Today marked the first of two back-to-back port calls in Mexico as the MSC Seashore arrived in Costa Maya at 8:00 a.m. We were joined in port by Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess, which I sailed on last Christmas, and two ships from Royal Caribbean—Grandeur of the Seas and the massive Wonder of the Seas. With around 17,000 passengers and crew in town, needless to say, it was going to be VERY busy.
The port at Costa Maya can physically accommodate four ships easily—but once you’re inside the port, it’s a different story. Knowing it would be a bit of a cluster, I decided to wait until late in the day to head ashore, thinking it would be less crowded as folks started making their way back to their ships.
Wrong.
As soon as I cleared the obligatory duty-free shop, it was wall-to-wall people, shoulder to shoulder, with shopkeepers shouting to lure folks into their stores.
With the hot and humid weather, everyone was sweaty, stinky, and miserable as they pushed and shoved their way through the sea of humanity.
Having been here many times before, I knew exactly what I was walking into, so I wasn’t particularly disappointed that my plans were scuttled. I had planned to film a walk-around video of the port area—which includes a mix of local vendor shops and the usual suspects like Del Sol, Diamonds International, and so on. There’s also an aviary (which was closed), several bars and restaurants, a dolphin experience, and a pool with a swim-up bar—where you’re basically guaranteed to be drinking next to someone who’s been camped out in that stool all day… and probably peed in the pool at least four times.
If you want to escape the madness of the port itself, there are plenty of shore excursions to check out the usual tourist traps like Mayan ruins, or you can grab a taxi to Mahahual, a nearby beach town where you can do some exploring on your own. Taxis and third-party shore excursions are available right outside the terminal, but—as I always say—book direct with the cruise line for peace of mind.
This is probably the last time I’ll see Costa Maya in its current state before construction begins on a major transformation of the port and surrounding area. In 2024, Royal Caribbean announced they were purchasing the port and 34 surrounding properties for $295 million to create Perfect Day Mexico, a private, resort-style destination for the exclusive use of their guests.
Earlier this month, Royal officially took possession of the property, clearing the way for construction to begin on what’s being pegged as a $600 million makeover set to open in 2027. While the focus will be on developing Perfect Day Mexico, Royal will also be giving the port itself a major facelift. Cruise lines like MSC, Carnival, Norwegian, and others will still be able to dock at Costa Maya and use the existing port area—but they won’t have access to Perfect Day Mexico. Guests on those ships will have to admire from a distance and book a Royal Caribbean cruise if they want to experience it for themselves.
Plans call for developing more than 200 acres, including 30 water slides and what’s being touted as the longest lazy river in the world.
Back onboard—and away from the chaos—I headed up to the Aurea Private Solarium (sundeck) located on Deck 19 forward. This area is available exclusively to guests who booked an Aurea-class stateroom. It’s a quiet, tucked-away space with its own bar, a handful of cabanas (free, but first-come, first-served), loungers, and cozy conversation-style seating.
A few things to note: it’s a sundeck, so shade is extremely limited. There’s a small amount of cover near the bar and a narrow overhang on the opposite side, which is also the designated smoking area. If you’re looking to stew with other humans, there are also two hot tubs.
To access the solarium, you’ll need to swipe your keycard at the entry gates, so no sneaking in!
MSC WiFi Packages & Pricing
Yesterday, I talked about the two different drink packages MSC offers, so today, let’s switch gears and talk about Wi-Fi.
If you dare to ask a simple question like “How much is Wi-Fi?” in any Facebook cruise group, get ready for a barrage of comments from people claiming you should absolutely NEVER buy Wi-Fi on a cruise and should leave your phone and laptop at home. Ironically, those same people are usually the ones sitting at dinner glued to their phone or FaceTiming from the ship’s library.
In 2025, it’s just not realistic to expect people to completely disconnect while on a cruise or vacation. There are family members to check in on, emails to answer, Netflix series to catch up on—you name it. So, what does Wi-Fi cost on MSC Cruises?
