Celebrity Cruises vs Cunard Line

The core difference

Celebrity Cruises and Cunard Line both sit above the mainstream and both attract educated, well-travelled couples — yet the brands could hardly feel more different once you step aboard. Celebrity builds design-forward ships that win architecture awards and push boundaries with innovations like the Magic Carpet and Infinite Verandas. Cunard operates four ocean liners steeped in 185 years of maritime tradition, including Queen Mary 2 — the only purpose-built transatlantic liner still in service, carrying the RMS designation as a Royal Mail Ship and the only vessel in the world built to maintain schedule through North Atlantic heavy weather.

Here is the insight that most comparison articles miss: these two lines overlap far more than their marketing suggests. Cunard positions itself as luxury, but Britannia class — where most passengers sail — is a premium experience on ships that share hull platforms with Carnival Corporation sisters. Celebrity positions itself as premium, but The Retreat suite experience delivers luxury-line inclusions that exceed what Cunard’s Queens Grill offers at comparable pricing. The overlap sits precisely in the middle, where a Cunard Britannia Club balcony and a Celebrity All Included veranda deliver similar value at similar per-diems, with radically different atmospheres.

The real difference is emotional. Cunard asks what luxury has always been — tradition, hierarchy, formal social ritual, and the romance of ocean travel. Celebrity asks what luxury looks like today — contemporary design, culinary innovation, relaxed elegance, and a social atmosphere that feels effortless rather than prescribed. For Australian travellers, the choice is rarely about quality. Both lines deliver quality. The choice is about which version of yourself you want to be on holiday — the one who dresses for a gala evening and dances a foxtrot in the Queens Room, or the one who sips a cocktail on the Magic Carpet watching the sunset in smart casual.

In my 21 years advising travellers, I have found that the clients who love Cunard love it with a depth that borders on devotion. The same is true of Celebrity loyalists. Both groups are right. The trick is matching the traveller to the brand.

What is actually included

This is the comparison point where the fine print matters most, because both lines have different packaging models that make headline fares misleading.

Cunard’s base fare includes: accommodation in your assigned stateroom category; breakfast, lunch, and dinner in your assigned restaurant (Britannia Restaurant, Britannia Club, Princess Grill, or Queens Grill depending on cabin); daily afternoon tea with white-glove service in the Queens Room; tea, coffee, water, and fruit juice throughout the day in buffet areas; all entertainment including shows, live music, and Cunard Insights enrichment lectures; pool, gym, and sports court access; and room service breakfast between 7am and 10am for all categories. Grills and Britannia Club guests receive complimentary room service around the clock; Britannia guests are now charged outside breakfast hours following a controversial policy change in June 2025.

Cunard’s base fare does not include: alcoholic and premium non-alcoholic beverages; speciality dining surcharges; Wi-Fi packages; gratuities at approximately US$17 per person per night for Britannia and US$19 for Grills; shore excursions; spa treatments; and drinks packages ranging from approximately US$67.50 to $95 per person per day. Critically, even in the Queens Grill — where suites can exceed US$12,000 per voyage — drinks at bars and restaurants, Wi-Fi, and gratuities are all charged separately. This is the most common criticism of Cunard’s value proposition at the top end: at price points where Regent Seven Seas and Silversea include everything, Cunard still sends you a bar bill.

Queens Grill additions include: dedicated butler service, two bottles of spirits or wine, complimentary minibar with unlimited soft drinks, embarkation champagne, daily canapes, Penhaligon bath amenities, Illy espresso machine, fresh flowers, and personalised stationery. Princess Grill additions include: sparkling wine on arrival, Penhaligon amenities, concierge service, and priority embarkation — but no butler, which is the key differentiator from Queens Grill.

Celebrity’s Cruise-Only fare includes: stateroom accommodation; main dining room meals and buffet; basic entertainment and shows; pool and fitness centre access; and room service with a $9.95 delivery fee plus 20 per cent gratuity per delivery.

Celebrity’s All Included fare adds (approximately US$70–$85 per person per day above base fare): a Classic Beverage Package covering cocktails, beer, wine, and speciality coffees; and basic Wi-Fi. This is the package most Australian travellers book. However, it excludes gratuities — which were removed from All Included in October 2023 and now run US$18–$23 per person per day depending on stateroom category. It also excludes shore excursions, speciality dining surcharges, and thermal spa access.

Celebrity’s Retreat (suite class) includes: Premium Beverage Package, Premium Wi-Fi, unlimited speciality dining at all surcharge restaurants, complimentary stocked minibar replenished daily, dedicated butler service, Luminae private restaurant with Daniel Boulud-designed menus, Retreat Lounge and Sundeck access, and priority embarkation. This is Celebrity’s genuinely all-inclusive tier and — here is the crucial point — it includes more than Cunard’s Queens Grill at comparable or lower pricing. A Celebrity Sky Suite guest gets premium drinks, premium Wi-Fi, butler service, and unlimited speciality dining bundled in. A Cunard Queens Grill guest at a similar per-diem pays for all drinks and Wi-Fi on top.

