Lost Shaker of Salt- MSC Seascape April 5- 12, 2026 Galveston, TX (Western Caribbean)
MSC Seascape was an absolutely GORGEOUS ship!
After 28 cruises, we are in love with CRUISING and are pretty much addicted to cruising. We find it to be the overall BEST VALUE for vacationing; although, we do travel on land vacations annually. We wanted to try MSC as we have never sailed on this Italian Cruise Line. We found a last minute deal just 22 days prior to embarkation day for only $342/ person. Even when we added the Premium Drink Package and the Wi-Fi, the grand total with taxes and fees was still only $1542 for both of us! This is completely unheard of as we usually pay just short of that for the DRINK PACKAGE only on Royal Caribbean!
We have cruised 13 previous times with Carnival, 12 times with Royal Caribbean, 2 times with Norwegian and 1 time with Princess.
This blog will contain entries of our day-to-day life aboard the MSC Seascapeas well as a shore excursion details, port tips and tricks and so much more. We will also VLOG our daily life aboard the MSC Seascape!
Throughout the blog posts, we will also share the lots of tips, tricks and insiders knowledge about cruising out of Galveston, information about cruising to the Western Caribbean as well as great information about MSC Seascape!
Check out our 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbean:
We enjoyed the MSC Seascape and trying out a new cruise line! And to be honest, we would sail on Seascape or with MSC again (if the price was right). We will pay MSC prices for the "MSC experience" like we had on the Seascape; but NOT Royal Caribbean prices for the same experience! We cruise for the relaxation and peace of being at sea and away from it all! In the end, we will cruise on whichever line has the best deal and overall value!
Up Next... The Mariner of the Seas (our SUITE LIFE to achieving Diamond on Royal Caribbean)!
Coming Soon:
Symphony of the Seas- July 2026 Liberty of the Seas- December 2026 Freedom of the Seas (Graduation Cruise)- June 2027
Making Friends with the Staff Sea Day #3 April 11, 2026
Living it up and doing it all... You have to, it's the last day!
Morning We woke up a little later than normal but the seas were so peaceful it made for a very relaxing evening and night of sleep. We opted to eat at Hola Tacos once again as it really was our favorite onboard the MSC Seascape.TIP- Hola Tacos is FREE for breakfast EVERYDAY, except Debarkation day! The service and food were FANTASTIC!
Hello Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas... Been there, done that! And we LOVED her!
The seas were PERFECT and it made for a wonderful day!
The pastry and churros basket... Chris REALLY enjoyed these!
The queso fondido... I ate this every time we went to Hola Tacos becasue who doesn't want QUESO for breakfast!
We spent the majority of the morning in the Cabaret Rouge Lounge for trivia. We tried our hand at many trivia games but unfortunately, for the 1st time in 29 cruises, we did not win a single trivia this cruise! We grabbed our traditional souvenirs in the MSC Logo Store before going to the Marketplace Buffet for lunch!
I could literally sit and stare at this ALL DAY!
Afternoon The Marketplace Buffet is the only complimentary restaurant that is open for lunch and it was SUPER crowded on this day! TIP- You can order room service or eat lunch at Hola Tacos but those cost an additional fee. We arrived at the buffet shortly before noon and it seemed all 5,500 passengers were also in this venue. It reminded me of a Carnival Embarkation Day buffet and it was not fun! Since this was the last day of the cruise, the head chef and the Cruise Director were in attendance and there was a special ceremony and parade of nations type of event which explained the crowds. It took us about 25 minutes just to find each other and a place to eat our lunch. It was a neat experience but I would wait until a little later for lunch next time.
I liked this vibe but I was not expecting a FULL ON PARTY!
After explore the ship to see what the crowds were like on a sea day (more specifically the LAST sea day), we spent the rest of the afternoon in the Sports Bar to watch the 3rd round of The Masters. Since this was a sea day, the bar service started earlier in the day and it made a PERFECT afternoon onboard. On our way back to our room Chris made a pit-stop at the Venchi Chocolate shop and "accidentally" got in with a Chocolate Tasting group. This chocolate tasting was $40 total and included 8 pieces of chocolate (of your choice) and a large chocolate bar to-go. Unfortunately, I do not like chocolate so I did not participate but we purchased many bars to take home to our kids and my parents as well. Chris really enjoyed the experience and said the chocolate was worth the $40.
The Waterpark around 1PM... It was not crowed AT ALL!
