MSC Seaside is (gasp!) European

[fraffin]

That's not true, is it.?

If you have to eat in the buffet, doesn't the entire space become a restaurant ..... no buffet lines.

 

Perfect example of Fake News because someone spreads false information based on incomplete knowledge (the term for it is actually called ignorance). The large buffet is converted to table service only dining at dinner (with table cloths and waiters). The smaller buffet with a limited selection is available for dinner.

[trvlgirlmq]

That's not true, is it.?

If you have to eat in the buffet, doesn't the entire space become a restaurant ..... no buffet lines.

 

People may not be eating there but it is still a buffet set up. You can tell you are not in an elegant dining room. The furniture is probably much cheaper too boot.

[trvlgirlmq]

Perfect example of Fake News because someone spreads false information based on incomplete knowledge (the term for it is actually called ignorance). The large buffet is converted to table service only dining at dinner (with table cloths and waiters). The smaller buffet with a limited selection is available for dinner.

 

It's still the freakin buffet!!! What about this is OK to everyone?

[mafig]

Perfect example of Fake News because someone spreads false information based on incomplete knowledge (the term for it is actually called ignorance). The large buffet is converted to table service only dining at dinner (with table cloths and waiters). The smaller buffett's with a limited selection is available for dinner.

 

 

That's what I thought.;p

 

However, I keep reading the same thing about the restaurant and buffet going on at the same time.

 

Maybe it's the same person (people) who keep repeating it over and over .... they must know it's not correct.:(

[fraffin]

Stick to your special Yacht Club world so you don't have to rub elbows with the hoi polloi.

 

More ignorance from someone who didn't bother to fully research the different experiences on MSC ships. All experiences have inside staterooms and balconies. This means Bella cruisers can have a balcony or a Yacht Club cruiser can have an inside cabin.

 

If your going to troll, at least do it where you truly understand what your talking about.

[trvlgirlmq]

More ignorance from someone who didn't bother to fully research the different experiences on MSC ships. All experiences have inside staterooms and balconies. This means Bella cruisers can have a balcony or a Yacht Club cruiser can have an inside cabin.

 

If your going to troll, at least do it where you truly understand what your talking about.

 

I am not a troll. I am well-traveled and have above average reading comprehension. I understand the "experiences" very well. I think that MSC will have a very difficult time selling Americans on this caste system. Even the ones who can only afford "bella". They will not like it and I think bad word of mouth will sink them.

[fraffin]

I am not a troll. I am well-traveled and have above average reading comprehension. I understand the "experiences" very well. I think that MSC will have a very difficult time selling Americans on this caste system. Even the ones who can only afford "bella". They will not like it and I think bad word of mouth will sink them.

 

Then why do you continue to spread false information? I also suggest you look up the definition of internet troll and explain to the rest of us why this definition doesn't apply to you in regards to this forum.

[Extra Kim]

trvlgirlmq

If you don't like what Bella and Fantastica is offering, don't book these types of cabins. If you don't like the fact that the buffet resturant is used as a dining room and you can't or don't want to pay for a higher class cabin and it make's you feel like you aren't good enough well then DON'T book MSC.

 

[mianmike]

Some of the Seaside articles weren't nearly as thorough as the USA today article. Many of the articles made the Seaside appear much more Americanized as the articles were very vague saying the ship was MSC's first ship designed for the North American market. In hindsight and thanks to the USA Today article we know what they meant.

 

I don't need an "American" experience; we need a good experience. Very simple. We had a great time on the Divina and I'm sure we'll do the same on the Seaside. Sure there will be disappointments; there always are. We were bella on the Divina and we were fortunate enough to eat dinner in the MDR at a great dinner time for us. Luckily I'm a researcher and thanks to some of the honest reviews here we are mentally prepared for MDR dinner in the buffet. If that happens, we'll decide whether to continue in the MDR buffet or just go eat in the regular buffet. It will be a disappointment, but we'll adapt.

[TravelinGert]

People may not be eating there but it is still a buffet set up. You can tell you are not in an elegant dining room. The furniture is probably much cheaper too boot.

 

It's still the freakin buffet!!! What about this is OK to everyone?

 

 

I'm reserving judgement until I board Saturday.

 

 

From what I saw on one video there appears to be a solid divider between the normal table seating further back in the buffet and the actual buffet part where people line up and such. It wasn't a very stable video so I couldn't tell how tall the divider was. It was not taken during dinner service but the videographer said they put out tablecloths, set the tables like in the dining room, and dimmed the lights each night.

