P&O Cruises vs Norwegian Cruise Line
A detailed side-by-side comparison of P&O Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line 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 P&O Cruises if you want…
- UK departures (no-fly)
- Families with children
- Traditional British cruising
- Food lovers (Marco Pierre White)
P&O Cruises may not suit you if…
- Ultra-luxury seekers
- Mega-ship thrill rides
- Non-English speakers
Choose Norwegian Cruise Line if you want…
- Flexible, no-rules cruising
- Solo travellers (studio cabins)
- Broadway entertainment
- Modern ship design
Norwegian Cruise Line may not suit you if…
- Those wanting traditional cruise formality
- Budget travellers
- UK-departure-only preference
Ships at a glance
A quick comparison of each line's fleet including passenger capacity, tonnage, and year of launch.
P&O Cruises Fleet (7 ships)
Iona
Built 2020 · 5,200 guests
Arvia
Built 2022 · 5,200 guests
Britannia
Built 2015 · 3,647 guests
Azura
Built 2010 · 3,100 guests
Ventura
Built 2008 · 3,078 guests
Arcadia
Built 2005 · 2,094 guests
Aurora
Built 2000 · 1,874 guests
Norwegian Cruise Line Fleet (19 ships)
Norwegian Prima
Built 2022 · 3,215 guests
Norwegian Viva
Built 2023 · 3,215 guests
Available cruises
Current sailings from both cruise lines. Prices shown are per person based on two sharing the lowest-grade cabin available.
P&O Cruises Sailings
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
Save 2%14 NIGHTSMediterranean
Hot deal7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Hot deal14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 4%16 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 4%16 NIGHTS16 Night Norwegian Fjords Cruise
Ports: Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden · Cruise Nordfjord · Alesund
Save 3%7 NIGHTSMediterranean Fly-Cruise
Ports: Valletta · Mykonos · Rhodes · Kusadasi · Piraeus · Valletta
Save 2%14 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Ports: Southampton, Great Britain
Save 3%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Hot deal14 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%4 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
7 NIGHTSCentral Mediterranean
Save 19%7 NIGHTS7 Night Norwegian Fjords
Ports: Bergen · Olden · Stavanger
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Save 3%5 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 2%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
Save 4%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
16 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%16 NIGHTSBritish Isles
Ports: Southampton · Plymouth · Cobh · Dunmore East · Liverpool · Belfast
10 NIGHTSGreek Isles from Malta with Stay
10 NIGHTSGreek Isles from Malta with 3-night Stays
Ports: Valletta · Mykonos Town, Mykonos · Piraeus (tours to Athens) · Souda Bay (tours to Chania), Crete · Katakolon (tours to Olympia)
Save 2%14 NIGHTSMediterranean
16 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 7%7 NIGHTSSchool Holiday Sailing! Norwegian Fjords
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Flåm · Stavanger · Southampton
14 NIGHTSScandinavia and the Baltics P&O Food Heroes Marco Pierre White, Olly Smith and José Pizarro cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Kiel · Tallinn · Helsinki · Stockholm · Copenhagen
3 NIGHTSWestern Europe Getaway cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Zeebrugge (tours to Bruges)
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%30 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 2%14 NIGHTSMediterranean
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
Save 2%14 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 2%19 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 2%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 2%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
12 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger · Nordfjordeid · Nordfjord · Kristiansund · Andalsnes
Save 2%13 NIGHTSSpain & France
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorway
Ports: Southampton · Åndalsnes · Bodø · Narvik · Tromsø · Stavanger
Save 3%16 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 10%14 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Save 3%16 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 8%15 NIGHTSCaribbean Transatlantic from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Roseau, Dominica · Castries, St. Lucia · Bridgetown, Barbados
Save 3%7 NIGHTSNorthern European City Escape
Ports: Southampton · Hamburg · Rotterdam · Zeebrugge
Save 2%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands & Spain
Save 2%19 NIGHTSMediterranean
Norwegian Cruise Line Sailings
10 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 10-night Alaska & Hubbard Glacier
7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Italian Gems & South of France
Save 3%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Barcelona · Spain
Save 3%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Lisbon · Portugal
Save 3%7 NIGHTSCaribbean
Save 3%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Civitavecchia (Rome) · Italy
Save 3%11 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Ports: Reykjavik · Iceland
Save 3%7 NIGHTSBermuda
