MSC Seaview Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We had a small backdrop comparing to sailing Meraviglia a year ago. Beautifull ship, but not the "slow flow" neither "slow food" i would have expected from an Italian company. Howerer, we did choose this cruise to have maximum ports visits, and you cannot do more than 7 in 7 days!

We done this cruise round trip Barcelona 10th Aug 2019. European cruise lines are different to American cruise lines - service is different to suit different cultures. For us we felt lower level customer service, lower standard and variety of foods, lower onboard entertainment than we would have preferred. Hence we would not have MSC at top of our list to cruise again however we would not rule out another try if itinerary warranted it.

First off, when we arrived I checked the sheets/bed as I always do and found tons of hair in the sheets. The bed was made so I’m confused as to how there was hair in the sheets? Did they remake the bed but not change the sheets?? I called guest services to have the sheets changed. Room was not very clean. I dropped my chapstick on the floor on the side of the bed and when I picked it up, I also picked up hairs and other debris along with my chapstick. You could tell they don’t move things around then they clean and only clean the visible areas. Customer service was terrible. On the first day, our waiter didn’t even tell us his name or do the usual introduction. We didn’t encounter any friendly workers on this cruise. In our past experiences, the workers have been very friendly and outgoing and always willing to talk. At the very least, I expected them to be friendly. They say they accommodate for gluten free. I filled out the paperwork over a month before & even called them to confirm this. When I arrive they tell me that the buffet isn’t safe and I should only eat on the MDR. This being a European cruise with a daily stop, we had an excursion every day so when we came back, the dining room was closed for lunch. This left me with only the buffet which I was told wasn’t safe for me to eat. I had to starve until dinner time because of the high risk of cross contamination. I attempted to eat at the omelette station for breakfast one day before a tour and got terribly sick. The breakfast times didn’t always work out with tours either. On our LAST day I was told that there were gluten free lunchboxes that I could request to take on excisions. Why wasn’t I told about this on the first day!? All I was told repeatedly sad that the buffet wasn’t safe and to eat in the MDR, even though I repeatedly told them that I had tours and came back after the MDR was closed. They didn’t make an effort to make special meals for me or try to accommodate for me when I would come back from a long tour which was during a heat wave mind you, so I was starving! I purposely chose MSC because I read all about their gf options. I feel completely blindsided and lied to. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you cannot eat safely on a vacation! Furthermore, the excursions are not organized at all, you would think that they would be considering they do the same thing every week. None of them left on time and we had transportation issues with two of our buses. The ac broke down on two buses, both in 95 heat!! And I felt so terrible after the second time because we were driving and then waiting in the hot bus for I don’t even know how long. I was sick the entire night and then had to go to the emergency room in Rome the next day because I had severe heat exhaustion and required an IV and antibiotics for my high fever and heart rate. It’s clear that there isn’t required maintenance on these vehicles which is very unsafe, especially during the current heat wave in Europe! The tour guide was exceptionally rude and told us to shut our mouths and wait for another bus. Multiple people felt very sick and I’m sure I am not the only one who got severe heat exhaustion. Overall, it was a terrible experience. I deeply regret choosing MSC and would never cruise with them again.

This is where it went down hill when my son was injured because 1 of the waitresses dropped a beer bottle. A piece of glass injured my son's leg. He was bleeding. The staff did nothing to help my son. I had to bring my son to medic. Confronting the staff they were lost. I question MSC safety practices and even how they are trained . My son has a scar now and their customer service only defended themselves to say sorry ur son was hurt but we can't do anything. Please stay away.

Had a great time but lots of rude passengers and also staff. A few times they charged me for things and when you went to sort it out they would not apologise. Food is a little hit and miss and cleanliness could be better. I for one would not cruise again on MSC and find RC far superior

disappointed..we so wanted to cruise on a lovely new ship. loved pre MSC cruises we have done ,staff happy ,fellow passengers considerate.dining a event.

