What did I think of MSC Preziosa in Southampton? Find out here..

MSC Preziosa

I recently went on a ship visit on MSC Preziosa in Southampton and went with an open mind to see what it was like and all about.

Me at the theatre!

We had a very long wait getting on-board as the ship had been caught up in some bad weather in the channel so was running late but once it got in and we got on board I felt very impressed by what I saw.

I have heard some mixed things in general about MSC, especially some of their older ships in the med just regarding the mix of nationalities being a bit overbearing and some of the ships not being as good as others. Preziosa is one of MSCs’ Fantasia class offering though, so it was quite luxurious in my opinion and one of their newer ships.

So getting on, we headed to the main atrium and looked at the massive swarovski crystal staircase, mighty impressive and truly one of the best atriums Ive seen. Things continued to be good as we went around, everything was very modern, clean and very relaxed.

1million euro swarovski staircase

I especially liked the Safari lounge which was a really comfy place to hang out and have a drink and was just like being in a safari lodge in Kenya but on a cruise ship!!

MSC are really upping their game with their ex Southampton sailings with Preziosa just finishing her run soon and then MSC Magnifica coming down next year for the spring. From now on in the mix of passengers is likely to be much closer to a 60/40 split (with 60 being the British clientele.) so that’s much more reassuring for people who might worry that the ship will just be all europeans. The menus and announcements in different languages  are still there but they have added touches like tea and coffee facilities in cabins now to cater much better for your average Brit.

We tried the set lunch menu but also had access to the buffet and to my delight they had the most massive bowl of mozzarella I had ever seen alongside an amazing selection of italian style salads and cold meats. For me this sort of thing would be perfect as on a cruise you tend to fill up but having great lighter options like this in a truly Mediterranean style would suit me well and my waistline!

As you can see below the ship has a 2 lane bowling lane and quite a few swimming pools including an indoor one and it also as a waterslide for the kids.

Preziosa has its very own 2 lane bowling lane

MSC did stress that getting their all inclusive drink package was a good idea, buying drinks onboard you do pay an extra service charge on top of the drinks price whereas the drink package includes this and between £140-160 for a week its way way cheaper than your Royal Caribbeans, Princess etc.

The yacht club area was off limits when we were there because its a private area for guests and guests were onboard but for me the ship even in the normal public areas was fantastic and I’m looking forward to picking up and MSC cruise out of Southampton in the near future.

The Safari lounge