Cunard vs Marella Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Cunard and Marella Cruises covering ratings, fleet size, food quality, entertainment, value for money, and available sailings from UK ports. Updated for 2026.
The head-to-head
Ratings are based on aggregated passenger reviews, editorial analysis, and expert scoring. The cobalt outline marks the stronger line for each attribute.
Who should choose which?
Every cruise line has its strengths and weaknesses. Here is an honest look at who each line is best suited for, based on passenger feedback and our editorial assessment.
Choose Cunard if you want…
- Luxury and sophistication
- Transatlantic crossings
- Formal dining
- History and tradition
Cunard may not suit you if…
- Budget travellers
- Families with young children
- Those who dislike formal dress codes
Choose Marella Cruises if you want…
- All-inclusive simplicity
- First-time cruisers
- Budget-conscious families
- Regional UK airport departures
Marella Cruises may not suit you if…
- Luxury seekers
- Food enthusiasts
- Those wanting UK port departures (fly-cruise only)
Ships at a glance
A quick comparison of each line's fleet including passenger capacity, tonnage, and year of launch.
Cunard Fleet (4 ships)
Queen Mary 2
Built 2004 · 2,691 guests
Queen Victoria
Built 2007 · 2,081 guests
Queen Anne
Built 2024 · 2,996 guests
Marella Cruises Fleet (5 ships)
Marella Explorer
Built 2018 · 1,924 guests
Marella Explorer 2
Built 2019 · 1,814 guests
Available cruises
Current sailings from both cruise lines. Prices shown are per person based on two sharing the lowest-grade cabin available.
Cunard Sailings
19 NIGHTSMediterranean and Greek Islands cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Cadiz · Thira · Mykonos Town · Piraeus · Heraklion
10 NIGHTSVoyage of the Ancients: A Journey from Istanbul to Rome with Cunard
10 NIGHTSVoyage of the Ancients: A Journey from Istanbul to Rome with Cunard
Ports: Rome
18 NIGHTSNo-fly Grand European Rail & Sail Adventure: Including 4* Hotel stays, Upgraded Rail & Queen Victoria Cruise
7 NIGHTS7 Night Transatlantic Crossing
Ports: New York
4 NIGHTS4-night Rotterdam And Zeebrugge Short Break
Save 5%16 NIGHTSCunard's Caribbean Eclipse with 12-night sailing on Queen Elizabeth
Save 8%12 NIGHTSNorway and North Cape cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Alesund · Tromsø, Norway · Narvik · Stavanger, Norway
5 NIGHTS5-night Hamburg And Zeebrugge Short Break
Ports: Hamburg · Zeebrugge
13 NIGHTSFalls, Skyscrapers & Sea: Niagara, New York & Cunard Transatlantic Crossing
Ports: Niagara · New York
Save 3%7 NIGHTSSpain and France cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Bilbao (Getxo) · Santander · Gijon · Cherbourg · Southampton
Save 6%12 NIGHTSAzores, Portugal and Spain cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Ponta Delgada, Azores · Funchal, Madeira · Lisbon · Vigo · Southampton
Save 3%4 NIGHTS4-night Short Break To Rotterdam
4 NIGHTS4-night Zeebrugge And Cherbourg fr Southampton
12 NIGHTSNorway and North Cape Michelin-star Chef Michel Roux cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Alesund · Tromsø, Norway · Narvik · Stavanger, Norway
12 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · George Town, Grand Cayman · Montego Bay · Roatan Island · Puerto Costa Maya · Cozumel
4 NIGHTS4-night Short Break to Rotterdam
Save 14%7 NIGHTS7-night Zeebrugge, Amsterdam And Cherbourg fr Southampton
Save 8%7 NIGHTS7-night Le Havre & Amsterdam
Save 3%12 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · George Town, Grand Cayman · Montego Bay · Roatan Island · Puerto Costa Maya · Cozumel
30 NIGHTSTransatlantic crossing and Caribbean Celebration cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · New York · Tortola · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Bridgetown, Barbados · Castries, St. Lucia
7 NIGHTSHamburg, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge
Save 8%7 NIGHTS7-night Spain And Portugal fr Southampton
5 NIGHTS2-night Hamburg & 5-night Rotterdam And Zeebrugge Short Break
Ports: Rotterdam · Zeebrugge
5 NIGHTSRotterdam and Zeebrugge Short Break
Save 2%13 NIGHTSAzores from Miami to Southampton with 1-night Stay
Ports: Miami · Praia da Vitoria · Ponta Delgada, Azores · Southampton
45 NIGHTSSouthampton to Sydney
Ports: Southampton · New York · Oranjestad, Aruba · Panama Canal · Acajutla · Puerto Vallarta
34 NIGHTSSouthampton to the Caribbean & South America with Rio & Iguazu Falls Stays
