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Thread: MSC Seaside - Let's give it a try!

  1. #1
    Senior Member Nhcris's Avatar
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    MSC Seaside - Let's give it a try!

    Last spring I got an offer from Mohegan Sun to pick up a cruise from MSC. My comp was for an inside stateroom, and there were lots of cruises to choose from up to 9 days in length. I had never sailed MSC which is a European based cruise line , and didn't know much about them so I did a ton of research. I eventually decided on the Seaside which was just launched at the end of December. She is a very large state of the art ship, and I am looking forward to seeing the new technology and their way of doing things which is quite different from our typical American cruise ships.


    I will be sailing with my sister, which in itself is an adventure. We are opposites. She is sheltered and has many fears and phobias, and well, I am not and don't. She is full makeup from wake up to bed time, and well, I am makeup maybe on formal night. She likes the room at 78 degrees, and I like it at 66. She loves wine, and well, SO DO I! We do have something in common besides the same parents

    I really wanted to keep this cruise cheap, but I do get claustrophobic so I upgraded to an ocean view as it was super cheap. The jump to a balcony was a few hundred more, and I cheaped out. SO, for a whopping $179 apiece we are getting a 7 night cruise on a brand new ship.

    I was able to status match to their top loyalty level so we get a few perks like early boarding, a free dinner in a specialty restaurants, late debarkation, and a number of other things. We are also entitled to free drinks in the casino for booking through the casino, so we didn't bother with purchasing a drink package. We did splurge on a week long thermal spa pass, since we have no balcony and this is going to be a spring break cruise so pool loungers will likely be in short supply. Also, Sis is totally a Spa person. The spa is supposed to excellent, and though I am so not a spa person, I am entitled to a 30 minute massage with my pass, so if I don't chicken out, I may have my very first massage!

    Due to all the hurricane last summer/fall, our itinerary got all switched around and I am not particularly excited about any of our stops, but it still beats the hell out of another nor'easter! We'll stop in Nassau, Bahamas; St Thomas, USVI and Antigua. We actually booked a ship's excursion to the beach in Antigua to keep Sis from having an anxiety attack. We will likely do beach days in Nassau & St Thomas as well, but we'll see.

    So, I fly out to Fort Lauderdale (non-stop!) later this afternoon & we have a car service to take us to the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami. We will be very close to the ship and will Uber over there tomorrow around noon. I purchased an internet package for the duration of the cruise, so I am hopeful that I will be able to update this thread as the week goes on.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Senior Member treyster's Avatar
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    Looks like a hotel mounted on a hull, wow! Need casino updates often
    #######
    Fair dinkum legend

  3. #3
    Senior Member Curlyd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nhcris View Post
    Last spring I got an offer from Mohegan Sun to pick up a cruise from MSC. My comp was for an inside stateroom, and there were lots of cruises to choose from up to 9 days in length. I had never sailed MSC which is a European based cruise line , and didn't know much about them so I did a ton of research. I eventually decided on the Seaside which was just launched at the end of December. She is a very large state of the art ship, and I am looking forward to seeing the new technology and their way of doing things which is quite different from our typical American cruise ships.


    I will be sailing with my sister, which in itself is an adventure. We are opposites. She is sheltered and has many fears and phobias, and well, I am not and don't. She is full makeup from wake up to bed time, and well, I am makeup maybe on formal night. She likes the room at 78 degrees, and I like it at 66. She loves wine, and well, SO DO I! We do have something in common besides the same parents

    I really wanted to keep this cruise cheap, but I do get claustrophobic so I upgraded to an ocean view as it was super cheap. The jump to a balcony was a few hundred more, and I cheaped out. SO, for a whopping $179 apiece we are getting a 7 night cruise on a brand new ship.

    I was able to status match to their top loyalty level so we get a few perks like early boarding, a free dinner in a specialty restaurants, late debarkation, and a number of other things. We are also entitled to free drinks in the casino for booking through the casino, so we didn't bother with purchasing a drink package. We did splurge on a week long thermal spa pass, since we have no balcony and this is going to be a spring break cruise so pool loungers will likely be in short supply. Also, Sis is totally a Spa person. The spa is supposed to excellent, and though I am so not a spa person, I am entitled to a 30 minute massage with my pass, so if I don't chicken out, I may have my very first massage!

    Due to all the hurricane last summer/fall, our itinerary got all switched around and I am not particularly excited about any of our stops, but it still beats the hell out of another nor'easter! We'll stop in Nassau, Bahamas; St Thomas, USVI and Antigua. We actually booked a ship's excursion to the beach in Antigua to keep Sis from having an anxiety attack. We will likely do beach days in Nassau & St Thomas as well, but we'll see.

    So, I fly out to Fort Lauderdale (non-stop!) later this afternoon & we have a car service to take us to the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami. We will be very close to the ship and will Uber over there tomorrow around noon. I purchased an internet package for the duration of the cruise, so I am hopeful that I will be able to update this thread as the week goes on.
    Oh don't chicken out on the massage. I was given one as a gift by my daughter years ago and it was heaven. Then as Bill and I would cruise we would book couple massages on the islands we would stop at. I need to get back to getting them. They are wonderful.
    Dawn

  4. #4
    Senior Member Penguin's Avatar
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    Have a great time doing the Sister bonding thing. NE has really been creamed this winter. Not near so bad in Ohio but cold weather keeps lingering. Lots of pics please. Wine is a good thing.

  5. #5
    Sounds like fun! Have a great cruise with no flight delays Will be following!

  6. #6
    Happy sailing! Enjoy the sun and warmth

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    That's an interesting looking ship! Have fun Chris!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #8
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    Have fun with your sister.

  9. #9
    Cruise time, Yay!! I hope you sisters and have a wonderful time! So funny about the room temperature, anyone that stays with me brings a parka! We sailed to Antigua once and had a delightful Catamaran Sail including snorkeling and a lobster lunch served on the beach. Although I don’t think you would have been impressed with the spiny lobsters with what you have regionally, it turned out to be one of our favorite excursions ever!

  10. #10
    Senior Member Suze1000's Avatar
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    This sounds like so much fun! I have a feeling whatever you do turns into a fun adventure. Heck! You might even get your sister to lighten up a little. LOL

    Enjoy your trip, and eat, drink wine, and be merry!

    I am looking forward to your future posts about this.

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