For Australian travellers budgeting a cruise holiday, the total cost with Cunard can creep substantially beyond the advertised fare. Celebrity’s All Included model, while imperfect since the gratuity removal, provides better cost transparency.

Dining and culinary experience

Cunard’s dining is built on hierarchy and tradition. Celebrity’s is built on variety and innovation. Both serve quality food, but the experience of eating aboard each line is fundamentally different.

Cunard’s dining revolves around the Grills system. Your restaurant is determined by your cabin category. The Britannia Restaurant — seating over 1,000 on Queen Mary 2 — serves the majority of passengers with multi-course menus featuring British and Continental European cuisine, fixed or open dining, and White Star Service. The Britannia Club Restaurant offers the same menu base in a more intimate setting with flexible timing and a reserved table for your entire voyage. The Princess Grill serves enhanced menus with premium ingredients in an exclusive single-seating restaurant for Princess Grill suite guests. The Queens Grill, Cunard’s finest included restaurant, delivers bespoke menus with an “any dish, any time” philosophy — if you want lobster thermidor for breakfast, they will make it.

Beyond the main restaurants, Cunard’s speciality dining has evolved significantly with Queen Anne. The newest ship introduced four surcharge venues: Aranya (Indian, developed by Chef Jolly, approximately US$31.50–$35), Aji Wa (Japanese, with a 7-course Omakase tasting menu at US$62), Tramonto (Mediterranean, approximately US$18.50–$20), and Sir Samuel’s Steakhouse and Grill (lunch from US$31.50, dinner from US$58.50–$65). On the older ships — Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth — the only surcharge option is The Verandah steakhouse (lunch approximately US$25, dinner approximately US$45). The Golden Lion pub serves Michel Roux-designed pub fare including fish and chips, mostly included. Queen Elizabeth’s 2025 refit added Michel Roux-designed Gala Evening menus to the Britannia Restaurant.

Celebrity offers far more dining breadth. On Edge-class ships, the main dining room is divided into four themed restaurants — Normandie, Tuscan, Cosmopolitan, and Cyprus — sharing the same nightly menu but each with unique ambience and regionally inspired exclusive dishes. The Oceanview Cafe buffet, Mast Grill, and Spa Cafe are all complimentary. Blu serves health-conscious cuisine exclusively for AquaClass guests. Luminae at The Retreat offers Daniel Boulud-designed menus exclusively for suite guests.

The speciality dining programme is where Celebrity pulls ahead in sheer variety. Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud serves French fine dining at US$125 per person for dinner or US$200 for the tasting menu on Beyond, Ascent, and Xcel. Fine Cut Steakhouse runs approximately US$55. Eden Restaurant delivers theatrical multi-sensory dining at approximately US$75. Le Petit Chef projects an animated culinary story directly onto your plate at approximately US$60 — genuinely unique at sea. Raw on 5 offers a la carte sushi. Murano serves French fine dining on Solstice-class ships at approximately US$40. Celebrity claims 29 total food and beverage experiences on Edge-class ships. A 20 per cent gratuity applies to all speciality dining.

The culinary comparison in practice: Cunard’s dining is traditional, well-executed, and anchored in British and European gastronomy — the Queens Grill experience is genuinely impeccable, and the afternoon tea service is the best at sea. Celebrity’s dining peaks higher at the top end with Daniel Boulud’s involvement as Global Culinary Ambassador lending genuine chef credibility, but the surcharges accumulate quickly. A couple dining at two speciality restaurants on a 7-night Celebrity sailing will spend an additional US$200–$400 before gratuities. For food-focused Australian travellers who enjoy variety and do not mind paying for it, Celebrity offers the stronger overall dining proposition. For travellers who want traditional formal dining where the restaurant itself is an occasion, Cunard’s Grills experience has no Celebrity equivalent.

Suites and accommodation

The suite philosophies reflect each brand’s broader identity — Cunard builds a visible class system, Celebrity builds a discreet ship-within-a-ship.

Cunard’s Grills system creates a four-tier accommodation hierarchy. Britannia Inside cabins start from approximately 152 square feet. Britannia Balcony runs approximately 228–472 square feet. Britannia Club Balcony, an intermediate tier with flexible dining and a reserved table, spans approximately 248–470 square feet. Princess Grill Suites range from approximately 335–513 square feet with exclusive restaurant access, Grills Lounge and Terrace, and concierge service. Queens Grill Suites range from the Queens Suite at approximately 484 square feet through Penthouse Suites at 532–647 square feet to the Grand Suite on Queen Anne at up to 1,440 square feet. Queen Mary 2 offers the Grand Duplex at approximately 2,249 square feet across two levels — the largest suite in the Cunard fleet.

