MSC SEASIDE Reviews

We went specifically to try the Yacht Club at as low a price as possible. So we got an Inside Cabin and the lowest price we could find, which was for a three-night cruise. The butler service was the best. Vicente, our butler and Lester, our junior butler, were both great. Most of the staff in the Yacht Club were excellent. We booked one tour for the cruise in Nassau. The group took off and disappeared, leaving us behind. We went to the concierge to get a refund, and it took a fair amount of time to get it, which was unacceptable. They made it sound like it was OUR fault, even though I had hurt my feet trying to get to the group with no help. The Yacht Club Director Marco finally helped, but that was after a few hours. Still unacceptable.

Cabin - Better than average. But, even though I chose a cabin in between two cabin decks, we still heard noises of things being moved around up until late night.

Food - Good overall. But, cruise lines cutting back on food quality continues to be quite obvious here. No lobster the whole time, and the filet was tough. But some good touches with what the cooking staff had to work with.

Entertainment - The piano player and vocalist were very good. Their appearances were quick, though. They played for around an hour each night and then were gone. They did have a DJ for White Night and that was very fun!

Tours - Absolutely avoid! MSC just is the intermediary for local tour groups. The second that the money changes hands, MSC washes their hands of it and then blames customers, even in the Yacht Club, for when the local tour groups screw up.

Spa - I have never had a massage onboard. I did this time, as a gift from my wife. The masseuse was excellent when it came to the massage. But, unpleasantly, she was absolutely determined to learn about any medical conditions I had so she could sell me on super expensive oils and stuff. That made the whole thing unpleasant.

The Yacht Club is very good, but needs to up the food ingredients it uses. And it needs to respect its customers better when they have legitimate issues. Cruises are very rarely good anymore. So, MSC, having a good product, needs to make it worth the money customers are paying. And they need senior staff to respect their customers.

MSC Seaside Review — 2.5 Out of 5 Stars

My husband and I recently sailed on the MSC Seaside, and overall, I would rate our experience 2.5 out of 5 stars. While the ship itself was beautiful and clean, the overall experience left a lot to be desired, especially when compared to our previous cruise on Carnival Conquest.

Unexpected Charges and Hidden Costs

My biggest complaint was the unexpected charges and the feeling that everything was an add-on.

When we boarded, I entered my credit card information simply so we could make purchases if we wanted to. I was surprised and confused when we ended up being charged $51 per person in gratuities. I understand that gratuities are customary on cruises, but I didn’t realize these charges would be added to our account. I thought I was providing my card for purchases we personally chose to make. I would have appreciated more transparency.

The drinks were another disappointment. We ordered strawberry daiquiris with a shot of tequila, and each cost $17.50. For that price, I expected a better drink, but they were surprisingly weak. MSC also seemed to constantly push its drink packages, which were close to $200 per person.

It felt like we were constantly being encouraged to spend more money.

Food and Cabin Amenities

The food was just okay. It wasn’t terrible, but there was very little variety. Even finding a decent salad was difficult. The food options became repetitive, and there wasn’t much that stood out.

Another surprising disappointment was that our cabin bathroom didn’t even have real washcloths! For a cruise line with such an attractive ship, I would expect basic bathroom amenities to be provided.

Ocean Cay Compared to Carnival’s Celebration Key

Ocean Cay was another letdown. If your idea of a perfect day is sitting on the beach, you might enjoy it. However, we found it boring. There wasn’t much to do beyond spending time on the beach.

Carnival’s Celebration Key was a much more enjoyable experience. When we got off the ship, there were stores, things to see, and activities to enjoy. What I especially appreciated was that we could explore without constantly being approached by people trying to sell us something.

Nassau vs. Freeport — A Completely Different Experience

One of the biggest differences between our MSC and Carnival cruises was the experience at the ports.

In Nassau, we felt bombarded by people trying to sell us transportation and excursions the moment we arrived. We were approached about renting buggies for $350 for just four hours! We were also told that there were no rental cars available in town.

Fortunately, we were able to rent a car from Avis for $145 for the day. So clearly, the information we were being given about rental car availability wasn’t accurate.

I understand that tourism is a major part of the local economy and that people are trying to make a living, but the constant pressure was overwhelming. We wanted to enjoy our vacation, not feel like we had to negotiate or defend ourselves against sales pitches every few minutes.

Our experience in Freeport while sailing with Carnival was completely different. We were able to rent a car right at the port for $100. Everything seemed straightforward, reasonably priced, and much less stressful.

I realize that MSC and Carnival don’t control every independent vendor at the ports, but these experiences absolutely affect how enjoyable a cruise vacation feels.

