six individual electronics – our phones, smart watches, and kindles, and we were able to plug all of them in.

The bathrooms are small compared to other cruise lines that we cruised on. The counter area is small, but there is a lot of shelf space. The toiletries are shampoo and shower gel. We were disappointed there was no body lotion; especially on a Bahamas cruise where you want the lotion after a day in the ocean.

Interior:  MSC Seaside interior cabins come in two different categories – Deluxe and Premium. All sleep up to five guests and range from 151 to 301 square feet. Instead of a sofa, these rooms have a chair.

Ocean View:  The ship’s outside cabins are all located on Deck 5 and come in at 183 square feet each.

Balcony:  Non-suite balcony staterooms on MSC Seaside range in size between 172 and 183 square feet (not including balconies). Deluxe balcony cabins have a 54-square-foot balcony with two upright chairs and a small drinks table; Deluxe Balcony Aurea rooms are all on Deck 9 and feature 97-square-foot balconies, two loungers, and a chair and table. Some cabins in this category also have showers with bathtubs.

Junior Suite:  These units offer 183 square feet of indoor space plus a 172-square-foot balcony that has two loungers and a drinks table. Junior Suites can only be booked with the Aurea experience.

Deluxe Suite Aurea:  Located on decks 9 to 15, these entry-level suites offer 215 square feet of indoor space, plus 86 square feet of outdoor space.

Premium Suite Aurea:  The most basic Premium Suite on MSC Seaside comes in between 280 and 344 square feet and features large balconies ranging in size from 97 to 151 square feet. Units with terraces are slightly larger at 301 square feet; the highlight is the massive 409-square-foot outdoor space.

Premium Suites with private on-balcony whirlpools are 301 square feet apiece. In addition to large balconies (75 square feet) with upright seating and a small drinks table, they also include a sitting area with sofa, a small glass table and a walk-in closet.

Grand Suites:  They range from 377 to 527 square feet with up to 183-square-foot balconies that hold several upright chairs and a couple of drinks tables. Each also offers an indoor dining table with chairs, a sofa and small glass table, and a walk-in closet.

These suites feature either one or two bedrooms, plus two bathrooms, including one with a tub.

Dining Onboard the Seaside

There are two main dining rooms on MSC’s Seaside, Seashore and Ipanema, and they are identical. You will be assigned to one of these two dining rooms. If you book in the Aurea experience, then you will be assigned a dining room, but you can dine anytime at the assigned restaurant during the open hours. Our first night onboard we were seated in a very private and intimate table by a window, and that is where we dined each evening. It was pleasant, and we felt as if we were on a date every night! You were not rushed to finish dinner, so we lingered and savored our meals and wine.

The food was tasty and well prepared, however the menu is not large. If red meat is not on the menu and you would like a steak, they will offer it, but it will be with an uncharge for the Linz heritage beef. The portions were not large, which appealed to Jim and I as we don’t like large portions, we prefer to order an appetizer, a salad or soup, our entree, and finish with dessert. The waitstaff was always smiling, pleasant and knowledgeable about the dishes.

The other dining venues on the Seaside included two buffet options, The Marketplace Buffet on Deck 8 (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and the Biscayne Bay Buffet on Deck 16 (open for Breakfast & lunch), and both offer almost the same cuisine. We found that Biscayne Bay was noisy, because of so many families. We preferred the Marketplace. One standout item that MSC does well is their pizza. It is, in my opinion, the very best pizza I have eaten on any ship. Do not miss trying this stellar dish!

MSC does offer four speciality restaurants, the Asian Market, Ocean Cay, Butcher’s Cut, and Venichi 1878; however we opted out of these. We find speciality restaurants can be a niche change up on a longer cruise, but for a short 3 night Bahamas cruise, we did not try them.

Overall I believe that MSC is a great value for the money, and a cruise line that is a good choice for families. We’ve taken two cruises on MSC, one for my husband and I and one with our family. Both cruises were fun, relaxing, and best of all, a good value for the money.

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MSC Seaside Yacht Club - my honest review

By 2cruiseluvrs , October 21, 2018 in MSC Cruises

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2cruiseluvrs

For our experience, my wife and I chose the Yacht Club level of stateroom, and our three children joined us. Other staterooms available include inside (no windows), ocean view (window), balcony, and balcony suite. Some rooms hold two guests, while other rooms can hold 5-6.

MSC Seaside was launched in December 2017 and quickly received a number of bad reviews. This is the case with nearly every new cruise ship. In fact, many passengers will intentionally book the first sailings, with hopes of finding problems, bad service from a brand new crew, and they are looking for opportunities to complain… thus trying to earn freebies, discounts and other favors.

We found very little to complain about. In fact, our experience was “five stars” or “diamond” in virtually every aspect of the s  hip. We’ve been on 7 cruises on 7 different ships from 5 different companies.

YACHT CLUB ENTRY & SECURITY

The Yacht Club "welcome / entry" consists of 3 white pop-up tents and a couple of folding tables.

At 10:30 a.m. three staff members arrived at the tents, checked us in, provided luggage tags, took our bags, and showed us into the indoor waiting area. Being priority guests, we did not have to stand in the long er waiting lines. Instead, we were taken into a priority queue, and had to wait until security staff were ready, around 11:00 a.m.

YACHT CLUB RECEPTION

Getting through security / metal detectors was easy. Our Yacht Club guide gathered us and took us through the main waiting area (zero waiting) and directly into the Yacht Club gathering space. We quickly met with a clerk who took our boarding tickets and passports. She took our photos. Then we sat down to enjoy a variety of pastries, donuts, chocolates, fruit, orange juice and champagne… as much as we wanted. When our ship cards were ready, the clerk gave them to us, along with our Yacht Club wristbands which also act as an on-board ship card.