Butler service on Cunard is reserved exclusively for Queens Grill guests. This means you must book the most expensive tier to receive a dedicated butler — there is no butler at Princess Grill level. The Grills experience functions as a genuine ship-within-a-ship: separate dining venues, an exclusive Grills Lounge and Terrace, a Grills Courtyard on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, dedicated concierge, and priority for everything from embarkation to tendering.

Celebrity’s Retreat is more egalitarian within its suite tier. Every suite category — from the entry-level Sky Suite at approximately 395–451 square feet total through the Celebrity Suite (445–603 square feet), Royal Suite (610–882 square feet), Penthouse Suite (1,488–2,530 square feet), to the Iconic Suite at 2,580 square feet with two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a veranda hot tub — receives the same Retreat benefits. Butler service starts at the Sky Suite level. That means Celebrity’s entry point for butler service is both smaller and less expensive than Cunard’s.

The Retreat includes the Luminae restaurant with Daniel Boulud menus, the Retreat Lounge with complimentary beverages and gourmet bites around the clock, the Retreat Sundeck with its own pool, hot tub, and cabanas, dedicated butler service with Butler Chat messaging, a Destination Experience Specialist, Premium Beverage and Wi-Fi packages, unlimited speciality dining, and a complimentary stocked minibar replenished daily.

Below the suite level, Celebrity offers more variety: Interior cabins from 181 square feet, Oceanview from 170 square feet, Veranda with the signature Infinite Veranda on Edge-class ships, Concierge Class at approximately 243 square feet with a dedicated concierge desk and priority dining, and AquaClass — a spa-focused stateroom category with exclusive Blu restaurant access and complimentary SEA Thermal Suite entry.

The distinction for Australian travellers: Cunard’s class system is visible and pervasive — your dining room is determined by your cabin, and Grills passengers inhabit genuinely separate spaces. Celebrity’s Retreat is more discreet; outside their private areas, suite guests mix freely with all passengers. Australians generally have an egalitarian streak and may find Cunard’s overt hierarchy either uncomfortable or aspirational depending on temperament. Celebrity’s approach tends to sit more naturally with Australian sensibilities.

Pricing and value

Comparing headline fares without accounting for inclusions produces a misleading picture. I walk clients through total cost regularly, and the results often surprise them.

At entry level, base fares are remarkably similar. A 7-night Mediterranean cruise in a Cunard Britannia Inside cabin starts from approximately US$170 per night. A Celebrity Inside cabin on an Edge-class ship starts from approximately US$150–$220 per night. Cunard can appear cheaper because less is included. Once you add Cunard’s drinks package (approximately US$500–$665 per person for 7 nights), Wi-Fi, and gratuities (approximately US$119 per person for 7 nights), the gap narrows or reverses compared to Celebrity’s All Included fare.

At the mid-tier level, a Cunard Britannia Club Balcony runs from approximately US$2,000–$3,500 per person for 7 nights. A Celebrity Veranda on All Included runs from approximately US$2,200–$3,200 per person. Very similar once inclusions are factored in. Cunard Britannia Club offers a dedicated restaurant and typically more space; Celebrity All Included bundles drinks and Wi-Fi.

At suite level, the value equation shifts dramatically in Celebrity’s favour. A Cunard Princess Grill starts from approximately US$4,000–$7,000 per person for 7 nights. A Cunard Queens Grill ranges from approximately US$6,000–$15,000 or more. A Celebrity Sky Suite in The Retreat starts from approximately US$4,000–$7,000 per person. The Celebrity suite includes premium drinks, premium Wi-Fi, unlimited speciality dining, and butler service. The Cunard Queens Grill at comparable pricing charges separately for all drinks and Wi-Fi — adding easily US$125–$250 per person per day when drinks, Wi-Fi, tips, and speciality dining are tallied. The total cost of a Cunard Queens Grill voyage can exceed a Celebrity Retreat voyage while delivering fewer inclusions.

Where Cunard’s value proposition is strongest and genuinely unmatched: the transatlantic crossing and world voyages. No Celebrity product competes with a 7-night QM2 crossing from Southampton to New York, and no Celebrity itinerary matches the scale of Cunard’s 108-night world voyage with bookable sectors from as little as 5 nights. These are unique products where pricing comparisons become irrelevant because there is no equivalent.

For Australian travellers, promotional pricing on both lines shifts the equation regularly. Celebrity runs “up to 75 per cent off second guest” promotions, onboard credit offers of up to $600, and bundled package deals. Cunard offers complimentary drinks packages and included hotel and dining service charges on Grills bookings of 5 or more nights. The smartest approach is to compare total cost for your specific sailing, including every extra you plan to use.

