P&O Cruises vs Royal Caribbean
A detailed side-by-side comparison of P&O Cruises 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 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 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.
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
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.
P&O Cruises Sailings
Save 2%7 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 2%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands & Spain
Save 2%19 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 17%14 NIGHTS14 Night Eastern Caribbean
Ports: Barbados · St Lucia · Antigua · St Kitts
Save 4%14 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal and Canary Islands cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · Las Palmas, Gran Canaria · Arrecife, Lanzarote · Cádiz · Lisbon
Save 3%14 NIGHTSSpain Portugal and Morocco
Ports: Southampton · Funchal · Agadir · Casablanca · Tangier · Lisbon
Save 8%4 NIGHTS4-night Belgium And France fr Southampton
Save 15%3 NIGHTS3-night Belgium fr Southampton
18 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal and Cape Verde cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Funchal · Praia · Mindelo · Sao Vincent · Arrecife
14 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal and Canary Islands cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · Las Palmas, Gran Canaria · Arrecife, Lanzarote · Cádiz · Lisbon
Save 3%4 NIGHTSRotterdam City Break
Ports: Rotterdam · Southampton
Save 3%14 NIGHTSChristmas Baltic Cities cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Copenhagen · Gdynia · Oslo · Hamburg · Zeebrugge
14 NIGHTS14 Night Eastern Caribbean
Ports: Barbados · St Lucia · Antigua · St Kitts
Save 3%16 NIGHTSSpain Portugal and Canary Islands
Ports: Southampton · Vigo · Lanzarote · Fuerteventura · Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Santa Cruz de La Palma
Save 3%18 NIGHTSSpain and Canary Islands Fly-Cruise
Ports: Málaga · Barcelona · Cartagena · Gibraltar · Lanzarote · Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
14 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean Islands Fly-Cruise
Ports: Barbados · Fort de France · Basseterre · Tortola · Philipsburg · Antigua
14 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean Islands Fly-Cruise
Ports: Barbados · Fort de France · Basseterre · Tortola · Philipsburg · Antigua
35 NIGHTSCaribbean Grand Voyage cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · St. Kitts · Bridgetown, Barbados · St. George's, Grenada · Castries, St. Lucia
Save 3%106 NIGHTS106-night Western Circumnavigation World Cruise fr Southampton
15 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean from Barbados
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
4 NIGHTS4-night Amsterdam fr Southampton
5 NIGHTSBelgium France and Netherlands
14 NIGHTSCanaries Madeira and Morocco Fly-Cruise
Ports: Tenerife · Madeira · Gran Canaria · Lanzarote · Casablanca · Agadir
14 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean Islands Fly-Cruise
Ports: Barbados · Fort de France · Basseterre · Tortola · Philipsburg · Antigua
14 NIGHTSSpain Portugal Canary Islands and Morocco
Ports: Southampton · Madeira · La Palma · Lanzarote · Casablanca · Tangier
7 NIGHTSNorthern European City Escape
Ports: Southampton · Hamburg · Rotterdam · Zeebrugge
Save 1%68 NIGHTSSydney Stay, Hunter Valley Vineyards, Australia, Asia, Indian Ocean and South Africa to Southampton
Ports: Sydney · Newcastle · Brisbane · Cairns · Alotau · Manila
27 NIGHTSSydney, Australia and Philippines to Hong Kong with Stays
Ports: Sydney · Newcastle · Brisbane · Cairns · Alotau · Manila
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
26 NIGHTSBrisbane, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Hong Kong to Singapore with Stays
Ports: Brisbane · Cairns · Alotau · Manila · Hong Kong · Singapore
Save 2%21 NIGHTSMediterranean
15 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean from Barbados
Save 10%15 NIGHTSCaribbean Transatlantic from Barbados
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados · Martinique · St. Kitts · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · La Coruna
14 NIGHTSCaribbean Transatlantic from Barbados
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados · Castries, St. Lucia · St. Kitts · St. John's, Antigua · Ponta Delgada, Azores · Southampton
3 NIGHTSBelgium
Save 6%7 NIGHTSEaster Spain and France cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Gijon · La Coruna · Vigo · Cherbourg · Southampton
Save 3%7 NIGHTSEaster Norwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden · Nordfjord · Alesund
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
3 NIGHTSBelgium
4 NIGHTSBelgium And France
4 NIGHTSRotterdam
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger, Norway · Skjolden · Alesund · Haugesund
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
14 NIGHTSBaltic Cities cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Andalsnes · Oslo · Copenhagen
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Stavanger, Norway · Kristiansand, Norway
Save 9%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
7 NIGHTSBaltic Cities cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Skagen · Copenhagen · Oslo · Zeebrugge
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
Royal Caribbean Sailings
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
20 NIGHTS3-night New Orleans & 17-night Miami, Morocco & Spanish Transatlantic Adventure
Hot deal4 NIGHTSBahamas cruise from Miami to Galveston
Ports: Miami · Nassau
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaskan Voyage
Ports: Seattle, Washington · Juneau, Alaska · Skagway, Alaska · Sitka, Alaska · Victoria, British Columbia
7 NIGHTS7-night Freedom of Spain & Portugal
Ports: Spain · Portugal
Save 1%7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaskan Voyage
Ports: Seattle, Washington · Juneau, Alaska · Skagway, Alaska · Sitka, Alaska · Victoria, British Columbia
7 NIGHTS7 Night Western Mediterranean Cruise
Ports: Barcelona · Majorca · Florence/Pisa · Rome · Naples
Deal7 NIGHTSSpain and France cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Le Havre (Paris) · Bilbao (Getxo) · La Coruna · Vigo
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaskan Voyage
Ports: Seattle, Washington · Juneau, Alaska · Skagway, Alaska · Sitka, Alaska · Victoria, British Columbia
Deal7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
7 NIGHTSHalf Term Western Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · Marseille (Provence) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
5 NIGHTS5 Night Hamburg & Rotterdam Cruise
Ports: Hamburg · Rotterdam · Southampton
7 NIGHTS7-night Freedom of Spain & Portugal
Ports: Spain · Portugal
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Bergen · Olden · Stavanger
Save 4%5 NIGHTS5 Night Hamburg & Bruges Cruise
Ports: Hamburg · Zeebrugge · Southampton
2 NIGHTS2 Night Weekend Getaway Cruise
Ports: Le Havre · Southampton
Save 1%10 NIGHTSBahamas & Perfect Day from Cape Liberty with Stay
Ports: New York (Cape Liberty) · Orlando (Port Canaveral) · Perfect Day at Cococay · Nassau
Save 10%5 NIGHTS5 Night Hamburg & Bruges Cruise
Ports: Hamburg · Zeebrugge · Southampton
Save 1%8 NIGHTSNorthern City Escapes
17 NIGHTSGreat Wall, Terracotta Warriors an Shanghai to Osaka and Tokyo
Ports: Shanghai · Osaka · Tokyo
7 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean from Barcelona with Stay
9 NIGHTSSpanish Flair cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Vigo · Lisbon · Cadiz · La Coruna · Bilbao
P&O Cruises vs Royal Caribbean: the bottom line
Choosing between P&O Cruises 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.
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.
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, P&O Cruises scores 8/10 compared to Royal Caribbean's 7/10. For entertainment, P&O Cruises comes in at 7/10 versus Royal Caribbean's 10/10. 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 Royal Caribbean — FAQ
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