My Four Day Sailing on MSC Seashore

Three Reasons to Sail MSC

• Best cruise value in the Caribbean
  
• Beautiful, Upscale Ships
  
• Outstanding Entertainment
  

Biggest Downside

• Food needs improvement

My sister and I set sail this week on a four-night Bahamas itinerary aboard MSC Seashore. It’s actually my third time onboard this particular vessel, but the first time experiencing a shorter itinerary. Previous sailings have been 7 nights, one in a deluxe balcony, and one being spoiled by their luxury Yacht Club experience. That Yacht Club sailing turned out to be the last cruise that Marvin experienced prior to his passing in July 2024. I thought I would share a bit about shorter cruise itineraries in general, and also some specifics about our 4-night cruise experience on the Seashore.
A quick word of advice … we discourage most clients from booking 3-night sailings.  For most, it is simply not an efficient use of time, with too little time onboard to actually enjoy the sailing. With much of the first day spent getting onboard, completing the safety drill, and settling in…and the last evening preparing to disembark, there is precious little time to actually enjoy your vacation. We highly recommend booking at least a four-night cruise if possible, as that one extra day really impacts your ability to enjoy your cruise and the fare difference not significant.
More details about our onboard experience follows – but one thing of note has been the unusually quiet seas we’ve experienced on this sailing. Passengers are frequently concerned about booking a cruise during hurricane season and it’s true that by mid-August we’re headed into “prime time” for major storms to develop. That said, over the years, we have sailed frequently during the month of August ourselves, and we have noted these flat, glassy seas on several of those sailings, particularly in the Western Caribbean. This is the only time of year that we’ve experienced this phenomenon and it makes for a lovely and quite memorable sailing experience.

Shorter Cruise Itineraries – Setting Expectations

The experience on three and four-night itineraries differ in many respects when compared to the experience on traditional sailings of 7 nights or longer.  In fact, these shorter 3- and 4-night itineraries may even differ significantly compared with 5- and 6-night itineraries.  If you are accustomed to sailing longer itineraries and are planning to schedule a short cruise getaway, you might anticipate:

• Limited Ports of Call
• Older Ships, Less WOW factor
• Scaled Down Production-Type Shows
• Different Passenger Demographics

Ports: Cruise itineraries for shorter sailings will be limited to ports of call located a manageable distance from the point of departure.  For most Florida ports, this means you will visit Nassau, Freeport or Bimini, perhaps with a day spent at one of the cruise line’s private islands or possibly Key West.   For experienced cruisers booking a short getaway, itinerary is rarely the deciding factor in their booking decision.

Ships: Many times, cruise lines designate their smaller and more “seasoned’ vessels to sailing these short cruise itineraries.  Rarely will you find the newest ships sailing itineraries less than 7 nights.  Since the cruise lines scrupulously maintain all their vessels, the fact that the ship has been around a few years should not be cause for elimination.  Even the smaller, older ships have more than enough entertainment and activity options to keep guests engaged and entertained … just don’t arrive onboard expecting the WOW factor and latest bells & whistles that the newest vessels offer.

Entertainment: Entertainment on most of the shorter sailings tends to be a bit scaled back … you typically won’t find huge production shows with the latest special effects onboard these shorter sailings.  Also, as a general rule you will find that the larger the vessel, the more expansive the entertainment.  Regardless of vessel size, you will find entertainment on most short sailings to be engaging and more than adequate for a short cruise getaway.

Passenger Demographics: Shorter cruises tend to have broad appeal for families and younger guests looking for an affordable getaway. When booking cruises with 3- or 4-night itineraries, you will likely find a larger number of children onboard, as well as a certain percentage of passengers ready to “party hearty.”

Aboard MSC Seashore

So, what did we actually experience on our own short sailing on MSC Seashore this week? First, MSC offers one of the very best values available in the Caribbean cruise market, whether you are looking for a short get-away or a longer cruise experience.  Clients love their optional drink & wifi package which is very reasonably priced.
Seashore is a big, bold beautiful ship. There is an air of glitz, glamour and sophistication onboard the vessel. Without exception, the staff was friendly and service oriented throughout.  Dining service, our room steward, bar and specialty dining, everyone we encountered went above and beyond to contribute to our enjoyment of the cruise.
Entertainment was solid, if not inspired. We enjoyed the offerings in the main theatre and the music combos around the ship. During our sailing, there was a magician, a comic, and a production show in the main theatre … we were engaged and entertained.
Our deluxe balcony 10263 seemed somewhat cramped and the bathroom especially tight with very little storage. The bathroom did feature a tub which was not the case with our rooms on prior sailings…nice for families, I’m sure, but for our purposes, the space could have been much better utilized with a standard shower and more functional vanity & storage space.
The food…well, it was fine, we had plenty to eat…but again, we found menus and preparation rather unremarkable. Food onboard MSC vessels consistently seems to be the weakest link, which really needs to be addressed. We always found something to eat, but truly nothing at all on the main dining menu to get excited about. This has been our consistent experience after sailing on several of their vessels and even in the Yacht Club … if MSC could up their game in the dining department, they would truly be a force to be reckoned with in the contemporary Caribbean market.  
In contrast to the main dining room and buffet fare, we find the premium “extra cost” restaurants to be exceptionally good on the Seashore…steak, seafood, and alternative restaurants are outstanding. MSC also offers some great dining packages at very reasonable cost…if you are a foodie, it would be worthwhile to splurge on these packages – you won’t be disappointed.

Conclusion

A short cruise itinerary can be a great way to relax and refresh – these getaways can be just what you need when you are bogged down or stressed by the daily routine.  In addition to the fun and relaxation, a cruise offers tremendous value for the vacation dollar.  Are you overdue for some time away and can’t manage the time for a full-blown vacation?  Then a short cruise getaway like this may fill the bill. Dancing Moon Travel actively books MSC and all major and niche cruise lines. Reach out and we’ll have options for you today!

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