Cruise Spotlight
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MSC Seaside vs MSC Seascape
The MSC Seaside was built in 2017. It's 5 years older than the Seascape, which 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.
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 MSC Seascape, the Seaside is 9% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seaside holds 13% fewer passengers than the Seascape based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Seaside has more space per person compared to the Seascape. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
| MSC Seaside | MSC Seascape | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Seaside | Seaside EVO |
| Gross Tonnage | 153,516 | 169,400 |
| Length | 1,060 | 1,060 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 135 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,084 | 5,877 |
| Crew | 1,513 | 1,648 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.3 | 3.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 30 | 28 |
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, Marketplace Buffet, 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 Seascape has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Ocean Cay Restaurant, Butcher's Cut, and Marketplace Buffet. 7 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 9 have an additional fee.
The MSC Seaside has about the same number of dining options as the MSC Seascape.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Seaside 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 Seaside & Seascape
| MSC Seaside | MSC Seascape | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Market Kitchen | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Bistro - La Boheme | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Butcher's Cut | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| HOLA! Tacos & Cantina | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Kaito Sushi Bar | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Kaito Teppanyaki | ✗ | ✓ | |
| MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| MSC Yacht Club Restaurant | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Marketplace Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ocean Cay Restaurant | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The One Pool Grill & Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Venchi 1878 Gelato | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Venchi Gelateria & Creperie | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The MSC Seaside has 1 fewer bar than the MSC Seascape.
| MSC Seaside | MSC Seascape | |
|---|---|---|
| Aurea Bar* | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Champagne Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chef's Court Cocktail Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Garage Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Haven Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Horizon Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Infinity Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jungle Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jungle Pool Beach Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Le Cabaret Rouge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Loft Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marina Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Miami Beach Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Miramar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seascape Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Seaside Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Seaview Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shine Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sky Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| South Beach Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Uptown Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Wine Cellar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Top 19 Bar* | ✗ | ✓ |
| Top Sail Lounge* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wine & Cocktails | ✓ | ✗ |
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.
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 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.
MSC Seascape has more pools than the Seaside and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Seascape. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| MSC Seaside | MSC Seascape | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 15 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 3 | 12 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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 Seaside, 57% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Seascape, only 54% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| MSC Seaside | MSC Seascape | |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Seaside will likely be cheaper than on MSC Seascape.
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) | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | |
| Domestic Beer Price | |
| 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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About Cruise Spotlight
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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