Editor’s be aware: TPG’s Ashley Kosciolek accepted a free journey from MSC Cruises to sail on MSC Seascape. The opinions expressed under are fully hers and weren’t topic to assessment by the road.
I’ve sailed all 4 of MSC Cruises’ Seaside-class vessels, and MSC Seascape is the very best one but.
Apart from just a few eating places with totally different names, it is a close to carbon copy of older sister MSC Seashore, which debuted in 2021 as the primary vessel within the line’s Seaside EVO (brief for evolution) sub-class.
That mentioned, there are nonetheless a number of noteworthy points that caught my consideration. From main kudos to minor niggles, here is what I favored — and did not like — on this glitzy 18-deck marvel.
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What I favored
Robotron
Robotron, a robotic arm amusement trip on deck 19, appeared like a gimmick at first, however it’s really a number of enjoyable.
The trip holds three individuals and gives three speeds — sluggish, medium and quick. It lifts riders into the air, twisting and turning them to the beat of the music they choose beforehand.
Not solely is it extra thrilling than I anticipated, it runs for about three minutes per trip and gives practically 360-degree views of the ship’s outside environment. It’s nicely well worth the $10-per-ride price ticket.
The Yacht Club
For the primary time, I stayed in MSC’s Yacht Club, a non-public suite space you possibly can solely entry with a particular keycard.
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I used to be blown away by the sheer magnificence and excessive degree of service, with my butler delivering every day newspapers and specialty espresso, dealing with spa reservations and escorting me to dinner every night time.
A keep within the Yacht Club comes with extras like extra cabin house (all cabins are suites) and an unique restaurant, lounge and solar deck with a pool and scorching tubs.
In addition to nicer digs and semi-private amenities, cruisers additionally obtain precedence embarkation and disembarkation, butler and concierge companies, limitless in-cabin mini-bar drinks, free alcohol within the Topsail Lounge, an elevated eating menu, one free bottle of spirits, personal elevator entry, reserved theater seating and different perks.
Americanization
One of the most important ache factors for MSC Cruises lately is its seeming lack of ability to grasp what Americans need as the road continues to construct ships particularly geared towards the North American market. I’m excited to say I believe MSC Seascape represents a pivotal change in that space.
In addition to shorter dinners and bigger portion sizes within the onboard eating places, the extent of service additionally feels elevated, even outdoors of the Yacht Club. Waiters are extra attentive, the parents at visitor companies are extra pleasant, and I observed extra smiles from crew members throughout.
That’s to not say the service is unhealthy on different vessels, however it’s decidedly European. That means dinners routinely take two to a few hours, waiters test in much less incessantly throughout meals to see what you would possibly want, and repair all through is mostly extra brusque, bordering on aloof.
It appears MSC has, maybe, begun coaching crew in a extra American model of service.
Familiarity
Because that is the fourth Seaside-class ship and the second within the Seaside EVO sub-class, the vessel is acquainted.
Those who’ve sailed on the others, significantly MSC Seashore, will discover that MSC Seascape appears like house. You’ll board understanding precisely the place to go, which suggests you will not should spend time studying your means round earlier than having fun with your trip.
You’ll additionally discover your favorites — the Jungle Pool, waterslides, youngsters membership, arcade, Bridge of Sighs, buffet and eating places — in all the identical locations.
Venchi
Speaking of favourite returning venues, I’d be remiss if I did not give a shoutout to Venchi.
The chocolate-themed bar on Deck 6, named for its partnership with the famed Italian chocolatier, reprises its function on MSC Seascape. It gives a number of the finest espresso and scorching chocolate drinks (with or with out alcohol) I’ve ever tasted, together with each recent sweets and wrapped goodies for buy.
Even extra spectacular are the chocolate sculptures the crew craft by hand for all types of particular events. On my crusing, they constructed a bonsai tree, an anchor, a barely creepy Santa Claus and a likeness of Doremi, the cruise line’s mascot.
