Is the Seaview that bad??

[petuniaflower]

I was so excited to snag a cabin on the Seaview for this summer, being a great itinerary in the Med and newer ship, but after reading reviews I cant believe nearly all of them are terrible.  We are not really picky when it comes to food/service and pretty easy to please.  We have done Carnival, Disney, NCL and the MSC Divina and have been pretty content on all.  Any recent Seaview passengers that had a good experience?  Im wondering if I should rethink my booking.

[Beamafar]

Seaview is currently in Brazil, so it's unlikely you'll get a response from anyone who's recently been on her.  You'll have to wait 'til she returns to the Med to get an idea from others' experiences on the itinerary you're booked on.

[sidari]

Might be worth taking note of where the reviewers were from country wise and if it was their first MSC cruise !

[glittergal1]

I loved Seaview when we went last November, no issues we enjoyed it so much we are going again this November. Petuniaflower have you sailed with MSC before in Europe? MSC European cruising is "different" to what most Americans are use to cruising with US cruise lines  

[petuniaflower]

Yes to MSC, but not in Europe, this will be our first cruise in Europe.

[sptrout]

Remember that the Seaside reviews (the Seaview's identical twin) was terrible early on, but improved considerably after the early issues were fixed. I always kind of take reviews with "a grain of salt". Many complaints are petty or only apply to very specific people or conditions.

 

Just make sure that you understand MSC's "Experience" adder to the actual cabin to make sure that you know exactly what to expect. I have noticed many reviews of the Seaside ware the people complaining did not understand what they bought and then blamed MSC for their mistakes. If possible, book a Yacht Club cabin and you will NOT have any problems.

[heatherb1958]

We sailed on Seaview last October , Barcelona round trip , and loved the ship. The shows were great .We had a Bella Balcony on deck 10 , were pleased with location and size .

Food is subjective , we did not starve. The ship has a huge buffet, always go to the rear it is quieter, on deck 8 and another one higher up on deck 15 or 16. 

We enjoyed the Seaview lounge for the music in there, two duos that alternated throughout the evening . In the Haven lounge was a pop/dance band , had fun in there .No complaints from us except the speciality restaurant Ocean Cay was dire.

[petuniaflower]

We are doing the Barcelona round trip too..glad to hear some of you enjoyed it!  We are not really picky and I also try and take reviews with a grain of salt!  We are aware of drink packages and extra fees for some of the fun stuff.  Unfortunately no Haven for us, hefty price for party of 6:)

 

Anyone know what they mean by a guarantee super family cabin?  I think theyre all the same, so it must just be location I assume?

[Essiesmom]

32 minutes ago, petuniaflower said:

We are doing the Barcelona round trip too..glad to hear some of you enjoyed it!  We are not really picky and I also try and take reviews with a grain of salt!  We are aware of drink packages and extra fees for some of the fun stuff.  Unfortunately no Haven for us, hefty price for party of 6:)

 

Anyone know what they mean by a guarantee super family cabin?  I think theyre all the same, so it must just be location I assume?

 

 

I think you mistake the reference to the Haven.  On MSC Seaside/Seaview is a lounge on deck 7 starboard mid/aft.  No charge.  EM

[petuniaflower]

Oh perfect, thx!

[heatherb1958]

10 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

 

 

I think you mistake the reference to the Haven.  On MSC Seaside/Seaview is a lounge on deck 7 starboard mid/aft.  No charge.  EM

 

Thanks  Essiesmom for the clarification for  Petuniaflower re the Haven lounge on the ship.

 

There is an interactive water slide on the ship. I asked if it was free and told yes it was. It looked great fun. You sit on , I can only describe it as a little boat, you have to press buttons on it for the colour you see as you come down the slide. Unfortunately I did not get round to doing it , shame. They do have regular water slides too. 

The production shows although only 45 mins. are full shows each night with fab costumes . 

You will have a great time, she is a lovely ship, lots of outside space and it is nice to be able to lunch alfresco on the ship from the buffet.

[glittergal1]

18 hours ago, petuniaflower said:

Yes to MSC, but not in Europe, this will be our first cruise in Europe.

 

I dont know where you are from but many reviews which are more negative are from Americain  passengers who are not use to the more "european" cruise  . or from passengers who are new to MSC after cruising with other companies or simply from passengers who just didnt do any research into what was or wasnt included on the cruise .

What in particular did you read that has worried you? 

[petuniaflower]

We are Canadian, and enjoyed the "more European" vibe even when we were on the Divina in the Caribbean.  Im not sure what the difference in inclusions are for MSC, as they seem similar to all major lines, drink packages, wifi and specialty dining are extra??

 

I read a bunch of the reviews on cc for the Seaview and the vast majority of were bad, particularly food reviews.

