Since I plan on cruising solo, MSC seems to bring an amazing value compared to most of the others I’ve price checked. Considering the Meraviglia this November out of NYC, and for what I would pay for an Aurea balcony would still be several hundred dollars cheaper than an interior cabin on Royal Caribbean out of Cape Liberty… same time, same length, similar itinerary (Bahamas). I love Royal, but I just can’t see paying them more for an interior cabin. I’ve been researching MSC, and I have to admit there are quite a few things I’ve seen that are concerning to me. I don’t need to be catered to, and I just spent two weeks in Italy last month and loved it… so I’m well aware of the European style of things and don’t mind most of it. The crowds I’m a little concerned about. I’m hoping booking Aurea would help a little with that, priority embarkation, a couple private areas, etc. I would love to book Yacht Club, but the price jump from Aurea to YC is staggering… it’s like over $3K more than an Aurea balcony. Is YC always this much more or is it because I’m planning solo? I wouldn’t mind paying $800-$1,000 extra for a YC experience, but nearly $5K for a YC interior for one person is just not justified. Customer service is another concern of mine, I’ve heard MSC isn’t great with it. I haven’t even booked anything yet and I’m already having issues logging into the Voyagers Club account I made since I was able to status match with Marriott. It won’t let me log in on the website or on the app. If this is a sign of what’s to come booking a cruise with them I don’t know if it’s worth it. How does bidding on upgrades work? Will that be an option available to me booking this close to the sailing date? I understand that as a solo cruiser, any bid I make I’ll end up paying double the bid if I do win. I’m wondering if I’ll be able to bid on YC and get it at a much more reasonable price that way. If not, I think Aurea will be fine for what I want out of solo cruise. Sorry if this is too long, or too much to read. Any input or advice would be appreciated! I haven’t cruised in 10 years (sadly) so I do also realize that things have probably changed a lot no matter what line you book with. Meraviglia looks like a beautiful ship, the dates MSC offers work best with my schedule, and I’m only about an hour from NYC so I wouldn’t have to fly to and from the port.