MSC Seashore Cabins
MSC Seashore has 2,270 cabins across the spectrum, with 11 stateroom and suite categories available. The decor is modern and contemporary, and in a sense, a sanctuary from the bling and glitz outside in the ship's public areas. While there are no solo cabins, MSC Seashore has plenty of cabins for families and multi-generations traveling together; almost 70 percent of the rooms will hold four people.
MSC Seashore Experiences and How That Factors Into Room Price/Fare Structure
MSC offers passengers three tiers of inclusions (or "experiences"), each with its own perks and price when you buy your cabin. Here is the breakdown of what you get with each.
Bella Experience: This is the most basic package for guaranteed cabins only, meaning that you buy a category and not a particular room; you take what the line gives you. It comes with standard inclusions only.
Fantastica Experience: This tier is only available for passengers booking a Balcony, Ocean View or Interior cabin. Perks include the opportunity to choose the cabin and its location, free in-room breakfast, discounted beverage package rates and specialty restaurant meals, and 24-hour room service (with a set delivery fee).
Aurea Experience: Available for Suite passengers only, this tier adds a few extras to Fantastica, including welcome wine and sweets, free 24-hour room service, MyChoice dining options, free access to the Aureau-only sundeck and the adult-only Thermal Suite, in-room robes and slippers, pillow menus, and priority boarding.
What to Expect in Rooms on MSC Seashore
Cabins on MSC Seashore have a smart layout, making it easy for more than one passenger to move around the room comfortably. For the most part, there's not much difference between the ship's lower-category rooms outside of interior configurations. In-room sofas easily convert into extra beds, wireless charging pads are built into the vanity/desk and the rooms are quieter than expected.
Cruise cabins are generally smaller than hotel rooms, and that's true on MSC Seashore as well. Interior cabins start at 150 square feet, and ocean view cabins begin at 182 square feet (American hotel rooms are 330 square feet on average; MSC Seashore cabins are more on par with European hotel rooms which are 172 square feet). All cabins offer a queen-sized bed that can convert into two twin beds; a vanity table; a hairdryer; an interactive TV and internal telephone; a safe and a mini bar. The smallest interior cabins have two chairs; once you get into the oceanview cabins, the rooms have a sofa that can convert into a bed. USB outlets are by one side of the bed, a pain for both people to share.
Suites and Balcony Cabins on MSC Seashore
With its focus on outdoor space, you don't need to have a balcony or suite on MSC Seashore -- but it sure makes your cruise better. The balconies on the ship are larger than you'll find on other Seaside-class vessels, a decision made purposely by the line.
As noted above, booking and choosing your balcony cabin on the ship means that you're in Fantastica class which comes with perks beyond your room. Deluxe balcony cabins are the same size as regular balcony rooms -- between 172 to 183 square feet -- but what makes them better is their position on the ship on decks 9 to 15.
Aurea balcony cabins start at 183 square feet and are not only on the upper decks, they are situated in better locations on the decks. They also come with the perks of Aurea class, which includes Solarium access.
A wide variety of suites fall under the Aurea umbrella, from Junior Suites that are pretty much the same size as a balcony with the addition of a wardrobe, to full splash two-bedroom Grand Suites that come in at 527 square feet. The latter also has two bathrooms, one with a bathtub and one with a shower, as well as a walk-in closet, a separate sitting area, and a 183-square-foot balcony. It can fit up to six people, making this a nice choice for a larger family.
Rooms and Suites Within the MSC Yacht Club on MSC Seashore
The Yacht Club on MSC Seashore is the largest in the fleet and it's truly a special experience loaded with perks, to the point where we'd rather take an interior cabin here than a balcony "outside" on the rest of the ship.
Why? The personalized service offered by your butler, as well as the separate restaurant, lounge, pool and sundeck area at the front of the ship, is simply superb and goes beyond the simple real estate of the room. You'll feel like you're on a much more luxurious ship, simply because all the annoying things of a cruise -- embarkation, debarkation, juggling restaurant, spa, show reservations and shore excursions -- are handled for you, either by your butler or the 24-hour concierge. Just remember that you're paying for it; the starting price point for an interior Yacht Club cabin could buy you two cruises in a regular balcony cabin.
Yacht Club interior rooms are larger than what you find on the rest of the ship, starting at 226 square feet. The color palette is more sophisticated, keeping in tune with the general Yacht Club vibe. There are no oceanview rooms in the Yacht Club; from interior, the room category jumps to Deluxe Suite, which has an 86-square-foot balcony.
High rollers should book early for the Yacht Club's premium Royal and Owners Suites, which usually sell out. These are monster rooms, coming in at 667 and 1,054 square feet, respectively. Choose the top level Owners Suite if you want a stunning view -- the bedroom has slanted windows that look out over the front of the ship, giving you the same ocean view as the captain. Both suites have private whirlpools on the balcony.
While you'll be treated like the king of the world if you book either of these suites, the best special perk of these rooms, in our opinion, is the reserved double daybed at the Yacht Club pool that stewards will set aside for you for your entire cruise.
Cabin Bathrooms on MSC Seashore
Your bathroom on MSC Seashore may feel a bit tight, particularly if you're comparing it to a hotel room. But the ship has modern glass-enclosed showers throughout the cabin categories, and there's a foot rest for shaving. A few cabins in all categories except interiors have bathtubs, handy for families with small kids or for adults who like a bit of calm at the end of the day.
As you get into the suites, the bathrooms do get bigger, although we were surprised that even the best rooms on the ship didn't have double sinks. On the other hand, you could fit multiple people into the Royal Suite's huge shower, which also had multiple jets. The toiletries are MSC's own brand.
Cabins to Avoid on MSC Seashore
If you like to luxuriate in your robe on MSC Seashore, check your balcony carefully. The ship is tiered so if you're on a lower deck, there's a good chance that the people above you can see down onto your balcony. The lower deck balcony rooms are also closer to the outdoor public spaces and so might get more noise.
The balcony cabins at the back of the ship, in the "condo" tower, look over the adults-only Infinity pool; these all fall into the Aurea premium category. If you're on a lower deck in one of these rooms, you can definitely hear noise from the pool during the day (on the other hand, you have stellar people watching). Higher decks won't have these issues and you'll have a better view of the ocean.
MSC Seashore has thoughtfully placed its latest operating nightclub venue, Cabaret Rouge, under the infinity pool instead of near cabins, meaning that you are less likely to get late night noise. Still, check to make sure that your cabin isn't directly below the buffet or upper pool decks, as you can get noise when stewards move furniture in the mornings.
Cruise Critic's Room Picks on MSC Seashore
On a Budget: The interior cabins will suit two people who spend their time elsewhere on the ship just fine. While some interior cabins have bunkbeds or pullmans for a third or fourth passenger, we don't recommend this, however.
For Families: Get adjoining balcony cabins that link up with each other via connecting doors. There are even three cabins that can connect all together to hold a family of 10.
Splash: Go for an Aurea suite, with a private whirlpool on your balcony and privileges in the Solarium set aside for this level.
Splurge: Definitely book within the Yacht Club. Even an interior cabin in the Yacht Club complex gives you a world of perks that will make you feel like you're on a much more premium ship.