MSC Preziosa Need experts help! Thanks

Booked myself on the MSC Preziosa 29 – 6 Dec Western Mediterranean Trip. Travelling with my grandparents which are 80 years old and would love this trip to be perfect. Booked it cause it was really good value, but after reading multiple positive and negatives reviews, I’m getting slightly concerned.

Hoping to get tips from well-seasoned travelers who have been on the same cruise ship.

1. 1. Will be boarding in Genoa, what is the best time to arrive and check-in in order to avoid the queues?

2. 2.Will it be better to tip the crew directly (to get better service) and later request the service/tipping charged be removed?

3. 3. We’re don’t really drink alcohol. But would like coffee/tea in our rooms or during meal times. So far from what I know buffet (coffee/tea/water is available), MDR (only water). Do we get water in our rooms. And are they bottled or tap water? Do we get a kettle in our rooms to boil hot water?

4. 4.Can you bring food onboard from the various ports? Or rather what kind of food is allowed? Is water even allowed?

2.Leave the automatic tip, so everybody gets his fair share.

3.Only the coffee,tea,water in the buffet are free. In MDR only water is free for Americans.

In the rooms there is no free water unless you take it from the tap.

There is no kettle, they are not allowed in the cabins.

4.Officialy you can't bring any drinks on board, if you bring just a few bottles they let you bring it.

Bringing food on board, i don't know the rules for that.

No food or drink can be brought onboard.thats the official policy. They don't care about a bottle of water or something like a cereal bar in you hand luggage. There is food available 20 hours out of 24, so really you don't need to be bringing food with you.

I,personally don't like the free coffee at the buffet but the other stuff you pay for at any bar or lounge is excellent. I usually get the all inclusive but it may not be worth it if you're only going to have some water and coffee. They do have a water and a coffee package that you can buy onboard that may save you some money.

As long as you're not booked in a Bella experience cabin, you can get tea or coffee or hot chocolate delivered free with continental breakfast to your cabin.

You could take a travel mug or small flask with you to get hot water from the buffet to make tea or coffee in your cabin.

I can answer question 1 for you. My Wife and I arrived in Genoa last month from Gatwick at 1430 for our Preziosa Cruise. When we got to the Terminal it was just the passengers from our flight that booked in.

I can answer question 1 for you. My Wife and I arrived in Genoa last month from Gatwick at 1430 for our Preziosa Cruise. When we got to the Terminal it was just the passengers from our flight that booked in.

Hey thanks for the reply! at 1430, i can get onboard the cruise?

Do you have any tips after going onboard the Preziosa? Were they strict with bringing food or drinks onboard

Yes they are very strict.

We have special dietary food and drinks and that needed a special form send to headquarters and aproved so that we could take that on board.

Booked myself on the MSC Preziosa 29 – 6 Dec Western Mediterranean Trip. Travelling with my grandparents which are 80 years old and would love this trip to be perfect. Booked it cause it was really good value, but after reading multiple positive and negatives reviews, I’m getting slightly concerned.

 

Hoping to get tips from well-seasoned travelers who have been on the same cruise ship.

 

1. 1. Will be boarding in Genoa, what is the best time to arrive and check-in in order to avoid the queues?

2. 2.Will it be better to tip the crew directly (to get better service) and later request the service/tipping charged be removed?

3. 3. We’re don’t really drink alcohol. But would like coffee/tea in our rooms or during meal times. So far from what I know buffet (coffee/tea/water is available), MDR (only water). Do we get water in our rooms. And are they bottled or tap water? Do we get a kettle in our rooms to boil hot water?

4. 4.Can you bring food onboard from the various ports? Or rather what kind of food is allowed? Is water even allowed?

1 - You will have a time to board on your tickets. Don't bother going any earlier than that time because everyone will be queuing and going early. If your tickets say 2.30pm then get there for 3pm and you'll be on with no queuing.

