A fabled history, celebrated passengers, constant innovation and indulgent comfort propel this cruise line toward a bright future.
When you’ve been delighting guests with impeccable luxury, flawless service, and advanced engineering and technology for more than 180 years, you’re bound to have it down pat. Such is the exact case with Cunard®, the master of transatlantic hospitality.
Now setting sail with a fleet of four Queens – Queen Mary 2®, Queen Victoria®, Queen Elizabeth® and the new Queen Anne®, Cunard raises its own bar on transatlantic oceanscape adventure, drawing on a historic pedigree that is unmatched in the cruise industry.
“Floating palaces” with considerable lineage.
Small beginnings very quickly grew into big business with Cunard. The line began luring famous faces from the worlds of the arts and politics early on, playing host to Charles Dickens in the 1840s, Mark Twain in the 1860s, Winston Churchill in the 1930s and President Eisenhower in the 1950s. Iconic figures of the entertainment industry arrived from Hollywood – stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Cary Grant and Walt Disney – embarking on what has now become the classic cruise itinerary between New York and Southampton, England, where the cruise line is based. Celebrities like John Cleese, Meryl Streep and Ed Sheeran keep the star power shining.
The Cunard's treasured connection to the British Royal Family began with the RMS Queen Mary in 1934. Shortly after, the Queen Mother launched the RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1938. These two majestic ocean liners were replaced by RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1969 – launched by Queen Elizabeth II herself – which sailed for 39 years, covering more than five million miles.
Industry firsts and feats of valor.
Famous faces and royal warrants aside, the Cunard history is dotted with milestones both innovative and heroic, many anchored to the company’s solid commitment to betterment. The SS Servia was the first ship installed with electric lights in 1881. Cunard ships are also responsible for bringing 2.5 million immigrants to America, beginning in the 1880s. Another Cunard ship saw the first wireless transmission from ship to shore – by Marconi no less! – in 1897. And before it was destroyed toward the end World War I, the RMS Carpathia rescued more than 700 survivors of the RMS Titanic from their lifeboats in 1912. These moments in time are just a few instances in a long history of service to the industry itself and to the call of duty.
Vistas throughout the seven seas.
Today’s four Queens see a year-long schedule of great variety, with itineraries that criss-cross the globe. The Queen Victoria® and Queen Elizabeth® are scheduled to traverse the Atlantic the most, in seven to nine nights, from New York and Fort Lauderdale to Southampton, Hamburg, Barcelona and Le Havre. The Queen Mary 2® traverses the Atlantic the most, she is built for transatlantic crossings and true ocean liner. Whenever she welcomes four-legged friends on board, she has a New York fire hydrant and London lamp post to offer when nature calls!
©2022 Cunard Ships' Registry Bermuda. The Cunard logo and logotype, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Anne and Queen Victoria are registered trademarks of Carnival plc, an English company trading as Cunard. All rights reserved in the United States and other countries.