 

 

He also said his food was served quickly and was delivered hot, and his waiters in there each night were attentive without being obsequious. He'd switched to the buffet after the first night because his table in the Impanema was right under the bowling and so loud they couldn't even talk during dinner and they never dimmed the lighting in there, either.

 

 

I'll be honest initially I felt insulted they'd seat people in the buffet like that. I had a bad experience a few years ago in a similar situation. Lets just leave it at that. But if it is screened off with tablecloths, good waiters, and good, hot food I gotta say it doesn't really sound that bad. The last ship I was on the "cheaper" chairs in the buffet were much more comfortable than the somewhat posher looking chairs in the MDR, too.

 

 

If possible I'll see if I can get some sort of photos or video of the setup next week. :)

[windlicht]

trvlgirlmq

If you don't like what Bella and Fantastica is offering, don't book these types of cabins. If you don't like the fact that the buffet resturant is used as a dining room and you can't or don't want to pay for a higher class cabin and it make's you feel like you aren't good enough well then DON'T book MSC.

 

Exactly.

How is having tiered experiences a class system? Other cruise lines have exclusive areas too, like the Haven and so on. And then you can pay extra for different services. MSC just has the different services incorporated in experiences. Not everyone who books Bella can’t afford a more inclusive experience.

[sidari]

Stick to your special Yacht Club world so you don't have to rub elbows with the hoi polloi.

trvlgirlmq .... Can you point me to the post/s where I said that we have sailed in the Yacht Club

on our six cruises so far with MSC ? :confused:

 

MSC Opera ... Ocean View (Now Bella /Fantastica)

MSC Poesia ... Balcony (Now Fantastica)

MSC Divina ... Balcony (Now Fantastica)

MSC Orchestra ... Balcony (Now Fantastica)

MSC Preziosa ... Balcony (Now Fantastica)

MSC Seaside ... Aurea Suite.

 

They will not like it and I think bad word of mouth will sink them.

So how come MSC have been sailing out of Florida since around 2006 ?

[trvlgirlmq]

Stick to your special Yacht Club world so you don't have to rub elbows with the hoi polloi.

trvlgirlmq .... Can you point me to the post/s where I said that we have sailed in the Yacht Club

on our six cruises so far with MSC ? :confused:

 

MSC Opera ... Ocean View (Now Bella /Fantastica)

MSC Poesia ... Balcony (Now Fantastica)

MSC Divina ... Balcony (Now Fantastica)

MSC Orchestra ... Balcony (Now Fantastica)

MSC Preziosa ... Balcony (Now Fantastica)

MSC Seaside ... Aurea Suite.

 

They will not like it and I think bad word of mouth will sink them.

So how come MSC have been sailing out of Florida since around 2006 ?

 

They have sailed one ship with no US advertising. Now they plan on having 3 ships in the US market trying to complete with very well known entities. They will be a small niche market here. People might try them because they are so inexpensive but the "experiences" will not go over well with the millions of US cruisers.

 

If I heard all my friends talking about their wonderful cruises for years and then scraped together enough money for the "bella" cruise and did not eat a nice dinner with smiling, attentive servers in the dining room I would be disappointed. If I could not get issues resolved because of lackadaisical European attitudes or lack of understanding English then I would not be happy. I also would not understand any of this because as someone who can only afford "bella" I have probably never traveled anywhere especially out of the country. This is where saying that people who will now be able to afford to cruise can do so is going to be an issue for them. I think that the bad reviews will just get worse and it's going to hurt them.

[fraffin]

They have sailed one ship with no US advertising. Now they plan on having 3 ships in the US market trying to complete with very well known entities. They will be a small niche market here. People might try them because they are so inexpensive but the "experiences" will not go over well with the millions of US cruisers.

 

If I heard all my friends talking about their wonderful cruises for years and then scraped together enough money for the "bella" cruise and did not eat a nice dinner with smiling, attentive servers in the dining room I would be disappointed. If I could not get issues resolved because of lackadaisical European attitudes or lack of understanding English then I would not be happy. I also would not understand any of this because as someone who can only afford "bella" I have probably never traveled anywhere especially out of the country. This is where saying that people who will now be able to afford to cruise can do so is going to be an issue for them. I think that the bad reviews will just get worse and it's going to hurt them.

 

I'm truly curious about you. If you're so concerned about MSC's success in the US market why are you preaching to us? Why don't you and all the others like you that have a bone to pick with MSC write to the corporate offices. They're the ones that can make the changes you desire. Why torture us with your rants? If you really don't care about MSC and never plan to sail with them, again why torture us with your rants?