Between Celebration Key and Freeport, our Carnival port experiences were far more pleasant, affordable, and relaxing.

What MSC Did Well

I do want to give MSC credit where it’s deserved.

The MSC Seaside was noticeably cleaner than Carnival Conquest, which is an older ship. MSC seemed to take sanitation seriously.

At the buffet, staff frequently served guests instead of having everyone handle the serving utensils. Hand sanitizer was also provided as people entered. I appreciated the attention to cleanliness.

I personally took additional precautions by using a napkin to handle serving utensils and wiping down our cabin with Clorox wipes.

Another unexpected positive was that we purchased rum while visiting Nassau and were allowed to bring it back to our cabin.

Why Carnival Was the Better Value

We previously sailed on Carnival Conquest, and even though it’s an older ship, we enjoyed that cruise so much more.

We purchased $200 in cruise cash, and that was enough for my husband and me. The food had more variety, the port experiences were better, and there was simply more to enjoy without constantly spending additional money.

What I appreciated most about Carnival was knowing what we were paying for. There were no unpleasant surprises.

With MSC, everything seemed to come with another charge. Between gratuities, drinks, drink packages, and other extras, what initially appears to be an affordable cruise can quickly become much more expensive.

I would honestly say that our Carnival experience was three times more enjoyable than our MSC experience.

Final Verdict: 2.5/5 Stars

MSC Seaside deserves credit for being a clean, attractive ship with good sanitation practices. However, the limited food variety, lack of basic bathroom amenities, expensive drinks, unexpected charges, disappointing private island experience, and stressful port encounters took away from our vacation.

For me, cruising is about relaxing, exploring, enjoying good food, and knowing what you’ve paid for without feeling like someone is constantly trying to get more money out of you.

I would choose Carnival Conquest over MSC Seaside again, even though Carnival has the older ship.

A newer, cleaner ship doesn’t automatically mean a better vacation. Sometimes the older ship delivers a much better experience, and for us, Carnival did exactly that.

worst experience ever.. it rained the entire time, which i understand, but then I guess that they had an emergency on the third day, and had to make an earlier time. nonetheless, in the haste, the boat was choppy, rocky, and uncomfortable. Very nauseating. I dont get motion sickness, but this was the closest that I ever been. totally incompensated, inconsiderate, and inconvenient for. the travelers. 1st and final time, while outwardly discouraging people to ride. lastly, the food wasn't good, and the elevators suck. the elevators take forever because you pre-select the floors. smoking areas are limited. entertainment was limited throughout the rain. people were literally all over each other in the cafeteria. I would only say that the bartenders were the nicest.of all.of the other service workers and staff. MSC needs to compensate or.offer compensation when an anomaly happens like this. im sure that no one enjoyed this experience.

My experience on MSC Seaside was extremely disappointing, and the way I was treated by some members of the staff was completely unacceptable.

The service at the bars was terrible, the service around the kids’ pool area was poor, and Guest Services was especially disappointing. Throughout the cruise, I often felt as though I was being treated like MSC had given me this vacation for free rather than as a paying guest who deserved basic courtesy, respect, and professional service.

The situation at checkout was the final straw. I was told that I had an outstanding balance. When I went to take care of it, I also requested a refund for a service that I had paid for but NEVER received. Instead of simply helping me resolve both issues, I was told that I had to pay the outstanding balance first and then go separately to Guest Services to request the refund. They could take my payment at that location, but apparently they could not help me with a refund for a service MSC never provided.

What made the situation even worse was the way I was treated during this process. I was made to feel as though I had done something wrong or was trying to avoid paying my bill. Quite frankly, I felt like I was being treated like a thief. That was humiliating, insulting, and completely unacceptable.

Based on the treatment I received, I genuinely felt discriminated against. I cannot speak to what was in anyone’s mind, but the difference in attitude and the level of disrespect I experienced made me seriously question whether race or ethnicity played a role. No customer should leave a vacation feeling that they may have been treated differently because of who they are.

The rest of the experience did not make things any better. The food was disappointing, the drinks were absolutely terrible and very low quality, and almost everything onboard was extremely overpriced for what was being offered.

I paid for this vacation. I did not receive it as a favor or for free. I expected to be treated with the same dignity and respect as every other paying guest.

A beautiful ship cannot compensate for terrible customer service, disrespectful treatment, mediocre food, poor-quality drinks, excessive prices, and an experience that left me feeling discriminated against.

