MSC Cruises vs Marella Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of MSC Cruises 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 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
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.
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
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.
MSC Cruises Sailings
Save 2%4 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Hot deal7 NIGHTSAlaska 7 Nights From Seattle, Washington
Ports: Seattle · Ketchikan · Icy Strait Point · Juneau · Endicott Arm · Victoria
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Palermo (Monreale)
Ports: Ibiza · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Rome · Palermo
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Naples (Pompeii)
Ports: Sicily · Malta · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Naples
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Marseille (Provence)
Ports: Barcelona · La Goulette · Palermo · Naples · Florence/Pisa · Marseille
7 NIGHTS7 nights Eastern Mediterranean from Kusadasi
Ports: Marmaris · Naples · Rome · Mykonos · Kusadasi
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Marseille (Provence)
Ports: Florence/Pisa · Cagliari · Palermo · Malta · Barcelona · Marseille
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Civitavecchia (Rome)
Ports: Genoa · Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Rome
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Barcelona
Ports: La Goulette · Palermo · Naples · Florence/Pisa · Marseille · Barcelona
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Livorno (Florence)
Ports: Florence/Pisa · Cagliari · Palermo · Malta · Barcelona · Marseille
9 NIGHTS9 nights Eastern Mediterranean from Piraeus (Athens)
Ports: Kusadasi · Istanbul · Corfu · Bari · Venice (Trieste) · Olympia (Katakolon)
7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Piraeus
Ports: Piraeus · Katakolon · Argostoli · Corfu · Bari · Santorini
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Civitavecchia
Ports: Civitavecchia · Genoa · Marseille · Tarragona · Valencia · Livorno
7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Genoa
Ports: Genoa · Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Civitavecchia
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Messina (Taormina)
Ports: Malta · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Naples · Sicily
10 NIGHTS10 nights Western Mediterranean from Malaga (Granada)
Ports: Cadiz · Lisbon · Alicante · Mahon · Olbia/Sardinia · Genoa
12 NIGHTSUniversal Orlando Resort Stay with Bahamas & Caribbean Explorer
Ports: Port Canaveral · Nassau · Cozumel · Puerto Costa Maya · Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
Save 2%4 NIGHTSFar East
Ports: Shanghai, China
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Marseille
Ports: Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Civitavecchia · Genoa
Save 2%10 NIGHTS10 nights Caribbean from Port Canaveral (Orlando)
Ports: Port Canaveral · Nassau · Ocean Cay · Cozumel · Puerto Costa Maya
9 NIGHTS9 nights Eastern Mediterranean from Istanbul
Ports: Istanbul · Corfu · Bari · Venice (Trieste) · Olympia (Katakolon) · Athens
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Naples, Italy
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Marseille
Ports: Marseille · Tarragona · Valencia · Livorno · Civitavecchia · Genoa
Save 5%7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Rome · Palermo · Ibiza
Save 5%7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Valencia
Ports: Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Rome · Genoa · Marseille
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Palermo (Monreale)
Ports: Naples · Florence/Pisa · Marseille · Barcelona · La Goulette
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Naples · Sicily · Malta
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Marseille (Provence)
Ports: Genoa · Rome · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona
Save 2%4 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Civitavecchia
Ports: Civitavecchia · Mykonos · Kusadasi · Marmaris · Naples
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Tarragona
Ports: Valencia · Florence/Pisa · Rome · Genoa · Marseille
Save 6%12 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Valencia
Ports: Valencia · Livorno · Civitavecchia · Genoa · Marseille · Tarragona
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Venice
Ports: Venice · Kotor · Mykonos · Syros · Ancona
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Split
Ports: Split · Venice · Dubrovnik · Corfu · Kotor · Brindisi
Save 12%7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe 7 Nights From Copenhagen
Ports: Copenhagen · Warnemünde · Eidfjord · Bergen · Kristiansand · Oslo
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Genoa
Ports: Genoa · Civitavecchia · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona · Marseille
Save 5%7 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 5%7 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%11 NIGHTSCaribbean 11 Nights From Port Canaveral, Florida
Ports: Port Canaveral · Nassau · Cozumel · Costa Maya · Ocean Cay · Port Canaveral
Save 12%9 NIGHTSAsia 9 Nights From Shanghai
Ports: Shanghai · Busan · Fukuoka · Shanghai · Jeju Island · Busan
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Civitavecchia
Ports: Civitavecchia · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Venice
Ports: Venice · Dubrovnik · Corfu · Kotor · Brindisi · Split
Marella Cruises Sailings
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Palma de Mallorca
7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Limassol
Save 2%7 NIGHTSGreek Mystique
Ports: Dubrovnik · Athens · Olympia (Katakolon) · Corfu · Kotor
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMarella Discovery 2 Mediterranean
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMarella Discovery Mediterranean
7 NIGHTSAdriatic Delights
Ports: Dubrovnik · Venice (Trieste) · Koper · Zadar · Split · Kotor
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMarella Voyager Mediterranean
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMarella Explorer Mediterranean
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMarella Discovery 2 Mediterranean
7 NIGHTSSail Three Seas
Ports: Malta · Catania · Argostoli · Corfu · Kotor
7 NIGHTSAdriatic Affair
Ports: Kotor · Split · Zadar · Venice (Trieste) · Koper
Save 2%7 NIGHTSTreasures of the Mediterranean from Majorca
Ports: Palma · Olbia · Naples · Civitavecchia · Ajaccio · Palamos
7 NIGHTSSail Three Seas
Ports: Malta · Catania · Argostoli · Corfu · Kotor
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)
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
MSC Cruises vs Marella Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between MSC Cruises 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.
MSC Cruises, founded in 1970 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, operates a fleet of 22 ships. It is categorised as a contemporary cruise line and scores 4.3/5 overall based on 15,600 reviews. The line is particularly strong for value for money and all-inclusive packages, 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, MSC Cruises scores 7/10 compared to Marella Cruises's 5/10. For entertainment, MSC Cruises comes in at 7/10 versus Marella Cruises's 6/10. 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.
MSC Cruises vs Marella Cruises — FAQ
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