IS the food really that bad on Preziosa?

[jjohnboy32]

I'm seeing a lot of reviews where people are stating that the food is bad?

 

Buffet appears to be cold all the time and the main meals seem to be tiny?

 

Anyone else got any comments? Surely if the main meal is small you can ask for another portion?

 

And are cheese boards one of the courses? (I love a cheese board ;))

[1fifthavenue]

Excellent questions, we all know food might not be to everyone's taste, but drilling down in to the specifics is good...

 

Buffet cold? Not experienced this HOWEVER the buffet is huge, we've noticed people tend to walk all the way round, picking up bits and pieces as they go. If we go to the buffet, we get a bit of what we want, eat that then go back for something else. Plastic plates don't retain heat and finding a seat can be difficult unless you go up the back. Limit that time by doing it this way.

 

Main meals - yes portions are small. Up until recently the menu would have been 5 or 6 courses. You'd have an appetizer, salad or soup, pasta or risotto then your main and dessert. The menus now look like typical starter main dessert 3 courses, but the portion sizes haven't changed. Don't be afraid to order other items as an extra course.

 

I don't find the food bad, just different. MSC don't have steaks and lobster every night like some of the other lines, but have never struggled to make a decent meal and leave the restaurant feeling full

 

Cheese boards - remember MSC is Italian. Cheese boards with crackers etc is a British thing. Cheese usually appears on the dessert list, but it is only a few small pieces with a small marmalade tart (about the size of a £2 coin)

[GOLDENBONNY]

Excellent questions, we all know food might not be to everyone's taste, but drilling down in to the specifics is good...

 

Buffet cold? Not experienced this HOWEVER the buffet is huge, we've noticed people tend to walk all the way round, picking up bits and pieces as they go. If we go to the buffet, we get a bit of what we want, eat that then go back for something else. Plastic plates don't retain heat and finding a seat can be difficult unless you go up the back. Limit that time by doing it this way.

 

Main meals - yes portions are small. Up until recently the menu would have been 5 or 6 courses. You'd have an appetizer, salad or soup, pasta or risotto then your main and dessert. The menus now look like typical starter main dessert 3 courses, but the portion sizes haven't changed. Don't be afraid to order other items as an extra course.

 

I don't find the food bad, just different. MSC don't have steaks and lobster every night like some of the other lines, but have never struggled to make a decent meal and leave the restaurant feeling full

 

Cheese boards - remember MSC is Italian. Cheese boards with crackers etc is a British thing. Cheese usually appears on the dessert list, but it is only a few small pieces with a small marmalade tart (about the size of a £2 coin)

They do have steaks and lobsters every night but for charge.

[1fifthavenue]

They do have steaks and lobsters every night but for charge.

 

To be honest I would sooner they didn't have them for the fee? The fee is high in my opinion

[newone1960]

First time I cruised with MSC was with Magnifica and the food was awful. I have just come off the Preziosa and although the food was better in my view it was not as good as most cruise lines.

The portions are small but they are more than happy to provide more.

It is just 3 courses with I think about 3 choices for each course.

The cheese plate is also very small, but they are happy to provide that as well as a desert.

There is no tea or coffee offered at the end of the meal.

 

I found the food was not only tepid in the buffet but also in the MDR at breakfast.

I didn't like the large plastic plates in the buffet.

[Beamafar]

To be honest I would sooner they didn't have them for the fee? The fee is high in my opinion

 

We had the T-bone steak with a very nice glass of Brunello di Montalcino "Col d'Orcia" for €18 on Sinfonia last year. I thought that was terrific value considering it'd cost me almost that to buy a steak that size in a butcher's shop.

[sidari]

newone ... You were on the same cruise and I agree with what you say the Buffet food was at times just warm and on two days some was even cold!

The Buffet in the evening had very poor choice of food and only the top half was open, on the Sunday we arrived back from Hamburg to find no food available until 6.30 pm due to the crew being used for the lifeboat drill for those who had joined the ship that day, there was pizza if you could get it in the scramble.

 

This was our 5th cruise with MSC and the standard has not improved much from the first sadly and that includes 2 Transatlantics and a Venice to Dubai.

 

The portions have become smaller but as others have said if you ask for more it will be given.

[Danem7683]

Buffet was good- restaurant not as good- and small portions

 

 

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[riclop]

I'm seeing a lot of reviews where people are stating that the food is bad?

 

Buffet appears to be cold all the time and the main meals seem to be tiny?

 

Anyone else got any comments? Surely if the main meal is small you can ask for another portion?

 

And are cheese boards one of the courses? (I love a cheese board ;))

Food is very subjective.

[CruiseIreland]

In my experience, it is never as bad as the worst reviews say and never as good as the most glowing reviews say! The reality is in between. We find that buffets are prone to cooling of food, depending on when they are put out and how long you spend getting your plate filled. Food in the MDR is often very pretty but small portions so now I order the vegetarian option as a side or another course, no problem. For the price, I put up with the shortfalls on MSC.

[IHLOZ]

disembarked from Preziosa last Wednesday

 

buffet food - if you cant find something you like then you are the fussiest eater on the planet, the selection is huge and is changed regularly - theres no fear of anyone starving. As for it being cold - no, it obviously wont be as fresh and hot as when it was first put out if the tray is nearly empty but just wait until the tray is changed.

