MSC Poesia 7 days Eastern Med cruise in the middle of August 2008. The good first: Check in and out was fast and effective. Excellent ports of call.
IMO, food is below school cafeteria grade: card board posing as meat, seafood over cooked, all cream soups taste like potato, hard risotto. The only good part: after dinner gelato was decent but not as good as in Italy. Because the dining was so bad, we were not willing to risk it and spend money in their paid restaurants. Our early seating were grouped with 15 English speaking Canucks and Aussies, unanimous double thumbs down! On the return flight, the even plane's chicken parmesan tasted good...which means the ship's food was that bad!
Rudeness: 1 incident that stood out, during the captain's formal night, the four of us attempted to avoid the crowds by walking through a closed bar to the theater. A black suited staff shouted loudly "NO!!" and gestured us to turn around and leave. Although he may not be able to converse in English, but to yell at your customers is not acceptable.
Very small cabin with minimal storage space that like other reviewers, had to stow some clothing in the suit case underneath our bed. Constantly bang my elbows in the tiny shower, even though I am small stature.