I recently returned from a cruise on the MSC Seaside. MSC makes my third cruise line overall and while there are a lot of similarities, there are differences that can make MSC your go-to cruise line.
If you’re just joining us, hop on over to Part 1 so you don’t miss anything.
Sea Day 1
Sea days are meant for chillin'This is my motto. We got up just in time to close the dining room for breakfast. We had a spa appointment for a 50 minute massage. This is the massage that is included in the Aurea package.
MSC Aurea Spa
Believe it or not, this was me and Mom’s first time getting a massage. I know, I know. I’m not sure why we hadn’t ever done it before. We booked the 50 minute Balinese Massage.
This is where Rose worked on me. I was very surprised by some of the soreness that I didn’t seem to be aware of. It was the most relaxing experience I have ever had. And since sea days are made for chillin’, Mom and I decided that this will be our new sea day ritual! We walked (more like melted) out of the Aurea Spa ready for a nap. But what I did instead was hit the bar!
MSC Seaside Easy Drink Package Update
If you’ve read my post on what’s included in the Easy Drink Package, you know that you cannot get a regular Pina Colada. The package allows you to have a virgin Pina Colada and a shot of rum, but not the two together. My plan was to ask for them both and just mix them. But here’s what happened at the Atrium bar:
Me to Bartender: I have the Easy Drink Package. Can I get a regular Pina Colada?
Bartender: No.
Me: Can I get a virgin Pina Colada?
Bartender: Yes.
Me: Can I get a shot of rum?
Bartender: Yes. *lightbulb moment for the bartender*
Bartender: I’ll make it for you. It’s a matter of how we ring up the two drinks. But that’s a problem for me. Not for you.
Talk about customer service!
It was just me on my balcony with my iPad (reading a book) sipping on my REGULAR Pina Colada. Call me a very happy girl!
Every bar I went to on the entire cruise always gave me a regular Pina Colada without fuss when I asked for one. I gotta tell you though – MSC’s Pina Colada mix is so good that I had plenty of virgin Pina Coladas and was quite satisfied.
F1 Simulator/5D Cinema
If you or your kids enjoy racing video games, you’ll enjoy this. You get 5 minutes of race time for $10. They keep track of everyone’s time throughout the cruise and the person with the best time wins a mystery prize. Nice!
Getting in to the car was quite challenging and I’m petite. I have no idea how drivers actually get in and out of that in real life!
The 5D Cinema was priced similarly at $10 for a 15 minute runtime. If you’ve been to Carnival’s Thrill Theater, this is similar except this one is interactive. The movie I saw was zombies on ships and I was able to shoot them and compete with other people in the theater for the high score. No prize to win here though.
They also had bowling ($25 for 30 minutes or $45 for 1 hour with a $2 shoe rental fee), billiards and a video arcade, but I didn’t partake in any of them. If these activities interest you and your family, I recommend you get the fun pass to save some money.
It’s Formal Night on the MSC Seaside!
As is the general custom, the first sea day is formal night. Mom and I got all dressed up and went to the dining room for dinner. After dinner, we went to take advantage of all the photo backgrounds setup since we had the photo package. We purchased this pre-cruise for just $150. It gives us every photo we take by one of their photographers. The photographers just scan your cruise card or your wristband and the photos will automatically show up in your library, usually the next day. Here are some of my favorites from that night.
We didn’t get to follow our plan because MSC has this tradition that interrupted us. They have all the officers, including the captain, come out to the Atrium. They introduce them and then they play a few songs and have them dance with passengers. Mom got to dance with the first officer and I got to dance with the ships docotr. I thought that was pretty awesome! But, by the time I finished dancing and taking pictures, I was ready to go spend my $20 in the casino and call it a night.
What I Did in My Down-time
Read books! I never have time to enjoy a good book while I’m at home. But when I’m on vacation, all I do is read books. Here are the books I read while I was on the ship. If you’re a romance novel geek like I am, let me introduce you to two new authors.
Stay tuned for:
- Ports of Call
- More Food!
- More Photos!
- Shows
Have you cruised MSC? Tell me about what you liked below. Have questions about the MSC experience so far? Ask them below.
Thanks for the review and update regarding the easy package! Glad to know I can do what I was thinking about ordering the 2 together for a Pina Colada, yippeee!!!
Thank you So much for all the good information on Seaside!! Particularly the pointer on being a mixologist 😊 very smart lady u are! We have plans to sail May 30;2020 – praying we get to set sail!