 

 

[glittergal1]

1 hour ago, petuniaflower said:

We are Canadian, and enjoyed the "more European" vibe even when we were on the Divina in the Caribbean.  Im not sure what the difference in inclusions are for MSC, as they seem similar to all major lines, drink packages, wifi and specialty dining are extra??

 

I read a bunch of the reviews on cc for the Seaview and the vast majority of were bad, particularly food reviews.

 

 

 

RE drinks packages, these changed recently and its still causing difficulties for both staff and passengers because some of what was included in the "old" packages is no longer included in the new so many reviews commented on this.  we dont sail on Seaview until November however we still have the "OLD" package so im expecting to be confused even then

As for other extra things to pay for some of the activities are not free, bowling , zip line 4d cinema, formula 1 car  etc 

Also drinking tap water is not generally served for free in the Main dining room you might need to purchase bottled water if you dont have a AI drink package 

Food reviews are subjective,  I suppose it depends what you like, I enjoy the food I like mediterranean food lots of pasta risotto and salads for me and I eat a mainly vegetarian diet ( with some chicken if I dont fancy the veggy choice)  ,MSC are very accomodating,  on occasions myself and my husband didnt really fancy any of the main choices on the evening menu they will offer to do you other things. (also check out the childrens menu they have some good soups) Also portions can be small but thats not a problem in that you can order more than 1 dish if you wish and we always ask for a bowl of  extra vegetables and potatoes .  Evening dining can seem to take a long time for some people as its a social experience not a rushed experience some people dont like to wait between courses me however I dont like to rush . 

I usually HATE buffets with a vengeance and steer clear however Seaview was the best experience for buffet firstly they had 2 on 2 different decks 1 larger 1 smaller and they had buttons to press on tables for waiter drinks service from the bar. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Each new MSC ship has teething problems.  It is only natural...you need a crew of 1200 or more and they have to get used to the ship...and this takes time.  Consider that they are putting at least 4 giant ships into service in a three year span.  The one constant regarding MSC is that they are "a work in progress" and they are continually improving.  Since MSC picks up and disembarks pax along the cruise route, in Europe, this makes for a bit of a different atmosphere with a great mix of nationalities.  Also...victualing the ship is different in Europe.  You are not going to get the same quality of meat you can get in the USA.  Food in Europe is expensive so MSC will be supplying victuals that make financial sense.  We found that Royal Caribbean did not offer anything special for meals in Europe but we managed not to starve and had a great time. 

 

Make the most of your cruise on Seaview and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

 

[kodesthemoose]

On 3/17/2019 at 5:37 PM, petuniaflower said:

Anyone know what they mean by a guarantee super family cabin?  I think theyre all the same, so it must just be location I assume?

 

I am not sure why these are sold as guarantee rather than allowing you to pick.  However they are basically two cabins sold together "super family"; or three cabins sold together "super family plus" - be sure you know which one you're booking.  I gather than the exact room you get won't be known till later but I do think they are all on the same deck.  

[Essiesmom]

Actually, the deck plans for Seaview show Super Family cabins on decks 10-14.  EM

[citizenfrank]

16 hours ago, petuniaflower said:

We are Canadian, and enjoyed the "more European" vibe even when we were on the Divina in the Caribbean.  Im not sure what the difference in inclusions are for MSC, as they seem similar to all major lines, drink packages, wifi and specialty dining are extra??

 

I read a bunch of the reviews on cc for the Seaview and the vast majority of were bad, particularly food reviews.

 

 

Trust me when I say the Seaview will be fabulous!

I board her in just over a week now and I will review.

[Beamafar]

1 hour ago, citizenfrank said:

Trust me when I say the Seaview will be fabulous!

I board her in just over a week now and I will review.

 

Buon Viaggio, Frank!  😊  Looking forward to the review.  We're trying her out in 5 months' time, so I'll be devouring everything Seaview-related.  👍

[citizenfrank]

Hi Bea I trust you are well.

Been off here for a couple of weeks as I've been down in Essex gaining credibility with my new employer! All is well and I'm back home beavering away now...well for another week lol then it's vacation time 👌

[WonderMan3]

On 3/17/2019 at 12:31 PM, glittergal1 said:

I loved Seaview when we went last November, no issues we enjoyed it so much we are going again this November. Petuniaflower have you sailed with MSC before in Europe? MSC European cruising is "different" to what most Americans are use to cruising with US cruise lines  

 

Can you explain what you mean by "different"? I see your other comments regarding small portions and longer dining times but I find that on American cruise lines too like Celebrity (when contrasting against the larger portions and faster pace of land-based American restaurants) so that wouldn't be different to me.

[heatherb1958]

Guests who are from USA/Canada/UK and Eire receive free bottled water , tea and coffee in the MDR for lunch and dinner if the reservation was made after May 18. 

We got that confirmed on our cruise docs  on Meraviglia in Jan as it was a late booking, we did not have it on Bellissima as the cruise was booked before May 18 but wasn’t a problem as we pre booked the Easy drinks package. 

