30 head-to-head comparisons

Cruise line vs cruise line

Torn between two lines? Each comparison starts with a straight answer on who should pick which, then goes head to head on vibe, dining, entertainment, kids, drinks, cabins and itineraries.

Photo: kees torn, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

All comparisons

AmaWaterways vs AvalonChoose AmaWaterways if you want a lively, generously inclusive river cruise: a two-balcony cabin on many ships, Sip & Sail drinks before dinner every evening, bikes and a wellness host on board, and a night at The Chef’s Table with no surcharge. Choose Avalon Waterways if you want the best river views from bed: its Suite Ships feature Panorama Suites with wall-to-wall windows that slide open, plus Classic, Discovery and Active versions of most excursions and an easygoing pace. Both pour wine and beer free at lunch and dinner.
Azamara vs OceaniaAzamara and Oceania Cruises sail some of the same ships in all but name, so the choice is about what each line includes and emphasizes. Choose Azamara for destination immersion: late nights and overnights in port, house wine, beer and spirits plus gratuities included, and an AzAmazing Evening on most voyages. Choose Oceania for food: more included specialty restaurants, hands-on cooking classes on its larger ships, gratuities, specialty dining and Wi-Fi in the fare, and a wider range of ship sizes.
Carnival vs MSCCarnival and MSC Cruises fight for the budget end of the market, and both can be remarkably inexpensive. Carnival is the better fit for Americans who want a familiar, laid-back cruise with comedy clubs, free burgers and departures from a port near home. MSC suits travelers who want flashier modern ships, a European flair and a shot at the MSC Yacht Club, a gated suite area with butler service. Kids often sail free on MSC promotions, which can swing the math for families.
Carnival vs NorwegianCarnival is the better choice if price comes first and you want a cheerful, no-fuss cruise from a port you can drive to, with free food like Guy’s Burger Joint. Norwegian Cruise Line suits travelers who want more say over when and where they eat, more specialty restaurants, solo-friendly studio cabins, upscale suites in The Haven and itineraries that reach Hawaii and Europe. Expect Carnival to cost less up front and NCL to include more when a Free at Sea promotion is running.
Carnival vs PrincessCarnival is the pick for a lively, inexpensive cruise with comedy, deck parties and free casual food, especially on short Caribbean trips. Princess Cruises is the pick for a calmer, more traditional cruise with better main-dining meals, strong enrichment and the best Alaska program in mainstream cruising, including its own wilderness lodges. Both belong to Carnival Corporation; Princess usually costs a little more and attracts an older, quieter crowd.
Celebrity vs Holland AmericaBoth are premium lines, but they feel a generation apart. Celebrity Cruises suits travelers who want contemporary design, inventive restaurants and a social, cocktail-hour energy on ships of about 3,000 guests. Holland America Line suits travelers who want a traditional, quieter cruise with live music on Music Walk, longer and more unusual itineraries, Alaska and Yukon cruisetours and an older, very experienced crowd. Fares are broadly similar; Holland America often wins on long voyages.
Celebrity vs NorwegianCelebrity Cruises is the better pick for couples and grown-up travelers who want premium food, a calm, stylish ship and drinks and Wi-Fi folded into an All Included fare. Norwegian Cruise Line is the better pick for friend groups and families who want flexible dining, nightlife, go-kart tracks and water slides, plus Hawaii and Bermuda itineraries. For suite travelers it’s a genuine contest between Celebrity’s The Retreat and NCL’s The Haven.
Celebrity vs PrincessCelebrity Cruises is the choice for a modern, design-led premium cruise: chef-driven restaurants, Infinite Veranda cabins and the cantilevered Magic Carpet on its Edge-series ships, and a stylish adult crowd. Princess Cruises is the choice for a traditional, comfortable cruise with the strongest Alaska land-and-sea program, MedallionClass convenience and Movies Under the Stars. Celebrity usually costs a little more and feels younger; Princess is more relaxed and classic.
Cunard vs Holland AmericaCunard is the choice for a grand, British-flavored voyage: transatlantic crossings on Queen Mary 2, white-glove afternoon tea, gala evenings in formal dress and a class system where Grills suites come with their own restaurants. Holland America Line is the choice for a relaxed, traditional American-market cruise with strong Alaska cruisetours, live music on Music Walk, a more casual dress code and Caribbean sailings from Florida. Both are classic, both suit older travelers; Cunard is dressier and more ceremonial.
Disney vs CarnivalDisney Cruise Line and Carnival sit at opposite ends of the family-cruise price scale. Choose Disney if you want characters, Broadway-style Disney shows, themed rotational dining, superb kids’ clubs and two private islands, and the budget can stretch to often several times Carnival’s fare. Choose Carnival if you want a cheerful, affordable family cruise with water slides, free burgers and pizza, and departures from a port you can likely drive to. Carnival delivers the most fun per dollar; Disney delivers the most magic.
