I have taken eight out of ten cruises in the last 10 years with Cunard Cruise Line. For me, it’s the cruise line that stands out as so different and unique from all the others that I find myself struggling to step aboard other ships. Read on to find out why:
Let us wade through the 1000’s of cruises for you!
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Cunard is the only cruise line with an Ocean Liner
After jet liners destroyed the business of crossing from Europe to North America by ship, Ocean Liners were replaced with ships designed and more suited to passengers wanting to cruise around the calmer and more forgiving Caribbean and Mediterranean seas.
There was no need for specially designed Ocean Liners with bows to slice through the Atlantic waves, reinforced hulls to withstand the battering and acres of public rooms and spaces to pass away days at sea. Only Cunard has a true Ocean Liner – the Queen Mary 2. This unique ship is the one that everyone turns to look at, even when crammed into busy ports like St. Maarten or St. Thomas with 7 other Cruise Ships.
The other ships in the Cunard fleet, the unique Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, are built like modern cruise ships. They look classy in Cunard’s traditional colours, but they’re made for relaxed cruising, not the tough transatlantic trips.
🛳️ Pro Tip: Free 24-Hour Room Service
One of my favourite things about Cunard ships is the free 24-hour room service. If I don’t feel like dressing up, I can just order a delicious meal and enjoy it on my balcony at any time of the day or night.
Cunard is the only cruise line with a scheduled transatlantic service harking back to the glory days of crossings
Most cruise lines can take you across the Atlantic twice a year when they re-position their ships to and from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and vice versa.
Only Cunard retains a scheduled transatlantic service using the Queen Mary 2. Cunard originally pioneered the Transatlantic service from the UK, and today they try to bring the romance, history and experience from when crossing by sea was the only way to cross from Europe to North America.
In its glory days, there was daily afternoon tea served by waiters in white gloves, black tie and gowns most nights and ballroom dancing in the Queens Room Ballroom with a live orchestra.
The tradition and feel of the glory days of ocean liner travel permeates through the entire fleet, with even Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth following the Ocean Liner retro Art Deco style inside, and following many of these same routines on their cruise schedules.
Cunard is the only cruise line with a British Royal Family Connection
All the Cunard ships in service, and their previous flagship ships in recent history, have been named by a member of the British Royal Family.
Previously by Queen Elizabeth II herself. The Royal Family often pay visits to one of the ships at high-profile events related to an anniversary or celebration of significant Cunard milestones.
The naming ceremony of the Queen Anne on 3 June 2024 did not have a member of the British royal family in attendance. Instead, the City of Liverpool was designated as the ship’s godparent, represented by five notable Liverpudlian women: Melanie C, Ngunan Adamu, Natalie Haywood, Jayne Casey, and Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
The ceremony included performances by Andrea Bocelli and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra​
Cunard is still the cruise line that is the choice of the rich and famous
In the 1930s through to the demise of crossings due to jet liners, Cunard was the choice for the rich and famous to travel between New York and the UK.
Today Cunard ships are full of black and white images of these famous people aboard ships like the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. This is still true today. Although primarily linked to the flagship Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic or World Cruise, Cunard still attracts the rich and famous.
Crossings will often have famous names ranging from Rod Stewart, John Cleese, Una Thurman through to high profile trips by politicians like President George Bush, Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu.
The most recent famous person to be on a Cunard cruise (Queen Mary 2) was Ruth Jones MBE, known for co-writing and co-starring in “Gavin and Stacey.” She was one of the special guests during the Literature Festival at Sea in 2024 aboard the Queen Mary 2.
This event featured a lineup of notable authors and personalities, including crime writer Mark Billingham, Scottish novelist Chris Brookmyre, and former US Ambassador to the UK Matthew Barzun, among others​
🛳️ Pro Tip: Kennel Facilities
If you can’t bear to leave your furry friend at home, the Queen Mary 2 has kennel facilities for dogs and cats. It’s one of the few ships that allows pets on board.
Cunard retains some of the heritage of “class style” travel and differentiation through the Queens Grill, Princess Grill and Britannia Grill
Unlike most cruise lines, Cunard still retains some of the class approach in their service. While some may see this as outdated or snobbery, it is not unlike airlines that have First Class and Business options. Cunard provides a different service based on a very wide range of pricing options.
On Cunard there is Queens Grill (“First”), Princess Grill (“Business”) and Britannia Grill (“Economy”). In practice the key difference is that the size of the Stateroom you booked will determine where you eat. The staterooms are not on exclusive decks and different “grades” are spread across most decks.
The Stateroom Grade determines which restaurant you eat in, and while the core menu is the same across all grades, in the “Grills” at dinner there is added choice and ability to order off the menu. The Grills do have exclusive use of a deck area and a lounge with a concierge.
The Britishness and Heritage of Cunard is what makes it so different to all the other lines. Even the other major British cruise line P&O, which is actually older than Cunard, does not embrace the past and heritage in the same way.
There is a feeling of the glory days of crossing and romance that appeals to me more than the brightness, newness and modernity of other cruise lines.
Let us wade through the 1000’s of cruises for you!
Jo, our cruise travel agent will personally search for the right cruise for you.