spirit8

Steph

Thank you so much for such a thorough review. I was supposed to go on

that cruise, am a cruiser, and it would have been my first MSC cruise.

I plan well in advance also which kind of extends the cruising time. Changed

plans and went on the Preziosa. With so many different opinions having the time for research really paid off as I enjoyed the cruise a lot. This year going on Divina Med Cruise. Was on a British Isles cruise on Princess before and am looking forward to doing it on MSC but my bucket list consists of other cruises first.

Can't wait to see your other installments and again thank you.

Traveling solo most of the time has made it hard over the years to get a suite

at a reasonable price. I check certain cruise lines daily in the mornings to see

what, if any, a special is happening. How prices are determined I truly don't know. Normally prices for suites are not discounted but from time to time there is that special price for a particular cruise.

I know where I want to go (normally several places) next. Am going out of NOLA in January and am paying 2668 for penthouse with 300 onboard credit with price not 3133 now. For me just same pennies, look for deals and enjoy.

I am so glad you put this on the board. I too was a newbie to MSC in October. with all the negative opinions, even to a point of folks who have never sailed MSC I really questioned the good reports. This cruise took me to spending much more time to researching, but then I am retired.

I believe that negative comments are also important for my research but there does not seem to be any other boards that folks spend so much time negatively "spending" the time living in negativity, as opposed to just moving on.

I too have booked my next cruise in September for many more days and on one of their older ships and not the Preziosa. I too love European travels, but particularly Italian and I would be saddened to see MSC take that away. My guess would be that the boards would still be used as "attacks" on not only MSC but individuals who use this board.

My MSC experience took me back to the days of the old "Noordam" on HAL. The ship was being retired as it was the oldest ship, it was my first HAL cruise, and while I continued to use HAL and others I believe that the services never matched.

There have cruises where I would never use the line but I too don't spend the time on their boards nor did I never cruise their lines again. I have many friends who love the lines which is great but they just werren't for me.

when you get off ship one can walk either down left side or right. Main exit of port road. down the left side quite away is a bus stop which is where you catch port shuttle. it takes you to the exit of the port.

I had some concerns about dressing and the other folks in the YC. Having just come. Off the Preziosa, see review and daily reviews, there really was no concerns afterwards. many English speaking. While folks did not have price tags on it seemed that the YC was down home folks whether they had money or not. in MSC ads I am really noticing the word 'refined' and for me that fits.

Hope you give yourselves treats and I could certainly recommend buying spa packages to enhance the experiences.

Eleanod

Barcelona was before Marseille, not Marseille 2 times

Today was Genoa. I did a taxi tour. It was 50 Euros. He spoke Very good English and was also a very good tour guide. It seems any taxis offer tours and the one to. portofino was 3 hrs. And 130 euros. 2 hours back and forth driving and 1 hr there. drivers don't seem to drive as fast and Genoa is a beautiful city built at 3 heights.

many people got on and I stayed to observe. It seemed to go pretty and the drill was announced and I heard in cabin. Language was English, Italian, French, German, Spanish and Portegese.

I ate at Maya buffet. The food was tasty, many choices, all were hot, one suggestion was turkey kabobs could have been cooked less. No one knew I was YC. Got help getting plate to table. dirty dishes taken away promptly. Food continually replenished fresh. While there were many people I sat back by children's station but I didn't see anyone waiting.

Yesterday Was Marseille and I took shuttle. Marseille has grown and while the ship docks way out for you walkers you can go about halfway waking get port bus to entrance to port and then take city bus to old city. I had lunch at the eatery yesterday and it was good. Their pesto pasta was one of the best.

Yesterday was Marseille. It seems we have hit holidays - Barcelona, Marseille and today Genoa. Barcelona I took ship tour. Guide did presentation in French and then English. She was very good and no problems. I brought food in so again did not try Marseille. People boarded from around 10:30 and people had left around 8:30.

Hello all

Yesterday was sea day. It was my day to see ship. While it is big it is well thought out with wide corridors and in the shops things seem not to be as close to each other and good choices. didn't feel I had to buy, staff helpful and boy, no inch of gold.

Excursions are curved out and not in walking space and was not crowded with a good deal of staff if you needed help.

At no time did any of the areas seem crowded. There was a steady amount of folks going around the ship for it was not crowded. Heard many English speakers and I finally found the cannolilis. The folks at the table next were also from California, first MSC and having a good time. Pasteries were .80 to 1.10 and a nice variety. The gelaria really looked bountiful.

activities are not the same. I have not heard one announcement in cabin. Offerings have been something each hour and the traditional bingo is there.

It is not, at least to me, too much and so I could see how folks might think nothing being offered. Paattern is laid back and not rushed.

Captain's cocktail party in TopSaail I did not make nor Gala night. lunch seems to be my main meal and while I looked yesterday at food in the ship did not eat. It is crowded into e front and no so much in back. there are many choices and different stations. One seems better able to find table towards back but if I had wanted to there was a table available. La Palmerie works for me. They have a daily menu that changed along with some things that don't change.

Then it was off to spa for some treatments. Having the Bali style and no pressure sales are worth it. Seas were a little rough yesterday and while folks swam it was raining and winds by late afternoon. Ship no problem nor did folks appear to have problems.

Barcelona is today and I have shopping tour booked. Have been to Barcelona before.

Today is sea day and planned to get look at rest of ship and be in spa in the afternoon. In dining room the One Pool is right outside window. Yesterday not so warm but many swimming. Many families with babies to teenagers. Did not see problems with kids, actually nice to see the families enjoying themselves.