MSC offers two different Wi-Fi plans:
- Browse Package – Allows you to access websites, apps, email, and social media. It does not support video streaming, video calls (FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meet), or large downloads.
- Stream Package – Includes everything in the Browse plan, plus streaming services and video calls.
Pricing varies depending on the plan, how many devices you want to use, and the length of your cruise. Unfortunately, pricing isn’t available to view until after your cruise is booked. You’ll find it in the MSC “Manage Booking” portal, where you can purchase add-ons like excursions and dining packages.
That said, here’s a general idea of what to expect for a 7-day cruise:
- Browse Package: $115 for one device, $215 for two
- Stream Package: $140 for one device, $270 for two
MSC, like many other cruise lines, allows you to bundle Wi-Fi and drinks into your cruise fare at a discounted rate when you book. The included Wi-Fi in that bundle is the Browse Package for one device. For this cruise, I chose to upgrade to the Stream Package for two devices, and the cost of the upgrade was $159 for the week.
Now, here’s something important to know:
Unlike other cruise lines where you can log out of one device and switch to another, MSC doesn’t allow that. The Wi-Fi plan is locked to the physical device, not just your login. So if you’re connected on your phone, you can’t just log out and jump on your laptop—that laptop is considered a second device.
If your cruise includes a stop at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve and you have a Wi-Fi package, the good news is you can use it on the island – just like the drink package! The bad news? Coverage is spotty at best. I also mentioned in a previous post that the Wi-Fi signal doesn’t work well on my balcony—which is a bit disappointing.
What about speeds?
While MSC does use Starlink, I found the Wi-Fi on this sailing to be slower than what I’ve experienced on other MSC ships. Download speeds averaged around 30 Mbps, with upload speeds hovering near 15 Mbps. Not awful, but not great either.
I had a few meetings this week that required Google Meet, and I’ll be honest—it was rough. The connection was choppy, audio was distorted, and it kept cutting out. These are issues I haven’t experienced in a long time on other ships with Starlink, so I was a bit surprised – and yes, the weather was clear and sunny.
As for our departure from Costa Maya, we were right on time—no pier runners here. The first ship to leave was Enchanted Princess, who gave us a proper sendoff with a salute from her horn playing The Love Boat theme. She was followed by Grandeur of the Seas, the oldest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet, and then it was our turn to head out to sea, bound for our next port of call—“just around the corner” Cozumel.
Main Dining Room Dinner Menu
Yacht Club Restaurant Dinner Menu
Dinner at Ocean Cay Seafood Restaurant
Tonight, I used my third and final specialty restaurant credit at the ship’s seafood restaurant, which shares its name with MSC’s private island—Ocean Cay.
The menu is a $49 fixed-price menu, where you choose a starter, entrée, two sides, and dessert. There are a couple of upcharge items as well, like the $59 seafood tower for two and the $45 Branzino for two.
Ocean Cay Seafood Restaurant Menu
The restaurant itself is located alongside all the other specialty restaurants in one central area on Deck 8.
I started out with the Tartare, which was made with yellowfin tuna and avocado. It was light, fresh, and a great way to kick off the meal.
Next up, I had the Cioppino, a fisherman’s stew loaded with clams, mussels, white fish, and prawns in a rich, almost gravy-like tomato base, served with sourdough bread. Fantastic.
For my entrée, I was going to go with the Dover sole, but my server steered me away from it and recommended the lobster tail with risotto instead—and I’m glad he did! The lobster was sweet, tender, and perfectly cooked, and paired beautifully with the several glasses of wine I enjoyed along the way.
When it came time for dessert, I chose the Pavlova—light, delicate, and the perfect sweet ending to a great meal.
For those who don’t eat seafood, there are two non-seafood entrées available: chicken and a New York Strip steak.
We’re currently sailing toward our final port of call—Cozumel—where the Seashore is expected to arrive at the Punta Langosta terminal at 7:30 a.m.
More on that tomorrow. As always, thanks for following along!
Daily Planner for Day 5
