JasonOasis

Bummer - two weeks ago I was on Allure and drink in hand at 10:38!!

Probably for me it would have to be Freedom class.  I’ve only been on Adventure in the Voyager class and missed having Sorrento’s!  Eating pizza at Cafe Promenade just didn’t feel right!  

This is a tough one I have so many and I love every single Oasis Class ship but if I had to choose I would say my top 5 would be in this order
Symphony
Anthem
Allure 
Adventure (my first cruise ever in my life was on Adventure and I've taken multiple cruises on this ship since)
Freedom
 
Why did you have to limit it to just five? 😅

This is a tough one I have so many and I love every single Oasis Class ship but if I had to choose I would say my top 5 would be in this order
Symphony
Anthem
Allure 
Adventure (my first cruise ever in my life was on Adventure and I've taken multiple cruises on this ship since)
Freedom
 
Why did you have to limit it to just five? 😅

They have no obligation to you in this case other than to NOT sail you into active conflict zones. They do not have an obligation to find you another cruise itinerary, but nothing is stopping you from looking for one and do a cancel/rebook. Royal has no control over the weather or politics and can only do so much when unexpected events pop up. You need to familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions that YOU agreed to when booking the cruise. 

Ditto other posts. One of the biggest crowds I saw was on the small Grandeur trying to get chocolate on New Years. I gave up...

You should get a prorated discount as you lose an hour of time on the ship

Wonder>Symphony>Oasis>Harmony>Allure
It’s pretty easy when you have 5 of the greatest ships ever in the same class. RC hit a home run with Oasis class!

The high cost of cruising has now caught the attention of the news media.  According to several new outlets including NBC News cruise prices have soared and are now 43% higher than where they were in 2019.
Interestingly enough it isn't Royal Caribbean that leading the way or in the drivers seats it is Carnival with Carnivals CEO saying just a few days ago on CNBC that Carnival with all its brands is well position to push prices even higher industry wide in 2024.  Cruise lines from Carnaval, Royal, NCL, even Virgin are all blaming the price increases on unprecedented demand which shows no signs of waning, the rising cost of labor, food and fuel.  Carnival stated and I quote "the company has been able to deliver a value of 25% to 50% over comparable land-based vacation alternatives". 
According to the Today Show this morning a 5 night Bahamas cruise this December will cost at least $736 dollars per person that is 37% higher than it was just last year in 2022.  That  37% increase is across all cruise lines with NCL telling the Today Show even with these price increases cruising remains the best value for customers vacation dollars.
For cruise lines like Royal, Carnival, NCL, Virgin it is full steam ahead for 2024 and according to the Today Show the cruise lines are saying customers are putting less emphasis on pricing and more emphasis on setting sail to paradise.  According to the cruise lines they all stated don't look for prices to come down any time soon, there are still deals to be had but they are few and far between.  If you want the best price book early because for now demand and according to another article I read some travel agents agree with cruise lines that cruising is indeed a better value than land-based vacation in fact some travel agents are saying taking a cruise is still 50% to even 70% cheaper than a comparable land based vacation. 
For people saying they are thinking about switching to Carnival or another brand that is cheaper than Royal just think about people who cruise with Carnival people who are loyal to cruise lines like Carnival some of them are being priced out completely.  Think about it if you are being priced out of Royal and are considering Carnival or some other brand that appears to be of value there are people at those brands who are truly being priced out of the cruise industry completely and for now there is no end in sight.  
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/09/cruise-prices-rise-as-operators-meet-surging-travel-demand.html
https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/cruise-prices-surge-43-amid-post-pandemic-travel-boom/
 
As someone who works in the airline industry an industry I've been in for 27 years I can tell you we are suppose to be in the "off" season now.  Before the pandemic mid-September through mid-November was typically the "off" season along with the second week of January through the first week of March.  I can tell you this we are not in the off season even though summer is over the children are back in school, the college is back in session airplanes are just as full as they were in July.  In fact we are busier this fall than we were at this same time in 2022.  I can't explain what is going on in the travel industry all I can say is if you are thinking about travel book early, book early, book early.  For those of you looking for last minute deals good luck I truly do hope you can find them.