Ports: Southampton · Hamilton · Orlando · Fort Lauderdale · Grand Turk · Bridgetown
Save 3%7 NIGHTS7-night Portugal & Spain fr Southampton
Save 18%5 NIGHTS5-night Rotterdam and Zeebrugge
Save 1%21 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal & Cape Verde
Save 2%7 NIGHTSSpain and France
12 NIGHTSNorway and Northern Lights cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Narvik · Tromsø, Norway · Bergen · Stavanger, Norway
12 NIGHTSNorway and Northern Lights cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Trondheim · Tromsø, Norway · Andalsnes · Bergen
33 NIGHTSOceans, Rails & Waterfalls with Cunard & Rovos
4 NIGHTS4-night Short Break To Rotterdam fr Southampton
7 NIGHTS7-night Easter in Spain and France
5 NIGHTS5-night Northern Europe fr Southampton
Save 1%14 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 1%11 NIGHTSSpain and Morocco
Save 8%12 NIGHTSLake Garda & Magical Mediterranean
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger · Bergen · Olden · Innvikfjorden · Nordfjord
Save 3%18 NIGHTSItaly, Spain and Portugal cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Lisbon · Alicante · Barcelona · Civitavecchia · Naples
7 NIGHTSNorway and Denmark cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Skagen · Copenhagen · Aarhus · Kristiansand
16 NIGHTSScandinavia and Northern Europe cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Oslo · Visby · Stockholm · Riga · Klaipeda
Save 3%7 NIGHTSSpain and France
7 NIGHTSFrance
Save 1%7 NIGHTSDenmark and Norway
7 NIGHTS7-night Spain and France in Luxury
Save 1%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger · Olden · Innvikfjorden · Nordfjord · Ålesund
Marella Cruises Sailings
7 NIGHTSAegean Gems from Cyprus
Ports: Limassol · Souda Bay · Piraeus · Izmir · Mykonos · Rhodes
7 NIGHTSHighlights of the Mediterranean from Majorca
Ports: Palma · Majorca · Ajaccio · Corsica · Civitavecchia (tours to Rome) · Livorno (tours to Florence/Pisa)
7 NIGHTSMediterranean Moments from Dubrovnik
Save 10%11 NIGHTSTransatlantic Passage to Paradise from Malaga to Barbados
Ports: Malaga · St. John's, Antigua · Roseau · Bridgetown, Barbados
14 NIGHTSEscape to the Caribbean from Malaga
Ports: Malaga · Tangier · St. John's · Basseterre · Roseau · Castries
Save 2%7 NIGHTSCanary Islands Explorer
Save 2%14 NIGHTSParadise Islands & A Christmas in the Tropics from Barbados
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados · St. John's, Antigua · Road Town, Tortola · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Basseterre, St. Kitts · Roseau
7 NIGHTSCanarian Flavours
Ports: Tenerife · Gran Canaria · Lanzarote · Agadir · Funchal · La Palma
7 NIGHTSAtlantic Islands from Tenerife
14 NIGHTSA Taste of the Tropics & Paradise Islands from Barbados
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados · Castries, St. Lucia · Pointe-à-Pitre · St. George's, Grenada · Scarborough, Tobago · Kingstown, St. Vincent & Grenadines
7 NIGHTSCanarian Flavours
Ports: Tenerife · Gran Canaria · Lanzarote · Agadir · Funchal · La Palma
14 NIGHTSParadise Islands & A Christmas in the Tropics from Barbados
Cunard vs Marella Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between Cunard and Marella Cruises ultimately comes down to what kind of holiday you are looking for. Both are well-established cruise lines with loyal followings, but they cater to different preferences and budgets.
Cunard, founded in 1840 and headquartered in Southampton, UK, operates a fleet of 4 ships. It is categorised as a luxury cruise line and scores 4.8/5 overall based on 8,900 reviews. The line is particularly strong for luxury and sophistication and transatlantic crossings, making it a natural choice for cruisers who value those attributes.
Marella Cruises, established in 1995 from Luton, UK, has a fleet of 5 ships. As a value line rated 4.1/5 from 7,800 reviews, it excels at all-inclusive simplicity and first-time cruisers. If those are your priorities, Marella Cruises deserves serious consideration.
On food, Cunard scores 9/10 compared to Marella Cruises's 5/10. For entertainment, Cunard comes in at 7/10 versus Marella Cruises's 6/10. Value for money favours Marella Cruises with a score of 9/10.
Our recommendation: browse the available sailings above and compare itineraries, dates, and total cost including what is bundled in the fare. The best cruise line is the one that matches your specific needs, budget, and travel dates. Use the scores as a guide, but remember that individual ship and itinerary matter just as much as the cruise line brand.