BOARDING SEASIDE

At 11:45, guests who already had ship cards were invited to leave the waiting room and board the ship. We were guided by a butler into the ship and to an elevator which took us straight to floor 16. He was wearing a tuxedo, white gloves, and carried a paddle sign that said "Yacht Club." Exiting the elevator, we were welcomed through the Yacht Club doors, and guided to the Yacht Club lounge. We could not believe how quickly we boarded Seaside!

INTRODUCTION TO THE LOUNGE

Inside the Yacht Club lounge, we were greeted by a waiter who asked us what time we like to eat dinner, and if we would be celebrating any special birthdays, etc. We sat down on the comfortable velvet couches and were offered our choice of beverage. There was also a small “buffet” of fancy snacks, sandwiches, and mini pastries. All for the taking.

GOING TO OUR STATEROOM

We were invited to visit our room, which accommodated 5 people. The Yacht Club offers a few different sizes of suites, from inside staterooms to extra large luxury suites with huge balconies and jacuzzi tubs. Our room was something in the middle. It was the largest stateroom we’ve ever stayed in (going on 7 cruises now).

It had the largest bathroom we’ve experienced on any cruise ship. It had the biggest shower. Wand spray and ceiling spray. The hot water came quick and had great pressure. The toilet sitting area was large, and the sink was big. There was tons of shelf storage for hygiene items. And we found plenty of towel rods and hooks to hang our items. The bathroom was a delight.

STORAGE AND BEDS

The stateroom had two closets and numerous drawers for storage of both large and small items. The room is “divided” into two areas: master bedroom and sitting room. The “divider” is really just a bookshelf that is less than half the width of the room. The memory foam master bed was at least queen size and had 4 great pillows. The sofa bed was large, enough for two adults. And a third bed dropped down from the ceiling, with access via ladder; perfect for a child or young teen.

FRUIT & MINI BAR FRIDGE

There was a bowl of fruit that was advertised as “fresh fruit.” But the bananas, apples and pears unfortunately looked like they had been on a number of cruises before we arrived! So really they were more of a prop.

The mini bar was stocked with a variety of sodas, juice, beers, vodka, gin and whisky. It also had pringles, chocolate covered nuts, and other snacks. All of that was free for the taking. As much as you want. They will just fill it back up!

The flat panel television was at least 50” and looked great on the wall. It offered video on demand, access to your stateroom account details, and a huge variety of television channels mostly from the United States, but also featured stations from Germany, France, Italy and so on.

BALCONY & DRAPERIES

The balcony door unlocked and opened easily. It felt very secure. The huge balcony offered three chairs and an ottoman, all commercial quality with a “wicker” netting. The railing was high enough that our three-year-old could not possibly fall overboard, even if she was to stand up on a chair or the foot stool.

The shade that covers the door was great. It had an internal blackout layer and an external decor layer. When closed, the room was pitch black. However, they were not so easy to open and close.

LIGHTING, ELECTRIC, TEMPERATURE

To keep the lights on in the room, one guest’s ship card must be in the door slot. If there’s no card, the lights will auto-off in a few minutes, to conserve power. By the way, there were at least 7 light switches for the room: main entry, bathroom, reading light and ambiance light on both sides of the bed, sofa area, desk area, and balcony lighting.

On the desk area, below the TV, there were two United States electric outlets, two European outlets, and two USB-A power outlets. We brought our own extension cord that offered three extra outlets.

The stateroom had two thermostats: one for the master, and one for the sofa area. The room temperature was preset and was very comfortable. Even when we opened the door to have hot air rush in, the room cooled down quickly.

The Yacht Club room decor is great, and seems to be a step above the decor of the other room categories on board, if you just look at other cruisers' photos.

OTHER YACHT CLUB AREAS

But the gorgeous, comfortable and large stateroom is really just the beginning of the Yacht Club experience. There’s the Yacht Club Lounge, Restaurant, Bathrooms, Elevators, Concierge, Butlers, Viewing Deck, The One Pool, Hot Tubs, Sunning Deck, Bar, Buffet and full access to the Aurea Top 19 and Thermal Areas.

As much as you could easily blow off the existence of a “living room,” we found ourselves investing an incredible amount of time enjoying the experience of the Yacht Club Lounge. Getting to it is easy; it’s just a short skip down the hall. When you enter, you are seen by at least one waiter and immediately greeted with a “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon,” etc. They may also know your surname and use it. As a guest you could easily just sit down in one of many seats or sofas, or you could walk straight to the bar and request a drink, then take a seat to enjoy the view, read a book, talk with a guest, or anything else you want to do. The waiter brings your drink quickly. There is no receipt. No asking your room number. No nothing. Just your drink and “is there anything else that I can get for you?” and a smile.

In the Lounge, you get up and sit down and get this and ask for that, truly just whatever you want. Imagine living in a gorgeous home that’s fully stocked with your favorite snacks and drinks, and they’re all yours for the asking. Imagine being able to wear whatever you want and just do whatever you want in your own living room. Use your laptop, play a board game, read a book, sleep, talk, look at the ocean, talk to the staff. WHATEVER. It’s your room and it’s your safe space. Your happy place. Finish your drink? Ask for another, or switch it up. They take your empty and bring your new. Hungry? Grab something from the mini buffet, or ask for a special item. They will go and get it for you. Used dishes don’t sit for long. The Lounge is kept clean by staff. It is open from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. So party on, my friend. In my opinion, this room alone is worth the price of admission.

