I was very nervous about cruising with MSC. I had cruised the Med with Norwegian 4 years ago and loved it but this time we were taking our 3 adult children and one son-in-law and I had been reading mixed reviews. My chiropractor here in Atlanta cruises with MSC and RC a couple of times a year and she was the one who recommended MSC. All 6 of us loved this ship and would travel with MSC again. The ship is absolutely gorgeous! We had 3 cabins. One with a balcony and 2 with just windows. The rooms are very spacious as far as cabins go. The embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze. We spent several days in Rome and got on the ship in Civitavecchia. The staff was wonderful. We had 4 adults ranging in age from 24-29 and they had a blast on the ship and attended many of the parties. We all saw several shows and they were great as well. The buffets were very good. If I had to give any negative it would be the food in the dining room. The entrees were just not cooked the way I am used to eating them. I hesitate to say it was bad because we had similar issues in Rome and France. Their seafood is just cooked/seasoned differently. That having been said, every night the buffet had a "thematic experience" and we went to bed stuffed, so there is plenty of good food on the ship! I would not do the specialty restaurants again. The prepaid packages for the specialty restaurants did not allow you to order anything no the menu and I thought this was a little tacky. Again, I was there for the sightseeing, not the food (and we were able to find really good food every night in the buffets). My daughter and son in law said the gym was superb. The ship is very "hi tech" with touchscreens everywhere to get an elevator or book a show. I don't think you will find a better value than MSC and I am already looking to book my next trip with them!