I just set sail on a much-anticipated adventure on one of the world’s newest and most innovative cruise ships – the 5,100-passenger MSC Seaside. One look at this unique ship and you can tell she’s unique – both in architecture and amenities.
For this cruise, our accommodations are in the ultra-luxurious and private MSC Yacht Club – the line’s ship within a ship concept where the pampering begins even before you step foot on the gangway.
We arrived at PortMiami just before 1pm, handed the luggage over to a porter, and began to make our way over to the check-in area. When the agent saw we were staying the in Yacht Club, we were escorted over to a separate dedicated check-in where we were asked, “where is your luggage?”
Unfortunately, I did not know that instead of giving our bags to a stevedore and having our luggage delivered later in the day, Yacht Club guests simply tote their luggage to this location and a butler brings it with them to your stateroom.
Once we hit this first check-in point, a butler escorted us into the terminal where a passport check was completed, bags were screened, and we were led to the Yacht Club lounge in the terminal where final preparations were made for boarding. While we waited, light snacks and refreshments were served.
In just a few moments, our names were called and we had our security photo taken, our cruise card issued and a wristband put on our arm that acts as a GPS locator (in case we manage to get lost after one too many Manhattans) and key to our stateroom door.
Off we went, led by a white-gloved butler, past throngs of other passengers waiting their turn to board the ship. Up the gangway, we went straight to the Yacht Club where we were given a brief tour of the area which includes a private restaurant, bar/lounge, sun deck, pool, pool bar and grill, and other amenities reserved just for those staying in this class of accommodations.
We were then led to our stateroom where our butler went over the features of the room including, most importantly, the free mini-bar. Other perks of staying in the Yacht Club include free beverages, both alcoholic and non throughout the ship, and up to 3 GB of wireless internet access for free as well.
BONUS! Take a tour of the Yacht Club on MSC Divina.
Let’s talk about the stateroom. Yacht Club accommodations feature upgraded amenities such as a marble bath and a much larger shower, which is most welcome on a cruise ship as some showers are nothing more than a narrow tube you step into and water rains down on you.
The room has two closets, which let’s face it… are really only enough for one person’s clothing especially since I pack enough for three months on board. The previously mentioned mini-bar/fridge, large screen TV, a double bed which can be converted to two twins, sitting area, and a nice sized balcony with two chairs and a footrest.
After we got settled in, we decided to a brief tour of the ship’s common areas. The most stunning is the atrium which spans several of the ship’s decks and features large video screens from top to bottom. At the time we were looking around, a DJ was entertaining guests while drinks were flowing and guests were continuing to embark.
Some photos from other public areas of the ship:
The ship’s main dining room – the Sea Shell Restaurant:
The Haven Lounge, one of the ship’s many, many, many bars:
The “Garage” is a motor-themed bar/lounge with a retro look featuring a vintage Vespa (I miss my Vespa, by the way), and a classic Cadillac:
A Bowling Alley, which is a lot larger than the alley on MSC Divina:
The F1 simulator, which is on MSC Divina as well, is also on MSC Seaside:
The Champagne Bar:
We didn’t get to explore much more of the ship because it was time for the obligatory muster drill. Thankfully, we did not need to don our life jackets. On MSC Seaside, lifejackets are not in the staterooms but are handed out at the muster station if needed. On MSC Divina, we needed to don our jackets and then head to muster, which was a bit of a disorganized mess.
The muster began a little after 4pm and lasted about 20 minutes. Crew demonstrated the use of the life jackets in about six different languages which slowed down the process. Nobody seemed to be paying attention, which is normal, and we all were thankful when it was over.
After, we stopped by the ship’s buffet to grab a slice (or two) of pizza, which on MSC is always delicious. On MSC Divina, there is a pizza restaurant, here on Seaside, there isn’t and pizza is only available at the buffet or via pizza delivery from room service – more on that later. The pizza was delicious, as one would expect from an Italian ship.
From there it was back to our stateroom to shower and get ready to watch the ship sail out of PortMiami and out into the Atlantic. As always, the views from the balcony were amazing as we sailed out shortly after 7pm.