2 - The daily charge gets shared amongst all staff, not just wait staff. I have very strong opinions about this and think it's very churlish and mean to remove it and tip individually. I give tips to staff who have served me in the dining room, my room steward, specific bar staff who remember my drink order and/or make me illegal concoctions like Mudslides using Allegrisimo ingredients. I tip these people over and above the daily charge. The ship staff work damn hard. Most of them are conversational in three or four languages. Most all of them don't have English or Italian as their first language and I've lost count of the number of times on an MSC cruise where I've been embarrassed and ashamed of the way a passenger has spoke to or treated them.

So please, keep that daily charge on your ship account. Don't punish everyone just to please a few.

3 - As Amo said, you can get a "Coffee Cuddle" package which is good value. The coffee served in the bars is great quality and very reasonably priced including the speciality coffees. No kettle in room. Water in the room is chargeable. You will see two glass bottles of mineral water in your room when you embark. These are NOT free.

4 - Work on the proviso that ALL food and drink that you attempt to take on board will be confiscated and given back on the final morning of the cruise. That way you won't be disappointed if it happens and you'll be surprised and pleased if it doesn't.

From my ipad

Hey thanks for the reply! at 1430, i can get onboard the cruise?

 

Do you have any tips after going onboard the Preziosa? Were they strict with bringing food or drinks onboard

You can board up till 90 minutes before departure. We departed at 1800 so 1630 was the latest time for boarding. As I stated we arrived at the Airport at 1430 and it was a quick transfer to the Port and we were onboard well before 1600. I can't comment on the food/drink situation as we didn't have any on us. This was our 1st cruise with MSC albeit our 20th overall, and the Preziosa is a stunning ship.

Related to the inquiries here (and I don't mean to hijack your thread), can you help on the following?

1. Do the LCD TV's have HDMI connections? I plan to watch footage of our camcorders and I wonder if there is a way to connect them directly.

2. Is the boarding 90 minutes before departure mandatory? For example, if the ship leaves 1800 hrs, can we still board 1730? I just want to make sure we are not left behind because of shore excursions.

3. Which restaurants are part of the package for the food without paying extra? How about L'Arabesque or Eataly or Inca and Maya? Is the buffet the only lunch or dining experience where you do not have to pay extra?

My first for MSC...

Thanks in advance.

Related to the inquiries here (and I don't mean to hijack your thread), can you help on the following?

 

1. Do the LCD TV's have HDMI connections? I plan to watch footage of our camcorders and I wonder if there is a way to connect them directly.I'm sorry I don't know the answer to that one

 

2. Is the boarding 90 minutes before departure mandatory? For example, if the ship leaves 1800 hrs, can we still board 1730? I just want to make sure we are not left behind because of shore excursions.

IN my experience they do not leave behind guests who are on a ship's excursion. they do leave behind DIYers who are late. I have witnessed it with my own eyes

 

3. Which restaurants are part of the package for the food without paying extra? How about L'Arabesque or Eataly or Inca and Maya? Is the buffet the only lunch or dining experience where you do not have to pay extra?The two MDRS, Black Crab and Villa Rossa serve breakfast, lunch and Dinner and the two Buffets serve afternoon tea as well as the other three main meals, Some Bella experience guests will also have MDR service and menus in the buffet when there is not enough seating in the MDRs

 

My first for MSC...

 

Thanks in advance.

Hope this helps

Pete

Related to the inquiries here (and I don't mean to hijack your thread), can you help on the following?

 

1. Do the LCD TV's have HDMI connections? I plan to watch footage of our camcorders and I wonder if there is a way to connect them directly.

 

2. Is the boarding 90 minutes before departure mandatory? For example, if the ship leaves 1800 hrs, can we still board 1730? I just want to make sure we are not left behind because of shore excursions.

 

3. Which restaurants are part of the package for the food without paying extra? How about L'Arabesque or Eataly or Inca and Maya? Is the buffet the only lunch or dining experience where you do not have to pay extra?

 

My first for MSC...

 

Thanks in advance.

With regards to Point 2, the 90 mins refers to the boarding on your 1st day of the cruise. Normal Port days is the usual all aboard 30 mins prior to sailing.

Skier52 and Goody. That will help. Thank you.