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MSC Seascape vs MSC Grandiosa
The MSC Seascape was built in 2022. The MSC Seascape has a New York City-inspired theme complete with a 10-foot-fall replica of the Statue of Liberty at the heart of the casino and shopping area called Times Square. It's 3 years newer than the Grandiosa, which was built in 2019 and renovated in 2024. The Grandiosa features a 364 foot indoor promenade with a "sky" made up of a massive digital LED screen that shows scenes 24/7.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Seascape is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,060 feet long and 135 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the MSC Grandiosa, the Seascape is 7% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seascape holds 35% more passengers than the Grandiosa based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Seascape has less space per person compared to the Grandiosa.
| MSC Seascape | MSC Grandiosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Seaside EVO | Meraviglia Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 169,400 | 181,541 |
| Length | 1,060 | 1,094 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 141 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,877 | 4,345 |
| Crew | 1,648 | 1,704 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.6 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 28 | 37 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Seascape has eleven different dining options like Ocean Cay Restaurant, Kaito Sushi Bar, and Marketplace Buffet. Of those options, seven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Grandiosa has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Butcher's Cut, L'Atelier Bistro, and Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Cafe. Nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other ten have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Grandiosa might be a better choice. It has 18% more dining options than the Seascape.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Grandiosa might be a better choice then the Seascape. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on MSC Seascape & Grandiosa
| Restaurant | MSC Seascape |
MSC Grandiosa |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Atmosphere Bar South | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Marketplace Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | |
| A la carte | |||
| Atmosphere Ice Cream Bar | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Ocean Cay Restaurant | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Sports Bar | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Venchi 1878 Gelato | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Flat fee | |||
| Butcher's Cut | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| HOLA! Tacos & Cantina | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Kaito Sushi Bar | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Kaito Teppanyaki | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| L'Atelier Bistro | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| MSC Yacht Club Restaurant | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The One Pool Grill & Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. Alcohol is not included in the base price of this cruise ship. To see if you would save money with a drink package, try our Drink Package Calculator.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The MSC Seascape has a total of 5 pools and 15 hot tubs. 2 of the pools and 3 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
The MSC Grandiosa has the same number of pools as the Seascape and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Grandiosa. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Seascape.| MSC Seascape | MSC Grandiosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 15 | 9 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 12 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 3 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Seascape, 54% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Grandiosa, only 50% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| MSC Seascape | MSC Grandiosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bowling Alley | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel Acrobatic Production Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Indoor Sportsplex | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Robotron | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on MSC Seascape will likely be more expensive than on MSC Grandiosa.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a MSC ship.
| MSC | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.00 |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
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