Cruise review on MSC Seaside, the experience is neither good nor great
This cruise aboard MSC Seaside was not on the agenda, initially we had the idea of a mega family vacation [...]
This cruise aboard MSC Seaside was not on the agenda., we initially had the idea of a mega family vacation to the Caribbean in early 2021 aboard what I consider to be the most beautiful cruise ship in the world for families with children: the Harmony of the Seas, and in general all of Royal Caribbean's Oasis class.
In this article:
Covid cancelled everyone's plans and also our family vacation plans, so in the end we opted to book 3 cabins on board MSC Seaside, a ship that joined the fleet in 2017 and is usually deployed in the U.S. market for Caribbean Sea cruises. The September 4 departure from Genoa was perfect, traveling with 3 school-age girls allowed us to fill the last week before school started.
We booked a triple with balcony for us, an interior double for the grandparents, and finally a quadruple also with balcony for my sister and her family. For the past few years we have realized that this type of vacation is perfect for spending time with family, like at home but without the stress of having to cook, clean, plan what to do, etc. Here on the cruise we meet at breakfast and then everyone is free to do what they want: those who want to go on an excursion, otherwise the ship offers many options and then in the evening you are all together again for dinner.
The itinerary
Overseas restrictions and the spread of variants have forced cruise lines to continually adjust routes, leading them to create interesting itineraries as well. Our cruise departing from Genoa called at Marseille, Syracuse, Taranto and Civitavecchia. Seven days including two full days of sailing, the one that took us from Marseille to Syracuse via the Straits of Bonifacio and the Strait of Messina and then for the transfer from Taranto to Rome/Civitavecchia.
It's just too bad that the excursions in Italy are still under the "bubble," that is, all controlled, no free disembarkation to move off the ship.
The health protocol
Cruises started again in Italy earlier than in the rest of the world, the protocol studied has slowly been modified to meet various needs. Compared to my first cruise in the Covid-19 era, aboard Costa Smeralda., the continuous passenger tracking disappeared, but a requirement to measure temperature every day was included.
The swab at the beginning of the cruise is always mandatory, even for vaccinated passengers, while for all others it is necessary to Have the green pass before embarking, for excursionsi and, what amazed me, also to disembark.
A mask and social distancing requirement applies on board. There are, however, some truly absurd situations: in the theater the 50% filling is respected, while in the pools the loungers are stuck to each other. And at the casino, in fact, the spacing does not exist.
In general, however. the company can do little when it is the passengers who do not comply wearing poorly or not wearing the mask at all, or getting into the elevator even though it is already "too full."
For all those in need of a PCR test to return home, by plane or other means of transportation, the company also offers this service for 80€.
Check-in
Part of the activities must be done online, documents must be uploaded, photos taken, and tickets printed. All this must be done in a very specific window. Between 72 and 48h before departure. In addition, any reservations for excursions, packages, and other info must be made not within 2 days before departure, as written on the website, but before the last 48h is triggered.
We chose valet parking, effectively the same as the company offers but, booking directly with the company that provides the service to all passengers, we spent 12 euros less, to be precise 78 instead of 90.
Documents are checked countless times. The first on arrival in the car. The second at the entrance to the cruise terminal, the third when collecting the cards to board. In between, swabs are also carried out on all passengers, no matter whether they are vaccinated or not.
If you are traveling with Yacht Club cabins, queues are avoided and the butler takes care of everything, while the other passengers do everything themselves. Singular is the fact that porters ask for a tip very explicitly, almost and embarrass the passenger who dares to refuse the obolus.
The booth
The Seaside is one of the largest ships in the MSC fleet, built by Fincantieri's Italian shipyards in Monfalcone, entered service in 2017. Since then it has been the largest ship ever built in Italy and in a Mediterranean basin, along with its sister ship MSC Seaview. Of course, there were far fewer passengers on board than the 5,300 it can accommodate when fully loaded.
Our cabin was on deck 10, in the aft area. I always prefer to be at the stern because, normally, it is easier to reach the pools, the children's spaces and in this case also the restaurants and buffets. Choosing a cabin close to the elevators avoids long walks in the aisles, one of the aspects to consider when choosing your accommodation on board.
Cabin design is now fairly standard, especially if you do not opt for suite accommodations or special rooms. In fact, the sofa is converted into a bed, and in the case of a quad, the sofa is replaced by a bunk bed.
Space on board is, as always, reduced to the essentials, although it must be said, the inside cabins in the quadruple mode are even smaller. I would recommend avoiding them like the plague.
