Not as nice as the Divina.

Item: MSC Seaside
Rating: 2.8
Author: mmckee77524031

MSC Seaside Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

mmckee77524031

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 26

Overall rating:

2.8 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Bahamas (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 02, 2019

Ship: MSC Seaside

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 9110

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Shows were amazing, but the activities could have been planned better. Bar service was awful - maybe because we had an all-inclusive package and they weren't getting their 'tips' ? Would not book on the Seaside again. Comparing this to other ships, it was disappointing. For the seasoned cruiser, we have high expectations, and this one just fell short.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Good, we had express embarkation, so everything went smoothly.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

The main dining was okay. Service was excellent, but the food was mediocre. Same in the buffet. Got charged for my 'complimentary' meal in the specialty seafood restaurant - VERY disappointed in the way that was handled.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Sad there was a charge for the zipline, as is free on other ships. Dance instruction and trivia daily was a lot of fun. Otherwise, it was difficult to find interesting things to do that interested us.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Excellent. Very talented performers all around.

Children's Programs

Was not travelling with children.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Wait staff in dining room and cabin steward were all amazing. They went out of their way to make sure we got everything we asked for.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

A lot of wasted space in the design of the ship. The dancing areas could have been utilized better had there been more space. Common areas were well-maintained.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Size of the cabin was fine, but there was so little space for storage. We were only a party of two and had a hard time finding spots for our clothing. Again, a lot of wasted space when a dresser or a bigger closet could have been placed in the cabin.

Ship tip

Look carefully at the itinerary before you book - we spent three out of our four ports with minimal time to spend ashore. Fortunately, we had been to these islands in the past, but if I was a first-timer, I wouldn't have been able to do most of the excursions.

Thumbs up