Cheapest base prices but some health/allergic sensitivity problems
MSC Seaside Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 22
4 Night Bahamas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: April 23, 2023
Ship: MSC Seaside
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
MSC is probably the cheapest cruise line circa year 2023 for about $618 in base fare + $256 Goverment Taxes and Fees + $158 service fee =>totalling about $1000 CAD for 2 people,or about $500 CAD per person: for a 4 day cruise. All other cruise line I found have higher prices online, so MSC has the cheapest price. But MSC have many extra charges per items: Internet price is at least $30 USD per day per device (just use your own phone's hotspot for workaround sharing), so the pre-order packagage for around $50+ USD is better deal. Each lost beach towel is also charged $30 USD. In cabin fridge Minibar is charged $3 ~ $10 per item. It was great they gave us free room upgrade from interior cabin to a balcony cabin, maybe because we booked about 2 months earlier and paid in full earlier. I had itchy slightly-swoleen skin (sunburn) after using the salty jungle pool, and also had bloating-digestion-gas with diarrhea health issues flaring up the last 2 days of the cruise, so I was mostly stuck in my cabin with limited food intake in the latter days. Maybe it's just my own heatlh sensitvity issues, most other cruisers seems fine. AlthoughI spoken with one other older gentlemen who also had irrated bowel syndrome, and he highlighted to me about the lukewarm eggs / food items at the breakfast buffet (maybe the food not cooked hot enough to kill the bacterias?). All over-counter drugs sold at 4th deck are all Italian drugs that I am not familar with. I paid $15 USD for the Entrogermina medicine, it does help stop my frequent diarrhea and water absorpting for at least few hours at a time.Embarkation
Extremely long lineup of 1~2 hours with thousands in queue Port Carneval into the cruise ship, plus secuirty checks barrier and cruise card issuing.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Large amount of food selection of food at buffet table, like bugers, pizza, salad., bread, cereal, rice, pasta, curry ...etc. But only 1 choice of soup provided every time at free buffet.
Mixed-juice machine have lmited flows at times, often lineups even for the drinks even just for ice or water. Hot water, coffee, tea, and cold milk also widely availabe at buffet for free. Soda pop and alchohols cost extra.
Some meat items seems lukewarm at the buffet table trays, like breakfast sausage / eggs or burger meat. So make sure to bring some of your own familar anti-diarrhea digestion medicine. At least the pizza is made fresh!
Onboard Activities
3 waterslides and 2 pools some tightropes at upper decks, along with basketball court. Have to pay extra to use zipline. Seem to have long lineuip to sign waivers just to use the waterslides.
There is a fitness gym and spa near each other at deck 8, I enjoyed the pretty outdoor scenery displayed on the LED monitor at the high-tech fitness bike.
The "Jungle" swimming pool seems very salty. I got itchy & slightly swollen skins after using this pool, and then walking several hours in hot Nassau Bahamas. Maybe it's my own fault for not being use to hot/humid climates, and I only used towel to dry myself afterwards. Maybe I should instead have taken longer showers with lots of soap right after the swimming pool.
Entertainment
Great enjoyable shows and night parties with lots of musics singing mostly popular familiar songs to Americans. The nightly shows are mostly creative parodies of other popular performances like "Peter-Pan"/"Michael Jackson"/"Rock n'roll", but moore infused with acrobatic shows. They are still very entertaining and enjoyable to watch.
Children's Programs
My family did not bring children to this cruise.
Service and Staff
Mostly friendly and understanding staff, although some cleaners and buffet staff speak heavily with accents (not perfect english). This is the "budget" cruise line in year 2023 afterall, lots of foreign cheaper workers is expected.
Ship Quality
Fancy common shopping/lobby area designs with glass-looking stairs cases loaded with lots of electronic / LED screens.
Cabin / Stateroom
Great and friendly housekeeping staff, policy seem to dicatate them to clean your cabins twice a day. Cabin has good amount of closet and desk space storage and ample lighting, includes mini-fridge bar and hair dryers , but no microwave nor water heater. Balcon cabin includes sofa. Very nice view from balcony..
Liquid soap installed at showers seems to be heavily loaded with fragrance & chemicals. From my personal guess.: the recycled water in the washroom is a bit oily and might cause itchness problem for city dwellers too used chlorine-purified tap waters for cleaning.
Ship tip
Bring your own anti-dirreah medicine if you have digestion issues, and non-frgance soap if you have skin oil/chemical sensitivity.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
Port Carneval is heavily fenced and gated off at the car & bus parking lots near the ships ports, cannot walk up close to any beaches for river/bridges rom the parking lot, so not much to do at the port itself but some gated sight seeing..
Great beach scenery at Bahamas, lively straw markets and upscale stores near the port. I walked up to saw the Queen's long stairs and Fort Fincastle. Just not much to see in the ghettho / back streets, and watch out for sunburn with high heat and humidity even in April while walking far out the port.
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas
MSC's own private island, pretty natural beach tropucal sceneries and walkpaths loaded with those green-round-plastic music speakers along the walkpaths. Family memeber and others saw a small shark while swimming near a beach, it quifckly swam away after, no harm done.
Disembarkation
Extremely long lineup of 1~2 hours with thousands in queue with seemingly vast majority of people using the earliest express disembark period (carry your own luggage) to get off the ships into Port Carneval , wrapping several laps around the ship at the 6th floor. At least the security in the port was pretty fast, just scan your passport picture and no bag searching.
Traveler Photos
