MSC Preziosa Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise because we only sail from the UK and it gave us an opportunity to try a cruiseline we hadn't used before. We have always thought that the MSC ships look beautiful and we weren't disappointed with Preziosa, it really was amazing. We had a balcony cabin and were very impressed with the size, cleanliness and fixtures. Our first impressions were very good indeed, sadly that didn't last. An important part of the cruise experience is the food and the only way to describe it was disgusting! I admit to being quite fussy and I don't like my food to be too fancy or covered in sauces, my husband on the other hand will eat anything (except mushrooms!) and he struggled to find palatable food - the worst fault was that the food was never hot - at best it was tepid. This was slightly better in the main dining room but not by much. We found the entertainment to be very good and varied and most of the staff were very efficient, helpful and friendly. Unfortunately all the good points were not sufficient to make up for the terrible food experience and for that reason we would not cruise with MSC again.
Cabin Review
Balcony Stateroom
A great size and very well laid out.
Port Reviews
Brugge (Bruges)
We had the choice of either taking the free shuttle to the port gates or paying 13+ euros each for the shuttle into Blankenburg. We took the free shuttle and then a taxi to Bruges, this cost 50 euros each way. Bruges is a beautiful place with lots to see.
Amsterdam
No shuttle necessary in Amsterdam, we were within walking distance of the centre. We did a canal tour for a cost of 15 euros, this lasted an hour. There is so much to see in Amsterdam, we spent the rest of the day just wandering around.
Hamburg
We were docked at the new terminal and even though it seems to be in the centre of Hamburg it's on the other side of the river with no public transport available at the terminal. The ship offered a shuttle into the centre at a cost of 15.90 euros each, this had to be booked and paid for in advance on the ship, what they didn't tell us was that there was also a free shuttle service available and it was only necessary to pay if you wanted to reserve a seat for a certain time. We took a taxi at a cost of 25 euros each way. We visited Miniature Wonderland and this is certainly worth a visit - it's a good idea to book your ticket in advance to avoid the queues as it gets very busy, we reserved our tickets which meant that we didn't have to pay until we got there. We also visited St Michaels church which was beautiful. Sadly there was a very bad storm in the afternoon so we went directly back to the ship instead of our planned trip to the Town Hall and surrounding area - this is beautiful as we had been there on a previous visit.
Le Havre
A nice place just to wander around if you don't want to go further afield. A shuttle was provided by the local tourist office at a cost of 4 euros, no extortionate MSC prices here!