MSC Cruises just launched another new cruise ship in 2022. This month, the cruise line debuted MSC Seascape, with a naming ceremony in New York City. Following this event, we hopped on the ship for its first 7-night sailing from Miami, FL. We are back and ready to share all the details with you in our exclusive MSC Seascape cruise review.

MSC Seascape Review

MSC Seascape is the fourth ship in the Seaside Class and second in the Seaside-EVO Class. Her sister ships include Seaside (2017), Seaview (2018), and Seashore (2021), with Seashore being the first in the subclass of EVO ships. Yes, we know it is difficult to keep up with all of MSC Cruises classes and sub-classes of ships.

Our Complete MSC Seascape Review Video

MSC Seascape is a 154K gross ton ship featuring about 2270 staterooms and carrying over 5,100 guests at double-occupancy. The ship’s Yacht Club, the ship within a ship concept, is home to 131 suites, as well as several decks of private amenities.

This new cruise ship features many similarities to her predecessors but also a few new attractions not found on any other cruise ship.

Given this was only our second time sailing with MSC Cruises, and our first time on a Seaside Class ship, we were anxious to see how this cruise line stacks up to the competition. What did we think?

In this MSC Seascape review we rate the ship on several categories including dining, entertainment, onboard activities, and more.

Pool Deck

A trend in recent mega-ship design is expanded pool offerings spread across multiple decks instead of one central pool area. MSC Seascape is no different as it features several outdoor spaces with pools and whirlpools on various decks. This meant that even on busy sea days, we could find a little space of the ship to call our own.

On the upper decks, there are two distinct pool areas. On deck 18 aft, there is the outdoor Marina Pool, which we would consider the main pool area. Flanked by whirlpools on the starboard and portside, there are plenty of loungers, a bar, and all the typical pool deck vibes. There’s also additional sundeck seating and the Horizon Bar one deck above.

In the center of deck 16, there is the Jungle Pool Lounge. We liked the exotic theming and décor in this family-friendly space. Not to mention, there is a retractable dome, which means it is always a pool day no matter the weather. This setup is much better than the often stuffy solariums you find on other mega-ships.

Above the pool, there are some table games like foosball and ping pong, as well as additional seating. Plus, this pool is located right next to the buffet and a bar. Further, it is one deck below the youth area, making it a great option for families.

At the aft of deck 8, there is the adults-only Infinity Pool. These two pools offer great wake views and even some in-pool loungers. Conveniently located nearby, there is an outdoor bar and gelato shop as well. Not to mention, both the portside and starboard sides of deck 8 midship feature additional outdoor seating and side-facing whirlpools for more fantastic views.

For cruisers staying in the MSC Yacht Club, there is a private sundeck all the way forward on Deck 20. A nearby exclusive pool, bar, loungers, and a starboard side whirlpool are available to Yacht Club guests.

Lastly, midship on deck 19 is the Top 19 Solarium. This adults-only space is open to cruisers who have upgraded to the Aurea experience on MSC Seascape. With whirlpools, a bar, and variety of seating, it is a nice escape from the crowds.

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Sports Deck

There are a variety of ways to stay active on MSC Seascape. These activities include a mix of complimentary and up-charge experiences.

At the center of Deck 18 is the Pirates Cove. This waterpark includes a tube slide, duel racing body slides, and a variety of water features for the little ones. Intertwined above the aquapark is the Adventure Trail. Though, it is a rather small ropes course.

Aft on Deck 20, there is the sports court. With free play basketball and soccer, it is open most of the day for some friendly competition with fellow cruisers.

The Pirates Cove aquapark and sports court on MSC Seascape are free to all guests. Though for this MSC Seascape cruise ship review, we made sure to test out all of the up-charge activities as well. And, you should too!

Behind the sports court is the newest thrill ride at sea, the Robotron. Combining state of the art robotic technology with synchronized music, this ride jolts cruisers up, down, and upside down 173 feet above sea level. This adrenaline-pumping attraction is $11 for an approximately 3 minute ride. There are varying thrill levels for all cruisers to enjoy this attraction.

For more thrills, the Hall of Games offers some virtual excitement. With the MSC Cruises’ signature F1 simulator, an XD Cinema, and several other VR attractions, this is one of the most high-tech arcades at sea.

Prices vary for each attraction at the Hall of Games. Although, Fun Passes can be purchased at discounted rates to provide even greater value. We highly suggest testing out the 360 flight simulator, as well as the motobike.

Additionally, cruisers can stay active at the Fitness center on deck 8. The wide-open gym features a variety of cardio equipment, free weights, and strength machines. Oddly, the ship does not feature an outdoor running track though. Also absent are other popular outdoor amusements on family cruise lines, like mini golf. 

Service

Overall, the 1,600+ crew on MSC Seascape took good care of us during the week.

