Cunard vs Royal Caribbean
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Cunard and Royal Caribbean 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 Royal Caribbean if you want…
- Families with kids
- Thrill seekers and adventurers
- Mega-ship experience
- Entertainment and activities
Royal Caribbean may not suit you if…
- Quiet/intimate cruise seekers
- Ultra-luxury preference
- Those avoiding large crowds
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
Royal Caribbean Fleet (28 ships)
Anthem of the Seas
Built 2015 · 4,905 guests
Icon of the Seas
Built 2024 · 7,600 guests
Utopia of the Seas
Built 2024 · 5,668 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
7 NIGHTSItaly, France and Spain
Save 1%9 NIGHTSAlaska
Ports: Seattle
Save 1%7 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Ports: Southampton · New York
Save 4%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Barcelona · Civitavecchia (Rome)
Save 4%8 NIGHTS8 Night Cruise to Not Specified
Ports: Sitka · Glacier Bay National Park · Icy Strait Point · Ketchikan · Victoria · + 1 more port
Save 4%8 NIGHTS8 Night Cruise to Multiple Ports
Ports: Sitka · Glacier Bay National Park · Icy Strait Point · Ketchikan · Victoria
Save 4%8 NIGHTS8 Night Cruise to Sitka
Ports: Sitka · Glacier Bay National Park · Icy Strait Point · Ketchikan · Victoria
11 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Croatian Gems & Med Delights & 2-night Rome
Ports: Trieste · Zadar · Dubrovnik · Valletta · Naples · Civitavecchia
Save 3%7 NIGHTSWellness At Sea
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger · Olden · Innvikfjorden · Nordfjord · Ålesund
Save 1%7 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Ports: Southampton · New York
10 NIGHTS3-night Rome & 7-night Luxury France And Italy
14 NIGHTSScandinavia and Northern Europe cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Hamburg · Copenhagen · Visby · Helsinki · Tallinn
7 NIGHTSFrance and Italy
Save 3%2 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 1%7 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Ports: Southampton · New York
Save 1%7 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Ports: Southampton · New York
14 NIGHTSIceland and British Isles Michelin-star Chef Michel Roux cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Belfast · Akureyri · Isafjordur · Reykjavik · Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
Save 3%9 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Luxury Western Mediterranean
Ports: Civitavecchia · Tarragona · Palma de Mallorca · Villefranche · Marseille · Barcelona
11 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Luxury Greece & Adriatic & 2-night Venice
Save 13%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords Michelin-star Chef Michel Roux cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Kristiansand · Oslo · Skagen
Save 4%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Barcelona · Civitavecchia (Rome)
Hot deal7 NIGHTS7 Night Transatlantic Crossing
Ports: New York
10 NIGHTSVoyage of the Ancients: A Journey from Istanbul to Rome with Cunard
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 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 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
7 NIGHTS7-night Zeebrugge, Amsterdam And Cherbourg fr Southampton
7 NIGHTS7-night Le Havre & Amsterdam
30 NIGHTSTransatlantic crossing and Caribbean Celebration cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · New York · Tortola · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Bridgetown, Barbados · Castries, St. Lucia
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
7 NIGHTS7-night Portugal & Spain fr Southampton
5 NIGHTS5-night Rotterdam and Zeebrugge
Save 1%21 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal & Cape Verde
7 NIGHTSSpain and France
4 NIGHTS4-night Short Break To Rotterdam fr Southampton
5 NIGHTS5-night Northern Europe fr Southampton
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
7 NIGHTSFrance
7 NIGHTS7-night Spain and France in Luxury
Save 4%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger · Olden · Innvikfjorden · Nordfjord · Ålesund
Save 3%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger · Olden · Innvikfjorden · Nordfjord · Ålesund
