Just four months away from its scheduled inaugural cruise, MSC Seaside has successfully completed a four-day sea trial and is on schedule for its Manhattan debut in December.
The second ship in the Seaside EVO subclass, and the fourth Seaside class, Seascape will begin service with a Grand Voyage across the Atlantic over Thanksgiving week, departing Civatavecchia (Rome) on Saturday, November 19, and making stops in Spain, Portugal, and Bermuda before arriving in New York on Monday, December 5.
After that, Seaside will sail year-round from Miami to the Caribbean, with a stop at MSC’s private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. The new ship will offer two different seven-night itineraries:
- Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and Nassau in The Bahamas, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic
- Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Cozumel in Mexico, George Town in the Cayman Islands, and Ocho Rios in Jamaica
MSC Seascape’s naming ceremony will take place in New York on December 7, 2022, at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
Highlights on Seascape cruises include 98 hours of live entertainment per cruise, 7,567 square feet of dedicated kids’ space, and cutting-edge amusement options, as well as the latest environmental technologies. There are 11 dining venues, 19 bars and lounges, and six swimming pools—and an expanded cruise-within-a-cruise MSC Yacht Club offering more than 32,000 square feet of space and sweeping ocean views. An underwater radiated noise management system will reduce and isolate the ship’s effects on marine mammals.
Travel advisors often note that MSC is a different experience than many other mega-ships, and so travel advisors need to set customer expectations correctly before selling it. As the largest player in Europe, MSC tends to attract—and some say address—a European customer base. For those who want to feel they are on the Continent from the moment they board, however, its ships do not disappoint.
“It fascinates me that my military clients absolutely love MSC while the civilian ones are just ok with sailing with them – and ALL of them for the same reason: “It’s sooooo ‘European,'” says Dawn Crowe at Dawn Crowe Travel.
“I love love love MSC, their product is FABULOUS and not a very well-known cruise line. I am sailing on them in one week out of Bari, Italy,” says Mark DeSimone at DeSimone Travel.
“Having just gotten off the Seashore on Saturday, it’s a European experience while sailing in the Caribbean with 70 different nationalities. Enjoy the azure waters of the Caribbean while relaxing in the Adult Only Infinity Pool on Deck 8 or the tropical breeze at the Long Island Pool on Deck 18. Of course, the Haven and Jungle Pools offer some fun, too. There are fantastic photo-ops at the Hot Air Balloon on Deck 5 or the famed Swarovski staircases on Decks 6,7&8. The shows are entertaining, the Casino is spacious and Venchi is every chocolate lover’s dream. Best of all the crew is always willing to help,” says Justine Del Rossi of CruiseOne Justine & Mark Del Rossi.