We recently spent a week at sea onboard MSC Preziosa sailing the Northern Europe route.
We were all first time cruisers so we embarked with no preconceived ideas about what to expect and open minds to the whole experience. Pre-booking research told me that MSC is known as a laid back, budget friendly cruise line and we found that really appealing.
Whether you’re considering a first cruise with MSC, or are a seasoned cruiser looking to try out this relaxed cruise line, I hope you’ll find this review useful.
Northern Europe Cruise onboard MSC Preziosa
The Northern Europe cruise, also known as the ‘ Northern Pearls’ cruise is a 7 night sailing departing from Southampton. The cruise includes shore days in Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge & Le Havre plus two full days at sea. It’s a great option for travellers wanting a mix of city days with onboard downtime.
I’d seen some mixed reviews about MSC generally, but this sailing was a bargain (especially considering we travelled over half term) and a cruise has long been on my travel wish list, so I was happy to give it a go.
Here’s how it did go.
MSC Preziosa: First Impressions
You board at Atrium level, which is home to the sweeping Swarovski crystal stair cases this cruise line is known for , water features and huge chandeliers.
She is very sparkly. Very Swarovski. Very extra. And I loved it.
There were plenty of staff on hand to direct you, which is just as well as we were enchanted but totally lost at this point.
The Cabin
I was very happy with our cabin onboard MSC Preziosa. I knew she was an old ship by cruise standards and thought the cabins might be dated or tired, but not a bit.
We booked a deluxe balcony cabin with a king size bed, a double sofa bed, ensuite bathroom with shower and a small balcony. The cabin also came with ample storage, a safe, dressing table and hospitality tray.
Each cabin has an allocated steward who’ll keep the cabin spotless and well stocked throughout. Cabins are cleaned daily and turned down each evening. Fantastic service.
Each cabin also has a television. You might now watch much on your cruise, but you will need to watch the safety video/ Muster Drill. This ensures you know what to do in case of an emergency. Video watched, you simply locate your assigned Muster Station so that you know where to go in a real emergency.
The cabin we booked was classed as ‘restricted view’ and this was what we got. A view over the top of the lifeboats. I thought it fine and enjoyed sea views and sailing in/out.
What do you think, would you be happy with this?
MSC Preziosa: Food on Board
Start with food, and I’ll be honest: I’m no foody. I pretty much live on 3/4 meals in rotation, but I’m picky about how food is prepared and cooked. In pre departure research, food was the aspect of an MSC cruise that got the most mixed reviews.
We ate mainly in the buffet. A full review would be a post in itself, have the short version instead:
- The buffet has a lot of options, but it’s quantity over quality
- There was cake for breakfast and that made me happy
- It gets very busy and I found that a bit overwhelming. Also highlighted that at times, your cruise experience will only be as good as the manners of your fellow cruisers.
- On the plus side, loads of fresh fruit and salad available all day, every day.
- The MSC pizza is incredible from a dedicated station with a proper pizza oven. Meat & veggie options with herbs and spices on hand to personalise.
- Clearing & cleaning tables was slow at times. Staff struggled to keep up with the volume of guests and some seemed in need of a bit of training. I’ll pack antibac wipes next time!
- There is cafe area on a lower deck- The Phoenician Plaza- with table service and a range of sweet and savoury snacks. My preferred option.
I always found something to eat on the buffet, but I didn’t love it. Mr THL and our son eat more widely than me and rated it as ‘good enough’. On this cruise route there are plenty of shore days so it was easy to break up meal options.
If I cruise again, with any cruise line, I’d pack more snacky bits for the cabin and a few bits like Cuppa Soups. The bread in the buffet was amazing and there’s a kettle in the cabin/ hot water available in the buffet. There’s not much available in the onboard shops snack food/drink wise.
Drinks onboard MSC Preziosa
If the food was a bit ‘meh’, MSC redeemed itself with the drinks. There’s a full drinks menu and it delivers quality and quantity.
Sparkling and still bottled water was available freely but in plastic bottles. I’d like to see water refill stations instead or as well as in the future.
Being an Italian cruise line, a full range of speciality coffees is available and they were delightful. A good range of all the drinks available including premium options.
I thoroughly tested the gin and cocktail menu and and confirm they were all grand. I discovered a new Italian gin and was thrilled to see the cocktail menu feature my favourite; a Hugo.
Bar service was fast and friendly, 10/10
We booked a Premium drinks package which effectively made the cruise all inclusive. All drinks up to €13 plus gratuities were included. If you prefer to pay as you go, each order will be charged to your cruise card plus an additional 15% per transaction gratuity. More on tipping and gratuities later in this post.
Entertainment
It was exactly what I’d expect on a cruise ship- all singing, all dancing and lots of sparkle.
