Overall I wouldn't recommend this ship. Personally I think, that because they're a Euopean cruise line and this ship isn't in the US full time, they don't cater to the US market well. A bunch of little things add up, and additionally the guests are rude and you'll find it's not the Americans. You don't get an all inclusive feeling so be prepared to have a big bill at the end. Also if you afford it pay for a yacht club room, the rest of the space is too crowded.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Wasn't terrible but could be more efficient
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Main- bland, not great
Specialty- good but overpriced for the quality
Buffets- not great. Traditional things like pizza and icecream were not good, unavailable, or you had to pay.
If you've cruised other lines, dont expect the lobster and steak dinners unless you want to pay.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
The idea of activities like water slides and bball courts are nice fit the marketing material, but 5000+ people on the ship make it inaccessible. Pools are small and if you don't for the VIP then you only get 2/3 of the space. Put the 5000 people who don't pay in the less space available and it get really crowded.
Gym is way too small for anyone who likes to work out.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Seen better on other cruise lines, almost high school quality.
Children's Programs
2 out of 5
Did not participate because it was inconvenient times. We had 2 kids who were barely in different age groups and the times didn't cross over, and they don't let them mingle.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Room steward was awesome, bartenders were great, restaurant staff were terrible. Buffet staff were very attentive.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
Cleanliness was great, design was not great. We're pretty fit, but the elevators are super slow or always full so we climbed the stairs a lot and since the public areas are on decks 6-18 you definitely burn off the buffet calories.
I disliked that so much space was given to the VIP guest, it really crowded what was left over. When you look at pictures the whole front of the ship is dedicated to them.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Comfort-pretty good for a ship
Size- ok except the shower was even too small for my 14 year old son.
Cleanliness- really good.
Ship tip
Be patient. Expect lines. There's 5000+ people getting on and off the ship at ports. Expect the process to take an hour which does stress you out when you're only at the ports for 6 hours. Consider paying for the VIP rooms, they get the priority lines.
Get ready to feel ripped off, and 3 ships arrive at the same time, it's a mad house.
Tip- if you take a taxi to the beach they will take you to Atlantis and imply it's the only beach and you have to pay $50 per person. The free public beach is a quarter mile walk away, but you have to ask.
We optioned for the "express" option which means you walk your bags off. We were told its quick and not everyone does it, that's not accurate. Once you're off the ship the facial recognition system is very efficient.
Actually, it’s not 3 decks. Only 2 as Europeans feel the same way about the #17 as Americans do the #13. It is designed to accommodate 160 people +/- a few. The problem with MSC cruises for most non Euros is that they have 4 experiences ranging from $499-$4,000 per person. Most cruise lines offer 2 or 3 tops. I have found that a lot of people select the most basic entry level price and expect something else.
Also ive sailed yacht club. What extra space. Its only 3 decks. 16 , 18 are cabins with the Yacht Club lounge and dining room. Deck 19 is the pool and yacht club buffet and grille. Please not these areas are only in the front part of the ship . its not a large area at all. Its just private area that you are able to relax. And do the math there is only around 65 yacht club cabins compared to the rest on the ship
According to your profile this is your only cruise so what other cruise ships are you comparing the Seaside to. I sailed the Seaside also and find your comments opinionated and not true .
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