Spa and wellness

Both lines offer quality spa facilities, though the operators, design philosophy, and inclusion models differ.

Cunard’s Mareel Wellness and Beauty was developed in partnership with Canyon Ranch and has been rolled out across all four ships. Queen Anne, the newest vessel, features the most comprehensive facilities: an infrared sauna with sea views, Himalayan salt sauna, dry sauna, steam room, cold room, a private couples suite with steam room and soaker bath overlooking the ocean, cryo-body therapy (unique to Queen Anne at sea), micro-needling, and biotech facials. The Pavilion Wellness Studio offers yoga and meditation classes with ocean views. The Harper’s Bazaar Wellness at Sea programme, launched in January 2024, provides curated wellness packages with spa treatments, nutritional menus, and ELEMIS products. The thermal suite and hydrotherapy centre are surcharge facilities — approximately US$49 per 2-hour session on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, US$59 on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Anne, with weekly passes at approximately US$179. The gym and swimming pools are complimentary.

Celebrity’s spa is operated by Canyon Ranch — a longstanding partnership that predates Cunard’s arrangement with the same group. On Edge-class ships, The Spa features the SEA Thermal Suite with eight distinct therapeutic spaces: a Turkish hammam with body polish service, simulated rain showers from warm to cool, a Crystal Room, Salt Room, Infrared Sauna, and Float Room with zero-gravity loungers. This is a more extensive thermal facility than any on Cunard’s fleet. However, it is only complimentary for AquaClass guests — all others pay for day passes, with weekly passes running approximately US$219. Solstice-class ships feature the Persian Garden with heated stone loungers and aromatic showers, also restricted to AquaClass guests. Treatments span over 120 options including Canyon Ranch signature facials, massage therapies, Asian Touch and Reiki healing energy therapies, acupuncture, and chiropractic therapy on select ships. The fitness centre and group classes — yoga, Pilates, cycling — are complimentary for all guests.

The practical comparison: both lines charge for thermal suite access and spa treatments, making this more even than the Celebrity-versus-Viking spa comparison where Viking includes thermal access for all. Celebrity’s SEA Thermal Suite is the more impressive facility, but Cunard’s Queen Anne introduces several innovations — cryo-body therapy and Himalayan salt sauna — that narrow the gap. For Australian travellers who prioritise wellness, booking AquaClass on Celebrity provides daily thermal suite access and the exclusive Blu restaurant, creating a wellness-focused mini-tier that Cunard does not offer at a comparable price point.

Entertainment and enrichment

This is where the two lines diverge most sharply, and where personal preference matters more than any objective quality ranking.

Cunard is unmatched for intellectual enrichment. The Cunard Insights programme delivered over 430 speakers and 2,000-plus talks across the fleet in 2024 — the largest such programme at sea. Speakers include historians, explorers, diplomats, politicians, scientists, authors, and filmmakers, with dedicated schedules published by voyage. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) partnership is unique in the cruise industry — RADA performers stage short theatrical productions and run acting workshops on selected voyages. Queen Mary 2 houses the only planetarium at sea in its Illuminations theatre, with daily shows projected on a dome-like screen. The English National Ballet performs on select voyages. The Queens Room — the largest ballroom at sea — hosts formal balls with a live 8-piece orchestra, ballroom and Latin dance nights, and employs professional Gentlemen Hosts as dance partners for solo female passengers. Well-stocked libraries on every ship (Queen Mary 2 carries over 3,000 books) support a reading culture that is central to the Cunard day. This enrichment-forward approach means Cunard’s sea days are genuinely fulfilling for curious minds — the Transatlantic Crossing, with five consecutive sea days, is built around these programmes.

Celebrity delivers contemporary entertainment. The Theatre on Edge-class ships hosts Broadway-style productions including “Arte” — combining dance, high-flying acrobatics, and visual effects choreographed by a London West End director. Eden on Edge, Apex, Beyond, and Ascent is a three-storey glass-wrapped venue that transitions from “chillful” mornings through “playful” afternoons to “sinful” evenings with aerialists, dancers, and interactive performance. The Bazaar on Celebrity Xcel replaced Eden with a rotating three-storey multi-sensory space featuring destination-inspired festivals. Multiple bars feature live pianists, ensembles, and bands. The Martini Bar’s flair bartenders are a Celebrity institution. Full-scale casinos operate nightly — larger and more active than Cunard’s more modest gaming rooms. Celebrity Xcel debuted the line’s biggest entertainment lineup to date with immersive shows, live music experiences, interactive games, and dance parties. The enrichment programme includes destination-focused lectures, wine tastings, and cooking classes — competent but not the centrepiece that Cunard Insights represents.

