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Hello from the Seaside in St. Thomas

slei15

By slei15,
in MSC Cruises

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Mycykfamilytime "Live from...." Rare

Mycykfamilytime

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sofa bed9fc7872d2606a3a2f9b3f46a42d77b40.jpg

 

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We’re booked in a Super family plus in Feb. as well!! You’re the first person I’ve met in one. Can I ask a few questions? Does it have a bath tub in any of the three rooms? Will they allow you to open up the balcony dividers between the three rooms? Do they have the bunk beds in any of the rooms? How is fantastica working out for you? I kinda wanted to upgrade drinks but didn’t want to upgrade the nine of us. Any other changes from a balcony room or room tips? Thank you!!!

 

 

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seaweeyin

seaweeyin

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Yes, one of our rooms has a bath tub. And yes, we've had the balcony dividers open between all three the whole time and it's been great!! One room has the sofa bunk beds, one has the pull out sofa, and one has a regular sofa. We've enjoyed the fantastica experience, and we do have the deluxe drinks, which we've loved.

 

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sunny2runner

sunny2runner

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Just off 12/23 Seaside sailing!

 

This was our first MSC cruise. We have done 12 DCL, 1 Princess and 3 NCL.

 

We were 4 people in a balcony (2 adults, 2 kids)

 

We were overall very delighted with our cruise experience MSC!! We had a lot Cruise experience to compare too ��

 

After reading some intial reviews from some on here. I was slightly afraid we’d be sailing in filth with horrible food and crew.

 

This was not the case so please take reviews with a grain of salt as others have pointed out.

 

We found ALL the crew we interacted beyond wonderful and helpful. We find that if you treat staff with kindness and warmth they will treat you the same.

 

Yes I agree bar server was slow. My husband and I both even commented that they seemed to be no urgency in making drinks. I truly believe this a cultural thing as Americans are in so much more of hurry. In addition, they were a bit short staffed.

 

We loved the food. We were all surprised to have ranked it as good and even better in some regards to other cruise lines. The pizza is divine.

 

Although morning in the main buffet around 10:30-11. They seemed to run out of many items as well as plates/utensils so going a little early to avoid the crowds was a bit nicer. I also think they were trying to find their groove in terms of cruisers needs.

 

We had a delightful dinner Butchers cut too.

 

Yes room storage was a bit of issue but we made do and it wasn’t a big issue. We will bring some baskets for under bed storage for our next MSC Seaside Cruise.

 

We did 4 shows and loved them all. Comfy theater seats with great views. Timeless was our favorite.

 

The fellow cruisers were a mix of Europeans/South Americans/Asians and Americans. I would say in this cruise Americans made up 30-40 percent of travelers or even less. We found everyone to be super kind and courteous.

 

We loved all the spaces around the ship.

 

The pool deck is wonderful and the entertainment staff were very enthusiastic, high energied and kind. Loved the sailway party.

 

Getting off the ship this morning was the easiest and smoothiest process!

 

Overall top notch experience!

 

To all that are interested in giving her a try, it is a wonderful ship and crew.

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EssG

EssG

Posted
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Just off 12/23 Seaside sailing!

 

This was our first MSC cruise. We have done 12 DCL, 1 Princess and 3 NCL.

 

We were 4 people in a balcony (2 adults, 2 kids)

 

We were overall very delighted with our cruise experience MSC!! We had a lot Cruise experience to compare too ��

 

After reading some intial reviews from some on here. I was slightly afraid we’d be sailing in filth with horrible food and crew.

 

This was not the case so please take reviews with a grain of salt as others have pointed out.

 

We found ALL the crew we interacted beyond wonderful and helpful. We find that if you treat staff with kindness and warmth they will treat you the same.

 

Yes I agree bar server was slow. My husband and I both even commented that they seemed to be no urgency in making drinks. I truly believe this a cultural thing as Americans are in so much more of hurry. In addition, they were a bit short staffed.

 

We loved the food. We were all surprised to have ranked it as good and even better in some regards to other cruise lines. The pizza is divine.

 

Although morning in the main buffet around 10:30-11. They seemed to run out of many items as well as plates/utensils so going a little early to avoid the crowds was a bit nicer. I also think they were trying to find their groove in terms of cruisers needs.

 

We had a delightful dinner Butchers cut too.

