Give me your "Best of" for Seaside, and MSC - IF it applies to Seaside

We booked our first MSC cruise for next year, and I'm trying to take a crash course on MSC and specifically Seaside. Tell me what your favorite foods are & where they are found on the ship, activities on board, etc. We are meat people, not as big on pasta but will eat some. We booked the Fantastica experience - so don't regale me on your yacht club experiences. We aren't newbies to cruising, but haven't done 50 of them either. Enough to gain Black status for the loyalty match. Thinking about purchasing the Trio - pros & cons? I've looked at the trio menus and found things on them we would eat.

Other specific questions I have - are MDRs open for breakfast? Is one open on embarkation day for lunch? (I'm not a huge fan of buffets, but sometimes for time's sake, they may be a necessary evil.) For my DH & DS's sake, what are the ice cream, sorbet and gelato options and availability? It's my understanding there is a charge for gelato, but we will have (collectively) 24 drink tickets (we don't drink) that can be exchanged for gelato, true?

I've heard about the excellent entertainment and understand that it's different from what mainstream American cruise line entertainment. We're good with that. Well, okay, I'm good with that - we'll see about DH. Also, let me know about your teens' experiences onboard Seaside. My son is 17, and will turn 18 weeks after this cruise, so this is his last in a teen program. He has enjoyed NCL's the most at this point. It will be a spring break cruise, so I expect there to be plenty on board. We are on our sailing's roll call and have signed up for the meet & greet.

So bring on the info!

Cruised with Seaside last month (May), Western Caribbean itinerary.

Evening Entertainment

Book your seat/s for all the (7) shows upon embarkation. Us MSC app or touchscreens available everywhere in the ship. The evening show at the theater is like "<Insert your country> Got Talent" quarter-semi final episode. Acts vary every night but it would include singing, dancing, acrobats, and magic. The shows have a different theme everynight but no storyline.

There is an improv (adult) comedy also at around 10:30pm.

Elevators

If your cabin is close to the aft, there is a seldom use elevators overlooking the South Beach Pool. The elevators service Deck 7-16. Our cabin was 5 doors down the aft, this was our service elevator. It brought us directly to the buffet in Deck 8 and a quick walk to the buffet in Deck 16.

Food

Buffet is good. Lots of variety. Observe meal times and you will have a good selection of hot (not cold) food. Serving stations are duplicated around the buffet but always survey the setup every day to have a good idea where they are. Lots of seating (indoors and outdoors, weather permitting). Soft-serve ice cream is available in Deck 16.

MDR (we had the 5:15pm seating). Our waiter served us well. Tell your waiter how you want to be served (quickly or leisurely). There is always a Classic Menu (very good steak, fish) served everyday, if you don't like anything on their menu for the day. I've noticed their serving is bigger but you can always order multiple entrees (or starters or dessert).

Port Days

Unless you are in an excursion, delay getting off the ship by an hour to avoid the chaos and rush of passengers at the gangway. And if you got nothing to do inland during port days, get back to the ship and enjoy the amenities (pool, gym, loungers in Deck 16).

Champagne bar!!!!!

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Shows: a little different than what we are used to, but there were standing ovations each night! Book early in the week, especially if you want one of the later two shows. The early show sometimes had a few open seats. The improv was pretty good, too.

Teens: had disco nights that looked pretty fun and packed with kids.

Gelato: was wonderful, including traditional Italian flavors like pistachio and hazelnut, lots of chocolate options. There were a few flavors by the Jungle Pool on 18, lots of choices at the Miami Pool on 6 (plus fantastic crepes made to order), and also plenty of gelato at Venchi coffee and chocolate shop - I think on 7. We joked that we’d cruise again just for gelato. I’m not sure whether the vouchers worked for gelato, we had it included in our “experience” and so ate way too much of it.

Meat: not their strong suit, but still overall good. Our steak was cooked appropriately. The fish is usually very good. We liked the different salamis and cold cuts, cheeses available. The carving stations were just ok, but that may be because we cruised last on Celebrity to compare to.

Ship tour: they offered a 3 hour tour of the ship one day for only 49 dollars. It was interesting and a great value.

Spa: If you like the spa, book a prepaid massage package and you will save a lot of money. Massages were very good and the Thermal Area was relaxing.

Have a great cruise!

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t

 

Shows: a little different than what we are used to, but there were standing ovations each night! Book early in the week, especially if you want one of the later two shows. The early show sometimes had a few open seats. The improv was pretty good, too.

 

 

Teens: had disco nights that looked pretty fun and packed with kids.

