My View: 14 Days of Chasing the Sun on Seaside

[lexxfield]

This review has been so helpful.  We leave on the Seaside next week and I have learned so much from the details you have provided.  I do have a question for you.  I have Black Card status.  My e-Ticket has us embarking at Terminal F.  Is there an area at Terminal F where Black Card members have priority check-in?  Any details that you could provide me would be most welcome.

[reedprincess]

2 hours ago, lexxfield said:

This review has been so helpful.  We leave on the Seaside next week and I have learned so much from the details you have provided.  I do have a question for you.  I have Black Card status.  My e-Ticket has us embarking at Terminal F.  Is there an area at Terminal F where Black Card members have priority check-in?  Any details that you could provide me would be most welcome.

Just show your boarding pass/E-ticket on arrival, they'll direct you to the correct Black card check-in lanes.  

[Epos Man]

the screens above the check in desks upstairs will show the priority desks

 

[OceanDreaming2]

Thank you for posting such a thorough review. I didn't see you mention laundry. Is there a special offered? We are also doing the 14 day cruise, but not until October.

[nycfa]

9 hours ago, OceanDreaming2 said:

Thank you for posting such a thorough review. I didn't see you mention laundry. Is there a special offered? We are also doing the 14 day cruise, but not until October.

 

If you log into your MSC account you can pre purchase special laundry packages before you cruise.    I think there were two or three package offered. 

[dexddd]

9 hours ago, OceanDreaming2 said:

Thank you for posting such a thorough review. I didn't see you mention laundry. Is there a special offered? We are also doing the 14 day cruise, but not until October.

Did you jump NCL too Mary?

 

MSC has three? packages by the piece.  Largest is 40 items for $50 which is best value of packages.  If just you and DH there are smaller options.  Here is just one case NCL actually beats MSC with cheaper bag deal.

[giorgio1996]

4 hours ago, dexddd said:

Did you jump NCL too Mary?

 

MSC has three? packages by the piece.  Largest is 40 items for $50 which is best value of packages.  If just you and DH there are smaller options.  Here is just one case NCL actually beats MSC with cheaper bag deal.

Could anyone confirm what is the latest MSC Seaside practice/policy regarding only allowing all items (all 40 for example if you buy the 40 items laundry package) in one go and not on multiple days? Some have said in the past that they were allowed to give items multiple times during the cruise, up to the limit of the package they had bought of course. Anyone has any idea what is the latest news on this? 

[OceanDreaming2]

5 hours ago, dexddd said:

Did you jump NCL too Mary?

 

MSC has three? packages by the piece.  Largest is 40 items for $50 which is best value of packages.  If just you and DH there are smaller options.  Here is just one case NCL actually beats MSC with cheaper bag deal.

Yes, we're giving MSC a whirl. Also enjoy HAL. But we're not giving up NCL completely. Worked hard to get to Platinum Plus!

 

As soon as I posted my question, I realized I'd seen the prepay option for laundry. I'd like to know, too if we can split the laundry over 2 or 3 days.

[Epos Man]

After reading this I then remembered we were on the same 1st week cruise with the OP and I have to agree Gene was a perfect MC also as the OP says the cruise critic met was perfect

[APDMOM]

17 hours ago, OceanDreaming2 said:

Thank you for posting such a thorough review. I didn't see you mention laundry. Is there a special offered? We are also doing the 14 day cruise, but not until October.

 

Thanks to those who responded!  There was no laundry special while onboard.  Since we had 14 days, I had considered paying for laundry onboard, but it was very expensive. Pre-purchasing a package would be much better.  We ended up bringing a little collapsible tub and washing just a few items, especially exercise clothing.

[Epos Man]

1 hour ago, APDMOM said:

 

Thanks to those who responded!  There was no laundry special while onboard.  Since we had 14 days, I had considered paying for laundry onboard, but it was very expensive. Pre-purchasing a package would be much better.  We ended up bringing a little collapsible tub and washing just a few items, especially exercise clothing.

i think I may have talked to you at the cruise critic this is our picture

 

 

[APDMOM]

4 minutes ago, Epos Man said:

i think I may have talked to you at the cruise critic this is our picture

 

 

 

 

Yes, we did!  Hope you had an enjoyable time in West Virginia! 🙂

[Epos Man]

Yes we did our niece and her husband part own River Riders Adventure Park and Shrock Travel

[beachseasand]

Thank you so enjoyed this review.  Thanks for posing all the menus very helpful

Enjoy your next vacation.

