P&O Cruises vs MSC Cruises
A detailed side-by-side comparison of P&O Cruises and MSC 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 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
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
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
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 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
Save 3%4 NIGHTSRotterdam City Break
Ports: Rotterdam · Southampton
Save 3%14 NIGHTSChristmas Baltic Cities cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Copenhagen · Gdynia · Oslo · Hamburg · Zeebrugge
14 NIGHTS14 Night Eastern Caribbean
Ports: Barbados · St Lucia · Antigua · St Kitts
Save 3%16 NIGHTSSpain Portugal and Canary Islands
Ports: Southampton · Vigo · Lanzarote · Fuerteventura · Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Santa Cruz de La Palma
Save 3%18 NIGHTSSpain and Canary Islands Fly-Cruise
Ports: Málaga · Barcelona · Cartagena · Gibraltar · Lanzarote · Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
14 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean Islands Fly-Cruise
Ports: Barbados · Fort de France · Basseterre · Tortola · Philipsburg · Antigua
14 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean Islands Fly-Cruise
Ports: Barbados · Fort de France · Basseterre · Tortola · Philipsburg · Antigua
35 NIGHTSCaribbean Grand Voyage cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · St. Kitts · Bridgetown, Barbados · St. George's, Grenada · Castries, St. Lucia
Save 3%106 NIGHTS106-night Western Circumnavigation World Cruise fr Southampton
15 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean from Barbados
Save 2%7 NIGHTSWestern Europe
4 NIGHTS4-night Amsterdam fr Southampton
5 NIGHTSBelgium France and Netherlands
14 NIGHTSCanaries Madeira and Morocco Fly-Cruise
Ports: Tenerife · Madeira · Gran Canaria · Lanzarote · Casablanca · Agadir
14 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean Islands Fly-Cruise
Ports: Barbados · Fort de France · Basseterre · Tortola · Philipsburg · Antigua
14 NIGHTSSpain Portugal Canary Islands and Morocco
Ports: Southampton · Madeira · La Palma · Lanzarote · Casablanca · Tangier
7 NIGHTSNorthern European City Escape
Ports: Southampton · Hamburg · Rotterdam · Zeebrugge
Save 1%68 NIGHTSSydney Stay, Hunter Valley Vineyards, Australia, Asia, Indian Ocean and South Africa to Southampton
Ports: Sydney · Newcastle · Brisbane · Cairns · Alotau · Manila
27 NIGHTSSydney, Australia and Philippines to Hong Kong with Stays
Ports: Sydney · Newcastle · Brisbane · Cairns · Alotau · Manila
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorthern Europe
26 NIGHTSBrisbane, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Hong Kong to Singapore with Stays
Ports: Brisbane · Cairns · Alotau · Manila · Hong Kong · Singapore
Save 2%21 NIGHTSMediterranean
15 NIGHTSEastern Caribbean from Barbados
Save 10%15 NIGHTSCaribbean Transatlantic from Barbados
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados · Martinique · St. Kitts · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Santa Cruz, Tenerife · La Coruna
14 NIGHTSCaribbean Transatlantic from Barbados
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados · Castries, St. Lucia · St. Kitts · St. John's, Antigua · Ponta Delgada, Azores · Southampton
3 NIGHTSBelgium
Save 6%7 NIGHTSEaster Spain and France cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Gijon · La Coruna · Vigo · Cherbourg · Southampton
Save 3%7 NIGHTSEaster Norwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden · Nordfjord · Alesund
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
3 NIGHTSBelgium
4 NIGHTSBelgium And France
4 NIGHTSRotterdam
Save 2%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Stavanger, Norway · Skjolden · Alesund · Haugesund
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
14 NIGHTSBaltic Cities cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Andalsnes · Oslo · Copenhagen
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Stavanger, Norway · Kristiansand, Norway
Save 9%7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
7 NIGHTSBaltic Cities cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Skagen · Copenhagen · Oslo · Zeebrugge
7 NIGHTSNorwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton
Ports: Southampton · Haugesund · Olden · Innvikfjorden (Scenic Cruising) · Flam · Aurlandsfjord (Scenic Cruising)
MSC Cruises Sailings
7 NIGHTSMarseille, Genoa, Livorno, Valencia
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Genoa, Livorno
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSCruise only from Tarragona
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSNot Specified
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Genoa, Livorno and back
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTS7 Night MSC Sinfonia Cruise
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMediterranean Escape
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille and return
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Genoa, Livorno, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Mediterranean
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSCruise only from inside
Save 8%7 NIGHTSCruise only from
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona - Marseille - Genoa - Livorno - Valencia - Palma de Mallorca - Barcelona
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona - Marseille - Genoa
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMediterranean Discovery
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMediterranean Delight
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSDeparting Tarragona
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Genoa, Livorno, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMediterranean Cruise
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMarseille - Genoa - Livorno - Valencia
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille and Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona - Marseille - Genoa - Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMediterranean Magic
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Barcelona and others
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSNot Available
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMarseille, Genoa, Livorno, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMediterranean Treasures
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Genoa, Livorno, Valencia
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Genoa, Livorno, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, and Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSDeparture from Tarragona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSItinerary from Tarragona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSCruising from Tarragona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSGenoa - Livorno - Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Barcelona and more
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMarseille - Genoa - Livorno - etc.
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMediterranean Wonders
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSMarseille - Genoa - Livorno
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona - Marseille - Genoa - Valencia - Palma de Mallorca - Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona - Marseille
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Genoa, Livorno, Valencia, Palma, Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSDeparting Tarragona - Marseille - Genoa - Livorno - Valencia - Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Palma de Mallorca
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille to Genoa to Livorno to Valencia to Palma de Mallorca to Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona to Marseille, Genoa, Livorno and Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSTarragona - Marseille - Genoa - Livorno - Valencia - Palma de Mallorca
Ports: Tarragona · Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca
Save 8%7 NIGHTSCruise only from Tarragona to Marseille - Genoa - Barcelona
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia · Palma de Mallorca · Barcelona
Save 8%7 NIGHTSNot Provided
Save 8%7 NIGHTSCruise only
Ports: Marseille · Genoa · Livorno · Valencia
P&O Cruises vs MSC Cruises: the bottom line
Choosing between P&O Cruises and MSC 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.
MSC Cruises, established in 1970 from Geneva, Switzerland, has a fleet of 22 ships. As a contemporary line rated 4.3/5 from 15,600 reviews, it excels at value for money and all-inclusive packages. If those are your priorities, MSC Cruises deserves serious consideration.
On food, P&O Cruises scores 8/10 compared to MSC Cruises's 7/10. For entertainment, P&O Cruises comes in at 7/10 versus MSC 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.
P&O Cruises vs MSC Cruises — FAQ
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