For Australian travellers: if you prioritise nightlife, production entertainment, and a social atmosphere that runs past 10pm, Celebrity delivers options Cunard simply does not have. If you value intellectual engagement, cultural programming, and the unique experience of ballroom dancing at sea, Cunard is without peer. The divide is genuine — Cunard evenings wind down earlier and run quieter, which some find restorative and others find too still.

Fleet and destination coverage

The fleet comparison reveals fundamentally different strategies — Celebrity offers breadth across 16 ships, Cunard offers four individually distinctive vessels.

Celebrity operates 16 ocean ships across three classes. The five Edge-class ships (Celebrity Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent, and Xcel, built 2018–2025) are the flagship product at 130,818 to 141,420 gross tonnes carrying 2,918 to 3,260 guests. Five Solstice-class ships (2008–2012) at 122,000–126,000 gross tonnes carry approximately 2,852–3,046 guests. Four Millennium-class ships (2000–2002) at 90,940 gross tonnes carry 2,170–2,218 guests. Celebrity Flora (2019, 100 guests) is a purpose-built all-suites Galapagos expedition vessel. A sixth Edge-class ship, Celebrity Xcite, is under construction for 2028 delivery. Celebrity is also building a river fleet — 20 ships planned by 2031, with the first two (Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker) due 2027 on European rivers.

This fleet deploys across the Caribbean (up to 9 ships from Florida), Mediterranean (7 ships from Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Southampton, Amsterdam), Alaska (3 ships from Seattle and Vancouver), Australia and New Zealand (2 ships from Sydney and Auckland, growing to 4 by 2027/28), Asia (2 ships with extended port stays across 49 destinations), Northern Europe, South America, and the Galapagos year-round.

Cunard operates four ships, each a distinct proposition. Queen Mary 2 (2004, 148,528 GT, 2,691 guests) is the irreplaceable flagship — the only purpose-built transatlantic ocean liner in service, with a reinforced hull carrying 40 per cent more steel than a standard cruise ship, four stabilisers reducing roll by 90 per cent, and a service speed of 26 knots. Queen Victoria (2007, 90,049 GT, 2,061 guests) and Queen Elizabeth (2010, 90,400 GT, 2,081 guests) are sister ships on the Vista-class platform. Queen Anne (2024, 113,000 GT, 2,996 guests) is the newest and largest by passenger capacity — the first new Cunard ship in 14 years.

Cunard’s unique transatlantic crossing — Southampton to New York aboard QM2, typically 7 nights, multiple sailings per year — is a product no other cruise line offers. The annual world voyages are equally distinctive: the 2026 season saw two simultaneous world voyages for the first time, with QM2 sailing a 108-night westbound itinerary including its first-ever Panama Canal transit and Queen Anne sailing an eastbound route. World voyage segments are bookable from as little as 5 nights. Queen Elizabeth now operates year-round from North America — Alaska from Seattle in summer, Caribbean from Miami in winter.

The destination coverage overlap is substantial — both lines serve the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, and Asia. But Cunard’s transatlantic crossing and world voyage programme have no Celebrity equivalent, and Celebrity’s Galapagos expedition programme has no Cunard equivalent.

Where each line excels

Celebrity excels in:

• Ship design innovation. The Edge-class is genuinely groundbreaking — the Magic Carpet, Infinite Verandas, Eden, and The Bazaar have no equivalents on any Cunard ship. These vessels feel architecturally ambitious in a way that sets them apart across the premium segment.
• The Retreat suite value. Butler service, Luminae restaurant, Premium Beverage and Wi-Fi packages, unlimited speciality dining, and private lounges and sundeck — all included from the entry-level Sky Suite. More comprehensive inclusions than Cunard’s Queens Grill at comparable pricing.
• Dining variety. Twenty-nine food and beverage experiences on Edge-class ships, Daniel Boulud’s culinary partnership, four themed main dining rooms, and immersive experiences like Le Petit Chef and Eden Restaurant. Celebrity offers more cuisines, more venues, and more innovation.
• Relaxed dress code. Evening Chic is explicitly no-tie, no-jacket-required — a natural fit for Australian travellers who prefer smart casual over formal wear.
• Australian deployment. Two ships from Sydney in 2025/26, growing to four ships by 2027/28 — Celebrity’s largest-ever Australian capacity. AUD pricing, dedicated Australian website, and local trade partnerships.
• Cross-brand loyalty. Captain’s Club status transfers to Royal Caribbean and Silversea, creating a pathway from mainstream to ultra-luxury across Australia’s most popular cruise group.

