Cunard vs Celebrity Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Cunard and Celebrity 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 Cunard if you want…
- Luxury and sophistication
- Transatlantic crossings
- Formal dining
- History and tradition
Cunard may not suit you if…
- Budget travellers
- Families with young children
- Those who dislike formal dress codes
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
Ships at a glance
A quick comparison of each line's fleet including passenger capacity, tonnage, and year of launch.
Cunard Fleet (4 ships)
Queen Mary 2
Built 2004 · 2,691 guests
Queen Victoria
Built 2007 · 2,081 guests
Queen Anne
Built 2024 · 2,996 guests
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
Available cruises
Current sailings from both cruise lines. Prices shown are per person based on two sharing the lowest-grade cabin available.
Cunard Sailings
18 NIGHTSWestbound Transatlantic Crossing from Southampton to New York with Stay
Ports: Southampton · Zeebrugge · Olden · Skjolden · Isafjordur · Reykjavik
9 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Luxury Western Mediterranean
Ports: Civitavecchia · Tarragona · Palma de Mallorca · Villefranche · Marseille · Barcelona
Save 1%10 NIGHTSCunard Queen Elizabeth Alaska 10 nights
10 NIGHTS3-night Barcelona & 7-night Luxury Italy And Spain
Ports: Barcelona · Ibiza · Cagliari · Messina · Salerno · Civitavecchia
Save 1%7 NIGHTSCunard Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic 7 nights
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaska in Luxury
Save 1%7 NIGHTSCunard Queen Elizabeth Alaska 7 nights
Save 1%11 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 7-night Luxury Greece & Adriatic & 2-night Venice
Save 3%17 NIGHTSAlaska Cruise and 5-night Seattle Stay with Mt Rainer National Park & Snoqualmie Falls Tours
Ports: Seattle · Ketchikan · Icy Strait Point · Juneau · Haines · Sitka
Save 1%2 NIGHTSCunard Queen Mary 2 Northern Europe 2 nights
Save 1%11 NIGHTSCunard Queen Elizabeth Alaska 11 nights
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords Michelin-star Chef Michel Roux cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Kristiansand · Oslo · Skagen
Save 1%7 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Ports: Southampton · New York
14 NIGHTSSeattle Sights and Glacier Vistas: Cunard's Farewell Season to Alaska
Save 1%7 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Ports: Southampton · New York
Save 4%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Barcelona · Civitavecchia (Rome)
Hot deal7 NIGHTS7 Night Transatlantic Crossing
Ports: New York
Save 9%10 NIGHTS3-night Rome & 7-night Luxury France And Italy
10 NIGHTSItalian Coastal Treasures with Cunard
Save 1%7 NIGHTSTransatlantic
Ports: Southampton · New York
10 NIGHTSAlaska from Seattle with Stay
Ports: Seattle · Ketchikan · Juneau · Victoria, British Columbia
19 NIGHTSMediterranean and Greek Islands cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Cadiz · Thira · Mykonos Town · Piraeus · Heraklion
10 NIGHTSVoyage of the Ancients: A Journey from Istanbul to Rome with Cunard
10 NIGHTSVoyage of the Ancients: A Journey from Istanbul to Rome with Cunard
Ports: Rome
Deal18 NIGHTSNo-fly Grand European Rail & Sail Adventure: Including 4* Hotel stays, Upgraded Rail & Queen Victoria Cruise
7 NIGHTS7 Night Transatlantic Crossing
Ports: New York
4 NIGHTS4-night Rotterdam And Zeebrugge Short Break
Save 1%16 NIGHTSCunard's Caribbean Eclipse with 12-night sailing on Queen Elizabeth
12 NIGHTSNorway and North Cape cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Alesund · Tromsø, Norway · Narvik · Stavanger, Norway
5 NIGHTS5-night Hamburg And Zeebrugge Short Break
Ports: Hamburg · Zeebrugge
13 NIGHTSFalls, Skyscrapers & Sea: Niagara, New York & Cunard Transatlantic Crossing
Ports: Niagara · New York
Save 3%7 NIGHTSSpain and France cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Bilbao (Getxo) · Santander · Gijon · Cherbourg · Southampton
Save 6%12 NIGHTSAzores, Portugal and Spain cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Ponta Delgada, Azores · Funchal, Madeira · Lisbon · Vigo · Southampton
Save 3%4 NIGHTS4-night Short Break To Rotterdam
4 NIGHTS4-night Zeebrugge And Cherbourg fr Southampton
12 NIGHTSNorway and North Cape Michelin-star Chef Michel Roux cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Alesund · Tromsø, Norway · Narvik · Stavanger, Norway
12 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · George Town, Grand Cayman · Montego Bay · Roatan Island · Puerto Costa Maya · Cozumel
4 NIGHTS4-night Short Break to Rotterdam
Save 14%7 NIGHTS7-night Zeebrugge, Amsterdam And Cherbourg fr Southampton
Save 8%7 NIGHTS7-night Le Havre & Amsterdam
Save 3%12 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · George Town, Grand Cayman · Montego Bay · Roatan Island · Puerto Costa Maya · Cozumel
30 NIGHTSTransatlantic crossing and Caribbean Celebration cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · New York · Tortola · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Bridgetown, Barbados · Castries, St. Lucia