 

Yes room storage was a bit of issue but we made do and it wasn’t a big issue. We will bring some baskets for under bed storage for our next MSC Seaside Cruise.

 

We did 4 shows and loved them all. Comfy theater seats with great views. Timeless was our favorite.

 

The fellow cruisers were a mix of Europeans/South Americans/Asians and Americans. I would say in this cruise Americans made up 30-40 percent of travelers or even less. We found everyone to be super kind and courteous.

 

We loved all the spaces around the ship.

 

The pool deck is wonderful and the entertainment staff were very enthusiastic, high energied and kind. Loved the sailway party.

 

Getting off the ship this morning was the easiest and smoothiest process!

 

Overall top notch experience!

 

To all that are interested in giving her a try, it is a wonderful ship and crew.

 

LOVE your positive report sunny2runner..and agree, best not to take too much notice of the negative reviews ...IMO they often say more about the poster's attitude to life, than the actual cruise

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Cafedumonde

Cafedumonde

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We are the cruisers who are about to cancel due to other people's reviews. We got a great deal on Seaside but it is still money and can be used towards another vacation instead if the Seaside seems to be a so so experience. DH and I can have fun anywhere but I am concerned about the kids. I have not heard much about the kids club or kids water area or about whether there is enough public space for the amount of passengers. These all seem to be concerns. If we do not hear more positive feedback on these topics, we are out. At this point I suspect we will end up canceling but are still booked to date.

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sidari

sidari

Posted
Posted (edited)

The Aft Suites on Seaside have Double Sofa beds!

 

With regard to Negative comments, they are not negative if supported by a reason for them being made.

 

We had some issues but none that spoiled our cruise or would prevent us from booking again, there are problems on the ship which in time can be put right, there are some that cannot be put right due to design features, there are some areas that are just wrong compared to the other 5 MSC ships we have sailed on.

The ship as a whole is great as are the crew and the Captain.

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slei15

slei15

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We are the cruisers who are about to cancel due to other people's reviews. We got a great deal on Seaside but it is still money and can be used towards another vacation instead if the Seaside seems to be a so so experience. DH and I can have fun anywhere but I am concerned about the kids. I have not heard much about the kids club or kids water area or about whether there is enough public space for the amount of passengers. These all seem to be concerns. If we do not hear more positive feedback on these topics, we are out. At this point I suspect we will end up canceling but are still booked to date.

 

 

 

Our kids (5 & 8 yo boys), as well as their friends (8 & 10 yo boys), and my nieces (3 & 5) absolutely loved kids club when they went. The kids aqua park was awesome, and they loved the cruise. There is a ton of public space on the ship, the only place that we were crowded out of was the deck 16 pool on the sea days, which is normal for any cruise. I will be posting a detailed full review over a couple days. I would encourage you to try it out, just making sure you know what you paid for. If you go on the ship expecting Bloomingdales service at a Walmart price, you will be disappointed.

 

 

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sidari

sidari

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If you go on the ship expecting Bloomingdales service at a Walmart price, you will be disappointed.

 

 

Slei15 .... And that is sometimes where the problem lies ! our leaking shower was fixed within 12 hours of it being reported to our cabin steward.

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dn52

dn52

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If your concern is the amount of space in the common areas or how crowded things get then I would say absolutely that is not an issue. I’ve been cruising for over 20 years and the Seaside I found to have the best chance of finding a quiet space and of finding a seat in the lounges and buffets. In fact sometimes a little too empty - there were some wonderful performances in the seaview lounge in the evening with saxophone / bass / jazz singer trio, which were attended by less than a handful of people. Even the sports bar which on other ships I’ve found can get busy was much less of an issue on seaside - indeed in both the sports bar and the casino bar you could always get a seat right up at the bar.

Regards the shows we saw the My Life in Music and really enjoyed. Ok the staging not great but they really do have some great voices on board. Also the Beer Prov comedy each night was the funniest thing we’ve seen at sea.

Checkout and customs today couldn’t have been faster. Ten minutes or so from leaving the ship to exiting.

I believe everybody on cruise critic wishes the best for MSC with its new venture on the Seaside. But the voices of those who had issues should not be drowned out in a forum like this otherwise it would be doing a dis service to those who have come here in the search of genuine insights into people’s cruising experience. That’s what I’ve always come here looking for, and yes I always add a pinch of salt to what I read - but I do look out for common repeating themes. Nobody would post something negative just because of one rotten apple experience with a staff member. Indeed I think where bad review are given people are probably under exaggerating to allow for the possibility that they were just unlucky.