Cunard excels in:

• The transatlantic crossing. The only scheduled ocean liner service in the world. Seven nights aboard Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to New York — an experience that no other cruise line can replicate and one that defines bucket-list travel.
• Intellectual enrichment. The Cunard Insights programme with 430-plus speakers annually, RADA acting workshops, the only planetarium at sea, and the English National Ballet on select voyages. No premium line matches Cunard for cultural depth.
• Formal social ritual. Gala Evenings with themed balls, the daily afternoon tea ceremony with white-gloved service and live music, ballroom dancing in the Queens Room with a live orchestra and Gentlemen Hosts. For travellers who love the occasion of dressing up, Cunard creates evenings that feel genuinely special.
• World voyage access. Annual world voyages spanning 107–108 nights with bookable sectors from 5 nights. The ability to join in Sydney provides a unique Cunard experience without flying to the UK.
• Heritage and atmosphere. One hundred and eighty-five years of maritime tradition create an onboard culture that money alone cannot manufacture. The libraries, the wood panelling, the sense of crossing an ocean rather than cruising between ports — this is irreplaceable.
• The Grills experience. Queens Grill delivers genuine luxury with bespoke dining, butler service, exclusive lounges, and an intimate scale that makes you feel known by name by the second day.

Standout itineraries for Australian travellers

Celebrity

110-Night Grand Voyage — Alaska to Asia (Celebrity Solstice, departing 13 September 2026). Fifty-five unique destinations across 15 countries with 65 days ashore, routing from Alaska through the Pacific to Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, arriving Hong Kong on New Year’s Eve. Overnights in Phuket, Halong Bay, and Auckland. No repeated ports.

13-Night New Zealand Holiday Cruise (Celebrity Edge, roundtrip Sydney, December). Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, and seven New Zealand port stops on Celebrity’s flagship in Australian waters — an Edge-class ship through the fjords is a strong combination of innovative design and spectacular scenery.

18/19-Night Tahitian Treasures (Celebrity Edge, Sydney or Auckland to Tahiti). South Pacific island-hopping on an Edge-class ship, with departures in October 2025 and April and September 2026. One of the longest itineraries available from an Australian homeport on a premium line.

11-Night Great Barrier Reef (Celebrity Edge or Solstice, from Sydney). A nature-focused coastal itinerary that takes advantage of Celebrity’s Australian deployment, with overnight stays in Cairns available on 2026/27 season departures.

9-Night Australia Wine Journey (from Sydney). Hobart, Kangaroo Island, Adelaide, and Melbourne — a food-and-wine itinerary that plays to Celebrity’s culinary strengths, with overnight stays in Adelaide for the 2026/27 season.

Cunard

QM2 Transatlantic Crossing (7 nights, Southampton to New York or reverse, multiple departures year-round). The quintessential Cunard experience and the only scheduled ocean liner service in the world. Five consecutive sea days of Insights lectures, afternoon tea, ballroom dancing, and the romance of arriving in New York harbour. The voyage that put Cunard on the map 185 years ago remains its crown jewel.

QM2 World Voyage Sector — Sydney to Asia (from the 108-night full world voyage, joining or leaving in Sydney). The 2026 QM2 world voyage included a Sydney overnight on 4 March, with sectors bookable from Sydney to Hong Kong, Singapore, or Cape Town. Australians can experience Cunard without flying to the UK.

Queen Anne World Voyage Sectors (various lengths, eastbound routing). Queen Anne’s maiden world voyage in 2025 visited Sydney, Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Yorkeys Knob, and Darwin. Future world voyages are expected to maintain Australian port calls.

Queen Elizabeth Alaska from Seattle (7 to 12 nights, roundtrip Seattle, May–September 2026). Fifteen voyages through Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Haines, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, and Sitka. Extended 42-night options combining Alaska with Caribbean and Panama Canal. Accessible from Australia via direct flights to Seattle.

Queen Victoria Mediterranean (14 nights, Western and Eastern Mediterranean from Southampton and European ports). Cunard’s primary Mediterranean ship offers the formal British heritage experience through the Greek islands, Italian coast, and Adriatic — a distinctly different atmosphere from Celebrity’s Mediterranean programme.

Ship-by-ship recommendations

Queen Mary 2 — The only ship in the world purpose-built for transatlantic crossings, and Cunard’s flagship. Book QM2 specifically for the Transatlantic Crossing or to join a world voyage sector through Sydney. The planetarium, the 3,000-book library, and the scale of the ship (148,528 GT, the largest in Cunard’s fleet by tonnage) create an experience that even the other Cunard ships cannot replicate. Underwent a US$132 million refit in 2016.

Queen Anne — Cunard’s newest ship (maiden voyage May 2024) and the most modern in the fleet. Fifteen restaurants — more than any other Cunard vessel — including four dedicated speciality venues (Aranya, Aji Wa, Tramonto, Sir Samuel’s). Mareel Wellness with cryo-body therapy, Pavilion Wellness Studio, and the most comprehensive spa in the fleet. If you want to experience Cunard with a more contemporary edge, Queen Anne is the ship. Some reviewers have noted motion and stability issues in choppy seas, particularly in aft cabins.

