I have just returned from a 7 day cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean on board the Presziosa. It was the second leg of a back to back cruise, the first week being on the Musica - and this may have been the spoiler! My experience on the Musica was great and I was expecting more of the same on the Presziosa but, sadly, it was not to be. I found the ship too big and way too crowded. The service was still good - with one hiccup being a 50 minute wait between courses in one of the restaurants for lunch. The menus were the same on both ships, which, in itself, wasn't a problem as the variety was still there. However, the cooking standards on the second week fell well below those of the Musica and I gave up on soup eventually because every time it was served luke warm. Obviously, they have to clear the restaurant with enough time for the second sitting but without fail, every evening the lights went up (the first gentle hint to move on) before we had been served with dessert, leaving us feeling pressured to finish - something that didn't happen on the Musica!
Organisational skills left something to be desired. When I boarded in Venice the first thing I did was go to Reception to enquire about Airport Transfers when we arrived back. I was told to come back on "Dunbrovnik Day" (the day before we arrived back in Venice). Three daily newsletters also said the same thing. I was back at the Reception at 7.15am on "Dunbrovnik Day", only to be told that all early shuttles were fully booked. When I commented that it was very early to be booked out, I was told they had started taking bookings when we were in Istanbul 3 days earlier! I pointed out what I had been told on boarding and the newsletters and suddenly no one spoke very good English! Luckily I was still able to get a shuttle that would get me to the airport in time for my flight.
The itinerary of ports was amazing, I used ship bought shore excursions mainly and found them to be excellent. I didn't think they were overly expensive but then I was travelling solo so only had myself to pay for. Most ports have open top buses and would seem to be the best option for a family who want to save a bit. I also bought the drinks package, which not only got me as many cocktails as I liked but also meant I didn't have to rely on the awful free coffee in the buffet. I considered it to be good value on both ships.
My cabin was comfortable but much smaller than the one I had on the Musica. It was clean and well maintained by the cabin stewardess. The ensuite was good and plentiful hot water available for showers.I did feel that if two people had been staying in it they would have been very much in each others way but it was adequate for one person.