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12th Feb 2027 | 9 nights | MSC Cruises | MSC Seascape
Why do we love this cruise holiday? Discover the wonders of space before setting sail for the sun-soaked shores of the Western Caribbean on this unforgettable holiday aboard MSC Seascape. Your journey begins with a two-night stay in Houston, including a full-day visit to the world-famous NASA Space Center, where interactive exhibits, historic spacecraft and inspiring stories of space exploration offer an experience that's sure to captivate visitors of all ages. From Galveston, enjoy leisurely days at sea before exploring the Caribbean's colourful coastline, with calls at Costa Maya, the lush island of Roatán and vibrant Cozumel, each offering its own mix of beautiful beaches, local culture and unforgettable scenery. With flights, private transfers and every detail arranged throughout, this perfectly balanced holiday combines iconic attractions, tropical destinations and plenty of time to relax both on board and ashore.
What's included?
Want to go all-inclusive on your cruise? Ask our team about the drinks packages available with MSC.
Cruise Circle Collection packages adhere to our 7 point charter:
Start with a flight out today.
Your car will pick you up from the airport.
Two nights in Houston in a lovely 4* hotel.
Rather than worrying about how to get to the NASA Space Center, join this full-day small-group experience including transport from downtown Houston. Explore the park with tips from your guide, enjoying experience like the Life on Mars, Rocket Park, and International Space Station exhibits before heading back to the shuttle for convenient transit back to the city.
We hope you had a lovely time exploring life as as astronaut.
Your car will take you all the way to Galveston cruise port.
If you build it, they will come. Costa Maya, located on a peninsula along Mexico's Caribbean coast (about 100 miles south of Playa del Carmen), feels like a private island created from scratch expressly for cruisers. That's because it was; developers created the port terminal/faux village complex not far from the Belize border solely to woo cruise lines, and everything -- from the manmade malecon, a beachfront pedestrian path in nearby Mahahual, to the beach club used for shore excursions -- has been created with passengers in mind. The port itself, which opened for business in 2001 and was rebuilt after Hurricane Dean in 2007, features myriad facilities in its village -- pools, restaurants, a spa, shops and a small beach (though it's too rocky to swim). The port developers also own a club and water sports area on Uvero Beach, which is actually away from the terminal and is typically used by cruise lines as a shore excursion option. Besides the amenities that tourists see, developers took care of the essentials outside the village including brick-paved roads, concrete cottages for employees (who all come from elsewhere) and a water-sanitation system. (Yes, it is safe to drink water within the Costa Maya confines.) Beyond that, the folks who created Costa Maya also invested in and remade Mahahual (also known as Majahual), a one-time fishing village of 200 people that's about a 45-minute walk or $8 cab ride away. An attractive malecon anchors a row of seaside hotels, restaurants, dive shops and beach clubs that serve fresh ceviche and offer water activities along lovely white sand beaches with shallow surf (perfect for families). Although development is restricted to low-rise buildings, Mahahual's growth has attracted a small group of entrepreneurs, including a sizable Italian community, interested in making the town the "next Tulum." For travelers who just want to get into the "don't worry, be happy" mindset, the appeal of the area's beach clubs, usually with free Wi-Fi and the lure of cheap beach massages, can pretty much consume the day. Those who want to venture further have intriguing options, too. The region is home to some lesser-known (but still important) Mayan ruins. The site most cruise passengers come here to see is Chacchoben, a city dating to around 350 A.D.; some excursions focus solely on Mayan food and culture. Bacalar lagoon offers kayaking and swimming in the Cenote Azul, and there's also a Spanish fortress you can tour. While Costa Maya might look sleepy at a glance, there's something for everyone in this corner of the Caribbean -- and it only keeps growing.
Although Cozumel is Mexico's largest Caribbean island (and its most populated), it wasn't until the 1960's that this once-sleepy fishing village became a tourist attraction in its own right, following a documentary in which Jacques Cousteau declared it one of the most beautiful areas in the world for scuba diving. These days, Cozumel is a major cruise port that welcomes more than 4 million cruise passengers each year and as many as eight ships per day. But even with all this progress, Cozumel has held onto its non-touristy side; only one-third of the island has been developed, leaving large stretches of pristine jungle and sandy beaches basically untouched. Yes, it's true: There's much more to Cozumel than duty-free shopping. (That being said, Cozumel offers darn good deals on jewelry, Mexican handicrafts, T-shirts and other souvenirs, mostly in the main town of San Miguel.) This small island, measuring just 28 miles long and 10 miles wide, lies off the coast of the country's Yucatan peninsula and offers incredibly diverse options for water sports-lovers, partly because of its proximity to spectacular coral reefs. Along with snorkeling, beach bumming and boating, scuba diving is one of the biggest draws to this sunny destination. Cozumel owns a rich history. In fact, the island derives its name from the Mayan civilization that settled there approximately 2,000 years ago. According to Mayan legend, Cozumel was the home of Ixchel, the goddess of love and fertility. It's said that when religious temples were dedicated to her, she sent her favorite bird -- the swallow -- as a sign of her gratitude. For this reason, the people called the island "Cuzamil" -- Mayan for "Land of the Swallows." Several important Mayan sites, such as San Gervasio and El Cedral, populate the island. Even better preserved ones are on the accessible mainland; Chichen Itza and Tulum are hot spots for daytrips and shore excursions.
