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The MSC Seaside was built in 2017. It's 8 years newer than the Dream, which was built in 2009.
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.
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.
MSC Seaside | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
Class | Seaside | Dream |
Gross Tonnage | 153,516 | 128,000 |
Length | 1,060 | 1,004 |
Beam/Width | 135 | 122 |
Passenger Decks | 15 | 14 |
Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,084 | 3,646 |
Crew | 1,513 | 1,367 |
Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.3 | 2.7 |
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 30 | 35 |
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.
MSC Seaside | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
Total Dining Options | 16 | 19 |
Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 14 |
Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 5 |
% of Included Options | 50% | 74% |
See the options | See the options |
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.
MSC Seaside | Carnival Dream |
---|---|
•Aurea Bar • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Garage Club • Haven Lounge • Jungle Bar • Marketplace Bar • Miami Beach Bar • Miramar Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seaside Bar • Seaview Lounge • Shine Bar • South Beach Bar • Sports Bar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar • Wine & Cocktails | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Burgundy Lounge • Caliente Night Club • Casino Bar • Plaza Cafe • RedFrog Rum Bar • Rendezvous • Sam's Piano Bar • Sunset Bar • The Song |
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.
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.
MSC Seaside | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
Total Pools | 4 | 2 |
Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 8 |
Hot Tubs - General Access | 3 | 6 |
Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 0 |
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.
MSC Seaside | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
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 | ✗ | ✓ |
Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
Learn more | Learn more |
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.
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 Seaside | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
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 | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more |
Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day |
*Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. |
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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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