THE latest ship to
be unveiled by MSC
Cruises, the MSC
Seaside, is part of a
new generation of ships
within the operator’s fleet,
which includes the MSC
Meraviglia, also launched
in 2017. The latest offering
from MSC boasts a few
firsts for the group. MSC
Seaside is the largest ship
in the fleet. Accommodating
over 5 000 passengers,
it has the largest kiddies’
area on board an MSC
vessel and also has the
widest boardwalk ever
constructed on a ship.
The ship’s design takes
inspiration from the beach
condos characteristic of
Miami, its home port, and
it has been designed with
the intention of bringing
its passengers closer to
the sea. This is achieved
by design features like the
glass-walled atrium, which
spans two decks and offers
spectacular ocean views,
as well as the boardwalk,
which surrounds the ship
and leads into a variety
of bars, restaurants and
shops. Other features
blending the outdoors with
the indoors include two
panoramic elevators and a
glass-bottomed skywalk.
The ship has over 2 000
suites, and accommodation
options include interior
suites and terraced
balcony cabins overlooking
the promenade and the
horizon; luxury suites with
their own private Jacuzzis
and hanging gardens;
and aft corner suites
with larger balconies and
panoramic ocean views. For
families, there are modular
connected staterooms that
can accommodate up to 10
people. All suites feature
espresso machines.
The MSC Yacht Club
offers 57sqm Royal suites,
21sqm deluxe suites; and
21sqm interior suites. MSC
Yacht Club benefits include
a 24-hour butler service
and dedicated concierge,
à la carte dining in the
exclusive MSC Yacht Club
Restaurant; an exclusive
deck and lounge, unlimited
drinks in all MSC Yacht
Club venues or from the
mini-bar, and complimentary
beverage selection in
all on-board bars and
restaurants, along with
other privileges.
Facilities include a gym,
spa, Jean Louis David
Hair Salon and a barber
for men. The spa is the
largest on an MSC ship
and is open from 09h00 to
midnight. The gym offers
spinning, yoga and Pilates.
A smorgasbord of dining options
With its 11 different dining
venues and 19 bars and
lounges, guests on the
MSC Seaside are spoilt
for choice. Complimentary
options include the
Seashore Restaurant,
serving breakfast and
lunch and the Ipanema
Restaurant, which serves a
three-course dinner. There
is also a Marketplace
Buffet. The Ipanema
Restaurant offers a finedining
experience with a
three-course meal and has
three sittings – at 18h30,
21h00 and 22h00. Touches,
such as having the same
waiter every night, ensure
that guests enjoy a more
personalised experience.
Other dining choices
include the Asian Market
Kitchen; Bistro La Bohème,
serving French cuisine;
Ocean Cay, serving
American-style seafood with
a Mediterranean twist; and
Butcher’s Cut, which serves
cuts of meat and craft beer.
The Asian Market Kitchen
is the creation of celebrity
chef, Roy Yamaguchi, and
includes three distinct dining
concepts: Asian Fusion,
an à la carte restaurant
serving gourmet Asian
cuisine; a Sushi Bar; and
Teppanyaki, where food is
prepared on four teppanyaki
grills, providing a modern
twist on Asian cuisine. At
the Teppanyaki grill, guests
sit at the cooking stations,
watching chefs prepare their
meals.
The Champagne Bar
will delight guests with a
penchant for bubbles. Here,
champagne and sparkling
wines from all over the
world are served. The
selection changes roughly
every two weeks. Other
options include a sports bar.
The Seaside Bar is perfect
for aperitifs and martinis
ahead of dinner and a
Wine and Cocktails bar is
located near the speciality
restaurants.
For those with a sweet
tooth, the Miami-inspired
South Beach Bar serves
gelato, and the ship also
features an artisanal
chocolate and coffee bar.
The South Beach Bar is also
the venue for a silent disco
and serves Caribbean-style
cocktails and mocktails too.
Entertainment
There is enough on board the
MSC Seaside to keep guests
occupied day and night.
The ship features a full-size
bowling alley, an interactive
cinema, an arcade, six pools,
waterslides and the longest
zip line at sea – measuring
105 metres – as well as
934-seat theatre. The arcade
features an F1 simulator,
allowing guests to experience
the feel of driving a Ferrari.
For shoppers, there are dutyfree
boutiques and jewellery
stores.
