MSC Cruises vs Royal Caribbean:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Royal Caribbean had more branded searches than MSC Cruises among cruise lines worldwide. Royal Caribbean was estimated to have 2.7M branded searches compared to MSC Cruises’ 1.2M, and held a 43.8% Share of Search versus MSC Cruises’ 19.5%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, MSC Cruises or Royal Caribbean?
Compare the cruise lines guests choose between. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Royal Caribbean | MSC Cruises | Celebrity Cruises | Norwegian Cruise Line | Carnival Cruise Line | Princess Cruises |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 37.6% | 20.5% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 0.37% |
| Nov 2025 | 43.1% | 19.2% | 15.7% | 15.7% | 5.8% | 0.35% |
| Dec 2025 | 45.7% | 20.4% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 6.1% | 0.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 40.9% | 22.3% | 14.9% | 14.9% | 6.7% | 0.33% |
| Feb 2026 | 41.3% | 22.6% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 5.6% | 0.33% |
| Mar 2026 | 40.5% | 22.2% | 12.2% | 14.8% | 10% | 0.33% |
| Apr 2026 | 48.1% | 21.5% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 6.5% | 0.32% |
| May 2026 | 44.3% | 19.7% | 13.3% | 13.3% | 8.9% | 0.36% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.6% | 19.9% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 16.3% | 0.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 39% | 17.4% | 14.2% | 11.7% | 17.4% | 0.26% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.8% | 19.5% | 16% | 13.2% | 7.2% | 0.29% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, MSC Cruises’ estimated Share of Search among cruise lines worldwide moved from 20.5% to 19.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.2M.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Royal Caribbean’s estimated Share of Search among cruise lines worldwide moved from 37.6% to 43.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 2.7M.
How did search popularity change for cruise lines worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, MSC Cruises overtook Carnival Cruise Line to rank 2nd among cruise lines worldwide, at 19.5%.
In August 2026, Royal Caribbean gained estimated Share of Search among cruise lines worldwide, from 39% to 43.8%.
How each brand is measured
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
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.