8-Day Tour Around the UK Cruise aboard MSC PREZIOSA

Overall:

I selected this 14 nights cruise based on the stunning itinerary, and for that I have been fully satisfied: all the ports of call have been stunning with enough time to visit and in particular MSC Preziosa was the only mainstream ship reaching the remote Svalbard Islands in 2026.

Food was good with Mediterranean imprint. Ship is elegant but overcrowded, and this was the main drawback to me. My Outside cabin was spacious and well equipped. Entertainment was ok, but without spikes.

Cabin:

I occupied the “Large” Oceanview cabin. This cabin seems to be more spacious than other standard cabins: there are very roomy wardrobes (five doors, three of which have hanging space, one with shelves and another with drawers, plus two additional shelves and a safe). There are no power outlets next to the bed, but the desk has two European Schuko 220V outlets and two American 110V outlets. There is also a shaver outlet in the bathroom.

Our cabin had two optional Pullman beds, but there would also be space for a sofa bed, which in our case was instead occupied by two armchairs and a small table. As a result, there is a large desk with a padded stool and a nice coffee table that could also been used as a second, small desk.

The bathroom has a shower enclosed by transparent folding doors, which can be folded inward to provide more room to move around when the shower is not in use. At first glance, this is definitely better than a shower curtain, although a person of XXL size would certainly not be able to enter/exit the shower box freely.

There is a generous flat-screen TV, a minibar, and a kettle for coffee, with a selection of coffees and teas.

The Ship

The ship is elegant and well maintained, but with one major drawback: the public areas are not adequately sized for its maximum capacity of 4,500 passengers (3,500 based on double occupancy). I believe 3,000 would be the maximum number of passengers needed to make the experience on this ship comfortable. This also taking into consideration that during winter or (like in my case) for Northern destinations -we were sailing most time North of the Polar Circle- the open air pool and solarium cannot be utilized, so pushing the people to stay in the inner spaces.

During our stay there were 4,000 guests on board, and the result is that it was very difficult to find a free table in the buffet, both at breakfast and at lunch on sea days. The spaces are also rather limited, with narrow aisles between the tables and along the food-service counters, creating a constant feeling of overcrowding.

The main dining rooms also feel cramped because the tables are placed too close together, the aisles are extremely narrow, and tables are shared by guests from different cabins, with no possibility of choosing a private table or dining on your own.

Another drawback I noticed in this ship is that there is no real “observation lounge”. There is a nice panoramic lounge on Deck 16, the Crystal Lounge, but it is relatively small and has very few armchairs. It is also used as a nightclub. During our cruise, it proved completely inadequate as an observation point while sailing through the Norwegian fjords. Result was to have people packed close to the windows in the beautiful Maya buffet, keeping tables occupied also for non-food reasons.

Internet

I was upset about the way the internet packages are managed. The prices would be fairly average (read: high) if it were not for the fact that the internet system allows only one device to be associated with the package for the entire duration of the cruise.

If you own two devices, for example a smartphone and a tablet, it is not possible to switch the connection from one to the other, because the package is permanently linked to a single device through its MAC address. This is not explained clearly enough at the time of purchase.

Adding a second, third, or fourth device is prohibitively expensive if you do not actually intend to use them simultaneously.

For me, this was a real issue and this will reduce my favour to MSC for the future.

Laundry

There is no option to use self-service, coin-operated washing machines. If yiu are planning to use laundry I recommend to consider a Laundry Package purchased before departure, so to spend 50% of the publisehed per-piece rates.

Entertainment

Good quality entertainment all around the ship during days and nights. The stage shows at Diamond Theater, having 1,600 seats, proved to be talented and professional, although on other ships of similar size from the same company I have seen considerably more elaborate productions.

During our 14 nights cruise there were 5 Broadway-style productions and 7 acceptable solo shows, plus 2 of them to forget. Unfortunately, no live music performed on stage. While the shows and choreography were impressive, I found the set design and lighting usage terrible; I have never seen an LED wall used so poorly or a theater so lacking in special effects.

This gave the impression of a somewhat “budget” production, something more commonly associated with ships carrying fewer passengers.

