Cruise Spotlight
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MSC Seaside vs MSC Seashore
The MSC Seaside was built in 2017. It's 4 years older than the Seashore, which 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.
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 Seashore, the Seaside is 9% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seaside holds about the same number of passengers as the Seashore based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Seaside has the same amount of space per person as the Seashore.
| MSC Seaside | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 5,632 |
| Crew | 1,513 | 1,648 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.3 | 3.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 30 | 30 |
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 Seashore has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Ocean Cay Restaurant, Marketplace Buffet, and Kaito Sushi Bar. seven of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
The MSC Seaside has about the same number of dining options as the MSC Seashore.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Seaside might be a better choice then the Seashore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on MSC Seaside & Seashore
| Restaurant | MSC Seaside |
MSC Seashore |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Marketplace Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | |
| A la carte | |||
| Asian Market Kitchen | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Bistro - La Boheme | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Butcher's Cut | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| HOLA! Tacos & Cantina | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Kaito Sushi Bar | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Ocean Cay Restaurant | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Venchi 1878 Gelato | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Venchi Gelateria & Creperie | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Kaito Teppanyaki | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| MSC Yacht Club Restaurant | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The One Pool Grill & Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The MSC Seaside has 1 fewer bar than the MSC Seashore.
| MSC Seaside | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| Aurea Bar* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brooklyn Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Long Island Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Miami Beach Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Miramar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seashore Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Seaside Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Seaview Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shine Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sky Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| South Beach Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Uptown Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Wine Cellar | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 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.
MSC Seashore has more pools than the Seaside and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Seashore. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Seaside.| MSC Seaside | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Seashore, only 54% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| MSC Seaside | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Seashore.
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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