[The Engineer]

Thanks for an amazing review! Me and my family will be on the Seaside in August and it's our first MSC cruise so naturally I'm nervous about the differences I've read with this line as compared to our usual Carnival or Norwegian cruises. Several things you noted have answered some of those concerns so I cannot thank you enough!

 

One question I had - what were people wearing to the MDR most evenings? I'm used to being on a relaxing vacation when I go with Carnival or NCL where cargo shorts and a Polo or T-shirt are acceptable, and I just somehow can't shake the feeling that MSC is more "uppity" and I don't want to stand out. I hate having to pack "nice" clothes for a vacation, it just takes up extra space in the suitcase and is more a hassle than not.

[Epos Man]

Cargo shorts and Polo shirts are fine if you want to wear a nice suit on gala and elegant night then you can most will dress smart for those nights

[ready2cruzagain]

3 hours ago, Epos Man said:

Cargo shorts and Polo shirts are fine if you want to wear a nice suit on gala and elegant night then you can most will dress smart for those nights

 

Is the Seaside more lenient than the Divina when it comes to shorts in the MDR? This past December on the Divina in the Caribbean, there were people at the entrance doors and told those that were entering in shorts that it was not allowed in the MDR and they could eat in the buffet or they would have to change. 

[Epos Man]

28 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

Is the Seaside more lenient than the Divina when it comes to shorts in the MDR? This past December on the Divina in the Caribbean, there were people at the entrance doors and told those that were entering in shorts that it was not allowed in the MDR and they could eat in the buffet or they would have to change. 

 

As long as they were knee length then there wasn't an issue

[ready2cruzagain]

26 minutes ago, Epos Man said:

 

As long as they were knee length then there wasn't an issue

 

Thank you for answering. I guess it varies from ship to ship.

[The Engineer]

what about wearing jeans in the MDR or even to the shows? Obviously on elegant night I wouldn't do that, just on the non-elegant nights I'd prefer to stay as comfortable as possible.

 

I just have this picture in my mind that MSC cruisers (being a European line) are older people who dress in khakis or Dockers and a sport jacket every night. Maybe I'm way wrong? I am crossing my fingers that they're warming up to the  "American" way of cruising.

 

Thanks for the responses!

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, The Engineer said:

what about wearing jeans in the MDR or even to the shows? Obviously on elegant night I wouldn't do that, just on the non-elegant nights I'd prefer to stay as comfortable as possible.

 

I just have this picture in my mind that MSC cruisers (being a European line) are older people who dress in khakis or Dockers and a sport jacket every night. Maybe I'm way wrong? I am crossing my fingers that they're warming up to the  "American" way of cruising.

 

Thanks for the responses!

Nice jeans and a smart shirt, khakis/Dockers and nice shirt, etc all fine on non-formal nights.  Europeans are as varied as "Americans" - you're talking a lot of countries and cultures there, each having their way if dressing, and all having the same variety within it that the USA has.  

Neat and clean is the name of the game - there will be a lot of outstanding sartorially elegantly  dressed folks - and lots of those will be from North America along with Europe, Caribbean and South American.  And lots in casual clothes - again, lots being "European" , North American or Caribbean or South American, etc. 

 

[#1TravelMom]

Normally I don't notice or care what others wear while dining.  This cruise - June 15 - I purposefully looked around each night to see what people were wearing.  Every night, even formal nights, I saw men nice shorts and polo shirts in the dining room.  I did not see any men in flip flops on formal night.  I saw women in nice shorts on formal nights, but also many gowns.  On casual nights, shorts and tshirts were common.

[APDMOM]

Thanks to everyone who assisted with answering questions about the way people dress on Seaside.  I agree with everyone that there was a lot of variety, and I did not see anyone turned away.  Many people wore nice shorts on casual nights, without any concerns noted.  

[Jossie1960]

All I ask is for people to shower and clean their clothes - the smell of BO is totally unacceptable. 

[Gallivanting Souls]

On 6/2/2019 at 8:25 PM, APDMOM said:

 

 

Can you please share more info on this? What was the vlog and how about pricing? Did they have a theolossalpool like carnival?

 

 

 

 

I visited the Thermal Spa for the first time today, as I have the pass. I purchased this cruise pass in advance after seeing a vlog about it.  The verdict is still out on whether I will find it worthwhile, as it is quite a learning curve to figure out all the different steam rooms, saunas, showers, salt room, snow room, etc. I will report back with my view on this area at the end of our cruise.