SOAK UP SEASIDE’S FUN ON-BOARD ADVENTURES

MSC’s newest megaship is filled with luxury-like entertainment, food, games

Once in a while, a ship comes along that is boldly disruptive. It changes the way that we think about what constitutes a cruise, and what is possible on an oceangoing vessel. Geneva-based MSC Cruises (cruise.center/msc) may have done just that with its newest megaship, the 4,132-guest MSC Seaside.

The first thing you’ll notice about MSC Seaside is how different she is. The way the ship looks, flows and feels is unlike anything else afloat. Over 1,000 feet (323 metres) long and 20 decks high, MSC Seaside is an entirely new class of ship from Europe’s fastest-growing ocean cruise line.

On my weeklong Western Caribbean cruise from Miami, I tested out as many features as I could, and still came away feeling I needed another week to fully experience it all. The ship, which was just launched in late December, is the first new vessel in the MSC fleet to be christened and home-ported in the United States.

Throughout the ship, public rooms have their own distinctive vibe and drink menus; some are loud and boisterous; others quiet and subdued. Some, like the Seaview Lounge on Deck 8, with its sweeping banks of windows and evening jazz duos, are so classy I could have been on a luxury line. Others are hip and cool. How many ships have you been on with a DJ and a jazz musician playing cool club beats in an atrium flanked by staircases with inlaid Swarovski crystals? This is not your grandmother’s cruise ship.

For families, MSC Seaside has the best kids and teens clubs I’ve seen outside of Disney Cruise Line, including Club Lego that made me wish I was a kid again. A two-lane bowling alley with adjacent 5D theatre and a F1 racing simulator; two massive waterslides; a zip line; and an uber-fun Forest Aquaventure splash park are just some of the family-friendly diversions on board. Equally noteworthy is an on-board chocolate lounge operated by Italian chocolatier Venchi. You’ll smell its delicious aroma before you see it.

For adults, the MSC Aurea Spa is a wonderful enclave. In the Thermal Suite, a snow room, Finnish saunas, rainforest showers, a salt room, and a thalassotherapy pool soothe the body. The usual assortment of treatments are available, and you can even rent (at a cost) private cabanas situated on the forward end of the promenade deck, complete with inclusive massage. Guests choosing Aurea Spa Suite accommodations receive complimentary access to this area.

Praise should be given to the ship’s excellent production shows and their short, 40-minute duration that allows you to take in multiple events each evening. Ditto for the fabulous and reasonably priced guided cycling excursions offered in almost every port of call, using MSC Seaside’s own fleet of high-end Shimano bicycles. I spent an enjoyable day cycling in Costa Maya, Mexico, on a six-hour guided tour that included a 90-minute rest at a quiet beach.

The crown jewel of MSC Seaside, however, is her Yacht Club experience. Guests booked in Yacht Club staterooms and suites are treated to an amazing private lounge that spans two decks in height. On its uppermost level, the Yacht Club Restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in a relaxed and indulgent setting overlooking the equally private Topsail Lounge. Service is excellent, and the views are commensurate with the experience. A private sun deck comes complete with pool, hot tubs, a bar, and plenty of loungers and cabanas.

There are still some growing pains. The ship’s layout is somewhat disjointed, and a lack of printed information in staterooms on general shipboard features and procedures results in long lineups at guest relations for basic questions.

Nevertheless, this is a ship that is big, unconventional and thoroughly fun, and attracts a diverse crowd of international families. MSC Seaside makes her home year-round in the Port of Miami, where she offers up a splash of the European way of life, transplanted to the Caribbean for all to enjoy.

Happy cruising.

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