Jim Zim's MSC Seaside Review With 84 Photos & 8 Videos

[Two Wheels Only]

I think there was same major omissions on what the Yacht Club is entitled to.... Very few "check marks" shown under Yacht Club. Most that cruise Yacht Club know the enormous benefits/perks they get....but for the average Joe who isn't that knowledgeable about Yacht Club...could lead to some confusion. Thanks!!

I noticed the "chart" a while back. Older charts were correct (more checks) but what is currently on MSC USA makes the Yacht Club look weak.

[Keith1010]

Your photos are amazing.

 

May I ask what model camera you use?

 

Thanks,

Keith

[gkbiiii]

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Discover-MSC/MSC-Yacht-Club.aspx

Yacht Club Experience

[perakcruiser]

I'm not Italian, I'm from California... and I've just got to say that this is not the way I like my pizza. Let me show you a pepperoni pizza from my home town. This is the way I prefer my pizza... with very generous amounts of sauce, cheese, and toppings, and a crust that is softer, not crunchy.

 

Which one of those two pizzas looks better to you?

This is not a pizza so it cannot be compared with the other picture. I think you Americans call this accident a "pie".





Of cause MSC would rather turn all their cruise ships into container ships before they serve this to their guests. At least I hope so :cool:

One interesting thing in this review, I never thought it would be possible to cancel booked land excursions without a very good reason. Amazing that you could do this because of "bad weather".

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

I, for one, am looking forward to a primarily European experience...right down to the Neapolitan pizza.

[DCGuy64]

I, for one, am looking forward to a primarily European experience...right down to the Neapolitan pizza.

 

Ditto. My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed our 2 Italian cruises. The pizza, gelato and cappuccino alone are worth it for me. While everyone has his own preference and is entitled to it, I can't for the life of me understand why Americans would want the same food on a cruise ship as they'd eat on land. Isn't that the point of a vacation, to experience something different? *sigh*:confused:

[leos037]

What I'm saying is that I didn't care for the pizza on MSC Seaside. The crust was crunchy. There was not enough sauce on it. There was not nearly enough cheese on it... by a factor of at least three, maybe four times. And there was not nearly enough pepperoni on it... again by a factor of three or four times. I know I'm going to get heckled about this by the Italians, but I call 'em the way I see 'em in my cruise reviews!

The MSC pizza looks like New York pizza. One of the best things about NY pizza is the crust, so it would never be covered in pepperoni like the bottom pizza was. Now it "looks" like NY pizza but I wonder if it tastes like it? I will find that out on Saturday when we set sail!

 

Really enjoying your review...thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us!

 

It does - lived in Brooklyn for 20 years :) Pizza was awesome!

[tjlj]

???

I'm not a buffet only person.

So... I still don't understand. Enlighten me, please.

Hence the problem... if i only did buffet I would be disappointed in the deck 16 offering for dinner... But we are not buffet only prople... the divina had an awesome buffet.... breakfast, lunch and dinner... as does carnival... But the main dinning room and speciality restaurants are very good.. on divina also... it's a different experience with msc... That's why we just booked out 3rd seaside cruise for this year... We love the offering. But we go with the flow... We don't try to force msc into our previous cruise experience... We enjoy what they have to offer.... right now it's the best offer going... 10 percent civil service discount... everything is reasonable priced...

 

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[n8botting]

Those were not facts...They were assumptions and unfounded opinions. Have you cruised on Seaside yet?? Have you cruised on a ship with a passenger clientele of only 40-50% American?? Feel free to question someone who has already cruised on a ship you haven't once you have!

 

What are you talking about? Did you actually read what I typed? My only assumption was that I would prefer the pizza from the Seaside as opposed to his hometown. (And that's not really an assumption...The pizza had way too much sauce, cheese and pepperoni for me) Are you telling me that there was no language barrier on any of the cruises I have been on? Are you telling me that the service on the NCL Escape wasn't on par compared previous cruises? (I sailed when the ship was <= to 3 months old) Are you telling me I wouldn't like to go to guest services to ensure I received any money owing to me?

 

I could honestly care less if he liked the cruise or not. What I don't like is people telling other people what they should or should not do. Let other people come up with their own conclusions. It is apparent to me that you can not handle criticism when someone criticizes something you care for (i.e. Jim's reviews) Otherwise why do you feel the need to attack my facts or in your words my "assumptions and unfounded opinions".