Cutting away all of the fluff here let me be clear what my experience was. Approximately 50% of the time that I had any reason to interact with the staff on board (ordering something, asking a question) there was a problem. Over 25% of the time something which I ordered arrived, there would be a problem.

If I was speaking to my friends who are cruisers back home that is what I would warn them to be aware of, and for the same reason I think it has a place being set out here. Please just ignore if you want to form you’re own opinion on board, but if you’ve come on this forum to find out what to expect and potentially therefore enjoy your cruise more, that is my honest account of my experience and that of the other two groups we were travelling with.

To finish on another positive and leave the criticism in the middle of this review, the water park really needs a special mention. What an amazing area for the kids and also adults to enjoy. We visited on a sea day but found the queues more than reasonable in length and the rides exciting (although the ride where you sit on an inflatable has a lot of people getting stuck in the middle of - the guy then just comes down and pushes you along). Add in the zip line and you’ve got an area unique at sea in feeling like a full on water park and adventure area to easily occupy a sea day with a lot of fun.

If MSC would just take notice of the feedback sooner rather than later they could easily turn around the issues on board. As it is I’ll be looking to sail on the Divina next time we go MSC and will await an improvement of genuine reviews from cruisers on here before returning to Seaside.

Safe travels to all.

 

 

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sabhoy

sabhoy

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Cutting away all of the fluff here let me be clear what my experience was. Approximately 50% of the time that I had any reason to interact with the staff on board (ordering something, asking a question) there was a problem. Over 25% of the time something which I ordered arrived, there would be a problem.

 

Was this because of a language issue, cultural issue, or just a staffing issue?

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Host CJSKIDS "Live from...." Rare

Host CJSKIDS

Posted
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We are the cruisers who are about to cancel due to other people's reviews. We got a great deal on Seaside but it is still money and can be used towards another vacation instead if the Seaside seems to be a so so experience. DH and I can have fun anywhere but I am concerned about the kids. I have not heard much about the kids club or kids water area or about whether there is enough public space for the amount of passengers. These all seem to be concerns. If we do not hear more positive feedback on these topics, we are out. At this point I suspect we will end up canceling but are still booked to date.

 

I was on the ship for the big naming ceremony which gave us a cabin for over night. Have not sailed with them. While I didn't have kids in the kids club, I will tell you that the kids area both in and outside was really nice. The kids water area and the family water area was incredible. I was very impressed with that. I did quite a few Disney cruises with my children when they were younger and then Princess cruises with them and though you can't compare them to Disney, it looks like they would have been very happy there.

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mamaneedsavacay Great Review Rare

mamaneedsavacay

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While I didn't have kids in the kids club, I will tell you that the kids area both in and outside was really nice. The kids water area and the family water area was incredible. I was very impressed with that. I did quite a few Disney cruises with my children when they were younger and then Princess cruises with them and though you can't compare them to Disney, it looks like they would have been very happy there.

 

Although we know it is obviously different in price and focus, Disney cruise is exactly what my kids will be comparing it to, because it's their only other experience. They are a little older now though, and we think we will have plenty to do on the ship. As far as the kids clubs go, the photos make it look very small and I wonder how crowded they will get. Since you have been on both, can you compare the size of the clubs? The ship is twice the capacity and it seems to have a quarter of the kids club space.

 

I've read that kids are having a great time on the ship so far.

ETA: I'm speaking specifically of the club for ages 7-11.

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toxicfairy

toxicfairy

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That you can. We had 4 hard sided cases closed under the beds.

 

 

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Thank you. Its not until July but i'm trying to figure things out now. We're use to RCI but trying MSC and it sounds like Seaside has some small cabins. We'll still have a great vacation. I read reviews but like to make my own opinion.

 

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Cafedumonde

Cafedumonde

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If your concern is the amount of space in the common areas or how crowded things get then I would say absolutely that is not an issue. I’ve been cruising for over 20 years and the Seaside I found to have the best chance of finding a quiet space and of finding a seat in the lounges and buffets. In fact sometimes a little too empty - there were some wonderful performances in the seaview lounge in the evening with saxophone / bass / jazz singer trio, which were attended by less than a handful of people. Even the sports bar which on other ships I’ve found can get busy was much less of an issue on seaside - indeed in both the sports bar and the casino bar you could always get a seat right up at the bar.

