If you are looking for a good value for your money (and who isn’t these day?), then I’d recommend taking a look at MSC. On our recent fall cruise on the MSC Seaside, we found the Seaside to be clean, with nice open public spaces, and a gracious crew. The value of the cruise to the money we spent was fantastic, and this was the weighty factor in our choosing this ship and line.
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Table of Contents
Pre/Post Cruise Option Orlando Theme Parks
How to get to Port Canaveral Cruise Port
The ship is home-ported in Port Canaveral, Florida. Port Canaveral is easily reached by flights into Orlando International airport, Orlando Sanford International, and even Jacksonville International airport. However, out of the three, Orlando is the easiest, both in terms of the number of daily flights, and ease of airport navigation.
My suggestion, especially if arriving through either Orlando International or Orlando Sanford International is to add a day to the front end and a day to the back end of your MSC Seaside cruise and explore the area. There is so much to do in Orlando, and certainly don’t discount Port Canaveral – it has a lot as well, including Kennnedy Space Center. Once you’ve arrived, you can either rent a car, or hire a car service to take you to the port on the day of embarkation.
Where to Stay If I Arrive Early
There are so many options here! You can stay in Orlando, and there are several hotels we like in this area. If you want to arrive a few days prior to your cruise and visit the theme parks – Disney or Universal, you can stay at one of the park-affiliated hotels. If visiting Disney, and staying in one of the affiliated hotels, you will get complimentary transportation to and from the resort and the park.
Hotel Options for Pre/Post MSC Seaside Cruise Stay for Disney World
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace – Disney Springs Area
I don’t know about you, but I hate having to pay for parking….especially at theme parks! So whenever we visit Disney or Universal, we try to stay at one of the theme park recommended hotels that offer shuttle service.
The Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace is located within the Disney World Resort and provides FREE theme park transfer service, making it one of our top choices for a theme park resort stay. Another plus is that it is connected to the Disney Springs dining and entertainment complex, which is one of my favorite places to visit.
The guest rooms have flat-screen TVs, small refrigerators (a nice perk!) and good bed linens. It is part of the Hilton brand, so if you are a frequent traveler and part of their reward program, you may get better pricing and/or perks. Amenities include on-site parking, breakfast, two pools, 4 restaurants, wifi throughout, fitness center, bar, and a golf course nearby.
Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
The Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek is another hotel within the Disney resort group, and offers a FREE shuttle to the Disney parks. This hotel offers five swimming pools, they are pet friendly (Zach loves staying at the Wyndham!), two restaurants, and a spa. Perched on Lake Buena Vista with gorgeous tropical foliage, this hotel is amazing!
The rooms have flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, refrigerators, robes and spa amenities in each room. The spa is perfect for getting relaxed from all the park activities before you leave for your cruise. It offers both inside and outside treatment rooms, and a nail salon. There is also a fitness room and lagoon style resort pool. We’ve stayed at the Wyndham, though it has been several years, and one of our top reasons for choosing this hotel is that they are pet friendly, IF you are not visiting prior to a cruise departure, you’ll be really pleased with the dog-friendly option.
Hotel Options for Pre/Post MSC Seaside Cruise Stay for Universal Orlando
Cabana Bay Resort
At Cabana Bay Resort not only do you get COMPLIMENTARY shuttle service to the parks, you also get EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter & Volcano Bay water park an hour before the park officially opens, making this resort one of the best choices for a pre-cruise stay. All the rooms at the resort feature flat-screen TVs, and other amenities include on-site parking, six restaurants, two pools, coffee shop (I love hotels and resorts that offer this – I don’t function without my early morning cup of coffee!) and wifi throughout the resort.
10 Quick Facts About the MSC Seaside
- The Seaside debuted in 2017, and was considered the 14th largest ship in the world
- The Yacht Club provides more than other ship’s VIP sections. On the Seaside, the exclusive Yacht Club area is extremely large, covering 5 decks! In addition to the perks listed above, the private Yacht Club offers a themed restaurant, private theater, private pool and a private bowling alley!
- The ship does not offer a quantity of dining experiences; however they are laser focused on the quality of the food that they serve.
- The entertainment is high quality; one of the things we love about this ship is that the shows were all broadway quality.
- There are nine bars and lounges onboard the Seaside, so there are plenty of options for sipping.
- There are four pool, four water slides, three hot tubs.
- The spa is phenomenal, and I loved the hydro therapy pool and heated ceramic beds
- MSC puts a high priority on kids, so there are kids clubs for all ages, including teens, and a fun waterpark that will keep them entertained.
