The Historic Cunard Fleet
Set sail on a journey through maritime history, exploring the legacy of Cunard Line.
Cunard was founded in 1839 by a group of investors led by Sir Samuel Cunard. The company secured the first British Government contract to provide a regularly scheduled mail service across the North Atlantic. Since those early days, Cunard has operated a fleet of hundreds of ocean liners and cruise ships.
Cunard’s heritage was created with a commitment to safety, while often attempting to offer the fastest and finest liners at sea. The early 20th century led to the rise of Cunard’s ‘ocean-greyhounds’, the magnificent Lusitania and Mauretania. These sea-going marvels, propelled by groundbreaking steam turbine engines, pushed the boundaries and travelled through the Atlantic at over 24 knots. They were renowned as the fastest ocean liners in the world.
The years after WWII led to Cunard’s ‘Golden Age’. Its majestic ocean liners, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, became the epitome of transatlantic luxury. These grand Cunard Queens, capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots, were renowned as the world’s largest ocean liners. In fact, the Queen Elizabeth, at 83,673 gross registered tons, held the size record until 1996 when she was finally surpassed by the 100,000 gross ton Carnival Destiny.
But, the late 1950s brought Cunard its fiercest competitor yet: the jet airliner. The introduction of the Boeing 707, Douglas DC 8 and Vickers VC-10 on the transatlantic route rendered Cunard’s fleet obsolete. This was a significant moment in transportation. It was marked by the dramatic decline of the ocean liner. Legendary vessels like the Caronia, Media, and Britannic, alongside the celebrated Queens, were withdrawn from the North Atlantic’s shipping lanes.
Bruised, Cunard was undeterred by the jet. In the 1960s, it gambled its future on a revolutionary new ship. This iconic liner, built at the same shipyard as her ‘Queen’ predecessors (John Brown & Co., Clydebank), entered service as Queen Elizabeth 2. QE2 upheld Cunard’s presence on the transatlantic service until her retirement in 2008, gracefully passing the baton to Queen Mary 2. Today QM2 remains the last of the great transatlantic liners.
Within these pages, we invite you to delve into the history of Cunard and Cunard-White Star ships. The collection of ships listed here, highlight many historic ships that made significant contributions to Cunard’s story.
With Cunard having operated 249 ships throughout its history, this fleet list is continually expanding. We encourage you to return regularly to discover new additions.
Image courtesy: Henderson & Cremer Collection.
