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Below average, but cheap enough.

Progreso

Choose for the price and ports, but what a mistake. I'm sure you have read about the terrible food, but that just doesn't do it justice. All meat is served cold and raw, including bacon and hot dogs. Dinner always includes a (venomous) Cuttlefish and Squid salad (?) or some kind of (hopefully worm) under prepared fish, that I was was to scared to order. 

The staff is friendly and attentive and is (amazingly) almost guaranteed to speak your language but can't help with the way the ship is run. Breakfast in the dinning room is served until 9am but they stop you from entering at 8:30, forcing everyone to use the buffet. Making it a nightmare to get any cold food and forget about getting tea or coffee in the morning, unless you pay for room service. 

The cruise may have priced right but that is because they charge for everything!! Do you want to drink anything in the dinning room, water, coffee, tea, juice, whatever - we'll that is an extra charge. Yes water, hot tea and coffee is available for free at the buffet, but not sitting in the dining room, and depending on the the time of the day it is a battle to get. I honestly (no exaggeration) got a second degree burn on my hand because it was so crowded that someone bumped into me and spilled boiling hot water on my hand. 

I addition the safety and passport validation announcement that go on for 20 min every simgle day, it's absurd. They had mandatory "Face to Face" passport inspections and then a few days into the cruise just collected everyone's passport. Leaving us unable to rent a car  and worried we would never see them again.

Mt wife and I like cruises and have been on almost every cruise line. We have never experienced anything like this (Weight Watchers) cruise. My main hope for this review is to save you from having to suffer through this experience. Have fun on your vacation and happy cruising, just don't use MSC.

Don't sail with MSC

This was a cruise that we have looked forward to for over a year. We had booked two connecting Fantastica Experience staterooms with included WiFi and the Easy Plus package. DSIL was coming along for her first trip to Europe so that made it special. We flew into Hamburg via Copenhagen with an open-jaw for our return flight so that we could include a visit to Copenhagen.

We chose the Hotel Furst Bismark hotel directly across from the Hauptbahnhof to make travel simple from the airport. The Hauptbahnhof also had the cab rank which was handy for our embarkation day. The area also had a number of restaurants so it was a great location. The Hotel Association had a promotion which provided a two-day pass for public transportation. In our travels around Hamburg using the passes we boarded the Linie 62 ferry one day and saw the MSC Fantasia docked at Steinwerder Terminal before it's cruise that week.

Embarkation day was nice and sunny. Our check-in time at Steinwerder Cruise Terminal was 1:00 pm so we left the hotel at 11:00 am. After a 25-minute cab ride, we checked our bags and proceded to wait for our time. Around 12:45, they started to allow us to check-in. It was very smooth and we were aboard in less than 1/2 hour. We dropped our carry-ons in our staterooms (which were still being prepared) and proceded to the Buffet for some lunch.

This was our second time on a Fantasia-class MSC ship. Last year we were aboard the MSC Splendida in Yacht Club for a cruise in the Mediterranean, Our MDR was for First Seating (6:00 pm) in the L'Arabesque Dining Room. We had a table for three which was convenient as we are only English spealking. Food on a whole was very good with the deserts being excellent. Portions were the correct size for me but sometimes I did order a second appetizer. We had dinner there 9 of 10 nights only going to the buffet for dinner the evening we sailed away from Ringaskiddy. Breakfast was available in The Golden Lobster Dining Room which we did twice. Our other breakfasts were in the buffet along with lunch on our At Sea days. I needed to have my pizza fix when I could! Very good pizza! It was a full ship with the comments of between 3400 to 4000 passengers. Yet it never felt crammed at all!

The shows were entertaining and lasted about 45 minutes. They were very well attended and rousing at times with the music! The emcee was very good with her command of the various languages with the need to make the announcements in six languages. The repetition never bothered us at all. 

For the six port calls we had booked the MSC excursions which we think are a very good value. Highlights were Kirkwall and Stornoway with a low for Dublin and Greenock. Weather was wet for Scotland but sunny for Ireland and sea days. We did have extended wait time for tendering, especially Stornoway, as the anchorages were some distance away. All of the MSC excursions were given priority before passengers that were on their own and private excursions. Very fair considering the circumstances.