7 NIGHTSHamburg, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge
Save 8%7 NIGHTS7-night Spain And Portugal fr Southampton
5 NIGHTS2-night Hamburg & 5-night Rotterdam And Zeebrugge Short Break
Ports: Rotterdam · Zeebrugge
5 NIGHTSRotterdam and Zeebrugge Short Break
Save 2%13 NIGHTSAzores from Miami to Southampton with 1-night Stay
Ports: Miami · Praia da Vitoria · Ponta Delgada, Azores · Southampton
45 NIGHTSSouthampton to Sydney
Ports: Southampton · New York · Oranjestad, Aruba · Panama Canal · Acajutla · Puerto Vallarta
34 NIGHTSSouthampton to the Caribbean & South America with Rio & Iguazu Falls Stays
Ports: Southampton · Hamilton · Orlando · Fort Lauderdale · Grand Turk · Bridgetown
Save 3%7 NIGHTS7-night Portugal & Spain fr Southampton
Celebrity Cruises Sailings
Save 1%7 NIGHTSUSVI, St. Maarten, Perfect Day
Save 1%7 NIGHTSAlaska Southbound Glacier
11 NIGHTS2-night Rome & 11-night Best of Italy & Croatia
Save 1%7 NIGHTSIceland Total Solar Eclipse Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSBest of Greece Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSGreece Malta Turkey Cruise
Ports: Barcelona, Spain · Athens (Piraeus), Greece
Save 1%7 NIGHTSGrand Cayman Mexico Perfect Day
Ports: Miami, Florida, USA
Save 5%7 NIGHTSGalapagos Outer Loop Cruise
Ports: Isla Baltra, Galapagos
Save 1%11 NIGHTSBest of Italy & Croatia from Rome
Ports: Rome (Civitavecchia) · Florence & Pisa (Livorno) · Salerno · Messina, Sicily · Kotor · Dubrovnik
Save 1%3 NIGHTSKey West Bahamas Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSAlaska Dawes Glacier Cruise
Save 1%12 NIGHTSBest of Scandinavia Cruise
Ports: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Save 1%3 NIGHTSKey West Bahamas Cruise
11 NIGHTS11 Night Italy & Greek Islands
Ports: Naples · Santorini · Athens · Dubrovnik
Save 1%10 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
10 NIGHTSBest of Greece from Athens with Stay
Ports: Athens (Piraeus) · Rhodes Town · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Thira (Santorini) · Mykonos Town · Thessaloniki
Save 4%7 NIGHTS7 Night Italy & French Riviera
Ports: Barcelona · Villefranche-sur-Mer · Portofino · La Spezia · Civitavecchia · Naples
Save 4%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger, Norway · Nordfjordeid · Geiranger, Norway · Bruges (Zeebrugge)
7 NIGHTS7 Night Best Of Greece Cruise
Ports: Rhodes · Kusadasi · Santorini · Hydra · Mykonos
7 NIGHTS7-night Grand Cayman, Mexico & Perfect Day
Ports: Miami · Perfect Day CocoCay · Cozumel · George Town · Nassau
Save 1%9 NIGHTSItalian Riviera & France
9 NIGHTSItaly, Spain & French Riviera from Barcelona with Stay
Ports: Barcelona · Nice (Villefranche) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Santa Margherita · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
8 NIGHTSMediterranean Masterpieces
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords and Arctic Circle cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger, Norway · Alesund · Olden · Tromsø, Norway · Honningsvåg, Norway
Save 1%12 NIGHTSBoston Maine Canada Cruise
Hot deal15 NIGHTSLake Garda & Venice with Best Of Italy & Croatia Cruise
Ports: Ravenna · Zadar · Dubrovnik · Kotor · Messina · Salerno
14 NIGHTSMediterranean, Italy and Spain cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Seville (Cadiz) · Cagliari, Sardinia · Rome (Civitavecchia) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Nice (Villefranche Sur Mer)
15 NIGHTSAlaska with Dawes Glacier from Vancouver & Banff, Toronto & Niagara Falls with Stays
Ports: Vancouver · Icy Strait Point · Skagway · Juneau · Ketchikan
Hot deal8 NIGHTSGreece, Malta & Turkey from Athens
Ports: Athens (Piraeus) · Thira · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Mykonos Town · Rhodes Town · Valletta
14 NIGHTSHawaii with Vancouver and Waikiki Beach Stays
Ports: Vancouver · Hilo, Hawaii · Kailua Kona, Hawaii · Honolulu, Oahu
Hot deal12 NIGHTSAdriatic & Greek Isles from Athens with Stay
Ports: Athens · Thira · Rhodes Town · Ephesus · Mykonos Town · Dubrovnik
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
Cunard vs Celebrity Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between Cunard and Celebrity 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.
Cunard, founded in 1840 and headquartered in Southampton, UK, operates a fleet of 4 ships. It is categorised as a luxury cruise line and scores 4.8/5 overall based on 8,900 reviews. The line is particularly strong for luxury and sophistication and transatlantic crossings, making it a natural choice for cruisers who value those attributes.
Celebrity Cruises, established in 1988 from Miami, USA, has a fleet of 17 ships. As a premium line rated 4.7/5 from 11,200 reviews, it excels at food and dining enthusiasts and modern luxury seekers. If those are your priorities, Celebrity Cruises deserves serious consideration.
On food, Cunard scores 9/10 compared to Celebrity Cruises's 10/10. For entertainment, Cunard comes in at 7/10 versus Celebrity Cruises's 7/10. 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.