Wednesday, April 17, 2024

MSC Seaside: Cruise Experience Worth Considering? Our Honest Review & Perspective

bahamas cruise from port canaveral

While MSC World America’s debut in the US is certainly something to look forward to, she won’t be the only vessel sailing in US waters throughout summer 2025. Indeed, MSC Seascape will also homeport in the cruise line’s state-of-the-art terminal in Miami, while MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seashore will be based in New York City and Port Canaveral, respectively. For guests who want to see it all, there will also be an option to combine both itineraries to create a 14-night Eastern and Western Caribbean Cruise.

Night Bahamas - ShortDetails

Four MSC ships will homeport in the US in summer of 2025, including MSC World America, which will sail her inaugural season from Miami, Florida. The casino bar, in particular, was in disarray, with liquor bottles, tools, used glasses, and cans scattered across the counter, making it difficult for bartenders to work efficiently. The presence of an open bucket labeled "chlorine" near the back bar, next to consumable areas, was concerning and raised questions about safety and proper storage practices. Moreover, the availability of clean glasses was inconsistent, as dirty glasses were often mixed with clean ones.

MSC Seaside: A Cruise Experience Worth Considering? Our Honest Perspective & Review

bahamas cruise from port canaveral

Special treats are cruises to private islands in the Bahamas. Each of the cruise lines own one and they are very popular with guests. Freestyle Travelers is the ultimate resource for cruisers seeking to explore the seas. As the leader in all things related to cruising, our travel blog provides expert guidance and valuable information to enhance the cruising experience. We have earned our position as the top search result for cruising by providing unparalleled resources, insights, and inspiration to our over 1 million readers every year. With 23 sailings, 87 ports of call, 128 days at sea, and voyages across 6 different cruise lines, we have firsthand knowledge and experience to share with fellow cruisers.

Cruises from Tampa

MSC Seascape’s shorter sailings, which will last for 3 to 4-nights, will sail to the Bahamas, calling on Ocean Cay and Nassau. It is worth noting that for a ship constructed as recently as 2016, the number of touchpoints was unreasonably high. Every door required manual opening, and the mirrored chrome finish on most surfaces magnified the visibility of fingerprints and scratches. When combined with the overall lack of cleaning, these factors contributed to an overwhelmingly unappealing appearance throughout the ship.

Night Bahamas - New YorkDetails

MSC Seascape, which will share PortMiami with MSC World America, will alternate between 3-, 4-, and 7-night itineraries that will embark on select Thursdays and Sundays all summer long. The longest two itineraries offered by the 5,179-guest ship will be 7-night voyages to the Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean. The Eastern Caribbean sailings will call on Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Ocean Cay, the cruise line’s private island and marine reserve in the Bahamas.

Regrettably, our recent experience aboard the MSC Seaside has done little to elevate our perception of MSC cruises. We had hoped to see improvements in areas such as service quality, maintenance, and overall guest experience. However, we found that similar issues persisted, leading us to question the cruise line's commitment to addressing the concerns raised by passengers. Last but not least, MSC Meraviglia will be alternating between cruises to Bermuda and cruises to Florida and the Bahamas from New York, from where the ship operates year-round.

Night Exotic Eastern Caribbean CruiseDetails

The dishes lacked the finesse and attention to detail that one would expect from a dedicated dining room experience. Instead, the taste and presentation resembled buffet offerings, which fell short of our expectations. Had we known in advance that the food would resemble buffet fare, we would have opted to dine at the buffet during a regular dinner hour, avoiding the drawbacks of the assigned dining time. We felt that the quality of the complimentary food options on MSC were significantly lower than the comparable options on other major cruise lines.

Day 5: Port Canaveral (Orlando)

Port arrival and departure times are approximate and subject to change without notice. For more information please visit the official cruise line website. Venue hours, as listed in the daily program, were seldom accurate. Bars would open or close hours before or after the scheduled time. This inconsistency also extended to their private island, Ocean Cay. It is important to note that our opinion is based on a specific sailing experience and may not reflect the overall quality or service provided by the cruise line.

Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. However, we were disappointed by the quality of the food in the assigned dining room.

We acknowledge that each sailing can vary in terms of the crew, amenities, passengers, and overall experience. Our intention is to provide an honest and impartial assessment of our personal encounter, highlighting areas where we believe improvements could be made. Eexplore 2-day cruise itineraries departing from the vibrant city of Port Canaveral. Port Canaveral, located on Florida's east coast, is not only a gateway to the Caribbean but also a hub for space exploration. Home to the Kennedy Space Center, visitors can immerse themselves in the history and wonders of space travel before embarking on their cruise. About 285 miles away in Port Canaveral, Florida, MSC Seashore will offer a range of itineraries departing on Thursdays and Sundays.

bahamas cruise from port canaveral

It was a less-than-stellar experience, but we attributed it to the initial challenges of navigating Covid restrictions and reopening issues. Despite our reservations, we decided to give MSC another chance in May 2023 on the Seaside, enticed by positive reviews and strangely low prices. Other reviews on competing websites will say that these ships are wonderful, the food is the best they’ve ever had, and the experience is bar none. They may not disclose, however, that they had their cruise comped, the cruise line set them up with specialty dining every night, and allowed them to utilize the upgraded Yacht Club facilities. Our website prides itself on authentic and unbiased reviews. Our cruise on the MSC Seaside was paid for by us, along with any dining or package upgrades.

The flagship of MSC Cruises’s World-class fleet, MSC World America, will spend its inaugural season based in Miami, Florida. The 6,762-passenger ship is currently in the final phases of construction, but will homeport at what will be the world’s largest cruise terminal when it enters service in April of 2025. MSC cruises are often attractively priced and peppered with promotions like free drinks or kids sail free.

The 6 Best Cruise Ships in the Bahamas: A Comparison - Cruise Critic

The 6 Best Cruise Ships in the Bahamas: A Comparison.

Posted: Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

“We want our guests to experience MSC Cruises’ most modern and innovative ships, whether they’re on a quick weekend getaway or the vacation of a lifetime. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. Our experience on the MSC Seaside, a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral with stops at Nassau and the private island Ocean Cay, was our second sailing with MSC Cruises. Our first encounter was on the MSC Divina during the cruise restart after Covid in November 2021.

Nassau is a shopper's paradise offering everything from designer fashions and jewelry at duty-free prices to locally produced arts and crafts. Join in the fun of bargaining at the famous Straw Market or browse in the fashionable elegance of Bay Street's international boutiques. The city is on New Providence Island, neighbor to Paradise Island.

Kids have three unique youth spaces where they can hang out with others their age and enjoy supervised activities, games and more.

Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world.

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