Cunard vs Royal Caribbean: Ocean Liner Tradition vs Modern Mega-Ship

Choose Cunard if you want to dress for dinner and feel the hum of a proper ship crossing an ocean. Choose Royal Caribbean if you want waterslides, Broadway shows and enough restaurants to visit a different one each night. These two lines operate in completely different universes, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.

Cunard builds ocean liners. Royal Caribbean builds floating resorts. That’s not marketing speak, it’s engineering. Queen Mary 2 was designed to handle North Atlantic swells at speed. Royal Caribbean’s mega-ships were designed to fit as many hot tubs, ice rinks and climbing walls as physics allows. Both approaches work brilliantly, but they work for entirely different holidays.

This guide covers the fundamental differences between Cunard and Royal Caribbean, from ship design and onboard culture to dining, dress codes, and which traveller will feel at home on each line.

What Each Line Actually Represents

• Cunard operates three ships that consciously evoke the golden age of ocean travel. The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship and her sisters aren’t theme parks. They’re proper vessels with ballrooms, libraries that smell like books, and afternoon tea served with ceremony. Queen Mary 2 remains the only ship in service purpose-built for regular transatlantic crossings, with a reinforced hull and the power to maintain schedule regardless of weather.
• Royal Caribbean runs the world’s largest cruise ships, and they’ve earned that title by stacking amenities vertically. Their Oasis-class vessels carry over 6,000 passengers across seven distinct neighbourhoods. You’ll find robot bartenders, surf simulators, zip lines suspended nine decks up, and entire outdoor amphitheatres. The Royal Caribbean cruises experience prioritises choice, activity and spectacle.
• The philosophical gap matters more than the size difference. Cunard designs voyages where the ship itself provides the entertainment through elegance and maritime tradition. Royal Caribbean designs floating resorts where you could forget you’re at sea entirely.

Heritage vs Innovation

• Cunard was founded in 1840 and crosses the Atlantic on schedule like a very civilised bus service
• Royal Caribbean launched in 1968 and immediately started bolting unconventional features onto cruise ships
• Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 carries a kennel because transatlantic passengers bring their dogs
• Royal Caribbean’s newest ships carry ice skating rinks because someone asked “why not?”
• Cunard passengers discuss which formal outfit to pack
• Royal Caribbean passengers discuss which dining package to buy

The Ships Themselves

Size tells only part of the story. Queen Mary 2 measures roughly 150,000 gross tonnes and carries around 2,600 passengers. Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class giants exceed 225,000 gross tonnes with over 6,000 guests. But gross tonnage measures volume, not experience.

Cunard’s ships feel deliberately spacious. Public rooms spread horizontally with high ceilings and considered proportions. The Queens Room on Queen Mary 2 functions as a proper ballroom with a sprung dance floor. The library spans two decks and stocks 8,000 books. Corridors run straight and wide. Everything suggests permanence and unhurried luxury.

Design Element	Cunard Approach	Royal Caribbean Approach
Public Spaces	Traditional rooms with single purposes, formal layouts	Multi-use neighbourhoods, flexible event spaces
Deck Plan	Linear and logical, easy to navigate	Vertical with multiple atriums, takes days to learn
Outdoor Areas	Promenade decks for walking, reading nooks	Pools, waterslides, sports courts, performance venues
Aesthetic	Art Deco touches, maritime paintings, wood panelling	Contemporary glass and steel, bold colours, digital displays
Noise Levels	Libraries enforce silence, most areas naturally quiet	Constant background music, announcements, activity

Royal Caribbean’s mega-ships organise themselves into themed zones. Central Park on Oasis-class vessels contains living plants and feels oddly peaceful despite sitting mid-ship on deck eight. The Boardwalk area wraps around the stern with a carousel and outdoor dining. The Royal Promenade runs down the interior like an indoor high street with parades and shops.

