I had the chance to take part in the first cruise of Msc Seaside after a fourteen-month break. Although generally I am quite satisfied I have to admit that there are some things that disappointed me a lot.

Regarding the Covid regulations, the same rules apply on Seaside as on Grandiosa. All passengers must have a negative covid test, another test is performed at the terminal. Everyone must wear a mask in public areas and there are daily body temperature checks.

Unfortunately, you can still get off only for Msc excursions and here the first problem arose. I chose this cruise because of the two new and interesting ports of Taranto and Siracusa. Before the cruise, Msc advertised many great excursions on the website, but in the last minute they decided to cancel all excursions in Siracusa and almost all in Taranto as these regions were in the orange zone. Nevertheless, there was one excursion in Taranto. So why could this one take place and the other not? Besides, in February on Grandiosa I was on an excursion in Naples despite the orange zone, I also know that Costa Smeralda, which also restarted this week, offered excursions in Messina (the same region as Siracusa). While I agree that safety is a top priority, this last minute decision of the cruise line is illogical for me. Due to the situation, Msc can, under the guise of safety, take away any opportunity to visit a certain port. Read more