MSC Preziosa – What’s it like?

 I am back from my trip on the MSC Preziosa. My very first MSC experience.

I will be doing further blogs with more detailed information on food, service, entertainment etc, but I thought I would give a brief overview on what I thought of the most important elements of a cruise; the cabins, service, food & entertainment.

I had read some very negative reviews prior to my trip, but that happens all the time as peoples opinions are personal. Each to their own, but here is my experience.

I stayed in a balcony cabin – mid ship on deck 10, number 10145. It was clean, comfortable, spacious and really nicely decorated. It’s worth noting that although classed as a full sea view there was part of the ships structure to the right of this particular one which meant you could only actually see straight forward and to the left. Other cabins had different decor and the inside cabins, whilst adequate were significantly smaller.

The food was generally good. Huge choice in the buffet restaurant which was open all day until 2am. I didn’t find the food cold, although some of my fellow travellers commented that some of the breakfast items were. As you would expect from an Italian ship the pizza was to die for! We didn’t ever struggle to find a table, but sometimes you had to walk a little further from the main serving areas. The buffet restaurant was massive, but it needs to be for the amount of passengers on board, but there was a really smart guide (see below) to help you navigate around.

Our designated restaurant in the evening was the Golden Lobster. This was typical cruise ship dining with 7 courses (you didn’t have to have all of them, but sometimes I did)! I really enjoyed the food here which for me was always hot, tasty and nicely presented.

The breakfast in the Golden Lobster was good quality and a lot more laid back than the buffet restaurant.

I ate in the Galaxy A la Carte restaurant and I have to say that the food, whilst beautifully presented was not great. More a feast for the eyes than the tastebuds. Some of the combinations were odd (duck, soft cheese and raspberries)???  I did have an amazing piece of cod, which would have been even better had it not been cold.

I don’t usually go in for entertainment much on my own holidays, but the entertainment on this ship was ok. There were excellent musicians & singers in the smaller bars. The impressive theatre hosted typical cruise style shows. The acrobats were amazing. In the Safari lounge the entertainment was more for audience participation and therefore several different languages spoken and a little cheesy. During the day the main pool deck area was a lively affair with fitness classes, dancing and even a foam party. All credit to the energetic multi-lingual staff.

I found the service overall to be very good. It became quickly apparent service in some of the bars was rather slow and it always seemed quicker to order from the waiters rather than directly from the barmen. In the restaurants the service was really good and almost all staff I encountered had a cheery smile and friendly greeting.

Overall I had a great time. The ship itself was stunning. I really liked the fact that there was a good mix of nationalities (although predominantly Italian). It was a lively ship with a younger clientele than many cruise lines.

Would I travel with MSC again? Yes Indeedy!

Further blogs to follow, but if you need any further info in the meantime feel free to drop me an e-mail at [email protected].