u/wclodfelter

We just got off a 7-day cruise on the MSC Seashore with a group of 27 people. Overall, we had a good time and made some great memories, but we probably wouldn’t spend the money to sail with MSC again.
The ship itself is beautiful and has so much potential, but the service consistently fell short and made many aspects of the trip feel more stressful and time-consuming than necessary.
Ocean Cay was absolutely gorgeous, but it didn’t seem prepared for the number of guests. The trams weren’t running frequently enough, there weren’t enough bartenders or drink stations, and there was a lot of confusion surrounding chair rentals. The “rental desk” near the front of the island had a long line, only for guests to find out that you couldn’t actually rent chairs there. We also encountered several rude employees.
The Main Dining Room was probably our biggest disappointment. Food service was very slow, and the waitstaff experience was inconsistent. Communication between servers and drink attendants seemed nonexistent, and it was often unclear who was responsible for what. We even had to speak with an assistant manager due to rude service. The kids’ menu also wasn’t particularly kid-friendly, and honestly, we thought the buffet food was much better.
Speaking of the buffet, the food was excellent. However, lines were extremely long because not all stations were open during peak meal times.
A few other issues stood out:
Smoking is allowed in the casino, and the smoke smell carried throughout much of the middle atrium.
Our midship cabins on Deck 12 also frequently smelled like smoke.
Requests made to our room steward, such as ice and an extra towel for our family of four, never arrived.
The medical center closes at 7:00 p.m., which became a concern when someone in our group needed medical attention.
For families with young children, there were some frustrations. Pirates Cove is nice but very small. There isn’t much for bigger kids under age 7 to do. Our daughter, who is one month shy of turning 7, was told she was too big for the smaller slides but wasn’t old enough for the bigger slides either. When I asked a lifeguard about it, I was scolded for “not watching her,” even though both my husband and I were standing right there and she hadn’t done anything wrong. The pools were also difficult for kids because they were extremely crowded around the edges and more than six feet deep throughout, making it hard for children to play comfortably.
Entertainment for kids was somewhat limited. Most deck parties happened late at night, making them difficult for younger children to enjoy. The snow party was cute but only lasted about 30 minutes. The Fourth of July party on the final night, however, was fantastic—we wished there had been more family-friendly events like that throughout the week.
At the end of the day, the MSC Seashore is a very nice ship with the potential to be amazing. Unfortunately, inconsistent service and operational issues kept this cruise from being a great experience for us.

We just got off a 7-day cruise on the MSC Seashore with a group of 27 people. Overall, we had a good time and made some great memories, but we probably wouldn’t spend the money to sail with MSC again.
The ship itself is beautiful and has so much potential, but the service consistently fell short and made many aspects of the trip feel more stressful and time-consuming than necessary.
Ocean Cay was absolutely gorgeous, but it didn’t seem prepared for the number of guests. The trams weren’t running frequently enough, there weren’t enough bartenders or drink stations, and there was a lot of confusion surrounding chair rentals. The “rental desk” near the front of the island had a long line, only for guests to find out that you couldn’t actually rent chairs there. We also encountered several rude employees.
The Main Dining Room was probably our biggest disappointment. Food service was very slow, and the waitstaff experience was inconsistent. Communication between servers and drink attendants seemed nonexistent, and it was often unclear who was responsible for what. We even had to speak with an assistant manager due to rude service. The kids’ menu also wasn’t particularly kid-friendly, and honestly, we thought the buffet food was much better.
Speaking of the buffet, the food was excellent. However, lines were extremely long because not all stations were open during peak meal times.
A few other issues stood out:
Smoking is allowed in the casino, and the smoke smell carried throughout much of the middle atrium.
Our midship cabins on Deck 12 also frequently smelled like smoke.
Requests made to our room steward, such as ice and an extra towel for our family of four, never arrived.
The medical center closes at 7:00 p.m., which became a concern when someone in our group needed medical attention.
For families with young children, there were some frustrations. Pirates Cove is nice but very small. There isn’t much for bigger kids under age 7 to do. Our daughter, who is one month shy of turning 7, was told she was too big for the smaller slides but wasn’t old enough for the bigger slides either. When I asked a lifeguard about it, I was scolded for “not watching her,” even though both my husband and I were standing right there and she hadn’t done anything wrong. The pools were also difficult for kids because they were extremely crowded around the edges and more than six feet deep throughout, making it hard for children to play comfortably.
Entertainment for kids was somewhat limited. Most deck parties happened late at night, making them difficult for younger children to enjoy. The snow party was cute but only lasted about 30 minutes. The Fourth of July party on the final night, however, was fantastic—we wished there had been more family-friendly events like that throughout the week.
At the end of the day, the MSC Seashore is a very nice ship with the potential to be amazing. Unfortunately, inconsistent service and operational issues kept this cruise from being a great experience for us.