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
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
Royal Caribbean Sailings
7 NIGHTS7-night Spain & France
Save 6%7 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · Marseille (Provence) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
Save 6%7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Greek Treasures
8 NIGHTS8-night Spain & France Cruise
35 NIGHTSHawaiian Explorer & Transpacific with Vancouver and Sydney Stays
Ports: Vancouver · Seattle · Kailua Kona, Hawaii · Napali Coast · Honolulu, Oahu · Papeete, Tahiti
7 NIGHTS5-night Salou & 7-night Legend of the Med
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Greek Icons & Split
Save 4%7 NIGHTS2-night Miami & 5-night Freedom of Bahamas & Perfect Day
7 NIGHTS3-night Miami & 4-night Key West & Bahamas
7 NIGHTSPRICE DROP! 7 Night Spain & France Cruise
Ports: Southampton · Cherbourg · La Coruña · Bilbao · Le Havre · Southampton
12 NIGHTSSouthern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · Oranjestad, Aruba · Willemstad, Curacao · Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic · Perfect Day at Cococay
Save 3%10 NIGHTS3-night Shanghai & 5-night Japan & 1-night Shanghai
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Adriatic & Greek Explorer
25 NIGHTSHawaiian Tropics, South Pacific Islands & Sydney
6 NIGHTS6-night Norwegian Adventure
21 NIGHTSGreat Wall, Terracotta Army, Pandas, Avatar Mountains & Best of Japan
Ports: Shanghai (Wusongkou/Baoshan) · Sakaiminato · Kyoto (Maizuru) · Niigata · Hakodate
Save 3%10 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean & Perfect Day with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · Puerto Costa Maya · Roatan Island · Cozumel · Perfect Day at Cococay
15 NIGHTS15 Night Spain & Portugal Transatlantic
Save 1%3 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 3-night Legend Med Taster
Ports: Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples · Barcelona
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Med Explorer
11 NIGHTS3-night Shanghai & 5-night Jeju, Busan & 2-night Hong Kong
Save 2%9 NIGHTS3-night Hong Kong & 5-night Okinawa Overnight
9 NIGHTS3-night Hong Kong & 5-night Okinawa & Ishigaki
13 NIGHTSOrlando Adventure & Star of the Seas Caribbean Escape with Royal Caribbean
9 NIGHTS3-night Hong Kong & 5-night Okinawa & Ishigaki
9 NIGHTS3-night Hong Kong & 5-night Okinawa & Taipei
14 NIGHTSHong Kong's Symphony of Lights and Christmas Best of Japan Voyage
Ports: Hong Kong · Fukuoka · Nagasaki · Kagoshima · Kumamoto
7 NIGHTS7 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise
Ports: San Juan · Charlotte Amalie · St Croix · Philipsburg · St John's · Roseau
5 NIGHTS5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Tampa · Puerto Costa Maya · Cozumel
7 NIGHTS7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Tampa · Cozumel · Puerto Costa Maya · George Town
10 NIGHTS4-night Singapore & 5-night Penang, Langkawi & Phuket
7 NIGHTS7 Night South Pacific Cruise
Ports: Brisbane · Mystery Island · Noumea
7 NIGHTS7-night Cabo Overnight Catalina & Ensenada
Ports: Los Angeles · Catalina Island · Cabo San Lucas · Ensenada
9 NIGHTS9 Night New Zealand Cruise
Ports: Sydney · Wellington · Napier · Tauranga · Bay Of Islands
14 NIGHTS4-night Sydney & 9-night South Pacific Paradise
Hot deal4 NIGHTS4 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Nassau · Coco Cay
Hot deal4 NIGHTS4 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Nassau · Coco Cay
Hot deal4 NIGHTS4 Night Bahamas Getaway Cruise
Ports: Nassau · Freeport · Bimini Island
Hot deal4 NIGHTS4 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Nassau · Coco Cay
Hot deal4 NIGHTS4 Night Hobart Getaway
Ports: Hobart
4 NIGHTS4 Night Busan Cruise
Ports: Baoshan Pt · Busan
7 NIGHTS7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day
Ports: Port Canaveral · Charlotte Amalie · Puerto Plata · Coco Cay · Port Canaveral
5 NIGHTS5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Galveston · Costa Maya · Cozumel · Galveston
6 NIGHTS6 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Fort Lauderdale · Cozumel · Costa Maya · Nassau
7 NIGHTS7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Tampa · Costa Maya · Belize City · Roatán Island · Cozumel
4 NIGHTS4 Night Catalina & Ensenada Cruise
Ports: San Diego · Santa Catalina Island · Ensenada
7 NIGHTS7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day
Ports: Miami · Coco Cay · San Juan (Puerto Rico) · Charlotte Amalie
5 NIGHTS5 Night Jeju & Fukuoka Cruise
Ports: Baoshan Pt · Seogwipo · Fukuoka
7 NIGHTS7 Night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day
Ports: Coco Cay · Bimini Island · Georgetown · Cozumel · Miami
17 NIGHTS3-night Memphis, Graceland Tour, 2-night New Orleans & 17-night Transatlantic to Southampton
Ports: Memphis · New Orleans · Miami · Casablanca · Tangier · Cadiz
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.