MSC needs to seriously evaluate not only the quality of its customer service, but also how its employees treat guests from different backgrounds. No paying customer should ever be made to feel unwelcome, humiliated, or treated like a criminal simply for questioning a charge and requesting a refund for a service they never received.

After this experience, I cannot recommend MSC Seaside, and I would seriously reconsider sailing with MSC again.

It was my first cruise so I have nothing to compare it to, however, my first complaint is that my room appeared clean but had an odor that just wouldn't go away. The food on buffet was sub par and dining room experience was crowded and felt like they were rushing you on and out. The prices were insane and just very crowded, they charged 119 dollars gratuity for everyone in your cabin including infants and children and didn't even tell you. The best part of the trip was finally getting off at a port. I feel like soda and sparkling water should be free as it costs same as coffee and tea these days but all the extra charges plus inflated prices, the rushing and horrible food just wasn't a good first time experience for me. Some of the staff were super friendly which offset some of the negatives

Overall, we had a great experience on the MSC Seaside. Our Balcony Stateroom was very nice, and our Cabin Attendant, Raja, provided excellent service throughout the cruise.

We also had great service at The Seashore Restaurant from our drink server David and waiter Supiarta. The Biscayne Bay and Marketplace Buffet was good as well, with plenty of choices.

The Discover Nassau, Bahamas tour with Marco was very informative, and we really enjoyed Ocean Cay. It was beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing.

The only disappointment was our specialty dining experience at Ocean Cay Restaurant. Our table really enjoyed the Corn and Crab Chowder and Pineapple Carpaccio, but the grilled seafood was not as good as we expected. The tuna appeared undercooked for our preference, and the Beef Short Ribs had too much fat.

Overall, it was still a very nice cruise, and the excellent staff made the experience enjoyable. We would definitely give MSC Seaside another try in the future.

We just returned from a cruise with MSC, and from the very first day, our bodies started showing bites from some kind of bug. Every day, the situation got worse, and eventually the itching became so severe that we could barely sleep.

We reported the problem to the person in charge of our room, and they inspected it but did not find anything.

The ship was the MSC Seaside. I will never get on that ship again.

Another problem we experienced was that they did not provide small towels, and there were no irons available for our clothes.

The internet service was also terrible and extremely inconsistent throughout the cruise. The food also left a lot to be desired. At the buffet, they rarely offered any meat other than chicken. There was very little variety when it came to desserts.

At breakfast, there was only one person preparing omelets, and sometimes we had to wait up to 15 minutes just to get one. I miss Royal Caribbean.

The ship was absolutely delightful - clean, bright, modern, well laid out, with really lovely staff. However the food was unbelievably bad! Most of it was completely tasteless. We ordered snapper one night in the regular restaurant and it honestly looked rancid. Chicken lettuce wrap was quite tasty but the lettuce was limp like a wet rag. Pizza in the marketplace was burnt black, yet they were serving it like it was New Yorks best. I feel like MSC were happily slopping out pig swill without a thought of the population eating it. We didn't eat much for 4 days because it was so bad. Also the drinks were weak and had a sweetener aftertaste! I have cruised Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, but i have never experienced such dreadful food in my life! I have been in the travel business for many years and I can honestly say that I would be very reluctant to recommend MSC to anyone now!!!

This rating is based on price. was looking for a quick trip to the beach and found that MSC had a ship that stayed overnight at their private island.

I took a 4 day cruise with a stop at Nassau, and 2 days at ocean Cay, with no sea days. I used to be a big casino player so I get free cruises from most cruise lines, I am Diamond on Carnival and almost Diamond on NCL. The cruise cost for this trip was less than the "free cruises" that I get from the casinos on those lines. I booked an inside room with no perks, "Bella" level. 2 weeks before the cruise I was upgraded to a balcony and later I added the premium drink plan on sale for $200. My sister had considered going with me and when she was the rate I had gotten as a solo traveler she decided to book her own room, and she was also upgraded to a balcony.

Boarding was Easy, we pretty much walked straight into the ship after a facial recognition scan. The pizza t the buffet was good as was most of the buffet food at boarding. We ate all 4 nights at the main dining room. Food was good most nights, I tried the fish dishes 3 of the 4 nights, they were all good probably 4 of 5. The last night was Italian night, I figured that as an Italian line the Italian would be good, so I tried the chicken Parmesan and discovered I was mistaken, it was the only not good meal I had on the ship.

The breakfast menu in the MDR was somewhat limited, breakfast buffet was OK, they had an omelet station but they did not do eggs to order there. Breakfast overall probably 2.5 of 5.

