Seaside reviews - why so polarized?

[OrlandoSingleCruiser]

I have a YC suite booked for October on the Seaside. The final payment date is coming up in a few weeks and have been reading the reviews and trying to figure out if we should keep our MSC YC Suite or switch to a more traditional RC or NCL sailing out of Florida.

 

As expected, the reviews the first month or so weren't very good. This didn't worry me at all as it was a brand new ship, a new category of ship for MSC, and I knew there would be plenty of issues. Here we are several months later and the reviews seem to have improved greatly but I still see a higher percentage than normal of "horrible" reviews. For most things you have good and bad reviews but absolutely horrible reviews are generally not that common. What am I missing? MSC does things a little different then the other American cruise lines so are these reviews from people that are either very unlucky, very hard to please, or that don't like how MSC does things? Or are there still a ton of issues that MSC hasn't resolved?

[pappahbuttz]

I have sailed Royal Caribbean twice, once out of Florida. I am booked MSC Seaview this June. I have never sailed MSC before, and I too did a lot of reading of poples opinions and reviews, photos etc. At first I was quite concerned about trying a new cruise line. But one thing I have found, is that some people love to complain about everything and anything. I know that I am going on a new ship with a new crew, and it won\t be perfect, but what is. The other cruises I did were amazing and if this one is anything like them, I will be more than happy!

I think for one, that many issues are that the Seaside is in a new market and people are expecting the exact same as the main stream US style of cruising. MSC has done a lot to correct the issues and I would not have any real worries of trying a new experience.

[Two Wheels Only]

As someone who will be on my first MSC cruise next month, I'm not worried at all.

 

Yacht Club reviews are (understandably) better than non-YC reviews. I look at some "issues" that other MSC first-timers have posted and realize that I either won't have that issue or that issue won't bother me. Things like "the smell" would have bothered me but that problem seems to have been fixed. People had issues with the buffet but I don't consider a buffet to be anything more than "grab a quick bite for now" dining.

 

Being different makes some people uncomfortable. MSC is different in many ways. The "experiences" concept bothers some people who aren't used to anything like that on a cruise. The Yacht Club makes it "worse" in their eyes.

 

I fully expect to have a great cruise in the Yacht Club and the fact that the cost is much less than NCL's Haven is already a plus. I'll continue to sail NCL Haven but if all goes as expected, I'll also continue to sail MSC Yacht Club.

[DaCruiseBug]

As someone who will be on my first MSC cruise next month, I'm not worried at all.

 

Yacht Club reviews are (understandably) better than non-YC reviews. I look at some "issues" that other MSC first-timers have posted and realize that I either won't have that issue or that issue won't bother me. Things like "the smell" would have bothered me but that problem seems to have been fixed. People had issues with the buffet but I don't consider a buffet to be anything more than "grab a quick bite for now" dining.

 

Being different makes some people uncomfortable. MSC is different in many ways. The "experiences" concept bothers some people who aren't used to anything like that on a cruise. The Yacht Club makes it "worse" in their eyes.

 

I fully expect to have a great cruise in the Yacht Club and the fact that the cost is much less than NCL's Haven is already a plus. I'll continue to sail NCL Haven but if all goes as expected, I'll also continue to sail MSC Yacht Club.

 

I got a YC Deluxe Suite for the cost of a mini-suite on NCL. The Haven is WAY overpriced IMO.

 

The YC looks to be sold out on sailings as far as 9-10 months out. I wonder how well an all-YC ship would do for MSC. Obviously something a little smaller than the Seaside but with it all being YC you would end up with a ship the size of the NCL Breakaway and only have about 2,000 guests on it.