Food

MSC Preziosa has some real strengths when it comes to Mediterranean cuisine, which I greatly appreciated.

Buffet: the variety of fresh fruit is definitely above average; the pizza is absolutely fabulous and hand-stretched; there is a good variety and selection of pasta; vegetarian dishes are readily available; and there is also a good selection of international specialties.

For breakfast, I particularly appreciated the wide selection of jams and honey, while the rest of the breakfast offering is broadly comparable to what I have experienced on other cruise lines.

The afternoon tea offering is good, with scones, finger sandwiches, and other items.

On special evenings, there is also an extensive, somptuous midnight buffet.

In the MDR, the menu always includes a selection of starters, including a soup and a vegetarian option. Among the main courses, there is always a different daily pasta dish and a risotto, the latter being consistently of a very high standard.

I found the meat dishes rather unappealing, while the fish dishes were adequate, even if not exceptional. Desserts were good.

Overall, my impression is positive when it comes to the Mediterranean approach to the cuisine, although the offering may feel somewhat limited if judged from a more international perspective.

Itinerary

The outstanding itinerary was the main reason I chose this cruise. In 2026, MSC Preziosa was the only mainstream cruise ship to call at the Svalbard Islands. We also touched the beautiful Ports of Tromso and HONNINGSVAG (North Cape) North of the Polar Circle, plus 3 wonderful fiords: Molde, Olden and Stavanger.

As well, Hamburg, the first and last port of call, was an excellent location worth surely a stay.

Service and communication

Announcements are always done in 5 languages. This could be a little annoying, but is surely useful for many. Port lectures are held in various sessions in the Theater in different languages at different times. Announcements are comprehensive and cover all the main activities.

I found service good, both for cabin attandance, MDR’s, buffet and bars.

Hamburg to Iceland round trip with stops in Scotland. No problems other than North Atlantic winds and fog.

This was our 4th MSC cruise, second on Fantasia class. We prefer the Sea class. Previously we were NCL Haven guests..

MSC Yacht Club has great staff and services, good food (not great), nice suite. Starlink Wifi is included, as are drinks up to $16.

Entertainment was okay in the theater at night. There was music all around the ship. Evenings we had a piano player in the Top Sail lounge.

Iceland was the highlight of the trip, long walk in Reykjavik. Which is a beautiful city all powered by Geo-thermal energy. Interesting history that is very well documented.

Golden Tour bus ride. Glaciers, mountains, hot springs, waterfalls, volcanic craters; lots of natural beauty.

Most of the cruisers were German. We made friends with a group of Australians.

We spent an extra day in Hamburg after the cruise.

From April 26 to May 3, 2026, we went on an 8-day cruise aboard the MSC Preziosa from Hamburg through the Norwegian fjords. We would like to share our experience.

Right from the beginning, we noticed that the organization was poorly thought out in many areas. Before the cruise, we had informed MSC about my wife’s pregnancy and repeatedly confirmed which documents would be required. In the end, all of this turned out to be completely unnecessary, as nobody asked for any documentation and my wife was simply allowed to board. She could just as well have been about to give birth.

The waiting times at the security checkpoint and while boarding the ship were long. The elevators were equally frustrating. They seemed to stop randomly on almost every deck because many passengers accidentally pressed multiple buttons at once due to the overcrowding and limited space. There was no recognizable system, so even traveling just a few decks took far longer than necessary. It became especially annoying on disembarkation day, when we waited more than 20 minutes for an elevator, which then stopped on every single deck before we were finally able to leave the ship.

The dining experience disappointed us from the moment we arrived. The buffet restaurant at lunchtime was extremely noisy, overcrowded, and uninviting. Although there is one large buffet divided into two sections called “Inca” and “Maya,” they are simply two connected areas serving exactly the same food. Every evening, the rear section (which is listed as a separate restaurant) remained completely closed, even though the MSC app stated that it was open. As a result, nearly all guests crowded into the front section, making it even more congested and increasing waiting times. The overall atmosphere felt chaotic and more like a busy train station than a cruise ship restaurant.