You'll be picked up from the cruise port and taken to the airport.
Please take your scheduled flight back.
MSC Seascape, the second EVO-Class ship launched by MSC Cruises in a little over a year, is all about continuity. The Geneva-based cruise line is doubling down on its mission to conquer the North American market with this gorgeous 170,000-gross-ton vessel. Identical to its sister ship MSC Seashore in nearly every way, MSC Seascape features a glitzy, New York City-inspired aesthetic. The metropolitan glamour touches are best exemplified in the four-deck Atrium with its dazzling staircase featuring 10,000 Swarovski crystals. But even with its swanky appearance, MSC Seascape is still a family-friendly ship at heart with multiple pools, play areas, an expansive Doremiland kids club, game rooms and the brand-new thrill ride Robotron (the one feature that notably sets it apart from MSC Seashore). While the ship's design draws inspiration from the Big Apple and a hearty helping of Americana (albeit through a European lens), MSC Cruises' international charm is very much intact on board MSC Seascape, as evidenced by the large presence of international cruisers. In fact, the American touches are a homerun among the MSC faithful. And although English might not be the most prevalent language among passengers, for the most part you'll find no issues communicating with the courteous and cheerful staff.
A smidge larger than sister ship MSC Seashore, MSC Seascape can accommodate 5,877 passengers at double occupancy. As big as the ship is, it features a smart layout with plenty of nooks and crannies that enable you to find the right spot to revel or relax, at your leisure.
MSC Seascape has 19 decks (the highest one is Deck 20, but Italian superstition nixes number 17). A neat little feature is that every deck on MSC Seascape is named after a famous island, from the Phi Phi Islands of Thailand (Deck 4) to the United Arab Emirates' Sir Bani Yas island (Deck 19). Despite the high number of decks, MSC Seascape manages to deliver intimate spaces that do a good job at limiting overcrowding. One way the ship achieves this is by breaking up the traditional main dining room into four smaller restaurants spread across Decks 6-8, each with distinct décor and feel but identical service and menus. With its 13 pools and water features, MSC Seascape strives to strike a balance between kid-friendly and adult-enticing settings. The centrepieces are the Marina Pool and the Jungle Room Pool, located on opposite sides of Deck 18. Both are somewhat small, and during our sailing, the Jungle Room Pool's indoor setting (it features a retractable roof) attracted the most attention from passengers. But on MSC Seascape's Caribbean sailings, it's entirely reasonable to see the outdoor Marina Pool take centre stage. The adults-only Infinity Pool on Deck 8 is a little slice of paradise; a very 'Instagrammable' spot on the aft of the ship that also features a bar and a gelato station. MSC Seascape features 140,000 square feet of public outdoor space, reinforcing the notion that this is indeed a ship for warm-weather sailings. While this wasn't super useful during our December sailing from Bermuda to New York City, the ship's Caribbean itineraries from Port Miami will make all the outdoor space shine.
With 2,270 cabins and 11 categories, variety is not an issue on MSC Seascape. Featuring muted yet elegant tones and decor, the cabins throughout the ship are comfortable and efficient. Families can take advantage of the fact that in-room sofas convert into extra beds. Additionally, the ship features 75 dedicated cabins for guests with mobility challenges, a slight increase from MSC Seashore's total of 66 cabins. Where the ship's cabins really shine, though, is in the luxurious MSC Yacht Club. Perched at the top of MSC Seascape, across Decks 16-19 on the aft, the Yacht Club is MSC's ship-within-a-ship suite experience and the undisputed crown jewel on MSC Seascape. The complex features 131 suites as well as its own restaurant and an exclusive (and expansive) sun deck with a pool, whirlpools and a buffet. With so many comfortable amenities, it's entirely possible to spend all your time within the confines of the Yacht Club. And if and when you leave, your attentive butler can either escort you to your next destination within the ship or arrange reservations for dinner or shows for you. We've said before that the perks of the Yacht Club make booking an interior suite here better than a bigger cabin elsewhere on the ship, and this opinion holds true on MSC Seascape.