[cruisin' friends]

But a whole lot of the situations we ran in to are likely to remain. I think MSC knows who their core customer base is (the Europeans) and they will never do anything on any ship that the Europeans wouldn't like, even a ship that the public relations team actively promotes as being for the North American market.

 

I also think some of the customer service issues reflect the culture of the company. If they fight tooth and nail to not have to refund a $59 beach excursion on a rainy day, that probably reflects the company's entire attitude towards passengers... and those things don't tend to change much over time unless somebody really high in the organization realizes there's a company-wide problem and decides to make a push to turn things around.

 

If you had cruised on MSC on one of the other ships (other than Divina), you would notice a very different experience so I would say they have American-ized some things on the ship. The bottom line is that this is an Italian company. You can't expect that they are going to change things completely so that they are a Carnival or Royal Caribbean. Anyone who expects that, will be disappointed.

 

 

I do have to ask in all your research before booking MSC and after you booked, did you consult with a travel agent who knows MSC? I think your expectations would have been more realistic for this cruise line had you done so. My travel agent explained the differences between the experiences and this particular cruise line which has allowed me to make an informed choice on my cabin, experience and sail date. I would never book a cruise within the first 3-4 months of a release of a new ship without fully expecting issues with service, food and the like. I actually have the same type of room as you did booked for my sailing in May and I am excited about it. My problem with the room is that it is a little narrow, but had I wanted a larger room and more exclusivity, I would have booked the Yacht Club. I actually had a grand suite booked initially, but when my agent informed me what my layout would be, I switched to the whirlpool room and believe I will be happier.

 

 

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This is not a pizza so it cannot be compared with the other picture. I think you Americans call this accident a "pie".

Of cause MSC would rather turn all their cruise ships into container ships before they serve this to their guests. At least I hope so :cool:[/left]

[/color][/size][/font]

One interesting thing in this review, I never thought it would be possible to cancel booked land excursions without a very good reason. Amazing that you could do this because of "bad weather".

 

The fact that the cruise line gave you back 100% is amazing to me. I have been on several cruise lines and most will not give any refund unless the vendor cancels the excursion or the cruise ship does not make it in to port. 50% refund is very generous! My guess is that something happened on the excursion, maybe the rain came and they ended up giving a refund as a goodwill gesture and you just happened to get that benefit as well.

[spiritkat090909]

That is the BEST darned BAD review of a cruise I've ever read! lol...

 

Thanks for the detailed information. Very helpful to know WHY someone doesn't care for a cruise. I can say that, having read all I can about Seaside... I will keep my reservation in the Yacht Club. Go with an open mind...and not be disappointed that the pizza (I don't like NY style pizza) doesn't live up to the hype I've read. I won't be shocked that the buffet is something we shouldn't try AT ALL. Which, although not buffet people, we do tend to do normally for a quick, small breakfast...we typically skip lunch and have a large dinner/supper. Southern style...and I LOVE the LAWRY's idea...it sounds like I may need my own mini salt shaker!

 

(The 'European' translation was to me... the main differences... they don't care for salt over the pond, don't know how to say 'yes ma'am' at customer service and FIX a problem. There is something to be said for 'Yankee' ingenuity! :) I have North/South issues in Miami vs. Texas at times, so I'm used to it. A 'woman', Not a Lady, "Hmpffed" at me on Crystal once. lol)

 

I can handle it. Just needed to know what to expect.

 

THANKS JIMZIM!!!

 

PS I love Celebrity

[suzyed]

The MSC pizza looks like New York pizza. One of the best things about NY pizza is the crust, so it would never be covered in pepperoni like the bottom pizza was. Now it "looks" like NY pizza but I wonder if it tastes like it? I will find that out on Saturday when we set sail!

 

Really enjoying your review...thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us!

 

It does - lived in Brooklyn for 20 years :) Pizza was awesome!

I grew up in Brooklyn and then Long Island....so I know NY pizza! LOL!!

[GOLDENBONNY]

I think some of the logistical ones will be worked out. They'll figure out how to organize a meet-up for a shore excursion. The Cruise Director will figure out that he can't tell everybody they can all do "express walk-off" all at exactly the same time. The Captain will probably learn to be more careful about pushing the right button on the public address system so non-critical announcements don't go direct to the cabins.

 

But a whole lot of the situations we ran in to are likely to remain. I think MSC knows who their core customer base is (the Europeans) and they will never do anything on any ship that the Europeans wouldn't like, even a ship that the public relations team actively promotes as being for the North American market.