The cruise was the most relaxing one I have ever been on. The pampering we received in Yacht Club was first class

The MSC Seaview is a expensive ferry. Looking at the pro's - we found the food to be great and the variety was excellent at main dinner and buffets. The ship itself is also great with lots for families to do, but not too many quiet areas for those looking to chill. The shows were also the best I have seen to date. Our biggest cons were 1. Staff - ship appears to be understaffed resulting in a zombie like staff at all levels, of all the officers we passed not one looked up to greet. 2. Passengers - now this is a snap shot of what we had but rude is an understatement, would regularly walk into you without even a acknowledging you, at one point people overloaded a lift we were in to the point some little kid had to almost sit on our babies pram. 3. Language barrier - even though all announcements are in English first we found most of the staff had terrible English. I know many have mentioned the announcements but it really is tiring hearing in 7 different languages and the speakers need tuning down a bit. Lastly, the holiday is cheap because everything costs... wont be provide water on the table in the main dining room without it being a chargeable bottle...

My husband and I sailed on the MSC Seaview cruise in the Western Mediterranean from April 17 to 24, 2019. We have enjoyed dozens of cruises around the world on other cruise lines. This was our first time with MSC Cruises, and by far, it was the absolute worst cruise we have ever been on. First, upon walking into our ocean view cabin (#5171) on the first day of the cruise, we were assaulted by the stench of the foulest sewer smell imaginable. The smell was inescapable - it permeated every corner of the room, it was on every piece of furniture, on the bedding, in the carpet, on the towels, it was everywhere. We reported this problem to customer service right away, but we were told there was nothing they could do, the ship was fully booked. We had to live with this stench for the entire length of our cruise. The cabin had no windows or doors that could be opened to bring in fresh air. It became a serious health hazard for me. I developed migraines, I was severely nauseated, I vomited several times. My husband and I could not breathe at night and we could not sleep. Every day we reported this situation to customer service and each time we were told they could not do anything. On the fifth day on our seven-day cruise, a customer service supervisor used a chemical spray in the bathroom, which did nothing to get rid of the sewer stench. It only added a strong chemical smell on top of the awful sewer stench and it worsened my already poor health. Second, MSC Seaview was woefully understaffed. With over five thousand passengers, the ship only had two customer service counters and a maximum of six staffers handling customer service requests. This created unbelievably long queues at the customer service counters and a lot of frustration among the passengers. Third, we have never been on a ship that charged its passengers for drinking water during dinner or forced its passengers to buy bottled water. I understand charging customers for alcoholic drinks, but to treat drinking water like a luxury amenity on a cruise is beyond ridiculous. We have never encountered such a "nickel and dime" company such as MSC Cruises. Fourth, for a ship that bills itself as "one the most innovative cruise ships touring the world," we found the onboard dining experience exceptionally subpar. At every meal, the food seemed to be jumbled together with no thought to presentation or organization. We've had better dining experience at our local McDonald's. The bottom line is, our experience onboard the MSC Seaview was the absolute worst we've ever had on a cruise. We will never recommend MSC Cruises to anyone and we will never take another MSC cruise ever again!

Amazing ship!!!! Ideal for famílies. Ideal for kids! Fantástic Aqua park!!! Outstanding cabins!!! Food and service are great too!!! Modern and wonderful!!!

Our first MSC cruise and probably won’t be our last as it’s good value for money.

Totally enjoyed our cruise. Balcony room was wonderful. Staff was attentive and ship immaculate. The port excursions we took were well organized and ran smoothly. Food was good and buffet better than expected. This cruise runs differently than American run cruises where each port is a boarding for new guests and departure for guests who have been on for their total amount of days. Casino pools zip line jacuzzis live shows theme nights happy hours - meet the captain night photo sessions gelato some of the best Italian chocolates - shopping onboard. Download the app before you get there. There is a shuttle from the airports to the ship - ask your travel agent and arrange way before you leave. Tip for fellow Americans- learn some Italian before you go. Crew spoke English but most passengers did not. We met people from all around the globe on this ship.

We took this cruise because of the ship, since we've been to this itinerary two times before. The ship is amazing. Maybe a bit confusing placement of bars (we liked it on Meraviglia better, it just made more sense) but other than that she is perfect. Would recommend cruising with this ship for sure!