With 11 restaurants on board MSC Seascape, you'll have a cornucopia of choices. The ship's complimentary eateries -- the buffet and the four-restaurant main dining room -- are decent options. We liked the layout of the Marketplace buffet and its bistro-like ambience, and the main dining room's restaurants offer a substantial level of intimacy not typically found on ships with large dining rooms. The quality of the food and of the service, however, tends to be inconsistent. A much different story is served up on all five of MSC Seascape's speciality restaurants. It stands to reason that if something costs extra, it will invariably be better than the complimentary options. But on MSC Seascape, the difference felt more pronounced than other similar cruise lines. Your culinary preferences will determine which of the speciality restaurants is best. We especially enjoyed the steakhouse Butcher's Cut and the upscale atmosphere of seafood-focused Ocean Cay, but you can't go wrong with any of them. On par with the speciality restaurants, the Yacht Club Restaurant dials up the dining experience as well. The location alone is peerless, as one would expect of a suites-only restaurant, but the menu and the attention to detail surpass expectations. You can also eat at the Yacht Club's buffet or enjoy snacks throughout the day at the Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge, so choices are also plentiful here.
Chora Theatre is MSC Seascape's primary entertainment venue. A 1,200-seater, the two-deck theatre feels intimate enough to the point that there's hardly a bad seat in the house. The unassuming grey patterns on the walls and ceiling are vaguely reminiscent of stone slabs you might find in an ancient Greek amphitheatre (*chora* is Greek for town), while classical Greek motifs adorn other parts of the venue. During our sailing, Chora Theater hosted nightly shows ranging from single-performer concerts to elaborate musicals. The entertainment itself was hit or miss; owing to MSC's multilingual audience, the shows often had to rely on universal forms of entertainment. This meant sometimes forcing elements -- like gymnasts or mimes -- that didn't have much of a connection to the overall plot of what was being presented on stage.
Cabaret Rouge - While Chora Theatre owns its minimalist style, Le Cabaret Rouge embraces an extravagant swagger. Drawing not-so-subtle inspiration from Paris' Moulin Rouge, this fun spot at the aft of the ship on decks 6 and 7 features a red-on-red décor accentuated with all-black chandeliers. It can sit up to 400 people, but thanks to its smart layout, feels remarkably intimate. Live entertainment at Le Cabaret Rouge got started around 8pm each night. The quality of the acts was inconsistent, but the overall vibe of the venue is thoroughly enjoyable. After midnight, the cabaret became the DJ's stage. Tip: Le Cabaret Rouge was obviously built for nightlife, but it's also a delightful afternoon spot. Curl up on one of its comfortable lounge chairs by a window to catch the sunset or to catch up on a good book.
Trivia contests, bingo sessions, dance classes and the odd lecture made up the bulk of the daily activities on board MSC Seascape. But even on sea days, the number and variety of organized events seemed somewhat scarce. To be fair, the plurality of languages among passengers can turn some of these activities (particularly trivia) into a complicated affair. We did find, however, that passengers onboard MSC Seashore are quite adept at generating their own entertainment, so impromptu card games were a common sight across the ship's lounges and other common areas.
The glitzy look of MSC Seascape lends itself to healthy doses of nightlife, and our sailing was no exception. Aside from the activities in the theatre and cabaret, other venues throughout the ship come alive when night falls. The parties usually got started at The Atrium or Times Square on Deck 6 with live music and duelling pianos, while more subdued performances would take place at the Loft Café on Deck 8. Karaoke sessions, dance lessons and live music took off in Deck 8's Uptown Lounge, and for those who prefer to party under the stars could revel on the Marina Pool Deck with a live DJ. MSC Seascape's casino serves as the main thoroughfare between The Atrium and Chora Theater on Deck 7. A grand total of 186 slots machines and 14 gaming tables with Roulette, Blackjack, Poker and Ultimate Texas Poker keep the high rollers rolling. But non-smokers beware: the smell of cigarettes is overwhelming and will stay with you long after you've left the confines of the casino.
With 20 bars and lounges to choose from, cruisers are spoiled for choice on MSC Seascape. Better yet, many cocktails cost less than $9, which also happens to be the maximum price covered by MSC's Easy Drink Package. If you're staying in the Yacht Club, your fare includes all drinks at any of the ship's bars or restaurants (except those yummy margaritas at Hola! Tacos).
Our Picks
For Pre- and Post-Dinner Cocktails: Located on Deck 8 right across the entrances to Butchers Cut and Kaito Teppanyaki, Cocktail Bar is a sort of extension of the speciality restaurants and the ideal place to enjoy your pre- or post-dinner cocktail of choice.
To See and Be Seen: The glamourous Champagne Bar on Deck 8 overlooks The Atrium and its bedazzled four-deck staircase, giving you a great vantage point for people-watching. In truth, you can't go wrong with any of the bars throughout The Atrium, including Shine Bar on Deck 6 or the signature Seascape Bar on Deck 5. But its lofty location and the bubbly-centric cocktail menu takes the Champagne Bar a notch or two above the rest and fits the Atrium's glitzy aesthetic best.
