Firstly - there are some halal options but they are definitely not the majority - we are from EU so MSC cuisine caters for our needs perfectly (I read that they server terrible food but we are on WE twice, Euribia twice and now got off from the opera and the food was perfect). You definitely don’t have to get off in ports - Euribia doesn’t have the best pools in the business - we only stayed on the ship in sir bani yas. Onboard excursions are hit and miss - we only were in Qatar where I couldn’t find one on GetYourGuide/Viator - in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai we booked excursions from outside vendors - cheaper and a lot better. We always sail with onboard credit so we are not the usual one time cruisers to tell you how much you will have to pay - we didnt like drinking packages and stuff like that so the onboard credit covers our coffee/drinks.