In the evening at the lounge, there were a variety of musicians and they were all very good. A female duo played piano and violin. A male performer played harmonica, guitar and sang. Another male played piano and sang. All performances were mellow and subtle and never in your face. Twice I made song requests and both times they were provided, in their own special way. I loved it. For the record, the songs were “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin and “Need You Tonight” by INXS.

During the week, I visited the Lounge probably a hundred times. Sometimes I was intentionally alone. Sometimes I walked up to a complete stranger and was looking for a nice conversation. Other times our family sat next to another family to share our experience of the ship. While the Yacht Club is the most luxurious and “executive” area of the ship, it was never stuffy in any way. In fact, I dare say it was much more laid back than other public parts of the ship. I didn’t hear CEOs talking about return on investment. I didn’t hear about the best golf courses in the world or the best wine in France. Instead, I met Brent, a guy my age who is a university 4H instructor in the Carolinas. I never met his wife and daughter who apparently were both shy and spent much of their time in their stateroom. I met Steven, a father of two kids, Austin and Katia, from Georgia. I met Bob and Tish, a senior couple who shared their heroic story of simply getting to the ship on time. And one night I drank with Bob as he talked about his Acura Repair business. The Lounge staff gently reminded us it was time to go when they turned the lights to 100% at 1:30 a.m.

VIEWING DECK

There are two automatic doors that lead from the Lounge to the viewing deck. The deck is just as wide as the Captain’s bridge, extending further past both sides of the ship, further than any other spot of the ship, providing the single best full-ship side-view that is possible on board Seaside.

On the deck there are padded lounge chairs, padded benches and tables. Very few people visited the deck, so being there was like owning the ship, kind of having it all to yourself.

There is a Swarovski Crystal staircase that leads up to the Yacht Club Restaurant. At breakfast, lunch and dinner, you are greeted by the very fun and friendly Giuseppe, the Maitre’d. “Bon Giorno” he announces happily, in a used-car-salesman-meets-italian-actor-but-nice kind of way. He walks fast, cracks cute jokes, is very personal, and is active in managing his restaurant. By no means does he sit back and watch. Instead, he goes out of his way to make sure the staff is on point. Once we watched him vacuuming crumbs from the floor. He was not afraid of elbow grease.

Like any good cruise ship restaurant, the staff gets to know your wants and needs. For example, one time I entered the restaurant and was craving blue cheese. They promptly provided it. And every day afterward they brought a plate of cheese as we sat at the table!

At dinner, the waiter offered a choice of bread from the basket. They brought two and three kinds of butter. They took orders for wines and soft drinks, coffees, and liqueurs, and brought all quickly.

Our chosen appetizers, entrees and desserts were provided quickly. Custom orders were created perfectly. For example, I mostly stayed away from starches and breads. One night when the menu included steak, lobster, and fish, I asked for all three to be delivered on the same plate, with no sides included. They delivered exactly what I asked. And when I wanted more to eat, they delivered.

The two negatives of the dining room were that 1) they didn’t seem to listen well to what we wanted for wine. At least twice we asked for one wine, but were later offered another. We corrected them and they fixed it quickly, but for being in Yacht Club, that was kind of annoying. And 2) a pet peeve of mine is that I like dirty dishes to be removed very quickly. Often times, the dishes sat long enough that I had the chance to photograph them and even stack them all up … to make it look obvious that it was time for the dishes to GO.

Typically on cruises we prefer to sit with other couples or families. In the Yacht Club there are two larger tables and the rest are for parties of 2-6. We never sat with another couple or family, but we had enough fun, just the five of us. While many people did sit quietly in their party, there were some tables who were comfortable with their conversations, and even sharing between tables. It never felt stuffy or too proper in the dining room. We’re not fancy people, and we enjoyed it very much. Oh, and on formal night, we didn’t see a single tuxedo. In fact, I think the Yacht Club members take “formal night” a lot less seriously than they do in the public dining rooms. I wore slacks and a button shirt with a jacket the first night. No tie. The second formal night I ditched the jacket, too. Many guys wore khakis or even a really nice pair of jeans on formal night.

For what it’s worth, I think that many first and second time cruises look forward to the glitz and glamour of formal nights. It’s their chance to shine, wine and dine. And that’s fine. Maybe these folks don’t get out often enough. Or who knows? But frequent cruises and especially those with children, I believe, would rather just skip formal nights altogether because it’s sort of a hassle, and it even makes packing for the trip more difficult. On a one-week cruise there are usually two formal nights, and they usually happen on days when the ship is “at sea” all day and did not visit a port / city.

I would not say the Yacht Club restaurant was my favorite part of the Yacht Club experience. But what WAS special about it was 1) we could dine anytime we wish (not on a schedule), 2) it felt intimate but not too small, 3) the maitre’d was always around and the staff was very active. It would be better if 1) children were served (something / anything) VERY fast to calm them down, 2) dirty dishes were whisked away fast, and 3) the live music (coming from the lounge below) was happening all evening and not just in short sets. But these are picky items, I admit.

OUTDOOR BUFFET

You don’t have to eat in the Yacht Club Restaurant or in the Yacht Club Lounge. Of course, you are free to visit any of the buffets on Seaside, pay extra to eat in a specialty restaurant, or you can go to the Poolside Buffet on the Yacht Club Pool Deck. This very exclusive outdoor buffet is on the 19th floor, easily accessible using the Yacht Club Elevator (that only goes from 16-18-19).