For Sports Enthusiasts: Decked out in sports memorabilia, a bar shaped like a football and booths with private TVs, the Sports Bar is hands down the most obvious choice to enjoy a cold one Adjacent to the bar, you'll also find a game room with a pool table, shuffleboard and pinball machine.
For the Views: Any of MSC Seascape's outdoor bars will reward you with good views, but our pick goes to the somewhat modest Infinity Bar on Deck 8. Sure, it's essentially a pool bar and it's not located on the highest decks. But the Infinity Pool area oozes charisma and just begs to be enjoyed, drink in hand.
Following the blueprint introduced by sister ship MSC Seashore, the cruise line opted against having one large pool on board MSC Seascape and instead offers a collection of smaller pools. This feature also contributes to the ship's ability to manage crowds, as cruisers tend to spread among the various pool decks. Based on its location alone, the Marina Pool on Deck 18 would be the equivalent of a main pool on board MSC Seascape. It features a 360-degree water fountain island in the centre, a lounge space within the pool at a shallower depth and six jacuzzies. In terms of size, though, the Jungle Pool on Deck 16 has the advantage. Adorned with faux vegetation and a couple of tiger statues bordering on corny, the pool also features a retractable roof, so it can be climate-controlled during cold weather sailings. A pair of hot tubs flanking the pool give this room something of an adult vibe, but the fact that its located right outside of the Doremiland Kids Club and on the way to the buffet means the Jungle Room is also a haven for families.
Part pool and part attraction, the Pirates Cove AquaPark is impressive in its own right and a big hit among the young (and not so young) crowd. It's laid out like a pirate ship about to get pulled down to the ocean depths by the mythical Kraken's tentacles, with water slides that branch out from either side. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the adults-only Infinity Pool at the aft of the ship on Deck 8 is the place to be if you're traveling without children (or you're relying on the Doremiland Kids Club for daycare). The views of the ship's wake here are as relaxing as they are enticing, especially when enjoyed from a sunbed within the pool. But if being away from it all is your goal at the pool deck, then the Yacht Club's One Pool is the place for you. Located all the way up on Deck 20 and accessible only to passengers staying in the Yacht Club, this pool feels bigger than the Marina Pool and is surrounded by plenty of lounge chairs, a solarium and hot tubs.
MSC Seascape boasts one attraction that sets it apart from other ships on the fleet: the Robotron thrill ride. Perched on Deck 20, overlooking the Marina Pool, the ride consists of a robotic arm with three seats that shakes, twists and flips to pulsating beats while suspending riders 174 feet above water. Billed as the first ride of its kind at sea, Robotron is worth checking out as part of MSC Seascape's interactive attractions, which also include the Formula 1 racer simulator, the interactive XD cinema, the flight simulator and video arcades on the ship's Hall of Games on Deck 18. Robotron costs $10 per ride, and the ride itself lasts about three minutes. That's a pretty good cost-to-ride-duration ratio, and the ride features three different settings (light, moderate and fast). Only three riders can go on Robotron at once, which can make for a more intimate experience with family and friends, but can also translate into longer waiting times. Tip: If you plan on riding Robotron numerous times, spring for a Fun Pass Package, which also entitles you to enjoy MSC Seascape's other attractions like the Formula 1 racer simulator or the interactive XD Cinema, among others.
With 140,000 square feet of outdoor space, sundecks are not in short supply on board MSC Seascape. Therefore you won't have to look far to find loungers, although popular areas like the Infinity Pool and the Marina Pool tend to fill up rather quickly. Unsurprisingly, MSC Seascape's best sundeck is the one surrounding Deck 20's One Pool in the Yacht Club suite complex. The loungers, sofas and daybeds here are noticeably swankier and availability is hardly an issue.
Several stores and boutiques -- including a duty-free shop -- are located midship on Deck 6. One of the standouts here is TimeVallée, as the luxury Swiss store made its debut at sea onboard MSC Seascape. You will not find an ATM onboard the ship, so it's best to plan ahead or look for one in port. In the midship area, MSC Seascape also features a shore excursion desk, a future cruise desk, an art gallery and an MSC Foundation store/information centre. While the Wi-Fi on MSC Seascape is reliable enough to handle video calls and other internet needs, the setup can be tricky. It took us a few tries to sort it out, but once it kicked in, we were set for the whole sailing without any issues. If you're staying at the Yacht Club, the concierge or your butler should be able to help. The MSC For Me app, which you can use onboard even if you don't purchase an internet package, is easy to use and quite convenient to sort out your daily schedule and manage your reservations. Staying at the Yacht Club also means you get a special MSC For Me Wristband that not only grants swift access to the suite complex and your cabin, but you can also use as your de-facto ship card to order drinks or make any purchases on board.