Next up, we headed to the Metropolitan Theater for the evening’s show – a tribute to Frank Sinatra. The theatre itself is much different than the one on MSC Divina. Here there is no balcony, the ceiling is uncomfortably low, and it seats much fewer guests – the stage area seems much smaller as well.
The show itself was good – the performers were familiar faces from MSC Divina and it was similar to the Sinatra show offered on Divina with the one lead male singer the same.
Afterward, we headed up to the Yacht Club’s restaurant for dinner where we were given a table for two by the window. After reviewing the menu, we settled on:
Tomato Bisque and Beef Carpaccio for starters. The bisque was pretty average, with nothing spectacular about it and the carpaccio pretty much was average as well.
Next up, we both went with our server’s recommendation – the New York Strip. The steak was thin and fatty, and instead of being served with a green peppercorn sauce as noted, it was served with brown gravy. Not a good choice.
I also asked for a side of pasta – this was the star of the evening even though it wasn’t the main course. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was spicy had a nice hint of basil and was simply delicious. As expected being on an Italian ship!
For dessert, we chose the sugar-free apple crumble and strawberry gelato – both were really good.
Overall, for the exclusivity of the Yacht Club, this first dinner was very disappointing. I expected better, especially with the steak. I remember saying, “this is a steak you would expect to get if you ordered steak and eggs for breakfast at a diner!”
After dinner, we headed downstairs to the Yacht Club lounge where we went outside on the deck to enjoy some Cuban cigars we picked up earlier in the ship’s duty-free shop. Those and a nice glass of cognac were supposed to be the end of the night, but it wasn’t.
On the way back to our stateroom we looked at each other and said, “one more drink.” We headed to the nearest bar where we had one more nightcap around 11:30pm. The bar was supposed to be open till 2am but they were tearing it down shortly before midnight so we said, “ok, back to our room.”
When we got back, we were both a tad bit hungry since our dinner was not all that great. We ordered a pepperoni pizza for delivery and it was fantastic! I continue to say, the best pizza is on an MSC cruise ship!
Off to dreamland, we went as we sailed on our way to St. Maarten which is our next port of call. This morning we woke up late, headed to the Yacht Club Pool Bar for breakfast then attended a social gathering for Yacht Club guests where cocktails and canapes were served while the Captain introduced himself to us.
The weather onboard today is fabulous with plenty of sun and a light breeze. The sea is calm and I’m sitting at the pool bar enjoying a few cocktails as I write today’s installment.
Later on, we are having dinner in one of the ship’s three, yes three Asian restaurants! We bought a package for $90 per person for dinner in each which are looking forward to. We decided to skip the ship’s steakhouse restaurant as we were disappointed with MSC Divina and our butler recommended we go with the Asian restaurants instead.
Strangely, there is no Italian restaurant or pizza outlet onboard, other than the buffet or pizza delivery.
That’s all for now, more tomorrow as we continue our journey on this seven-day Caribbean cruise on MSC Seaside!
P.S. For those wondering, Internet pricing on MSC Seaside is not based on minutes, but rather on gigs of data. Current pricing as of this sailing is:
- Unlimited – one device with unlimited web surfing and no video streaming – $199.90 per cruise or $44.90 per day.
- Premium Internet – up to 4 devices, chat apps, social networking, web surfing, email – $143.91 for 6,000 MB
- Standard Internet – up to 2 devices, chat apps, social networking, web surfing, email – $89.91 for 3,000 MB
- Chat & Social – 1 device, chat apps, and social networking: WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat, WeChat, Pinterest, VK, Odnoklassniki, Sinawelbo, Qzone. No audio calls, videos or web surfing – $49.90 for 1,500 MB.
Personal Day-By-Day MSC Seaside Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of MSC Seaside
My Photo Tour of the MSC Seaside will showcase the ship’s stunning design, innovative features, and world-class amenities. We’ll take you through the ship’s impressive atrium, with its sparkling Swarovski crystal staircase, to the lush greenery of the outdoor promenade. You’ll get an up-close look at the MSC Seaside’s thrilling water park, chic lounge areas, and luxurious spa facilities. And of course, the ship’s many dining options, from casual beachside bites to elegant specialty restaurants.