[tallnthensome]

The few reviews any more are indeed most likely from typical complainers or just bad luck. My family and I took our first MSC Seaside trip in April and it was superb from top to bottom, I booked it way back in March 2016. I had the same questions, concerns, worries,etc that many others had. They were all put to rest as soon as we stepped on board. We sailed the NCL Escape 2 years ago, The Vista last year, and are on the NCL Bliss 15 day Panama Canal next year. I can tell you that the Seaside can stand proud shoulder to shoulder with the other big boys. We would definitely sail her again. Now, I didn't sail Yacht Club but for the price versus a regular NCL or Royal cruise, it will be much better. I've sailed many lines and you'd be making a mistake not going on MSC. Many people got scared off and I will tell you from experience that this may have been the worst cruise decision some people will have made. The service, the food, the fanciness, blows away NCL and Royal .........

[Grandma Rambo]

Please do not worry about your cruise on MSC. We just completed our cruise on Seaside May 5 in a YC deluxe "suite". Everything, and I mean everything, was wonderful. When we were walking around the rest of the ship there was a very happy vibe and we heard no complaints. We've sailed over 30 times, mostly Celebrity. We booked two more MSC cruises and cancelled cruises booked on Celebrity and Princess. That's how great it was.

Hope this helps.

Jennie

[pno4te]

Please do not worry about your cruise on MSC. We just completed our cruise on Seaside May 5 in a YC deluxe "suite". Everything, and I mean everything, was wonderful. When we were walking around the rest of the ship there was a very happy vibe and we heard no complaints. We've sailed over 30 times, mostly Celebrity. We booked two more MSC cruises and cancelled cruises booked on Celebrity and Princess. That's how great it was.

Hope this helps.

Jennie

We were on the same sailing and I agree with Jennie. We had an amazing cruise and the YC crew is just fabulous. We also spent some time in other areas of the ship and found it to be well-run and lively. Enjoy your cruise!!

[TrinaLC]

I also think it is remarkable how quickly MSC management responded to criticism, from increasing buffet offerings, eliminating putting dinner guests in the buffet area etc. Never seen such drastic changes with respect to the other lines I follow closely. Shows a real customer focus.

 

 

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[sidari]

Reviews have improved over last two months or so and we noticed some differences on on our April 28th cruise compared to our Xmas cruise, none of which made a great difference between the two but some good improvements for those yet to sail for the first time on Seaside or MSC.

The only one backward step for us was making the solarium area for Aurea and Wellness guests smaller.

In the next few weeks and months there will be changes of crew as contracts come to an end.

[mafig]

Did you read any bad Yacht Club reviews, OP?

 

I don't recall any. Maybe I blocked them out of my mind.

 

You would be foolish to cancel.

[riclop]

I have a YC suite booked for October on the Seaside. The final payment date is coming up in a few weeks and have been reading the reviews and trying to figure out if we should keep our MSC YC Suite or switch to a more traditional RC or NCL sailing out of Florida.

 

As expected, the reviews the first month or so weren't very good. This didn't worry me at all as it was a brand new ship, a new category of ship for MSC, and I knew there would be plenty of issues. Here we are several months later and the reviews seem to have improved greatly but I still see a higher percentage than normal of "horrible" reviews. For most things you have good and bad reviews but absolutely horrible reviews are generally not that common. What am I missing? MSC does things a little different then the other American cruise lines so are these reviews from people that are either very unlucky, very hard to please, or that don't like how MSC does things? Or are there still a ton of issues that MSC hasn't resolved?

I would never give up a YC suite.

[omarchs]

We were on the same sailing and I agree with Jennie. We had an amazing cruise and the YC crew is just fabulous. We also spent some time in other areas of the ship and found it to be well-run and lively. Enjoy your cruise!!

This just illustrates the problem with MSC. We were also on the May 5th voyage in the YC and we didn’t have a superb cruise and we spoke to many different passengers who weren’t happy campers also.

 

Dining room service is widely inconsistent. The menu appeals to some but not others. The pool grill lunch menu is too fancy for some, not at all for others. Some people like the New Age music all day around the pool, others hate it. Piano,violin music at night, same story. Give them credit for 7 shows, but they were all cirque variants with a song, acrobat, repeat.

 

Americans still continue to be a small percentage of the passengers and despite MSC claiming they know the American tastes, they don’t hit this mark for many which is why you are seeing the conflicting reviews.