Occupying some serious real estate on Deck 8 (about a third of the deck), the MSC Aurea Spa feature 21 treatment rooms, a hair and nail salon, a barbershop and a dedicated outdoor area with three cabanas available for half-day and full-day rental. MSC Aurea Spa is also home to the expansive Thermal Suite, which offers a host of interesting therapies that rely on temperature manipulation and includes a salt room, snow room, scrub room, Finnish sauna, soft sauna, blower pool, Mediterranean bath, vertical Kneipp, and steam room. Thermal Suite passes are included for passengers staying in Aurea and Yacht Club cabins, but you can also purchase a day or weekly pass. Despite its large size, Aurea Spa disappointingly lacks a proper waiting lounge (you have to sit across from the entrance of the gym which ruins the mood a bit), and the changing rooms are on the small side.
Adjacent to MSC Aurea Spa, the MSC Gym takes up 3,000 square feet on Deck 8. It features Technogym equipment, 10 spin bikes and a class studio (note that fitness and yoga classes, with the exception of the morning stretch, command a fee). Elsewhere, the Sports Arena is perched on Deck 20 and can function as a basketball, volleyball, tennis or indoor soccer court. For all its outdoor space, though, MSC Seashore curiously lacks a jogging path, a trait that shares with sister ship MSC Seashore.
On MSC Seascape, food options vary from acceptable to excellent. The cruise line's predilection for traditional dining settings on this ship endures, with hardly any place to get a grab-and-go bite, although the vast Marketplace buffet serves as MSC Seascape's most informal eatery. Eleven restaurants make up MSC Seascape's dining offerings. The buffet and the main dining room's four restaurants comprise the complimentary options, and five specialty restaurants round up the pay-to-dine choices. The MSC Yacht Club features its own exclusive restaurant and buffet.
Green Wave Restaurant, Cala Jondal Restaurant, Aegean Restaurant and Skyline Restaurant: MSC Seascape's main dining room is split into these four restaurants located on decks 5, 6 and 7, a concept borrowed from sister ship MSC Seashore. Green Wave on Deck 5 is the largest, followed by Cala Jondal on Deck 6, and Aegean and Skyline on Deck 7. This layout helps provide a more intimate experience for diners, and although you will have an assigned seating time and restaurant, if you're curious to try a different restaurant you're welcome to try as a walk-in. Just keep in mind that the menus are identical on all restaurants and that Skyline is exclusive to passengers staying in one of the Aurea category cabins. On the two separate occasions that we dined in Aegean, we found the experiences to be inconsistent. Service was attentive and swift on one night, but slow and intermittent on the other. The food was decent on both opportunities, if unremarkable, and the menus try to cater to the tastes of North American passengers by adding items like surf and turf.
Marketplace Buffet: With capacity for 1,169 diners, MSC Seascape's buffet on Deck 16 is by far the largest eatery on board. Despite its vast size, the buffet was never overwhelmingly crowded during our sailing. Seating was also plentiful, and the space boasts a handsome Parisian bistro look that adds to its charm. Moreover, the buffet extends to the aft of the ship where you can enjoy al fresco dining. The Marketplace Buffet is where MSC Seascape makes the strongest culinary appeal to mainstream American palates, with options like burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches among the choices. The quality of the food here was also hit or miss, but not unlike what you find in the buffet eateries of other mainstream cruise lines. As one would expect from a cruise line with Italian roots, pizza (the four cheese slices in particular) and burrata were some of the highlights, but some pasta dishes left a lot to be desired.
Room Service: On MSC Seascape, lower-level cabin categories incur a delivery fee of $4.99 for room service. But if you're staying in an Aurea or Yacht Club cabin, this service is free. Some menu items are complimentary while others are available for a fee, and room service is available 24/7. A popular option for room service on MSC Seascape and MSC
One of the best perks of the MSC Yacht Club is having your very own a la carte restaurant that's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a buffet on the suite complex's private sundeck. The Top Sail lounge, located just below the Yacht Club Restaurant, also serves canapes and bites all day long, as well as afternoon tea.
Yacht Club Restaurant: If the Yacht Club Restaurant was the only perk available in MSC Seascape's suite complex, it would still be well worth the money. The restaurant is like an epicurean sanctuary perched on Deck 18, worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the public areas of the ship. Featuring all the markings of an upscale restaurant, the service is faultlessly attentive and personalized, and the menu -- brimming with top-of-the-line options -- changes daily.
The One Pool Grill & Bar: As the name suggests, this buffet-style eatery is located within the Yacht Club's exclusive pool deck on Deck 19. During our sailing, the buffet lines were never crowded, and food is served throughout the day until sundown.