When we went back to the room, we got dressed for dinner and enjoy the peacefulness of our balcony before going to the Cocktail Bar as it opened at 5PM. We stayed here until our dinner time of 7:30PM just talking to the bartender, Ashish Rao from Mumbai. The past few cruises we have really enjoyed getting to know the staff and hear their stories. I loved getting to talk to Ashish and learn about his work and travel life and I now want to go to Mumbai before I die!
Let's Talk Ship- Day #7
We love a day at sea!
Evening Dinner in the Main Dining Room was Italian Night and one of MSC's biggest events. We had read so much about it and we were very anxious to try it. The tables were decorated and the entire atmosphere of the MDR had a much better vibe, in our opinion. The service was once again exceptional and the food was better than most previous nights in the MDR.
I LOVED the decor and atmosphere on Italian Night!
The Italian Night MDR Menu!
Calamari Chris- 2.5 & Kellie- 2.0 It was a little chewy but the Italian flavor was SPOT ON!
Caprese Salad Kellie- 2.0
I was a little let down on this dish as I expected so much more!
Chicken Parm Chris 3.5 & Kellie 3.0
I loved the napkin folding from the waiters.
Tiramisu
Chris 3.0 & Kellie- 2.5
After dinner we made the dreadful walk back to our stateroom to pack up for the week. This is the absolute WORST part of any cruise as it means the fun is over. We quickly packed our suitcases and left them outside our door for the "Assisted Debarkation" as we always do. TIP- We enjoy a slower end to our cruise and exit off the ship on Debarkation Morning so we choose to not carry our own luggage off. This usually allows a slower breakfast and a 8:30-9AM debarkation time (on any cruise line). However, you can carry ALL your luggage off and get off the ship as early as 7AM on most cruise lines.
We went back to the Cocktail Bar just minutes before they were closing down but of course Ashish made us a few rounds of drinks before they officially closed the bar down. We ended the night at the Sports Bar for Christo del Rey last performance. We found several people enjoying the last night onboard and the bartenders gave us some wonderful drinks (for free).
Thank you TED for these delicious drinks! Here's to MSC Seascape and this awesome cruise!
We love this vibe!
Let's Talk Ship- Night #7 and Cruise Recap
It was a wonderful week spent onboard the MSC Seascape and we enjoyed trying out a new cruise line and all the new things that come along with it. I am not sure MSC will be a new favorite cruise line by any means, we thoroughly enjoyed our week and our cruise. Reminder- A cruise is what you make of it and we had a great time despite all of the differences we noticed. I will say MSC offered OUTSTANDING service each and every day! Plus the Seascape herself was GORGEOUS and I believe the most beautiful ship we have ever sailed in 29 cruises!
MSC Seascape... It's been fun!
We've got 3 more cruises booked in 2026 plus Natalie's European Graduation Cruise in 2027!
Up Next... The Mariner of the Seas (our SUITE LIFE to achieving Diamond) and the kids first trip to the Bahamas on the Symphony of the Seas this summer!
1990's Spring Break Vibes Day #6- Cozumel, Mexico April 9, 2026
Cruise #29 means Cozumel visit #24! It truly is our "Caribbean home away from home"
Morning We woke up a little bit later than usual since we stayed out until the early morning hours the night before. However, this allowed for a less crowded breakfast since most people had already gotten off the ship in Cozumel. We decided to have Butcher's Cut again for breakfast since it was FREE. The service was just average for this meal and I am not sure if that is due to the later arrival (9:45AM instead of opening time) or another reason. The food was good but not "blow you away" type of meal. Both Chris and I opted to try the Steak and Eggs and the steak was paper thin and incredibly chewy. The Biscuits and gravy were flavorful but the biscuits were hard; in fact, I wonder if they were stale. It was a mediocre meal (at best) but was about par for our cruise, to be honest!
Greetings from our Home Away from Home!
I loved the crafted Ice Latte's in literally EVERY bar.
This was delivered in Butcher's Cut and it was great!
The omelet Chris and I shared was nothing impressive! Kellie- 2.5 & Chris- 1.5
We finished breakfast and got off the ship around 10:30AM. The MSC Seascape was docked at the Punta Langosta- the Downtown Pier. Carnival and Royal Caribbean both use the southern piers so it had been many years since we had ported at this pier. The island has really built up this pier and I was impressed with the overall design and structure. TIP- However, the construction is not yet complete so you will have a bit of an issue getting back across the street getting back to the ship. While I enjoyed the upgrade terminal, I still prefer the International Pier (Royal Caribbean) the best of the three Cozumel piers.
