My family and I recently sailed aboard MSC Seascape from Galveston, and I wanted to share some detailed observations for you.

For context, our family included two adults and two teens/young adults, so our experiences may differ from those traveling with younger children or as couples. Our oldest son just graduated from high school, and our other son just completed 8th grade.

Embarkation & Disembarkation

Embarkation was probably our least favorite part of the cruise experience. The lines were extremely long and mostly outside. Fortunately, the weather was overcast and relatively comfortable, but I can imagine this being pretty miserable in the Texas heat or rain.

Disembarkation, on the other hand, was very smooth. We were off the ship by approximately 9:20 a.m., and although several groups still remained, the process was moving quickly and efficiently.

Staterooms

For this cruise, we booked two staterooms. My husband and I stayed in a balcony cabin, while our boys were across the hall in an inside cabin.

Both cabins were comfortable, functional, and offered plenty of storage space and drawers. Nothing particularly luxurious, but perfectly adequate and comparable to many standard cruise cabins. Our cabin attendant was excellent: friendly, attentive, and consistently helpful throughout the week.

Complimentary Food & Dining

Buffet: The buffet is enormous, spanning nearly the entire length of mid-ship.

The food was generally decent, but it was also very repetitive. There were relatively few changes from day to day.

One thing I found frustrating was the buffet layout. While there are multiple serving stations, not every station serves the same items. To truly see everything available, you need to walk the entire buffet. More than once, I saw something on someone else’s plate that I had never encountered while walking through.

The pizza, however, was a huge hit. The dough is hand-tossed and both of my boys loved it.

Main Dining Room Breakfast & Lunch: One of the main dining rooms is open for breakfast and lunch for guests who prefer to avoid the buffet.

We expected this to provide a quieter and more relaxed atmosphere, but tables are rearranged to concentrate guests into a smaller section of the dining room. Because of that, tables sit very close together and the environment remained fairly loud.

The menu selections were largely the same food available in the buffet, simply served tableside instead..

Continental Breakfast Lounge: There was also a lounge offering complimentary continental breakfast items, with smoothies available for purchase.

This a great morning spot because it was quiet, relaxing, and offered a nice alternative if you don’t need a full breakfast.

Specialty Restaurant Breakfast: We did not personally take advantage of this, but two specialty restaurants are open for breakfast on sea days and, if I understood correctly, breakfast is included.

The menus differ from the buffet offerings and appeared to provide a much calmer dining experience. My boys are fairly picky eaters and weren’t interested in the menu selections, so we didn’t try this option, but I would absolutely recommend other guests consider it for a quieter, more upscale option.

Main Dining Room Dinner: I strongly recommend clients select the earliest dining time available. We chose the middle dining time and found ourselves frequently rushing to make alternative entertainment offerings around the ship. The main theater productions were not an issue, but some of the lounge entertainment became difficult to attend because the times conflicted with our meal times.

Dinner quality ranged from average to very good depending on the evening. There were a few standout dishes, but there was also one night where the menu was so unappealing to us that we skipped the dining room entirely and returned to Hola! Tacos.

Parents should note that the children’s menu is more adventurous than what many American families may expect. There are no basic chicken nuggets, and even the burgers come fully dressed with sauces and toppings.

The waitstaff, however, were outstanding. Friendly, attentive, and consistent throughout the cruise.

Travel Agent Pro Tip: Choose Early Dining Time for the most flexibility for evening entertainment!

Specialty Dining

We purchased specialty dining packages prior to sailing and made reservations in advance. Upon boarding, we discovered that one reservation had not processed correctly. Guest services quickly resolved the issue and accommodated us together on the same evening with only a slight adjustment in dining time.

Hola! Tacos: This was definitely a highlight for us. Our package included unlimited menu selections for $25 per person. In hindsight, we probably would have spent less ordering à la carte, but having the package encouraged us to try dishes we otherwise might have skipped.

Everything we ordered was excellent.

We returned later in the cruise and paid à la carte. Even then, our total bill was nearly half the package cost, although we did skip appetizers and desserts that evening.

Butcher’s Cut Steakhouse: Fantastic.

The smoked tomato soup appetizer was one of my favorite items of the entire cruise. Every steak was cooked perfectly and the service was excellent—and this is coming from a Texas family! This was a wonderful final-night meal and a great way to end the cruise.

Evening Entertainment

Evening Shows: First thing to note—Guests must reserve theater shows once onboard.

Only the first three nights were available for booking initially with additional nights opening later in the cruise.

We never experienced difficulty obtaining reservations.

My husband and oldest son are not particularly interested in production shows and were finished after the first performance though they returned for the comedy show and enjoyed it. My younger son and I attended every show and thought the cast was talented with good variety throughout the week.

Lounge Entertainment: One lounge featured live variety entertainment from approximately 8:00-10:00 p.m. The performers were excellent, but seating became extremely limited if you did not arrive early. This was another area where I wished we had selected early dining.

Travel Agent Pro Tip 2: Head to the lounge venues early for the best seating!

