THE GEN X WANDERER / 7 Days Aboard the MSC World America Sea Day Western Caribbean

Day 1: Embarkation
Day 2: At Sea
Day 3: Roatan | Honduras
Day 4: Costa Maya | Mexico
Day 5: Cozumel | Mexico
Day 6: At Sea
Day 7: Ocean Cay Marine Reserve

And in case you missed it, see what we did on the MSC World America Eastern Caribbean

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MSC World America Sea Day: How We Actually Spent It

We’ve done this many times now, here and here on our last cruise with the exact same ship.

Every cruise has that couple of days with nowhere to dock and nowhere to be, and on our MSC World America sea day, we did exactly what a sea day is supposed to make you do.

Nothing, and also everything, in the laziest possible order. No shore excursion, no alarm clock, no plan beyond “let’s see what deck we end up on this time.” If you’re trying to figure out what an MSC World America sea day actually looks like here’s what we did.

New to Cruising? Don’t miss my informational articles below so you can get sailing!

• Ultimate Cruise Packing Guide + Itinerary! Free Download
• Fear of Cruising? You’re Fears are Probably all Wrong
• First Time Cruising? Let’s Put Your Mind at Ease
• Prone to Seasickness? Choosing the Right Cabin Matters!

Day 2: MSC World America VLOG

My Most Favourite Place

Can you open the Balcony Dividers?

We booked three balcony rooms in a row for our group. So I had a thought, open up the dividers and make one giant balcony.

I looked into it and apparently it’s not allowed while the ship is in motion, and it all comes down to wind and safety more than anything else. A ship moving at top cruising speed with open partitions between balconies is a different situation than a ship docked stationary at a port.

Exploring the Ship Again (Because Once Is Never Enough)

Even though we’d already walked most of MSC World America earlier in the trip, our sea day turned into round two of exploring, because there is too much ship to absorb in one pass. We wandered sections we hurried through the last time, found a couple of quiet corners that we remembered, and even though I vowed we would go and sit in some we never did the last time, we still never made it this time (like the lower section of The Gin Project).

We also had friends on board who hadn’t seen much of the ship yet, so we turned into unofficial tour guides for an afternoon.

The Sea Day Loop: Swim, Eat, Drink, Hot Tub, Rinse, Repeat

Swim for a bit. Eat something we didn’t need. Grab a drink. Sit in the hot tub until our fingers pruned up. Repeat that whole cycle two or three more times with zero guilt, because that is what a sea day is for. Except with a whole lotta other people.

There’s a rhythm to it that Gen X cruisers will recognize instantly. It’s basically a summer at the community pool in 1988, except the snack bar has better cocktails and nobody’s mom is yelling that it’s time to go. We’d float, dry off, eat, get back in, and somewhere around drink number two we stopped keeping track of time entirely, which is exactly the point.

Then we cleaned up, and since we managed again to get the earlier dining seating, we were able to watch 2 shows. Great shows although I think the production at the World Theatre was much better.

Deck 7: Lots of Bars and Eateries

Deck 7 called Santos, leans a little more toward the after dark crowd. For dining and drinks, Deck 7 is home to Butchers Cut, the ship’s steakhouse, along with Kaito Sushi Bar and Kaito Teppanyaki for Japanese food and a proper hibachi show. HOLA Tacos and Cantina rounds out the food options if you want something more casual with a Latin twist. These by the way are all specialty restaurants and costs extra.

For entertainment and nightlife, this deck also houses the Signature Casino, which is a pretty good solid size and an option for an evening (especially if you want to hit those slots to get comp cruises), make sure you are using your card to play.

If you keep walking through the Casino, you will hit the The Panorama Lounge which stretches across decks 6 and 7, where during the day, you can chill and relax and watch the back of the ship, and at night, catch a show like a magic show or a musical number.

All the way at the other end of the ship on Deck 7 is the World Theatre, where more “broadway” type performances are.

Deck 8: The World Promenade and The Coffee Emporium

Deck 8 on the MSC World America, known as Miami on this ship, is where the World Promenade lives, and it might be the best hangout zone on MSC World America. I mean, not only was our stateroom right above it on deck 9, which makes it a less than 2 min walk, but it’s a long stretch that runs through several decks with a giant slide (Jaw Drop) in the center coming all the way down from deck 19.

Located here on deck 8, is:

• Coffee Emporium – Included in drink package
• Paxos – Specialty Greek Restaurant
• All Star Sports Bar – Included in drink package, but not the food
• Sweet Temptations – Everything here is an extra cost
• Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Sliders etc – there’s a little kiosk right across from the Jaw Drop that opened at specific times that you can grab little treats, all free
• World of Watches
• Accessories Store

My personal favourite corner of the whole ship is right here on Deck 8 and that’s the Coffee Emporium. If you have missed it, check out my video above. If you have purchased a dining package, then all the drinks in here are included.

What to Do on Deck 8 – Mid Center

The other part of Deck 8 (when you go inside the ship towards the center) is the heart of the ship.

For bars and drinks, this deck is stacked. The Gin Project pours more than seventy craft gins with cocktails built by dedicated bartenders, in fact, this is where we got our MSC Speakeasy invitation TWICE! 🤫.

Elixir Mixology Bar has an outdoor terrace and a menu built around trendy, handcrafted cocktails. Fizz Champagne Bar is exactly what it sounds like, and the All Stars Sports Bar (mentioned above) covers the group that wants a game on in the background.

For wellness, the MSC Aurea Spa complex lives here too, with a sauna, steam room, thermal pools, and a gym with genuinely one of the better views on the ship. Unfortunately, I never got to try it.

For shopping, you’ve got Fine Jewellery, Luxury Accessories, World of Watches.

The Panoramic Lifts: Deck 8 to Deck 18 and 19

The label on the deck plan made me choose our stateroom close it. I was curious as to what the panoramic lifts were and it does not disappoint.

These are the glass walled, glass floored elevators positioned in the ship’s atrium, and riding one from Deck 8 up to Deck 18 or 19 turns a basic elevator ride into a mini sightseeing moment even for a minute. You get a clear view down through the atrium the whole way up, and it’s a nice little detour any time day or night you’re heading toward the pool decks or the Deck 19 area.

Final Thoughts on Our MSC World America Sea Day

A sea day doesn’t need a packed itinerary to be a good one. Ours was three balconies we didn’t merge, a lot of pool hopping, a coffee and tea spot I already miss, and a full lap of two decks. If you’re planning your own MSC World America Sea Day, block off more time for Deck 7 and Deck 8 than you think you need.

Want the full packing and planning rundown so you’re not scrambling the morning your ship sails? I put together a free downloadable PDF with everything I wish I’d known before this trip. Grab it, and while you’re here, stick around with me, The Gen X Wanderer for more real, unfiltered travel recaps from someone who is absolutely still figuring it out one sea day at a time.

Read Next in the Series
MSC World America ~ Western Caribbean

Click here to see my Eastern Caribbean Itinerary!