Disembarkation on our return went extremely  quick. There were plentiful cabs in the cab rank so no waiting. Our train to Copenhagen wasn't until 12:53 pm so we sat in one of the lounges until approximately 9:00 am. When we left we were in a cab heading for the Hauptbahnhof in less than ten minutes. A word about the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, there aren't many places to sit to wait for your train.

Overall I would recommend the MSC Preziosa as we had a very good time. It was very reasonable priced and fully met our expectations. Our enjoyment was confirmed as we booked two more cruises for Fall 2024 while onboard!

Return to a Heritage Homeland

We wanted to go to Iceland and Norwegian fiords back before Covid and booked 2 cruises on different ships because they were among the only lines going to that area. One month before departure, Covid stuck and the world stood still for travel. 4 and a half years later and several ship changes, port changes and itineraries, we finally sailed on Preziosa for back to back cruises to Iceland and Norway.

First night in dining room I asked for a glass of tap water, only to be told, we don’t have that anymore. You must buy a bottle of water! Buy a glass of water? Excuse me! Even the cheapest little restaurant in a third world country will give you some water! I refused, and as a gesture of goodwill, was given a bottle!! But told I must pay in future. To get a glass of water, go to the buffet on Deck 14, get a glass or container of water, bring it to deck 5 dining room and drink it there. Free!

Similarly with tissues in cabin. None in sight, so asked steward for tissues. We don’t do that anymore, I was told. What? You expect me to pack and carry a box of tissues all the way from Australia in my bag? I will ask my supervisor if I can give you a box from Aurea class I was told, and a packet arrived. Most other passengers were visiting a supermarket 3 days later at first stop.

And so it went on! Food was not good in many areas! Sameness every day. Same 6 desserts for 25 days in buffet! Nice big Chicago roast carved first lunch on board, never seen again! Carved food mainly meat loaf. Other carvings? Already done and in a bowl with sauce over it. Gave up beef as too tough, even cut thinly. Filet Mignon in Butchers Cut was quite chewy. Glad I didn’t pay for it, as being Diamond, we had a free meal there. No water though! 

At dining room breakfast, given milk for cereal in a glass, to pour on and spill everywhere! No butter or sugar on table. Pretty rough. Food cold in buffet, except for French fries, coming out of cooker. Pizza probably hot, but I don’t eat that. Food sitting on hot plates was half cold.

No where to see out of front of ship, except obstructed, from gym. Want to see ahead? Look at tv in cabin.

Trivia held in an impossible place, with coffee blenders behind and shops around. Even the person in charge agreed, so noisy and crowded. With Safari lounge at back, empty! Never did see cruise director Kevin. Told he only spoke one language and usually on USA ships. Yet his photo was around the ship! Our chocolate model of ship has shrunk from about 300 gram to a 35gram block. Ship felt pokey, with small atrium. Have been on much better, Meraviglia, Bellissimo, with long central walking area. Quite plain. Have sailed MSC several times before, am Diamond, with about 200 cruises done, but won’t bother with MSC again. We weren’t the only ones not very happy. Yes, our cabin was good, steward great and we went to where we wanted to go. But the WOW wasn’t there! Even Iceland, had we gone in May as originally planned, maybe ok, but September was nothing special. Ships everywhere now, up there. Media pushing Iceland as destination? Like horses, thousands of them. Kretid crater…Blue Lake at Mt Gambier far more spectacular. I’m now looking forward to Celebrity at Xmas time.

Pay for water in restaurant? Excuse me!

After many negative reviews I was so surprised, that MSC has devinitly levelled up! The Organisation of the cruise and the excursions was perfectly made, all passengers received a compensation of 50 euro after landing late in one of the harbours. The Opera Singers and the short version of "La Traviata" was excellent! I had expected high level parties, but received a wunderful journey with a lot of variety. The pizzas and the pasts were soooo good and the afternoon tea scones made in heaven.

All employees were extremley friendly, tried to recognize names and cabin numbers. Only the space in the dining restaurant was too narrow and sitting together with other people of my country was disappointing, but negligable. The food there was good, but not outstanding. 

Me and my husband preferred to eat in the Maya Restaurant, which is open from 6am to 2 am, with wonderful views.

