Hello, we are looking to take our 4th cruise soon, and this one will be 3 couples and our 8 kids ranging from 8-22yo. I have cruised Princess (Grand Princess in '07), NCL (Norwegian Dawn in '14), and Royal Caribbean (Adventure of the Seas in Jan '20) (all were 7-8 night cruises). Of those three, RC was our favorite, then Princess, and lastly NCL. We like going to the shows (if they are family friendly), enjoying good food (primarily in the main dining room, not the buffet or specialty restaurants), and participating in activities (seems hard to compete with RC here). I haven't personally been on Carnival, because of the party boat reputation, but one of the couples we're traveling with has, and didn't care for it. I'm looking at prices and options, and I can book 2 balconies on MSC Meraviglia for 40% less than interiors on Royal for the same week... How do you think it would compare experience-wise? I am not a food snob but our food on Royal Caribbean was so good. And we had so much fun on the ship. If you were me would you book the cheaper MSC or stick with what you know you like? What other cruise line does MSC compare most closely with? Thanks for any advice you can give!
Oh, I almost forgot, does MSC have free soft serve stations and towel animals? I know those are silly things, but they are literally my girls' favorite favorite parts about cruising. haha