 

 

Gelato: was wonderful, including traditional Italian flavors like pistachio and hazelnut, lots of chocolate options. There were a few flavors by the Jungle Pool on 18, lots of choices at the Miami Pool on 6 (plus fantastic crepes made to order), and also plenty of gelato at Venchi coffee and chocolate shop - I think on 7. We joked that we’d cruise again just for gelato. I’m not sure whether the vouchers worked for gelato, we had it included in our “experience” and so ate way too much of it.

 

Meat: not their strong suit, but still overall good. Our steak was cooked appropriately. The fish is usually very good. We liked the different salamis and cold cuts, cheeses available. The carving stations were just ok, but that may be because we cruised last on Celebrity to compare to.

 

 

Ship tour: they offered a 3 hour tour of the ship one day for only 49 dollars. It was interesting and a great value.

 

Spa: If you like the spa, book a prepaid massage package and you will save a lot of money. Massages were very good and the Thermal Area was relaxing.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

 

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Where did the tour take you? We've done ship tours on a couple of different lines and I'm wondering if they show different places. Though, I will say that I always love seeing the galley!

Thanks so much everyone!

Keep it coming!

The tour took us through the galley of one of the MDRs, some of the food storage areas, the laundry, backstage at the theater, some of the crew areas, and the Yacht Club. No bridge or engine room, though. It ended oddly, with a free appetizer at the Bistro.

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The Thermal Area is also fantastic! We used it every single day! We did the circuit and ended with the snow room, which I thought I would hate, but it is fantastic!

Thank you for starting this thread. I recognized your avatar from the NCL forum.

I am trying something different too. Booked Seaside for May 2019.

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Try lots of stuff at Venchi including the Grey Goose chololate martinis. Don't miss Michael Jackson's "Timeless" show (seen above) as it's amazing. The Thermal Spa is wonderful and the prices if you book online are well worth it. Great spa area ......

Try lots of stuff at Venchi including the Grey Goose chololate martinis. Don't miss Michael Jackson's "Timeless" show (seen above) as it's amazing. The Thermal Spa is wonderful and the prices if you book online are well worth it. Great spa area ......

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Thank you for starting this thread. I recognized your avatar from the NCL forum.

 

I am trying something different too. Booked Seaside for May 2019.

 

 

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I'll let you know how it goes in March. Of course, ours will be a spring break family thing, so it will be different from yours to some extent. My TA is a little concerned that we may not like it. I think it's helpful to know what you're going in to because it can impact your experience in a positive way when you know what's coming.

I'll let you know how it goes in March. Of course, ours will be a spring break family thing, so it will be different from yours to some extent. My TA is a little concerned that we may not like it. I think it's helpful to know what you're going in to because it can impact your experience in a positive way when you know what's coming.

Thanks much! I am learning as much as I can and am excited for a new adventure.

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It's my understanding there is a charge for gelato, but we will have (collectively) 24 drink tickets (we don't drink) that can be exchanged for gelato, true?

Is there a drinks package I could book in advance for ice cream vouchers? I see a beer package and a soft drink package. Thanks for the help

Drink vouchers (like the ones provided with Fantastica experience - also, you used to be able to buy them) can be used for gelato.

I think someone was selling MSC drink vouchers on ebay.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but could someone elaborate on this? I have a Bella experience booked and am looking at what prepaid packages make the most sense to us. We are definitely a gelato kind of couple, and this will be our first cruise.

 

Is there a drinks package I could book in advance for ice cream vouchers? I see a beer package and a soft drink package. Thanks for the help

First MSC cruise in November. Want to prebook spa treatments. Can you schedule the actual time online or are you just buying a voucher and you schedule when you board. Did you have a favorite treatment?

 

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We bought a package ahead of time -Golden Jasmine for couples - 2 massages each, one massage and body scrub each and one facial each, for $550 total. Great value! The price almost doubled two weeks before departure, and would have been even more if you bought them on board. We could not schedule times until we boarded, so we went there first. The package info is printed on your boarding edocs. We brought the paper to the spa to book the times. They were open the first night and we enjoyed that!

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I discovered that we booked under the Drinks on Us promo, so we will not get drink vouchers. This promo does nothing for us, except for bottled water. Since you cannot get water otherwise in the MDRs, I guess that will be where we use it the most. But there is a 15% gratuity on each and every drink we order under the promo. I tried to get it changed back to the vouchers, but had no such luck.

Anyone else have helpful advice/info to add?

is there free on demand TV (movies and cartoons) like on Regal Princess?