MSC Cruises vs Royal Caribbean:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Royal Caribbean had more branded searches than MSC Cruises among cruise lines worldwide. Royal Caribbean had about 2.7 million branded searches, while MSC Cruises had 1.2 million. Royal Caribbean made up 32.1% of all cruise line searches we track, and MSC Cruises accounted for 14.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cruise lines, Royal Caribbean appeared in all five answers and MSC Cruises in one. Royal Caribbean was mentioned before MSC Cruises in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Royal Caribbean, about 2 searches for every 1 for MSC Cruises
Who does AI mention more?
Royal Caribbean, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Royal Caribbean, named ahead of MSC Cruises in every answer
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Top cruise lines in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Royal Caribbean appeared in all five answers. MSC Cruises was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Royal Caribbean was listed before MSC Cruises in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Royal Caribbean5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Disney Cruise Line5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Princess Cruises5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Carnival Cruise Line5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Celebrity Cruises3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Norwegian Cruise Line3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Viking2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
MSC Cruises1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cruise lines
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cruise line should I book?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cruise lines?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cruise line for a family trip?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cruise lines”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“family cruise line”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is MSC Cruises or Royal Caribbean more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight cruise lines we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Royal Caribbean | Disney Cruise Line | MSC Cruises | Celebrity Cruises | Norwegian Cruise Line | Princess Cruises | Carnival Cruise Line | Viking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.8% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 12% | 9.8% | 4.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 31.5% | 12.3% | 14% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 4.2% | 3.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 33.5% | 13.1% | 14.9% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 4.5% | 3.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 29.2% | 13.3% | 16% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 4.8% | 4.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.5% | 14% | 16.2% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 4% | 4% |
| Mar 2026 | 28.5% | 15.8% | 15.6% | 8.6% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 7% | 3.8% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.8% | 13.5% | 15.6% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 10.4% | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| May 2026 | 30% | 16.7% | 13.4% | 9% | 9% | 11% | 6% | 4.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 25.6% | 13.6% | 13.9% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 5.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.7% | 14.6% | 12.3% | 10.1% | 8.3% | 10.1% | 12.3% | 4.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.7% | 16.8% | 13.2% | 10.8% | 8.9% | 10.8% | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.1% | 15.2% | 14.3% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 5.3% | 4.3% |
How has the MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Royal Caribbean was ahead of MSC Cruises in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, MSC Cruises’ share of searches among cruise lines worldwide moved from 14.6% to 14.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.2M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Royal Caribbean’s share of searches among cruise lines worldwide moved from 26.8% to 32.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 2.7M.
How did search popularity change for cruise lines worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Royal Caribbean gained share of searches among cruise lines worldwide, from 29.7% to 32.1%.
In September 2026, MSC Cruises gained share of searches among cruise lines worldwide, from 13.2% to 14.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using MSC Cruises’ and Royal Caribbean’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
MSC Cruises
1 branded search term
- msc cruise
Royal Caribbean
1 branded search term
- royal caribbean
Other head-to-heads among cruise lines
- Royal Caribbean vs Disney Cruise Line: compare popularity
- Royal Caribbean vs Celebrity Cruises: compare popularity
- Royal Caribbean vs Norwegian Cruise Line: compare popularity
- Disney Cruise Line vs MSC Cruises: compare popularity
- Disney Cruise Line vs Celebrity Cruises: compare popularity
- Disney Cruise Line vs Norwegian Cruise Line: compare popularity
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