3 Nights Caribbean & Antilles Cruise

We loved this cruise!!!

We booked a balcony cabin on Deck 10 and it was perfect for us! Very affordable compared to the ever inflating prices on Royal Carribbean and the like! Embarkation was a breeze! We were worried about getting there for our stated embarkation time but honestly when you show up they just put you through so we got on the ship early and were able to start our cruise immediately !! We had our carry ons with us and went right to the buffet! We staked out a spot near the Adults only pool and it was so nice! They announced that cabins were ready around 3pm so we unpacked and sat on the balcony! We ate all dinners in the Main Dining Room and had the early seating - the menu has some traditional foods they offer every night such as French Onion soup, Shrimp Cocktail, Greek Salad, etc - I got Prime Rib and a baked potato and it was perfect! We also utilized the Buffet and it was totally fine! If you don’t like something or it’s weird just go get something else! Nassau was the first stop and there were 5 ships in port!! It was crazy but we got our little slice of the beach! Those guys working the beach are amazing really! Next stop was Ocean Cay Marine Reserve which we adore! We love it because it’s not all built up with water parks and it’s really just the beaches, the Lighthouse and a wonderful day of relaxation. After the sun sets they do a light show from the Lighthouse which is such a nice touch as you’re leaving you can see the Lighthouse in the dark ocean! Debarking was a bit of a chaotic mess but we got a shuttle to the airport and we are already home!! I will most definitely do this cruise again!! Try it! For the price, you really should try MSC and you can make up your own mind- don’t let others dictate how you feel about a cruise line until you experience it for yourself!!

Seriously impressed by the improvements to MSC !

We last cruised with MSC 10 years ago and it was Okay but not great. Food was so so, service was so so, organization was pretty bad. So it was with great trepidation we booked another one having been doing Celebrity and Holland America most recently but we were with our kids and grandson so thought this a better fit. While the cruise is only a 1/2 over I have to let you all know that so far none of the complaints we hear and read or experienced for ourselves about for MSC are still there. We are not bothered by the constant announcements in multiple languages. The ship while huge doesn’t feel crowded and service has been excellent, food at the dining room (any time dining) from very good to excellent and the one dish I didn’t care for was replaced in 3 minutes with something much better. The new smaller dining rooms are a huge improvement over the old style giant dining room. They feel intimate and quiet and so much better than our most recent celebrity experience Ok we are not those scrambling for a lounge chair so that wasn’t an issue for us but it seems if you are willing to not be poolside it might not be a problem. We found a number of places that didn’t seem so zoo like. More on this in another review. But so far call me impressed! This doesn’t feel like the bargain cruise that everyone says MSC is! I am thrilled by how much better it is! And the new ship is lots of bling and razzle dazzle looking but but still quite nice and not silly or cheap feeling.

