Living the Sunshine Life
Travel > Cruising > My MSC Seaside 2026 Experience
A Full First Day on the MSC Seaside
In March 2026, the MSC Seashore left Miami to travel to Ocean Cay. I love taking photos and talking about cruise experiences, so I put together this blog loop with details about the trip — and the ship, the food, and all the fun.
This post is just one of a few posts from the trip. Go to the main page for my March 2026 MSC Seaside experience to see all the posts! You can also use the navigation below to go to the next post.
Day 1 - Leaving Miami
The new MSC terminal at Port Miami is so high tech that you barely realize you’ve been through the check-in process. It’s a real difference from the last time I boarded an MSC ship, in Genoa, Italy. That was crazy, while this was easy!
First things first — gotta fill your belly! Everyone finds their way to the buffet after getting on board, and catching an elevator to any floor with food can mean a long wait.
I have a few theories, one being that you can set the tone of your cruise by what you choose to eat first. Eat a burger with a beer (like you might on Margaritaville at Sea) and you’re setting yourself up for a party. I cruise MSC for the Italian vibe, so I make my plate like a charcuterie platter…with a slice of pizza.
Veggie pizza, gherkin pickles, yellow pickled peppers, olives, artichoke wedges, salami, ham, mesclan salad, gorgonzola (a famous Italian blue cheese), and some other meats and cheeses on the buffet. Light and flavorful!
I got a real deal on this cruise…and I had some money left in the budget to splurge. I could have gotten a drink package, but what I really wanted was a pass to the thermal spa!
If there’s anything you should do on Day 1 of a cruise, it’s to tour the spa. Therapists are standing by to offer special deals and offers, and to walk you around the thermal area. We were about ten feet into the thermal area and I stopped him and said “sign me up.” It’s exactly the same as the Seaside and Seascape (a good thing!), and I knew it was where I’d be spending a few hours every day.
The earlier you get your pass, the earlier you can start relaxing! The price, when you add in the 18% gratuity, worked out to be $160, or around $50 per day. (Note that the gym and spa area is closed on disembarkation mornings.)
I had to stop by one of the card machines near guest services to link my credit card to my account, and then I could get my spa stuff from the cabin and put my butt on a heated lounger. Or go into the snow room. Tough decisions, right?
Eventually I’ll make a post and video about the thermal area.
I’ve spent a lot of time on MSC ships, and I’ve eaten just about everything on the regular menu in the main dining room. No complaints here…but I wanted something exciting to make this trip different.
When I booked this sailing, I noticed that specialty restaurants were discounted on embarkation day. I’ve wanted to try Ocean Cay, the fleet’s seafood restaurant, for a long while but never could find someone who wanted to eat there too. People tend to want to go to the steakhouse or the taco shack…not the fancy seafood place.
Well, tonight for dinner, I would be eating at Ocean Cay. Alone.
Like I mentioned earlier, I have to say that I was disappointed by the venue space. On the Seascape, the Ocean Cay restaurant is gorgeous. It’s modern and sleek, dark and mysterious, more like an art gallery than a restaurant. On the Seaside, it was more light and fresh and lots of light blue. It’s not that it isn’t nice (it is), it’s just that it wasn’t what I remembered.
While I might have been disappointed by the interior, I came for the food. And the food did not disappoint.
My waiter was quite firm that I would only be able to order one appetizer, one main dish, one side dish, and one dessert. As much as I would have loved to have been able to try more than one of each, the portions were generous enough that I didn’t even finish everything on my plate.
I’ll put up more photos and notes from the meal in another post…and I’ll link it here when it’s online. Until then…here’s a glimpse!
Um, I know I said that the portions were huge, but I’m a glutton and fond of traditions. So, while other passengers were on their way to the evening’s show and other activities on the entertainment lineup, I went to the main dining room and asked to get dessert.
In the MDR, guests have a seating window that they should arrive within. It allows for servers to take orders and bring up dishes in a timely manner so that they can feed everyone and reset before the next dinner seating.
My arrival was very much outside that window. I came ready to beg. “All I want is a dessert and espresso! I won’t be a bother, I swear!” The manager was super nice and seated me in the section with a super nice and excited waiter.
He was so nice that he brought me two desserts, because one wasn’t enough. (If you watch any of my videos on my cruise food channel on IG or YT, you know that I also believe that two desserts are better than one.) But I had already eaten a whole meal and dessert…so one would have been just fine!
Ah, to have a balcony…and to have a private place to experience a moon-lit night surrounded by sea. Argh, only to have way too much illumination from the ship. Haha, I can come up with a complaint about even the best things of life. Sorry.
All the Posts for This Experience!
1. This has to be the Best Cruise Itinerary Ever!
2. When a Campsite is Cheaper than a Hotel Room
3. First Impressions of the New MSC Terminal at Port Miami
4. First Impressions of the MSC Seaside
5. My MSC Seaside Abode, Cabin 11197
6. A Full First Day on the MSC Seaside
7. Sea Days Are for Relaxing…and Eating
8. Shh! The Bestest Quiestest Spot at Ocean Cay
9. And the Seaside Returns to Miami
10. Fill out the Cruise Survey!
Overall...
What a fun cruise. Too short for my liking, especially since I’ve gotten used to being at sea for weeks at a time, but the stop at Ocean Cay was exactly what I needed.
MSC has been posting news about changes it has been making to Ocean Cay, its private island in the Bahamas. All these changes concern me, since the beauty of this island is it’s deserted island vibe. Other cruise lines have thrill rides, luxury treats, and landscaping…things that need infrastructure and create waste. It’s good to see that even with the extra construction being done, Ocean Cay is being maintained as a simple marine reserve.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to check out my latest video on YouTube!
Jenny Claire is an award-winning educational materials writer, travel journalist, and food critic, formerly based in New York City and Taiwan. She calls a cute cabin in the woods of rural North Central Florida home, but lately she’s been spending most of her time cruising and traveling. She also was a secret travel critic and writer — but her lips are sealed on those details!
Living the Sunshine Life