I've sailed with MSC 3 times already and the next time I'm looking at getting on a MSC cruise is when MSC World America shows up.   
MSC is a great cruise line but they are not Royal and I'm not just saying that to try to convince people to stay with Royal, I could care less if people cruise with Royal or MSC. All I'm saying is I noticed the difference some good and some not so good. The one area MSC excels in is food, they have some of the best food on their cruise ships, on the other hand if you buy a speciality dinning package and think you will have access to 99% of the menu be prepared to hear a lot of this word NO that is if you ask questions before ordering.  Purchasing a specialty dinning package on MSC only gives you access to 15% of the menu if you order anything outside of that 15% they charge you al la carte.  If you don't ask your server you won't hear the word NO they will take your order and then surprise you with this nice huge bill at the end of your meal while you are sitting there thinking I have a dinner package then the server will tell you none of what you order was included in the specialty dinner package. 
The drinks and wifi package is something MSC offers off and on from time to time but just like with NCL it is buyer be where.  The drinks package is for well drinks only so if you drink something other than well on land and are looking to have that drink onboard you have to change your preference or pay the difference. And the free wifi is for browsing, email, and text messages only it does not include streaming.  That was another thing I noticed people were finding out once onboard, however by now I think people should know anytime a cruise ship offers free wifi it is going to be their slowest wifi that is free anything above that you have to pay.
Another area MSC excels in is entertainment any one sailing on Meraviglia pay the extra money for both Cirque du Soleil shows (they are not the same shows).  However there is a lot lacking during their daytime entertainment.  If you are someone who likes the casino and are use to Royals fairly large casinos then be prepared for an extremely small casino even on their newer ships hopefully they fix this on MSC World America a ship that is being specifically built for the US market.  There are a lot of things to do to keep your self entertained on MSC cruise ship but be prepared to pay onboard for some of those experiences much like NCL.
Lastly if you are like me and like to cruise in a suite the good news is MSC has a lot of suite categories.  However do your homework because some "suites" on MSC ships are suites in name only not in actual size, meaning some "suites" are the same exact size as a standard balcony.  So if you are booking a suite because you either want or need extra space do your homework do not just book a suite simply because the word suite exist look at the square footage of the room to make sure you are actually getting what you are paying for.
I feel like MSC in America (totally different if you do MSC cruise out of Europe) but here in America I feel like they are a hybrid model somewhere between NCL and Royal.  They are quite NCL but they are quite Royal either but it works as long as people go onto their cruise with all the information and the correct expectations.  If you do your homework first and modify your expectations your MSC cruise will be a great experience. However, if you go into it expecting Royal then prepare yourself for a huge disappointment.  
At the end of the day depending on your experience your MSC cruise more than likely will end up costing you just as much as a Royal Caribbean cruise.  The difference is you are not paying for it all up front instead you are paying for a lot things once onboard that you don't realize you're paying for until the cruise ends.

The high cost of cruising has now caught the attention of the news media.  According to several new outlets including NBC News cruise prices have soared and are now 43% higher than where they were in 2019.
Interestingly enough it isn't Royal Caribbean that leading the way or in the drivers seats it is Carnival with Carnivals CEO saying just a few days ago on CNBC that Carnival with all its brands is well position to push prices even higher industry wide in 2024.  Cruise lines from Carnaval, Royal, NCL, even Virgin are all blaming the price increases on unprecedented demand which shows no signs of waning, the rising cost of labor, food and fuel.  Carnival stated and I quote "the company has been able to deliver a value of 25% to 50% over comparable land-based vacation alternatives". 
According to the Today Show this morning a 5 night Bahamas cruise this December will cost at least $736 dollars per person that is 37% higher than it was just last year in 2022.  That  37% increase is across all cruise lines with NCL telling the Today Show even with these price increases cruising remains the best value for customers vacation dollars.
For cruise lines like Royal, Carnival, NCL, Virgin it is full steam ahead for 2024 and according to the Today Show the cruise lines are saying customers are putting less emphasis on pricing and more emphasis on setting sail to paradise.  According to the cruise lines they all stated don't look for prices to come down any time soon, there are still deals to be had but they are few and far between.  If you want the best price book early because for now demand and according to another article I read some travel agents agree with cruise lines that cruising is indeed a better value than land-based vacation in fact some travel agents are saying taking a cruise is still 50% to even 70% cheaper than a comparable land based vacation. 
For people saying they are thinking about switching to Carnival or another brand that is cheaper than Royal just think about people who cruise with Carnival people who are loyal to cruise lines like Carnival some of them are being priced out completely.  Think about it if you are being priced out of Royal and are considering Carnival or some other brand that appears to be of value there are people at those brands who are truly being priced out of the cruise industry completely and for now there is no end in sight.  
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/09/cruise-prices-rise-as-operators-meet-surging-travel-demand.html
https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/cruise-prices-surge-43-amid-post-pandemic-travel-boom/
 