Over the years I have changed my opinion about the importance of the terrace, in my early cruising experiences I did not give importance to the outlet and the light, but I have to say that I would hardly give up today the possibility of having some additional space where I could breathe, relax or simply put my towels outside along with a few other items.
Cabin equipment was standard with A small upgrade related to possessing Diamond status. at MSC Cruises loyalty program. Status that I did not earn in the field, but thanks to theMSC status match offer. This allowed me to board with the highest level in the company's loyalty program.
The first sign that it was not going to be a perfect cruise we got immediately, the cabin was made available to us almost an hour late and the keys we were given at boarding were not working, so we were forced to queue another 40 minutes at guest service to get more.
A problem that was common with many other passengers in the queue on Deck 6.
The problems in our booths have been many, and throughout the cruise. For example, in some there were no pool towels, and they were not delivered until the next morning. Similarly, in ours the masks were present, in others they were not.
Bathroom linens were not replaced every day, even if they were left on the floor as per the sticker in the bathroom, and despite repeated requests to the cabin steward. Long gone are the days in which the cabin was tidied up even in mid-afternoon, but on MSC it is evident that service has been reduced to the bare essentials both in the cabins, as well as in other areas of the ship.
The kitchen on board
This is the first time I can say I have eaten badly on a cruise, or rather that in the main restaurant the service and quality of the offerings were far below expectations. Same with the breakfast buffet, which was really poor and decidedly tasteless. After a week on board we could not find a coffee bar that served good coffee.
This is all topped off with a Obvious lack of staff compared to the number of passengers on board, hunting down the waiter each time to order drinks is a real challenge that starts in the morning at breakfast, continues by the pool, and ends in the evening at the casino or other bars.
The menu at the main restaurant, ours was the Seashore, is not adequate to what one is used to finding on a cruise, especially on Italian ships.
Poor service, dirty dishes, rude responses from the table attendant, and tasteless and colorless food.
More than sufficient, however, is the lunch buffet on floor 8; interestingly, there is a different ethnic cuisine every day-from Thailand to China via Brazil.
In general, I was very disappointed with the food offerings. There is nothing new. On Royal Caribbean ships, for example, there are Jonny Rockets burgers or Jamie Oliver's cuisine, on Costa there is the menu designed by Bruno Barbieri and the Neapolitan pizzeria open until late. Here, on the other hand, you can eat the piazza in the cabin, ordering it over the phone.
The specialty restaurants
This is different for special restaurants, of which there are 4 on this ship and all located on Deck 16, just in front of the entrance to the Yacht Club area. We tried all of them, and here it must be said that the service is attentive and the quality of food adequate, However, they are chargeable and also not cheap at all.
We took advantage of the DUO package, which allows you to pay a fixed price to eat at two restaurants of your choice from those featured with the exception of Teppanyaki. The latter is worth the expense just for the show that is put on by the cooks. The quality of the food is perhaps the worst compared to the other restaurants present.
Passengers with Diamond status can enjoy a free dinner at one of these restaurants of their choice, and if you happen to be in these parts, I highly recommend Pan/Asian, a great way to sample flavors not common in our neck of the woods.
On the last night we indulged in dinner at the on-board "butcher," namely the brasserie. It was a perfect choice. Excellent meat quality and impeccable service, as in all "special" restaurants.
The ship for children
This is the first cruise on which my seven-year-old daughter or her older cousins have actually snubbed the children's area. The reason is simple: too many children, no organization and a lot of chaos.
Inclement comparison with what was experienced in July aboard Costa Firenze, obviously impossible to compare with the world before. But the teen area offered no activities, just some consoles and games to play.
Very nice children's area on deck 16, there is a water park with 5 slides and a small area for toddlers. Too bad that the location between two huge walls of the ship makes the area is almost always shaded and that, as a result, the water is always very cold, partly because the pools are emptied every night.
Swimming pools
There are several pools scattered around the ship, the bow area is reserved for Yacht Club passengers, so for the rest of the guests there is the pool that can be covered in case of rain, but it is also very small.
Normally this would not be a problem, since this ship is designed to sail in warm areas, but I do not envy those who are planning a late October cruise in the Mediterranean.
Scattered around the ship are various hot tubs, unlike those near the pools, they are not reservation-based so you just have to wait for space to become free to enter.
Then there is the Miami Beach area with the largest pool among those on board and which also has 8 very comfortable sunbeds (which must be reserved early in the morning at the lifeguard starting at 7 a.m.)
In addition to the loungers, some hot tubs can also be reserved. Each cabin can reserve two loungers for two hours per day and two rounds of 15 min each of "private" tubs
Finally, the pool on Deck 6 aft, in the area called Zen, is dedicated to adults. As one might logically imagine, if there are 5,000 people on board, on a sailing day it must not be easy to manage to take a dip without crushing a few other passengers.