Regards the shows we saw the My Life in Music and really enjoyed. Ok the staging not great but they really do have some great voices on board. Also the Beer Prov comedy each night was the funniest thing we’ve seen at sea.

Checkout and customs today couldn’t have been faster. Ten minutes or so from leaving the ship to exiting.

I believe everybody on cruise critic wishes the best for MSC with its new venture on the Seaside. But the voices of those who had issues should not be drowned out in a forum like this otherwise it would be doing a dis service to those who have come here in the search of genuine insights into people’s cruising experience. That’s what I’ve always come here looking for, and yes I always add a pinch of salt to what I read - but I do look out for common repeating themes. Nobody would post something negative just because of one rotten apple experience with a staff member. Indeed I think where bad review are given people are probably under exaggerating to allow for the possibility that they were just unlucky.

Cutting away all of the fluff here let me be clear what my experience was. Approximately 50% of the time that I had any reason to interact with the staff on board (ordering something, asking a question) there was a problem. Over 25% of the time something which I ordered arrived, there would be a problem.

If I was speaking to my friends who are cruisers back home that is what I would warn them to be aware of, and for the same reason I think it has a place being set out here. Please just ignore if you want to form you’re own opinion on board, but if you’ve come on this forum to find out what to expect and potentially therefore enjoy your cruise more, that is my honest account of my experience and that of the other two groups we were travelling with.

To finish on another positive and leave the criticism in the middle of this review, the water park really needs a special mention. What an amazing area for the kids and also adults to enjoy. We visited on a sea day but found the queues more than reasonable in length and the rides exciting (although the ride where you sit on an inflatable has a lot of people getting stuck in the middle of - the guy then just comes down and pushes you along). Add in the zip line and you’ve got an area unique at sea in feeling like a full on water park and adventure area to easily occupy a sea day with a lot of fun.

If MSC would just take notice of the feedback sooner rather than later they could easily turn around the issues on board. As it is I’ll be looking to sail on the Divina next time we go MSC and will await an improvement of genuine reviews from cruisers on here before returning to Seaside.

Safe travels to all.

 

 

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This is great to hear because from some of the new Seaside videos and reports on Meriviglia, it seems like public space and getting into shoes/restaurants may be a problem. It is good to hear the opposite. One nightmare senario would be the kids not being able to go to the kids club if they "love it." They loved Carnival and Disney's kids clubs but were not hot on NCL's (like school they said). NCL's had a lockout at a certain capacity-- did not bother us, because our kids never wanted to go any way. But for the one's they like, they like to go in and out on seadays. Like an hour here, an hour there. This is difficult if every time you want to get in you have to get in line (NCL). We probably sound picky but really we are not! We can deal with less than steller customer service and do not care much about food, but too many people for the size of the ship would drive us crazy!

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Cafedumonde

Cafedumonde

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Our kids (5 & 8 yo boys), as well as their friends (8 & 10 yo boys), and my nieces (3 & 5) absolutely loved kids club when they went. The kids aqua park was awesome, and they loved the cruise. There is a ton of public space on the ship, the only place that we were crowded out of was the deck 16 pool on the sea days, which is normal for any cruise. I will be posting a detailed full review over a couple days. I would encourage you to try it out, just making sure you know what you paid for. If you go on the ship expecting Bloomingdales service at a Walmart price, you will be disappointed.

 

 

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Thanks for the great feedback on the kids club and public space. Cannot wait to read your report. I agree about expectations. Lol Bloomingdales.

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TravelinGert

TravelinGert

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Would something like this work in an inside room for extra storage? My 2 dd's (21&26) will be sharing an inside.38c254a195d49c92f93ade2c3d3d8ca0.jpg

 

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I've seen a video and pictures where people placed a hanging shoe holder which is a little different in that it is flatter against the door on the outside of the bathroom door. Both said it was great for all the shoes, undergarmets, and odds and ends. I'm planning on taking one and see how it works out. Some have even said there is a way to hang one by the closet. I"m guessing they mean over the end so that it hangs in the hallway but not sure.

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