Celebrity Cruises vs Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Celebrity Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines 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 Celebrity Cruises if you want…
- Food and dining enthusiasts
- Modern luxury seekers
- Couples and adults
- Design-conscious travellers
Celebrity Cruises may not suit you if…
- Families wanting mega-ship activities
- Budget-conscious cruisers
- Those wanting UK departures only
Choose Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines if you want…
- No-fly cruising from UK
- Small-ship intimacy
- Unusual itineraries
- Solo travellers (low supplements)
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines may not suit you if…
- Families with children
- Those wanting mega-ship facilities
- Modern luxury seekers
Ships at a glance
A quick comparison of each line's fleet including passenger capacity, tonnage, and year of launch.
Celebrity Cruises Fleet (17 ships)
Celebrity Apex
Built 2020 · 2,910 guests
Celebrity Ascent
Built 2023 · 3,260 guests
Celebrity Beyond
Built 2022 · 3,260 guests
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Fleet (4 ships)
Borealis
Built 2021 · 1,360 guests
Bolette
Built 2021 · 1,380 guests
Available cruises
Current sailings from both cruise lines. Prices shown are per person based on two sharing the lowest-grade cabin available.
Celebrity Cruises Sailings
10 NIGHTSGreek Isles & Turkey Fly Cruise from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Valletta · Athens (Piraeus) · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Thira, Santorini · Mykonos Town, Mykonos
Save 1%7 NIGHTSAlaska Dawes Glacier Cruise
Save 1%3 NIGHTSKey West Bahamas Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSAlaska Southbound Glacier
Save 1%7 NIGHTSAlaska Dawes Glacier Cruise
Save 4%10 NIGHTSPRICE DROP! Italy, Greece & Croatia Cruise
Ports: Civitavecchia · Corfu · Katakolon · Bar · Dubrovnik · Split
Save 1%7 NIGHTSBest of Greece Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSItaly French Riviera
Save 1%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSMexico Belize Perfect Day
Save 1%3 NIGHTSKey West Bahamas Cruise
Save 1%11 NIGHTSBest of Italy Croatia Cruise
Save 1%12 NIGHTSBritish Isles Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSIceland Intensive Cruise
Ports: Reykjavik, Iceland
Save 4%7 NIGHTS7 Night Italy & France Cruise
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille · Portofino · La Spezia · Civitavecchia · Naples
12 NIGHTSGreece, Turkey & Italy from Rome with 1-night Stay
Ports: Rome (Civitavecchia) · Souda Bay · Thira, Santorini · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Istanbul · Mykonos Town, Mykonos
Save 4%7 NIGHTS7 Night Galapagos Inner Loop Cruise
Ports: Baltra Island · Rabida Island · Puerto Egas · Elizabeth Bay · Tagus Cove · Bartolome Island
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Greece, Malta & Turkey
Save 1%7 NIGHTSGreece, Malta & Turkey
9 NIGHTSItaly, Spain & French Riviera from Barcelona with Stay
Ports: Barcelona · Nice (Villefranche) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Santa Margherita · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
7 NIGHTSIceland Intensive from Reykjavik
Ports: Reykjavik · Seydisfjordur · Akureyri · Isafjordur
11 NIGHTSItalian Riviera & France from Barcelona with Stay
Ports: Barcelona · Rome (Civitavecchia) · La Spezia · Portofino · Nice (Villefranche) · Marseille (Provence)
Hot deal14 NIGHTSTotal Solar Eclipse, Med, Spain and Portugal cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Porto (Leixoes) · Lisbon · Palma De Mallorca · Barcelona · Ibiza Town, Ibiza
7 NIGHTSItaly, Spain & French Riviera from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille (Provence) · Portofino · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
11 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 11-night Best of Italy & Croatia
11 NIGHTS11 Night Italy & Greek Islands
Ports: Naples · Santorini · Athens · Dubrovnik
Hot deal10 NIGHTSGreek Isles & Turkey from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Messina, Sicily · Athens (Piraeus) · Thira, Santorini · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Mykonos Town, Mykonos
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Italy, Spain & French Riviera
Save 4%7 NIGHTS7 Night Italy & French Riviera
Ports: Barcelona · Villefranche-sur-Mer · Portofino · La Spezia · Civitavecchia · Naples
Save 1%9 NIGHTSItalian Riviera & France
8 NIGHTSMediterranean Masterpieces
Hot deal15 NIGHTSLake Garda & Venice with Best Of Italy & Croatia Cruise
Ports: Ravenna · Zadar · Dubrovnik · Kotor · Messina · Salerno
Save 1%11 NIGHTSCanaries Portugal Cruise
Save 3%11 NIGHTSCanaries Portugal Cruise
20 NIGHTSBest of Thailand & Vietnam fr. Hong Kong to Singapore with Stays
Ports: Hong Kong · Hanoi · Chan May (tours to Hue or Da Nang) · Ho Chi Minh (Phu My) · Bangkok (Laem Chabang) · Koh Samui
18 NIGHTSWaves, Wonders & New Zealand's Whispers, including FREE Sydney stay and Celebrity Edge cruise
17 NIGHTSTreasures of Thailand & Vietnam
19 NIGHTSSingapore, Malaysia, Thailand & Balinese Delights with Stays
Ports: Singapore · Phuket · Langkawi · Penang · Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) · Celukan Bawang
Save 13%10 NIGHTSSt. Thomas, Antigua & Bahamas with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · Nassau · Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands · St. John's, Antigua
19 NIGHTSBalinese Delights & Southeast Asia with Stays
Ports: Benoa · Lombok · Celukan Bawang · Kuala Lumpur · Penang · Langkawi
12 NIGHTSBest of Southern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale with 1-night Stay
Ports: Fort Lauderdale · St. John's, Antigua · Castries, St. Lucia · Bridgetown, Barbados · Roseau · Basseterre, St. Kitts