 

I guess I'll never understand what motivates people like you. I respect Jim Zim and his fair and balanced review of the Seaside. He and his wife decided that MSC was not the type of cruise experience they were looking for. But he presented both the positives and negatives as they pertain to his own likes and dislikes. At least he was willing to give MSC and the Seaside a chance. You on the other hand...well enough said.

[sidari]

Let me point out that over 90% of the reviews I have seen so far have been written by people who have never written one before and have few if any actual posts on cruise critic. many of them have been first time cruisers.

Those that have written before are the more credible reviews to actually take note of and like my own offer the reader a balanced review of the ship, services, food, bars and staff. also pointing out where needed things to avoid.

We have been on a total of 18 cruises so far on six different cruise lines, many of them I have written reviews on, the one thing between them all is the consistency of reporting of the reviews.

 

As for being a cheerleader for MSC, if you go and find the MSC cruises listed in my earlier post and the relevant reviews you will see that I am anything but and where they need to be criticised they are.

 

For this venture, Divina included, MSC created a USA office complete with its own senior executive management who were responsible for overseeing the Seaside and everything that went with it. If you are looking for someone to blame over advertising then this is where you need to look because these people have been very quiet over the issues and as they say the silence is deafening.

[Oppyguy]

They have sailed one ship with no US advertising. Now they plan on having 3 ships in the US market trying to complete with very well known entities. They will be a small niche market here. People might try them because they are so inexpensive but the "experiences" will not go over well with the millions of US cruisers.

 

 

 

If I heard all my friends talking about their wonderful cruises for years and then scraped together enough money for the "bella" cruise and did not eat a nice dinner with smiling, attentive servers in the dining room I would be disappointed. If I could not get issues resolved because of lackadaisical European attitudes or lack of understanding English then I would not be happy. I also would not understand any of this because as someone who can only afford "bella" I have probably never traveled anywhere especially out of the country. This is where saying that people who will now be able to afford to cruise can do so is going to be an issue for them. I think that the bad reviews will just get worse and it's going to hurt them.

 

 

 

Like others, I am mystified as to why you are so bound and determined to trash a company with which you have absolutely zero firsthand experience. What is the preoccupation with making others stay away from MSC if you have no vested interest in doing so? Do you really think you are doing the world a favor? As Sid has pointed out, the reviews from most experienced cruisers have been at least balanced and many quite positive. It is people like you who make me want to stay off these boards. Perhaps that’s the goal. I would say much worse, but.....

 

 

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[Hobby3333]

I don’t post very often but I am tired of hearing other posters talking about the YC and others being 2nd class. This is my first cruise on MSC and yes I did book YC and I plan on enjoying the cruise and everything that comes with being in the YC.

[lcpagejr]

I don’t post very often but I am tired of hearing other posters talking about the YC and others being 2nd class. This is my first cruise on MSC and yes I did book YC and I plan on enjoying the cruise and everything that comes with being in the YC.

 

I'm right there with you!! I'll be in YC on 3/24 sailing. I was originally a doubter....but decided to form my opinion AFTER I have had the opportunity to cruise on the Seaside. Enjoy your cruise and the YC

[Tall-Cruiser]

From everything I've read and heard, MSC was promoting a more American-centric product but without giving up on their European flair and heritage. I think this is exactly what they deliver. If I want Carnival, NCL, or Royal Caribbean I will sail on those lines. I don't expect or want MSC to be a carbon copy them. What is the point of trying something different if they are all the same? What a yawn that would be. Variety is the spice of life. Instead of fighting it so hard, some people need to embrace it a bit more. Life would be so much easier.

 

If there is one thing I've found universal about cruise ship passengers after all these years, is that they love to complain. It doesn't matter what line you're own, you will hear the complainers and they will do their best to recruit sympathizers. What is also amusing is that nine times out of ten they will tell you their last cruise on line XYZ was better than the one they are on now. It's quite humorous actually but generally I run away as quickly as possible from these people.

 

I agree with you 100%. I will say, in fairness, that I also want people to agree with me when I've had a bad time. Thing is, out of maybe 10 people who've sailed a particular ship and hated it, in my experience only 1 or 2 will admit that they hadn't done their homework and had unrealistic expectations. A good example is the fantastic and in-depth review by Jim Zim, aka Spaniel Lover. His detail and photos are amazing, and I also like his writing style a lot. But I found myself really feeling sorry for him, because he clearly went on the Seaside with an expectation of 100% American-style, meat-n-potatoes, English everywhere, American bathrooms, etc. 43 cruises and he hadn't figured out that MSC is still Italian. He hated the buffet but found the breakfast in the MDR much better, well then eat there instead of complaining about the buffet! SO MUCH of what goes into a successful vacation is having realistic expectations. I'm a huge fan of TV travel host Rick Steves because he embraces the "live like a local" mantra when traveling to Europe. That's my philosophy, too. I look forward to speaking French, Italian, German, Spanish, etc. with European travelers on a cruise ship. That's why MSC seems like a great fit to me.