"We chose this cruise as the first cruise with our baby, as we enjoy cruising as a couple before, and we wanted a relaxed way of vacationing the first time as a family. We opted for a cruise to the Mediterranean Sea, as we have seen a few places already, so we wouldn't be sad, if we missed a place due to the baby's schedule. We picked MSC as children travel for free and the Seaview was the newest of their ships. We traveled with MSC before, were never superthrilled, but we thought we would give Seaview a shot. The ship itself was huge, housing more than 5000 passengers and 1500 staff with 13 decks. A lot of entertainment for kids and adults, however everything had to be paid extra (e.g. F1 simulator, bowling, 4D cinema, ice cream/chocolate shop, etc.). The elevators were always crowded, as were the buffet restaurants. It seemed like the people were eating after fasting for a week, eating while filling their plates at the same time and filling IKEA ziplog bags with food. The theatre was small for such a big ship, and you had to reserve a seat for a show. Every night was overbooked, and people were sitting on the stairs. Dining was mediocre. Although there were many food options, the same thing came over and over again in very similar ways. Prime rib was fatty, fish dry and overcooked. At breakfast everything you ordered came at once, leaving you with at least one cold and softened dish (e.g. omelet, pancakes, toast). At breakfast, you were always bombarded with waiters who wanted to ""get rid of"" their sweet or savory bread, juices or coffee, before you even sat down. We had to book an exterior cabin, as we travelled with our 9-month-old baby, and upgraded to a balcony cabin for an additional €160 (turned out 73% of all the cabins are balcony cabins). The cabin was just enough for us 3 with a queen bed, sofa(bed) and baby crib. We had to ask three times for a baby crib/bed, before housekeeping came and set it up, although I reserved it upfront with our travel agency. Embarkation in Barcelona went swiftly, but as soon as we stepped onboard, we were overwhelmed with staff that wanted to sell things. Pictures, drinks package, kids club, specialty restaurants, etc. and unfortunately that remained throughout the cruise. We were constantly asked whether we wanted a drinks package or ""special"" menu (e.g. lobster for a surcharge, while at NCL it is included). Waiters seemed disappointed when we wanted water only (not sure, if they get a commission when selling drinks). Service was okay-ish with a baby. A baby chair was brought quickly, however service could have been faster. You were not always greeted by staff when you saw them. It doesn't hurt to smile, guys! A woman slipped on the wet floor in front of us, not being able to get up again, and we asked them to get medical assistance, and they were hesitant about it claiming she is ok. In the US, they would have gotten sued already. Later, we saw that they put a wet floor sign. What we disliked was that people embarked/disembarked at every stop, which meant a lot of noise through the hallways of people putting their luggage out/staff removing the luggage, safety drills that were announced throughout the ship and people with trolleys in the elevators on a daily. The worst experience was that at night 3, in the middle of the night at frickin' 2am, construction started loudly in the area below us with hammering and drilling. It took more than an hour before it got checked out and we were moved to another room. This is not normal. Construction in the middle of the night. Our baby woke up, we woke up, we had to pack our stuff and move to another floor at 3am. Due to the unfortunate weather, we could hardly explore the outdoor areas. Our experience with MSC Seaview was unfortunately worse than expected. I don't think we will book again. "