Save 5%18 NIGHTSSouthbound Asian Allure fr. Hong Kong to Singapore with Stays
Ports: Hong Kong · Ha Long Bay · Chan May · Ho Chi Minh (Phu My) · Bangkok (Laem Chabang) · Koh Samui
Save 4%12 NIGHTS12 Night Madeira, Canaries & Morocco
Ports: Barcelona · Lanzarote · Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Tenerife · Funchal · Tangier
Save 4%12 NIGHTS12 Night Thailand & Vietnam Cruise
Ports: Singapore · Ko Samui · Laem Chabang · Phu My · Chan May · Ha Long Bay
22 NIGHTSIguazu Falls & Argentina to Barcelona Transatlantic with Stays
18 NIGHTSSnow Monkeys, Nagasaki's Blossoms, Peace Park, Tokyo Stay & Mt. Fuji
22 NIGHTSSouth America Transatlantic with Buenos Aires and Barcelona Stays
17 NIGHTSNagasaki's Blossoms, Atomic Bomb Museum, Tokyo Stay & Mt. Fuji
Ports: Yokohama (tours to Tokyo) · Kobe · Kyoto (Osaka) · Kochi · Busan · Nagasaki
17 NIGHTSTokyo, Mt. Fuji, Osaka Castle's Spring Blossoms & Nagasaki
Ports: Tokyo · Kyoto (Osaka) · Osaka · Kochi · Busan · Nagasaki
15 NIGHTSUltimate Southern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Sailings
Save 3%5 NIGHTSBritish Isles
Save 3%13 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%9 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%13 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 9%12 NIGHTS12 Night Mediterranean Discovery
Ports: Cadiz · Malaga · Cartagena · Gibraltar
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%8 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%14 NIGHTSBritish Isles
Save 3%5 NIGHTSBritish Isles
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
5 NIGHTSBritish Isles
Save 3%6 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
1 NIGHTSOne Night Mini Cruise from Rosyth
Ports: Rosyth · Newcastle
5 NIGHTSExploring the Landscapes of Green Spain from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Getxo (tours to Bilbao) · Santander
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%9 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Save 2%11 NIGHTSExploring the Scenic British Isles
Ports: Southampton · Belfast · Tobermory · Kirkwall · Stornoway · Galway
Save 3%5 NIGHTSBritish Isles
Save 3%12 NIGHTSSpain & the River Cities of France
Save 2%7 NIGHTSRegions of Northern Spain
Ports: Southampton · Santander · Getxo · Gijón · La Coruña
Save 3%16 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%8 NIGHTSWestern Europe
23 NIGHTSIslands & Bays of the Mediterranean from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Ceuta · Cartagena · Cagliari · Messina · Siracusa
Save 3%16 NIGHTSMediterranean
14 NIGHTSCanary Islands & Geminid Meteor Shower from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Leixoes · Funchal · Santa Cruz de La Palma · Santa Cruz · Vigo
Save 3%6 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
5 NIGHTSA Celebration of Dance at Sea with Dame Arlene Philips & Ian Waite!
Ports: Southampton · Amsterdam · Honfleur
Save 3%6 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
15 NIGHTSCanary Islands Christmas & Cadiz New Year from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Santa Cruz de La Palma · Santa Cruz · Las Palmas · Puerto del Rosario · Cadiz
Save 3%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 3%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 3%16 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%8 NIGHTSFrance & Belgium Easter Break
7 NIGHTSCapitals & Cultures of Scandinavia
Save 3%10 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 3%14 NIGHTSBritish Isles
Save 3%9 NIGHTSWestern Europe
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
9 NIGHTSScenic Summertime Fjords of Norway from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Andalsnes · Olden · Skjolden · Bergen
5 NIGHTSScottish Isles Bank Holiday Break from Liverpool
Ports: Liverpool · Kirkwall, Orkney Islands · Lerwick, Shetland Islands
5 NIGHTSBank Holiday Fjords of Norway from Newcastle
Ports: Newcastle · Lysefjord · Bergen · Ulvik · Hardangerfjord · Maurangerfjord
Celebrity Cruises vs Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines: the bottom line
Choosing between Celebrity Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines 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.
Celebrity Cruises, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Miami, USA, operates a fleet of 17 ships. It is categorised as a premium cruise line and scores 4.7/5 overall based on 11,200 reviews. The line is particularly strong for food and dining enthusiasts and modern luxury seekers, making it a natural choice for cruisers who value those attributes.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, established in 1848 from Ipswich, UK, has a fleet of 4 ships. As a traditional line rated 4.4/5 from 5,600 reviews, it excels at no-fly cruising from uk and small-ship intimacy. If those are your priorities, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines deserves serious consideration.
On food, Celebrity Cruises scores 10/10 compared to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines's 6/10. For entertainment, Celebrity Cruises comes in at 7/10 versus Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines's 5/10. Value for money favours Celebrity Cruises 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.
Celebrity Cruises vs Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines — FAQ
Explore More Comparisons
Celebrity Cruises Cruises
Browse all Celebrity Cruises sailings
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Cruises
Browse all Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines sailings
Celebrity Cruises vs Ambassador Cruise Line
Head-to-head comparison
Celebrity Cruises vs Avalon River Cruises
Head-to-head comparison
All Cruise Lines
Browse every cruise line
Mediterranean Cruises
Most popular destination