As someone who works in the airline industry an industry I've been in for 27 years I can tell you we are suppose to be in the "off" season now.  Before the pandemic mid-September through mid-November was typically the "off" season along with the second week of January through the first week of March.  I can tell you this we are not in the off season even though summer is over the children are back in school, the college is back in session airplanes are just as full as they were in July.  In fact we are busier this fall than we were at this same time in 2022.  I can't explain what is going on in the travel industry all I can say is if you are thinking about travel book early, book early, book early.  For those of you looking for last minute deals good luck I truly do hope you can find them.

The high cost of cruising has now caught the attention of the news media.  According to several new outlets including NBC News cruise prices have soared and are now 43% higher than where they were in 2019.
Interestingly enough it isn't Royal Caribbean that leading the way or in the drivers seats it is Carnival with Carnivals CEO saying just a few days ago on CNBC that Carnival with all its brands is well position to push prices even higher industry wide in 2024.  Cruise lines from Carnaval, Royal, NCL, even Virgin are all blaming the price increases on unprecedented demand which shows no signs of waning, the rising cost of labor, food and fuel.  Carnival stated and I quote "the company has been able to deliver a value of 25% to 50% over comparable land-based vacation alternatives". 
According to the Today Show this morning a 5 night Bahamas cruise this December will cost at least $736 dollars per person that is 37% higher than it was just last year in 2022.  That  37% increase is across all cruise lines with NCL telling the Today Show even with these price increases cruising remains the best value for customers vacation dollars.
For cruise lines like Royal, Carnival, NCL, Virgin it is full steam ahead for 2024 and according to the Today Show the cruise lines are saying customers are putting less emphasis on pricing and more emphasis on setting sail to paradise.  According to the cruise lines they all stated don't look for prices to come down any time soon, there are still deals to be had but they are few and far between.  If you want the best price book early because for now demand and according to another article I read some travel agents agree with cruise lines that cruising is indeed a better value than land-based vacation in fact some travel agents are saying taking a cruise is still 50% to even 70% cheaper than a comparable land based vacation. 
For people saying they are thinking about switching to Carnival or another brand that is cheaper than Royal just think about people who cruise with Carnival people who are loyal to cruise lines like Carnival some of them are being priced out completely.  Think about it if you are being priced out of Royal and are considering Carnival or some other brand that appears to be of value there are people at those brands who are truly being priced out of the cruise industry completely and for now there is no end in sight.  
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/09/cruise-prices-rise-as-operators-meet-surging-travel-demand.html
https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/cruise-prices-surge-43-amid-post-pandemic-travel-boom/
 
As someone who works in the airline industry an industry I've been in for 27 years I can tell you we are suppose to be in the "off" season now.  Before the pandemic mid-September through mid-November was typically the "off" season along with the second week of January through the first week of March.  I can tell you this we are not in the off season even though summer is over the children are back in school, the college is back in session airplanes are just as full as they were in July.  In fact we are busier this fall than we were at this same time in 2022.  I can't explain what is going on in the travel industry all I can say is if you are thinking about travel book early, book early, book early.  For those of you looking for last minute deals good luck I truly do hope you can find them.