Daytime Activities

During the day, we found they offered typical cruise offerings: bingo, game shows, dance classes, and other organized activities. We played bingo once but otherwise spent most of our time elsewhere.

Arcade: Families should know that arcade packages can be purchased before sailing and include bonus credits. The exact same packages were also available onboard at the same prices.

Travel Agent Pro Tip 3: If you’re not sure your kids (or adults!) will want to spend time in the arcade, wait and buy arcade packages onboard as there’s no price perk to purchasing this option pre-cruise.

Pools & Water Attractions: The pool decks and water slides were enjoyable, and there were plenty of areas to spread out. However, the adults-only infinity pool was somewhat disappointing. The water level sat low enough that it never really created the infinity effect.

Since we were traveling with one child who was too young for this area, we did not spend much time in the adults-only areas overall.

Theme Nights

One surprise was the number of themed evenings. I received no advance information regarding these; I now know that MSC doesn’t send these out in advance, but it would’ve been fun to know. Some guests report seeing this information in the MSC FOR Me app under “Useful Information.”

Our sailing included:

• Tropical Night

• Elegant Night (shorts and sandals not permitted in the dining room)

• White Night

• 70s, 80s, 90s Night

• Western Night

You may be able to find this information by searching online for the dailies from previous sailings as they tend to be the same from sailing to sailing. Otherwise, just go with the flow and enjoy the themes with whatever you’ve packed!

Ports of Call

Costa Maya

Costa Maya was probably our least favorite shopping port. The shopping and food options felt repetitive and prices were quite high.

One thing I wish I had known beforehand: the port area has very nice pools that guests can use with the purchase of food or drinks. We did not bring swimsuits ashore and missed out on this opportunity.

My husband and oldest son did a small-group excursion to the Mayan ruins and absolutely loved it. The drive is long, but transportation was comfortable in air-conditioned vehicles with water and soda provided. The ruins themselves are reconstructed rather than fully original, but the site was impressive and they even spotted spider monkeys during their visit. With a small group tour, they felt like they had plenty of time to explore and not in a giant group of people.

Roatan

Roatan was well loved by my husband and oldest son. My younger son and I chose not to explore this port and stayed onboard instead. The shopping was significantly more interesting than the other ports and included several unique local stores.They especially enjoyed a shop featuring handcrafted wooden bowls, cups, and carved statues.

They booked a Venture Ashore excursion that included zip lining, a chocolate factory visit, beach time, and snorkeling. Although they did not reserve a private guide, they essentially ended up with one because no other guests appeared to book that particular tour. They absolutely loved the experience!

The snorkeling was especially impressive because the water depth ranged from only five to nine feet, allowing them to feel fully immersed in the reef environment rather than floating far above it. They encountered abundant marine life and were able to hold a conch shell, a sea urchin, and a living sand dollar.

The chocolate factory was a hit, and they both said the zip lining was the best they had ever experienced.

One caution: My noted that the zip line course would not be appropriate for guests with mobility concerns. Several rope bridges had to be crossed and some were a bit unstable. A reasonable level of fitness is definitely required. Additional animal encounters included holding a macaw, petting sloths, interacting with guinea pigs, and having monkeys climb on them.

Travel Agent Pro Tip 3: Sometimes booking an excursion outside of the cruise line is the better choice! Often pricing is better, tour group is smaller, and you may have a better overall experience. Don’t be afraid to ask your travel advisor for some suggestions!

Cozumel

Shopping in Cozumel was fairly typical and similar to what many cruisers have seen at other Caribbean ports.

Our family participated in the Fury Catamaran excursion. This was a large group excursion with approximately 50 or more guests onboard. The snorkeling portion was enjoyable and there were plenty of fish to see. However, the group was kept very close together, so at times it felt like you were looking at other guests’ feet as much as the reef itself. Following snorkeling, we visited a private beach area.

One thing worth noting is that a grill was available serving burgers, but the food was not included and payment was cash only. We were not aware of that ahead of time.

Beer, margaritas, soda, and water were included throughout the excursion. Overall, it was a fun family-friendly excursion and worked particularly well for our family with multiple ages and abilities.

Overall Impressions of MSC

If you’re still reading, here’s my final impressions! Overall, I would place MSC firmly in the value category.

Upon a Star Travel agent Valerie with her husband catching the early morning sun on the deck.

Based on my previous cruise experiences, I would estimate it falls somewhere between Carnival and Royal Caribbean. I have also sailed Disney Cruise Line and Princess Cruises both of which provide a noticeably more elevated overall experience. That said, MSC offers a lot of value for the price point, and I would absolutely consider sailing them again when the itinerary and pricing are right.

One of the great things about cruising is that there is something for everyone from budget to moderate to luxury and everything in between! Some cruises are more aimed for fun and beaches while others focus on culture, history, or food. Travel advisors at Upon a Star Travel are well versed on the options, and we can help you find the perfect cruise for your family or traveling party. Ready to cruise? Please reach out to your favorite Upon a Star Travel advisor or via our website contact.