Just off of the Seaside A++

[dssking]

Our group just completed our cruise on the Seaside and in MY opinion, it was nothing short of fantastic.

There were 17 people in our group, ranging from 14 to 75 years of age.

 

The Pro's are the ship, as new as it was, was VERY clean.  Plenty of chrome, stainless and mirrors - materials not usually used in other cruise lines I've travelled.

Public areas are great with plenty of seating, bars are great and the staff are mostly attentive.  The Viche chocolate bar was a favorite before bed.  The casino bar was always good if all other bars were packed.

The main dining room never disappointed.  There was something for everyone - they had the staple entres such as a NY steak, chicken, pork and fish.  There was, of course, nightly options such as seafood dishes, duck, pastas and of course, the prime rib which came to me as a surprise.  I never order prime rib mainly because it's never cooked the way I'd like it.  Everyone in our party commented on how PERFECT this was cooked.  Cooking for 4000 people and to get it RIGHT is a feat all by itself.  All in all, MDR food was fantastic.

The buffet is where we met for breakfast and it too was your typical breakfast that didn't disappoint.  

But as far as the buffet went, in that venue was PIZZA.  I have a pizza oven in my backyard and this was the same!  Amazing pizza that was had each night before bed, and at lunch time.  Simply amazing.  Thin crust, just the right amount of sauce.  A+

 

The Cons - The shows weren't long enough.  That's it.  ONE complaint.  The quality of the shows were A+, just not long enough.  The itinerary was horrible but that's my fault for choose it.

 

Otherwise, 7 days out, it was VERY enjoyable.  We chose this itinerary for the ship this time and NOT for the ports.  So I can't complain.  We didn't get to Puerto Rico until 5pm and left at midnight, however with that arrival time, it doesn't lend to doing much at all because San Juan closes down more or less.  We had a chance to have dinner at Raices which we always visit while there.  St. Thomas was as it always is....shopping and beach.  Nassau, same - beach.  
The private island (Ocean Cay Marine Reserve) was mostly complete and was pretty good if all you want is beach.  Lots of bars and the buffet they set up didn't disappoint either. Service was fantastic all around the island.    

 

Again, the itinerary wasn't the greatest.... 

 

Overall, this was my first MSC cruise and certainly won't be my last.    This was a brief review and would be happy to answer questions.

 

Cheers

Vijay

[Jembeccatoo]

Thank you for the upbeat review!

[Ron_L]

Thanks! We're looking at the Seaside for February, 2021.

 

What type of cabins did you have?

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Thank you for taking the time to do a review.  I was glad to hear that you and your group had such a great time.  It is always nice to hear about a review with no major complaints.  MSC has come a long way in a short period of time.

[dssking]

Ron_L, we all had inside fantastica cabins.  While balconies would have been better, for the first time on the Seaside and on MSC, we decided to start there.

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Did you take pics of any menus? Like the chocolate bar? I'm interested in offers and price range... We are on her end of May. Same route. How was navigating the buffet? It looks like their are 2 buffet on this ship? 

[Toofarfromthesea]

Nice review.  Ironically your one Con, the shows being too short, would be a Pro, for me.

[reedprincess]

4 hours ago, AerynSun_JohnCrighton said:

Did you take pics of any menus? Like the chocolate bar? I'm interested in offers and price range... We are on her end of May. Same route. How was navigating the buffet? It looks like their are 2 buffet on this ship? 

Bar menus and daily planner  here:

Yes, there are 2 buffets aboard 

Deck 16 Biscayne Bay buffet is smaller and more geared towards kid food/easy pool food - biggest, pizza, burgers, pasta, etc.  Closes at 4pm.

Deck 8 Buffet is huge - wraps all the way around the aft of the deck with different stations with different focus - grill, pizza!!, Mediterranean, Ethnic, carving station, pastas and soup, dessert, salad bar, fruit bar, etc. Closes at 1/2am..

 

MDR menus here: 

 

[fishin' musician]

On ‎2‎/‎17‎/‎2020 at 5:19 PM, dssking said:

 We had a chance to have dinner at Raices which we always visit while there. 

 

Us too, the worlds finest mofongo!

[jdvmd]

Love the Seaside! Glad you enjoyed!

[dssking]

The chocolate bar was deserved a nightly visit, as did the deck 8 buffet for pizza.  

 

The chocolate bar has a few varieties that fell into the Easy Drink Package ($6 and under).  The pizza was always cooked to perfection with a variety of toppings to suit even the pickiest eater.  

 

Can't stress enough how there's something for everyone on this ship.  From drink offerings, food, and entertainment (although short)

[Nashna]

Great review!  Thanks for sharing.  Sailing with 17 others can be a challenge, so glad you enjoyed the cruise.

 

[gratamama]

Thanks for this review. Our family (12 people in all - 4 cabins) is doing the Seaside this Christmas. We've got a different itinerary and I'm so looking forward to this.

 

Question How was your large group accommodated in the dining room? Any other "big group" tips?

 

[lstockford]

Did you have the Easy Drink Package??

If so, how was it - did you feel extremely limited in what you could order?  Any thoughts are appreciated.

[GOLDENBONNY]

10 minutes ago, lstockford said:

Did you have the Easy Drink Package??

If so, how was it - did you feel extremely limited in what you could order?  Any thoughts are appreciated.

you can find full list what included on this board