It was just ok. The thing that made it awesome was the excursions. Not sure if I would book MSC again.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
It was easy to get on the ship. Go early to really get a lay of the boat and enjoy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The buffet was incredibly repetitive and the food was often lukewarm. The food in the main dining room was better, but the offerings were lacking for people who don't eat seafood. The specialty restaurants were the best option, but sad that we had to pay extra to get a decent meal on the ship. One important note: there is no free ice cream on the ship. Every cruise I have ever taken has had a soft serve machine where the kids can get a cone any time of the day. Not here! You could only get ice cream as a dessert in the main dining room, otherwise you had to pay for it at the gelato stand.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The adult pools are odd - just big rectangles with a bottom too deep to touch. Good news is that we were always able to find a deck chair - they had plenty of seating. We did do the slides and the zip line which were fun.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The performers were good, but the director must have been doing LSD when he/she designed the shows. They did not hang together with any kind of cohesive theme (even the cruise director commented on it every night).
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
My teen daughter absolutely loved the teen club - she went every night, and they seemed to have a ton of things for her to do. My 17 year old son didn't find much to his liking - he was too young for the 18 & older sports tournaments (not sure why they put this age restriction on it), and too old for the teen activities...but then again he is a moody teenager, so...
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Everyone was fairly friendly, but no one stood out as exceptional.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We liked the layout and it was well maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Liked the real shower DOORS in the bathroom, and the balcony size is nice. The closet/drawer space is pretty lacking.
Loved Dunns River Falls. Didn't book an excursion, just got a taxi at port and went there by ourselves. Go early and you'll have the place to yourselves.
I was on the Seaside in 2018, and the Soft Served Ice Cream was at the very back of the buffet. I don't recall which deck it was, but you could get in a cone or bowl! Vanilla Chocolate or twist, you choice! The only drawback was it was only available while the buffet was open!
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