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LoginThe classic design of beautifully crafted MSC Preziosa includes spectacular features such as a real stone piazza, sweeping Swarovski crystal staircases and a magical ‘infinity’ pool. There’s all this and more to discover at your own pace on board, enjoying every moment to the full as you voyage to some of the world’s most beautiful destinations.
You will already know, that MSC has some mixed reviews. Largely down to people not understanding: at their cheapest fare, they are a budget cruiseline. With service and food to match. However, at their highest level. Like Yacht Club and Explorer journeys, they are difficult to beat. As a Diamond member of the msc voyager club, I thought it was very generous of msc to give us pretty much all our benefits and perks for a 2 day cruise. Embarkation was incredibly smooth. After security, there was about 100 people in front of us. When I told the staff we were Diamond, they put us in a line of our own in front of the 100 people. It must have been 15 minutes from arriving to getting on the ship. To my amazement, even though our rooms were not ready, they told us we could drop our luggage in our room anyway. We'd already left our luggage at drop off. We were then free to roam the ship and eat etc. We had 3 cases together, but they managed to mislay mine till about 5.30pm. We got one bottle of Prosecco for being Diamond and one for being Aurea. We won an upgraded bid, which was £400 cheaper than if we had booked Aurea. With upgrade biding, you only pay for the first 2 people in the room. But we had 3 people, including my 17 year old Son. We also got 2 large bottles of water. Initially my wife thought there weren't many options in the buffet. But as I went around the whole buffet, I saw more options. There was plenty of seats, despite being advertised as a full ship. Pizza was great as usual, but didn't see any meat options like pepperoni. The exclusive Aurea solarium was great. But the weather wasn't. I never expected a welcome back party with the captain on a 2 day cruise. But was pleasantly surprised - more free drinks. If we had booked a basic inside cabin, our freebies would've exceeded the cost of our cruise. All three of us enjoyed the butchers cut Speciality restaurant for free. Due to my wife and I both being Diamond members. Each Diamond member can bring 1 non Diamond member guest from the same cabin. I forgot that free water was only available at the main dining room. So i had to pay for my water at the butchers cut. I had free water for being Diamond in my cabin. I should've taken it to the butchers cut. Don't get caught out like me. It was the best steak I have tasted. My wife's medium well done, was more like medium rare. The waiter spotted it and asked my wife 4 times if she wanted to change it. She eventually did. Free birthday cake and song, was well received. Some staff, despite wearing msc uniform are actually agency sales staff for the spa company or jewellers. They didn't know anything outside their job role. Guest Services or room steward are probably the best people to ask questions. This time, everytime I went to guest services, there was no queue. Apart from the final day, when it was very short and quick. MSC still haven't figured out how to apply the 10% minibar discount for voyager club members. This happened at the end of my last cruise and wasn't really sorted. This time I was prepared. I queried It as soon as the final bill was made available. I was completely shocked when they just cancelled my whole minibar bill rather than apply the discount - more free drinks. Most people don't notice this, because they avoid the minibar like the plague. However, minibar prices are the same as bar prices on msc. So there is no harm in using it if you're going to buy drinks anyway. It in fact cheaper than the bars, with the 10% voyager club discount. The entertainment was the usual song and dance circus style acrobatics. This Is probably best when you're dealing with multipe languages and cultures. They seemed to have done away the sports court. Not sure why that is. There is plenty of other stuff to do though. Loved the mini water park and 4D cinema. Cabin was large and very spacious. Dont understand why msc have these fabulous sofa beds, that are never displayed as Sofa's. Ours was set out as a bed for the whole cruise. However, this could have been because my teen stayed in bed until after the room stewards morning shift. Thoroughly enjoyable weekend. We couldn't finish the second bottle of Prosecco.
