We are halfway through our seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise on MSC Seaside and day four sees us docked in St. Maarten – an island that looks beautiful from afar but up close, well… hang on for a bit more and you’ll see for yourself.
Our ship arrived a little before 7am and we are scheduled to leave at 6pm – why such a long day here I don’t know, especially since our next stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico arrives at 7am and leaves at 4pm. Personally, I’d rather more time in San Juan.
After breakfast up at the Yacht Club pool, we gathered our belongings and headed off the ship for the first time since we left Miami on Saturday. This itinerary is a bit odd, as there are only three port stops on this eastern run – St. Maarten, San Juan, and the toilet of the Bahamas, Nassau.
Other cruise lines may throw in a call to St. Thomas or a private island along the way, but not MSC. The development of their own private island, Ocean Cay, is behind schedule, and prior to announcing their own island, they used to call on Norwegian’s island – Great Stirrup Cay. One can only assume that they no longer have an agreement in place to do that.
Our time in St. Maarten was brief. Brief enough to walk off the ship, head down to the “Boardwalk” to see boarded-up shops, deteriorating structures, panhandlers, restaurants that look like you can get food poisoning from just breathing the air, and a nice beach.
After about an hour of this, we looked at each other and at the same time said, “enough, let’s go back.”
Once back on board, I started at deck 5 and made my way up to deck 8 taking photos and video that I’ll upload later once I’m back home and the Internet speed isn’t reminiscent of 1989. There are 20 decks on MSC Seaside, so I still have quite a few more to visit and take photos of.
After a quick lunch up on the pool deck, it was off to enjoy a cigar and a cold beverage. I literally was the ONLY person on the outdoor deck of the Top Sail Lounge, which is reserved for Yacht Club passengers.
Meanwhile, my faithful traveling companion was back in the suite and ordered pizza delivery. I will admit I snuck a piece when I returned to the room later in the day and once again it was delicious. The one thing MSC has going for it in the food department is great pizza.
With full bellies, we set out to explore more of the ship when we both agreed to go and try the ship’s Zip Line that spans about half the length of the top deck of the ship and suspends you 45 feet above the pool and sports area. There is a $9 charge for this experience, BTW.
With helmet in place, vest and straps secure, I was attached to the steel cable and given a word of advice, “as you approach the giant video screen, put your head back as far as it can go.”
“Ok,” I said and off I went.
As I approached the giant video screen, guess what I didn’t do?
Right.
My head slammed against the metal bar I was holding on to and I bit into my lower lip. Thankfully the moment was captured on video and will serve as a constant reminder to always follow directions.
A few pre-dinner cocktails were on tap next and then it was off to our stateroom to get ready for the evening.
We attended the 8pm show, My Life in Music, which was a mix of opera and love songs ending in a stirring rendition of Time to Say Goodbye which resulted in a standing ovation. Two female and two male vocalists performed the ballads while the ship dancers and Cirque performers did their stuff behind them.
After the show, it was off to the ship’s steakhouse, Butcher’s Cut. If you’ve followed part one, part two, and part three of my MSC Seaside Eastern Caribbean cruise review, you’ll notice I’ve been pretty hard on the Yacht Club Restaurant and the below-average food we’ve been served there.
With prices about the same as a steakhouse on land, I had high expectations for Butcher’s Cut and was looking forward to it all day. The menu is pretty much what you would expect from a steakhouse – all the staples are there except for a baked potato.
The difference between the steakhouse on MSC Seaside and MSC Divina is Seaside’s steakhouse is run by MSC while Divina’s is run by Eataly – a third party. Eataly Steakhouse on Divina was not good.
Right away we noticed that Butcher’s Cut was different. The décor was more of what you would expect from a steakhouse – dark, comfortable chairs and a more sophisticated experience.
For dinner, you can choose a three-course experience for $39 per person or order a la carte. If you choose the $39 option, you can substitute any item from the a la carte for half price. We, being different, took a hybrid approach. We went with the $39 but added a bit of options – some half-price, some full-price, along the way.
We started out with a shrimp cocktail – four jumbo shrimp served with sliced peppers, jalapenos, and sauces. They were firm, cold, and delicious as shrimp should be.
The next starter in the lineup was off the a la carte – Kobe beef sliders. They were priced at $14 but since they were a sub, were only $7. Two nice size sliders that were flavorful, tender, and topped with cheese and caramelized onions. Also delicious.
For mains, we both went with filets – one an 8oz (included) and one a 12oz (upcharge) and we opted to make them surf-and-turf for an additional $18 each.
The steaks were done to the perfect temperature, had just the right amount of seasoning, and were fork tender and delicious – as good as any fine steakhouse on land. They were accompanied by four different sauces – bearnaise, chimichurri, mushroom, and a spicy steak sauce. They were good enough that no additional sauce or seasoning was needed.
The lobster tail add-on was Maine lobster – a huge tail, split in half, served with drawn butter. Again, fork tender, flavorful, and simply delicious.
For sides, we got onion rings and Brussels sprouts, which were included.
Our dinners came with dessert, which we ended up passing on as we simply ate way too much food.
The verdict – this was our best meal of the trip so far, even though it came with a $163 price tag with all the add-ons and upcharges. But, you can do this for just $39 a person. The food was so good, we’re probably not going to give the Yacht Club Restaurant a third chance to redeem itself on Thursday night and just go here again.
After dinner, we wandered around the ship, outside the Yacht Club area to see what was going on. All the public spaces were packed with people drinking, dancing, and getting ready for 70’s night in the atrium. We decided to head back to were things were a bit calmer, so off to the Top Sail Lounge where we were guests 7 and 8 at the bar – a nice change from the crowds in other areas.
A few cocktails and we were off to dreamland.
This morning we arrived in San Juan around 7am and we left the ship around 9:30am. It was only a few minutes after we were on land when the heavens opened up and a five-minute heavy rain shower moved in. We took cover under a banyan tree, and waited it out before we continued our walk over to El Morro and around downtown – more on that tomorrow!
Tonight’s dinner is in the second of three Asian restaurants on board – the sushi bar. We’ve already sampled some sushi from there, so we are both looking forward to dinner to see what else we can try.
That’s all for now as we get ready to sail from San Juan to our next port of call – that toilet of the Bahamas I mentioned earlier – we arrive there Friday, and I can’t wait….. to stay on the ship.
Personal Day-By-Day MSC Seaside Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of MSC Seaside
My Photo Tour of 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.