Things change all the time so this information could be out of date already. 😆.

[korpo024]

We were on the Seaview in July 2018 in the Med. It was wonderful. In May we were on the Divina, and both ships are great, but completely different!

Seaview:

Very big outside spaces! If you can't get a sunbed...it is your own fault!

For our 5 year old there was a GREAT splash waterworld with lots of waterslides! 

The main pool was too crowded, but the covered pool (which had NO roof all the holiday because of the beautiful weather) was better, because there was more shade (we needed that in the long hot summer of 2018!)

The Sportsbar is GREAT! It is large, cold, and always sports on! We liked it a lot!

The MDR is just okay. The food is gooed, the waiters were very good. 

The shows were good....

We had a balcony cabin...but beware....because of the lower walkaround deck...people are smoking everywhere...also under the balconies....especially the lower balconies (deck 9) had this problem....Smoking is still a big problem in the Med with all Italians, Spanish people and Germans....

We liked the Seaview a lot, because is was brand new, and it looked different from other ships....BUT we liked the Divina just a little bit more...

 

[glittergal1]

15 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

 

Can you explain what you mean by "different"? I see your other comments regarding small portions and longer dining times but I find that on American cruise lines too like Celebrity (when contrasting against the larger portions and faster pace of land-based American restaurants) so that wouldn't be different to me.

 

Many cruisers are use to certain cruise lines and a certain way of cruising and many do none or very little research and this is why many encounter things to moan and complain about .

MSC has many different nationalities on board so announcements are made a multiple languages 5/6 maybe as ive never counted, the same goes for the introduction to the shows again in multiple languages and as for the shows because of this they are more visual  based with acrobats and ariel artists, dancing , roller skaters , jugglers , contortionists etc many complaints are that shows are quite repetitive,  I suppose they contain a lot of the same elements but they are all different and can be quite mind blowing and mesmerizing, singing is often in English or you might have some in Italian and some opera. Again because of multiple nationalities the entertainment lacks quizzes and comedians there is a lot of dancing and again visual entertainment ice and fruit carving, cocktail making etc. 

Also with many MSC itineraries there is embarking and disembarking at every port so there is no sail away party (because every night is sail away)    so the ship is never totally full and there will be a muster drill at each port (you only do the one though) so you will notice this and some bars might be closed for that brief period. MSC are not big on giving port or shopping talks or info like some cruise lines so always best to do your own research.

Many reviewers complain about "rude" passengers shoving or not queuing its true there is less queuing but ive never been pushed or shoved. And Europeans can be quite loud and stay up late, hence the late dining times 9.30pm, 10.15pm  even 

Smoking is still quite a habit in Europe , And there might be a lot of men in very skimpy swimming  trunks by the pool.

Service is another thing you read about in reviews, myself ive never had a problem with service, its not so in your face like some other cruise lines you might need to catch the eye of wait staff for a drink or give a little wave of the cruise card , and at dinner im perfectly capable of pouring my own wine if its not automatically topped up by the very busy waiters. With MSC staff they are very accomodating its always best to say what you want and ask for what you need rather than expect certain things to be offered ,also be clear,  things can get lost in translation so to speak I read one review where a guy complained the waiter didnt know what a G&T was, Im sure had he have said a Gin & Tonic please it would have been understood.

Also the in cabin TV doesnt have many English channels 

Some activities also cost extra on board or some items of food, the ice cream bars or chocolate bars for instance so again its best to do your research .

Myself I dont really see MSC as "different" I enjoy cruising and go on holiday to enjoy myself I embrace different cultures and ways of doing things and I RESEARCH LIKE MAD and if I experience a cruise line not to my taste I just wont go with them again, Weve recently returned from our first Carnival and NO they are not for me 

[OceansOfTravels]

Makes me so sad to see such a great ship get such negative press - she is easily my favorite ship to date! I went on an RT from Barcelona this past August and had an amazing time. I had a Bella interior on Deck 11 and it was so new and quiet, I loved the modern fixtures and also being away from the noise. Having so many elevators made it easy to travel around the ship as well. While the top half of the ship is closed off to only those in the YC, I never found it hard to snag a chair to sunbathe in in any of the other areas. The aft pool is very nice as well, I loved spending time back there, especially at the disco at night. 

 

Like others have said, take the reviews with a grain of salt. It was my first time ever on a new ship and I absolutely LOVED it! I enjoyed all of my ports and the entertainment. There are some great shows onboard. So many restaurants as well, although I was perfectly fine with the MDR and Buffet for my meal options that I did not have off the ship in port. If you have any specific questions about the ship or my experience, let me know and I'll get back to you. But, generally speaking, the reviews can be pretty low for unresolved kinks as well as people just ahving astronomical expectations of what a new ship should be. I think it's all about mindset and attitude, and if you go wanting to have a great time, I think you'll be in for a great week!