Nice ship, forgettable service

Item: MSC Seaside
Rating: 3.3
Author: ldcornejo

MSC Seaside Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas

ldcornejo

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 9

Overall rating:

3.3 out of 5

Verified Review

4 Night Bahamas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 02, 2023

Ship: MSC Seaside

Cabin number: 9126

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 10 months ago

Review summary

Needs to improve. You need more servers and workers. The don't look happy.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Quick and simple.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Buffets were plentiful, varied, and of good tasting. Restaurant, NOT GOOD. Though the range of choices and presentation were good, the service was not. The food always arrived warn or cold when it should have been hot or reasonably hot, such as a stake, fish or chicken. Vegetables were undercooked. The servers did not offer to remedy the issue. Food was wasted. Took a VERY LONG TIME for food to be served, or a drink to be brought in (over an hour for a glass of wine?). The worst? Earlier in the day we brought a cake for my mother's 90th birthday. No only onlthat night was the food and drink very late, they sent the cake to the WRONG TABLE, and then they started their full crew song and dance for the night (requesting gratuities for their lackluster service, no doubt), and then while the people were leaving they finally got to our table to deliver another cake, singing "happy birthday". Really, I can understand the lack of quality of service because I see these servers were overworked as the restaurant needs more people. But I can't forgive such a major screw up on the last day of the cruise. There were other tables around us who got served faster, and whose birthday people foe their cake too. The supervisor apologized and gave us a bottle of champagne, which was small consolation while the restaurant was being cleaned up and prepared for the next dinner group to be served.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Not too many interesting things to do on the ship. I ascribe it to the short length of the cruise. It wasn't boring, but there really wasn't a whole lot to do except for shopping, eating, and getting drunk.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

The one show we saw about Michael Jackson was entertaining, and the performers did a very good job at it. The guitarists playing at night were also very good. I didn't attend every show but what little I saw was very good. You won't be disappointed.

Service and Staff

1 out of 5

Seems to me like these people are overworked and underpaid, and this is why they seem to hate you all the time, behind their forced smiles. Mostly from Indonesia, not the Philippines. Frankly, I can't blame them.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Looks like a relatively new ship, and it was well run and maintained. No complaint here.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

It was comfortable, spacious and clean. The crew did a good job at maintenance.

Ship tip

Read the reviews. My daughter sailed on another MSC ship (longer cruise) and she can't stop saying good things about it. On this one (Seaside), they have to improve the service, particularly in the restaurant. You can't serve hot dishes lukewarm, or overload these workers. The need more servers to handle the number of passengers waiting for their meals.

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