MSC Seashore vs Carnival Firenze

The MSC Seashore was built in 2021. The MSC Seashore has a New York City-inspired aesthetic 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 1 year newer than the Firenze, which was built in 2020. The Firenze is part of Carnival's "Fun Italian Style" Program. This ship is on loan from sister company Costa cruises. It's similar to Carnival's Vista-class ships, but it has a distinct Italian style.

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 Seashore 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 Carnival Firenze, the Seashore is 25% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

MSC Seashore holds 38% more passengers than the Firenze 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 Seashore has less space per person compared to the Firenze.

	MSC Seashore	Carnival Firenze
Class	Seaside EVO	Venice
Gross Tonnage	169,400	135,500
Length	1,060	1,061
Beam/Width	135	122
Passenger Decks	15	14
Passengers (double occupancy)	5,632	4,072
Crew	1,648	1,424
Passenger to Crew Ratio	3.4	2.9
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	30	32

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 Seashore has 16 different dining options like Butcher's Cut, Kaito Teppanyaki, and HOLA! Tacos & Cantina. Of those options, 7 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 9 options have an additional fee.

The Firenze has 7 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Carnival Deli, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and Bonsai Sushi. 16 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 7 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Firenze might be a better choice. It has 44% more dining options than the Seashore.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Firenze might be a better choice then the Seashore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

	MSC Seashore	Carnival Firenze
Total Dining Options	16	23
Complimentary Dining Options:	7	16
Additional Fee Dining Options:	9	7
% of Included Options	44%	70%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The MSC Seashore has 7 more bars than the Carnival Firenze. The Seashore has 19 bars like Chef's Court Cocktail Bar, Infinity Bar and Seashore Bar. On Seashore, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as Amari Bar, Atrium Bar and Piano Bar 88.

MSC Seashore	Carnival Firenze
•Aurea Bar • Brooklyn Cafe • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Chef's Court Cocktail Bar • Horizon Bar • Infinity Bar • Jungle Pool Beach Bar • Le Cabaret Rouge • Long Island Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seashore Bar • Shine Bar • Sky Bar • Sports Bar • The Uptown Lounge • The Wine Cellar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar	•Amari Bar • Atrium Bar • Frizzante • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Moda Bar & Lounge • Pergola Bar • Piano Bar 88 • Rococo • Tuscan Lounge • Versilla Pool & Bar

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Seashore serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. The Firenze serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Firenze below.

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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The MSC Seashore has a total of 5 pools and 15 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools are adults only. 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.

Carnival Firenze has fewer pools than the Seashore and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Firenze. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

	MSC Seashore	Carnival Firenze
Total Pools	5	2
Pools - General Access	2	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	0
Pools - Exclusive	2	0
Total Hot Tubs	15	6
Hot Tubs - General Access	12	2
Hot Tubs - Adults Only		2
Hot Tubs - Exclusive	3	2

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. You might up paying more while on board the Seashore. Only 54% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Firenze, 75% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

	MSC Seashore	Carnival Firenze
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✗	✓
Adventure Trail	✓	✗
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Comedy Club	✗	✓
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✗	✓
F1 Simulator	✓	✗
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Glass Bridge	✓	✗
Interactive XD Cinema	✓	✗
Jogging Track	✗	✓
Mini golf	✗	✓
Outdoor gym	✗	✓
Pool-side Movies	✗	✓
Ropes course	✗	✓
Shows - musical review	✗	✓
Spa	✓	✓
Splash park	✓	✓
Theater	✓	✗
Thermal Suites	✓	✗
Water slides	✓	✓
	Learn more	Learn more

Cruise Costs

MSC and Carnival are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. 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.

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 compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.

	MSC Seashore	Carnival Firenze
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$16.00	$16.00
Tip added to drinks & services	18%	18%
Soda Price		$3.00
Domestic Beer Price		$8.75 See drink menus
Drink Package Price	$46 - $85	$83 - $88 Learn more
Internet Plan	$17 - $27 per device per day	$18.70 to $23.80 per device per day
*Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates.

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