The high cost of cruising has now caught the attention of the news media.  According to several new outlets including NBC News cruise prices have soared and are now 43% higher than where they were in 2019.
Interestingly enough it isn't Royal Caribbean that leading the way or in the drivers seats it is Carnival with Carnivals CEO saying just a few days ago on CNBC that Carnival with all its brands is well position to push prices even higher industry wide in 2024.  Cruise lines from Carnaval, Royal, NCL, even Virgin are all blaming the price increases on unprecedented demand which shows no signs of waning, the rising cost of labor, food and fuel.  Carnival stated and I quote "the company has been able to deliver a value of 25% to 50% over comparable land-based vacation alternatives". 
According to the Today Show this morning a 5 night Bahamas cruise this December will cost at least $736 dollars per person that is 37% higher than it was just last year in 2022.  That  37% increase is across all cruise lines with NCL telling the Today Show even with these price increases cruising remains the best value for customers vacation dollars.
For cruise lines like Royal, Carnival, NCL, Virgin it is full steam ahead for 2024 and according to the Today Show the cruise lines are saying customers are putting less emphasis on pricing and more emphasis on setting sail to paradise.  According to the cruise lines they all stated don't look for prices to come down any time soon, there are still deals to be had but they are few and far between.  If you want the best price book early because for now demand and according to another article I read some travel agents agree with cruise lines that cruising is indeed a better value than land-based vacation in fact some travel agents are saying taking a cruise is still 50% to even 70% cheaper than a comparable land based vacation. 
For people saying they are thinking about switching to Carnival or another brand that is cheaper than Royal just think about people who cruise with Carnival people who are loyal to cruise lines like Carnival some of them are being priced out completely.  Think about it if you are being priced out of Royal and are considering Carnival or some other brand that appears to be of value there are people at those brands who are truly being priced out of the cruise industry completely and for now there is no end in sight.  
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/09/cruise-prices-rise-as-operators-meet-surging-travel-demand.html
https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/cruise-prices-surge-43-amid-post-pandemic-travel-boom/
 
As someone who works in the airline industry an industry I've been in for 27 years I can tell you we are suppose to be in the "off" season now.  Before the pandemic mid-September through mid-November was typically the "off" season along with the second week of January through the first week of March.  I can tell you this we are not in the off season even though summer is over the children are back in school, the college is back in session airplanes are just as full as they were in July.  In fact we are busier this fall than we were at this same time in 2022.  I can't explain what is going on in the travel industry all I can say is if you are thinking about travel book early, book early, book early.  For those of you looking for last minute deals good luck I truly do hope you can find them.

The high cost of cruising has now caught the attention of the news media.  According to several new outlets including NBC News cruise prices have soared and are now 43% higher than where they were in 2019.
Interestingly enough it isn't Royal Caribbean that leading the way or in the drivers seats it is Carnival with Carnivals CEO saying just a few days ago on CNBC that Carnival with all its brands is well position to push prices even higher industry wide in 2024.  Cruise lines from Carnaval, Royal, NCL, even Virgin are all blaming the price increases on unprecedented demand which shows no signs of waning, the rising cost of labor, food and fuel.  Carnival stated and I quote "the company has been able to deliver a value of 25% to 50% over comparable land-based vacation alternatives". 
According to the Today Show this morning a 5 night Bahamas cruise this December will cost at least $736 dollars per person that is 37% higher than it was just last year in 2022.  That  37% increase is across all cruise lines with NCL telling the Today Show even with these price increases cruising remains the best value for customers vacation dollars.
For cruise lines like Royal, Carnival, NCL, Virgin it is full steam ahead for 2024 and according to the Today Show the cruise lines are saying customers are putting less emphasis on pricing and more emphasis on setting sail to paradise.  According to the cruise lines they all stated don't look for prices to come down any time soon, there are still deals to be had but they are few and far between.  If you want the best price book early because for now demand and according to another article I read some travel agents agree with cruise lines that cruising is indeed a better value than land-based vacation in fact some travel agents are saying taking a cruise is still 50% to even 70% cheaper than a comparable land based vacation. 
For people saying they are thinking about switching to Carnival or another brand that is cheaper than Royal just think about people who cruise with Carnival people who are loyal to cruise lines like Carnival some of them are being priced out completely.  Think about it if you are being priced out of Royal and are considering Carnival or some other brand that appears to be of value there are people at those brands who are truly being priced out of the cruise industry completely and for now there is no end in sight.  
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/09/cruise-prices-rise-as-operators-meet-surging-travel-demand.html
https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/cruise-prices-surge-43-amid-post-pandemic-travel-boom/
 
As someone who works in the airline industry an industry I've been in for 27 years I can tell you we are suppose to be in the "off" season now.  Before the pandemic mid-September through mid-November was typically the "off" season along with the second week of January through the first week of March.  I can tell you this we are not in the off season even though summer is over the children are back in school, the college is back in session airplanes are just as full as they were in July.  In fact we are busier this fall than we were at this same time in 2022.  I can't explain what is going on in the travel industry all I can say is if you are thinking about travel book early, book early, book early.  For those of you looking for last minute deals good luck I truly do hope you can find them.