Save 3%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Ravenna (Bologna) · Italy
Save 3%7 NIGHTSAlaska
Save 3%7 NIGHTSAlaska
Hot deal9 NIGHTSMediterranean: Italy, France & Greece
Ports: Barcelona · Villefranche-sur-Mer · Livorno · Civitavecchia · Salerno · Messina
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Spain, France & Italy & 2-night Rome
7 NIGHTS2-night Lisbon & 7-night Spain & Portugal
Save 2%7 NIGHTSCaribbean: Great Stirrup Cay, Dominican Republic & Tortola
Ports: Miami · Puerto Plata · Saint Thomas · Road Town · Great Stirrup Cay · Miami
Save 2%8 NIGHTSBermuda: Royal Naval Dockyard
Ports: New York · Kings Wharf
Save 2%7 NIGHTSAlaska: Glacier Bay, Skagway & Juneau
Ports: Seattle · Juneau · Skagway · Ketchikan · Victoria
Save 2%7 NIGHTSCaribbean: Great Stirrup Cay & Dominican Republic
Ports: Port Canaveral · Puerto Plata · Saint Thomas · Road Town · Great Stirrup Cay
Hot deal7 NIGHTSEurope: Spain & Portugal
Ports: Lisbon · Portimão · Cádiz · Motril · Gibraltar · Ibiza
7 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean
Ports: Miami · Cozumel · Roatán Island · Harvest Caye · Costa Maya
7 NIGHTSHalifax & Bermuda
Ports: Boston · Halifax · Kings Wharf
7 NIGHTSAlaska: Hubbard Glacier & Skagway
Ports: Whittier · Icy Strait Point · Juneau · Skagway · Ketchikan · Vancouver
10 NIGHTS1-night Venice & 10-night Dubrovnik, Greek Gems, Turkey & 1-night Istanbul
Ports: Venice (Ravenna), Italy · Dubrovnik, Croatia · Bar, Montenegro · Athens (Piraeus), Greece · Kusadasi · Rhodes
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Ports: Southampton, Great Britain
Save 4%7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Italian Gems & South of France
Save 2%8 NIGHTSBermuda: Royal Naval Dockyard
Ports: New York · Kings Wharf
Hot deal10 NIGHTSGreek Isles: Santorini & Athens
Ports: Ravenna · Dubrovnik · Bar · Piraeus · Kusadasi · Rhodes
Hot deal7 NIGHTSHawaii: Inter-island
Ports: Honolulu · Kahului-Maui · Hilo · Kailua-Kona · Nawiliwili · Honolulu
7 NIGHTSAlaska: Hubbard Glacier & Skagway
Ports: Whittier · Icy Strait Point · Juneau · Skagway · Ketchikan · Vancouver
Save 3%10 NIGHTSBritish Isles
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Spain, France & Italy
11 NIGHTSIceland, Scotland & Norway from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Newhaven · Aberdeen · Bergen · Alesund · Akureyri
7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Italian Gems & South of France
Save 2%7 NIGHTSAlaska: Glacier Bay, Skagway & Juneau
Ports: Seattle · Juneau · Skagway · Ketchikan · Victoria
13 NIGHTSGreek Isles with Rome & Istanbul Stays
Ports: Civitavecchia, Italy · Salerno · Catania, Sicily · Valletta · Thira, Santorini · Athens (Piraeus)
11 NIGHTSBaltic Cities with Helsinki & Copenhagen Stays
Ports: Helsinki · Tallinn · Stockholm (Nynashamn) · Riga · Berlin (Warnemunde) · Kiel
Save 3%7 NIGHTSPortugal & Spain
9 NIGHTS9 Night Northern Europe Capitals
Ports: Copenhagen · Stockholm · Tallinn · Helsinki
14 NIGHTSGreek Isles with Istanbul & Venice Stays
Ports: Istanbul · Kusadasi, Turkey · Thira, Santorini · Mykonos Town, Mykonos · Athens · Katakolon
Save 3%7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Epic Med
Save 1%7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Spain & Portugal
9 NIGHTSNorway & Iceland from Southampton with Reykjavik Stay
Ports: Southampton · Kirkwall, Orkney Islands · Bergen · Akureyri · Isafjordur · Reykjavik
10 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 10-night Alaska & Hubbard Glacier
7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Italian Gems & South of France
7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Italy, Greece & Croatia
7 NIGHTS2-night Lisbon & 7-night Spain & Portugal
Save 3%7 NIGHTSCanada New England
Save 4%11 NIGHTSBaltic Cities with Helsinki & Copenhagen Stays
Ports: Helsinki · Tallinn · Stockholm (Nynashamn) · Riga · Berlin (Warnemunde) · Kiel
Save 3%7 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Italian Gems & South of France
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Spain & Portugal
P&O Cruises vs Norwegian Cruise Line: the bottom line
Choosing between P&O Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line 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.
P&O Cruises, founded in 1837 and headquartered in Southampton, UK, operates a fleet of 7 ships. It is categorised as a premium cruise line and scores 4.5/5 overall based on 12,400 reviews. The line is particularly strong for uk departures (no-fly) and families with children, making it a natural choice for cruisers who value those attributes.
Norwegian Cruise Line, established in 1966 from Miami, USA, has a fleet of 19 ships. As a contemporary line rated 4.4/5 from 13,800 reviews, it excels at flexible, no-rules cruising and solo travellers (studio cabins). If those are your priorities, Norwegian Cruise Line deserves serious consideration.
On food, P&O Cruises scores 8/10 compared to Norwegian Cruise Line's 7/10. For entertainment, P&O Cruises comes in at 7/10 versus Norwegian Cruise Line's 8/10. Value for money favours P&O Cruises with a score of 8/10.
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.
P&O Cruises vs Norwegian Cruise Line — FAQ
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