I was a little nervous based on all the negative reviews but was pleasantly surprised with everything this ship had to offer. We did not encounter sewage smells or have horrible service. We also went the week of Easter and there were a lot of Americans and children on the ship. We ate gelato several times a day. Get the chocolate/hazelnut milkshake..mmm!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were Aurea experience and embarkation was very easy and took no time. We were through security and on the ship in under 20 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate all our dinners at the Seahorse dining room and were happy with the experience and food. I wouldn't say the food was amazing but was as good as I have had on other ships. The buffets we ate at for all lunches and dinners and we were happy with the variety and food choices. We found out on day 6 they offer soy milk, almond milk and lactose free milk. I wish we would have noticed this sooner and my two year old would have been a little happier.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We thought the pools were great. They were deep but they all had a large beach area (6-12 wading area) around them that was nice for just sitting or playing with the kids. The last day was the only day we had some difficulty finding a chair. We only needed to place stuff not to actually sit on. The water slides and aqua park were fun but some of the older kids are a bit rambunctious at the aqua park. My 5 year old loved kids club and would have rather been there than with us.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The DJs around the ship did a good job and we only made it to one show. We were to the one called Timeless. The singing and dancing were good even though we didn't understand the plot of the show.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
My 5 year old loved Kids Club and wanted to spend all his time there. He ate dinner with them one night, participated in face painting and parades. We tried to take our 2 year old but he only lasted 20 minutes. It's no fault of MSC just a clingy toddler. I liked the age 1-3 room had open hours that I could take my child in to just play with their toys. There was also a climbing area outside the kids area for little ones to slide and climb on. There was also free play in the afternoons in the older room and my 5 year old and I would go so he could play and build with all the Legos. He was in Lego heaven.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. I can't say anyone was amazing but everyone did their job and made us have an enjoyable experience.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship always seemed very clean even the bathrooms in common areas. The only complaint is that I could never find a trashcan. It was annoying to walk around with a gelato cup or banana peel.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The size for us seemed typical to other cruise cabins we have been on. Storage is always an issue. We had 4 in our room and 1 slept in a pack n play. I wish their was storage under the couch or that there was room to put a suitcase in the closet. More cubbies to place things around the desk area or in the bathroom would be helpful.
We did an excursion through MSC to Pearl Island. It was a private island that included the use of stand up paddle boards, kayaks and some water toys. The beach was quite small. Lunch was also provided. The water was blue and beautiful. This excursion was fine for beach time and was quick and easy to get to. We were here on Easter Sunday and the island arranged to have the Easter Bunny there and they did an Easter egg hunt for all the kids. Very unexpected but nice!
We the Vivo Beach excursion through MSC. We liked this one because they had a nice beach, large pool and a craft brewery all together. Everything was very clean even though they are in the middle of renovating. We enjoyed being able to have an IPA beer (none are included in the Aurea drink package). The kids enjoyed swimming in a non salt water pool (all on the ship are salt water). It was also near the airport and my kids enjoyed watching the planes take off.
We originally booked the See and Sea and it was canceled after we got on the ship. The only left that we were interested in was the Beach Break with Lunch. I would not do this excursion again. The traffic in St. Maarten is still being fixed from the hurricane and it took forever to get there and back. It took an hour to get there, spent 3 hours there and an hour and a half to get back. It was just too much time traveling to get to a beach. I would choose something else at this port.
We carried our bags off first thing in the morning. There was a line to get through border patrol but it moved pretty quickly. I did notice there was a line for Global Entry which I did not know was available at ports.
If you go with an open mind and remember that it is a vacation then you should have a great time. This review is a great one to read because they had a great time to show for it. If you go with a mind set to find problems then yes all you will find is disappointment and problems, but that is the grumpy closed minded traveler lol.
It just goes to show how everyone's views are different. Just read a very long bad review from another passenger who travelled on the same cruise as you.
We're going on Seaside on May 3rd back to back Caribbean cruise. We have been keeping a eye on all the reviews and they differ from really good to terrible. So we will be travelling with a open mind and plan to have a great time.
Thank you for the review.
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