Mediocre

Item: MSC Seaside
Rating: 3.5
Author: jj927

MSC Seaside Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

jj927

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 12

Overall rating:

3.5 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Bahamas (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 28, 2019

Ship: MSC Seaside

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 10079

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

MSC is a different style of cruising than most American lines. Not bad, just different. However, the Seaside, which was designed for the North American cruiser missed the mark and doesn't have the glitz and glamour other MSC ships have.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Our room was changed without explanation. Delayed checkin by about 15 minutes

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Very bland. Desserts weren't sweet. Some savory dishes were excellent, but most things needed seasoning

Venchi Cioccogelateria & Coffee Bar

4 out of 5

Great snacks and coffee drinks. Could use more baristas

Bistrot La Bohème

1 out of 5

They have a lot to offer. Unfortunately we only saw it open once all week

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Pools are over 6ft deep - not good for relaxing. Pools open late, but chairs are stacked and towel desk closes by 5pm. Not as activity-filled as other cruises

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Performers on main stage are good, but not much variety.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Some cruise line employees go out of their way to be super friendly. I didn't see that on MSC

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Interesting layout. Open decks low and high.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Huge room, small desk

Ship tip

It's a different style of cruising than Carnival, RC, or NCL. It's not bad, just different.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

3 out of 5

Only visited port for boarding and leaving

Thumbs Up 0

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5 out of 5

We love San Juan. But visiting 5pm-midnight makes it tough to see the sights.

Thumbs Up 0

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

3 out of 5

No excursions taken. Island has beautiful scenery

Thumbs Up 0

Nassau, Bahamas

3 out of 5

Did not get off ship

Thumbs Up 0

OCEAN CAY MSC MARINE RESERVE, BAHAMAS

5 out of 5

Still under construction 1/3/20 but very nice. Lighthouse show was amazing!! Buffet setup was not - ugh.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

1 out of 5

We were told to wait in theater for our group to be called. They made no announcements in the theater. We sat there with 300 angry people not knowing WTF was going on.