MSC Cruises MSC Seaview Cruise Ship Review

There are 10 restaurants on board MSC Seaview, each with some sort of ocean view so you can watch the waves roll by as you dine. While MSC Cruises remains a cruise line rooted in the Mediterranean, the cuisine on board reflects the international tastes of the modern cruise passenger. Enjoy classic Mediterranean cuisine in the main dining rooms, Golden Sand and Silver Dolphin, or enjoy a more casual meal at one of the two buffets open all day. Fresh pasta is made right on the ship and an upgraded menu featuring sirloin and lobster during the two elegant evenings on a seven-day cruise is a big hit. As you’d expect with a European cruise line, the wine list is extensive and offers reasonably priced wine by the bottle or glass along with higher end options.

There are several for-fee restaurants on board MSC Seaview where the quality of the cuisine takes a significant step forward. Bistrot L’Atelier is a French restaurant with a nice selection of appetizers and cheese plates to start. The main courses are a mix of fresh seafood dishes like scallops, mussels, or sea bass along with duck and beef options as well. Finish with a delightful crème brûlée or selection of sorbet.

Butcher’s Cut is your traditional American-style chop house serving up prime cuts of filet mignon, dry-aged sirloins, and even racks of lamb. There are options that don’t involve red meat as well as a list of soups and salads to start. Butcher’s Cut is also open for brunch and features omelettes, tater tots and carnitas hash, strawberry french toast, and more.

Ocean Cay, a restaurant which seems to promote the recent opening of MSC Cruises’ private island of the same name, was developed in tandem with Chef Ramon Freixa and features unique takes on old classics, many of which are seafood based. Try not to fill up on the fresh miniature baguettes which come to the table first, but easier said than done!

Asian Market Kitchen by Roy Yamaguchi is actually three eateries rolled into one. There’s a sushi bar, Teppanyaki grill, and a restaurant called Fusion which serves Asian-Hawaiian inspired dishes. You’ll find all your favorite sushi rolls, noodles, and sake when you enjoy a meal at this speciality restaurant.

There are also two gelato venues and the Venchi Bar for hand-crafted chocolate treats and specialty coffees.

MSC Seaview’s more prominent bells and whistles include a zip line that soars 345 feet from the funnel past the Panorama lido area with its pool, a trio of Jacuzzis, loads of sunning space, a giant LED video screen, and even a bandstand that can double as a helipad. There’s another pool for those aged 16 and over in the Sunset Beach lido area at the base of the “condo” on Deck 7, the sliding-glass-dome-covered Jungle Pool area (complete with faux jungle foliage) on Deck 18, and, of course, an exclusive pool area for guests staying in the deluxe Yacht Club ship-within-a-ship.

In addition to the pools, there is also the multi-story Forest Aquaventure water park with its huge dunker, rope bridges, and quartet of slides, two of which loop over the side of the ship. Three full decks of public rooms include a glass-walled atrium (traversed by Swarovski crystal–studded staircases) that features a multi-level stage and giant LED-screen backdrop for live music performances.

MSC Cruises is a family cruise line so there’s no shortage of activities for the kiddos. The ship has an impressive LEGO-affiliated youth program with age-specific venues as well as the aforementioned waterpark, a sports arena, a bowling alley, a Formula 1 racing simulator, and an interactive XD cinema.

The spa and fitness center offers all the amenities you’d expect and are larger than you might find on other ships. The spa has 23 rooms for treatments like massage therapy, skin treatments, or beauty treatments.

Staterooms on board MSC Seaview are elegant and comfortable. There are 108 balcony cabins designed to connect with one or both adjoining cabins, accommodating as many as 10 guests together in a three-balcony set. Every room comes with amenities like a TV, phone, safe, wifi accessibility, and a minibar.

Eleven categories of staterooms range from 150-square-foot Interiors to a pair of 667-square-foot Royal Suites. Yacht Club guests have their own private lido and pool area, a concierge lounge, and an exclusive restaurant, as well as VIP privileges like priority boarding, priority seating in shows, priority reservations in the specialty dining rooms, and butler service.

Modern touches in the rooms like USB ports make for convenient charging, and since lights must be activated by keycard, there’s less electricity wasted shipwide.