The Cunard Line is a British shipping company and an international cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc.[1] Since 2011, Cunard and its four ships have been registered in Hamilton, Bermuda.[2][3]
In 1839, Samuel Cunard was awarded the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract, and the next year[4] formed the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company in Glasgow with shipowner Sir George Burns together with Robert Napier, the famous Scottish steamship engine designer and builder, to operate the line's four pioneer paddle steamers on the Liverpool–Halifax–Boston route. For most of the next 30 years, Cunard held the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic voyage. However, in the 1870s Cunard fell behind its rivals, the White Star Line and the Inman Line. To meet this competition, in 1879 the firm was reorganised as the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd, to raise capital.[5]
In 1902, White Star joined the American-owned International Mercantile Marine Co. In response, the British Government provided Cunard with substantial loans and a subsidy to build two superliners needed to retain Britain's competitive position. Mauretania held the Blue Riband from 1909 to 1929. Her sister ship, Lusitania, was torpedoed in 1915 during the First World War.
In 1919, Cunard relocated its British homeport from Liverpool to Southampton,[6] to better cater for travellers from London.[6] In the late 1920s, Cunard faced new competition when the Germans, Italians and French built large prestige liners. Cunard was forced to suspend construction on its own new superliner because of the Great Depression. In 1934, the British Government offered Cunard loans[7] to finish Queen Mary and to build a second ship, Queen Elizabeth, on the condition that Cunard merge with the then-ailing White Star Line to form Cunard-White Star Line. Cunard owned two-thirds of the new company. Cunard purchased White Star's share in 1947; the name reverted to the Cunard Line in 1950.[5]
Upon the end of the Second World War, Cunard regained its position as the largest Atlantic passenger line. By the mid-1950s, it operated 12 ships to the United States and Canada. After 1958, transatlantic passenger ships became increasingly unprofitable because of the introduction of jet airliners. Cunard undertook a brief foray into air travel via the "Cunard Eagle" and "BOAC Cunard" airlines, but withdrew from the airline market in 1966. Cunard withdrew from its year-round service in 1968 to concentrate on cruising and summer transatlantic voyages for holiday makers. The Queens were replaced by Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), which was designed for the dual role.[8]
In 1998, Cunard was acquired by the Carnival Corporation, and accounted for 8.7% of that company's revenue in 2012.[9] In 2004, QE2 was replaced on the transatlantic runs by RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). The line also operates MS Queen Victoria (QV), MS Queen Elizabeth (QE) and MS Queen Anne (QA). As of 2025, Cunard is the only shipping company to still operate a scheduled passenger service between Europe and North America.
History
Early years (1840–1850)
The British Government started operating monthly mail brigs from Falmouth, Cornwall, to New York in 1756. These ships carried few non-governmental passengers and no cargo. In 1818, the Black Ball Line opened a regularly scheduled New York–Liverpool service with clipper ships, beginning an era when American sailing packets dominated the North Atlantic saloon-passenger trade that lasted until the introduction of steamships.[5] A Committee of Parliament decided in 1836 that to become more competitive, the mail packets operated by the Post Office should be replaced by private shipping companies. The Admiralty assumed responsibility for managing the contracts.[10] The famed Arctic explorer Admiral Sir William Edward Parry was appointed as Comptroller of Steam Machinery and Packet Service in April 1837.[11] Nova Scotians led by their young Assembly Speaker, Joseph Howe, lobbied for steam service to Halifax
Cunard Hotels
After Trafalgar House bought the company in 1971, Cunard operated the former company's existing hotels as Cunard-Trafalgar Hotels. In the 1980s, the chain was restyled as Cunard Hotels & Resorts, before folding in 1995.
Fleet
Current fleet
Former fleet
The Cunard line has operated numerous ships during its long history.
See also
- Cunard Building (New York City)
- Cunard Yanks
External links
- Cunard History Website on Chriscunard.com
- Official 'Queen Mary 2' Fan Page
- Cunard Line Ephemera 1880–2004 GG Archives
- The Last Ocean Liners – Cunard Line – trade routes and ships of the Cunard Line since the 1950s
- Curator Intro Cunard Sesquicentennial Exhibition – 150 Transatlantic Years – The Ocean Liner Museum, New York
- TheShips List
References
- Company news; Carnival to buy remaining stake in Cunard Line The New York Times, 20 October 1999^
- Cruise Line 'Awaiting Further Updates' On Law 13 December 2017, retrieved 22 January 2018^
- Jonathan Bell. Luxury cruise ship line Cunard switches to Bermuda registry | Bermuda News