MSC Cruises vs Royal Caribbean
A detailed side-by-side comparison of MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean 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 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
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
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
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
Save 2%4 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Hot deal7 NIGHTSAlaska 7 Nights From Seattle, Washington
Ports: Seattle · Ketchikan · Icy Strait Point · Juneau · Endicott Arm · Victoria
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Palermo (Monreale)
Ports: Ibiza · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Rome · Palermo
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Naples (Pompeii)
Ports: Sicily · Malta · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Naples
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Marseille (Provence)
Ports: Barcelona · La Goulette · Palermo · Naples · Florence/Pisa · Marseille
7 NIGHTS7 nights Eastern Mediterranean from Kusadasi
Ports: Marmaris · Naples · Rome · Mykonos · Kusadasi
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Marseille (Provence)
Ports: Florence/Pisa · Cagliari · Palermo · Malta · Barcelona · Marseille
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Civitavecchia (Rome)
Ports: Genoa · Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Rome
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Barcelona
Ports: La Goulette · Palermo · Naples · Florence/Pisa · Marseille · Barcelona
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Livorno (Florence)
Ports: Florence/Pisa · Cagliari · Palermo · Malta · Barcelona · Marseille
9 NIGHTS9 nights Eastern Mediterranean from Piraeus (Athens)
Ports: Kusadasi · Istanbul · Corfu · Bari · Venice (Trieste) · Olympia (Katakolon)
7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Piraeus
Ports: Piraeus · Katakolon · Argostoli · Corfu · Bari · Santorini
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Civitavecchia
Ports: Civitavecchia · Genoa · Marseille · Tarragona · Valencia · Livorno
7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Genoa
Ports: Genoa · Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Civitavecchia
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Messina (Taormina)
Ports: Malta · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Naples · Sicily
10 NIGHTS10 nights Western Mediterranean from Malaga (Granada)
Ports: Cadiz · Lisbon · Alicante · Mahon · Olbia/Sardinia · Genoa
12 NIGHTSUniversal Orlando Resort Stay with Bahamas & Caribbean Explorer
Ports: Port Canaveral · Nassau · Cozumel · Puerto Costa Maya · Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
Save 2%4 NIGHTSFar East
Ports: Shanghai, China
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Marseille
Ports: Marseille · Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Civitavecchia · Genoa
Save 2%10 NIGHTS10 nights Caribbean from Port Canaveral (Orlando)
Ports: Port Canaveral · Nassau · Ocean Cay · Cozumel · Puerto Costa Maya
9 NIGHTS9 nights Eastern Mediterranean from Istanbul
Ports: Istanbul · Corfu · Bari · Venice (Trieste) · Olympia (Katakolon) · Athens
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Ports: Naples, Italy
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Marseille
Ports: Marseille · Tarragona · Valencia · Livorno · Civitavecchia · Genoa
Save 5%7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Rome · Palermo · Ibiza
Save 5%7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Valencia
Ports: Valencia · Ibiza · Cagliari · Rome · Genoa · Marseille
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Palermo (Monreale)
Ports: Naples · Florence/Pisa · Marseille · Barcelona · La Goulette
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa · Naples · Sicily · Malta
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Marseille (Provence)
Ports: Genoa · Rome · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona
Save 2%4 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 6%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Civitavecchia
Ports: Civitavecchia · Mykonos · Kusadasi · Marmaris · Naples
7 NIGHTS7 nights Western Mediterranean from Tarragona
Ports: Valencia · Florence/Pisa · Rome · Genoa · Marseille
Save 6%12 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Valencia
Ports: Valencia · Livorno · Civitavecchia · Genoa · Marseille · Tarragona
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Venice
Ports: Venice · Kotor · Mykonos · Syros · Ancona
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Split
Ports: Split · Venice · Dubrovnik · Corfu · Kotor · Brindisi
Save 12%7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe 7 Nights From Copenhagen
Ports: Copenhagen · Warnemünde · Eidfjord · Bergen · Kristiansand · Oslo
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Genoa
Ports: Genoa · Civitavecchia · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona · Marseille
Save 5%7 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 5%7 NIGHTSCaribbean and Antilles