Caribbean with Brazilians

I last was on an MSC Cruise on Opera, and I had such a good cruise on Opera, out of Dubai, that I thought that I’d try another MSC cruise; but, out of Miami, on MSC Seascape. Oddly, for a Caribbean Sea cruise out of USA, the vast majority of passengers were Brazilian. With this cruise, I clearly see that MSC is a budget cruise line, but it is copying some things from other budget lines and upper middle class lines to be a worthy competitive player in the cruise market. Embarking was quick. I embarked as soon as I got there from the airport: unlike Virgin Voyages, where I had to stand hours on the sidewalk for my 4:00 officially appointed time. I was able to drop off my carryon and hand bag in my cabin and relax at the buffet for lunch with a beautiful view of the Miami skyline. Debarking was very quick. I was in “Group 3” and waited in the Loft Lounge, a very jazzy low-key lounge, and my group was called at 8:10, only five minutes late from the official time. I quickly debarked. There was a small wait at the card scanner (the fool passenger in front of me didn’t know he had to take his hat off at card scanning security) and many switchbacks in the cruise version of the jetway (I don’t know what to call it) behind slow-moving passengers. And then there was a long line at the government-issued picture ID check: hint—almost no line if you go to the left and use the easy passport scanner. Apparently, most passengers had no passport and had to wait in the no-passport line? Bring your passport. Then easy location of checked bags. Many official porters from Miami Port available to handle your bags, but I just rolled out. My first shared Uber cancelled, but my solo Uber arrived after ten minutes, and, quick ride on the freeway to MIA airport, curbside check-in of luggage and boarding pass (small tip asked) and TSA line of only three passengers, I was at my aircraft boarding gate at 9:09. So, less than an hour from Loft Lounge easy chair to my airplane gate. This might never happen again, I don’t know. My cabin attendant was Michael, who been very kind and helpful to me. I told him that I was a little nervous about Seascape because Seascape is much bigger than Opera, my last MSC ship. I was very happy with my cabin with its balcony, even though I had told MSC that I simply wanted a small inside cabin. It conveniently was close to the stair and elevator. I inspected my room upon embarking, and I asked Michael to explain how the TV worked. The TV is weird, and even at the end of the cruise I spent many frustrating minutes push buttons on the remote control and find what I wanted. Michael was exceedingly helpful in satisfying all my requests and in organizing the DND and MAKE UP ROOM buttons, to clean later in the day if I wanted it. He made me feel comfortable enough to know that I could relax in this cabin for the full cruise and didn’t need to change to a different cabin. I really don’t like having people in my room and messing with my things, but I know they have a job to do. Michael always had a cheerful attitude and briefly chatted with me whenever I came across him in the corridor while he is busy cleaning other rooms. I liked how the crew constantly keep the ship clean. Even on embarking, I saw the window cleaner hard at work. The ambient temperature was good. I had just done two cruises this season in the Caribbean Sea, and both were f$%@# freezing cold. Virgin Voyages had air conditioning on full blast, and I never wore the shorts and tee-shirts I packed: I had to wear the long pants and long sleeved shirt that I wore on the airplane to the port all week. This and I’m trying to escape the foot of snow in New Orleans and the Bahamas never got above 65 F. Yuk. So on this MSC cruise, it was sunny blue sky warm 85F all week, and the HVAC onboard was a comfortable temperature for me to wear shorts and tee-shirts, and I did not f____ freeze my a— off like I did on the other two Caribbean cruise lines I did this season. The pizza is good. As a pizza expert, I consider it a tie between Virgin Voyages pizza, which is made to order but rolled out, and MSC pizza, which is ready-baked but hand-tossed. I eat too much of the hand tossed pizza. There also was a counter that had thick crust pizza. Definitely European-style pizza. If you’re expected American-style pizza (Chicago, NY, California, etc.) you’ll be sorely disappointed. The Green Wave restaurant had a wonderful man from India, named Asif Kadri. He first helped me on Day One, when I had just embarked and I had tucked into a small lunch in the buffet at a window table overlooking the spectacular Miami skyline. He was quick with funny jokes. I don’t know how he found me; but, boy, what a surprise when I went to dinner in Green Wave and he was my assigned waiter, there! I slept very well, every night. I sometimes could feel the rocking motion of the ship on waves, but my cabin was quiet and I had no trouble sleeping. I met Rey the photography crew at the Hub, and he helped me get a special wristband and also organize my photo package. As a solo passenger, I appreciate having someone else take my picture. That’s one thing that I miss on Virgin Voyages. I was glad to meet the master of the vessel and the officers at the private Special Event to which I surprisingly was invited in Le Cabaret Rouge. The aerial and dance show was an unexpected pleasure and amazing. I was telling some of the officers that I had taken a Rumba class with Mary and William, earlier that day, and I had thought that I was doing fairly well; but the aerial, the contortionist, and finally