Evening shows took place daily in the vast theatre, a mix of music, dance, magic and comedy with a few bingo sessions thrown in for good measure. A bit cheesy at times, but all really good fun.
Each show was introduced by the entertainment team each night in 5 languages. I heard some guests moaning about the number of languages used onboard, but I loved it. I’m in awe of people who can switch seamlessly from one to another!
Although MSC is an Italian cruise line, English is the main language spoken onboard. You’ll also hear announcements in German, French, Spanish & Dutch. Every announcement is made in each language.
The Gym & The Spa
A first for me onboard MSC Preziosa: a gym workout at sea. The gym was impressive; a large space with sea views and modern machines for cardio and weighted workouts. Classes were also available, but I didn’t make it to any.
Unlimited gym access is included in your cruise price and Mr THL and I used it daily.
The spa area is something you pay extra for and to be honest, I didn’t think it was worth it. It’s too small for the ship which makes relaxing hard. Treatments are available, but very expensive.
No direct access from the spa to the pool area meant an awkward trudge through the ship to break up the spa session with a swim and hot tub. Not ideal.
The wellness area of the ship is also home to a small lounge with a bar serving fresh juice shots and made-to-order protein drinks, included with a drinks package.
Other things to do on MSC Preziosa
One of things I liked about this cruise was two full days at sea, giving plenty of time to have a relaxed start to the day and then explore the ship. Other onboard facilities include:
- Il Cappuccino: An Italian style coffee shop with relaxed seating and balcony views over the atrium
- The Sports Bar: Big screens for sporting events, a mini bowling alley, drinks and bar snacks available.
- Indoor Pool: Small but did the job, surrounded by hot tubs and plenty of loungers.
- Walking Track: An unbroken walk round the outside of the ship. Good to blow the cobwebs away. Especially after researching the cocktail menu the night before.
- Fun Zone: For big kids and small. Retro arcade games, F1 simulator and 4D cinema experience. Buy a Fun Pass for maximum value.
MSC Preziosa: What to do on Shore Days
At each destination there are a range of transfers and excursions on offer. At the time of our sailing, transfers from ship to city centre were €16 per adult. For some passengers, this is a great choice but we opted to DIY it instead.
We made our own way from ports to destinations, using public transport, then planned our own days on shore. Great fun and cheaper than organised excursions. Just double check timings and routes- the ship won’t wait if you’re late!
- In Hamburg we walked from the cruise terminal, past the Blohm & Voss shipyards and through the historic Old Elbe Tunnel into the heart of Hamburg.
- In Rotterdam the ship docks pretty much in the city centre; explore the city or head for the central station for trains to other Dutch destinations.
- Zeebrugge is an industrial port with no pedestrian walkway, so a free shuttle takes you from ship to terminal. Trams run from here, or a 20 minute walk to main line station Zeebrugge Dorp.
- Le Havre city centre is a 20/30 minute walk from the ship.
MSC Preziosa: What’s included in the Fare?
The basic fare for the 7 night Northern Europe/ Northern Pearls includes your choice of cabin, all meals and drinks at the buffet restaurant, evening entertainment & gratuities.
We upgraded to a ‘Fantastica’ fare level which allowed:
- Your choice of cabin location, as opposed to MSC allocation.
- Option of breakfast delivered to cabin.
- Ability to make a change to the booking at no cost. Great for a military family.
- Choice of dining time if you wanted to eat in one of the included restaurants.
- Additionally, we purchased drinks packages ( 2 x Premium for the adults and Minors Package for the teenager) plus a Fun Pass for the arcades and F1 Simulator.
For all of the above, for three people, we paid £1697. Around £80 per person per day (2025)
Tipping on MSC Cruises/ MSC Preziosa: What You Need to Know.
Join any MSC or cruise themed community online and tipping is topic that generates the most heat. There’s often a European/American divide on how much, how often and to whom but I’m just going to stick with the facts for UK cruise departures.
For UK customers, tips/gratuities are included in your cruise fare. You don’t need to tip any further once onboard and won’t have a gratuity bill at the end of your cruise. MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual staff members.
MSC Cruise: Would I do it again?
Yes. I would cruise with MSC again. MSC Preziosa, with her relaxed fun atmosphere, was a fantastic introduction to cruising. Ideal for travellers seeking an informal, inexpensive cruise-
The Northern Europe route was a great way to hit several destinations in the same week, mixing in old favourites, like Hamburg, with new discoveries like Le Havre.
MSC has a low cost airline approach to cruising; you buy a basic fare and add on chosen extras. That worked really well for my family, take what you need and leave what you don’t!
If you liked this post you might also like to read my 10 Tips for Your First MSC Cruise (coming soon)
Helen x
Glad to read about your experience on the cruise! Sorry to hear that the food wasn’t quite up to par, though — at least you found the hidden cafe at the basement, away from the rush of people.
