Is a suite upgrade worth it? After four sailings in interior cabins, I recently stayed in a balcony suite on MSC Seaside for a week-long cruise in the sunny southern Caribbean. Was it worth the extra money for a luxury accommodation on my MSC cruise? I was a little nervous to find out if my money was well spent.
MSC Seaside has been sailing the Caribbean this winter and offers many cabin options, including several suites. After sailing on newer MSC ships, I was not sure if I would like the oldest ship in this class. However, I was eager to try this itinerary, so I decided to give it a chance and upgrade to a balcony view. My husband and I paid a little over $6,000 for this suite; however, it was a good deal for a Yacht Club balcony suite.
Overall, we loved our week onboard MSC Seaside and enjoyed the extra space that a suite provides, with many added benefits. The itinerary was unbelievable and well worth sailing on a slightly older ship for the incredible ports we visited.
Have a look inside this Yacht Club Deluxe Suite we stayed in and hear about what I liked and what could be improved upon in my cabin onboard MSC Seaside.
My initial impression was that the cabin was spacious but a little dark
Opening up the door to our stateroom, I was immediately impressed by the size and layout of the space - definitely plenty of room for my husband and me. The blues of the Caribbean Sea shot through the balcony doors, providing quite the contrast to the darker colors of the stateroom. Having sailed on both MSC Seascape and MSC Seashore, I prefer the muted earth tones of those ships, but that's a minor consideration in the grand scheme of things.
With 300 square feet of interior space, the cabin had a bathroom, sleeping area, living area, and lots of built-in cabinetry. It also featured a 90-square-foot balcony, which I was particularly excited about, as my previous MSC sailings were in interior cabins with no view. This itinerary had long port days, as well as one sea day, providing lots of time to see the stunning vistas of the Windward Islands we visited including Martinique, St. Vincent, and Grenada.
The clean lines of the furniture made the cabin feel roomy and overall it flowed well. The open shelving between the bedroom area and living space lets the light pass through while allowing for different living spaces - a smart design strategy.
MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite is one of the larger cabin options onboard MSC Seaside
For our winter holiday, I wanted to book something with a little more space and a view. MSC Seaside has three Yacht Club options: a deluxe balcony option, an interior suite, and a luxurious Royal Suite - a true budget buster! I chose the mid-range option, the Yacht Club Deluxe Suite (category Y1). My cabin was #16008 and was located near the front of the ship on Deck 16.
MSC Seaside is the first of four Seaside Class ships and was launched in December 2017. It is a frequently used ship for Caribbean sailings, as the Seaside Class is designed for warm weather. The ship has a total of 2,026 cabins, with a total passenger capacity of 5,084. Yacht Club staff told us that this area had a total capacity of 300 guests, which made it feel more intimate compared to the busier areas of the ship.
MSC's Yacht Club, in addition to other suites onboard, offers guests several benefits like a premium drink package, Wi-Fi, and dedicated venues onboard. While some of the deluxe suites have sofa beds and double sofa beds, ours was just a regular couch. We had friends onboard who had the sofa bed and said there was plenty of room to accommodate the extra cabin guests. However, there is no true divider between the sitting and bedroom areas, which may be an issue for some.
Read more: MSC Cruises Cabin Overview – what you need to know
The sleeping area was comfortable, although it was a little hard to see the ocean when lying down
The layout of the cabin made for a cozy bedroom area with a king-sized bed. Both sides of the bed have reading lights and night tables, with two drawers. There is a USB port on the right side of the bed. For convenience, it would make a lot more sense to have ports on both sides, especially for nighttime charging.
Before boarding, MSC gives Yacht Club guests an option for four different pillow types, such as standard down and ergonomic options, which is nice if you find you need more support. Although I slept very well on the ship, the mattress was a tad soft for my personal liking. The bedding was comfortable, and there was plenty of space under the bed to store our suitcases. I always appreciate that MSC has a thick plastic mat to put your suitcase on to not dirty the linens.
Last year on Celebrity Edge, our bed faced the balcony, which was my favorite cabin configuration ever. The bed faced a wall of windows that spanned the full width of the cabin, but this MSC stateroom was still impressive.