At times, there were some language barriers when ordering food or drinks. It also seemed that many times the crew were unfamiliar with American preferences. Though, any issues were corrected and improved over the course of the week.

The friendly bartenders and servers in the Loft Café were our go-to team for our coffees. They always had smiles on their faces and knew our daily drink order after a few visits. While espresso is served at all the bars and lounges on the ship, they seemed to be the only ones who could make the wife’s iced nonfat caramel latte.

Similarly, service in the Cocktail Bar was friendly and prompt. The waitstaff were quick to strike up a conversation with guests sipping drinks while waiting for dinner at the nearby specialty restaurants.

Most of the bars had adequate waitstaff, and it felt like the cruise line encouraged guests to order from servers as opposed to the bartenders. For instance, in the buffet, you can’t order from the bar at all. You need to order with a server, who then gives your order to a bartender.

Service and efficiency in the main dining room improved over the course of the week. Our assistant waiter was friendly and very attentive. She was always smiling and made sure to say hi when she saw us. She was also on top of filling our water glasses, delivering bread, and clearing plates. Our waiter on the other hand was much less interactive.

In the specialty restaurants, dinner was better paced and the service was more personalized. Whether we dined with a group or just the two of us, the overall experience felt more polished.

Since we arrived later in the afternoon on embarkation day, we never officially met our stateroom attendant. Honestly, while we saw him in the hallway, he never did take the time to introduce himself or ask if we had any special requests.

Since this was an inaugural cruise, we suspect any of the kinks we encountered will be resolved as the ship continues to sail the U.S. market.

Onboard Activities

Our 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on MSC Seascape included four ports of call. During our days at sea, the cruise line offered a variety of daily activities.

There were several sessions of trivia, as well as other group quizzes like Name that Tune, Guess the Price, and the Guinness Book of World Records game show.

On the pool decks, there were organized competitions of foosball, corn hole, and ping pong, along with themed dance classes. Further, scavenger hunts and other family-friendly events were regularly part of the itinerary.

Jose, the cruise activities manager, and the rest of the team were lively and fun while hosting these events.

Not to mention, the Aquapark, Hall of Games, and other public venues were open throughout the day and evening. Of course, there was bingo on sea days, and the casino was open to take your deposits.

In the evenings, there were several sessions of karaoke on the pool deck. Further, live music occurred throughout the ship.

The dueling pianos tickled the ivories on deck 6 in Times Square on MSC Seascape. In the Loft Café, cruisers could sip cocktails alongside jazz music or a solo pianist. The Latin Duo had the crowd dancing at the Uptown Lounge on deck 8. Further, there was always live music in the Atrium.

Deck 7 is home to Le Cabaret Rogue. This large, yet intimate venue is home to a variety show which highlights several unique acts each evening. You never know what you will find when you pop into the venue.

From live singers, to a comedian pianist, to acrobats and a hula-hoop dancer, it is a hodge-podge of entertainment. We wish there was a schedule posted so we knew which entertainers would be performing at what times each night.

At midnight, the Cabaret becomes the dance club. The DJ keeps the music playing into the early morning, like 4 or 5 AM, for the late night party-goers.

Cruisers will also be happy to know that several of the parties they know and love occur on MSC Seascape as well. From the Silent Disco to the White Party and Tropical Party, you can have the time of your life.

Needless to say, there is plenty to do on MSC Seascape at all hours of the day.

Casual Eats

For a ship of this size, the casual dining is very limited on MSC Seascape. The only complimentary offering for breakfast, lunch, and dinner besides the main dining room is the ship’s buffet, the Marketplace on Deck 16.

At breakfast, the Marketplace Buffet features your typical offerings. Thankfully, there was a custom egg and omelet station all the way aft in the venue. Additional menu items included options like scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, pancakes and waffles, and breakfast pastries. Cereals, fruit, and other continental items were available in grab and go offerings as well. 

Similarly, lunch featured a number of different stands with various food offerings. These included a pizza station, a pasta station, a salad bar, international hot entrees, meats and cheeses, and hamburgers and hot dogs.

These selections were scattered across two separate dining areas. The midship elevators separate the venue into two restaurants. While there was a lot of overlap between the restaurants, occasionally, you could find items in one section that were not available in the other. This made the venue rather chaotic with cruisers often wandering around the stations. It didn’t help that the signage was extremely small.

The restaurant could certainly benefit from some better organization. Perhaps, it should be set up more like a food hall with themed areas serving a specific type of cuisine.

Overall, we found the food quality for breakfast and lunch in the buffet to be average at best.

While it was often crowded, there was plenty of seating in the Marketplace Buffet. So, we never had issues finding a table somewhere within the venue.