Cabin Realities

• Cunard’s standard cabins feel compact but beautifully finished with proper drawer space and thick towels
• Royal Caribbean’s inside cabins can feel utilitarian, but their balcony cabins offer better value comparatively
• Cunard’s Grills suites include dedicated restaurants, butler service and genuinely separate lounges
• Royal Caribbean’s suite class gets you access to coastal kitchen, priority everything and a dedicated sun deck
• Solo travellers pay through the nose on Cunard unless booking specific single cabins
• Royal Caribbean offers more solo-friendly interior cabins though still with supplements on most

Onboard Culture and Daily Rhythm

• Cunard passengers don’t rush. The daily programme lists lectures, classical recitals, production shows and not much else. Formal nights happen frequently, and people genuinely enjoy them rather than tolerating them. You’ll spot passengers reading actual books in public areas. Conversation happens at normal volumes. The bars get busy before and after dinner but empty by midnight.
• Royal Caribbean passengers have schedules. The daily planner resembles a small magazine with activities starting before breakfast and running past midnight. Game shows, fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, trivia contests, dive-in movies, live music across multiple venues, and that’s before dinner. The energy level stays high. Silence happens only when everyone’s asleep.
• Both approaches attract their ideal passenger, but mixing them up leads to disappointment. If you thrive on constant activity options and variety, Cunard will bore you senseless by day three. If you prefer elegant restraint and predictable routines, Royal Caribbean’s relentless programming will feel exhausting.

Dress Codes That Matter

• Cunard enforces dress codes with British politeness but genuine firmness. Gala evenings require black tie or dark suits for men, formal dresses or smart separates for women. The main dining rooms will turn away jeans, shorts and trainers even on informal nights. Pack accordingly or eat elsewhere.
• Royal Caribbean suggests smart casual most nights with optional formal nights where some passengers dress up and others don’t bother. The main dining room accepts most clothing that isn’t swimwear or vest tops. Specialty restaurants raise the bar slightly but nothing like Cunard’s standards.

Dining and Food Quality

• Cunard operates traditional assigned dining in grand restaurants with set seating times. Your table assignment stays consistent throughout the voyage. Your waiters remember your preferences. The menu changes nightly with classic European dishes done properly rather than adventurously. Think beef Wellington, Dover sole, and proper cheese courses. The quality sits firmly in the very good category without quite reaching exceptional.
• The Grills experience on Cunard justifies the upcharge if you can afford it. Single-seating dining, expanded menus, better wines by the glass, and service that remembers you actually want still water with no ice. It transforms the entire cruise experience.
• Royal Caribbean offers bewildering choice. The main dining room operates with flexible dining or assigned times. Windjammer buffet stays open most of the day. Café Pronto does acceptable coffee. The boardwalk has Johnny Rockets. Sorrentos makes pizza. Park Café serves deli sandwiches. That’s before specialty restaurants like Chops Grille for steaks, Izumi for Japanese, Giovanni’s Table for Italian, and Chef’s Table for the full show.

What Food Actually Tastes Like

• Cunard’s main dining room produces consistent, traditional dishes without fireworks
• Royal Caribbean’s main dining room ranges from good to mediocre depending on your order
• Cunard’s buffet feels restrained with better quality ingredients but less variety
• Royal Caribbean’s buffet runs the full spectrum from excellent carving stations to depressing pasta
• Specialty restaurants on both lines significantly outperform included dining
• Afternoon tea on Cunard remains the genuine article with proper loose leaf and finger sandwiches
• Royal Caribbean’s café coffee beats Cunard’s automatic machine situation

Meal Type	Cunard	Royal Caribbean
Breakfast	Full English in restaurant, adequate buffet	Massive buffet spread, made-to-order stations
Lunch	Formal restaurant or deck buffet	Eight different venues with completely different food
Afternoon Tea	The main event with ceremony	Exists but nobody really cares
Dinner	Jacket required, multiple courses, slow service	Smart casual, varied cuisines, efficient service
Late Night	Sandwiches and soup in the buffet	Pizza, café, room service, ice cream

Entertainment and Activities

• Cunard’s production shows feature proper vocalists performing musical theatre standards. The Royal Court Theatre presents plays, classical concerts and variety performances. Guest speakers lecture on history, literature, politics and maritime subjects. The planetarium on Queen Mary 2 runs throughout the day. Dancing matters here, with proper orchestras in the Queens Room and dance hosts for single ladies.
• The entertainment assumes you appreciate watching skilled performers rather than participating. Bingo happens. Trivia happens. But mostly you’re expected to entertain yourself through reading, conversation and contemplation. It works beautifully for some people and feels like punishment to others.
• Royal Caribbean employs entire teams to keep passengers occupied. Broadway shows run in proper theatres with full sets and aerial performers. Ice skating spectaculars happen in the evening, with public skating sessions during the day. AquaTheater shows combine high diving, acrobatics and water features. Live music plays simultaneously across six venues. Comedy shows run twice nightly.