 

 

eroller / DCGuy - Very well said.

Using myself a an example, if I only cruised Carnival because that's what I had done before I wouldn't have had any idea how RCI was. So the idea of trying something different as I mentioned in my review was appealing and hence we tried Seaside and would do MSC again. Following the same line of doing something different, this year we will try Celebrity for the first time. There are lots of people who like Celebrity and many who don't. I already know it will not be anything like what I have cruised on before, and I'm ok with that and will try to enjoy and have fun.

Every cruise I have taken there are always lessons learned.

[Tall-Cruiser]

I don’t post very often but I am tired of hearing other posters talking about the YC and others being 2nd class. This is my first cruise on MSC and yes I did book YC and I plan on enjoying the cruise and everything that comes with being in the YC.

 

Good for you and I hope you have a great time on your cruise. The next time I book a cruise on MSC I am hoping for a YC.

[eroller]

Following the same line of doing something different, this year we will try Celebrity for the first time. There are lots of people who like Celebrity and many who don't. I already know it will not be anything like what I have cruised on before, and I'm ok with that and will try to enjoy and have fun.

Every cruise I have taken there are always lessons learned.

 

 

I love love love Celebrity! I'm booked on EDGE as well. I can't wait. I'm as excited about that prototype ship as I was for Seaside. For me Seaside did not disappoint, and I hope Edge doesn't either.

[Tall-Cruiser]

I love love love Celebrity! I'm booked on EDGE as well. I can't wait. I'm as excited about that prototype ship as I was for Seaside. For me Seaside did not disappoint, and I hope Edge doesn't either.

 

I think EDGE will be another beautiful ship and very different from the norm that will likely deliver some great surprises. I am looking forward to sailing her too. We also had a great time on Seaside and appreciated meeting people from all over the world.

[sidari]

Hobby ... ignore the doubters, people book what they can afford or what they are happy with, you are happy with the YC booking we have been happy with all of ours as listed on the previous page non of which so far have been YC. What some people appear to miss is that there are people who book lower end cabins but can actually afford the YC but choose not to.

 

 

I can understand the complaint of not being able to access certain parts of the ship but it was the same for us on Queen Victoria as it is for people on NCL with the Haven and with the YC on MSC.

It is one of my pet peeves not having access to the front of the ship but accept that is part of sailing with MSC.

Sometimes I wonder whether it is a bit of the old Green eyed monster ... :cool:

[Annbel1511]

Stick to your special Yacht Club world so you don't have to rub elbows with the hoi polloi.

 

I have been a member of cruisecritic for a while now and I don't post very often but these kind of comments just make my blood boil. I've only done 2 cruises (both NCL) and have now booked an MSC cruise (Presioza) for end December 2018. I have booked a stateroom in YC and I certainly do not look down on anyone. I'm probably more the "hoi polloi" type. Whatever that is.

 

 

We only cruise every 3/4 year because we prefer to save up our hard earned cash to be able to treat ourself to a YC experience. We prefer a calmer atmosphere with a smaller crowd/no lines/no searching for a lounger etc. As I am sure there are people who choose not to stay in YC (even though they can easily afford it) because they prefer to do so.

 

Also on a side note, I really don't get the whole MSC is European thing. Reading some comments "European" is seen as something negative. I'm European and loved my NCL cruises. Isn't it all about having fun, meeting new people and discovering different cultures? Who cares about small stuff like BUTTER :eek:

[Babyeddiedog]

Yes, this ship was created for the US market, but with all the choices offered by US owned and run cruise lines I think its great to have an alternative with a ‘European’ flavour.

MSC is European, it may have branched out into the US market but it’s not American, why shouldn’t there be a choice with a little European styling as an alternative? We are all used to different things; I hate to drink tap water with ice and I’m not going to comment on tipping. My US friends don’t like paying for water and love to tip, we’re all different and we should appreciate that.

 

I’m not criticising the US way of doing things, I’ve cruised with NCL and RC and liked them, but please let those of us who enjoy our seafood, late dining and have other ‘odd’ ways :') enjoy cruising with a company where we feel at home.

 

There are lots of cruise lines out there, we should all choose the one that suits our needs when it comes to pricing, eating and style. It’s really not necessary to try and change the limited choice some of us have to make them the same as all the others.