The Yacht Club buffet offers a carving station, numerous side dishes, at least two poultry dishes, fish dishes, vegetables, salads and deserts. As much as you want. The food is the proper temperature and the area is never crowded. In fact, you’ll be lucky to bump into one other person at the buffet. There were more staff and bartenders behind the counter than guests in front of the counter! It was here that I discovered my new favorite fish: Grouper. OMG. I ate a lot of it.

OUTDOOR BAR

The bar adjacent to the buffet has every wine, beer and liquor you could want. You just ask and it’s yours. Quickly. Very quickly. Ask for another. And another. Or rattle off a list of drinks that you want for you and your friends. Voila, here it comes. Compare this to a bar in the public area of the ship: the queue takes a long time, you can order only one drink per ship card, and it will take a few minutes to receive. Ugh, no thanks. Back to the Yacht Club!

YACHT CLUB POOL

People go on tropical cruises to be at peace, enjoy the pool, and lay in the sun. But one common problem with cruise ships is the people-to-pool-chairs ratio. It’s often hard to find an open chair, especially if you are with others and need multiple chairs together. Additionally, the common pool areas are loaded with people. Some ships are worse than others. It’s not all bad, I mean, after all, you’re in the caribbean or in mexico, etc!

But the Yacht Club Pool is an entirely different experience. There are far more chairs than there are people. And in my experience there were fewer than 10 people in the water. There was plenty of space to soak, to push back and forth, and chat with other guests. I met two moms, their kids and the grandma. They were all enjoying the shallow water, and were all as pleasant as can be.

Laying on the deck chairs were men and women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and so on. They were tanning, reading, eating, drinking. It wasn’t quiet, thanks to the kids having fun. But it wasn’t loud and obnoxious either. Nobody seemed boring, or annoyed. It was just a nice balance.

Oh, the towels! When you stay in the Yacht Club, your stateroom attendant or butler can provide you with exclusive blue full-size towels, or you can get as many as you need at the Yacht Club Pool, and you can use them anywhere on the ship, or take them onto shore. Yacht Club towels are put onto the poolside chairs. A clean and folded towel on the chair means that you are welcome to take it, and / or sit there. If you take it, it will surely be replaced quickly.

YACHT CLUB HOT TUBS

Walking from the pool and buffet area toward the front of the ship, you’ll pass shaded teak dining tables, more lounge chairs, and enter the forward deck. There are two hot tubs that seem to be intended for adults, though any Yacht Club member can use them. This forward area always seemed to be a little quieter than the pool area. So if you’re looking for quiet, you know where to go.

THERMAL AREA

Cruise ships are famous for selling upgrades, extra food, extra experiences, and merchandise. One common sales pitch is the spa area for massages. But Yacht Club members have complete access to the Thermal Area that is within the Aurea Spa.

To start, grab the Yacht Club robe from inside your Yacht Club stateroom closet. Wear it over your bathing suit. You can bring a Yacht Club towel with you, or you can grab towels from the spa. Put on your Yacht Club slippers and get going.

The Thermal Area is easy to get to. It’s a quick elevator ride down from the Yacht Club to floor 8. Turn the corner and you are there. Don’t worry that you’re wearing a robe and others you see in the hallways are fully dressed. After all, you are on vacation, and the other people are envious of you -- you’re in the Yacht Club -- and clearly you are headed to the spa to relax!

In the spa area, grab an extra towel from reception, or just walk right past it. Since they recognize your Yacht Club robe, and your Yacht Club bracelet, they do not question you for being there.

First, head into the mens and womens dressing rooms. Your bracelet will open a storage locker. Throw your robe, slippers and towel inside, then lock it back up. Take a quick shower, and walk back into the hallway. Open the opposite door to the actual Thermal Area (fully coed) and welcome yourself into heaven on board.

The Thermal Area features EIGHT specialty showers (four enclosed sets of two showers) that have hot and cold water, as well as rain or mist that contains various aroma therapy. You can use them as long as you want, either alone, or with your partner.

There are two dry sauna rooms. They seemed identical in function, though at one point, one of them seemed slightly warmer than the other.

There’s a salt room with 8 lounge chairs. I expected it to be warmer in this room, and I expected to smell salt. But it was neither warm or had aroma. I spent little time in here.

There’s an ice room. It’s small, has two small wooden benches, and it’s cold. There’s literally snow on the decorations and the floor. It is created with a mist coming from a nozzle near the ceiling. Wear some sandals. It’s very cold to the feet.

There’s a water station with two chilled coolers / spouts. They use 8-ounce plastic cups that are always stocked. However, the water was never flavored like they do in fancy hotels. I expected (and wanted) cucumber or lemon or orange or something. But it was plain. It’s very important to stay hydrated between treatments, so drink water and drink often.

Also in the Thermal Area, there is a steam room that is “light” with solid white benches that are illuminated by blue light above. Each of two benches holds about 3-4 guests. When the steam is heavy, you truly cannot see the other guests inside. It’s nice like that! There are four water hoses to cool down and rinse off. One hose is on each end of both benches.

There’s a second steam room that is “dark” with solid black benches. The walls are dark, and it’s equally difficult to see others when the steam is thick. Nice!

There’s a “geyser” room that I never used. It has four stations that shoot water from the floor. The first is cold, the second warm, the third cold, the fourth warm. You are supposed to go through all of them, then exit. The cold was too cold and I could not use it. My preference. Others did use it.

In addition to the lounge chairs in the salt room, there are at least 12 other lounge chairs in the Thermal Area.

There’s also a VERY large jacuzzi. It’s not hot water. It’s warm. It’s bubbly. And the jacuzzi often had 3-6 guests.

