We flew down from NY to give MSC a try. I've cruised multiple times on NCL, once on Royal Caribbean, and spent 3 months on. Semester a Sea, years ago. The Seaside itself is a nice, modern ship. All of the facilities are in good repair and are quite attractive. The reality for this ship at present is that the Seaside is very understaffed. 15-30 waits at every bar. The late dinner seating had a line to get into the dining room that took 35 minutes. The room stewards were great, and most other staff were friendly. Some of the staff was clearly burnt out, as they're working themselves ragged to make it happen. Entertainment on the ship wasn't great and there wasn't much variety. Long story short, if you are looking for a quick getaway and you're able to let little things go without being bothered, it's not a bad experienced. However, for an avid cruiser with higher expectations, this one may not be for you. Not yet, at least.