Active Options

• Cunard’s gym overlooks the bow with proper equipment and few users
• Royal Caribbean’s fitness facilities span multiple decks with classes constantly running
• Cunard passengers walk laps on the promenade deck and call it exercise
• Royal Caribbean passengers rock climb, surf, play basketball and zip-line between activities
• Both lines offer spa facilities, though Royal Caribbean’s are considerably larger
• Cunard’s pools remain calm and swimmable
• Royal Caribbean’s pools get so crowded you mostly stand in them

Itineraries and Routes

• Cunard owns the transatlantic crossing market completely. Queen Mary 2 sails between Southampton and New York regularly, turning ocean travel into the destination itself. Seven nights at sea with no ports allows the ship’s culture to develop properly. Passengers settle into routines, dress codes matter more, and the voyage takes on significance beyond transport.
• Beyond crossings, Cunard focuses on longer European itineraries, world cruises, and upmarket destinations. You’ll find Norwegian fjords, Mediterranean classics, and occasional Caribbean winters. The cruises from UK ports dominate their schedule, with Southampton serving as the primary base.
• Royal Caribbean sails everywhere constantly. Caribbean itineraries from Florida run year-round with ships swapping out seasonally. Alaska summers bring multiple ships north. Mediterranean seasons pack in port-intensive itineraries. Asia, Australia, and South America all feature. The route variety exceeds Cunard’s tenfold.

Port Experience Differences

• Cunard tends toward longer port stays and expects passengers will explore independently or book third-party tours. Shore excursions get offered but without the hard sell. The assumption is you’re capable of reading a map.
• Royal Caribbean pushes shore excursions aggressively through onboard presentations, app notifications and corridor posters. Their tours work efficiently with good timing, but you pay extra for that convenience. Independent exploration works fine if you’re comfortable navigating unfamiliar cities.

Who Actually Sails Each Line

• Cunard attracts older passengers predominantly, though not exclusively. Expect well-travelled couples in their sixties and seventies who value tradition and understand why dress codes exist. Transatlantic crossings particularly draw retired professionals, academics, and people wealthy enough to spend a week at sea for the experience rather than the destination. British passengers dominate, with Americans increasing on transatlantic routes.
• Multi-generational families appear rarely on Cunard outside school holidays. The few children onboard during summer get supervised programmes but won’t find peers in quantity. This isn’t a criticism, it’s intentional design. The Cunard cruise line knows exactly what it offers and who wants it.
• Royal Caribbean skews younger with substantial family presence. School holidays bring hordes of children, teenagers and exhausted parents. The supervised kids clubs work brilliantly, giving parents actual adult time. Outside school terms, you’ll find active couples in their forties through sixties, friend groups, and multi-generational gatherings. Americans dominate Caribbean sailings, with more international mix on European routes.

Solo Traveller Perspective

• Cunard’s Grills class offers hosted tables where solo travellers can dine together without awkwardness
• Royal Caribbean’s solo cabins exist on newer ships but get booked quickly
• Cunard provides gentlemen dance hosts, which solo female passengers either love or find peculiar
• Royal Caribbean’s activity-heavy programming makes meeting people easier
• Both lines charge solo supplements on most cabins, though Royal Caribbean’s tend toward lower percentages

Value and Cost Reality

• Cunard prices itself as premium without quite reaching luxury. Expect to pay more than mainstream lines but less than true luxury operators. The fare includes more than Royal Caribbean’s base fare, with gratuities increasingly included on UK bookings, though speciality dining and drinks still cost extra. The Grills experience adds considerable cost but transforms the cruise entirely.
• Royal Caribbean operates on lower base fares with extensive upcharges. Drink packages, specialty dining, shore excursions, photos, spa services, and internet access add up quickly. Budget-conscious passengers can stick to included options and enjoy themselves. Those wanting premium experiences will spend substantially more than the base fare suggests.
• Comparing absolute cost gets complicated because the products differ so fundamentally. A transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2 costs more than a week-long Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean, but you’re buying completely different holidays. The seven-day Caribbean sailing visits four ports with constant activities. The transatlantic crossing visits no ports and focuses entirely on shipboard life.