When compared to new cruise ships from competitor cruise lines, we were disappointed that MSC Seascape did not have additional casual dining options. Think the Indulge Food Hall on Norwegian Prima, Guy’s Burgers, Shaq’s Chicken, or BlueIguana Cantina on Carnival Celebration, the Park Cafe and El Loco Fresh on Wonder of the Seas, the International Cafe on Discovery Princess, etc.

By offering sandwiches at a deli or cafe, burgers by the pool, or additional complimentary options around the ship, it would certainly help to disperse crowds.

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Main Dining Room

For our MSC Seascape cruise ship review, we dined at the main dining room four times for dinner. We also tested out the venue one sea day for lunch.

Each morning, the Green Wave main dining room was open for breakfast. The restaurant had a very small menu and was open select hours. On sea days and early departure port days, this main dining room was open for lunch as well. It served pretty standard offerings like a hamburger, Philly cheese steak, or entrée salads. Service was quick during lunchtime, but once again, the food selections were average at best.

For dinner, MSC Seascape has three different dining rooms offering staggered traditional seating times. Given we had the Bella experience, we were assigned an 8:30 PM table in the Aegean Restaurant on deck 7.

However, between the Green Wave, Cala Jondal, and Aegan restaurants, there are a total of seven different seatings between 5:15 PM and 9:30 PM. The Skyline restaurant is exclusive to Aurea experience guests with “My Choice Dining” between 6 and 9:30 PM.

During dinner, our assistant waiter was personable and friendly. She quickly came over to take our drink order and inquire about our day. Though, the same could not be said about our waiter.

Dinner was reasonably paced most nights, taking about 90 minutes.

In terms of the food quality, the offerings were hit or miss. I enjoyed the selections more than Heidi. I liked the prime rib and lamb chop entrees on Day 1 and 6, respectively. Further, the veal osso bucco on Day 7 was on par with specialty restaurants on other ships. The Grandma’s Chocolate cake was also a favorite for dessert.

The rest of the items we sampled were rather basic and either at or below the quality of other cruise lines.

Specialty Dining

While the main dining room was just okay, the specialty restaurants were well worth the up-charge. Most of the restaurants are priced a la carte. However, we had a dining package.

For this MSC Seascape cruise ship scorecard review, we dined at three specialty restaurants. My favorite was Butcher’s Cut. This American style steakhouse ranks at the top of my list among Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises for best steakhouse at sea.

My oysters Rockefeller was expertly prepared. Likewise, my 8 oz. filet mignon was cooked medium rare with a sprinkle of salt. This delicate cut melted in my mouth and paired perfectly with the sides, including the mac and cheese. The lava cake was a decadent end to this meal.

Hola Tacos and Cantina offers an a la carte or all you can eat option. This more casual restaurant is a great spot for lunch or dinner. With a variety of small plates, like queso fundido, salsa, tacos, and enchiladas, this venue served up a spicy and delicious meal. Of course, the menu pairs well with some handcrafted margaritas as well.

Lastly, we dined at Kaito Teppanyaki. MSC’s version of this hibachi restaurant did not disappoint. The menu features a pretty standard setup with starters like miso soup and salad and freshly made fried rice.

Unlike other cruise lines though, the Kaito Teppanyaki dinner includes a few pieces of sushi and a grilled starter as well prior to the main course.

With the dining package, you get grilled shrimp and salmon as a starter. Then, you can carve into some grilled steak as the entrée. Of course, they were able to customize Heidi’s dinner so she had a double dose of chicken as her starter and entrée.

This dinner and a show is always an entertaining night out.

MSC Seascape also features two other specialty restaurants. Sushi lovers will want to try Kaito Sushi. The unique conveyor belt setup gives this restaurant an interesting twist. Finally, seafood lovers will want to dine at Ocean Cay. Given Heidi’s picky palette, we skipped both of these specialty restaurants.

Signature Entertainment

The Chora Theater on decks 6 and 7 features signature entertainment each night of the cruise. During our sailing, there were five signature productions and two headliner acts. Of course, we attended every show for this MSC Seascape cruise ship review.

Given the multiple dining times on the ship, there were three showtimes each evening. We tended to watch the 7 PM show before our 8:30 PM dinner.

Each of the production shows featured four singers and a dance troupe. Select shows also included two additional guest vocalists, a strength act, and/or an aerialist.

Given that we have sailed on several brand-new mega ships, we have certain expectations for onboard entertainment, and the MSC Seascape exclusive productions did not live up to these expectations. The production quality did not come close to the shows on newer ships in the Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line fleets.

Out of the five production shows, we liked Love Blooms and Premiere the best. Love Blooms was a whimsical tale with a decent mix of music and ornate costumes. Premiere was a nod to classic movies. From James Bond, to the Wizard of Oz, Dirty Dancing, and even Ghostbusters, it was fun, even if it was a bit cheesy.