Technology on board
The pandemic has certainly expedited the adoption of more technology on board, but so many small problems are evident that make the whole system really tedious.
The most absurd thing is the on-board QR codes. Covid has cleared the in-flight menus, at lunch as well as in the bars. There are signs on the tables inviting passengers to scan the QR to learn about the offerings. Too bad although you are connected to the on-board wi-fi, with paid package, when you scan the QR you still have to enter a code found on the card and your date of birth, the reason for this is incomprehensible. If you read the two codes for beverage list and restaurant menu, you will have to repeat the procedure.
Touch solution also for the elevator, but the card reader makes no sense except for the elevator reserved for Yacht Club customers. The impression is that to save energy there are elevators stopped in shifts: waiting for a car is eternal, even at 2 a.m. with the ship practically sleeping.
Separate discussion for wi-fi. MSC deserves praise for charging by the day and not by MB as is the case on Costa Cruises, very bad on the other hand. Two packages are offered, and the price varies by the number of devices (from 1 to 4) you want to enable the service:
- Browse which effectively limits the ability to download movies from Netflix, watch YouTube, or make videocalls
- Browse and Stream that allows activities blocked via firewall to be done by the first
The absurdities are mainly 2. The first is that it is not explained at all before buying a package that once you activate one device you cannot disconnect and use the subscription on a second terminal. So if I connect during the day with the cell phone, but in the evening I want to use the tablet I cannot do that unless I buy 2 subscriptions.
The second problem is that stream packet brings no increase in download/upload speed, which is fixed at just under 2MB, although it is still possible to use classic video chat solutions such as Zoom and Meet.
Covid has also forced changes in many habits, for example, MSC now asks guests to book shows. The problem is that instead of doing like Royal Caribbean, which allows guests to book activities, dinners, and all other onboard services even from the site before the cruise, here booking starts via APP or touch monitors scattered around the ship, 24 hours before the show. So you have to set your alarm while you are at dinner, or at the show itself to book the next day's show.
Common spaces
The casino is small For a ship of this size. What is unacceptable is that smoking is still allowed. Permission only applies to those who play, but it is easy to pretend while sitting at a slot machine, and use the excuse of a cigarette for not wearing a mask properly.
Since transiting inside the casino is, almost, obligatory exiting the theater I find this concession unnecessary and harmful.
In fact the heart of the ship is concentrated in the central part between decks 5 and 8, in the center is the spectacular staircase, queen of all passengers' photos.
On each deck is a bar overlooking the central plaza while above the casino is the MSC Lounge, the only enclosed bar on the entire ship, and the beautiful sports bar.
That the ship is designed for the American market is clear from the memorabilia hanging on the wall. There are baseball bats, NBA uniforms, Box shorts, and other memorabilia from American sports such as football.
The nice thing is the configuration. In addition to the central counter and the mega screen, there are lounges of various sizes with private TVs, great really.
The rest of the common areas are the bars in the pool areas. From the Zen area to the Miami beach that becomes the heart of the ship's nightlife in the evenings- And, even here, you can see how this immense floating city was designed for warm climates and not for sailing in November in the Mediterranean.
On each floor there are then plenty of stores as is now a tradition on all ships.
Shows and entertainment
Of the booking system we have said, the shows, on the other hand, are beautifully crafted. I attended both the Micheal Jackson tribute, which was fine but lasted less than 30 minutes, and Peter Punk, a retelling of the fairy tale of the eternal child that had a Circus du Soleil flavor.
In general on a cruise, masks aside, it feels like living in the former world. There is dancing, partying, drinking and having fun.
Very noisy animation, especially at the pool and active to entertain guests especially on the two-day sailing trip. Insufficient, as mentioned, that for children, both juniors, i.e., those up to 11 years old, and teens.
In conclusion
I had high expectations for this cruise, MSC with this class of ship has made a move toward the American model of cruising and it seems to me that the doughnut failed perfectly. This is not my first cruise in Covid period so I can make comparisons. The quality of the food is far below sufficiency, as well as the obvious absence of staff on board makes everything much less smooth than expected.
Diamond treatment I talked about in a specific article, and the focus on the loyal customer is really absent or almost absent.
Then there are things I do not understand, for example, the fact that the Zip line that runs all along the ship is not operational, because of the Covid. Or the limitations in the spa. Ashore everything is back in operation, we're talking about the saunas and everything else, but here the service is still halved and restricted.
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