The high cost of cruising has now caught the attention of the news media.  According to several new outlets including NBC News cruise prices have soared and are now 43% higher than where they were in 2019.
Interestingly enough it isn't Royal Caribbean that leading the way or in the drivers seats it is Carnival with Carnivals CEO saying just a few days ago on CNBC that Carnival with all its brands is well position to push prices even higher industry wide in 2024.  Cruise lines from Carnaval, Royal, NCL, even Virgin are all blaming the price increases on unprecedented demand which shows no signs of waning, the rising cost of labor, food and fuel.  Carnival stated and I quote "the company has been able to deliver a value of 25% to 50% over comparable land-based vacation alternatives". 
According to the Today Show this morning a 5 night Bahamas cruise this December will cost at least $736 dollars per person that is 37% higher than it was just last year in 2022.  That  37% increase is across all cruise lines with NCL telling the Today Show even with these price increases cruising remains the best value for customers vacation dollars.
For cruise lines like Royal, Carnival, NCL, Virgin it is full steam ahead for 2024 and according to the Today Show the cruise lines are saying customers are putting less emphasis on pricing and more emphasis on setting sail to paradise.  According to the cruise lines they all stated don't look for prices to come down any time soon, there are still deals to be had but they are few and far between.  If you want the best price book early because for now demand and according to another article I read some travel agents agree with cruise lines that cruising is indeed a better value than land-based vacation in fact some travel agents are saying taking a cruise is still 50% to even 70% cheaper than a comparable land based vacation. 
For people saying they are thinking about switching to Carnival or another brand that is cheaper than Royal just think about people who cruise with Carnival people who are loyal to cruise lines like Carnival some of them are being priced out completely.  Think about it if you are being priced out of Royal and are considering Carnival or some other brand that appears to be of value there are people at those brands who are truly being priced out of the cruise industry completely and for now there is no end in sight.  
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/09/cruise-prices-rise-as-operators-meet-surging-travel-demand.html
https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/cruise-prices-surge-43-amid-post-pandemic-travel-boom/
 
As someone who works in the airline industry an industry I've been in for 27 years I can tell you we are suppose to be in the "off" season now.  Before the pandemic mid-September through mid-November was typically the "off" season along with the second week of January through the first week of March.  I can tell you this we are not in the off season even though summer is over the children are back in school, the college is back in session airplanes are just as full as they were in July.  In fact we are busier this fall than we were at this same time in 2022.  I can't explain what is going on in the travel industry all I can say is if you are thinking about travel book early, book early, book early.  For those of you looking for last minute deals good luck I truly do hope you can find them.

I've sailed with MSC 3 times already and the next time I'm looking at getting on a MSC cruise is when MSC World America shows up.   
MSC is a great cruise line but they are not Royal and I'm not just saying that to try to convince people to stay with Royal, I could care less if people cruise with Royal or MSC. All I'm saying is I noticed the difference some good and some not so good. The one area MSC excels in is food, they have some of the best food on their cruise ships, on the other hand if you buy a speciality dinning package and think you will have access to 99% of the menu be prepared to hear a lot of this word NO that is if you ask questions before ordering.  Purchasing a specialty dinning package on MSC only gives you access to 15% of the menu if you order anything outside of that 15% they charge you al la carte.  If you don't ask your server you won't hear the word NO they will take your order and then surprise you with this nice huge bill at the end of your meal while you are sitting there thinking I have a dinner package then the server will tell you none of what you order was included in the specialty dinner package. 
The drinks and wifi package is something MSC offers off and on from time to time but just like with NCL it is buyer be where.  The drinks package is for well drinks only so if you drink something other than well on land and are looking to have that drink onboard you have to change your preference or pay the difference. And the free wifi is for browsing, email, and text messages only it does not include streaming.  That was another thing I noticed people were finding out once onboard, however by now I think people should know anytime a cruise ship offers free wifi it is going to be their slowest wifi that is free anything above that you have to pay.
Another area MSC excels in is entertainment any one sailing on Meraviglia pay the extra money for both Cirque du Soleil shows (they are not the same shows).  However there is a lot lacking during their daytime entertainment.  If you are someone who likes the casino and are use to Royals fairly large casinos then be prepared for an extremely small casino even on their newer ships hopefully they fix this on MSC World America a ship that is being specifically built for the US market.  There are a lot of things to do to keep your self entertained on MSC cruise ship but be prepared to pay onboard for some of those experiences much like NCL.
Lastly if you are like me and like to cruise in a suite the good news is MSC has a lot of suite categories.  However do your homework because some "suites" on MSC ships are suites in name only not in actual size, meaning some "suites" are the same exact size as a standard balcony.  So if you are booking a suite because you either want or need extra space do your homework do not just book a suite simply because the word suite exist look at the square footage of the room to make sure you are actually getting what you are paying for.
I feel like MSC in America (totally different if you do MSC cruise out of Europe) but here in America I feel like they are a hybrid model somewhere between NCL and Royal.  They are quite NCL but they are quite Royal either but it works as long as people go onto their cruise with all the information and the correct expectations.  If you do your homework first and modify your expectations your MSC cruise will be a great experience. However, if you go into it expecting Royal then prepare yourself for a huge disappointment.  
At the end of the day depending on your experience your MSC cruise more than likely will end up costing you just as much as a Royal Caribbean cruise.  The difference is you are not paying for it all up front instead you are paying for a lot things once onboard that you don't realize you're paying for until the cruise ends.