The buffet itself looked uninspired and offered only a very limited selection of fresh food. The quality was more comparable to a well-stocked cafeteria than to what one would expect on a cruise ship. Many dishes were overcooked or visibly old, such as gray corn and yellowing lettuce. Salads and desserts were usually served in small pre-portioned bowls, leaving almost no opportunity to create your own salad or leave out unwanted ingredients. The so-called salad bar consisted mainly of plain green lettuce, green beans, and chickpeas.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect was that around 80% of the menu was repeated every single day, both for lunch and dinner. In addition, food that should have been served hot was often only lukewarm, if warm at all. Maintaining a balanced and healthy diet under these circumstances was nearly impossible.

The situation would be even more difficult for guests with special dietary requirements. Gluten-free options were almost non-existent, and there were only a handful of vegan dishes, which also repeated almost every day.

As a woman in my sixth month of pregnancy, I found the entire dining experience particularly stressful. The lack of freshness, the limited variety, and the absence of healthy options repeatedly left me feeling frustrated, disappointed, and even angry.

The beverage service was also poorly organized. Drinks always had to be ordered at one of the bars, which regularly resulted in long queues. There were no self-service soft drink dispensers. Furthermore, unless you had purchased a drinks package, almost every beverage had to be paid for separately, even during meals. The complimentary drinks available in the buffet area were equally disappointing: still water from rather unappealing dispensers and, in the morning, filtered coffee that was barely drinkable.

The overall cleanliness of the ship left much to be desired. For example, the exterior windows were sometimes so dirty that they significantly obstructed the view outside.

The seating and relaxation areas around the indoor pool were not family-friendly. There was only a very small sunbathing area one deck above the pool, while most of the space was occupied by tables and chairs belonging to the adjacent bar. As a family, we would have appreciated having enough loungers near a heated pool where we could comfortably spend time with our children.

One of our biggest disappointments occurred in the spa. On the first day of the cruise, we booked a thermal spa and sauna day pass for two people for our final sea day at a cost of almost €80. There were hardly any photos of the spa available online, and once we entered, we understood why.

The entire thermal area consisted of only two small saunas, one steam room, four loungers, and four heated stone beds. Every single lounger was occupied, leaving absolutely nowhere to relax after using the sauna. Given these circumstances, we immediately decided to leave and requested a cancellation at the reception desk.

The receptionist checked the occupancy herself and confirmed the situation. The spa manager then explained that our reservation had allegedly not been entered correctly, resulting in double bookings. We were initially assured that we would not be charged.

Nevertheless, the spa fee was still charged to our onboard account. I therefore had to return to guest services, where another employee, after calling the spa, insisted that I go back to the spa myself to resolve the matter. Once there, I again had to explain why we had not used the facilities. At this point, nobody mentioned the supposedly missing reservation anymore. Only after repeatedly pointing out that the spa had been completely overcrowded and therefore unusable did they finally agree to cancel the charge.

We found this entire process completely unacceptable.

As a result, our planned wellness day was also ruined. Since the indoor pool area was equally overcrowded, we were unable to find any place to relax there either and ultimately spent the day sitting in one of the ship’s bars.

One positive aspect worth mentioning was the couples massage we had booked beforehand. The atmosphere was pleasant, and the staff adapted the treatment well to accommodate my pregnancy. However, we found the sales pitches for additional products after the massage to be rather pushy.

The fitness center was well equipped with modern machines.

Our inside cabin was comparable in size to cabins on other cruise lines, such as AIDA Cruises, and was generally spacious enough. Unfortunately, cleanliness was also an issue here. Upon arrival, we found a dirty towel, hair in the shower and on one of the pillows, as well as stains on the bed runner and the upholstered stool.

Overall, the cruise gave us the impression of a budget all-inclusive holiday that did not match the image and presentation of the ship. Evening shows, the elegant attire of many guests, and the stylish-looking bars initially created the impression of a premium cruise experience. However, upon closer inspection, this impression quickly faded due to canned drinks, basic snacks, and the generally disappointing quality of both the food and the cleanliness. This contrast was noticeable throughout many aspects of the ship and unfortunately shaped our overall impression of the trip.

In conclusion, this cruise was a major disappointment for us. We would not choose to sail with MSC Cruises again, and based on our experience, we cannot recommend this cruise line.