MSC Cruises vs Celebrity Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of MSC Cruises 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 MSC Cruises if you want…
- Value for money
- All-inclusive packages
- Families (kids sail free)
- Mediterranean itineraries
MSC Cruises may not suit you if…
- Those wanting British-focused experience
- Small-ship intimacy seekers
- Adults-only preference
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.
MSC Cruises Fleet (22 ships)
MSC Virtuosa
Built 2021 · 6,334 guests
MSC World Europa
Built 2022 · 6,762 guests
MSC Euribia
Built 2023 · 6,334 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.
MSC Cruises Sailings
9 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Classic Mediterranean
7 NIGHTS7-night All Inclusive Spanish Shores & French Rivieras
Save 2%4 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 5%7 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Barcelona
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSAlaska
Save 2%4 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Civitavecchia
Ports: Civitavecchia · Genoa · Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Kusadasi
Ports: Kusadasi · Marmaris · Naples · Civitavecchia · Mykonos
Save 6%10 NIGHTSMediterranean 10 Nights From Genoa
Ports: Genoa · Marseille · Málaga · Cádiz · Lisbon · Alicante
Save 6%9 NIGHTSMediterranean 9 Nights From Istanbul
Ports: Istanbul · Corfu · Bari · Trieste · Katakolon · Piraeus
Hot deal7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Barcelona
Hot deal7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Genoa
Ports: Genoa · Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Civitavecchia
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 nights
Ports: Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy
Save 5%10 NIGHTSMediterranean 10 nights
Ports: Marseille, France
11 NIGHTS4-night Orlando & 7-night Bahamas, Mexico & Ocean Cay
Ports: Nassau, Bahamas · Cozumel · Costa Maya · Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Genoa
Ports: Genoa · Marseille · Tarragona · Valencia · Livorno · Civitavecchia
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Cagliari
Ports: Cagliari · Palermo · Valletta · Barcelona · Marseille · Livorno
Save 6%9 NIGHTSMediterranean 9 Nights From Bari
Ports: Bari · Trieste · Katakolon · Piraeus · Kusadasi · Istanbul
Save 6%8 NIGHTSNorthern Europe 8 Nights From Stockholm
Ports: Stockholm · Copenhagen · Warnemünde · Kristiansand · Eidfjord · Lyngdal
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Civitavecchia · Palermo · Ibiza
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Palermo
Ports: Palermo · Valletta · Barcelona · Marseille · Livorno · Cagliari
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Marseille
Ports: Marseille · Tarragona · Valencia · Livorno · Civitavecchia · Genoa
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Naples
Ports: Naples · Civitavecchia · Mykonos · Kusadasi · Marmaris · Naples
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Tarragona
Ports: Tarragona · Valencia · Livorno · Civitavecchia · Genoa · Marseille
Save 7%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Palermo
Ports: Palermo · Naples · Livorno · Marseille · Barcelona · La Goulette
Save 6%9 NIGHTSMediterranean 9 Nights From Trieste
Ports: Trieste · Katakolon · Piraeus · Kusadasi · Istanbul · Corfu
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Marseille
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Civitavecchia · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Palma de Mallorca
Ports: Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona · Cannes · Genoa · La Spezia · Civitavecchia
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaskan Explorer
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Valencia
Ports: Valencia · Livorno · Civitavecchia · Genoa · Marseille · Tarragona
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Marseille
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Naples · Messina · Valletta · Barcelona
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Venice
Ports: Venice · Kotor · Mykonos · Syros · Ancona
Save 7%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Cannes · Genoa · La Spezia · Civitavecchia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Split
Ports: Split · Venice · Dubrovnik · Corfu · Kotor · Brindisi
Save 6%7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe 7 Nights From Kiel
Ports: Kiel · Copenhagen · Hellesylt · Geiranger · Ålesund · Flåm
Save 6%10 NIGHTSMediterranean 10 Nights From Lisbon
Ports: Alicante · Mahón · Olbia · Genoa · Marseille · Málaga
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Genoa
Ports: Genoa · Civitavecchia · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona · Marseille
Save 7%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Cagliari
Ports: Cagliari · Civitavecchia · Genoa · Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille · Livorno · Cagliari · Palermo · Valletta
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Civitavecchia
Ports: Civitavecchia · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Cannes
Ports: Cannes · Genoa · La Spezia · Civitavecchia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Venice
Ports: Venice · Dubrovnik · Corfu · Kotor · Brindisi · Split
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
MSC Cruises vs Celebrity Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between MSC Cruises 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.
MSC Cruises, founded in 1970 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, operates a fleet of 22 ships. It is categorised as a contemporary cruise line and scores 4.3/5 overall based on 15,600 reviews. The line is particularly strong for value for money and all-inclusive packages, 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, MSC Cruises scores 7/10 compared to Celebrity Cruises's 10/10. For entertainment, MSC Cruises comes in at 7/10 versus Celebrity Cruises's 7/10. Value for money favours MSC 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.
MSC Cruises vs Celebrity Cruises — FAQ
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