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Hi all!

I've come back to Cruise Critic once again to benefit from your experiences and general knowledge.  My husband and I have only ever cruised once on MSC Prescioza, which neither of us liked.  We found it too crowded, and the entertainment fell a bit flat for us. Plus the announcements in what felt like 40 different languages came to grate on my nerves. But, we cruised the Nile summer 2018 and both loved it, so resolved to give cruising another chance.

We've booked onto Aurora for her 13 May Baltic Cruise for 14 nights.  And, I suppose, am starting to be a tad nervous about the trip. We pay our balance on Saturday so wanted to see what information people who have cruised with P&O say.

Is Aurora a nice boat? And, is it noticeably smaller than something like the Prescioza?  We always felt crowded and penned in on the MSC boat, and unfortunately the Nile cruise had about 20 passengers on a boat for 200+, so was not a good indicator. 

How are the large inside cabins on B deck? Has anyone had one of these before? Am I going to regret not having a window?

How is the food?

Thank you so much for whatever knowledge you can impart that will put me at ease. I'm sure I'll be back with tons more questions.

A big hello to everyone here on the Cruise Critic forums! Thank you for providing the insight you do to first time cruisers like myself.

My family and I are embarking on our first ever cruise on the MSC Preziosa on the 6th of November departing from Rome and visiting Italy, Malta, Spain and France. I have taken the time to read the differing reviews, some from veterans of American cruise lines and others who are more diverse in their choice of lines. Needless to say the negative reviews have impacted the way I am viewing the holiday. So I was hoping all you good folks might be able to put my mind at ease.

1) We are booked into cabins 9128 and 9126 Balcony Fantastica rooms. Does any one have any idea if these are good cabins and how large they are?

2) I know with Fantastica we get room service breakfast for free. What does this consist of?

3) Speaking of food. Is anyone familiar with how well MSC handles allergy concerns? My husband is a strict coeliac and I want to make sure that he will be accomodated before we depart.

4) What are the main differences between the two all inclusive drinks packages? Is the by the glass wine list extensive and worth the investment?

5) We are staying overnight the day before embarking at Rome. Can we head to the docks and drop our cases off and go back to Rome? Or would you recommend we visit the city and head down to the dock later in the day? And what is the latest you would recommend heading to the ship?

6) How busy is the ship likely to be in November? I understand the weather will be less than ideal.

Those are all of the questions I can think of at present. Thank you so much for all of your help in advance!