Welcome to the Cunard Famous Liners Archive

Aquitania

Explore 18 decades of History

In 1840, Sir Samuel Cunard set sail aboard Britannia, bound for North America. With this, he founded the first regularly scheduled transatlantic steamship service.

Since that date, there have been hundreds of ships owned and operated by the Cunard Line. From the early paddle steamers, to the giant of the Queens, Cunard Line has operated a vast array of ships in an almost 18 decade history.

These pages allow you to explore the history of the Cunard Line, ship by ship. While this is not an exhaustive list, some of the most notable Cunard vessels are detailed here; and we are always seeking to add new profiles to the archive.

Please select a time period using the menu on the left. From there you will be able to select a ship and learn more about its history.

Image sourced with permission from: Simplon Post Cards

Historic Imagery Acknowledgement
Historic images on these pages are provided by various collectors and used here with their permission. Additionally, some images are in the public domain and sourced from Wikimedia Commons. We would like to thank all contributors. Special thanks goes to Ian Boyle from Simplon Postcards as well as Rob Henderson & Doug Cremer whose support is greatly appreciated.