MSC Seaside Cabins

Cabins on Seaside are comfortable and spacious with adequate storage for two people's clothes, toiletries and suitcases. Staterooms are chic and modern, and 73 percent have either a porthole or a balcony. All are nonsmoking, including on the balcony.

We love the ship's aft-facing Miami-inspired condo cabins, which overlook the wake; interconnecting staterooms that allow families and groups to stay closer; and the ultraexclusive luxury of the cabins in the Yacht Club. We don't love that rooms are far from soundproof, particularly those with connecting doors.

All cabins have two twin beds that convert to a queen, flanked by bedside light/reading lamp combos and small nightstands with just enough space to store a couple pairs of pajamas. Each room also has a couch; individual climate control; a hair dryer; desk/vanity area with a chair that doubles as a coffee table; an ice bucket with a bottle opener and drinking glasses; and a mini-bar stocked with for-fee water, soft drinks, juice, beer and snacks.

A flat-screen Samsung TV features the interactive MSC for Me system, for-fee on-demand movies and a selection of news channels, as well as channels with cruise information.

Closets have sliding doors. Although there's ample space inside, we found one-half difficult to access due to its proximity to the bed. Closets also contain code-operated safes.

Bathrooms in standard cabins are shower-only with glass doors. Shelf space is ample, as is under-sink storage, but there's little room on the counter. In some accommodations, there's considerably little leg room for anyone sitting on the toilet. Additionally, bare minimum toiletries -- shampoo and shower gel only -- are offered in anything below a suite.

Cabin lights must be turned on with a keycard. Outlets include at least one USB near the beds and both American and European outlets. Buttons near the door tell your room steward if you'd like your room made up or if you'd rather not be disturbed.

MSC's cabins are attached to bookable "experiences," such as Bella, Fantastica, Wellness, Aurea and MSC Yacht Club. Each of these experiences offers a list of amenities and multiple cabin types.

All suites have bathtubs, bathrobes and balconies, unless otherwise noted. They all include MSC-branded shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and shower gel.

Interior: Seaside has 411 inside cabins across the Bella, Fantastica, Wellness and MSC Yacht Club categories, ranging from 150 to 301 square feet. Instead of a sofa, these rooms have a chair.

Oceanview: Spanning the Bella, Fantastica and Wellness experiences, the ship's 80 outside cabins are each 183 square feet.

Balcony: A total of 1,312 non-suite balcony cabins range in size between 172 and 269 square feet (not including balconies) and are available in the Bella, Fantastica, Wellness and Aurea experiences. They each have a 54-square-foot balcony with two upright chairs and a small drinks table. Some cabins in this category also have showers with bathtubs.

Basic Suite: There are 88 of these between the Fantastica and Aurea categories. They range from 183 to 301 square feet with 97-square-foot balconies that have two loungers and a drinks table.

Grand and Wellness Grand Suites: Fourteen of these are available with Wellness and Aurea experiences only. They range from 344 to 527 square feet with up to 226-square-foot balconies that hold several upright chairs and a couple of drinks tables. Each also offers an indoor dining table with chairs, a sofa and small glass table, two bedrooms (sleeping up to four), two bathrooms and a walk-in closet.

Whirlpool Suites: Suites with private on-balcony whirlpools are 301 square feet apiece, and there are 28 of them (Aurea bookings only). In addition to large balconies (75 square feet) with upright seating and a small drinks table, they also include a sitting area with sofa, a small glass table and a walk-in closet.

MSC Yacht Club Suites: In the MSC Yacht Club, all cabins are suites outfitted with Nespresso machines and large-screen TVs. The 12 interior suites, at 226 square feet, have no windows or balconies, a chair but no table and are shower-only, but they're larger than some cabins that do have balconies. Deluxe Suites (269 square feet) feature sofas with a chair and a small table. Balconies in these 72 cabins measure 86 square feet and feature upright chairs and a drinks table. Bathrooms have increased counter space and shaving/makeup mirrors, as well as larger showers (shower-only).

Royal Suites: The largest staterooms onboard, the ship's two Royal Suites are more like small apartments. At 667 square feet, there's enough room for a separate bedroom, a bathroom with a tub and shower, two sofas and two plush chairs with a small table in the living room, a large balcony (355 square feet) with a private hot tub, two loungers, a drinks table and two upright chairs. There's also a walk-in closet area and a bar setup.