MSC Seaside Review

Good Times on MSC Seaside

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on MSC Seaside
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MelMcGhie
10+ Cruises • Age 40s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
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Entertainment
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Additional details

Sail Date: Jul 2019
Cabin: Bella Balcony Stateroom

This was our first MSC cruise and we were certainly impressed with the beauty of this magnificent ship. Let's start at the beginning. The check-in process on embarkation day, though smooth, could have been quicker if there were more agents available. All went well but we were surprised to find out they didn't link your credit card to your cruise card at that point. Not a big deal, just a bit different. Anyway, we posed for the obligatory "boarding" photo then onto the ship we went. Wow! Was it ever beautiful. One of the prettiest we've seen. Since we checked in a little later in the afternoon we had to proceed directly to our muster station. I was expecting it to be a bit longer but thankfully it wasn't. We then went to our cabin. It was a nicely appointed Bella Balcony. Perfect size for us 2 and a nice balcony. as we were unpacking we noticed the safe was pretty small. Would've been nice to have one a bit bigger, especially since there was enough space on the shelf (width and height) to accommodate it. Not a big deal, just noticeable. We liked having sufficient space under the bed to store our luggage. 1 carry-on, 1 medium suitcase, and 1 suit bag. The closet was sufficient, although we did find that it was a bit of a challenge to get to the clothes hanging closer to the shelving. Again, not a big deal, just noticeable. The bed, though big enough, was very, very, uncomfortable. The mattress was hard. Not just a firm mattress, but a very tough one. The pillows were also very uncomfortable. After 2 nights of trying to deal with it my back and neck began to hurt. I asked our cabin attendant if anything could be done about the mattress and she put 2 additional comforters under the fitted sheet. This helped a bit but sleeping comfortably for the rest of the week was challenging. Daily activities and meals on board were very good and enjoyable. Some meals were really good, others just ok. The service in the specialty restaurants and main dining room was always courteous and kind. Some evenings service was kinda slow but overall pretty good. I took some time each day to check out the various areas of the ship and was impressed with all of it. But I did notice some areas were mostly closed, with nothing happening. For example, the Champagne Bar was mostly closed. The Sports Bar, very nicely appointed, was also mostly closed. The gelato bar by the pool was also mostly closed. I also noticed that the outdoor pool areas didn't have any umbrellas or shading from the sun. It would be nice to be able to lay out without full on sun exposure the entire time. I did meet people who said they were hoping for some overcast days so they could relax poolside. Now, the shows, wow! They had some fantastic productions in the theatre. No expense was spared on those costumes and backdrops. Very impressive. My favorite production was Peter Punk! We enjoyed every moment from start to finish. The Michael Jackson show was very good as was Fly. The Wizard was nice and Beerprov (the adult version) was very meh. I guess it may have had a bit to do with the audience members they bought on stage. Overall, this cruise was lovely and I would be happy to do it again, if I was assured the bed and pillows would be much better. Oh, how could I finish without mentioning Captain Marco Massa. What a lovely guy. So personable and steered us through the ocean perfectly.

Cabin Review

Bella Balcony Stateroom

Cabin B1

Nice size. Decent storage. Very uncomfortable bed and pillows. Lovely cabin attendant.

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