MSC Preziosa, MSC Cruises

So we had booked an AI deal on Preziosa from Soton to Genoa and here is my review. I'll just say here that we have sailed on NCL, RCI and P&O before so I will try to not compare with those. Checking in and getting on was very quick (less then 40 mins from arrival at the port). First of all we went to cabin to collect our cruise cards that were waiting for us on the bed. Perfect. Then to meet up with our friends and begin to explore the ship. We were on deck 12 and here is what we thought of the room. Standard balcony room however with the wardrobe being by the front door it can be very tight to move around by the bathroom/wardrobe and cabin door. Enough hanging space for 2 people for one week I would say. About 7 small drawers in location too. Large double bed which I found very comfortable tbh. Phone, Hairdryer, large mirrors, dressing table, fridge, small TV all in place. Aircon but didnt get that cool. Bathroom was standard with a walk in shower and seemed bigger than other ones we have stayed in. Service was perfect for us by Dadi. No turn down service though? I'll talk about the food next. We were given 2nd sitting in the Golden Lobster for a table of 6 (just our party). Our waiter looked glum! And he was glum, at times service seemed to be a chore and quite slow. In fact I have never had to order my desert at the same time as my starter and main meal. Not good. Our wine waiter looked sad all the time too but he was much better and so he got a large tip from us all after the cruise. I was worried about the food as I had read so many different things about it. The portions were small! And I mean small...... The cheese plate was awful, elements were missing from the description from the menu. Like a crumble with no crumble? It got to a point where we ordered chips with every meal and 2 main meals each. The saving grace was the AI drinks that made the whole experience funny. Keep the wine flowing please!! Food in the buffet was good in comparison although don't be late for a sitting as it will be gone. Everyday there are burgers, chips and strange sausage. Pizza galore and salads. Always a carvery on too. Plastic plates dont keep food warm for long though. Tip, Get a table before food! Entertainment is really lacking on board. The theatre shows are lame and difficult to understand... They last about 35 mins only. The animation team are worse. Stay away from them shouting and singing at every opportunity. Awful... As for the ship, it feels cramped and almost claustrophobic in some places. It lacks finesse all over. Some staff are great and we have commended them on this. What MSC need to get right is the ports and the timings.. In most ports we only had up to 5 hours. We heard the excursions were rushed also. Value for money then Yes, Finesse and fine dining or being spoilt its a no!

Just returned from a 7 day cruise to Northern Europe on the MSC Preziosa. First time sailing with this company i can honestly say it will be the last. Firstly let me say that the ship was absolutely stunning and could not be faulted for style, our cabin (balcony) was very nice and always kept clean, however that is where it stops. The food was disgusting and we never had a decent meal the whole 7 days. I am not a fussy eater, but trying to put a meal together form the selection on offer was bleak. The pizza and hamburgers were tasty but you can't eat that the whole time. Every morning i had to ask for a banana to go with my cereal only to be told they were running out of them and they would bring me one from the back. Butter was also a problem, not always out on counters especially at dinner time again when asking for it they would give you one from under the counter, it was like everything was on a ration. The hand gel was not used often and there wasn't always a member of staff to oversee this. On the subject of the staff they were extremely rude and everything seemed like an issue to them so much so after day three we took the gratuities off which is something we never do as we always appreciate what they do for us, however not this time. The ship was dropping off and picking up passengers at every port so was like a ferry and the turn over of guest were particularly rude (not MSC fault) but i do think the joining of new passengers at every port did not help. The captain never once came over the loud speaker to welcome guests or give update with sailing itinerary which other company's do. I know everyone has likes and dislikes about ships and the company's but like i said the ship is stunning but the rest....you can keep it.