On sea days with bad wheather I was glad to have a balcony cabin, wich was quite spacy. It would have been hard to find a place with nice views.

good organisation, divine scones, lovely cruise employees

I chose this cruise because I was interested in exploring Norwegian Sea all the way to Germany! I have not been before, but my first time over here was excellent. I can wholeheartedly say that MSC's cruises have been my favorite from my previous cruise experiences. It was packed with various amounts of food, leisure activities, and other events. I truly enjoyed my relaxing vacation here. Everything was amazing about the cruise from the foods to the various events offered. MSC has truly raised the bar as not only are their packages top-tier, but their customer service is too! I specifically want to shout out one housekeeper who was respectful and considerate of my time there! I believe his name is Rayesh(?). He cleaned my room well and by the time I returned from dinner, the room was as if I did not sleep in it! I am amazed by the respect and care he has put into his job, as I know it is not easy! Thank you in MSC cruise members and staff for making this one of the best cruise experiences I have gone on! :)

Excellent experience and customer service

MSC DID WELL: the nightly entertainment was excellent. Jennifer Tierney had such a powerful voice.  The ship singers and dancers were superb and well choreographed. The 3 tenors performance was exceptional.  The room stewards and main dining room staff worked very hard to ensure we were well looked after. The pizza in the buffet was incredible...dare I say...addictive. I have lots of new weight I need to lose as a result.  I heard 2nd hand that The Butchers Cut specialty restaurant offered a wonderful dining experience.  The drinks in the bar were tasty and good value.

MSC COULD IMPROVE in my opinion: MSC was very disorganized trying to get passengers on or off the boat almost every time.   It started with our 11:00 embarkation time in Hamburg where approximately 800 people were in line attempting to hand their bags to 2 visible porters through a door.  We waited for about 45 min while we attempted to figure out why there were 3 apparent lines with no signage or order.  Not a good way to begin a holiday.

Lack of communication on what we passengers should expect is a big root cause of their issues.  They don't announce information enough and people have to find out things by mistake/error or asking staff who aren't sure however feel compelledto give an answerwhether wrong or right.  Even disembarking...classic example...for an hour people were lined up at 630am to leave the ship in Dublin and not once did any staff member announce for departing guests to ensure they have gone to Guest Services to close their account or you'll be held back and block the long line of people trying to leave the ship!! Just so you know MSC, any other cruise line I've been on when you embark they take your credit card info then and auto-bill that card as you leave to make disembarking super smooth.  I feel as a guy who spent a career helping to make process improvements in hospitals, MSC needs to hire efficiency experts to rework some of their processes.  It would save them money and provide a much better experience for the passengers.  The Preziosa design is...in 1 word...horrific.  There are no straight lines, walking from one place to another is an adventure in a maze.  Even the inside of the elevators don't display a map of what's on which floor.  Nor the day of the week on the floor mat.  The smoke from the casino spread to a lot of areas including our 8th floor.  They need better ventilation or doors at the casino entrance. The food in the main dining room was hit and miss.  Beef dishes early in the cruise were tough and chewy, later they got better.  The options on the menu were never that appealing to me.  I had to have pasta boulangaise on two nights because the choices were not appealing.  The pasta boulangaise fyi was always  good.  I asked for early dining, got late dining. Was told early was full.  Many of us at 830pm dining were told the same story.  It just appeared like a lot of North American guests were seated at 830pm.  That was too late for us and going to sleep on a full stomach is not comfortable.  The dining room was also very crowded.  Very large tables with very large chairs with very little space between tables made it very challenging for staff to serve passengers.

Our interior room was upgraded free to a partially obstructed balcony - that was very good of MSC. The lounges were loud and some smelled strongly of smoke.  It was hard to have a conversation given the noise level of music and guests talking.  Just a couple of lounge singers and musicians were not appealing to us. We were not Yacht Club members but a nice quiet lounge at the front of the ship was missing. We are used to the cruise director letting show guests know what important information to expect for the next day.  We told Pepe that in person.  Yes he has to do it in 5 languages but its helpful and can be quickly done.

CONCLUSION: we enjoyed our cruise as our cost to purchase was low so our expectations were not high. Would we go out of our way to book MSC again?  Definitely not MSC Preziosa, likely not MSC unless we got a very good price. We did cruise MSC Grandiosa last year, a lot of similarities.  If MSC wants to expand in North America they need to go check out Royal, Norwegian and Holland America to see where they can improve.

My rating reflects the number of times I shook my head in disbelief 

Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego)

MSC Cruises has been a significant part of our travel experiences for a long time, given that we reside in Europe. Our recent voyage on the MSC Preziosa over the holiday season, encompassing both Christmas and New Year's, left an indelible mark on us. The overall experience was nothing short of fantastic.