First, a few words about MSC in general: Boarding in Hamburg Steinhagen was perfectly organized and incredibly fast; the shore excursions were also well organized; even the tendering went smoothly, as did the checkout at the end. What bothered us about MSC was the poor or nonexistent communication: the telephone hotline was quickly reachable, but could never help; one excursion was rescheduled without any information to another date that we couldn't make; twice our passport details were deleted before the trip; despite our requested early table time of 6:00 p.m., we received the late one at 8:30 p.m., but this could be changed; because of the canceled excursions, we had a credit balance that wasn't refunded to our credit card but was paid out in cash. However, we only learned about the cash payout from the security staff when we were about to disembark the ship in Hamburg. We had to turn around and go to the reception first. MSC needs to work considerably on its communication, which always consists solely of advertising. Now for the MSC Preziosa: Pros Beautiful ship with high-quality amenities and lots of glitz. Fast internet access throughout the ship. The app works without a package. Well-heated indoor pool area. Additional outdoor water playground. Large theater (almost 2,000 seats) and shows worth seeing. Lots of live music, many musicians and singers on board. A large and attentive staff. Good selection of drinks with an easy package (various cocktails with and without alcohol, shots, Heineken beer, specialty coffees, bottled water and soft drinks). Dress codes are relaxed; on formal evenings, long trousers and a short-sleeved shirt are sufficient for men. Many large elevators. Our premium inside cabin was spacious and had precisely controlled air conditioning. Cons The ship was far too crowded due to cheap last-minute deals (around 3,700 passengers. 3,500 if all cabins are double-occupied). As a result, the buffet restaurant and bars were almost always full and noisy. Announcements were made in five languages. Smoking areas were too large and intrusive (e.g., one side of the outdoor pool, the bar at the aft pool and the entire casino). Portafilter coffee machines were available everywhere in the bars (good coffee, but it takes longer). The Preziosa is extremely well-maintained and clean. We only found signs of wear and tear on the tiles in the bathroom and the cabin door. The movie and TV programs in the cabin were poor or nonexistent. There's no charging station by the bed, but that's only available on very modern ships. The buffet seems to consist of 80% filling items like pizza, pasta, side dishes, meatballs and hot dogs, but you'll also always find delicious roasts (beef, pork, poultry), fish and other delicous items. Fresh salads with a wide selection of dressings and fruit are, of course, also plentiful. However, you won't find any scampi or lobster. Dining in the waitress restaurant is much quieter and more relaxed. The selection and quality were good, but the portions are sometimes too small for hungry people. However, you can easily order the dish or another one in addition, even two desserts if you like.
MSC PREZIOSA Embarkation: 18thMay in Hamburg Disembarkation: 29th May in Hamburg. Visiting: Invergordon: Reykjavik: Isafjordur: Akureyri: Kirkwall: Hamburg, Germany This was our 4th Cruise since October with MCS and by far the best from embarkation to disembarkation. On arrival in Hamburg airport on the 18th May we noticed that MSC had a Customer desk at the airport and we were able to book a MSC Shuttle bus to the port at a cost of €26. This was an excellent service as a Taxi would have cost €50 approx. Arrived at the terminal and embarked on the ship without a problem. Dining room: Golden Lobster seating 18:00 Table 642 Our waiter introduced himself as Willie from Indonesia. The service and choice of food was excellent at this restaurant and the waiter was friendly and enjoyed a joke and we never an empty wine glass. Trips: Invergordon: We went on a trip to Lough Ness. We didn’t see the monster but the weather was beautiful. I found the Visitor /shopping area in the area a little expensive, but enjoyed the whole experience. Free Shuttle buses are available at Invergordon Reykjavik: Geothermal Field & Viking history. We witness boiling mud a deserted town due to volcanic activity this trip is well worth the effort. Day 2 in Reykjavik we went on the free shuttle bus into the City and had a very enjoyable day taken in the sights. The City itself as is Iceland is a very expensive place Akureyri: We got to take in a Fishing Village and an old church where we were treated to music played on an organ by a local girl. Afterwards we were given a display of how Fishermen survived in the harsh sea which surrounds Iceland. An enjoyable experience but not good value. It is possible to walk into the town of Akureyri Kirkwall: The day trip here was to take in Stone circles, Viking castle. I felt the whole trip was rushed as the ship was late docking due to high winds and we lost over a half hour. The buses had to return as afternoon trips were planned. I was disappointed with the whole experience. A Free Shuttle bus is available in to Orkney. I have to recommend this free Shuttle bus as Orkney has a lot to offer with one beautiful Cathedral free to visit. Hamburg: We took a Taxi to our hotel which cost €38 when a train tick on the C line would have cost €3.80 approx. Hamburg was a learning experience but an absolutely beautiful City to visit. We booked 2 nights but I should have booked 3 or more as this City has plenty to offer. Travellers should be aware: The Icelandic Government has introduced a Tourist Tax (2025) which I believe is excessive and over the top. We had to pay a total of €68 each before entering. A Country that depend on Tourism this is one way of keeping them out. Overall a very pleasant experience on board the MSC Preziosa and great credit due to all the staff on this ship.
