Cruise Spotlight
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MSC Seaside vs Carnival Vista
The MSC Seaside was built in 2017. It's 1 year newer than the Vista, which was built in 2016 and renovated in 2024. The Carnival Vista was the first cruise ship to have a working brewery on board.
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 Vista, the Seaside is 15% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seaside holds 29% more passengers than the Vista 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 Vista.
| MSC Seaside | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Seaside | Vista |
| Gross Tonnage | 153,516 | 133,596 |
| Length | 1,060 | 1,055 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 122 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,084 | 3,934 |
| Crew | 1,513 | 1,450 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.3 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 30 | 33 |
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 eleven different dining options like Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet, Ocean Cay Restaurant, and Marketplace Buffet. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Vista has eight more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Carnival Deli, JiJi Asian Kitchen, and Pizzeria del Capitano. fifteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Vista might be a better choice. It has 73% more dining options than the Seaside.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Vista 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 Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 11 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 15 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 27% | 53% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The MSC Seaside has 4 more bars than the Carnival Vista. The Seaside has 18 bars like Aurea Bar, Champagne Bar and Top Sail Lounge. On Seaside, you can grab a drink at 14 different bars such as Fahrenheit 555 Bar, Havana Bar and Heroes Tribute Bar.
| MSC Seaside | Carnival Vista |
|---|---|
| •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 • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Havana Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub and Brewery • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Tides Pool 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 Vista 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 Vista 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 MSC Seaside has a total of 4 pools and 5 hot tubs. 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 Vista has fewer pools than the Seaside and more hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Seaside.| MSC Seaside | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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 Seaside. Only 57% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Vista, 65% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC Seaside | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✗ |
| IMAX Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Skyride | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 Seaside | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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