This was my first cruise with MSC. Right after we booked the cruise I started reading some reviews about MSC and most of them were from previous NCL or Royal cruisers and they were negative. So I started panicking and even thought about canceling the cruise. I can happily say that I'm so glad that I didn't cancel it! The thing that's so great about MSC is there ships and prices. The cruise was super cheap even for the balcony that we had. As I said the ship was the best I've ever been on! It was shiny, but yet cozy and the infinity bridge + the bridge of sighs + the outdoor buffet were an incredible bonus to the ship! I really recommend going to the bridge of sighs to watch the sail aways or also at the sunset pool on deck 7! I never felt like I was on a ship on the Seaview. Literally! Plus almost anywhere you go you can see the ocean. The atrium is probably the best out there! We had a balcony cabin on deck 9 and it was huge, modern and always very clean. Also the balcony was very big! One thing that I did miss was the towel animals that they do on other cruise lines. The itinerary was also amazing! There's not much to do in Messina so I recommend going to mount Etna. Incredible place! I have to say though that the excursions were pretty expensive and most of them were just the transport. For example we paid $250 for 4 people to go to mount Etna. We got on a bus and after an hour and 30m ride we arrived. We were told that we only have 45 mins to look around and then we got back on the bus and drove straight back to the ship. So that was not much fun. So we basically paid $250 for a 3h bus ride. Anyways the drinks in the bars were pretty good, but not amazing. I have to recommend the chocolate and the coffee drinks in the Venchi bar. They were very nice. Although I have to say that the service was incredibly slow in most of the bars. Especially at Venchi! Guest services were very helpful! We had a ton of images taken all-over the ship, but we were very very disappointed at the quality of the photos. The photographers were just straight out mean, they don't talk and expect you to guess what they're trying to show you. All of our images were pretty much ruined by the effects that they do. We all looked out of focus and the background looked like it was a green screen. Which it was not. Also they were tilted about 10 degrees. We did end up buying every single photo in a digital format for $150. Alright so now let's talk about the food. It was not good. The food in main dining room was of good quality, but every day it was pretty much similar and the food was mediterranean. At the buffet I have to say that the food was not good at all. Everyday it was the same and they have a huge buffet, but so little options. Breakfast at the buffet was very bad. Just undercooked bacon and sausages. I recommend going to the main dining room for breakfast and lunch, because as you probably guessed, the lunch at the buffet wasn't good as well. Just some cold hot dogs and burgers. Also at the main dining room the tables are so close to another that you couldn't hear what the people on your table are talking. Also it was super busy and the staff felt like they were in a hurry. The dinner is about 1h then the lights get super bright so they're pretty much telling you to leave. We played a lot of table tennis and foosball which was free and that was cool, but almost everything else is paid and it's expensive. The bowling was $30 for 30 minutes! No thanks! Also they make you sign a waver just to go on the slides and you have to wear a bracelet to prove that signed it and you can't rake it off, because you won't be able to put it back on. The slides were cool, but I only recommend the two fast ones. There was also on big long one that you had to have a board to ride and it was also lime a guitar hero game with flashing lights and on the board you have to press the color that is flashing. That slide is soo slow and there's also always a huge line for it. But the slides are free. There's also a zipline that costs 9 euro per ride, but it was closed during the entire cruise, which was unfortunate. They do kinda nickle and dime you for most things. So you pay less for the cruise than other cruise lines, but everything is expensive on board. Also everyone in the cabin has to buy the drink package, which makes it absurdly expensive! But other than the food and the nickle and diming and the ridiculous prices for most things, the cruise was very good! And that's mainly because of the ship! I don't know how people go on MSC's older ships. If they only fix there cuisine it might turn into my favorite cruise line! I would definitely like to sail again on there newer ships, especially if the prices are good!

Although the ship was lovely storage in the cabins is very limited. Food both in the buffet and restaurants was very limited for vegetarians almost no choice at all. Entertainment was dreadful half hour show which was actually probably only about twenty by the time the cruise director finished introducing it. Our cabin was always clean but never saw anyone cleaning other parts of the ships such as the stairs. Hand sanitizers were provided but rarely saw other passengers using them or any staff enforcing it. My wife felt unwell on the Saturday and has been unwell since due to a bug she has caught on the ship. Wouldn’t travel with them again

Wow! Ich bin einfach nur begeistert! Wir buchten die Route von Genua über Neapel, Messina, Valetta, Barcelona und Marseille. Am Schiff war alles perfekt bis auf die Aufzüge! Zu bestimmten Zeit wie z.B. am Morgen zur Frühstückszeit wartet man recht lange auf einen Lift und wenn er dann endlich da ist ist er sehr voll. Aber ansonsten kann ich das Schiff nur empfehlen! Alles sehr sauber und gepflegt. Auch war unser Zimmer 14151 sehr ruhig. Das Essen hat gute Qualität und es ist für jeden das Richtige dabei. Wir würden sofort wieder auf die Seaview gehen.

Food in restaurant was excellent.Food in buffet was rarely warm enough.Bell service in buffet was not good for a drink.It was a beautiful ship but we expected more from the evening entertainment.

The Seaview is a large ship really nice. It lacked entertainment at night. Only went to one show which was poor. But overall very enjoyable cruise

My family and the friends who traveled with us were all disturbed by the lack of customer service compared to the money that we paid for this trip. I would not ever sail on MSC again, and I would recommend to anyone considering it to book with another cruise line. We are not demanding or ignorant travelers. I have been to over 40 countries on 6 of 7 continents. I don't need things to be "American". I just expected to be treated well as a customer. Having spent quite a bit of time in Italy, I had hoped that this "Italian" cruise line would be as wonderful and hospitable as the Italian people, and it is actually an embarrassment to the wonderful hospitality of such an amazing country to be affiliated with this cruise line.