Cunard vs MSC Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Cunard and MSC 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 MSC Cruises if you want…
- Value for money
- All-inclusive packages
- Families (kids sail free)
- Mediterranean itineraries
MSC Cruises may not suit you if…
- Those wanting British-focused experience
- Small-ship intimacy seekers
- Adults-only preference
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
MSC Cruises Fleet (22 ships)
MSC Virtuosa
Built 2021 · 6,334 guests
MSC World Europa
Built 2022 · 6,762 guests
MSC Euribia
Built 2023 · 6,334 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
MSC Cruises Sailings
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaska Adventure
Save 1%11 NIGHTS4-night Orlando & 4-night Bahamas and Ocean Cay
Save 4%3 NIGHTS3-night Belgium & France Short Break
9 NIGHTS2-night Miami & 7-night Ocean Cay and Bahamas
8 NIGHTS3-night Shanghai & 4-night Far East Fling
3 NIGHTSBahamas from Port Canaveral
Ports: Orlando (Port Canaveral) · Nassau · Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve · Orlando (Port Canaveral)
7 NIGHTSSpain, France, Italy & Malta Fly Cruise from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille (Provence) · Florence & Pisa (Livorno) · Cagliari, Sardinia · Palermo, Sicily · Valletta
Save 8%4 NIGHTS4-night Cork Overnight Taster Cruise
Save 1%10 NIGHTSMiami & Caribbean Cocktail
9 NIGHTS2-night Miami & 7-night Ocean Cay and Bahamas
Save 7%12 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
11 NIGHTS7-night Universal Orlando & 4-night Ocean Cay & Bahamas Break
Save 5%8 NIGHTS4-night Orlando & 4-night Ocean Cay & Bahamas Break
11 NIGHTS4-night Malta & 7-night Mediterranean Marvels
8 NIGHTS3-night Miami & 5-night Caribbean Getaway
Save 1%6 NIGHTS2-night Genoa & 4-night Mediterranean Gems
4 NIGHTS4-night Cork Mini Cruise
Save 2%5 NIGHTS2-night Hamburg & 5-night Voyage to Southampton
3 NIGHTSNorthern Europe from Hamburg
Save 5%6 NIGHTS2-night Marseille & 4-night Mediterranean Gems
Save 4%5 NIGHTS5-night Northern European Getaway
7 NIGHTSHALF TERM France and Spain cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · La Rochelle · Bilbao (Getxo) · La Coruna · Le Havre (Paris)
Save 12%5 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 3-night A Taste of Italy
Save 1%7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Mediterranean Seaviews
3 NIGHTSBahamas from Port Canaveral
Ports: Orlando (Port Canaveral) · Nassau · Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve · Orlando (Port Canaveral)
Save 8%7 NIGHTS7-night Northern European Explorer
7 NIGHTS7-night France & Iberian Shores
Save 5%8 NIGHTS4-night Orlando & 4-night Ocean Cay & Bahamas Break
9 NIGHTS2-night Marseille & 7-night Mediterranean Seaviews
Save 10%7 NIGHTS7-night Northern European Pearls
11 NIGHTS9-night Atlantic Shores to the Med & 2-night Barcelona
Save 2%10 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · Puerto Plata · San Juan · Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
Save 5%7 NIGHTS7-night Northern European Pearls
Save 6%7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
9 NIGHTS3-night Taipei & 5-night Best of Japan
8 NIGHTS3-night Taipei & 4-night Japan Explorer
Save 17%7 NIGHTS7-night Northern European Sights
Save 5%7 NIGHTS3-night Santos & 7-night South America
8 NIGHTS3-night Taipei & 4-night Japan Explorer
6 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 4-night Mediterranean Gems
11 NIGHTS4-night Orlando & 4-night Bahamas and Ocean Cay
7 NIGHTS7-night Northern Cities & Culture
Save 4%11 NIGHTS1-night Rome & 6-night Canary Isles Sojourn & 4-night Tenerife
11 NIGHTS4-night Orlando & 4-night Bahamas and Ocean Cay
9 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Med Elegance Collection
7 NIGHTS7-night Iconic European Cities
6 NIGHTS6-night Northern Pearls
7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Europe from Las Palmas de G.Canaria (Canary Is.)
Ports: Gran Canaria · La Palma · Tenerife · Fuerteventura · Funchal · Lanzarote
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Rome · Sicily · Malta
Cunard vs MSC Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between Cunard and MSC 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.
MSC Cruises, established in 1970 from Geneva, Switzerland, has a fleet of 22 ships. As a contemporary line rated 4.3/5 from 15,600 reviews, it excels at value for money and all-inclusive packages. If those are your priorities, MSC Cruises deserves serious consideration.
On food, Cunard scores 9/10 compared to MSC Cruises's 7/10. For entertainment, Cunard comes in at 7/10 versus MSC Cruises's 7/10. Value for money favours MSC 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.