Cunard

    Cruise Line

    Cunard

    The last true ocean liner service — White Star hospitality, graded Grill suites and the only scheduled transatlantic crossing in the world.

    Back to Cruise Lines
    Headquarters
    Southampton, United Kingdom
    Founded
    1840
    Fleet
    4 ships (2026)
    Loyalty
    Cunard World Club

    Cunard is the oldest name in the business and the only operator still running a scheduled transatlantic liner service. Four ships — Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Anne — carry a British formal tradition that no other mainstream line attempts.

    About Cunard

    Founded by Samuel Cunard in 1840 to carry the Royal Mail between Liverpool and Halifax, Cunard has operated continuously ever since and joined Carnival Corporation in 1998. It remains headquartered in Southampton, from which most of its programme sails.

    The defining structural feature is graded dining. Your stateroom grade determines your restaurant for the whole voyage: Britannia for the majority, Britannia Club for the upper balcony grades, Princess Grill for junior suites and Queens Grill for the top suites. It is the last surviving version of the old liner class system, executed without apology.

    Onboard the tone is formal by modern standards — gala evenings with black tie, afternoon tea served by white-gloved waiters in the Queens Room, a genuine ballroom with resident dance hosts, and the largest library at sea aboard Queen Mary 2.

    Fleet

    4 published ship profiles — more coverage rolling out.

    Ship Classes

    Compare the Cunard fleet at a glance — classes, ship highlights, and who each is best suited to.

    Ship size

    Showing 3 of 3 classes

    Fleet comparison by ship class
    ClassIntroducedTonnageCapacityShipsHighlightBest for
    Queen Anne Class2024113,000 GT2,996 (double)Queen AnneCunard's newest Queen — a contemporary reading of the liner tradition with a two-deck Grand Lobby and the fleet's best wellness estate.
    Queen Elizabeth Class200790,900 GT2,081 – 2,092 (double)Queen Elizabeth, Queen VictoriaQueen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth — the mid-size Cunard pair carrying the full Grills hierarchy on a Vista-derived hull.
    Ocean Liner Class2004149,215 GT2,691 (double)Queen Mary 2A class of one — Queen Mary 2, the only ocean liner in service and the only ship built for scheduled North Atlantic crossings.

    Onboard Experiences

    Suite enclaves, fare tiers, and signature onboard products.

    Loyalty Programme — Cunard World Club

    The Cunard World Club runs Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond tiers based on completed voyages or nights sailed. Membership is automatic after a first Cunard crossing or cruise.

    Platinum and Diamond deliver the benefits worth having: complimentary internet minutes, priority embarkation, a dedicated World Club reception, laundry, and an invitation to the senior officers' cocktail party. Diamond adds a substantial onboard spend credit on longer voyages.

    Destinations

    Queen Mary 2 runs the scheduled Southampton–New York crossing from spring to late autumn, seven nights each way, with an annual world voyage in the winter months.

    Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Anne cover the Mediterranean, Norwegian fjords, Baltic and Canary Islands from Southampton, plus Caribbean, Alaska, Japan and Australia seasons and full world voyages of 100 nights and above.

    Book direct

    Ready to check Cunard itineraries?

    Opens the official Cunard site in a new tab.

    Visit Cunard

    Join our Community

    The Smart Traveller Playbook

    Everything you need to fly better, stay smarter, and travel lighter.

    Smart flight strategies & points hacks
    Hotel upgrade playbook & loyalty tactics
    Curated gear recommendations
    Exclusive deals & opportunities

    No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

    We use cookies to run this site and, with your consent, to measure performance and support our affiliate partners. Read our cookie policy.