I appreciate the OP sharing their experience. I sailed on this ship in May. For comparison, I've sailed Disney, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, and Carnival. I never never experienced crowds like on this ship. This cruise was booked last minute because I needed a getaway after the death of a family member and they had a balcony room for a reasonable price.
I went into this with very low expectations but prepared to have a great time and I did. I ate more meals in the dining room to avoid the crowded buffet area. On this cruise you could go hours without hearing any English spoken. This didn't bother me but it is a different experience. I love meeting and making new friends. They did usually try to seat me with English speaking people in the dining room which was very nice.
I spoke to a woman that was in the YC. This was her first experience with cruising and it was very negative. I suggested she might be better suited to Celebrity. I would hate for someone to be completely turned off of cruising because of this experience. Many people I talked to on this ship were disappointed.
Cruising overall is very different post Covid. Those of us who have been cruising for years can't help but compare to how things used to be. For myself, I will continue to cruise and have a great time even if the food and entertainment is not what it used to be. Going into things with a positive attitude goes a long way. I would not be afraid to cruise MSC again in the future.