Celebrity Cruises vs Marella Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Celebrity 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 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 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.
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
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.
Celebrity Cruises Sailings
Save 19%11 NIGHTSAdriatic & Greek Isles from Athens with 1-night Stay
Ports: Athens (Piraeus) · Thira · Santorini · Rhodes Town · Rhodes · Ephesus (Kusadasi)
Save 2%10 NIGHTSAdriatic & Greek Isles from Athens
Ports: Athens (Piraeus) · Thira, Santorini · Rhodes Town, Rhodes · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Mykonos Town, Mykonos · Dubrovnik
10 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · Perfect Day at Cococay · Cozumel · George Town, Grand Cayman · Nassau
11 NIGHTSItalian Riviera & France from Rome with Stay
Ports: Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples · La Spezia · Portofino · Nice (Villefranche Sur Mer) · Marseille (Provence)
15 NIGHTSSwiss Alps, Bernina Red Train and Greece & Turkey Explorer with Milan and Rome Stays
Ports: Rome · Souda Bay · Thira · Ephesus · Istanbul · Mykonos Town
13 NIGHTSGreece, Turkey & Italy from Rome with Stay
Ports: Rome (Civitavecchia) · Souda Bay (tours to Chania), Crete · Thira, Santorini · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Istanbul · Mykonos Town, Mykonos
Save 1%11 NIGHTSCanaries Portugal Cruise
Save 3%9 NIGHTSBest of Greece from Athens
Ports: Athens · Rhodes · Ephesus · Thira · Mykonos · Kavala
21 NIGHTSTreasures of Tahiti & Fiji from Honolulu with Waikiki Beach Stay
Ports: Honolulu, Oahu · Papeete, Tahiti · Moorea · Raiatea · Suva · Lautoka
Save 4%7 NIGHTS7-night Tortola, St. Maarten & Puerto Plata
Ports: Miami · Puerto Plata · Tortola · Philipsburg · Miami
Save 2%11 NIGHTSGreece, Turkey & Italy from Rome
Ports: Rome (Civitavecchia) · Souda Bay · Thira (Santorini) · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Istanbul · Mykonos Town
Hot deal11 NIGHTSItaly, Spain & French Riviera from Barcelona with 1-night Stay
Ports: Barcelona · Naples · Messina · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Portofino · La Spezia
11 NIGHTSGreece & Turkey from Athens with 1-night Stay
Ports: Athens (Piraeus) · Thessaloniki · Istanbul · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Thira (Santorini) · Rhodes Town
10 NIGHTSGreece & Turkey from Athens
Ports: Athens (Piraeus) · Thessaloniki · Istanbul · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Thira (Santorini) · Rhodes Town
Save 1%11 NIGHTSCanaries Portugal Cruise
Save 3%17 NIGHTSSydney Stay, Hunter Valley & Fjords of New Zealand
Ports: Sydney · Dunedin · Christchurch · Tauranga · Auckland
Save 3%21 NIGHTSSnow Monkeys, Tokyo & Kyoto Tour & Hiroshima & Nagasaki Voyage
Ports: Tokyo / Yokohama, Kanagawa · Kyoto (Osaka) · Kochi · Hiroshima · Busan · Nagasaki
10 NIGHTSBest of Greece from Athens with Stay
Ports: Athens (Piraeus) · Rhodes Town · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Thira (Santorini) · Mykonos Town · Thessaloniki
Save 4%9 NIGHTSBest of Greece from Athens with 1-night Stay
Ports: Athens (Piraeus) · Rhodes Town · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Thira (Santorini) · Mykonos Town · Thessaloniki
12 NIGHTSItaly, France & Malta from Barcelona with Stay
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples · Valletta
17 NIGHTSPortugal & Bermuda Transatlantic from Southampton with Orlando Stay
Ports: Southampton · Vigo · Lisbon · Ponta Delgada · Royal Naval Dockyard · Orlando
Save 4%11 NIGHTSItaly, France & Malta from Barcelona with 1-night Stay
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · La Spezia · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples · Valletta
12 NIGHTSBest of Italy & Croatia with Venice Stay
Ports: Ravenna · Split · Dubrovnik · Kotor · Messina, Sicily · Salerno
Save 13%10 NIGHTSBest of Italy & Croatia from Ravenna
Ports: Ravenna · Split · Dubrovnik · Kotor · Messina · Salerno
31 NIGHTSThe Yangtze River, Giant Pandas, Terracotta Warriors & Great Wall fr. Japan