The theatre will offer four
sittings of a Broadway-style
show, with different shows
every day. It currently features
seven different shows,
including Peter Punk, a new
spin on the battle between
Peter Pan and Captain Hook,
and My Life In Music, which
features some of the most
famous movie soundtracks
and is inspired by composer
Ennio Morricone. The theatre
will also play host to late
comedy shows in partnership
with BeerProv.
Passengers will also be
entertained in the atrium,
with three surprise shows
throughout each cruise where
music, lights, special effects,
dancers and acrobatics come
together. Guests can also
expect flash mobs, while other
entertainment options include
game shows and karaoke,
and live music fans have
eight venues to choose from,
featuring music styles that
include funk, Latin, country,
live piano entertainment, jazz,
classical and folk.
For the kids
The MSC Seaside features
the largest kiddies’
area on an MSC vessel,
at 70sqm. It has six
dedicated areas that
cater for babies (up to
three years old), toddlers
(aged three to six), young
kids (aged seven to 11),
pre- and early teens (aged
12-14), and teens (aged
15-17).
Highlights for kiddies
include the Doremi Family
Cinema, offering up to
two family screenings per
cruise, and a Lego room
with tens of thousands
of bricks. Child minders
dressed up for different
events and activities are
also on hand to take care
of children, should parents
want some time alone.
There is also a late-night
babysitting service for
children aged from three
to 11, allowing parents
time to enjoy the ship’s
nighttime offering.
Behind the scenes
Guests can also book
behind-the-scenes tours,
allowing them a sneak
peek into the operations
of the ship. Booking well in
advance is recommended
as this tour is limited to a
small number of guests.
The itinerary
The MSC Seaside will cruise
the Eastern and Western
Caribbean, including stops at
Jamaica, the Cayman Islands,
Mexico, Bahamas and the US.
MSC Cruises has developed
a range of tours allowing
guests to shop, dive, discover
history or escape into nature.
At Cozumel, Mexico, guests
can take a tour of the caverns,
walking, wading and even
swimming along parts of the
route. In the Bahamas, they
can visit Blue Lagoon Island
and enjoy a buffet of grilled
fish, chicken, vegetables,
salads and sweet fruit. Bike
tours of Nassau and the
Cayman Islands are limited to
groups of 20 guests.
A new destination
The Ocean Cay MSC Marine
Reserve is a privately owned
destination in the Bahamas,
which MSC has leased for
100 years. MSC expects to
unveil this destination later
this year, when guests will
have the option to overnight
on the island. MSC Cruises
has worked with the
Bahamian government
and ecologists to set up
this protected area. The
beaches, calm lagoon and
tropical underwater life
make the destination perfect
for sunbathing, swimming
and snorkelling. Aquatic
sports are also offered and
the island has a dedicated
family area.
Attractions of the island
also include seaside
restaurants and tiki bars,
while a second island,
linked to the main island,
hosts a spa.
Future plans
With two ships unveiled in
2017, another four to launch
in the next three years, and
plans to launch a ship every
year until 2026, MSC Cruises
is looking to double its
capacity, carrying nearly five
million passengers annually.
Ships to be unveiled in the
coming years include the MSC
Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa
and MSC Meraviglia Plus, all
to be unveiled in the next few
years. The expansion plan
will culminate in the launch
of four World Class ships,
accommodating roughly 7 000
passengers.
Cleaner cruising
With two ships unveiled in
2017, another four to launch
in the next three years, and
plans to launch a ship every
year until 2026, MSC Cruises
is looking to double its
capacity, carrying nearly five
million passengers annually.
Ships to be unveiled in the
coming years include the MSC
Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa
and MSC Meraviglia Plus, all
to be unveiled in the next few
years. The expansion plan
will culminate in the launch
of four World Class ships,
accommodating roughly 7 000
passengers.
Cleaner cruising
Speaking at the launch
of the MSC Seaside in
Italy at the end of 2017,
Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC
executive chairman, outlined
MSC’s initiatives to achieve
a zero environmental impact.
He said, in order to set new
standards, the MSC Seaside
sports scrubbers designed
to minimise emissions.
The ship also has a water
treatment system to remove
pollutants and hazardous
substances from waste
water. Grey water is also
recycled and reused on
the ship to wash windows.
Moreover, the MSC Seaside
uses LNG (liquefied natural
gas) propulsion, the cleanest
technology available, to
minimise the environmental
impact of the vessel.