Despite only having one sea day, I loved spending time on the balcony
There is no better sight than watching the sunrise as you sail into a port for the first time. Our itinerary sailed through many of the picturesque islands of the Antilles, including St. Lucia and St. Vincent, which meant there was lots to see.
Our balcony was long and narrow, with two chairs and a footstool. There were no loungers, which was not a bother for me, and there wasn't space for one, even if you wanted one.
We were on the starboard side, but I don't think the side made a difference on this itinerary. Many MSC cruisers like a specific side to better view Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the cruise line's private island in the Bahamas and a popular stop on most of its Caribbean itineraries.
For this trip, having a balcony to view the many islands we passed in the southern Caribbean was lovely. With the open layout of the cabin, the stunning views from the balcony were visible the moment you stepped into the cabin.
The bathroom was bright with an elegant shower, even a rainfall showerhead
Upon entering the cabin, the bathroom area is immediately to the left, the largest bathroom I have had on an MSC ship. The shower was roomy and had a good-sized bench, something I had never seen on a cruise ship before. The rainfall showerhead was a treat, and my tall husband (6’3") had no issues with the shower size.
In addition to the standard bath products, Yacht Club guests enjoy premium shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion with the signature MSC scent. One thing that surprised me was the little bottles for these products. Using larger bottles would be more in line with MSC’s goals relating to sustainability, with much less waste.
Read more: Who owns MSC Cruises?
I try to be a minimalist when packing and often forego bringing my own bath products. I found the shampoo, soap, and shower gel were all to my liking with a mild smell. The bathroom had plenty of large, soft towels, washcloths, and Kleenex. There was no bathtub, which I have never use on a cruise anyway.
The cabin had lots of storage for a one-week cruise
The balcony suite comes with a good deal of storage, which was ample for our needs. Vacationing pre- and post-cruise, we each had a large suitcase and travel carry-on and had more than enough room to store all of our belongings.
There are two separate wardrobes, one with lots of room to hang up clothes and the other with a mix of drawers and more hangers, with storage above and below. In addition, there are drawers on either side of the bed, a large shelf, great for hats and stuff, and two shelves in the bathrooms.
The cabin has a long wall with a vanity/desk area, with plenty of space to put your belongings in addition to a small work area for those who need it.
Read more: MSC Cruises Guide
Our cabin had a refreshment center with a variety of drinks and snacks
Another nice perk of Yacht Club is a large selection of complimentary beverages, including sparking and flat water, as well as a Delonghi coffee maker located on one end of the vanity. Drinks in the mini-fridge are complimentary, as well as a nice selection of teas.
Our fridge was stocked with beer, water, and pop. In addition to this, Yacht Club guests get a bottle of spirit or wine of their choice (from a menu provided ahead of time). We ordered a bottle of wine.
Each day, our butler left additional treats in our cabin, including a bottle of champagne. We also have some great snacks like a Toblerone bar, pringles, nuts, a fruit bowl, and cookies, to name a few.
Read more: 13 MSC Cruises Drink Packages Tips and Tricks (2024)
There are plenty of ways to charge devices in the cabin
There are many plugs in the cabin, such as USB, North American, and European ones. My husband and I each had two devices and had no problem charging.
We also departed from Guadeloupe, which requires European plugs, so we could use those if needed. If you have a lot of devices, European adaptors can be convenient to have on hand. We got a package of 5 adaptors on Amazon for less than $20.
Speaking of devices, as part of our cabin, we were provided with complimentary Wi-Fi. Specifically, we had two devices per person and received the Browse package, the lower-level one.
I would say the internet works as well in the room as it did on any other part of the ship. Although it was slow at times, I was able to email, check social media, and use FaceTime audio calling.
Read more: What you need to know about MSC Cruises Wi-Fi (2024)
The sitting area was comfortable, although we did not use it much
The cabin has a small sitting area adjacent to the balcony. There is a comfortable couch, a coffee table, and a TV. We did not sit there that much, as we only had one sea day. The TV was quite large; however, we never used it beyond watching the safety video.