 

I also think some of the customer service issues reflect the culture of the company. If they fight tooth and nail to not have to refund a $59 beach excursion on a rainy day, that probably reflects the company's entire attitude towards passengers... and those things don't tend to change much over time unless somebody really high in the organization realizes there's a company-wide problem and decides to make a push to turn things around.

what cruise line would refund your money for same day cancelled excursion? :confused:

[Spaniel Lover]

what cruise line would refund your money for same day cancelled excursion? :confused:

 

First off, I requested to cancel the day before the excursion. Second, it was a beach excursion... and it was raining and windy.

If I had been in the Yacht Club, I bet I could have cancelled.

[cruisin' friends]

First off, I requested to cancel the day before the excursion. Second, it was a beach excursion... and it was raining and windy.

If I had been in the Yacht Club, I bet I could have cancelled.

 

Even so, on many cruise lines if you don't cancel before the cruise starts, you are out 100%. 50% is a more than generous refund. Carnival does not refund in full, Disney does not refund at all. Each cruise line has their own terms and conditions. Saying that being in the Yacht Club would have allowed you to cancel without penalty is conjecture on your part.

[Freespir8]

Thank you JimZim for your thorough review! I really enjoyed reading your perspective. I was talking about your review with my husband and although you and I don't share the same preferences, you did such a great job of explaining from your perspective that I understood where you were coming from. I think you are right though about your experience being different if you were in the YC. Although that would not have changed your buffet requirements, you could have easily requested specific things that your prefer and they would have made it happen. I think the comparison of NCL Haven Spa suite isn't an apples to apples comparison. Had you been in the YC then, it would have been. I can see however how MSC may not be right for you as a whole based upon what you are expecting in a cruise line.

 

We were on the Divina last year in the YC and loved it. Granted, we ate every meal in the YC because it was just that good and we never had a need to go to the buffet because of the food that was already in the YC. I will say that the one thing NCL has on MSC is the size of the suites. We were in a 2 bedroom suite on Divina and the room was beautiful but the standard YC Deluxe rooms are much smaller than the suites on NCL. I get to experience those suites on the Seaside in March. I will let you know how they fare!

 

Thank you again for taking the time to write this! Love your reviews and your YouTube videos. You were in radio which makes total sense now! I always wondered about your background because your voice is so easy to listen to....now it's all coming together! Can't wait for your next review!

[NYHartChapp]

Your photos are amazing.

 

May I ask what model camera you use?

 

Thanks,

Keith

Here's a pretty shot I took from our balcony one evening as the sun was setting...

 

 

 

 

To get the effect you see in the ocean, I shot that photo with the camera on a tripod and with an exposure time of 15 seconds. In case you were wondering, most of the photos you see on this page were shot with a Canon EOS 80D digital SLR camera.

[tjlj]

First off, I requested to cancel the day before the excursion. Second, it was a beach excursion... and it was raining and windy.

If I had been in the Yacht Club, I bet I could have cancelled.

We were in Honduras with carnival... zip line at port... pouring rain and wind.... they said no refunds unless the tour operator cancelled... We weren't going anyway in that weather... finally tour operator canceled about noon..... some of your complaints in my opinion are unrealistic...

 

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[seeriteR]

Jim, your Seaside review mirrors our experience in almost every way except we were on board for 3 weeks.

 

We ate dinner in the MDR everyday and breakfast in the buffet. However, whenever we were given the opportunity to share close tables with non-Americans, we chose to engage in conversation because most of the time, they spoke English.

 

Our Guest Services experiences were also frustrating. As was our disembarkation which was delayed by 2 hours!

 

Thank you for such a detailed review, photos and videos.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Thank you for such a great review review . Will be very helpful for many future cruisers . Your negative review made many people to book a future cruise on Seaside LOL

[BermudaBound2014]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with so much detail. I have sailed with MSc twice and find that much of what you described mirrors my experience.

 

 

I cant help but feel the need to apologize on behalf of my fellow travelers who feel the need to criticize your review and hope that the way you have been treated here does not prohibit you from continuing to share your experiences.

 

 

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[Micheb5]

I have a few questions, if I may. But first a big Thanks Jim for all your effort in putting together your review. Thank you for posting the downloads - I am one of those who wants to know before hand and have been looking for the dailies!! Yeah!! That was a lot of extra work and I hope others know and appreciate how thorough you are!

 

Seeing as some of these you many not have participated in I appreciate if anyone else reading this review can comment.

 

Shopping- noticed lots of specials and sales in the shops. Do they have a $10 T-shirt sale one day, didn't see that one.