Celebrity Edge — The best introduction to Celebrity for Australian travellers, having sailed three consecutive Australian seasons from Sydney. The Magic Carpet, Infinite Verandas, and Eden deliver the full Edge-class design experience in Australian waters. Book for Sydney departures to New Zealand, the Great Barrier Reef, or Tahiti.

Celebrity Xcel — The newest Celebrity ship (November 2025) and the most ambitious. The Bazaar replaces Eden with a rotating three-storey multi-sensory space. The biggest entertainment lineup in the fleet. Currently sailing Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale — not yet deployed to Australia, but worth seeking out for an international itinerary.

Celebrity Ascent — The newest of the original Edge-class dimensions (2023) and highly rated by reviewers. A strong choice for Mediterranean or Caribbean sailings.

A note on ship selection: Celebrity’s fleet spans 24 years of shipbuilding, and the experience varies meaningfully by ship class. Millennium-class ships (2000–2002) are significantly dated compared to Edge-class despite refurbishment. For a fair comparison with Cunard, sail an Edge-class Celebrity ship. Similarly, Cunard’s Queen Victoria (2007) and Queen Elizabeth (2010) feel their age compared to Queen Anne — the Grills experience remains strong on all ships, but the Britannia-class hardware is more impressive on the newer vessel.

For Australian travellers specifically

The Australian market story for these two lines is heading in opposite directions, and this matters enormously for local travellers.

Celebrity is expanding aggressively in Australia. Celebrity Edge has sailed three consecutive Australian seasons from Sydney. Celebrity Solstice joins the deployment each year. For 2026/27, the line has confirmed 33 ports and destinations including Kangaroo Island, with overnight stays in Adelaide and Cairns. By 2027/28, Celebrity has announced a four-ship Australian deployment — its largest-ever Australian guest capacity. The dedicated Australian website prices in AUD. Celebrity is bookable through Australian travel agent networks with strong local trade marketing. Seventeen sailings per season range from 4-night getaways to 14-night explorations, with seven itineraries focused on New Zealand. For Australian travellers who want to walk aboard without flying internationally, Celebrity is building a substantial local programme.

Cunard has withdrawn from Australian homeporting. Queen Elizabeth, Cunard’s Australia-based ship, departed Sydney for the last time in February 2025. The ship has been redeployed to year-round North American operations — Alaska from Seattle in summer, Caribbean from Miami in winter. This was a controversial decision that disappointed loyal Australian Cunard guests. Some industry commentary suggests the formal dress code may have been a barrier for the broader Australian market.

Australian access to Cunard is now limited to world voyage segments. Queen Mary 2’s 2026 world voyage included a Sydney overnight, and Queen Anne visited Sydney, Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Yorkeys Knob, and Darwin during its maiden world voyage in early 2025. Cunard has affirmed that “world voyages will always include Australia,” and both QM2 and Queen Anne are expected to return via world voyages. Sectors from Sydney are bookable from as little as 5 nights. But there is no dedicated Australian season, no consistent local deployment, and no certainty of scheduling until each year’s world voyage routing is announced.

The dress code question looms large for Australians. Cunard’s Gala Evenings require black tie or dark suit with tie for men and floor-length gowns or cocktail dresses for women. This dress code is enforced in main dining rooms and most public areas — guests who do not wish to dress up must dine in the Lido buffet on those evenings. Australian cruising culture overwhelmingly favours casual to smart-casual. Many Australians find enforced black tie uncomfortable or exclusionary. Celebrity’s Evening Chic is more aligned with Australian expectations — you can look sharp without packing a tuxedo, and the line explicitly states “there is no need to wear a tie.” For a subset of Australians who enjoy dressing up, Cunard’s formality is part of the appeal. But for the broader Australian market, it remains the single biggest booking barrier.

Loyalty pathway matters for frequent Australian cruisers. Celebrity’s Captain’s Club transfers across Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises via the Points Choice programme launched in January 2026. Given that Royal Caribbean is one of the most popular cruise lines in Australian waters — with multiple ships homeporting from Sydney — this creates a practical loyalty pathway: sail Royal Caribbean domestically, build status that carries to Celebrity, and eventually transfer to ultra-luxury Silversea. Cunard’s World Club has four tiers with modest benefits (the Diamond tier at 15 voyages or 150 nights offers a US$135 Wi-Fi credit and complimentary alternative dining) and no cross-brand matching within Carnival Corporation. With Australian homeporting ended, accumulating Cunard loyalty nights requires either catching the annual world voyage sector or flying internationally — a meaningful barrier for local travellers.

The onboard atmosphere

The atmosphere difference is the single biggest differentiator between these two lines, and in my experience it determines whether a client rebooks more than any pricing or inclusion comparison.