- Dress onboard is casual during the day and business casual in the evenings.
- They designed the ship for maximum passenger flow, meaning that there are shorter wait times for the elevators, even during the high traffic times.
What To Not to Take on a Cruise
First time cruisers, and even some seasoned travelers struggle with what to take on a cruise. Here is a list of things you don’t need to take on your MSC cruise:
- Iron/steam
- Coffee maker/electric kettle
- Beach towels
- Hangers
- Alcohol
- Candles / Incense
- Expensive jewelry
- Hair dryer
- Too many clothes/shoes
- Power strip / Extension cord
What should you bring with you on your cruise:
- A lanyard to keep your cruise card
- Backpack / Beach bag
- Sunscreen
- Cash for tips (PRO TIP: Prepay for your gratuities)
- Cross body purse (women)
- Waterproof phone case
- Cell Phone
- Rain poncho
Cruising on MSC Seaside – What to Know & How to Plan
We were pleasantly surprised by our MSC cruise, especially the cost to value. MSC is a relative newcomer to the North American cruising market, having entered into the US market in 2017. It has undergone many changes during this time, and now, in my humble opinion, with the options it brings it is quickly becoming a major competitor for Carnival, Royal Caribbean and even Celebrity.
Prior to my booking our MSC cruise on the Seaside, I did extensive research, reading countless reviews across a myriad number of publications. The reviews were mixed, but there was one strand running through them all – MSC has a few quirks and snags that are still being worked through in the North American market. That said, in our experience, having taken two MSC cruises in 2023 they are working out their quirks.
Booking Your cruise on MSC Seaside
The booking process is a multi-step and multi-stage process. First you choose where you want to cruise to; then your departure port option(s); in the US these departure ports are New York, Miami, Port Canaveral (Orlando), and debuting in 2025 will be Galveston. Once you choose your departure port, then you will choose your departure date, a selection of all the ports that encompass the destination will show, click on the port you want, and then a selection of dates will show, along with the length of the cruise, and the beginning price, along with the ship.
The next stage is to select the cruise you want, with the itinerary you want. Once you do that, a screen pops up that reads “Choose Your Cruise Offer.” We choose the Best Value because it includes a drink package, and it is still quite affordable. Once you’ve chosen your cruise offer, the window brings you the total cost of the cruise, without any upgrades. When you click “Next” you’ll be taken to a screen that reads “Select Your Stateroom Category.”
Choose your category, you’ll see the new total for the cruise, click “Next.” Now you choose your cruise experience – Bella, Fantastic, or Aurea. We prefer the Aurea experience, because of some of the perks like Anytime Dining that are included. Then you get to choose your stateroom (in both the Bella and Fantasia experiences, you will be assigned a stateroom). Finally the last few steps involve inputting your personal information, and voilá you’ve booked your cruise! The booking process is not hard nor complicated, but there are a lot of steps to the final “I’ve booked my cruise stage.”
Bella, Fantastica and Aurea Experiences: What are the Differences & Perks
MSC’s cabins are attached to bookable “experiences,” which are Bella, Fantastica, Aurea and MSC Yacht Club. Each of these experiences offersa list of amenitiesand multiple cabin types.
The Bella Experience is the most basic of all and includes all the standard amenities, including line-branded toiletries, free buffet and main dining room meals, and most entertainment. Fantastica adds a few perks, such as free breakfast delivery to the cabin and the chance to request preferred dinner sitting in the main dining room.
Passengers who book the MSC Seaside Aurea Experience will get the most spacious cabins, along with privileges such as priority embarkation and disembarkation; prosecco and chocolate on arrival; free 24-hour room service, and free access to the Top Exclusive Solarium, anytime dining, and other perks.
The MSC Yacht Club is the highest cabin category, and it really is an all-inclusive luxury experience! This experience offers access to the accommodations via key card. The experience also includes dining in a private restaurant just for the Yacht Club, a private sundeck and pool, and an exclusive lounge with food and drinks, 24-hour butler service, free access to the spa’s thermal suite, and luggage packing/unpacking services.
Now that your cruise day is finally here, and you are set to depart, so what can you expect onboard your MSC Seaside cruise?
MSC Seaside Cabins
The standard cabin sizes on the MSC Seaside are, by industry standards, average. They all have two twin beds that can be pushed together for a king. Every cabin includes a couch, small nightstands, hair dryer, desk with chair, and a minibar (you will pay for these items), a spacious closet with sliding doors, flat-screen TV that is interactive with the MSC for Me app, on-demand movies (again for a fee), news channels, and cruise information channel.
