Best Advice

[WindinmySails]

What is the best advice you can give a person that has cruised with NCL and Royal, but not MSC?  I know it is different, but what would be the important things to know.

[alohayall]

The cruise itself should not be judged based on pre-cruise interactions.  (You may not have issues pre-cruise, but many have had poor ones.)

 

All my cruises have had good/excellent service. Normal food with highlights on each, but none that stand out across the board as spectacular. Same for MSC.

 

I think Entertainment is a major distinction among the lines. I love the Disney shows.  And the water theater on the Oasis-class ships. MSC shows were more acrobatic and music - not a storyline. I believe RCL usually has a Broadway production. I skipped the shows on NCL after the first one. 
 

I sailed the Seashore and enjoyed the wrap-around outdoor promenade - similar to the one on NCL Encore.

 

MSC = Coke. Canned or fountain.  No Freestyle machines (so no weird taste).  NCL = Pepsi.

[alohayall]

Best advice - give it a try if you like cruising and enjoy getting a good price.  

[dexddd]

Best advice is what prior post said.  We were mainly NCL and did our first MSC 2017.  MSC was fairly new to US market and very concerned about experience.  Five trips later, one of the best moves ever.

[Robkat]

Boy, that's always such a loaded question!  

What is "important" to one person may be utterly not so important to another.  

You say you realize MSC is different (even that is subjective), but I will say that you can expect that the passenger demographic will generally be more European.  Other than that, there are more similarities to the cruise lines you mentioned than there are differences.

Try them, go expecting to have a good time, with a good attitude ... and that would hopefully happen.  And then, you can make your own decision as to whether you want to cruise with them again.  

and PS: Go Avalanche! 🏒