Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
MSC World Europa vs MSC Seaside
The MSC World Europa was built in 2022. The World Europa the first in the World Class of ship. The ship is split into seven districts that provide unique restaurants, bars, and attractions; helping to reduce crowding. It's 5 years newer than the Seaside, which was built in 2017.
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 World Europa is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,093 feet long and 154 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.9 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the MSC Seaside, the World Europa is 41% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC World Europa holds 33% more passengers than the Seaside 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 World Europa has more space per person compared to the Seaside. 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 World Europa | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | World | Seaside |
| Gross Tonnage | 215,863 | 153,516 |
| Length | 1,093 | 1,060 |
| Beam/Width | 154 | 135 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 6,762 | 5,084 |
| Crew | 2,138 | 1,513 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 32 | 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 World Europa has twelve different dining options like La Brasserie Buffet, Masters of the Sea, and Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Cafe. Of those options, four are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Seaside has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Ocean Cay Restaurant, Marketplace Buffet, and Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
The MSC World Europa has about the same number of dining options as the MSC Seaside.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on MSC World Europa & Seaside
| Restaurant | MSC World Europa |
MSC Seaside |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Il Mercato | ✓ | ✗ | |
| La Brasserie Buffet | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Luna Park Pizza & Burger | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Marketplace Buffet | ✗ | ✓ | |
| A la carte | |||
| Asian Market Kitchen | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Bistro - La Boheme | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Butcher's Cut | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chef's Garden Kitchen | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| HOLA! Tacos & Cantina | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Kaito Sushi Bar | ✓ | ✗ | |
| La Pescaderia Fish Market | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Masters of the Sea | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Ocean Cay Restaurant | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sweet Temptations | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| 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 |
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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. 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 World Europa has a total of 7 pools and 13 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 3 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 Seaside has fewer pools than the World Europa and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Seaside. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? Two of the pools are adults only on World Europa.| MSC World Europa | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 13 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 10 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 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 World Europa. Only 50% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Seaside, 57% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC World Europa | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✓ |
| Production Shows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Robotron | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| VR Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 World Europa will likely be more expensive than on MSC Seaside.
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. | |
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
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.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.