THE FACTS: Carrying 4,000+ passengers, Seaside ranks among the largest of the ships. Modern power plants make this vessel much more eco friendly than many of her counterparts sailing the same route. With 1413 crew members, MSC did transfer many leaders and crew members from the Divina to train these new employees. This was to be the first of the MSC fleet to cater to Americans, while remaining loyal to her European background. At 20 decks high she towers over other vessels in port. Complete with a waterpark on her top deck, she caters to families as well as adults. We saw many “big kids” using the slides, zipline, and ropes course during our cruise. Purpose designed to emphasize outdoor space, this ships literally “Shines” indoor and out, with copious use of glass.
The Cabins; We need to be realistic here and say the cabins make the most of very little space. The standard balcony cabin my wife and I occupied was very clean and cheerful. We had a standard bed for 2, about equivalent to a Queen Size bed in the US Market. We had a couch and a wall mounted dressing / make up stand with mirror. Our bathroom had a small tub and an adjustable shower, with a fixed glass partial partition as a splash guard. By my “guestimation” we had about 175 sq. ft of space including the balcony. By other new ships in the American Market, this size is on the low end. Closet and drawer space were sacrificed for living space. The plumbing quit twice during our voyage, once while we were dressing for the evening, and the second time for several hours during the day
The Public Spaces; Here is where this ships shines, literally. Copious use of glass and shiny silver throughout the ship makes for a bright and lively experience. The Atrium rises 4 stories, with a performance stand half way up for entertainment, as well as a wonderful Atrium bar at the base. There is always some form of entertainment going on here. Kids on board enjoyed dancing with characters here and that was so popular many “big kids” joined in the fun. The top 3 decks have the waterpark, lounge chairs a deep pool, restaurants and bars. Entertainment was ongoing during sea days as well as most nights. There are plenty of shops on the lower decks to satisfy any shopper. One of the most interesting shops I found was a Chocolatier Shop. Here they had every form of chocolate imaginable, including delicious hot chocolate. You could watch the chocolate being made behind glass walls, and the imaginative figures on display would bring any choco – holic to tears of joy. They also had 1 of 2 Gelato stands here. Our favorite area was the Adults Pool on deck 7. The pool was a flat 6.5 feet deep, with a ledge on either end to sit and dip. No one under 16 is allowed, there is a full service bar and a gelato stand, and it is 1 deck below 1 of 2 buffet areas. There was more than adequate spaces for us to play cards and “people watch” on lazy sea days.
Check back next week for Part 3.