Disney vs Royal CaribbeanDisney Cruise Line is the choice for families who want storytelling, characters and superb kids’ clubs, with soft drinks, room service and Broadway-style Disney shows included, plus two private islands, Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay. Royal Caribbean is the choice for families who want more thrills and more cruise for the money: surf simulators, rock walls, huge water parks and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Disney typically costs much more; Royal Caribbean offers more activities per dollar.
Explora Journeys vs RegentExplora Journeys is the choice for a contemporary, European-style luxury cruise on sleek ships where every suite has an ocean terrace, with drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities and most dining included and a relaxed, wellness-minded mood. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the choice for classic American luxury and the most inclusive fare at sea, with unlimited shore excursions, specialty dining and premium drinks covered. Explora feels younger and more design-led; Regent feels more traditional and includes more ashore.
Norwegian vs MSCPick Norwegian Cruise Line if you want maximum flexibility, an American-style casual cruise, lots of specialty restaurants and unique routes like Hawaii inter-island and Bermuda from New York. Pick MSC Cruises if a lower fare matters most, or if you want a European atmosphere on a big, glossy ship. Both run gated suite enclaves, NCL’s The Haven and the MSC Yacht Club, and both are among the best ways to get a luxury-style experience on a mainstream ship.
Norwegian vs PrincessNorwegian Cruise Line is the better fit if you want freedom: no set dinner times, no formal nights, plenty of specialty restaurants, go-kart tracks and nightlife, plus Hawaii inter-island cruises and solo studio cabins. Princess Cruises is the better fit if you want a calm, classic cruise with enrichment, polished main dining, MedallionClass technology and the most complete Alaska cruisetour program. Both sail Alaska from Seattle; NCL feels younger and livelier, Princess more relaxed.
Oceania vs RegentOceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises are sister lines, and the step between them is about inclusions and space. Choose Oceania for outstanding food, port-rich itineraries and gratuities, Wi-Fi and specialty dining in the fare at an upper-premium price. Choose Regent for true luxury: all-suite ships, unlimited shore excursions, premium drinks, specialty dining and gratuities all included, with a pre-cruise hotel night for higher suite levels. Regent costs considerably more, and most of the difference comes back in what you don’t pay for later.
Princess vs Holland AmericaPrincess and Holland America are the two biggest names in Alaska and both offer classic, unhurried cruising, but they draw slightly different crowds. Choose Princess for bigger, newer ships, MedallionClass convenience, more going on after dark and better facilities for families. Choose Holland America for smaller, quieter ships, a strong live-music program on Music Walk, longer Grand Voyages and a deeply experienced, older crowd. On price they’re close; Holland America often has the edge on longer voyages.
Princess vs Royal CaribbeanPrincess Cruises suits travelers who want a relaxed, classic cruise with good food, enrichment and the strongest land-and-sea Alaska program among the big lines. Royal Caribbean suits families and active travelers who want headline attractions, from surf simulators and ice shows to Icon of the Seas’ water park and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Princess is quieter and skews older; Royal Caribbean is busier and built for adrenaline.
Regent vs SeabournRegent Seven Seas Cruises is the stronger choice if you want everything prepaid, including a shore excursion in every port, on large, plush all-suite ships with lots of space per guest. Seabourn is the stronger choice if you prefer a smaller, more social ship with a yacht-club feel, caviar served in the shallows on beach days, kayaks launched from a fold-down marina and submarine dives on its expedition ships. Regent wins on inclusions; Seabourn wins on intimacy and charm.
Regent vs SilverseaRegent Seven Seas Cruises is the pick if you want the most inclusive luxury fare at sea, with excursions in every port, top-shelf drinks, every restaurant and tips all prepaid, on spacious all-suite ships. Silversea Cruises is the pick if you want butler service in every suite, a wider range of ship sizes, an inventive S.A.L.T. food program and the strongest expedition fleet in luxury, from Antarctica to the Galápagos. Regent bundles more ashore; Silversea goes farther afield.
Royal Caribbean vs CarnivalPick Royal Caribbean if you want the bigger spectacle: mega-ships with surf simulators, ice shows, AquaTheater high diving and the Perfect Day at CocoCay private island, and you’re willing to pay more for it. Pick Carnival if you want the lowest fares, a looser party-friendly atmosphere, short three- to five-night getaways from dozens of US ports and free burgers from Guy Fieri. Both suit families; Royal Caribbean feels more polished, Carnival more casual.