More later

Now about the food. YC room service has been tasty. 1st night had pizza delivery. Many choices and just as good as Naples. Tues. had breakfast in room. Ate in La Palmei for lunch. Good choices, right temperature. Have I gotten cold food - no. Snacks and canaries wonderful choices and yesterday some of the best gazpacho. Took some lunch back to room and had it for dinner.Lunch again was good but I will say that I did not like. It was hot and looked good but I did not like spices. Not because something was wrong but that I did not like flavor.

Spa yesterday I spent 9-13 and had 5 treatments. Package before is way to go but I added accupuncture and something called MYA. It focuses on lymph drainage and is interestenly good. Somehow it also works for treatments.

I added hot stone massage special today for 45 euros and have treatments lined up for rest of weeks.

Ship Very large. There are plenty of quiet places to go but pool and buffet seem a little crowded. On the tv there are 3 different views if you want to look before going.

YC - As I said well worth the money. I am in cabin 16032 thanks to The boards. It has soft hues which are relaxing. Cabin and deck are larger than some of the others. Butler speaks English and has let me know on several that staff is here to please and they certainly are. If you leave YC a butler will accompany you - don't worry if you don't worry, no problem. I have trouble with a leg and back and require wheel chair for long distance walking or I need to make other arrangements. Before I left I checked with agent. MSC will not give you a wheelchair but the butler takes me anywhere I want to go. That's true. Today when I got back to ship they called for a wheelchair and a regular person came. I told him I was in YC and he got assistant butler. Maybe that is true out of YC also. Beds very comfortable and pillow collection nice

Internet - I butler suggested 1 hr and practice and then 480 minutes for 59 euros. If you have not used satellite it is a lesson in patience and weather.

Not the worse I have used nor the most expensive.

Folks seem to be Italian, French, Spanish, German and Dutch. There are quite a few Brazilians including staff and they are on their way home and very excited. Americans, British, and Australian are quite a few and there are many others. Just came back from spa. There was a woman very loud (yelling) at staff and then two different. Staff handled themselves appropriately but the thought came up for me of 'ugly American' and I was embarrassed.

Concierge seems to rotate so you get to meet quite a few folks. He knew my name by the time I came back. Spa appointments were exactly what I wanted.

Tours was not a sales pitch without my needs being met. After talking with concierge I decided to take only Barcelona shore excursion. Prices seemed reasonable but I have long distance walking problems. In Tunis he recommended their car and driver 450 Euros or taxi tour. Drivers speak very good English! government regulates prices and it is 80. Euros. Otherwise he said there are shops, Hammam and things to do in specially built port. Terminal.

We are just coming into La Goulette and I will make decision after I get off. It looks like most tours start at 8 am.

Hi

OK maybe on roll so

Checking went smooth. Cabb driver left me in wrong place at port but after I found a MSC staff it was fine. Within 1/2 hour person found YC staff and I was in YC at concierge. She explained how things worked and bags and me went to cabin and I unpaked, sat on balcony and then went back to concierge to work on spa appointments, tours and internet"

Hello 4th try so I will try something different.

YC Preziosa, well worth the money

Thank you, thank you.

I have been trying to get this information ever since I booked for October 28 Preziosa YC. The line I liked most, over the years, was HAL but have been on all of the cruiselines mentioned, except NCL. As a solo the prices for cabins on MSC works for me and even though I have never been on this line before, even with glitches, some major on other lines, I have never been on a bad cruise.

I have booked a package as has been suggested but I like to get general prices to compare and decide. I am interested particularly in acupuncture price and you are first person that has been able to give me a general idea. I also like to have to compare port day specials to think about trying some of the new treatments on ship. Am so looking forward to no hard sell at end of treatments.

People talk about nickel and dime, particularly someone who has never been on a MSC ship. While I have never been on MSC with research and particularly this forum I will be in 2 months. European cruising, as I love Italy, seems to fit the bill with retirement.

MSC is having President's Day Sale until Monday. Just booked balcony cabin $1028.19 solo. Am Doing b2b for $2056.38 in balcony for solo. Their

new ship Divinia, in addition to sailings on Fantasia and Splendida are also

included.

Good Sailing :cool::)

Got looking at NCL because of the studios. Got into the research and with their professional customer service did not book studio as they were having

a fantastic sale for Spa suite (October 2013).

Don, after reading your review, waiting for the next installment, booked on

Epic studio 1/13, as I could not wait till Oct. This year's cruise schedule is

already set but I could not wait longer to go.

Also thank you to Tom-n-Cheryl and SCMike and all the others who present both the pros and cons of the Epic.

The Breakway will get to the top of my list, I suspect, once she is here.

Again, thank you all.

Ellie:D

Hi

You sound just like me with my original thoughts. These thoughts have lasted over the years. There is a saying that goes something like this. Judging something without investigation does not work and there are plenty of ways to do research today.

I have read these boards for years and have always thought that NCL was an

'inferior' line. Just about traveled on every line and on "my favorite" line got

a suite as they began to add more to the 'new' ships in the day when they just about paid you to cruise in a suite $1600 for a single, which today is $16,000. This is not an exaggerated price.

Started reading the boards as I wanted to line up a few cruises. What I looked for now was reviews with both the pros and cons which allows me to choose what I want.

NCL experience so far has been professional experiences that I have received so far which I like. Have booked a cruise in a Studio and one in a Haven

suite. My treatment was the same for each. It was the old feeling, that I remember, of the cruise line wanting to please the customer and help them enjoy their cruise. If I save my pennies I can go to a hotel from The Four Seasons to Motel 6, as it is my choice. Would I say that is a class thing, no. It is a choice as to what I do with my money.

Enjoy your research.