What’s Included Baseline

Inclusion	Cunard	Royal Caribbean
Main Dining	Included, multiple courses	Included, multiple venues
Buffet	Included throughout day	Included throughout day
Room Service	Included with limited menu	Included with delivery fee
Entertainment	All shows and lectures included	All shows and activities included
Gratuities	Often included on UK bookings	Extra charge added automatically
Alcohol	Extra except Grills class	Extra, packages available
Speciality Dining	Extra except Grills restaurants	Extra across numerous venues
Internet	Expensive and slow	Expensive with package options

Making the Right Choice

• Choose Cunard if you genuinely enjoy dressing for dinner rather than tolerating it. If your ideal evening involves a proper ballroom with live orchestra rather than a nightclub with DJ, you’ve found your line. The what makes Cunard different from other lines comes down to maintaining maritime traditions that most operators abandoned decades ago.
• Cunard works beautifully for couples marking special occasions, retired travellers who value elegance over activity, and anyone who fantasises about golden age ocean travel. If you’ve compared Cunard vs Princess cruises, Cunard vs P and O, or Cunard vs Celebrity cruises, you already understand Cunard sits apart from mainstream cruise lines.
• Choose Royal Caribbean if you want options, variety and constant stimulation. Families with children belong here without question. Active couples who get bored easily will appreciate the programming depth. First-time cruisers often suit Royal Caribbean better because the ships offer enough variety to discover what aspects of cruising they actually enjoy. The spotlight on Royal Caribbean cruises remains firmly on innovation and entertainment value.

Split Decision Scenarios

• You want luxury but have teenagers: Royal Caribbean’s suite class solves this problem
• You want tradition but need wheelchair access: Both lines handle accessibility, though Royal Caribbean’s newer ships edge ahead
• You want formality but your partner wants waterslides: Book separate holidays
• You want transatlantic crossings: Cunard remains the only real option
• You want Caribbean sun: Royal Caribbean offers better value and more frequent departures
• You want to feel like you’ve sailed rather than stayed at a resort: Cunard delivers this consistently

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you wear jeans on Cunard cruises?

Not in the main dining rooms during dinner service, even on informal nights. Jeans work fine during the day around the ship and in the buffet restaurant, but pack proper trousers or dresses for evening dining.

Are Royal Caribbean ships too big?

Only if you dislike crowds, noise and navigating complex deck plans. The size provides variety and choice but creates queues at popular venues and embarkation ports. Smaller Royal Caribbean ships exist if mega-ships feel overwhelming.

Which line suits multi-generational families better?

Royal Caribbean wins decisively for families spanning grandparents to young children. The kids clubs work brilliantly, activities suit all ages, and dining flexibility prevents mealtime battles. Cunard’s formal atmosphere frustrates most children and their parents.

Do you need formal wear for Royal Caribbean?

Technically no. Formal nights happen but dressing up remains optional. Smart casual works throughout the ship. Some passengers enjoy formal nights while others ignore them completely without consequence.

Which line offers better value for money?

Depends entirely on what you value. Royal Caribbean’s lower base fares look attractive until extras accumulate. Cunard’s higher fares include more baseline, particularly in Grills class. Calculate total expected spending rather than comparing brochure prices.

Can you sail Cunard alone comfortably?

Yes, particularly in Grills class where hosted tables and dance hosts facilitate socialising. Solo supplements hurt financially, but the formal dining structure means you won’t eat alone unless you prefer to. The library and quiet spaces suit solo travellers perfectly.

Which line has better food quality?

Cunard’s consistent quality edges ahead in the main dining room, though Royal Caribbean’s variety means you’ll find excellent options somewhere onboard. Both lines’ specialty restaurants significantly outperform included dining.

Are transatlantic crossings boring?

Gloriously so if you enjoy reading, conversation, and watching the ocean. Dreadfully so if you need constant activity. The lack of ports removes distractions and allows proper rest, which appeals to some personalities and horrifies others. Pack a comfortable travel pillow for those long afternoons reading on deck.

Do Royal Caribbean’s extra costs make it more expensive overall?

Potentially yes if you want drink packages, specialty dining, internet, and shore excursions. Passengers sticking strictly to included options still enjoy themselves. Calculate your likely spending honestly before booking. Keep your devices charged with a reliable portable charger since both lines charge for internet packages.

Why Trust About2Cruise

• I’m Jo. I’ve sailed both lines multiple times including Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossings and Royal Caribbean mega-ships to compare the experiences directly. I always travel with compression packing cubes to maximise cabin storage in those compact spaces.
• We update this comparison whenever either line changes ships, pricing structure, or included offerings that affect passenger experience.
• We make nothing if you book Cunard over Royal Caribbean or vice versa. Our recommendations reflect what actually suits different traveller types, not commission rates.

  Last Updated: 26 February 2026