P&O Cruises vs Celebrity Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of P&O 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 P&O Cruises if you want…
- UK departures (no-fly)
- Families with children
- Traditional British cruising
- Food lovers (Marco Pierre White)
P&O Cruises may not suit you if…
- Ultra-luxury seekers
- Mega-ship thrill rides
- Non-English speakers
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.
P&O Cruises Fleet (7 ships)
Iona
Built 2020 · 5,200 guests
Arvia
Built 2022 · 5,200 guests
Britannia
Built 2015 · 3,647 guests
Azura
Built 2010 · 3,100 guests
Ventura
Built 2008 · 3,078 guests
Arcadia
Built 2005 · 2,094 guests
Aurora
Built 2000 · 1,874 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.
P&O Cruises Sailings
Save 5%16 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
7 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean Fly-Cruise
Save 2%16 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 2%7 NIGHTSSpain and France cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Bilbao (Getxo) · La Coruna · Vigo · Cherbourg
Save 1%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
14 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Cádiz · Ibiza Town · Ibiza · Cagliari · Sardinia
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
Save 8%14 NIGHTSWestern Mediterranean cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · La Coruna · Vigo · Malaga · Alicante · La Seyne-sur-Mer
Save 2%21 NIGHTSEastern Mediterranean Discovery
Ports: Southampton · Cartagena · La Goulette · Palermo · Athens · Istanbul
Save 1%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 7%7 NIGHTSSchool Holiday Sailing! Norwegian Fjords
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Flåm · Stavanger · Southampton
14 NIGHTSScandinavia and the Baltics P&O Food Heroes Marco Pierre White, Olly Smith and José Pizarro cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Kiel · Tallinn · Helsinki · Stockholm · Copenhagen
3 NIGHTSWestern Europe Getaway cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Zeebrugge (tours to Bruges)
Save 3%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
Save 3%30 NIGHTSTransatlantic
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
Save 3%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Stavanger, Norway · Kristiansand, Norway
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
Save 3%14 NIGHTSMediterranean
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Stavanger, Norway · Kristiansand, Norway
Save 3%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Stavanger, Norway · Kristiansand, Norway
Save 3%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
Save 2%14 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 1%7 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 2%19 NIGHTSMediterranean
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Stavanger, Norway · Kristiansand, Norway
Save 2%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 2%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands
12 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger · Nordfjordeid · Nordfjord · Kristiansund · Andalsnes
Save 2%13 NIGHTSSpain & France
Save 3%14 NIGHTSNorway
Ports: Southampton · Åndalsnes · Bodø · Narvik · Tromsø · Stavanger
Save 3%16 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
Save 10%14 NIGHTSTransatlantic
7 NIGHTSHalf Term France and Spain cruise from Southampton
Save 3%16 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 8%15 NIGHTSCaribbean Transatlantic from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Roseau, Dominica · Castries, St. Lucia · Bridgetown, Barbados
Save 3%7 NIGHTSNorthern European City Escape
Ports: Southampton · Hamburg · Rotterdam · Zeebrugge
Save 2%7 NIGHTSCanary Islands
Save 2%14 NIGHTSCanary Islands & Spain
Save 2%19 NIGHTSMediterranean
Save 17%14 NIGHTS14 Night Eastern Caribbean
Ports: Barbados · St Lucia · Antigua · St Kitts
Save 4%14 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal and Canary Islands cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · Las Palmas, Gran Canaria · Arrecife, Lanzarote · Cádiz · Lisbon
Save 3%14 NIGHTSSpain Portugal and Morocco
Ports: Southampton · Funchal · Agadir · Casablanca · Tangier · Lisbon
Save 8%4 NIGHTS4-night Belgium And France fr Southampton
Save 15%3 NIGHTS3-night Belgium fr Southampton
18 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal and Cape Verde cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Funchal · Praia · Mindelo · Sao Vincent · Arrecife
14 NIGHTSSpain, Portugal and Canary Islands cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · Las Palmas, Gran Canaria · Arrecife, Lanzarote · Cádiz · Lisbon
Celebrity Cruises Sailings
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%7 NIGHTSBest of Greece Cruise
Save 1%10 NIGHTSGreek Isles & Turkey from Barcelona
Ports: Barcelona · Messina, Sicily · Athens (Piraeus) · Thira, Santorini · Ephesus (Kusadasi) · Mykonos Town, Mykonos
Save 1%7 NIGHTSTortola, St. Kitts, Puerto Plata
Save 1%3 NIGHTSKey West Bahamas Cruise
Save 1%12 NIGHTSBest of Japan Cruise
7 NIGHTS2-night Barcelona & 7-night Italy, Spain & French Riviera
Save 1%3 NIGHTSKey West Bahamas Cruise
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
P&O Cruises vs Celebrity Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between P&O 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.
P&O Cruises, founded in 1837 and headquartered in Southampton, UK, operates a fleet of 7 ships. It is categorised as a premium cruise line and scores 4.5/5 overall based on 12,400 reviews. The line is particularly strong for uk departures (no-fly) and families with children, 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, P&O Cruises scores 8/10 compared to Celebrity Cruises's 10/10. For entertainment, P&O Cruises comes in at 7/10 versus Celebrity Cruises's 7/10. Value for money favours P&O Cruises with a score of 8/10.
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.
P&O Cruises vs Celebrity Cruises — FAQ
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