One of the standout aspects of our MSC Preziosa cruise was the exceptional service provided by the staff. From the moment we stepped on board until the time we disembarked, their attentiveness and willingness to assist made us feel truly pampered. They went the extra mile to ensure that we had a memorable journey.

The dining experience on the cruise ship was a delightful surprise. The main dining options offered a wide array of delectable dishes, and the quality of the food exceeded our expectations. We eagerly looked forward to our evenings in the main dining area, where we savored a variety of culinary delights, making each night a culinary adventure.

The Ocean View cabin on 5th deck was cozy and well-appointed, providing us with a comfortable retreat at the end of our eventful days. The shopping opportunities on board were impressive, offering a wide range of products to cater to diverse tastes. The ship itself was a marvel, featuring an array of amenities such as pools and restaurants, all of which were of the highest quality. Whether we were basking in the sun by the pool or indulging in sumptuous meals, we found the ship to be a perfect home for our one-week cruise.

However, it's important to note that no travel experience is perfect, and the entertainment program on this MSC cruise left something to be desired. When comparing it to other cruise companies, the entertainment options were relatively limited and didn't quite match up to our expectations. While the ship excelled in many areas, the evening entertainment choices fell short in terms of variety and quality.

In conclusion, our MSC Preziosa cruise provided us with a great holiday experience, filled with exceptional service, exquisite dining, and a comfortable cabin. The ship itself was a luxurious home away from home, featuring top-notch amenities. While the entertainment program didn't quite meet our expectations, we would recommend MSC Cruises to anyone seeking a fantastic European spirit cruise adventure, and we eagerly anticipate our next journey with them.

Beautiful cruise but lacks wow effect

Kusadasi

Just disembarked following a 7 night northern Europe cruise with my family,

So lets get the first point out the way which is value of the cruise. This was £600 each including 2 x balcony cabins, easy plus drinks package and wifi. This really is exceptional value and so I did expect a few things not to be up to scratch at this price point, but thankfully there were very few compromises.

I have cruised with Cunard and P&O before. Its probably fairer to compare to P&O as the price is more comparable (although P&O more expensive still). I'll break down the cruise to the different elements, and also a bit of myth busting based on some other reviews I have read on MSC. Read on for just one minus point overall.

Embarking/Disembraking - I had heard this was a problem as many people are leaving the cruise as others are trying to board. To be honest, this was no issue whatsoever and never any delays getting on or off the ship. Embarkation at Southampton was 35 minutes and very relaxed. Getting off in ports was just like any other cruise line except the shuttle buses are chargeable. Hint - check the distance from the port to the city. The buses were always $11 return each and in Le Havre and Rotterdam, it was only a half a mile walk. As a family of 4, a taxi was not that much more expensive either in Hamburg than a shuttle ($54 v $44).

Different languages - Announcements in the theatre and over the tannoy are normally in 4 or 5 languages, but always includes English. I thought this was no issue at all. In addition, I preferred lots of different nationalities on board and hearing lots of different languages. (Embrarassingly the only people I heard being rude to staff were British too). The mix of guests to me made it feel more like you were travelling.

The Ship - The ship was extremely clean and in each port, people were scrubbing sides , windows, decks. Although a 2011 ship, it still looked extremely new because of this constant care. The ship itself was very sparkly and like a smart 4 star hotel inside. Personally, I love the style of Cunard ships, but I knew this was not the same type of experience and I think our children would prefer sparkly too,

The cabins - Balcony cabins were actually the best we have had . Spotlessly clean, well serviced/made up and best of all - no shower curtain but proper shower doors and masses of bathroom storage too. The room steward was very freindly too.

Food - the food in the main buffet we thought was excellent. Better than P&O to be honest with more variety and a huge area to sit in. The ship was two thirds full but every time of the day or night we could get a table together. The food is more mediterranean, but lots of curries, roasts, pies, pasta. The pizza was outstanding. Deserts could be a bit samey, but lots of fruit too. The highlight was basically anything baked like bread, cake, pastries, pizza - extremely high quality and fresh.