Venchi additionally options an lovable seating space with high-top tables and stools that appear like chocolate sandwich cookies. It could be loud throughout peak instances, however typically is a pleasant place to satisfy associates, test e-mail or just loosen up with a drink.
What I did not take care of
Near-constant noise
In line with MSC’s normal of decor, MSC Seascape is elegant to the max. It drips with chrome and crystal. However, the glamour clashes laborious with the noise degree nearly all over the place on board.
On one night time of my voyage, I used to be consuming dinner at Hola!, a specialty Mexican restaurant, which is simply off the atrium. My eating companion and I jumped out of our seats when an atrium present abruptly began at a ridiculous quantity that, frankly, made it inconceivable to have a dialog as we completed our meal.
Elsewhere, it is tough to discover a quiet place to learn or work, as all lounges appear to both characteristic stay music or tunes which might be piped in at decibels that really feel wildly inappropriate.
Smoke
Smoking on board is allowed solely in designated outside areas and within the on line casino. However, the air filtration is not nice within the latter, which suggests the odor wafts out into the atrium, making for a considerably disagreeable expertise for anybody who does not mild up.
Additionally, given the on line casino’s central location, passengers are compelled to stroll by means of it to get from one finish of Deck 7 to the opposite until they select to go up or down a deck.
With the smoke as unhealthy as it’s in that space, I smelled like cigarettes for the remainder of the night time after spending simply 15 seconds passing by means of on my strategy to the theater.
Capacity points
Even although my crusing wasn’t at capability — there have been simply 3,065 passengers out of a doable 5,632 when all berths are full — many areas felt crowded and appeared incapable of dealing with the variety of cruisers on board.
For instance, the Times Square lounge, simply past Venchi on Deck 6, hosts a number of trivia classes on sea days, however there are by no means sufficient seats for everybody. Twice, I needed to stroll across the nook and sit at one of many tables at Venchi as I crammed out my reply sheet.
In addition, the ship has the identical sort of digital elevator buttons that MSC Seashore carried out when it debuted.
The system, which forces you to pick out your ground earlier than boarding after which assigns you a selected automotive primarily based on visitors, did not work on Seashore, and it does not work on Seascape, both.
On a number of events, the display screen would inform me to anticipate my automotive to reach in 20 seconds after which, inexplicably, replace to learn it will be two minutes.
In one significantly irritating occasion, I used to be compelled to stroll from Deck 15 to Deck 6 — 9 decks, 18 flights of stairs — in excessive heels as a result of my estimated wait time for an elevator was an astounding 4 minutes.
Single-use gadgets
I’ll admit that I’m not all the time as environmentally acutely aware as I needs to be. However, with how a lot cruise traces have been touting their inexperienced initiatives, I pay particular consideration to issues like single-use gadgets after I sail.
MSC Cruises makes a degree of promoting its inexperienced efforts by means of The Foundation, the road’s charitable arm, which goals to guard oceans and wildlife, amongst different issues.
The line has additionally used its Ocean Cay personal island as a marine cleanup challenge and made a pledge to change into carbon impartial by 2050 as half of a bigger business effort organized by the Cruise Lines International Association, a cruise business advocacy group.
However, I observed on MSC Seascape that every day packages are nonetheless printed and left in every cabin nightly, together with shore tour brochures, spa tariffs and extra.
Plastic straws are nonetheless used for drinks, and single-use pats of butter have been offered within the eating rooms throughout meals.
I used to be additionally quite shocked to find that the Hola! Mexican restaurant on board gives fabric napkins however does not reuse them. Instead, they’re thrown away after every meal. (A brand new one got here with every course, so I had 5 of them by the top of my meal.)
Bottom line
Overall, MSC Seascape gives energetic magnificence at an inexpensive value level but in addition gives over-the-top lodging for these looking for a better degree of exclusivity and repair.
Even although it is not a lot totally different from MSC Seashore, there’s lots to like concerning the ship, and it really appears like MSC has lastly come near cracking the code when it comes to what Americans need.
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