Signage with fine print requests guests to wear bathing suits in the Thermal Area, and that’s as specific as it gets. We witnessed guests wearing a wide variety from very little fabric to quite a bit of cloth. Guests were mostly in their 30s and 40s and early 50s. Not too many Thermal Area guests in their 60s or higher, though they are more than welcome.

Take your time. When you are finished, head back into the Dressing Room, shower, dry off, put on your robe, throw the used towel into the basket and enjoy the rest of your day. The Thermal Area is available to guests age 18+. IT’s open from 9A to 9P. They warn you at 8:30 and 8:45 that it will soon close.

How can elevators be fancy? Well, when you are wearing a Yacht Club wristband, you tap a sensor, then push up/down, and wait for the “Priority” lift. Theoretically, when you get into your Priority lift, you again tap your wristband to a sensor while simultaneously pressing your preferred floor. And again, theoretically, you go straight to your floor, without it stopping for others in the same direction. It’s a faster way to get your robe-wearing self from the spa and back to the Yacht Club. In actuality, I could rarely get this "priority" function to work, and usually it stopped for others to get on board. Maybe it was user error. That said, there is an elevator inside of the Yacht Club itself, that takes you between floors 16-19, i.e. from your stateroom on 16 to the YC pool on 19.

When you enter the Yacht Club, you must pass by the Concierge Desk. At this desk, you can ask for any kind of help: info about the rest of the ship, making dinner reservations, fixing your ship card, registering your credit card, scheduling shore excursions, etc.

I asked one concierge, “What’s the most bizarre request you’ve had?” She replied that a Yacht Club guest asked for entry for 15 other guests in other areas of the ship. Apparently there was a confusion with the travel agency. Due to limited capacity and the exclusiveness of the Yacht Club, they had to be denied. Thankfully. Too many people would spoil the atmosphere.

Due to this conversation, I did learn that if space is available, guests can buy a one-day pass to the Yacht Club for $110 per guest per day. That’s well worth it! The space must be based on total Yacht Club capacity versus total Yacht Club guests on board. For example, if the YC can physically hold 200 guests, but only 180 are on board, then 20 passes could be sold per day.

A blog I read said the MSC Divina holds 188 YC members, while Seaside holds 292. That’s very exclusive considering the Seaside full ship capacity is 5429. So on Seaside, the Yacht Club is 5.4% of the guests on board assuming a full sell out. That’s exclusive!

GELATO, CREPES, COFFEE and MORE

Yacht Club members also have free access to unlimited treats around the ship. The authentic and handmade gelato is amazing and there are plenty of flavors to choose from. You can order it in a cup or in a waffle cone. The waffle cones are likely made on board, as is the gelato.

The creps are available at one of the gelato bars. Free. Made just for you. Eat up.

Specialty coffees, lattes, cappuccinos, frappes and other crazy coffee / chocolate drinks are free for YC members. Order and enjoy.

Please note that you CAN board the ship and stay in “Aurea” staterooms that also come with free gelato, crepes, coffees, beer, wine, soft drinks, and well drinks. Aurea packages however do not have Yacht Club access which includes the amazing lounge, restaurant, private pool, buffet, viewing deck, lightning fast boarding and disembarkation, and the only access to the front facing point of the ship.

THE REST OF SEASIDE

Yacht Club members enjoy the exclusivity of many private areas. But they are of course free to enjoy all the other great parts of the ship. During the week, every day, we enjoyed the kids Jungle Pool play area, the awesome theater for evening shows, and ventured throughout the many awesome spaces and places of the ship.

THE 5000 GUESTS

People who have never cruised always hate the idea of being around so many people. Some ships are small with only 2000 guests. Newer mega ships get close to 6000 guests PLUS crew. But here’s the reality. Big ships have lots of space to spread out the people. Except for boarding, disembarking, getting in line for an evening show, and going to the pool on a hot day, it’s never more crowded than being at the mall. People love cruising. The industry has skyrocketed since year 2000 and the newest big ships now cost more than a billion bucks, featuring countless activities on board.

CALORIES & GAINING WEIGHT

When you eat more calories than your body burns, you gain weight. One pound on your body comes from adding a net 3500 calories. A typical American may burn 2000 calories per day just from his heart beating, from walking around, and breathing.

Eating an extra 500 calories per day for 7 days is really easy to do. In fact, eating an extra 1000 or 2000 PER DAY is easy to do. What’s worse is that other than some simple walking around the ship, you’re not getting much exercise. And no, you likely won’t use the awesome gym on board despite your best intentions! And why should you?!

It’s impossible to count calories, so you just gotta be smart with your food selections. Increase protein and decrease carbs. Try not to taste all of the available sweets. Don’t finish your entire dessert. And if at all possible, pay attention to the calories you are drinking.

In my own experiences, I have gained 10 pounds on a cruise. On Seaside, I gained “only” 6.5 by not having all the carbs (other than drinks).

But look folks, we’re enjoying the meetings and conferences. Sample lots of foods and have a good time. Just don’t go wild. And when you get home, plan to lose a few pounds to get back to your fighting weight.

One of the great things about cruising is that it can be relatively cheap. For example, I’ve seen 7-day cruises for $350 (just $50 per day!) That covers your room, daily room cleaning, eight meals a day, nightly entertainment and great stops in cool cities. Depending on the time of year, the ship, the room you choose, and other factors, the daily cost can easily hit $200+ per person. So there’s something for everyone.

Why would we take our kids on a business trip? MSC allows younger kids to sail for “free.” They do charge port fees and tips for staff, but that’s all pretty cheap. So when you take the total cost and divide by 5 people, then divided by 7 days, it becomes reasonable to stay in the Yacht Club or at least in an Aurea room. (Yes, that’s some fuzzy math.) Of course it would be super cheap in an inside cabin with four guests. If you want a large room for 5-6 guests, you need to book early. They go fast.