You will already know, that MSC has some mixed reviews. Largely down to people not understanding: at their cheapest fare, they are a budget cruiseline. With service and food to match. However, at their highest level. Like Yacht Club and Explorer journeys, they are difficult to beat. As a Diamond member of the msc voyager club, I thought it was very generous of msc to give us pretty much all our benefits and perks for a 2 day cruise. Embarkation was incredibly smooth. After security, there was about 100 people in front of us. When I told the staff we were Diamond, they put us in a line of our own in front of the 100 people. It must have been 15 minutes from arriving to getting on the ship. To my amazement, even though our rooms were not ready, they told us we could drop our luggage in our room anyway. We'd already left our luggage at drop off. We were then free to roam the ship and eat etc. We had 3 cases together, but they managed to mislay mine till about 5.30pm. We got one bottle of Prosecco for being Diamond and one for being Aurea. We won an upgraded bid, which was £400 cheaper than if we had booked Aurea. With upgrade biding, you only pay for the first 2 people in the room. But we had 3 people, including my 17 year old Son. We also got 2 large bottles of water. Initially my wife thought there weren't many options in the buffet. But as I went around the whole buffet, I saw more options. There was plenty of seats, despite being advertised as a full ship. Pizza was great as usual, but didn't see any meat options like pepperoni. The exclusive Aurea solarium was great. But the weather wasn't. I never expected a welcome back party with the captain on a 2 day cruise. But was pleasantly surprised - more free drinks. If we had booked a basic inside cabin, our freebies would've exceeded the cost of our cruise. All three of us enjoyed the butchers cut Speciality restaurant for free. Due to my wife and I both being Diamond members. Each Diamond member can bring 1 non Diamond member guest from the same cabin. I forgot that free water was only available at the main dining room. So i had to pay for my water at the butchers cut. I had free water for being Diamond in my cabin. I should've taken it to the butchers cut. Don't get caught out like me. It was the best steak I have tasted. My wife's medium well done, was more like medium rare. The waiter spotted it and asked my wife 4 times if she wanted to change it. She eventually did. Free birthday cake and song, was well received. Some staff, despite wearing msc uniform are actually agency sales staff for the spa company or jewellers. They didn't know anything outside their job role. Guest Services or room steward are probably the best people to ask questions. This time, everytime I went to guest services, there was no queue. Apart from the final day, when it was very short and quick. MSC still haven't figured out how to apply the 10% minibar discount for voyager club members. This happened at the end of my last cruise and wasn't really sorted. This time I was prepared. I queried It as soon as the final bill was made available. I was completely shocked when they just cancelled my whole minibar bill rather than apply the discount - more free drinks. Most people don't notice this, because they avoid the minibar like the plague. However, minibar prices are the same as bar prices on msc. So there is no harm in using it if you're going to buy drinks anyway. It in fact cheaper than the bars, with the 10% voyager club discount. The entertainment was the usual song and dance circus style acrobatics. This Is probably best when you're dealing with multipe languages and cultures. They seemed to have done away the sports court. Not sure why that is. There is plenty of other stuff to do though. Loved the mini water park and 4D cinema. Cabin was large and very spacious. Dont understand why msc have these fabulous sofa beds, that are never displayed as Sofa's. Ours was set out as a bed for the whole cruise. However, this could have been because my teen stayed in bed until after the room stewards morning shift. Thoroughly enjoyable weekend. We couldn't finish the second bottle of Prosecco.