Thank you. I wish I was more bold with food but it’s not me. Coffee and cake though, I enjoyed trying all the options there 😆
A great and very thorough review! It seems there were more plusses than minuses and the cruise was enjoyable for you 🙂 We’ve had some occasional and not always conventional cruise experiences – it’s not something we especially like but sometimes it’s the best option. From a conventional ship in the Antarctic to a Rhine river cruise (recommended if you want plenty of shore time) and a small 16 berth boat in the Galapagos, with the latter my favourite by far in terms of the boat/ship 😀 We’re trying again in August, doing an Arctic expedition cruise!
Thanks Sarah! I was determined to write a thorough review because I struggled to get balanced info before booking. I don’t think I’m a fully converted cruiser, but I’m glad I did it. An Arctic expedition sounds incredible!
This is such a wonderful read. I love the idea of seeing multiple locations and ports during a trip and how they allow for a nice relaxing holiday while making stops at multiple interesting and fun locations without the added stress of having to get there yourself. But I also love an itinerary that is set by me as well as experiencing the local hotels. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Thanks Avia, I’ll always love a good road trip or hotel stay but it was fun to try our hand at cruising. There’s something magic about waking up at sea with nothing to do but enjoy yourself! Have a wonderful day
Glad you enjoyed it
I’ve been on a trans-Atlantic cruise twice, because I moved to South America and then back to Europe two years later. I found it more romantic to travel by ship, although sadly, there weren’t any pirates.
I chose the cheapest option, of course. The second time I had a cabin next to the engine room, without any window. But when you’re tired, you can sleep anywhere.
I had never been to a gym before I was on the ship. You have to, because of the quantity of the food. Also, if you don’t want to pay extra, there is nothing much else to do. (My cruise was different from yours, of course, because there were plenty of days on the high seas.)
Overall, I liked it as a means of transport. (You can also take much more luggage than on a plane.) But for tourism/travel, I don’t think I could enjoy it. 10 hours or so for each city, that’s just way too little for me. And you can’t really venture far or get lost, because you are always afraid of being late to the ship and being stranded, without one’s luggage on top of that.
And honestly, it’s not the most intellectual crowd, is it?
I mean, you find some interesting people after a couple of days (you need to look at the books that people read), but most people just talked about other cruises and bored me to death. It was also shocking to see how scared many of the passengers were of going on land without being guided and supervised at all times.
This did make me chuckle. The idea of being judged by my reading material. I am side eyeing my book shelf as I type!
I enjoyed a day in each city, it wasn’t my first trip to Hamburg or Bruges so I knew what I wanted to do, but I am now planning to take my camper van to Normandy to explore Le Havre and that coastline. So my cheap cruise was quite expensive as it triggered future trip plans.
A trans Atlantic sailing sounds like quite the experience!
I really loved the slowness of it.
And the absence of interweb. (I think you could buy it extra, at some ridiculous price, but of course I didn’t.)
And I was very surprised how calm the Atlantic was for most of the time. Honestly, I have been on lakes that had more waves.
Another beautiful sensation was to see birds as we approached Brazil. It’s really like in the stories of the ancient seafarers, that you experience the birds about one day before you spot actual land.
Such an interesting and informative post Helen as we’ve never been cruising apart from a Nordic overnight luxury ferry!
Thank you Marion. I’m glad I gave it a go. I enjoy a nice ferry sailing too. It’s always fun to do something new.
I’m never going to cruise (people!) but enjoyed reading this – thanks
It is a very people-y experience. Good fun though!
I do like a good ferry trip, not so keen on the idea of cruising though.
I enjoyed giving it a go. I don’t think I would do it often, but it was a great way to fit lot in. We met some real cruise fanatics, there’s a whole cruise ship world out there I had no idea about!
Oh dear, the whole styling looks horrible. We would never go on such a cruise. Nevertheless, we were on two expeditions to NE Greenland, and to Jan Mayen and Bear Island. But that was with 10 people the first one, and on a real boat without entertainment and the second with 35 people, neither in such a fancy styled ship, but with scientific lectures.
It would be a boring world if we all liked the same things, wouldn’t it? Those do sound like very interesting sailings.
I know so many people now who have tried cruises. Most are converts. 🙂
Interesting read. Thank you for your honest review. I have never been on a cruise and I am not sure I would like to try. If feels overcrowded for me.
An interesting review, thanks for sharing your experience. I don’t think cruises are for me, I just wouldn’t cope with all the people, but maybe I shouldn’t be so presumptuous, and give it a go sometime! It does look fun and I’d sign up just for those cocktails…!
Great overview of your cruise. We haven’t done a cruise yet too. I’d like to do fjords
I’d love to do a fjords cruise too! I enjoyed my first cruise, I’d definitely say it’s worth trying.