Your round-trip flight to the initial port is extra. Excursions into ports are extra (about $50 per person per adventure). And there may be occasional misc charges. So add it all together, divide by your party size, and determine which room makes sense for you. Then go have some fun.

I admit it… the day before we left, I shed tears of joy and sadness as I realized it would all soon come to an end. I didn’t cry for long, but I did realize that this had never happened before. Never before had I experienced an emotional connection with a conference, a seminar, a ship, an area, or even a vacation. I think that says something about the Yacht Club and how the overwhelming generosity of it all affects you.

Whether it’s Giuseppe welcoming you to dinner, the bartender whipping up your morning cappuccino, staff knowing that you like to order two bottles of carbonated water at the same time, your butler helping you get onto the port quickly, or the non-stop flow of premium beverages, snacks, and more… It’s nice. Ultra nice. It’s something to experience at least once in your life.

So what are YOUR thoughts?

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gotta cruise again

Lovely review; well written and very helpful. We board YC in December and appreciate your thought and especially the helpful spa tips. My DH doesn’t get on CC at all but I think he’ll enjoy your review. Thank you so much!

great review  we  were  on YC  late  Sept--interesting that you said the  food temperature was ok in outdoor buffet, we  had  an issue  with that.  I  also would have liked  more  TV  choices, CNBC  of  Fox  business.  But  I agree  with your assessment

Great review.  We will be on the Seaside next month in the Yacht Club.  Last year we really enjoyed the Yacht Club Experience on the Divina so much that while on there we booked the Seaside.  It sure does spoil you!!

16 minutes ago, markf said:  I  also would have liked  more  TV  choices, CNBC  of  Fox  business.  But  I agree  with your assessment

I'm on the fence about TV. On one hand, I feel like it's nice to have to fill in a few slow moments, or maybe to help me fall asleep. On the other hand, I feel like TV keeps me from really disconnecting. So, yeah, I guess more channel choices would be good for someone who is not looking to disconnect.

mmpgoodtogo

I appreciate your thorough review!  Especially the info on the spa.  We are also in the yacht club, but weren't sure what that spa perk actually entailed.  Thanks for the review!

Thank you for a very engaging, sincere review. 

I have found that more likely than not, folks in the NCL Haven are just regular folks like me who like to elevate their cruising experience a bit. I expect the yacht club to be a lot of the same.  

Great review!!!!

Great review!! Makes me even more eager for our YC stay in March!

CGTNORMANDIE

Great review...honest and well presented.

Wow! Thank you for your detailed review. You provided some information I don't remember reading elsewhere. Just 62 days to go for us, and now I'm even more excited!

GREAT review!! Can not wait for next month now.

Wow.  What a review.  Thank you for taking the time to write such a structured and expressive text.  I hope to meet you in a future cruise, to discuss how to express our thoughts to our CC friend as well as you did.

Thanks for the great review and i totally agree the YC experience is something that should be experienced, it's fabulous.

On 10/21/2018 at 6:44 PM, 2cruiseluvrs said:   I'm on the fence about TV. On one hand, I feel like it's nice to have to fill in a few slow moments, or maybe to help me fall asleep. On the other hand, I feel like TV keeps me from really disconnecting. So, yeah, I guess more channel choices would be good for someone who is not looking to disconnect.

I totally need it to fall asleep. My husband does like it to chill during the day as he can not sun worship as long as I can!! LOL Did you find it easy to watch from bed.?  Many say it does not swivel and is really placed for watching in that sitting area. What are your thoughts??

3 hours ago, Debde said: Did you find it easy to watch from bed.?  Many say it does not swivel and is really placed for watching in that sitting area. What are your thoughts??

The TV is in fact FIXED and does not swivel. I do recall thinking at first, "Hmmm, it does not angle this direction [as I was in bed]." However, it was very clearly visible and I did not feel it was at a weird angle or hard to watch. The was also no reflection from the door / sunlight. So it was absolutely fine for everybody in the room to watch.

Thanks for your great review!

I love your review! Thank you.

The Top Sail Lounge is one of my favorite places on Earth and I couldn't agree with you more about the value of that space, along with the YC Pool Deck, and all the other YC perks your described.

Thanks for taking the time to do this review.  Well written!  We'll be on her the end of November, thanks to your review, I can't stand the wait.

We are home  from the  YC  about 3 weeks--  the  cruise  is  even better  3 weeks  after--if  you know what I mean!!

I am ready for the next one , 

A very nice review and in our book spot on.

A couple of tidbits for first timers in the YC. We did not choose to wear our wrist bands and carried our cards instead. To keep power to the room for charging etc you can use any RFID card in the slot to keep power on.  There is an indicator light out side the door of the cabin that stays lit when power is on in the room.

Your cabin card does have your cabin number on it in code.  Add the first two numbers together and then reverse the last three to come up with your cabin number.

Thank you for your review.

25 minutes ago, Todd320 said: A very nice review and in our book spot on.   A couple of tidbits for first timers in the YC. We did not choose to wear our wrist bands and carried our cards instead. To keep power to the room for charging etc you can use any RFID card in the slot to keep power on.  There is an indicator light out side the door of the cabin that stays lit when power is on in the room.   Your cabin card does have your cabin number on it in code.  Add the first two numbers together and then reverse the last three to come up with your cabin number.   Thank you for your review.    

Todd, I am pretty sure you work for the FBI or CIA 😉  Thanks for the tips!

PompeySailor

Great Review!

