MSC Seaside vs Carnival Dream

The MSC Seaside was built in 2017. It's 8 years newer than the Dream, which was built in 2009.

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 Seaside 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 Dream, the Seaside is 20% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

MSC Seaside holds 39% more passengers than the Dream 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 Seaside has less space per person compared to the Dream.

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 Seaside has 16 different dining options like Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet, Butcher's Cut, and Ocean Cay Restaurant. Of those options, 8 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 8 options have an additional fee.

The Dream has 3 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Chef's Table, Guy's Burger Joint, and Seafood Shack. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 5 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Dream might be a better choice. It has 19% more dining options than the Seaside.

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

Bars and Drinks

The MSC Seaside has 6 more bars than the Carnival Dream. The Seaside has 18 bars like Casino Bar, Champagne Bar and Top Sail Lounge. On Seaside, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as Burgundy Lounge, Caliente Night Club and RedFrog Rum Bar.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Seaside 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 Dream 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 Dream 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 Seaside has a total of 4 pools and 5 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools are adults only. 1 of the pools and 2 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 Dream has fewer pools than the Seaside and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Dream. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

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 Seaside. Only 57% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Dream, 69% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on MSC Seaside will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Dream.

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.

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