Royal Caribbean vs CelebrityRoyal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises are sister lines with very different personalities. Choose Royal Caribbean for family thrills on mega-ships: water parks, surf simulators, ice shows and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Choose Celebrity for a calmer, more grown-up premium cruise with better food, sleek Edge-series design, a quieter pool scene and an All Included fare that bundles drinks and Wi-Fi. Celebrity usually costs more on the same route, and it’s worth it if you don’t need the rides.
Royal Caribbean vs MSCRoyal Caribbean is the better all-round choice for most American families: more attractions, more consistent service and Perfect Day at CocoCay. MSC Cruises wins on price, often by a lot, and on European style, with Swiss-Italian roots, an international crowd and the MSC Yacht Club, a private ship-within-a-ship for suite guests. Choose MSC if you want a big modern ship for less or a luxury-style suite area at mainstream prices; choose Royal Caribbean if polish and activities matter more.
Royal Caribbean vs NorwegianChoose Royal Caribbean for the most activity-packed ships afloat, a day at its CocoCay private island and a dependable main-dining-room routine. Choose Norwegian Cruise Line for Freestyle Cruising, meaning no set dinner times and no formal nights, plus a deep bench of specialty restaurants, studio cabins for solo travelers, The Haven suite complex and the only year-round seven-night inter-island Hawaii cruise. NCL’s Free at Sea bundles often make the final bill closer than the fares suggest.
Silversea vs SeabournSilversea and Seabourn are closely matched luxury lines, so the choice comes down to style. Choose Silversea for butler service in every suite, the broadest destination list in luxury cruising and a large expedition fleet that reaches Antarctica, the Arctic and the Galápagos. Choose Seabourn for a sociable, yacht-like atmosphere, signature touches like Caviar in the Surf, a water-sports marina on several ships and expedition ships that carry their own submarines. Both include drinks, gratuities and Wi-Fi.
Viking vs AmaWaterwaysFor a European river cruise, choose Viking if you want the biggest, most consistent fleet, an adults-only atmosphere, a guided tour in every port and a polished, Scandinavian-designed Longship experience. Choose AmaWaterways if you want more choice and activity: excursions at gentle, regular or active pace, bikes on board, a wellness host, twin balconies on many ships, a daily cocktail hour and family-friendly departures. Both include wine and beer with meals and Wi-Fi; AmaWaterways includes a little more and feels more personal.
Viking vs AzamaraViking and Azamara both sell destination-first cruising on mid-size ships, but they include different things. Choose Viking for newer, all-veranda ships, a guided excursion in every port, an adults-only crowd, no casino and lectures that give each stop context. Choose Azamara for smaller, more intimate ships of about 700 guests, house drinks and gratuities included all day, late nights and overnights in port, and an AzAmazing Evening on most voyages. Viking is more structured; Azamara is more spontaneous.
Viking vs OceaniaChoose Viking if you want a calm, adults-only cruise built around the destination, with a shore excursion in every port, beer and wine at lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi and specialty dining in the fare, and no casino or kids. Choose Oceania Cruises if food is the point of the trip: more restaurants, a hands-on cooking school, ships in three sizes and long, port-packed itineraries, with gratuities, Wi-Fi and specialty dining included. Both draw well-traveled guests over 55; Viking is simpler, Oceania more indulgent.
Virgin Voyages vs CelebrityVirgin Voyages is the pick for adults who want a hip, kid-free cruise with every restaurant included, no buffet, tips and basic Wi-Fi in the fare and a nightlife-meets-wellness vibe. Celebrity Cruises is the pick for travelers who want a polished premium cruise with a far wider choice of itineraries, from Alaska to the Galápagos, upscale Retreat suites and the option to bring children. Virgin is playful and irreverent; Celebrity is refined and quietly modern.
Virgin Voyages vs NorwegianVirgin Voyages is the better choice for adults who want a stylish, kid-free cruise where every restaurant, gratuities and basic Wi-Fi are already paid for. Norwegian Cruise Line is the better choice for groups that include kids or teens, for travelers who want Hawaii, Alaska, Bermuda or a wide spread of European routes, and for anyone who wants an open bar bundled in through Free at Sea. Both are casual and flexible; Virgin is cooler and more curated, NCL bigger and broader.
Windstar vs AzamaraWindstar Cruises suits travelers who want a genuinely small ship, from 148-guest sailing yachts to 312-guest all-suite power yachts, with a water-sports platform, an open bridge and access to tiny harbors in Tahiti, Costa Rica and the Mediterranean. Azamara is better for travelers who want a slightly bigger ship of about 700 guests with house drinks and gratuities included, late nights and overnights in port, and more onboard variety. Windstar feels like a private yacht; Azamara like a boutique hotel.