We made our way through the terminal and I was able to find a "Fish Spa". I have always seen these and wanted to try it out and this allowed such an opportunity. It was a 20 minute "fish eating" session for $35 total. The 100+ fish started eating at my dead skin immediately- it was really weird. With the tip, this cost $43 total and I am not sure I would do this again, despite it's uniqueness!
I have always wanted to try these and today was the DAY!
My feet were left very soft but overall, it was a memory made for sure!
My Fish Spa experience... YOLO!
We then ventured into Senor Frogs and immediately the MTV Spring Break vibes started flowing. Chris and I got a drink and really enjoyed the dance videos and theatricals from the workers. I had not been to Senor Frogs since my HS Senior Trip to Cancun in 2001 but this really hit the spot! Oddly enough, the restaurant was full of Generation X 1980s babies just singing along to Alanis Morsette! Next time we will get food!
We opted for the 20oz instead of the YARD and it was perfect! $18.99/ each and the Yard was $27.99!
Hello from Senor Frogs... This was a GREAT day in Cozumel!
Afternoon We got back on the ship and went to the buffet for lunch and it was still just not for us. The food offerings were substantial and offered something for just about anyone but overall the food was just Food Court standard in our opinion.
Chris's neuropathy was giving him fits so we opted to get a bicycle shuttle back to the ship! The best $15 tip EVER!
MSC desserts were "low key" delicious! (Sorry... I am trying to be a cool blogger)
We got changed into our swimsuits and then went to the Infinity Pool once again for a beautiful afternoon. It was very windy and since the infinity pool is not very deep, we were not in here for very long as we just got too cold! We showered and got dressed for the evening and then made our way to the Loft Cafe for mid-afternoon snacks and drinks. This was a moment we were both enjoying the Wi-Fi that came with our Premium Package. It felt a little weird to be playing games and scrolling social media on a cruise but we enjoyed the communication availability!
The Infinity Pool around 2PM- It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon!
MSC version of the "Ranger Cookie" from Royal Caribbean... Not near as good!
We spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening in the Sports Bar for the 2nd Round of The Masters. As I mentioned in a previous post, I LOVE The Masters and being able to watch it for hours in this expansive Sports Bar was literally priceless. I am already thinking about how to take off work next year and watch it from a cruise ship sports bar! We were also able to see the MSC Seascape push off from Cozumel and begin making our way home from Deck 8 just outside the Sports Bar!
I am ready for CARIBBEAN Attire night! Gotta Love Shein... Only $11!
This is where we spent the majority of our afternoon! This Sports Bar is LEGIT!
Goodbye Norwegian Prima... We will see you in Galveston in 2 days!
The Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas and the Carnival Dream also docked in Cozumel!
Adios Cozumel... See you in TWO MONTHS!
Evening We went to our favorite bar, The Cocktail Bar, as it opened at 6PM and had another wonderful conversation with Ashish Rao, the bartender. We were also able to talk with a fellow quest who was an elementary principal about the "joys of education". This was a very enlightening, albeit curse-filled, conversation. We also strolled through the Captain's Court Specialty Restaurant Lounge.
Check out these AWESOME areas around the ship:
Liberty Plaza and Duty Free Shopping (Deck 8 Midship)
We made our way to Deck 8 for a gorgeous sunset and then dinner in the MDR. The Mexican Themed menu was not terrible and on the same level as the Carnival and Royal Caribbean Mexican menus.
THIS is why I cruise... These sunsets are GORGEOUS!
I still cannot believe we got THIS view from our MDR table!
Hello Table #430.. You are FOREVER my favorite!
The Mexican Themed Menu aboard MSC Seascape!
French Onion Soup Kellie-1.5 There is a reason Royal Caribbean is FAMOUS... This was a pass!
Quesadilla Chris- 3.0 & Kellie-2.5 This had a LOT going on but was flavorful!
Brisket Chris- 2.0 & Kellie-1.0 WHOA... This was so NOT GOOD!
Sorbet Kellie 1.5 I always have to have an "Ice Cream" night and this was it!
After dinner we went back to the Cocktail Bar before they closed at 9PM and then to the Casino to try our luck but we were not successful so we made our way to the Casino Bar to talk "Beagles" with one of our favorite bartenders. It started to get busy around 10:30PM so we went back to the Sports Bar for more live music with Christo De Rey, the Classic Rock guitar performer!
Our beagle, Rockefeller, for reference! 2.5 years and he thinks he RULES THE WORLD! He is a MESS!
Let's Talk Ship- Day #6
It's ALWAYS a good day on a cruise!
We called it a night right before midnight after a great day spent in Cozumel and onboard this gorgeous ship!
UP NEXT... Our last day spent onboard the MSC Seascape!