 

We felt the product was still geared towards an international market and our personal preference is to go back to the other lines out of the US that provide a different product. Just our opinion and happy that others have enjoyed the product. Some lines end up fitting your likes/dislikes better than others and you will need to go with an open mind and judge by yourselves.

[LMaxwell]

I think a lot of Americans are used to room stewards and dining room staff being sing-song happy and chatting them up, instant new best friends, etc.

 

MSC service is more professional and reserved. Efficient and well handled, but not in your face or showy. For instance bar tenders aren't going to chat you up and entertain you, rather they will stay back so you engage with whoever you are with, they wait for you to request to interact.

 

I think it is just a style many Americans are not used to from mainstream lines like RCI, Carnival, Princess, NCL. It's actually pleasant not having staff hover or put on the sugary act. That doesn't mean they aren't friendly.

[mafig]

Omarchs,

Are you going to do a review.?

 

I'd be interested in your feedback of the YC.

[evandbob]

I think a lot of Americans are used to room stewards and dining room staff being sing-song happy and chatting them up, instant new best friends, etc.

 

MSC service is more professional and reserved. Efficient and well handled, but not in your face or showy. For instance bar tenders aren't going to chat you up and entertain you, rather they will stay back so you engage with whoever you are with, they wait for you to request to interact.

 

I think it is just a style many Americans are not used to from mainstream lines like RCI, Carnival, Princess, NCL. It's actually pleasant not having staff hover or put on the sugary act. That doesn't mean they aren't friendly.

 

 

Hopefully the MSC CD is just as reserved? I've sailed carnival a lot and despise the constant, persistent shilling that their CD's do all cruise long.

[sidari]

Eveandbob ... If April 28th and the CD is anything to go by you will be disappointed. Was not keen on the current guy who spent 10 minutes before the show wasting time.

[pno4te]

Eveandbob ... If April 28th and the CD is anything to go by you will be disappointed. Was not keen on the current guy who spent 10 minutes before the show wasting time.

We found him hysterical at times... And this is why there are varying reviews of any cruise ship/line. Not everyone will love things offered, and there's nothing wrong with that.:)

[mom2tcdx2]

 

MSC service is more professional and reserved. Efficient and well handled, but not in your face or showy. For instance bar tenders aren't going to chat you up and entertain you, rather they will stay back so you engage with whoever you are with, they wait for you to request to interact.

 

I think it is just a style many Americans are not used to from mainstream lines like RCI, Carnival, Princess, NCL. It's actually pleasant not having staff hover or put on the sugary act. That doesn't mean they aren't friendly.

 

Personally we have found a few bartenders on the Divina that interacted with us quite often, they were very friendly. They learned our likes, etc and we went to them more often than others. My mother even has a bartender she has seen on every cruise she has been on the Divina and even the Poesia. That bartender has remembered my mother by name on each cruise (and her cruises were a few years apart).

 

While we also found some that weren't so friendly - for instance the person at the gelato area/bar. He just wasn't all that friendly and we tended to avoid ordering from there when he was on duty.

[omarchs]

Omarchs,

Are you going to do a review.?

 

I'd be interested in your feedback of the YC.

 

Yes, I hope to do a review in the next few days.

[georgemoe]

Eveandbob ... If April 28th and the CD is anything to go by you will be disappointed. Was not keen on the current guy who spent 10 minutes before the show wasting time.

 

Different strokes. We were on the April 28th cruise and really enjoyed Stephen Cloete. Before and after the shows.

[OceansOfTravels]

Expectations are what I think play into it the most. Many people, particularly Americans who have sailed with other lines, go into the cruise expecting things to be a certain way. Pay close attention to who complains about the Seaside, and what they're complaining about. Are they complaining about slow service in the MDR? Are they saying the service is slow because dinner took 2+ hours? If so, there is a cultural issue, not an MSC issue. In Europe, that's hoe long dinner is supposed to take. People that also go on very early sailings and expect the crew to have everything worked out are also in for a rude awakening, and get disappointed. But even away from the cultural complaints, people generally go into vacations with goals in mind, and when those goals aren't reached, or certain things get in the way of them enjoying that goal, that is where negative reviews come from. I would advise you to take every review, both good and bad, with a grain of salt. You have to see what kind of cruisers appreciate MSC and why, and if they value what you value on vacations, you should be fine.