The other shows included Dreamscape, In Concert, and ImaginOcean. While they were watchable, they were certainly not memorable. We did expect more in terms of choreography and digital imagery on a brand-new mega ship.

The two headliner acts included a comedian and a singer. Nina Skyy showcased her amazing vocals during her Forever Whitney performance, while Matt Bergman put on a mediocre comedy show.

Bars and Lounges

MSC Seascape features 20 bars and lounges. Many of them serve the ship’s standard menu. However, a few do offer signature cocktail menus.

The Cocktail Bar on deck 8 is a cozy spot right next to the specialty restaurants. Here, you can enjoy exclusive drinks like the Rose Lychee Sangria, a spiced Mai tai, or the Indochine martini. This venue is an ideal spot for a pre- or post-dinner drink.

On deck 7, there is the Champagne Bar. This venue offers a distinct menu that focuses on sparkling wine libations, like the Chambord Royale or French Kiss.

Other locales with specialty menus include the Sports Bar on deck 8 with the most extensive list of beers on the ship.

On the pool decks, there are many bars that serve up cruise classics, like a pina colada or the B.B.C. These venues include the Infinity Bar on deck 8, the Marina Pool Bar on deck 18, and the Horizon Bar on deck 19. There’s also the Sky Bar and the Jungle Pool Beach Bar on deck 16.

Indoors, there’s also the centrally-located Seascape Bar and Shine Bar. Not to mention, there’s the Hola Bar serving up margaritas and the Wine Cellar. The Uptown Lounge, Le Cabaret Rouge, and the Casino each have bars as well.

Perhaps the most unique bar on the ship is the Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar. This venue on deck 6 serves specialty coffee drinks and cocktails alongside gelato and other chocolate treats. Unfortunately though, none of the drinks here are included in the MSC beverage packages.

As far as theming goes, many of the indoor bars have a similar décor with lots of metallic and dark finishes.

One exception is the Sports Bar. This lively venue has several televisions and fun furniture with sports equipment accents and leather booths. Similarly, the Loft Café features oversized chairs and tables, with yellow and wood tones reminiscent of a writer’s room or a quiet hotel lounge.

For this cruise, we had the premium extra drink package. Essentially, this entitled us to any beverage $15 or less at any of the bars, lounges, main dining room, and specialty restaurants. Needless to say, we had no issues completing our drink around the ship on MSC Seascape.

Stateroom

For this MSC Seascape cruise ship review, we stayed in cabin 13265. This portside, midship cabin is a deluxe balcony cabin. The cabin is a short walk aft from the midship elevators, making it easy to access the public spaces.

According to the MSC Cruises’ website, this stateroom is 172 square feet with a 54 square foot balcony.

Immediately entering the room, our bathroom was on the left. The bathroom was on par with other cruise lines in terms of size and featured a stand-up shower with a glass door.

Just beyond this area, the closet was to the left and the sofa was to the right, leaving a rather small passage way to get into the main cabin area.

The closet was a good size. One half contained a clothes bar and shoe shelves. The other side had plenty of shelves and drawers for the rest of our clothes. The sofa too was fairly large, almost too big for the cabin.

Across from the sofa was the desk. While there was plenty of counter space, we would have liked more shelves in the cabin.

The king bed was on the forward wall facing aft. On each side of the bed were small night stands. Although, only one side had a USB outlet. There were no power outlets near the bed either.

The only other area with USB and power outlets was the desk. Thus, the wife and I had to share this table as both a work station and a getting ready area.

Our balcony was a standard size with just enough space for two upright chairs and a table.

Overall, this deluxe balcony cabin on MSC Seascape met our needs for this 7-day cruise.

The Verdict: MSC Seascape Review Recap

With a variety of dining and entertainment, plenty of pools and outdoor space, and one-of-a-kind attractions, MSC Seascape offers families and couples alike plenty to do, see, and eat over a 7-night Caribbean itinerary.

We really enjoyed the Hall of Games and the brand new Robotron. These activities, while an up-charge, are among the most thrilling and high-tech at sea.

The nightlife on MSC Cruises was lively as well, with live music, nightly parties, and a dance club open until sunrise.

Right now, MSC Cruises is running some amazing deals on this brand-new mega ship.

If you want to upgrade your experience, you should consider the MSC Yacht Club. This ship within a ship experience includes a premium extra drink package, WiFi, and private onboard amenities.

With a restaurant serving an elevated menu each day of the cruise, there is little reason to leave this area. Unless of course, you want to enjoy all of the other nightlife, entertainment, and onboard activities taking place around the ship.

With MSC Cruises expanding its offerings to the U.S. market, now might just be the perfect time to test out this brand by booking a Caribbean cruise on MSC Seascape.

Comments

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