Tomorrow we will begin our cruise aboard MSC Seaside. She is the first MSC ship built specifically for the United States cruise market. Christened in 2017, MSC Seaside is a large ship at 160,000 GRT with a total capacity of 5,179 guests. You might’ve guessed from the title, this will be a family cruise. We are just finishing up our packing and early tomorrow morning we will drive to Port Miami. We expect the drive to take around 3.5hrs. Then again, you never can predict Miami traffic. For this cruise I’ve chosen to try an off-site parking facility for the first time in Miami. The company is Global Airport Parking and they offer parking all over the country at Airports and Cruise Ports. A friend recommended this service and you can’t beat the amazing savings. Instead of paying the Port Miami garage rate of $22/night. I will be paying a rate of only $5.99/Night. I’ll let you know how this works out for us.
Since booking this cruise back in January, our whole family has been very excited. None of us has ever cruised with MSC Cruises before. or been aboard MSC Seaside. A new cruise experience is exciting to us all. My kids are looking forward to MSC Seaside’s huge water park and tasting the fresh pizza and pasta everyone is raving about.
Our Cruise Itinerary
- Day 1 – Leave Port Miami
- Day 2 – Sea day
- Day 3 – Ocho Rios, Jamaica
- Day 4 – George Town, Cayman Islands
- Day 5 – Cozumel, Mexico
- Day 6 – Sea day
- Day 7 – Nassau, Bahamas
- Day 8 – Return to Port Miami
New Cruise Line, New Everything
The first question my daughter asked about this ship was, “Daddy, Where is the ice cream machine?”. I’m told MSC Seaside has only one soft-serve ice cream machine located in the family section of the Biscayne Bay Buffet on Deck 16. We’ll be heading there tomorrow to find if this is true? To prepare for this cruise, I learned ‘Gelato’ is the Italian word for “Ice Cream” and it is much healthier than regular ice cream. It is much lower in fat and calories. So we will have to indulge and sample the many varieties of Gelato onboard.
Our cabin will be a balcony cabin the four of us will be sharing. This ship has what looks like a pop-up bunk bed from the sofa. It looks nice and stylish compared to the traditional pull-man’s that fold down from the cabin’s ceiling. The room service menu looks generous and offers the option to have a hot breakfast delivered to our cabin for an extra fee. They even deliver a full pizza right your room for an extra fee. I’m not sure what I will or will not do during this cruise but, I’m impressed by having the options to stay in and enjoy relaxing in our cabin. For me some of the best parts of a cruise is just being at sea. Sometimes you don’t want to get dressed up after a long day in the sun. Sitting on our balcony in the middle of the ocean with the love of my life. Does it get any better than this?
Entertainment & Activities
I’ve heard a lot of opinions about MSC Cruises production shows and entertainment. Our family is open-minded and we are looking forward to something different. I like variety and unexpected twists when going out and being entertained. I believe this helps keeps things exciting.
My family is looking forward to trying out the longest zip-line at sea, at a 394 feet long. We also are interested in trying the 5D theatre to see how it compares to ones we have experienced on other lines. I also have to admit, we love the game rooms aboard cruise ships. Me and my wife love to battle it out over a good game of air hockey. Our kids love playing the different arcade games and it is a fun treat for us all. We hope to try these things during our cruise.
More Things We’re Looking Forward To
- Seven nights at sea is a great length for a cruise. It lets you relax and enjoy yourself and gives you time to experience and explore the cruise.
- With two buffet restaurants open 20hrs a day and 11 food venues this will be a foodie paradise. We are looking forward to the fresh pasta and pizza everyone has been talking about. However, We are more excited to find unique find of our own to share with you.
- The ship itself. MSC Seaside appears to be stunning inside and out. I’m looking forward to exploring her outer decks. The open-air promenade and two glass cat-walks help make this ship and its design unique. In interior looks to be very elegant and glamorous. I’m curious to learn what an actual MSC Cruise is like?
- We plan on eating at least one of the specialty restaurants. We will make reservations once we make it onboard.
Stay tuned and follow us on Cruise Addicts social media channels. I will post often throughout the cruise and you can look forward to more in-depth coverage upon our return. If you have questions about the MSC Seaside, please leave a comment below.
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