In some cabins, the couch (which is roughly the size of a loveseat for two people) is a comfortable pull-out bed for an extra guest or two, but this was not an option in ours.
There is plenty of storage to accommodate an extra person, and our friends onboard found it worked well for them, but there is no true divider between the two spaces or privacy, which may be an issue for some.
The cabin location was convenient and quiet
We were situated in cabin 16008 in the Yacht Club area. On MSC Seaside, the Yacht Club suites are together in the front part of the ship, located on Decks 16 and 18. There is no Deck 17 on MSC Seaside, as the number is considered bad luck in Italian culture, similar to 13 in North America.
Although I don’t tend to suffer from seasickness, the motion gets to me once in a while, so I often look for a mid-ship cabin. However, the Yacht Club cabins are toward the front, which limits your cabin selection. I am a light sleeper and try to pick cabins carefully. I reviewed MSC Seaside's deck plans to make sure I was not below the restaurant area or kitchen, which had been an issue when I last sailed on MSC Seascape.
Our cabin was toward the very front part of the Yacht Club area, just one minute away from the lounge/restaurant venues. We had other cabins below and above us but never heard any noise.
We did feel a little bit of movement, but overall, the waters were quite calm. Despite being close to the Top Sail Lounge, I never heard traffic, as the ship has a separate hallway for the cabins, so you don’t hear people congregating or chatting as they head for a meal or drink.
A few honorable mentions
This itinerary was unlike any other I have been on as guests board in three different ports: Barbados, Martinique, and Guadeloupe. This meant that there were different cabin options depending on when you embarked.
I was initially thinking about cruising out of Martinique but ended up picking Guadeloupe due to the available cabin options. If you can't find the cabin you want, look at a different entry port. We booked six months in advance and much of Yacht Club was already booked up; I had a hard time finding a cabin I liked.
Additionally, the air conditioning was good, and we were able to easily adjust the temperature to our liking. Of course, as with many other cruise lines, your cabin cooling system only works when you have your pass card in the reader as you come in.
I liked the electronic signal that allows you to let your cabin attendant know to make up your room or to not disturb you, as opposed to the traditional card hanging from the door.
We had a choice of newspapers delivered to our cabin, and the living room area was an ideal area to read with a balcony view. Although I glanced at the daily newspaper (and it was a nice extra for those who like hard copy paper), I soon discovered I wanted to forget about the rest of the world and spend every minute enjoying my vacation.
The twice-a-day cabin service was impeccable. Our cabin steward seemed to sneak in and out of the room at the most convenient times, and there was always a warm, friendly face when we ran into her in the hall. There aren't any towel animals onboard MSC, but that's okay.
Overall, I loved our balcony suite; it was a decadent treat. I would definitely recommend it for those who want a little extra room or are splurging for a special occasion.
Even when I was not out on my balcony, I enjoyed our cabin views of the tropical waters and the many islands we saw in the southeastern Caribbean. A full wall of windows, like a Sky Suite on Celebrity Edge, would have been even more spectacular, but this was certainly a fantastic cabin option with MSC. We appreciated having a balcony, as the sun came up early, and we had stunning views while we sailed into 5 different ports. However, we did not use it as much as on previous cruises with more sea days.
The deluxe balcony suite offers tons of storage and lots of amenities that make your stay comfortable, along with some nice extras like a coffee maker and a fridge stocked with complimentary drinks.
The bedding, choice of furnishings, and accessories were a little dark, especially compared to the newer Seaside ships like MSC Seascape and MSC Seashore. However, the cabin was well maintained and really did not show much age despite being 6+ years old. Overall, it was a wonderful cruise experience!
Chantal McPhee
Chantal McPhee has a great passion for travel since first venturing to the Bahamas as a child with her grandparents. Today, she loves cruising with her husband and two daughters to new places and aspires one day to do a world cruise. Living on the east coast of Canada, she shares cruising tips and information with fellow Canucks seeking a reprieve from the great white north. She also teaches business studies at a university, with a focus on strategy