MSC Seascape's speciality restaurants are all excellent choices and well worth the price of admission. It can get expensive to try them all, however, so we recommend getting a speciality dining package, which entitles you to a pre-selected three-course meal. Tip: if you purchase your package ahead of your sail date, you can save up to 40%.
The package limits your included choices to certain items or meals on the menu, but you do have the choice to select anything else by paying 50% of its cost. (Note: the Unlimited Dining Experiences and Five Dining Experiences packages are not available on MSC Seascape) All five restaurants are conveniently located on Deck 8 towards the aft of the ship, turning this corner into a 'restaurant district' of sorts that exudes a nightlife charm. This location also allows one of the restaurants -- Butchers Cut -- to have an outdoor seating area, which is perfect for a serene sunset meal.
Butchers Cut ($$$; brunch, $$): The largest and most popular of the speciality restaurants, Butchers Cut manages to flawlessly replicate the vibe of a land-based steakhouse. The aroma of leather is alluring, and the décor is elegant and unpretentious. Then there's the food… The baked goat cheese appetizer we had here was so deliciously decadent that it almost eclipsed the filet mignon main course. Other no less impressive items on the Dining Experience list included a burrata and beet salad, foie grass deviled eggs and a duo of lamb chops, while the a la carte steaks ranged from a 16 oz bison steak to a 36 oz. tomahawk. We didn't get to try it, but the menu also included brunch selections available on select days from 10 am to 2 pm.
Ocean Cay ($$$$): Of all the speciality restaurants, Ocean Cay felt like the most upscale option. Intimate and stylish, this would be our top choice for a date night dinner. It's also the most expensive of the five speciality restaurants. We kicked off proceedings with generous crab cake appetizer that clicked all the right buttons. For the main course, we had the spaghetti with wild clams, which had an enticing proportion of about 75% seafood to 25% pasta, but other similarly enticing dishes included a squid ragout, roasted black cod with eggplant caviar and mullet bottarga with linguine.
Kaito Teppanaki ($$$, kids menu available): The second largest of the speciality restaurants, Kaito might be one of the most spacious Teppanyaki restaurants at sea. The setup is standard for this type of eatery: you sit around the iron griddle table with your fellow diners while the chef puts his knife skills to the test, cracking silly jokes and dishing out everyone's meals. We had the Sencho Dining Experience, which consisted of a plentiful parade of dishes, including sushi and sashimi, miso soup, salmon, prawns, sirloin and fried rice, plus spiced pineapple with matcha ice cream for dessert.
Kaito Sushi (a la carte, $): A more informal option than the previous eateries, Kaito Sushi Bar consists of a conveyor belt that rolls covered small plates of sushi and sashimi and you choose dishes to your heart's content (or your wallet's allowance). The dishes are colour-coded by price and range from $6 to $14, so you can have an idea of what your final bill will look like. We liked the quick and casual nature of Kaito, and if you prefer cooked items like tempura and soup, you can also order them.
Hola! Tacos & Cantina (a la carte, $): While still located on Deck 8, Hola! Tacos & Cantina sits away from the main speciality restaurant cluster and closer to The Atrium. With a menu inspired by Mexico City's street dining scene, we were impressed by the authenticity of the offerings here. While the festive decoration can sometimes border on overwhelming, it does work in service of the restaurant's general ambience. The guacamole is a must, but don't sleep on the other salsas. One drawback is that the margaritas served here are not included in your drink package, but they are well worth the extra expense.
Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar and Gelato Stations: Though more of a shop than a restaurant, we would be remiss to leave Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar out of the list of MSC Seascape's speciality eateries. Located on Deck 6 among duty-free shops, Venchi's chocolate confections, speciality coffee and mouthwatering gelato are worth checking out. And the gelato also makes an appearance at the Infinity Pool on Deck 8 and the Jungle Pool on Deck 16, in case you crave a yummy cold treat by the pool.
In terms of food quality and service, MSC Seascape's speciality restaurants deliver consistency across the board. On our voyage, we were particularly impressed with Butcher's Cut and Ocean Cay as two superb traditional dining experiences, but you simply can't go wrong with any of the choices. Although five restaurants doesn't sound like a lot, there is plenty of variety among them and your taste buds will have abundant cuisines to explore.
Passengers with dietary restrictions travelling on MSC Seascape can rest easy knowing that the ship has separate galleys for vegan and gluten-free food preparation. You will be asked to flag any dietary restrictions when you check in, but it's always recommendable to let the main dining room's maitre'd know if you have any food allergies. The menus in the main dining room and the Yacht Club Restaurant label their vegan, vegetarian and no sugar-added options. Oddly, this isn't the case in speciality restaurants, although you can usually infer which menu options fall under the aforementioned categories (or better yet, ask your server). On all restaurants that we visited, however, our server asked us if we had allergies or dietary restrictions.
