Royal Caribbean vs Marella Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Royal Caribbean 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 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
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.
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
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.
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
Marella Cruises Sailings
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Palma de Mallorca
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Limassol
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Dubrovnik
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Palma de Mallorca
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Limassol
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Dubrovnik
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%7 NIGHTSGrecian Discovery from Cyprus
Ports: Limassol · Piraeus (tours to Athens) · Thira, Santorini · Bodrum · Heraklion, Crete · Rhodes Town, Rhodes
Save 2%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Dubrovnik
Save 2%7 NIGHTSAegean Gems from Cyprus
Ports: Limassol · Souda Bay · Piraeus · Izmir · Mykonos · Rhodes
Save 10%11 NIGHTSTransatlantic Passage to Paradise from Malaga to Barbados
Ports: Malaga · St. John's, Antigua · Roseau · Bridgetown, Barbados
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
Royal Caribbean vs Marella Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between Royal Caribbean 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.
Royal Caribbean, founded in 1968 and headquartered in Miami, USA, operates a fleet of 28 ships. It is categorised as a contemporary cruise line and scores 4.6/5 overall based on 24,500 reviews. The line is particularly strong for families with kids and thrill seekers and adventurers, 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, Royal Caribbean scores 7/10 compared to Marella Cruises's 5/10. For entertainment, Royal Caribbean comes in at 10/10 versus Marella Cruises's 6/10. Value for money favours Marella 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.
Royal Caribbean vs Marella Cruises — FAQ
Explore More Comparisons
Royal Caribbean Cruises
Browse all Royal Caribbean sailings
Marella Cruises Cruises
Browse all Marella Cruises sailings
Royal Caribbean vs Ambassador Cruise Line
Head-to-head comparison
Royal Caribbean vs Avalon River Cruises
Head-to-head comparison
All Cruise Lines
Browse every cruise line
Mediterranean Cruises
Most popular destination