 

So, my best suggestion would be to go in with an open mind. If things are not how you like it, with your suite or with the ship/line in general, don't go again. But, everyone else's reviews are completely irrelevant to your cruise enjoyment, that all has to do with you. :)

[sidari]

OOT ... The dining rooms and Head waiters are turning tables in 90 minutes now, less for those with two people. That is in the fixed time dining rooms.

[Nunagoras]

I think a lot of Americans are used to room stewards and dining room staff being sing-song happy and chatting them up, instant new best friends, etc.

 

MSC service is more professional and reserved. Efficient and well handled, but not in your face or showy. For instance bar tenders aren't going to chat you up and entertain you, rather they will stay back so you engage with whoever you are with, they wait for you to request to interact.

 

I think it is just a style many Americans are not used to from mainstream lines like RCI, Carnival, Princess, NCL. It's actually pleasant not having staff hover or put on the sugary act. That doesn't mean they aren't friendly.

 

Exactly! Where is the like buzzer, please?... Have a nice day!... :)

[Nunagoras]

Expectations are what I think play into it the most. Many people, particularly Americans who have sailed with other lines, go into the cruise expecting things to be a certain way. Pay close attention to who complains about the Seaside, and what they're complaining about. Are they complaining about slow service in the MDR? Are they saying the service is slow because dinner took 2+ hours? If so, there is a cultural issue, not an MSC issue. In Europe, that's hoe long dinner is supposed to take. People that also go on very early sailings and expect the crew to have everything worked out are also in for a rude awakening, and get disappointed. But even away from the cultural complaints, people generally go into vacations with goals in mind, and when those goals aren't reached, or certain things get in the way of them enjoying that goal, that is where negative reviews come from. I would advise you to take every review, both good and bad, with a grain of salt. You have to see what kind of cruisers appreciate MSC and why, and if they value what you value on vacations, you should be fine.

 

So, my best suggestion would be to go in with an open mind. If things are not how you like it, with your suite or with the ship/line in general, don't go again. But, everyone else's reviews are completely irrelevant to your cruise enjoyment, that all has to do with you. :)

 

Another golden buzzer! Many thanks! Have a nice day!... :)

[gimletgal]

Please do not worry about your cruise on MSC. We just completed our cruise on Seaside May 5 in a YC deluxe "suite". Everything, and I mean everything, was wonderful. When we were walking around the rest of the ship there was a very happy vibe and we heard no complaints. We've sailed over 30 times, mostly Celebrity. We booked two more MSC cruises and cancelled cruises booked on Celebrity and Princess. That's how great it was.

Hope this helps.

Jennie

 

Jennie - I sailed two weeks before you in the YC and I totally agree that it was wonderful. The staff bends over backward to make sure you are happy.

 

Food is so subjective I don't even try to compare to other lines. And although I thought they could have varied the menu at the Pool Grill somewhat (less "fancy"?) there was always something I found to eat. I actually just prefer a sandwich/hamburger at lunch, but I made do. And of course one could always eat in the restaurant for lunch.

 

The piped in music at the One Pool was far superior to what I normally hear on Celebrity (my most often sailed line) and it wasn't "blaring"! The duo that played in the lounge every night was great - loved their music. (Of course, music is subjective too..........)

 

I'm not sure what people are looking for in the Yacht Club, but if you don't like "refined" the YC is probably not for you. Personally, I like their approach to things. It is different from the usual Celebrity, Princess, HAL, etc. Maybe that is why I liked it so much. The "same old, same old" was getting real "old"! I have my 3rd MSC cruise booked for 2019, and once again, in the YC. Keep up the good work, MSC!