Royal Caribbean Sailings
Save 1%6 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean Perfect Day
Save 1%7 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSGreek Isles Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSAlaska Inside Passage Cruise
5 NIGHTS5-night Hamburg & Rotterdam
Save 1%4 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
Save 1%4 NIGHTSKey West Bahamas Cruise
Save 1%5 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean Cruise
Save 1%5 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
Hot deal7 NIGHTS7 Night Italy & France Cruise
Ports: Barcelona · Toulon · Ajaccio · Civitavecchia · Naples · Messina
Save 1%4 NIGHTS4 Night Cruise to Canada / New England
Save 1%4 NIGHTSBusan Cruise
9 NIGHTS9 Night Bermuda & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Baltimore · Kings Wharf · Coco Cay · Nassau · Baltimore
Hot deal9 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Hot deal7 NIGHTS7 Night Ensenada, Cabo & Mazatlan
Ports: Los Angeles · Ensenada · Cabo San Lucas · Mazatlán
Hot deal3 NIGHTS3 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Port Canaveral · Nassau · Coco Cay
Hot deal3 NIGHTS3 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Fort Lauderdale · Nassau · Coco Cay
Hot deal3 NIGHTS3 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Miami · Coco Cay · Nassau
Hot deal7 NIGHTS7-night Northbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Brilliance of The Adriatic & 2-night Rome
8 NIGHTS8 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day
Ports: Fort Lauderdale · Basseterre · Philipsburg · San Juan (Puerto Rico) · Coco Cay · Fort Lauderdale
7 NIGHTS7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day
Ports: Miami · Philipsburg · Charlotte Amalie · Coco Cay · Miami
5 NIGHTS5 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Miami · Nassau · Coco Cay · Miami
Save 1%5 NIGHTSJeju Busan Cruise
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Greek Treasures
Save 1%4 NIGHTSSeoul Cruise
Hot deal7 NIGHTS7 Night Western Mediterranean Cruise
Ports: Barcelona · Palma de Mallorca · La Spezia · Civitavecchia · Naples · Barcelona
7 NIGHTS7 Night Greek Isles & Italy Cruise
Ports: Civitavecchia · Naples · Messina · Santorini · Kusadasi · Mykonos
Save 1%4 NIGHTSBusan Cruise
Save 3%5 NIGHTSHamburg and Bruges cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Hamburg · Brussels (Zeebrugge)
9 NIGHTSBarcelona & Med Sunsets
14 NIGHTS14 Night Eastern Mediterranean
Ports: Rome · Santorini · Mykonos · Dubrovnik
5 NIGHTS5 Night Hamburg & Bruges Cruise
Ports: Hamburg · Zeebrugge
9 NIGHTS9-night Spanish Flair & Solar Eclipse
Ports: Bilbao, Spain · Gijon, Spain · Vigo, Spain · La Coruna, Spain · Paris (Le Havre), France
7 NIGHTS7-night Norwegian Fjords
Save 1%9 NIGHTSCanada New England
8 NIGHTSBahamas & Perfect Day with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · Perfect Day at Cococay · Nassau
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaska Experience
7 NIGHTS2-night Miami & 5-night Freedom of Bahamas & Perfect Day
Save 1%9 NIGHTSCanada New England
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Greek Explorer & Split
9 NIGHTS9-night Spanish Flair
7 NIGHTS3-night Miami & 4-night Bahamas & Perfect Day
7 NIGHTS7-night Spain & France
Save 3%7 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · Marseille (Provence) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Greek Treasures
7 NIGHTS5-night Salou & 7-night Legend of the Med
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Greek Icons & Split
7 NIGHTS2-night Miami & 5-night Freedom of Bahamas & Perfect Day
Cunard vs Royal Caribbean: the bottom line
Choosing between Cunard and Royal Caribbean 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.
Royal Caribbean, established in 1968 from Miami, USA, has a fleet of 28 ships. As a contemporary line rated 4.6/5 from 24,500 reviews, it excels at families with kids and thrill seekers and adventurers. If those are your priorities, Royal Caribbean deserves serious consideration.
On food, Cunard scores 9/10 compared to Royal Caribbean's 7/10. For entertainment, Cunard comes in at 7/10 versus Royal Caribbean's 10/10. Value for money favours Royal Caribbean with a score of 7/10.
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.