MSC goes global
I just returned from a one week Caribbean cruise on the MSC SEASIDE.
My comments about the vessel are totally subjective and are my impressions of the experience on that particular sailing.
First of all I must say the ship is beautiful, modern yet not cold. The common areas are well spread out on several levels of the ship, so there are plenty of private nooks and crannies to find tranquillity and comfortable seating. The bars and lounges are decorated tastefully, and their use of subdued colors for the furnishings and walls was a smart choice. The only objection is the overuse of mirrors in many corridors giving a disorienting feeling at times.
Despite the fact that the Seaside accommodates more than 4000 passengers, I must say it never felt crowded.
I didn’t attend any of the shows, so I can’t comment on those, but quite honestly, in speaking to other passengers, none were raving about shows, or even recommending seeing them, for whatever that’s worth.
The balcony cabin I had was spacious, the bedding comfortable, the bathroom functional and typical of most ships of that category.
Storage and closet space was a bit sparse, but workable.
I was very pleased with the terminal at the Port of Miami, ( G) which was upgraded and modernized, making the check in process quick and seamless compared to the chaotic scene I experienced during the last cruise.
This was only the second ship to dock at their newly inaugurated private island “Ocean Cay Marine Reserve” and while one could tell there’s much more work to be done on the island, a pleasant feature was the enormous space on the various beaches, so even there you never felt you were in an overcrowded situation. The food venues, cafeteria like and with huge lines, were a big negative, also the lack of entertaining play areas for children needs to be worked on.
Now let’s get to the major flaws of the MSC line.
I won’t go into the detailed history of the company, but rather will synthesize as best I can.
MSC ( Mediterranean Shipping Company) started as a family owned company from the Campania region of Italy and went into the passenger cruise business in 1988. They initially were an Italian product which was reflected in the bar and restaurant offerings, as well as the mood and music onboard. As they began venturing beyond the Mediterranean, they began a transformation to make the ships more globally palatable.
This means, they have started to resemble all the other cruise lines in their category ( NCL, Royal Caribbean, Carnival etc..)
Result: food in the main dining rooms is mediocre at best. Some of their competitors do a much better job despite serving the same number of passengers. There are no more Italian waiters, sommeliers, bartenders.
The service is very spotty; you could sit at a bar for a long time before being noticed. Tipping bartenders (which is officially discouraged) makes a difference in service.
I’m not inferring Italians make better servers or bartenders at all, but I can say the entire mood of the ships is generic; one of many.
I think the marketing department of the MSC has missed the boat ( pardon the pun). Their ships could have been a piece of Italy in the Caribbean, Northern Mediterranean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, yet they decided to go generic.
Think of how many people go to great lengths to visit Italy. Everybody loves genuine Italian food, they love the mood, the music the ambiance.
Why not create that atmosphere on MSC ships? That would have distinguished them from all the others.
So they have an espresso bar and Venchi chocolate. Many malls around the world have those. At least the Divina had an EATALY restaurant when it was first introduced, but alas no longer.
Again my subjective thought.....no Italianity to be found.
Last of of all my greatest pet peeve: If one should want to sit in their cabin to watch the latest news, the only offerings are CNN Domestic,
CNN International, CNN Espanol, CNN Headline News.
Those are not choices.
I would rather have watched Italian news, but none was offered, while French and Spanish were.
A DUMB choice on MSC’s part. If I wanted fake news, I would read The NY Times.