MSC Seascape features 2,270 cabins and 11 categories to choose from. In comparison to the razzle-dazzle aesthetic of the ship's public areas, the décor of the rooms is muted but still modern and contemporary, allowing the cabins to become a welcome break from the external sensory overload. The ship doesn't offer solo cabins; instead, and in line with MSC's family-friendly appeal, about 70 percent of MSC Seascape's cabins can accommodate up to four people, enabling families and multi-generations to travel together.
MSC Seascape Experiences Determine Room Price/Fare Structure When booking a cabin, MSC offers cruisers three tiers of inclusions (called "experiences"). Each experience comes with its own perks and price. Here is what's included in each experience tier:
Bella Experience: This tier is the most basic package for guaranteed cabins only. Therefore, you don't book a particular cabin; you buy a category and take what the line gives you. This tier comes with standard inclusions only, and cruise changes on this category incur a fee.
Fantastica Experience: This next tier is available only for cruisers who book an Interior, Ocean View or Balcony cabin. Perks in the Fantastica Experience include the opportunity to choose the cabin and its location, free in-room breakfast, discounted rates on beverage packages and speciality restaurant meals, and 24-hour room service (with a set delivery fee). You also get one free cruise change, but certain restrictions apply (changes must be made up to one month before departure, for a new cruise to sail within 3 months from the original departure.)
Aurea Experience: MSC's highest tier is available for Suite passengers only. The Aurea experience adds a few extra perks to the Fantastica Experience, which include welcome wine and sweets, free 24-hour room service, MyChoice dining options, free access to the Aurea-only sundeck and the adult-only Thermal Suite, in-room robes and slippers, pillow menus, and priority boarding.
Across categories, the cabins on MSC Seashore feature a well-designed layout, so cruisers can move around the room with comfort and ease. With the exception of interior configurations, the ship's lower-category rooms don't differ significantly in general terms. One drawback that affects the balcony cabins is that the sofa sits too close to the closet, which means that it's hard to get into your things. The closets themselves, too, are a little short so long dresses pool at the bottom. In terms of size, MSC Seascape's interior cabins start at 150 square feet, while oceanview cabins start at about 182 square feet. This means that the ship's lower-level cabins are comparable to the average size of a European hotel room instead of American hotel rooms, which are usually around 330 square feet. All cabin categories feature a king-sized bed that can be converted into two twin-sized beds. You'll also find a vanity table/desk, a hairdryer, an interactive TV set, and internal telephone a safe and a minibar. The smallest interior cabins include two chairs, while ocean view cabins have sofas that convert into beds.
Although outdoor space is plentiful onboard MSC Seascape, having your own private open-air area is always desirable. And the balconies on this ship are, on average, among the largest on MSC's fleet. Booking a balcony cabin on MSC Seascape puts you in the Fantastica class, which means you get other perks beyond having a balcony. MSC Seascape's Balcony cabins come in two categories: Deluxe Balcony and Deluxe Balcony Aurea. Both are equal in size -- between 172 to 183 square feet plus a balcony that's between 54 to 97 square feet. The only difference is the Aurea Experience designation (which includes access to the Solarium) and location: Deluxe Balcony Aurea rooms are only found on Decks 9, 14 and 15.
Outside of the luxurious MSC Yacht Club, all of the suites onboard the ship fall under the Aurea category. And there are four type of Aurea-category suites on MSC Seascape: Junior, Premium, Grand Suite and Two-Bedroom Grand Suite. The entry-level Junior Suite is comparable to a Deluxe Balcony cabin in size, coming in at 183 square feet. At the other end of the spectrum, the Two-Bedroom Grand Suite measures 527 square feet and features two bathrooms (one with a bathtub and the other with a shower), as well as a walk-in closet, a separate lounging area and a 183-square-foot balcony. The Two-Bedroom Grand Suite can accommodate up to six people, which makes it ideal for a larger family.
MSC Seascape's Yacht Club is among the largest in the fleet and features a variety of perks that make any cabin here preferable to any other room on the ship. By staying in the Yacht Club, you get the personalized attention of a butler, access to an exclusive restaurant, lounge, pool and sundeck area at the forward of the ship. With the Yacht Club's 'ship-within-a-ship' experience, you'll feel like you're sailing on a luxury ship. All the aspects from a cruise that can be considered vexing -- like embarkation/debarkation, booking reservations and shore excursions -- are all handled for you by your butler or the 24-hour concierge. Naturally, luxury comes at a cost: the starting price point of the lowest-level suite in the Yacht Club costs about twice as much as a balcony cabin elsewhere on the ship.