 

Activities- Mini Golf and Mega Jenga? What is this? Do they have something they roll out to play on deck for mini golf, do they have a life size Jenga game or is it a Jenga tournament? What is Gone in 60 seconds? Is it a game?

 

Arts & Crafts - is there a charge for this?

 

Dining - On your daily programs it looks like there was only one Elegant night. Maybe someone can let me know if there are in fact 2 each sailing and which nights they are on. Was there an Italian night, what night was it?

 

Love your video's on Youtube. My family and I have enjoyed a lot of them, and learned a lot in the process! Thanks again.

[Christi209]

Thanks for the very detailed review. I have also cruised many times ( NCL, celebrity, princess, royal Caribbean, costa)although stopped for a while as I got tired of the crowds on some ships and also we felt that we never really got to fully experience the culture of the countries we visited when cruising. The last few times we did cruise I have usually booked only suites on NCL haven and enjoyed that but decided to take a chance with the MSC seaside. We have a yacht club suite booked for November. I have been reading reviews to get a feel for whether this was a good choice for us and all the reviews , positive and negative, have been very helpful. What I have realized is that many of the negatives I have been reading aren’t really relative to us. We travel to Europe quite a bit and love to immerse ourselves in the culture and enjoy trying new foods. We also Travel to the USA frequently ( we are Canadian) and I find it amusing to read the ship isn’t American enough. As a Canadian I would have a hard time defining “American” style as to me New York is very different than LA , San Diego is very different than Boston and I like it all! We try to absorb the culture wherever we are

Also food is so personal. When I read your review I thought the thin pizza ( Neapolitan style) looked SO much better than that thick crust pepperoni laden “California “ pizza. No way would I eat that. Likewise we don’t want huge omelets and donuts. Same for the salt! So it really does help to know the specifics about why someone didn’t like a cruise and you did a good job describing why you didn’t like things which was helpful , as what was a negative for you would be a huge positive for us. Similarly, knowing it was the buffets you disliked was helpful as we would never eat in a buffet so I think we will enjoy the sit down dining, especially in the peace of the Yacht Club.

 

We have never cruised Carnival and never would so maybe its just a difference in expectation. We would not be at all bothered if the entertainers had Italian accents or people next to us were speaking in another language. So thank you for the detail in your cruise review as I think it helped us realize that many of the negative reviews won’t really affect us whereas for some it would. And my biggest issue with cruises is crowding and not finding seating around the pool so hopefully being in the yacht club will make that a non issue.. we will find out in November !

[plantlady104]

I have a few questions, if I may. But first a big Thanks Jim for all your effort in putting together your review. Thank you for posting the downloads - I am one of those who wants to know before hand and have been looking for the dailies!! Yeah!! That was a lot of extra work and I hope others know and appreciate how thorough you are!

 

Seeing as some of these you many not have participated in I appreciate if anyone else reading this review can comment.

 

Shopping- noticed lots of specials and sales in the shops. Do they have a $10 T-shirt sale one day, didn't see that one.

 

Activities- Mini Golf and Mega Jenga? What is this? Do they have something they roll out to play on deck for mini golf, do they have a life size Jenga game or is it a Jenga tournament? What is Gone in 60 seconds? Is it a game?

 

Arts & Crafts - is there a charge for this?

 

Dining - On your daily programs it looks like there was only one Elegant night. Maybe someone can let me know if there are in fact 2 each sailing and which nights they are on. Was there an Italian night, what night was it?

 

Love your video's on Youtube. My family and I have enjoyed a lot of them, and learned a lot in the process! Thanks again.

 

Can maybe answer a few of the questions, as we just completed a 7day cruise - Western. There are many "sales" in different stores and scattered throughout cruise. Definitely saw watch sales and T-shirt sale, I think they were $10 per shirt, mostly labeled with the different isles visited. Two elegant nights, Sunday and Thursday. Italian was Tuesday night.

[BestNC Cruiser]

Thank you for such a great review review . Will be very helpful for many future cruisers . Your negative review made many people to book a future cruise on Seaside LOL

 

 

That is what is so great about all of Jim’s reviews. It’s the way that all of the positives and negatives are well elaborated. It helps you to make decisions based on your likes and dislikes. It’s not about agreeing or disagreeing, it’s about being informed. My cruising buddies were on the fence, now they have decided against the seaside because what they like very closely matches up to Jim’s. So just like those that have decided that the seaside will work for them, knowledge and info is the key.

 

 

 

 

 

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