the rumba dancers truly took my breath away and well earned my applause. I liked having breakfast in The Loft. It has everything I need: coffee, croissant, and yogurt, and a pleasant environment with the option of the outside deck. It was a very civilized way to start my morning. The Green Wave restaurant had a nice menu and I have good choices, including vegetarian, every night. Asst. Waiter Aryadana I Putu Agus was helpful and efficient with the wait service. We both had been in Maldives, and we shared stories about that. The excursion to the Island in the Bahamas was just right. One hour before the excursion, my internet research showed me that someone had died on that ferry excursion, a few months ago, and I was a little nervous: I appreciated the safety life-jacket drill both ways by the ferry crew. On the island, I made good use of the option of the Adult-only beach, which was perfect for relaxing under a parasol and floating in the sea. I never use Room Service. Regardless, to my surprise, Room Service did not forget about me, and with no request from me, supplied my cabin with a platter of French cookies and an ice bucket containing Italian prosecco! I asked my room attendant, Michael, if he was responsible, and he said, no, that it was the Room Service team. Anyway, I consumed it straight away on my balcony: it was a nice treat to wrap up my day from the Bahamas island excursion. Ocean Cay was just right, and I appreciated the varied beaches as options, especially the adults only Ocean House Beach. The only thing, is that Ocean House Beach is not a soft beach, it was filled with large pebbles. I had to step very carefully out into the water; but, once in the water, I was able to find suitable depth for actual back and forth swimming in the sea. Roxana Reyes, Buffet Attendant, was most helpful in explaining the different dessert options. When I expressed my desire for a chocolate almond opera pastry cake, she explained all about the dessert options, because the desserts in the Marketplace Buffet are not always the same as in the Green Wave restaurant. During the day at sea, I tried adventurous food. I ate the delicious Tunisian eggs and spices dish at the special brunch. Then, for lunch, I tried the specialty Ocean Cay restaurant. Kishor Chetry of India and I Gusti Krisna of Indonesia were my efficient waiters. Maitre D’ Karen also stopped at my table to receive my assurance that everything was perfect and actually quite delightful. The bread was oven hot, and I especially enjoyed the spice olive oil for the bread. The Octopus was cooked just right, and was an unusual experience for me, and may have been my first octopus dish, ever. Then, I did try my very first taste of the famous Pavlova dessert: the meringue, cream, and berries were perfect. I really enjoyed the MSC Voyagers Club Welcome Back private event in Le Cabaret Rouge. I was amazed that I saw the rumba dancers later that evening at the Premiere show in Chora theater, so I was really happy to see them, again. Actually, I enjoyed all the song and dance numbers in the Premiere show. There were many line dance parties at the Marina Pool on the top of the ship deck 18, and some of the dance classes in Times Square, and there was ballroom dance Uptown Lounge space. But actually, none of the passengers knew partner dancing. They only did line dancing to Brazilian soccer songs, and there was a lot of that. The Cozumel port was a dump. It had shops trying to sell me 250g bag of coffee for $60. Who pays $120 for a pound of coffee. And they refused to haggle so I walked. At least when I got back to the ship, we had loudspeakers and music and crew dancing on the pier entrance to the ship to put us in a cheerful mood. I felt sorry for the poor passengers embarking the adjacent Royal Caribbean ship with no welcome back entertainment, just a dull dull ship to come back to after the dump of a port. At least MSC entertainment put me in a joyful mood while going through the serious security scanners to return onboard. About coffee. Seascape doesn’t have an independent coffee bar. It simply has espresso machines integrated into all the bars, so you can get espresso whenever, wherever. I agree that the bathroom is small: when sitting on the stool, my knee hit the undersink door, and I had to sit diagonally. That door is not needed. Also, the shower door handle knob is useless: I had to open and close the shower door putting my hand up on the top edge of the door. Just two typical examples of Italian style over function. The water pressure on the shower head was average, less water pressure than on Princess. The sink was an average cruise ship size and I liked the sink much better than the barely usable shallow sink on Virgin Voyages. Again, no electrical outlet for my dental devices, I bring my own extension cords, as usual. Of course, even though the crew constantly reminded me that I was on vacation, I still neededto continue to do my gym routine. Personal training under Yadov has been the highlight of my cruise. I readily booked MSC, again, because I had a very good experience with the MSC personal trainer on Opera in Dubai. Sadly, the gym ceilings were low. Why the ship designers put double height ceilings for bar drinkers and low ceilings for gym users on most cruise ships is a huge problem that I’ll never understand. Personal Trainer Yadov was one of the best personal trainers I’ve had on a cruise ship. Yadov trained me on everything: the dumbbell, the running floor, the bicycle, the rower, the ropes, and the various machines. He really put me through a good workout.