Speaking of suites, MSC Seascape's Yacht Club has a total of 131 cabins in five categories: Interior Suite, Deluxe Suite, Deluxe Grand Suite, Royal Suite and Owner's Suite. The Interior Suites start at 226 square feet, while the Deluxe Suite has a surface area of about 269 square feet plus an 86-square-foot balcony. The Deluxe Grand Suites range from 269 to 463 square feet (plus 86 to 129 square feet of balcony space). These three categories comprise 95% of all the suites in the Yacht Club, totalling 125 units. The highest suite categories are much scarcer: two Royal Suites (approximately 667 square feet with a 355-square-foot balcony); and two massive Owner's Suites, that come in at 1,054 square feet. Instead of equally gargantuan balconies, the Owner's Suites feature slanted windows that look out over the front of the ship, so passengers in these cabins enjoy the same views as the ship's captain.
The bathrooms on MSC Seascape's Interior, Ocean View and Balcony cabins are not particularly spacious, especially if you compare them to hotel room bathrooms. But the glass-enclosed showers are adequate in size and feature footrests for shaving. With the exception of interior cabins, a handful of rooms in all categories have bathtubs, which are a nice feature to have for families sailing with small children or even adults who enjoy a relaxing bath. Bathroom sizes do increase significantly on MSC Seascape's suite categories. Curiously, although suites feature a vanity area in the bathroom, none have double sinks. Also, regardless of cabin category, MSC uses its own brand of toiletries.
MSC Seascape's tiered design leaves lower deck balcony cabins more exposed, so it's important to keep in mind when selecting your cabin. The noise level also increases, as you'll be closer to outdoor public spaces. It's also worth noting that the cabins at the back of the ship between decks 9 and 15, which are all Aurea-category premium suites, look over the Infinity pool. These cabins on the lower decks are exposed to noise from the pool, although being an adults-only pool may mitigate the noise level. The suites on the higher don't have this issue and instead offer better views of the ocean. One advantage on MSC Seascape is that there are no cabins located near the nightclub venue Le Cabaret Rouge, as only the Infinity Pool is located right above this nightclub venue. On the other hand, if your cabin is located towards the aft of the ship on Deck 15, it may be directly below the Marketplace Buffet.
On a Budget: MSC Seascape's interior cabins are a good choice for cruisers who spend most of their time elsewhere on the ship. Some of MSC Seascape's interior cabins have bunkbeds or pullmans that could theoretically accommodate a third or fourth passenger, but we don't recommend going this route.
For Families: The adjoining balcony cabins on MSC Seascape are ideal for families. You can even book three cabins that link up with each other via connecting doors and can easily accommodate a family of 10
Splash: Spring for an Aurea suite with a private whirlpool on your balcony and access to the Solarium that's exclusively set aside for this Experience level.
Splurge: Nothing beats the Yacht Club. Every cabin here -- even the interior ones -- gives you access to all the ship-within-a-ship perks of the luxurious Yacht Club, so you'll always feel like you're sailing aboard a much more exclusive ship.
Travellers looking for an action-packed, around-the-clock party, plus families with kids on a budget
Recluses looking for a small ship feel with plenty of quiet spaces, penny pinchers looking to avoid extra expenses
MSC Cruises is one of the most diverse cruise lines you can sail on with a multicultural mix of Italians, Brits, Spanish, Germans and French in the Mediterranean, with more North Americans in the Caribbean (but still lots of Italians and Spanish-speaking passengers), and a big local market in South Africa and South America. You'll also come across all ages. The lively night scene means these ships work well for teens and younger cruisers, while the decent kids' clubs (particularly on the newer ships) and the clever arrangements of clustered family cabins mean a lot of families travel during school holidays.
Yes, a little. The usual dress code is informal during the day and smart-casual at night -- think nice trousers and shirt for men and nice pants/skirts with blouse or cocktail dress for women. There's usually one gala night per cruise, when black tie or dark suit and tie are encouraged for men, as is a formal dress for women. This is not enforced, but people do make an effort.
No, unless you're in one of the Yacht Club suites, and even then, not everything is included. MSC sells its cruises through a somewhat bewildering array of packages: Bella, Fantastica, Aurea and Yacht Club. All include your accommodation, meals in specified restaurants and big-stage entertainment, along with basic coffee and tea, and select juices at breakfast and lunch. Beyond that, perks and inclusions vary by which package you've purchased, with Bella having no additional inclusions and Aurea featuring unlimited beverages. The Yacht Club has the most inclusions, with extra dining venues for eating, spa thermal suite passes and most beverages (plus access to a personal butler and a dedicated Yacht Club lounge and pool).
The action onboard an MSC ship is nonstop, with cruisers flocking to participate in pool games, sports contests, shopping promotions, trivia, karaoke and filling the nightclubs until late. On newer ships, high-tech arcade games are all the rage, including a 4D cinema, laser maze, F1 simulator and bowling. Many MSC cruisers are also just as happy to park themselves by a pool and stay there all day, and when the ship is in port, you'll find the vast majority of cruisers off the ship on ship-sponsored or independent tours.