I've sailed with MSC 3 times already and the next time I'm looking at getting on a MSC cruise is when MSC World America shows up.   
MSC is a great cruise line but they are not Royal and I'm not just saying that to try to convince people to stay with Royal, I could care less if people cruise with Royal or MSC. All I'm saying is I noticed the difference some good and some not so good. The one area MSC excels in is food, they have some of the best food on their cruise ships, on the other hand if you buy a speciality dinning package and think you will have access to 99% of the menu be prepared to hear a lot of this word NO that is if you ask questions before ordering.  Purchasing a specialty dinning package on MSC only gives you access to 15% of the menu if you order anything outside of that 15% they charge you al la carte.  If you don't ask your server you won't hear the word NO they will take your order and then surprise you with this nice huge bill at the end of your meal while you are sitting there thinking I have a dinner package then the server will tell you none of what you order was included in the specialty dinner package. 
The drinks and wifi package is something MSC offers off and on from time to time but just like with NCL it is buyer be where.  The drinks package is for well drinks only so if you drink something other than well on land and are looking to have that drink onboard you have to change your preference or pay the difference. And the free wifi is for browsing, email, and text messages only it does not include streaming.  That was another thing I noticed people were finding out once onboard, however by now I think people should know anytime a cruise ship offers free wifi it is going to be their slowest wifi that is free anything above that you have to pay.
Another area MSC excels in is entertainment any one sailing on Meraviglia pay the extra money for both Cirque du Soleil shows (they are not the same shows).  However there is a lot lacking during their daytime entertainment.  If you are someone who likes the casino and are use to Royals fairly large casinos then be prepared for an extremely small casino even on their newer ships hopefully they fix this on MSC World America a ship that is being specifically built for the US market.  There are a lot of things to do to keep your self entertained on MSC cruise ship but be prepared to pay onboard for some of those experiences much like NCL.
Lastly if you are like me and like to cruise in a suite the good news is MSC has a lot of suite categories.  However do your homework because some "suites" on MSC ships are suites in name only not in actual size, meaning some "suites" are the same exact size as a standard balcony.  So if you are booking a suite because you either want or need extra space do your homework do not just book a suite simply because the word suite exist look at the square footage of the room to make sure you are actually getting what you are paying for.
I feel like MSC in America (totally different if you do MSC cruise out of Europe) but here in America I feel like they are a hybrid model somewhere between NCL and Royal.  They are quite NCL but they are quite Royal either but it works as long as people go onto their cruise with all the information and the correct expectations.  If you do your homework first and modify your expectations your MSC cruise will be a great experience. However, if you go into it expecting Royal then prepare yourself for a huge disappointment.  
At the end of the day depending on your experience your MSC cruise more than likely will end up costing you just as much as a Royal Caribbean cruise.  The difference is you are not paying for it all up front instead you are paying for a lot things once onboard that you don't realize you're paying for until the cruise ends.