Cunard’s atmosphere is formal, Anglophile, and built around social ritual. The day has a structured rhythm: morning enrichment lectures in the theatre, afternoon tea at 3:30pm with white-gloved waiters serving from tiered stands while a harpist plays, cocktails in the Commodore Club before dinner, a multi-course formal meal in your assigned restaurant, and dancing in the Queens Room where an 8-piece orchestra plays and Gentlemen Hosts partner solo female travellers on the floor. On Gala Evenings — typically two to three per 7-night voyage — the ship transforms: themed decorations, elaborate menus, themed cocktails, and 95 per cent of guests participating in black tie or themed attire. The library is genuinely used — readers gather in corners with novels and biographies. The conversations at dinner tend toward the day’s Insights lecture, a destination’s history, or the latest West End show. The passenger demographic skews older — average age approximately 60.5 — and predominantly couples. On transatlantic crossings, approximately 65 per cent of passengers are British. The atmosphere rewards those who enjoy visible social structure, who like the anticipation of dressing for dinner, and who find comfort in tradition. It is the closest thing at sea to a grand English country house weekend.

Celebrity’s atmosphere is modern, social, and design-forward. Edge-class ships feel like contemporary luxury resorts — sculptural architecture, floor-to-ceiling glass, and public spaces that reward exploration. The Martini Bar buzzes with energy. The pool deck is lively. Eden transitions from a calm morning yoga space to an immersive evening performance venue with aerialists and dancers. The casino adds a late-night element. Evening Chic nights create a sense of occasion without the rigidity of formal dress codes. The passenger demographic skews somewhat younger — average age approximately 54 — and is more internationally diverse. The atmosphere is upscale without being stuffy, a phrase Celebrity loyalists use often. Real tablecloths at every dinner service — not just formal nights — signal quality without demanding formality. Service is consistently strong, with crew regularly described as going above and beyond. The ship accommodates multiple moods simultaneously: quiet mornings at the Rooftop Garden among real grass and living plants, active afternoons at the pool, and social evenings across multiple bars and entertainment venues.

For Australian travellers, this atmospheric distinction is the deciding factor. Australians who gravitate toward Cunard tend to be Anglophiles, history enthusiasts, ballroom dancers, or travellers who genuinely relish the occasion of formal evenings — and they love it with an intensity that borders on devotion. Australians who gravitate toward Celebrity tend to be design-conscious, food-and-wine oriented, socially relaxed, and happiest when the dress code allows chinos and a blazer for the nicest evening aboard. Both groups are right. The worst outcome is booking the wrong line for your temperament — a casual Australian who finds themselves in black tie under social pressure will resent the experience, just as a formality-loving traveller may find Celebrity’s evenings lacking occasion.

The bottom line

Choose Cunard when you want the romance of the transatlantic crossing — seven nights aboard Queen Mary 2, the last ocean liner on Earth, arriving in New York harbour as passengers have for 185 years. Choose it for world voyage segments through Sydney that let you experience Cunard without flying to the UK. Choose it for the Cunard Insights programme, RADA workshops, ballroom dancing in the Queens Room, and an afternoon tea service that is the finest at sea. Choose it for the Grills experience — Queens Grill butler service, bespoke dining, and the exclusive Lounge and Terrace create genuine luxury. Choose it if you love the ritual of dressing for dinner and the social structure of a grand ocean liner. Accept that drinks and Wi-Fi are extra even in the top suites, that the dress code is the most formal in the premium segment, that Australian homeporting has ended, and that ships outside the Grills and outside Queen Anne are showing their age.

Choose Celebrity when you want modern ship design that wins awards and pushes boundaries — the Magic Carpet, Infinite Verandas, and Eden exist nowhere else at sea. Choose it for The Retreat, where butler service, premium drinks, Wi-Fi, and unlimited speciality dining are included from the entry-level Sky Suite, delivering more comprehensive inclusions than Cunard’s Queens Grill at comparable pricing. Choose it for the breadth of dining — 29 venues on Edge-class ships with Daniel Boulud’s culinary direction. Choose it for the relaxed Evening Chic dress code that suits Australian sensibilities. Choose it for Sydney homeporting — two ships now, growing to four by 2027/28 — and the Captain’s Club loyalty pathway across Royal Caribbean and Silversea. Accept that add-ons accumulate on the All Included fare since gratuities were removed, that the fleet experience varies significantly between Edge-class and older ships, and that larger passenger counts mean more competition for pool loungers and tender tickets.

These two lines serve different emotional needs. Cunard preserves a tradition; Celebrity invents a contemporary one. Neither is objectively better. The right choice depends on which version of a cruise holiday makes you happiest — and in my experience, travellers who match their personality to the brand’s philosophy come home wanting to book again immediately.