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%11 NIGHTSCaribbean 11 Nights From Port Canaveral, Florida
Ports: Port Canaveral · Nassau · Cozumel · Costa Maya · Ocean Cay · Port Canaveral
Save 12%9 NIGHTSAsia 9 Nights From Shanghai
Ports: Shanghai · Busan · Fukuoka · Shanghai · Jeju Island · Busan
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Civitavecchia
Ports: Civitavecchia · Palermo · Ibiza · Barcelona · Marseille · Genoa
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 5%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 12%7 NIGHTSMediterranean 7 Nights From Venice
Ports: Venice · Dubrovnik · Corfu · Kotor · Brindisi · Split
Royal Caribbean Sailings
Save 1%4 NIGHTSKey West Perfect Day Cruise
Save 1%4 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
5 NIGHTS5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Puerto Costa Maya · Cozumel
7 NIGHTS7 Night Italy & France Cruise
Ports: Barcelona · Toulon · Ajaccio · Civitavecchia · Naples · Messina
Save 1%4 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean Cruise
9 NIGHTS9-night Spanish Flair & Solar Eclipse
Ports: Bilbao, Spain · Gijon, Spain · Vigo, Spain · La Coruna, Spain · Paris (Le Havre), France
Save 1%4 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
Save 1%3 NIGHTSPerfect Day Getaway Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSNorthbound Alaska Hubbard Glacier
Save 1%3 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
Save 1%8 NIGHTSSouthern Caribbean Perfect Day
7 NIGHTS7 Night Cabo, Vallarta & Mazatlan
Ports: Los Angeles · Cabo San Lucas · Mazatlan · Puerto Vallarta · Los Angeles
5 NIGHTS5 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Cruise
Ports: Miami · Nassau · Coco Cay · Miami
5 NIGHTS5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Puerto Costa Maya · Cozumel
7 NIGHTS7 Night Greek Isles Cruise
Ports: Santorini · Mykonos · Athens · Split
Save 1%7 NIGHTSSouthern Caribbean Cruise
Save 3%7 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · Marseille (Provence) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
Save 1%7 NIGHTSGreek Isles Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean Cruise
Save 1%7 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean Perfect Day
Save 1%3 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
Save 1%4 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
Save 1%4 NIGHTSCatalina Ensenada Cruise
Save 1%4 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
Save 1%5 NIGHTSBahamas Perfect Day Cruise
Save 1%5 NIGHTSWestern Caribbean Cruise
Hot deal7 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · Marseille (Provence) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
7 NIGHTS7-night Norwegian Fjords
7 NIGHTS7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day
Ports: Port Canaveral · Perfect Day CocoCay · San Juan · Philipsburg
7 NIGHTS7 Night Perfect Day Bahamas Cruise
Ports: New York · Port Canaveral · Perfect Day CocoCay · Nassau
7 NIGHTS7 Night Greek Isles Cruise
Ports: Rome · Santorini · Ephesus · Mykonos · Naples
6 NIGHTS6 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Galveston · Puerto Costa Maya · Roatan · Cozumel
7 NIGHTS7 Night Western Mediterranean Cruise
Ports: Barcelona · Majorca · Florence/Pisa · Rome · Naples
7 NIGHTS7 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise
Ports: Colon · Cartagena · Willemstad · Oranjestad
8 NIGHTS8 Night Northern City Escapes Cruise
Ports: Southampton · Kristiansand · Copenhagen · Hamburg · Rotterdam
Save 1%9 NIGHTSCanada New England
8 NIGHTSBahamas & Perfect Day with Miami Beach Stay
Ports: Miami · Perfect Day at Cococay · Nassau
9 NIGHTS9 Night Spanish Flair Cruise
Ports: Southampton · Vigo · Lisbon · Cádiz · La Coruña · Bilbao
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 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Adriatic & Greek Explorer
Save 1%11 NIGHTSTennis US Open Men's Semi Final with Bahamas and Perfect Day from Cape Liberty
Ports: New York (Cape Liberty) · Orlando (Port Canaveral) · Nassau · Perfect Day at Cococay
Save 1%7 NIGHTS3-night Miami & 4-night Bahamas & Perfect Day
7 NIGHTS2-night Seattle & 7-night Alaska Experience
7 NIGHTS7-night Spain & France
Save 6%7 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Palma De Mallorca · Marseille (Provence) · La Spezia (tours to Florence/Pisa) · Rome (Civitavecchia) · Naples
Save 6%7 NIGHTS2-night Venice & 7-night Greek Treasures
MSC Cruises vs Royal Caribbean: the bottom line
Choosing between MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean 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.
Royal Caribbean, established in 1968 from Miami, USA, has a fleet of 28 ships. As a contemporary line rated 4.6/5 from 24,500 reviews, it excels at families with kids and thrill seekers and adventurers. If those are your priorities, Royal Caribbean deserves serious consideration.
On food, MSC Cruises scores 7/10 compared to Royal Caribbean's 7/10. For entertainment, MSC Cruises comes in at 7/10 versus Royal Caribbean's 10/10. 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 Royal Caribbean — FAQ
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