Main dining room - Sorry but this is the minus. We are a family of 4 and were required to table share with another family of 4. The main dining room was packed, or rather everyone was packed in to a part of it. I presume this was to make service easier. The family we sat with were really nice and they matched us with people from near us. Its just we didnt really want to share a table and neither did the other family. We ate in the MDR the first night and our food was also hit and miss, with 6 out of 8 meals being good - the Risotto dire (although its great in the buffet). Service was excellent though and the waitress really attentive and offered to replace the meals that were not good. Basically, we did not eat in the MDR again - not a massive issue as the buffet was excellent. I am sure we could have asked for a table of 4, but we thought buffet had better food too and more relaxing.

Staff - Staff were friendly although it was noticeable just how hard they have to work and they have less time often for a chat than on the other lines. It took a while to get served in the bars when busy which is fine, but there was not really an order to who they served first.

Speciality Dining - We only ate at the Sushi Restaurant twice. This was extremely quiet each time. We thought it was very reasonable and good quality - about £12 each for a good serving of Sushi. Service was excellent too.

Drinks package - The easy plus package was a great option as it did cover drinks in all the restaurants and almost all drinks were included except champagne and premium cocktails. We dont drink masses, but it also included fresh squeezed orange, speciality coffee and soft drinks were a can rather than from the pump. At full price, its still good value but if you get a deal its well worth it.

Wifi - like on the other lines, this is very slow at sea and really not sure its worth it as most days you could get 4g or 5 g for some or all of the day. As we paid so little it was Ok.

Theatre - this was quite samey, basically a theme for a song and dance show rather than an actual story. About 30 minutes length No comedian owing to everything needing to be more visual. The first night was the best (a pirate themed variety show with some good acrobats etc.) Still enjoyable and a high standard from all performers.

On board shopping - The shops were good value on board. In particular, we bought a Tag Heuer watch which was £300 less than in the UK and you could do some negotiation too.

Ports of Call - the cruise called at Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge (Bruge) and Le Havre. Mooring was in industrial ports. You could walk into the city easily in Rotterdam and Le Havre. Personally I liked Bruge best, but the children liked Rotterdam as more buzzing.

Upselling - Again, I think this is a myth. No hard sell from any staff although you could ask easily if you were interested in e.g. an excursion.

So the final verdict - owing to the main dining room issue I would have given 4 stars, but because of the outstanding value and everything else being so postive, have given 5. For a good value family cruise I would not hessitate to book with MSC again.

I think MSC must have really upped the standards recently as I did not recognise many of the earlier reviews criticisms.

Overall Great and exceptional value

Chose the cruise for the port stops and that we had never used MSC before. The price was good, and departed from Southampton. 

Check in was really smooth and easy, as was the parking before that. 

No real greeting as we boarded just given a flyer, not even the daily program. 

Cabin was ok, what we expected. A little dusty from the massive over sized air conditioner. Cabin steward didn't introduce himself, and was pretty aloof the whole of the trip. 

Food was ok. We ate in the restaurant for dinner and the buffet for breakfast and lunch. The pizza on board was great. 

We bought the premium drinks package and this was well worth it, they were not shy with the measures. 

The bar service though was not great. Not enough bar or waiting staff for the amount of people in the popular bars or lounges. 

The seats in most places were really uncomfortable. 

The entertainment was poor. We stopped going to the shows after the 2nd visit. 

Embarking was a nightmare as board force came on in Southampton and wanted to check everyone's passport, whether you were leaving the ship or not. The queue was around the ship for this, and no proper organisation. Where was a serious lack for information given out. 

For what you get money wise, you can't knock it, but if your after a cruise experience, I would not recommend MSC.

Chose this cruise because it was going to Hamburg a destination we had planned to visit before Covid stopped the world!

It was really quite a good experience,  the ship, although a bit glitzy for our taste was clean and well run. Dining was well organised,  and although I wouldn't describe it as 5 star, was well presented, efficiently served by excellent staff and certainly adequate.

Bar service was good and our drinks package well priced and with plenty of choice.

BUT, the musical "entertainment " which was in every bar and public space every evening was way too loud. We were travelling with friends and our evening drinks were ruined by music so amplified that it was impossible to have a conversation.  It nearly drove us mad!

MSC, please either turn the amplification down or reserve a quiet bar for those of us who value our hearing and could find no escape.

Embarkation and disembarkation at Southampton was efficient and reasonably quick, only spoiled by immigration on the ship returning to Southampton  - everyone on the ship had to have passport control which resulted in massive queues and total confusion and mayhem. Not MSC's fault!!

Give it a try but perhaps invest in earplugs for the bars!

The noise, the noise!

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