Thank you 👍🏻

Having cruised mainly on Royal I can honestly say our upcoming cruise on Seaside in YC, has us just as excited as that very first cruise we took together as a family 17 years ago.

thanks to reviews like yours 

Appreciated.

Excellent review.  We booked her too in the YC.    Question for someone.   Are the “upcharge” restaurants included in the YC fare?   Or are they charged separate?  We are totally new to MSC and use to the Haven on NCL (11 cruises on ncl) Sounds like YC is just a touch above Haven, but the Haven rooms include all the upcharge restaurants as well.   Is this the case on MSC?

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Moscow: An Honest Review of this Amazing City

“ You’re going to Russia?!?! Why? ” I heard these words pretty much every time I announced my upcoming trip to the east.

This reaction is understandable. Most people in Europe and the United States have a Putin-provoked distaste of the Russian Federation, which is growing by the day. Politicians claim that Russia’s sole mission is to diminish and undermine western powers to strengthen its own. After all, the name Vladimir comes from two old Slavic words, which together mean “great ruler of the world.” Make of that what you will…

Even the non-political vision of Russia is unfavorable. Most think of a cold, grey, backward place with Soviet architecture or battle-hardened, weather-beaten people. However, arriving at the sleek Moscow Domodedovo airport, I was impressed. I had been right to rebut popular notions of an unwelcoming and stony place.

However, almost immediately after leaving the airport, the ground for my righteous vindication became shaky. Driving into the outskirts of Moscow, my mind drew comparisons to television images of North Korean suburbs. Miles of uniform houses and bleak tower blocks lined the roads.

At the Izmailovov Delta Hotel next to the famous market of the same name, things were not looking much better. Truly peculiar decorations and violently colored walls competed for one’s gaze in the hotel lobby. Luckily, the rooms themselves were perfectly comfortable, though not particularly noteworthy. I’d stay central next time.

After dropping bags, I ventured toward the Izmailovov market for a look at how the locals live. From a distance, the buildings that encase the market are vivid, intricate and quite something to behold. As it was late in the day, the market was empty. Shop shutters were closed and stalls were folded up. I got the same uneasy feeling I get when walking through Disney Land – as if this was what remained after the recent collapse of a utopian society.

While nearly all the vendors had packed up and gone home, a few stalls remained opened for business. All that was left was an abundance of satirical matryoshka dolls containing various countries’ political leaders in historical order.

A tattooed burly salesman came over to me as I withdrew François Mitterrand from the wooden bowels of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

“ Where are you from, friend? ” He asked.

Ignoring my response, he launched into a speech about his armed forces days and the political situation in Russia.

“ You really ought not to trust the government, ok? Putin is a dangerous man, you see. Someone’s always watching in this city. ”

The whiff of Glühwein that carried with each sentence made me doubt the erudition of his analysis. Then again… this is what we hear in the news. I was not sure what to believe. After thanking the man and hastily filling Charles de Gaulle with the rest of the presidents of the Fifth Republic, I made my way back to the hotel.

Emerging from the underground we rounded the corner and immediately found ourselves in Red Square. The sight demands you stop and stare.

The insurmountable walls of the Kremlin line the length of one side; halfway along lies Lenin’s tomb and opposite is the lavish exterior of the Gosudarstvennyi Universalnyi Magazin shopping center (or GUM, as it’s referred to, thank God). The architectural marvel of Saint Basil’s Cathedral stands at the south end, with the State History Museum at the other. Even though the foreboding structures radiate a rouge pastel hue into every corner of the square, there is a sense of openness. No-doubt there was a somewhat different atmosphere when thousands of Soviet soldiers goose-stepped through the square. Interestingly, the Russian army still marches like this today.

Walking around central Moscow, history oozes from every spire and pillar. Buildings seem to lean over as you walk past, as if peering down on whoever dares to enter these austere places. For every moment or event in Russian history, there is a dedicated museum.

The quality of each museum is notably high. In particular, the Armory inside the Kremlin holds astonishing collections of royal carriages from across the world and throughout the ages. The world-renowned Fabergé Eggs are displayed here too.

Having wandered around for so long during the day, we had no time to eat before attending the Ballet that evening. Sitting in the Bolshoi, the long day began to catch up with me.

It is now that I must make a confession: while attending a performance by one of the world’s greatest ballet companies, I fell asleep.

Thankfully, I woke up later in the second half and was treated to the final leaps and prances of Shostakovich’s The Bright Stream. As someone who is not a ballet aficionado, that was probably enough.

Feeling significantly perkier afterward, a late dinner was in order. Just behind the Bolshoi is VOGUE Café , a gastronomic outpost of the famous magazine. It claimed to serve an eclectic mix of Japanese, Italian and Russian dishes. Intrigued, we entered.

Adventurously, we accepted the offer of some Russian wine. Full bodied and berried, it was delicious. Our evident surprise led the waitress to explain that Russian food and drink has improved hugely over the last few years. As it turns out, since the United States and the European Union placed sanctions on Russia after their annexation of Crimea, food imports have been scarce. As a result, Russian producers have been forced to meet the demand and quality expected today. As a result, Siberian wines and cheeses now win awards around the globe.

When we left the restaurant, it was late. Only a day had passed, yet we had filled every minute with history, culture and food. The next three days followed a similar format and we continued to make our way down the list of museums and sights. A boat ride along the river is a must-do for alternative views of the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Afterwards, sit on the rooftop Strelka bar opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and watch the 3-mile-long line of pilgrims move slowly forward.

On the third day, we were due to board an overnight train to Saint Petersburg, but there was still so much left to do. Truth be told, it was probably too much for another three days, let alone one.