I've sailed with MSC 3 times already and the next time I'm looking at getting on a MSC cruise is when MSC World America shows up.   
MSC is a great cruise line but they are not Royal and I'm not just saying that to try to convince people to stay with Royal, I could care less if people cruise with Royal or MSC. All I'm saying is I noticed the difference some good and some not so good. The one area MSC excels in is food, they have some of the best food on their cruise ships, on the other hand if you buy a speciality dinning package and think you will have access to 99% of the menu be prepared to hear a lot of this word NO that is if you ask questions before ordering.  Purchasing a specialty dinning package on MSC only gives you access to 15% of the menu if you order anything outside of that 15% they charge you al la carte.  If you don't ask your server you won't hear the word NO they will take your order and then surprise you with this nice huge bill at the end of your meal while you are sitting there thinking I have a dinner package then the server will tell you none of what you order was included in the specialty dinner package. 
The drinks and wifi package is something MSC offers off and on from time to time but just like with NCL it is buyer be where.  The drinks package is for well drinks only so if you drink something other than well on land and are looking to have that drink onboard you have to change your preference or pay the difference. And the free wifi is for browsing, email, and text messages only it does not include streaming.  That was another thing I noticed people were finding out once onboard, however by now I think people should know anytime a cruise ship offers free wifi it is going to be their slowest wifi that is free anything above that you have to pay.
Another area MSC excels in is entertainment any one sailing on Meraviglia pay the extra money for both Cirque du Soleil shows (they are not the same shows).  However there is a lot lacking during their daytime entertainment.  If you are someone who likes the casino and are use to Royals fairly large casinos then be prepared for an extremely small casino even on their newer ships hopefully they fix this on MSC World America a ship that is being specifically built for the US market.  There are a lot of things to do to keep your self entertained on MSC cruise ship but be prepared to pay onboard for some of those experiences much like NCL.
Lastly if you are like me and like to cruise in a suite the good news is MSC has a lot of suite categories.  However do your homework because some "suites" on MSC ships are suites in name only not in actual size, meaning some "suites" are the same exact size as a standard balcony.  So if you are booking a suite because you either want or need extra space do your homework do not just book a suite simply because the word suite exist look at the square footage of the room to make sure you are actually getting what you are paying for.
I feel like MSC in America (totally different if you do MSC cruise out of Europe) but here in America I feel like they are a hybrid model somewhere between NCL and Royal.  They are quite NCL but they are quite Royal either but it works as long as people go onto their cruise with all the information and the correct expectations.  If you do your homework first and modify your expectations your MSC cruise will be a great experience. However, if you go into it expecting Royal then prepare yourself for a huge disappointment.  
At the end of the day depending on your experience your MSC cruise more than likely will end up costing you just as much as a Royal Caribbean cruise.  The difference is you are not paying for it all up front instead you are paying for a lot things once onboard that you don't realize you're paying for until the cruise ends.

10/22 Wonder
10/29 Wonder

10/22 Wonder
10/29 Wonder

10/22 Wonder
10/29 Wonder

That is about $1,583 per person roundtrip or $791.50 each way.  I hate to say it but that isn't a bad price at all for Europe.  And of that $9,500 dollars or $1,583 dollars per person how much of it was taxes and fees?  Depending on the airport you are flying into in Europe the taxes and fees can vary widely in some cases adding more than $500 dollars to the price of your ticket.
For those Americans who have a European cruise booked for summer 2024 I would say you need to be flexible.  If your cruise is leaving on Sunday, instead of departing the US on Friday why not depart the US on Thursday or perhaps even Wednesday or Tuesday.  Those days are much cheaper to fly out of the US to Europe than leaving on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or even a Monday. If flying out earlier isn't a choice look at other major airports around Europe.   Europe has a fantastic network of trains it may be cheaper to fly into a different international city and take a train to the cruise port.  Another thing to look at is your departure back to the US again leaving Europe on Saturday, Sunday even Monday is going to be expensive try leaving on a Tuesday or Wednesday.  You have to be flexible if your going to save some money.
Also another tool you can use to save money especially if you are not loyal to one particular airline is Google Flights.  For example on Google Flights is someone needs to fly Chicago ORD to Rome FCO in August 2024 if they were to leave ORD on a Wednesday their flight would only cost them $669 dollars roundtrip but that same flight leaving on Friday would cost them $1.185. 

I’ve noticed that too.  Have been crossing my fingers that it is temporary due to Paris Olympics.

You do realize in 2019 a one day beach vibe club pass only cost $29 dollars.  Here we are 2023 and NCL is now charging $99 dollars for the same area on the ship.  This is exactly why I stated the solarium should remain free.  There is no reason customers should have to pay to enter a place on a cruise ship like the solarium.  For people who want more privacy book a suite so you can have access to the suite deck.  It is just a very slippery slope because one a charge is instituted where does it end, NCL has gone from $29 dollars to $99 dollars in 4 years for the same day pass to the same area of the ship that use to be 100% free and open to all.