The main reason for my cruise was to go to Ocean Cay and it exceeded all of my expectations. It was gorgeous, water was clear and warm. Bars were near the beach and drink service was fast. Every time I went to get a drink the bartenders gave me 2 drinks because my sister was with me, I had a drink plan, but she was in a different room and did not. (still even with getting 2 drinks most times I think 8 alcohol drinks was the most I had in one day) But I had lots of waters while on the beach. The first day my sister rented 2 chairs with an umbrella on the ocean side of the island, the second day I rented a clamshell by the lagoon. We spent the better part of both days in the water or on our beach chairs at the beach. The evening of the first day on OC we checked out the shops in the evening after dinner then found some seats on Lighthouse beach to watch the Lighthouse show. They were two great days on the beach.

Because we waited until we got their to book our seats and umbrellas the costs were higher I think it was $42 for the chairs, and $62 for the clamshell. I think a large portion of that was a Bahamian tax. For the low price of the cruise I think the cost for the chairs was reasonable, when you cruise super cheap you can't complain about spending money on a chair at a great beach,

The stage shows on the Ship were not very good, not the performers part, but the choreography and costuming was not high quality.

The end result is that My sister and I have both booked the same itenerary again in the next few months. I think for the price this was an incredible value and we both had a great time.

My moral victory on this cruise was that I did not set foot in the casino and either saved hundreds of dollars, or missed out on winning a lot of money. Since this was not a casino paid cruise I had no pressure to go blow my money in the casino.

MSC Seaside, August 31–September 4.

The buffet was the one bright spot — decent variety, food that actually tasted like food. The main dining room was the opposite: bland, overcooked, and the lasagna everyone raves about was a sad, soggy mess. Staff was polite but nowhere near Royal Caribbean's level — slower, less attentive, more "we'll get to you eventually."

The beach party at the lighthouse was a disaster. Two guests showed up with a massive personal speaker and cranked it over the beach party's own music. Fifteen to twenty-five guests sitting around us had to get up and move — their whole evening ruined. I complained to at least seven different employees. Their answer? "We asked them to turn it down." That's it. The app explicitly states no personal speakers are allowed on the ship or at Ocean Cay. Yet MSC sells personal speakers in the onboard gift shop. So the company profits from the product while banning its use. When I asked the customer service rep what would happen if I bought one from their own gift shop, set it on the bar, and cranked it — he stared at me like a deer in headlights. He couldn't answer, because there is no answer. The rule exists on paper, the product is sold on board, and enforcement is a shrug.

I logged a formal complaint through the MSC Concierge app, naming the exact location — First Beach Shack Bar — twice. The bot confirmed speakers aren't part of the event setup, said it flagged Cruise Entertainment, and told me to point a crew member at the spot or dial 99. The crowd was already leaving. The music kept playing. I have video of the speaker drowning out the official music. After disembarking, I spoke with several other guests in the customs line who were at the same beach party. All of them were complaining about the same speaker. This wasn't one passenger's complaint — it was a widespread problem MSC failed to address.

When I went to follow up, the customer service rep offered me a free meal at a Japanese restaurant. I don't eat Japanese food. I told him my favorite spot on the whole cruise was Ola Tacos and asked for a complimentary meal there. He said it was completely booked. I walked past that restaurant a handful of times that evening — there were maybe three people in it and a wall of empty tables. It was not booked. That was a lie to avoid giving me the one thing I actually wanted. They also tried to deliver a romantic gift package — chocolates and wine — to my cabin, which I was sharing with my daughter. I declined. When I returned to customer service, the rep offered me a photo package I'd already paid for. Those photos were already printed. Offering me inventory they were going to throw in the trash isn't compensation — it's a dump.

The photo desk itself was a joke. A staff member pointed at a kiosk, shook his finger, and walked off. Another couple had to show us how it worked. When I went to pick up my prints, I stood there twenty minutes while they couldn't find them. I asked about express disembarkment at the photo kiosk — the app told me to ask there. She said she couldn't help, sent me to the excursion desk. That lady said no, go back to customer service. I bounced between desks until I gave up and walked off the boat when I felt like it.

Ola Tacos was genuinely good — best meal of the cruise. The Fun Pass is a ripoff — only a handful of attractions and the credit burns fast — but I still had fun with it. The room had a loud hum like a humpback whale on night one, but they fixed it the same day, fast and professional. That part I respect.

Our cabin attendant Jordan was the actual star of this cruise — friendly, always in the hallway, handled every request, kept the room spotless. He earned his tip personally. The photographer who took our photos was a hero too. One named hero, a pile of named failures.

Decent ship, decent itinerary, but the food, the noise, and the runaround dragged it down. Won't be back.