Nonetheless, I was satisfied. Moscow had revealed itself to be a fascinating and impressive city. While the city infrastructure isn’t as up-to-date as most capitals, the needs of every modern traveler can be met. It certainly isn’t the cold and unfriendly place envisioned by most in the west. Moscow’s winning attribute is its omnipresent sense of untouched history. This is a feature that is so often lost amongst hordes of tourists in Europe’s capitals.

It goes to show: what we hear about places we haven’t been in the news or through general hearsay, we can formulate pretty strong prejudices in our mind. While the political realities may still be ugly, by visiting, you can learn to separate and appreciate the everyday, the culture and the history of a place. On one side of a great red wall in central Moscow, a tyrannical leader works. On the other side, wholly separated, lies a magnificent Red Square where an overwhelming sense of history reveals the essence of Moscow and of Russia. And it is truly remarkable.

Russia Tourism: https://www.russiatourism.ru/en/

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Restaurant-Yacht Chaika

Ratings and reviews, location and contact.

Pleasantly surprised, service is good so is the food. Great selection of Fusion food, a mixture of Italian, Japanese, European, Asian etc. A pleasantly nice dining experience, highly recommended, a must try!

Thank you for your feedback and invite you to have lunch or dinner again aboard the ship in an atmosphere of high standards of yacht hospitality.

everything was perfect - the food, the service, the desserts were the best, nice atmosphere and the location - magical

Best food, best view in Moscow. absolutely faultless from arrival to finish. Best risotto i had for many years absolutely perfectly cooked. The view on Ukrainian hotel and the white house by night is amazing

Had to wait for the food for 1.5 hours and then another 20 minutes for the check. Finally called for the manager and he offered... a 10% discount as a compensation. Simply pathetic! The food is mediocre at best. Not bad per se, but one... would expect something better considering the prices. There are many places to eat in area that are much better. Avoid this one at all costs. More

Hello, Alexander Your comment is extremely important for us, thank you a lot for it. We are terribly sorry for your time that you`ve spent waiting your order and we have already taken actions to improve quality of our service and it would be realy... More

Food is very expensive,very pretentious, doesn't worth that money. Portions are very small. We ordered ravioli and there were 4! Four raviolis! For almost 15 euros. Then we asked to bring us dessert menu but nothing, they didn't even bothered, so we payed and left... without dessert. Very poor service for that price. More

This is a very good restaurant. The food is really good, maybe the best in Moscow. The service is also good. The view from the restaurant is great. The prices are very high.

I often visit this restaurant and must say it’s one of the best in Moscow in terms of quality and service. Staff really try hard to make sure that you are happy and satisfied. Customer service is a huge problem in Moscow but Chaika sets... a great example for others in the industry! Food is delicious and the menu has lots of options for everyone! Atmosphere is great and view is beautiful on the embankment. Special thanks to German & Oleg! More

Thank you for your feedback! Again aboard the yacht restaurant "Chaika" in accordance with the high standards of yacht hospitality.

Highly recommended, great location in the city center of Moscow with a superb atmosphere. Too many menu choices, though all delicious!

Thx a lot for your review! We are looking forward to see you in our restaurants.

Visited this lovely restaurant with a friend of mine. It was relaxingly warm August evening - so the place on the river seemed like a good idea. We came quite early and the restaurant was not full. The hostesses kindly offered several places to sit... and we chose to sit on the sofas. We had some wine, which was good. We struggled a bit when deciding about the food as few options (scallops) were not available. Fish on ice on display did not look very fresh. To be honest it was an unusually hot August and it is probably understandable that some see food options were not available. However, we did manage to order something and sat waiting and looking onto the river. My long-legged friend struggled sitting at the low sofa and the manager noticed that, offering as a very good, proper table beside the open window. It was nice touch and I was very pleased by their polite observations and immediate reaction to solve the problem. Food was quite good and presentation was perfect. Perhaps I can something about the food, but 1 visit is not enough to criticize or make a definitive opinion. Overall, quality place, which of course, does not come cheap. I would recommend this restaurant without hesitation. More

Good afternoon! Thank you for your detailed feedback! We are looking forward to seeing you again, we are sure that you will be delighted with our dishes!

I've been here several times during two business trip in Moscow. The overall quality for both service and food is absolutely top-notch, plus the location is very unique.

Hello! Thank you for your feedback! We are looking forward to visiting again!

Located on a boat at Krasnopresenskaya River Bank this 5 Star Restaurant transforms into a party location due to multiple groups hosting events. Impressive wine selection, Asian and European kitchen...

Thx a lot! We are waiting for you!

It is a nice place to gather specially at the lounge The service and staff very good I like the river view The food is almost like all restaurants in Russia they serve different cuisine. Staring Russian appetizer till Asian dishes Presentation and taste amazing... I consider it overpriced little bit More

Good location. Nice views. Good choice of food and drinks. European and Asian menu. Nice service. Pricey enough.

Had a large group dinner here. Food was above average and service quite good. The real attraction is the view of Moscow from the river on a nice night. Great place for a larger group dinner. More

Hello, John We are really pleased by reading that you and your friends were satisfied by our service, client`s experience is the highest value for us. We will be happy to see you again, come and enjoy some new dishes from our chef and nice... More

The luxurious atmosphere of this place, the view and the location make it quite outstanding. We had dinner here with friends and the dishes were amazing, accompanied by a chilled bottle of Chablis, it really made me feel as if it was a part of... the classic Russian movie. More

RESTAURANT-YACHT CHAIKA, Moscow - Presnensky - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

• Service: 4.5
• Atmosphere: 4.5