Ports: Tokyo / Yokohama, Kanagawa · Shimizu (for Mount Fuji) · Kyoto (Osaka) · Kobe · Kochi · Okinawa
10 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 10-night Malta, Greece & Italian Gems
Save 1%11 NIGHTSGreece, Italy and France
Save 4%11 NIGHTSGreece, Italy & Malta from Barcelona with 1-night Stay
Ports: Barcelona · Valletta · Souda Bay (tours to Chania), Crete · Olympia (Katakolon) · Messina, Sicily · Naples
Save 1%10 NIGHTSGreece, Italy & Malta from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Valletta · Souda Bay (tours to Chania), Crete · Olympia (Katakolon) · Messina, Sicily · Naples
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
12 NIGHTSUltimate Southern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale with 1-night Stay
Ports: Fort Lauderdale · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Castries, St. Lucia · St. George's, Grenada · Bridgetown, Barbados · St. John's, Antigua
Save 3%13 NIGHTSMadeira, Canaries & Morocco from Barcelona with 1-night Stay
Ports: Barcelona · Lanzarote · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · Las Palmas, Gran Canaria · Funchal, Madeira · Tangier
Save 18%18 NIGHTSWaves, Wonders & New Zealand's Whispers, including FREE Sydney stay and Celebrity Edge cruise
22 NIGHTSSiem Reap, Angkor Wat, Killing Fields, Singapore, Bali & Asia
Ports: Singapore (Marina Bay) · Phuket · Langkawi · Penang · Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) · Celukan Bawang
19 NIGHTSSingapore, Malaysia, Thailand & Balinese Delights with Stays
Ports: Singapore · Phuket · Langkawi · Penang · Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) · Celukan Bawang
Save 1%12 NIGHTSCanary Islands & Morocco
17 NIGHTSTreasures of Thailand & Vietnam
21 NIGHTSFestive Thailand & Vietnam fr. Singapore to Hong Kong with Stays
Ports: Singapore · Koh Samui · Bangkok (Laem Chabang) · Ho Chi Minh (Phu My) · Nha Trang · Chan May
9 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale with 1-night Stay
Ports: Fort Lauderdale · Basseterre, St. Kitts · San Juan · Perfect Day at Cococay
18 NIGHTSBali, Malaysia & Thailand to Singapore with Stays
Ports: Benoa, Bali · Celukan Bawang · Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) · Penang · Langkawi · Phuket
19 NIGHTSSingapore, Malaysia, Thailand & Balinese Delights with Stays
Ports: Singapore · Phuket · Langkawi · Penang · Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) · Celukan Bawang
Save 5%13 NIGHTSUltimate Southern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
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
21 NIGHTSBalinese Delights, Malaysia & Thailand with Bali Beach Break and Singapore Stay
19 NIGHTSBalinese Delights & Southeast Asia with Stays
Ports: Benoa · Lombok · Celukan Bawang · Kuala Lumpur · Penang · Langkawi
Save 1%10 NIGHTSBahamas, Mexico & Cayman with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · Bimini · Nassau · Cozumel · George Town, Grand Cayman
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
19 NIGHTSBalinese Delights, Singapore Sights, Thailand & Malaysia with Stays
Ports: Bali · Singapore · Phuket · Langkawi · Penang · Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang)
Save 2%18 NIGHTSSiem Reap, Angkor Wat, Killing Fields & Southeast Asia
Ports: Singapore · Phuket · Langkawi · Penang · Kuala Lumpur
14 NIGHTSBest of Thailand & Malaysia from Singapore with Stay
Marella Cruises Sailings
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)
7 NIGHTSMediterranean Moments from Dubrovnik
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
Celebrity Cruises vs Marella Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between Celebrity 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.
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.
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, Celebrity Cruises scores 10/10 compared to Marella Cruises's 5/10. For entertainment, Celebrity Cruises comes in at 7/10 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.
Celebrity Cruises vs Marella Cruises — FAQ
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