The lights are turned on with your cruise card, and near the door are two switches to let your cabin steward know the room needed to be made up – this was confusing, because the lights are outside your door in the hall, so we had to double check we had hit the correct button.
A major plus for us was the number of outlets, including USB outlets. We each had six individual electronics – our phones, smart watches, and kindles, and we were able to plug all of them in.
The bathrooms are small compared to other cruise lines that we cruised on. The counter area is small, but there is a lot of shelf space. The toiletries are shampoo and shower gel. We were disappointed there was no body lotion; especially on a Bahamas cruise where you want the lotion after a day in the ocean.
Stateroom Perks and Features
Interior:MSC Seaside interior cabins come in two different categories – Deluxe and Premium. All sleep up to five guests and range from 151 to 301square feet. Instead of a sofa, these rooms have a chair.
Ocean View:The ship’s outside cabins are all located on Deck 5 and come in at 183square feet each.
Balcony:Non-suite balcony staterooms on MSC Seaside range in size between 172 and 183square feet (not including balconies). Deluxe balcony cabins have a 54-square-foot balcony with two upright chairs and a small drinks table; Deluxe Balcony Aurea rooms are all on Deck 9 and feature 97-square-foot balconies, two loungers, and a chair and table. Some cabins in this category also have showers with bathtubs.
Junior Suite:These units offer 183 square feet of indoor space plus a 172-square-foot balcony that has two loungers and a drinks table. Junior Suites can only be booked with the Aurea experience.
All Suites on MSC Seaside Come with Aurea Experience Perks
Deluxe Suite Aurea:Located on decks 9 to 15, these entry-level suites offer 215 square feet of indoor space, plus 86 square feet of outdoor space.
Premium Suite Aurea:The most basic Premium Suite on MSC Seaside comes in between 280 and 344 square feet and features large balconies ranging in size from 97 to 151 square feet. Units with terraces are slightly larger at 301 square feet; the highlight is the massive 409-square-foot outdoor space.
Premium Suites with private on-balcony whirlpools are 301square feet apiece. In addition to large balconies (75square feet) with upright seating and a small drinks table, they also include a sitting area with sofa, a small glass table and a walk-in closet.
Grand Suites:They range from 377 to 527square feet with up to 183-square-foot balconies that hold several upright chairs and a couple of drinks tables. Each also offers an indoor dining table with chairs, a sofa and small glass table, and a walk-in closet.
These suites feature either one or two bedrooms, plus two bathrooms, including one with a tub.
Dining Onboard the Seaside
There are two main dining rooms on MSC’s Seaside, Seashore and Ipanema, and they are identical. You will be assigned to one of these two dining rooms. If you book in the Aurea experience, then you will be assigned a dining room, but you can dine anytime at the assigned restaurant during the open hours. Our first night onboard we were seated in a very private and intimate table by a window, and that is where we dined each evening. It was pleasant, and we felt as if we were on a date every night! You were not rushed to finish dinner, so we lingered and savored our meals and wine.
The food was tasty and well prepared, however the menu is not large. If red meat is not on the menu and you would like a steak, they will offer it, but it will be with an uncharge for the Linz heritage beef. The portions were not large, which appealed to Jim and I as we don’t like large portions, we prefer to order an appetizer, a salad or soup, our entree, and finish with dessert. The waitstaff was always smiling, pleasant and knowledgeable about the dishes.
The other dining venues on the Seaside included two buffet options, The Marketplace Buffet on Deck 8 (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and the Biscayne Bay Buffet on Deck 16 (open for Breakfast & lunch), and both offer almost the same cuisine. We found that Biscayne Bay was noisy, because of so many families. We preferred the Marketplace. One standout item that MSC does well is their pizza. It is, in my opinion, the very best pizza I have eaten on any ship. Do not miss trying this stellar dish!
MSC does offer four speciality restaurants, the Asian Market, Ocean Cay, Butcher’s Cut, and Venichi 1878; however we opted out of these. We find speciality restaurants can be a niche change up on a longer cruise, but for a short 3 night Bahamas cruise, we did not try them.
Overall I believe that MSC is a great value for the money, and a cruise line that is a good choice for families. We’ve taken two cruises on MSC, one for my husband and I and one with our family. Both cruises were fun, relaxing, and best of all, a good value for the money.
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