 

MDR - the portion sizes are adequate for what people should eat - if you normally eat more than a healthy sized portion then you will feel short changed. I would call it a Goldilocks meal, not too small to leave you still hungry, not too big to leave you feeling stuffed - just right. Admittedly I have had more refined dining on other ships but hells teeth, you are still getting a decent meal and if you really don't like it then go to one of the speciality restaurants

[sidari]

The food selection in the Buffet at times was poor compared to the other 4 cruises we have taken with MSC, so yes we have plenty to gauge it against having done two Transatlantic`s and a Venice to Dubai.

Cannot recall seeing the Asian corner or the area with food from the likes of Hungary and a few others but it may be that on this Bus Stop cruise they do not have it.

 

As for kids meals in the main Dining room the selection was very poor.

 

One issue regarding cold or tepid food and we did have some, could be the plastic plates which do not retain any heat.

One issue that MSC really do need to address certainly at busy periods in the Buffet is to stop people sitting at tables playing card games and using Laptops while others are trying to find somewhere to eat.

[GOLDENBONNY]

To be honest I would sooner they didn't have them for the fee? The fee is high in my opinion

The fee is very low compare to any Canadian restaurant ;p so we don't mind at all)

[Merly]

One issue that MSC really do need to address certainly at busy periods in the Buffet is to stop people sitting at tables playing card games and using Laptops while others are trying to find somewhere to eat.

 

We see that on other cruise lines as well. Really annoying as there are plenty of other places on the ship to sit and chat, play games etc.

[Beamafar]

We see that on other cruise lines as well. Really annoying as there are plenty of other places on the ship to sit and chat, play games etc.

 

We were sitting in the buffet at a very busy lunchtime with my parents one time enjoying our wine after eating when an Italian family walked thru' in search of a table. They approached us and asked (gestured) if we were finished to which we replied "No". On seeing them walk off and, a couple of minutes later, return, having failed to get a table and heading to the exit, I called after them to come back. As I said to my family, "We can always go elsewhere to finish our drinks". I felt so bad about not yielding the table in the first place.

[rusky123]

Cheese board available. I had it nearly every night, and very nice it was too, on a Preziosa sailing in July and Opera in January. Just remember to ask for bread or crackers as well. ;p

[Merly]

Just off Pesioza so I am now able to give my view about the food.

Buffett - going for breakfast was a no no, it was chaos. No free tables, no visible staff, the area is huge so food is spread about. We went for lunch around 2.00 when it was less busy. The plates are far too big, more like trays, and encourage waste. There was a good selection of food, although some a little strange, wild boar or musky octopus anyone? There was a section for children but I only saw adults at it (me included). Burgers were horrible, pizza always available, and the cheese selection excellent. My DH particularly liked the blue, said it was the best he had ever had. Good bread selection too. Ice cream available outside near the pool.

 

Main dining room - not good. Very poor selection and the quality was not good either. Although they said there was always an alternative menu ( like on Royal) there wasn't.

I am a fussy eater but my opinion that the food was poor is based on my 5 travelling companions views not just mine. We didn't think the portions were small though and you could order as much as you liked. My DH often had a main for his starter and main course. One night the waiter brought me the children's menu to see if there was something I would like. Cheese after dinner was poor, have it from the buffet at lunch if you want it. Our waiters were very good and willing to get us whatever we wanted. Water isn't served, you have to buy a bottle and no coffee either.

[nealjr]

We are booked in May of next year on the Preziosa and starting to get a little concern about the food reviews. My big question is how does the food compare in the Y/C versus non Y/C venues?? We are booked in the Y/C but still have concerns if the food reviews are the same for that area too. Thanks

[sidari]

Water isn't served, you have to buy a bottle

 

 

Unless you have a drink package.

[layedbackboy]

We are booked in May of next year on the Preziosa and starting to get a little concern about the food reviews. My big question is how does the food compare in the Y/C versus non Y/C venues?? We are booked in the Y/C but still have concerns if the food reviews are the same for that area too. Thanks

Hi just off prezeosa and the food is totally different in the yc don't have any concerns just ask and they will please have a great time we did

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

We are booked in May of next year on the Preziosa and starting to get a little concern about the food reviews. My big question is how does the food compare in the Y/C versus non Y/C venues?? We are booked in the Y/C but still have concerns if the food reviews are the same for that area too. Thanks

 

 

 

I've sailed both in yc and not in yc and didn't find the food in YC that much better than food outside of the yc. Simple thing like eggs over easy (over light) was impossible in YC- I gave up after two tries. I didn't go hungry and could always find something decent. Considering the price I paid I didn't expect much on MSC- after all, this is a budget line. However; If you are looking for value for the dollar it's hard to beat the MSC product overall.

 

 

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[Merly]

We are booked in May of next year on the Preziosa and starting to get a little concern about the food reviews. My big question is how does the food compare in the Y/C versus non Y/C venues?? We are booked in the Y/C but still have concerns if the food reviews are the same for that area too. Thanks

 

Obviously I can't comment on the YC food. All I can say is I wouldn't pay the sort of money they want for the YC on that ship/line. I understand it is supposed to be a better experience but it is still the same ship.

[little britain]

Just off Pesioza so I am now able to give my view about the food.

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Main dining room - not good. Very poor selection and the quality was not good either. Although they said there was always an alternative menu ( like on Royal) there wasn't.

 

 

 

Strange; on another site someone is posting live from Preziosa, and the dinner menu clearly shows an “always available” chicken or fish option on the right hand side of the menu, just like the always available on RCI

 

 

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[sidari]

LB ... There is always another option available on the Dinner menu (not a separate menu), unless it has changed since our 6/9/17 sailing ! the choices have been reduced in number though of what is available.

 

there is as you say always Chicken, Fish and usually Beef available.

[Beamafar]

Here's a photo showing "Always available" choices on Magnifica:

 

 

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