MSC Cruises is giving guests on MSC Seashore a little more food flexibility, and honestly, this is exactly the kind of onboard improvement many U.S. cruisers will appreciate.
MSC Cruises has revealed two new fast-casual dining concepts aboard MSC Seashore: The Chicken Man and Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs. Both venues are included in the cruise fare, meaning guests can enjoy them without paying extra.
That is the big headline here. These are not specialty restaurants. These are not “that sounds good until you see the bill” cruise ship extras. These are new complimentary grab-and-go dining options designed to give guests more quick, casual choices during the day. This also matches up with an observation we made where Carnival is leading the pack on complimentary food options on ships.
For MSC Seashore, which sails from Port Canaveral, this feels like a smart move. American cruisers tend to love casual food options they can grab between the pool, the buffet, Ocean Cay planning, and the occasional “I swear I’m just getting a snack” cruise moment that somehow becomes a full meal.
Updates During Recent Drydock
MSC Seashore recently returned from a scheduled dry dock in Freeport, Bahamas, where the ship received routine maintenance and guest-facing refreshes before resuming service from Port Canaveral. While this was not a full top-to-bottom transformation, the addition of The Chicken Man and Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs gives the dry dock a very practical passenger-facing headline. Instead of just updated spaces behind the scenes, guests now have two new complimentary dining options in high-traffic outdoor areas of the ship – exactly the kind of upgrade cruisers can actually notice during a sea day.
What’s New on MSC Seashore?
MSC Cruises has added two new dining venues aboard MSC Seashore:
The Chicken Man
A casual chicken-focused venue located on the main pool deck.
Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs
An open-air barbecue spot located near the aft infinity pool.
Both venues are designed around quick, freshly prepared food that guests can grab without turning lunch into a major production. That matters on a cruise ship, especially on sea days when the buffet can get busy and everyone seems to become hungry at the exact same time.
According to MSC Cruises, these additions are part of the line’s ongoing effort to modernize and improve the guest experience across its fleet.
The Chicken Man: Pool Deck Chicken Tenders and Sandwiches
The Chicken Man is located on Deck 18, the main pool deck aboard MSC Seashore.
This new venue serves chicken tenders and freshly prepared chicken sandwiches, along with a variety of sauces. It has a walk-up counter and its own themed shaded seating area.
That location is important. Putting a quick chicken spot directly on the pool deck makes a lot of sense. Guests do not have to dry off, wander inside, find the buffet, circle for a table, and question every decision that led them to cruise during peak lunch hour.
Instead, The Chicken Man gives MSC Seashore guests a simple poolside option: grab chicken, sit in the shade, and get back to vacation.
This should be especially popular with families, teens, and anyone who believes chicken tenders are not just for kids. Which, to be clear, is the correct position.
Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs: Barbecue Near the Aft Infinity Pool
The second new venue is Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs, located near the ship’s aft infinity pool on Deck 8.
This one may be even more interesting because it adds another reason to spend time around the aft outdoor area of MSC Seashore. Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs offers a casual open-air dining experience with its own shaded seating area.
The venue is open for both breakfast and lunch.
For breakfast, MSC says guests can find items such as:
- Barbecue burritos
- Pulled pork hash
- Eggs
- Grits
- Biscuits
For lunch, the menu leans into classic American barbecue, including:
- Pulled pork
- Barbecue chicken
- Beef brisket
- Pork ribs
- Sausage
- Baked beans
- Coleslaw
- Macaroni and cheese
Desserts are also part of the lineup, including banana pudding and cookie pecan butter pie.
So yes, this is still technically “grab-and-go,” but it sounds a lot more substantial than just grabbing a slice of pizza and calling it lunch. Not that we are judging pizza lunch. We are cruise people. We respect the art form.
Why This Matters for MSC Seashore Guests
This is a meaningful update because casual food variety is one of those little things that can have a big impact on the onboard experience.
MSC Cruises already offers a wide range of dining aboard MSC Seashore, including the buffet, main dining rooms, specialty restaurants, and multiple bars and lounges. But for U.S. cruisers especially, quick-service food is a major part of the cruise experience.
On lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian, guests are used to having several casual food spots scattered around the ship. Poolside snacks, barbecue, tacos, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and other easy options have become part of what many cruisers expect.
MSC adding more free, fast-casual venues to MSC Seashore helps close that gap.
It also helps spread guests around the ship. Instead of everyone funneling into the buffet at the same time, The Chicken Man and Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs give passengers more places to grab food in high-traffic areas.
That is good for convenience. It is also good for crowd flow. And if it keeps someone from doing six slow laps around the buffet with a plate in one hand and no table in sight, that is a win for humanity.
These Venues Are Included in the Cruise Fare
The most important detail for guests is that both new venues are included in the cruise fare.
That means The Chicken Man and Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs are not specialty dining restaurants. Guests do not need to purchase a dining package or pay an extra cover charge just to try them.
Of course, as with most cruise ship dining, menus, hours, and availability can always vary by sailing. But the headline here is still a good one: MSC Seashore now has two new complimentary casual dining choices.
MSC Seashore Continues Sailing From Port Canaveral
MSC Seashore is sailing from Port Canaveral this summer with a mix of short Bahamas cruises and longer Western Caribbean itineraries.
MSC says the ship is offering:
- 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises visiting Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
- Select 4-night itineraries with an overnight stay at Ocean Cay
- 7-night Western Caribbean cruises visiting Cozumel, Costa Maya, Nassau, and Ocean Cay
That makes these dining additions especially relevant for U.S. cruisers considering MSC from Central Florida.
Port Canaveral is a highly competitive cruise market. MSC Seashore is sailing alongside ships from some of the biggest cruise brands in the world, so little experience upgrades like this matter. More free food choices, better pool-deck convenience, and casual dining that feels familiar to American guests can all help MSC appeal to more first-time MSC cruisers.
A Smart Move for MSC’s U.S. Growth
MSC Cruises has been steadily growing its presence in the U.S. market, and this feels like one of those smaller-but-important updates that supports that bigger strategy.
MSC has beautiful ships, strong pricing, Ocean Cay, Yacht Club, and a growing list of U.S. homeports. But for many American cruisers, the onboard food experience is one of the biggest adjustment points when trying MSC for the first time.
Adding complimentary venues like The Chicken Man and Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs gives MSC Seashore more of the casual dining rhythm that U.S. cruisers already know and enjoy.
No, this is not a massive ship transformation. MSC Seashore did not suddenly become a floating barbecue festival with a side of chicken tenders. But it is a practical, guest-friendly improvement that should make daily life onboard a little easier and a little tastier.
And on a cruise ship, sometimes that is exactly what people want.
Bottom Line
MSC Seashore now has two new complimentary grab-and-go dining venues: The Chicken Man on Deck 18 and Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs near the aft infinity pool on Deck 8.
The Chicken Man brings pool-deck chicken tenders and sandwiches, while Red Cactus BBQ & Ribs adds breakfast and lunch options with barbecue-inspired dishes, sides, and desserts.
For guests sailing from Port Canaveral, this is a nice upgrade. It gives MSC Seashore more casual food variety, adds convenience in key outdoor areas, and makes the ship feel a little more in tune with what many U.S. cruisers expect from a modern cruise vacation.
In other words, more free food options on a cruise ship. Nobody needs to overthink this one.