First, a few words about MSC in general: Boarding in Hamburg Steinhagen was perfectly organized and incredibly fast; the shore excursions were also well organized; even the tendering went smoothly, as did the checkout at the end. What bothered us about MSC was the poor or nonexistent communication: the telephone hotline was quickly reachable, but could never help; one excursion was rescheduled without any information to another date that we couldn't make; twice our passport details were deleted before the trip; despite our requested early table time of 6:00 p.m., we received the late one at 8:30 p.m., but this could be changed; because of the canceled excursions, we had a credit balance that wasn't refunded to our credit card but was paid out in cash. However, we only learned about the cash payout from the security staff when we were about to disembark the ship in Hamburg. We had to turn around and go to the reception first. MSC needs to work considerably on its communication, which always consists solely of advertising. Now for the MSC Preziosa: Pros Beautiful ship with high-quality amenities and lots of glitz. Fast internet access throughout the ship. The app works without a package. Well-heated indoor pool area. Additional outdoor water playground. Large theater (almost 2,000 seats) and shows worth seeing. Lots of live music, many musicians and singers on board. A large and attentive staff. Good selection of drinks with an easy package (various cocktails with and without alcohol, shots, Heineken beer, specialty coffees, bottled water and soft drinks). Dress codes are relaxed; on formal evenings, long trousers and a short-sleeved shirt are sufficient for men. Many large elevators. Our premium inside cabin was spacious and had precisely controlled air conditioning. Cons The ship was far too crowded due to cheap last-minute deals (around 3,700 passengers. 3,500 if all cabins are double-occupied). As a result, the buffet restaurant and bars were almost always full and noisy. Announcements were made in five languages. Smoking areas were too large and intrusive (e.g., one side of the outdoor pool, the bar at the aft pool and the entire casino). Portafilter coffee machines were available everywhere in the bars (good coffee, but it takes longer). The Preziosa is extremely well-maintained and clean. We only found signs of wear and tear on the tiles in the bathroom and the cabin door. The movie and TV programs in the cabin were poor or nonexistent. There's no charging station by the bed, but that's only available on very modern ships. The buffet seems to consist of 80% filling items like pizza, pasta, side dishes, meatballs and hot dogs, but you'll also always find delicious roasts (beef, pork, poultry), fish and other delicous items. Fresh salads with a wide selection of dressings and fruit are, of course, also plentiful. However, you won't find any scampi or lobster. Dining in the waitress restaurant is much quieter and more relaxed. The selection and quality were good, but the portions are sometimes too small for hungry people. However, you can easily order the dish or another one in addition, even two desserts if you like.
From interior, ocean-view and balcony cabins to family options and luxurious suites, MSC Preziosa offers a superb choice of elegant accommodation.
There’s a gourmet voyage of discovery to enjoy on board MSC Preziosa, from the ever-changing menus of the main restaurants, creative all-day dining in the Galaxy Lounge and much more.
Seek the extraordinary and make your cruise holiday an unforgettable adventure.
We offer an incredible choice of shore excursions to suit every taste: whether you prefer adventure, nature, culture or history, we’ve designed something for you and the whole family.
From Culture & History and our breathtaking Scenic Routes, to our Active & Adventure tours and the discovery of Natural Wonders, to Sea & Sun’s relax, our Something Special experiences and our Accessible Tours, you can enjoy the treasures of each destination in your preferred way.
We’ve also established the MSC Family Explorer Club, Excursions Explorer Package and MSC Bike Adventours, which are unique to our line and available on selected MSC Cruises' itineraries.
From the splash-packed fun and games of the Doremi Castle kids aqua park, to Vertigo, the longest single-rider water slide on the seas, awarded ‘Best Innovation’ by Cruise International in 2013, there’s every facility for kids and teens.
BARS & LOUNGES
Dotted around MSC Preziosa you’ll find a variety of chic themed bars and lounges. Serving a mix of classic and original cocktails, international wines and beers, soft drinks and live music, there’s a venue to satisfy every taste and match every mood.
An MSC Cruise is not just a chance to travel and explore – it’s also a chance to relax, feel healthy, and look your best. Unwind with a soothing sauna, relax with a traditional Balinese massage, or treat yourself to a high-tech beauty treatment during your cruise in our MSC Aurea Spa.
Book one of our Spa & Beauty Packages now to take advantage of our pre-boarding rates.
SPA & BEAUTY
Feeling healthy and looking your best is a part of the MSC Cruises experience. Try something new, like high-tech beauty treatments, a soothing sauna or enjoy a Balinese massage. Book now one of our spa packages and take advantage of our pre-boarding rates.
PLEASE NOTE:
In order to grant the best experience to our guests, all Thermal Area experiences are available by appointment only.
Access to the MSC Aurea Spa is only permitted for guests over the age of 18. Click here to discover the details.
Pregnant guests are not allowed to use any heat treatments within the Thermal Area.
SPORT & FITNESS
A voyage with MSC Cruises brings you the leisure time and the facilities to maintain and build your fitness thanks to a wide choice of Sports Facilities and a state-of-the art Sports Centre with fabulous sea views. You can admire the panorama, burn off calories and keep in shape. Whether you prefer to train alone, love a workout in company or live to compete, you’ll find just what you need.
PLEASE NOTE:
Click here to discover the treatments and services available according to our Spa and Gym Minors Policy.
From the splash-filled fun and games of the Doremi Castle kids’ aqua park and the high-speed thrill of Vertigo, one of the longest water slides on the seas, to the teens only disco and video arcade, there’s a world of enjoyment for children of all ages.
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