Cunard
Cunard is a British cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton and owned by Carnival Corporation. It sails four ships, led by Queen Mary 2, the only ocean liner still in regular service, which runs scheduled crossings between Southampton and New York as well as cruises and an annual world voyage.
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About Cunard
The company dates to 1840, when Samuel Cunard and his partners began a steamship mail service between Liverpool, Halifax and Boston. Cunard held the Blue Riband for much of its first 30 years, moved its British base to Southampton in 1919, merged with the White Star Line in 1934 and was bought by Carnival in 1998. Queen Mary 2 took over from Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2004, followed by Queen Victoria in 2007, Queen Elizabeth in 2010 and Queen Anne in 2024. In October 2026 Carnival announced that Queen Anne will move to P&O Cruises in 2029, which will return Cunard to three ships.
Cruises keep many ocean-liner customs. Dining is assigned by cabin grade, with the Britannia Restaurant for most guests and the Princess Grill and Queen's Grill for suites, and the ships have ballrooms, large libraries and theaters with private boxes. Besides Atlantic crossings, Cunard sails to northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Alaska and Asia, and runs world voyages each year.
What Cunard is known for
Cunard is known above all for its history and for Queen Mary 2's Atlantic crossings, a scheduled liner service no other company still offers. It markets its service style under the White Star Service name, and its ships are noted for their traditional interiors, ballrooms and libraries, along with features such as the planetarium and onboard kennels on Queen Mary 2. Its grill-class system, which assigns restaurants by cabin grade, gives suite guests their own dining rooms in the Princess Grill and Queen's Grill.
The same system means the experience differs considerably between cabin grades. In May 2025 Cunard began charging for a room-service menu for Britannia-grade cabins, a change that drew a strongly negative response online and comments in cruise publications that the product was slipping.
Who it's for
Premium · smaller crowds, better food and service than mainstream
- Couples
- History and culture
Cunard suits travelers who are drawn to maritime history and ocean-liner tradition: people who want to cross the Atlantic by sea, enjoy ballroom dancing and well-stocked libraries, or want a long world voyage on a mid-size ship. Couples and other travelers who like a traditional atmosphere tend to fit well, and the crossings appeal to anyone who would rather sail than fly between Britain and New York.
Families looking for water slides and big kids' programs, and travelers who want a casual, party-style cruise, will be better served by mainstream lines. Guests who care about dining should note that the restaurant they use depends on the cabin they book.
Cruising solo on Cunard
Cunard is one of the few premium lines with cabins built for one: Queen Mary 2 has 15 single oceanview staterooms, and single Inside and Oceanview rooms are also found on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. Solo guests get a reserved table in the Britannia Restaurant and can ask to share. Transatlantic crossings on Queen Mary 2 suit solos best; book single staterooms early as there are few of them.
- Cabins for one
- Single staterooms (Britannia Single Inside and Britannia Single Oceanview)
- Single supplement
- No fixed published percentage. Single staterooms are priced for one guest; a solo traveler in a standard double cabin pays a supplement that varies by ship, grade and sailing.
- Meeting other solo guests
- A table is reserved for you in the main restaurant each evening; tell the front-of-house team if you want to be seated at a shared table. Golden Lion pub quizzes and darts, Queens Room dance classes and evening live music, afternoon tea and lectures are the natural places to meet people. No formal hosted solo meetup program is published.
How it rates
- Cabins
- 4.3/5
- Dining
- 4/5
- Entertainment
- 4/5
- Service
- 4/5
- Pools & decks
- 3.3/5
- Value
- 3/5
The fleet's average on each metric, across 4 rated ships in service. Each ship is scored 1 to 5 by Cruise Frog's editors; these are not reader reviews.
Rankings and comparisons
Where Cunard sails
Ships
Best rated
#13.8 ★Leaving May 2029Queen Anne2024 · 114,188 GT · 3,000 guests · World cruisesQueen Anne is Cunard's newest ship, built by Fincantieri at Marghera as an extended version of the Pinnacle-class design used by Holland America Line. At about 114,200 gross tons…#23.8 ★Queen Mary 22004 · 149,215 GT · 2,695 guests · Transatlantic · CaribbeanQueen Mary 2 is Cunard's flagship and, as of 2026, the only purpose-built ocean liner still in regular passenger service. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in France, she…
#33.7 ★Queen Elizabeth2010 · 90,901 GT · 2,092 guests · Alaska · AsiaQueen Elizabeth is a modified Vista-class ship built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone and in service since October 2010. Her layout is close to Queen Victoria's, but her decor pays…Every ship, by class
Vista class
2 ships · 2007–2010 · 90,049–90,901 GT · avg 3.7 ★
Other ships
2 ships · 2004–2024 · 114,188–149,215 GT · avg 3.8 ★
Where to fly in
- London Heathrow (LHR)3 Cunard ships sail from Southampton, England40 lounges on Lounge Frog
Quick answers
What is Cunard known for?
Cunard is known above all for its history and for Queen Mary 2's Atlantic crossings, a scheduled liner service no other company still offers. It markets its service style under the White Star Service name, and its ships are noted for their traditional interiors, ballrooms and libraries, along with features such as the planetarium and onboard kennels on Queen Mary 2. Its grill-class system, which assigns restaurants by cabin grade, gives suite guests their own dining rooms in the Princess Grill and Queen's Grill.
Who is Cunard best for?
Cunard suits travelers who are drawn to maritime history and ocean-liner tradition: people who want to cross the Atlantic by sea, enjoy ballroom dancing and well-stocked libraries, or want a long world voyage on a mid-size ship. Couples and other travelers who like a traditional atmosphere tend to fit well, and the crossings appeal to anyone who would rather sail than fly between Britain and New York.
Is Cunard good for solo travellers?
Cunard is one of the few premium lines with cabins built for one: Queen Mary 2 has 15 single oceanview staterooms, and single Inside and Oceanview rooms are also found on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. Solo guests get a reserved table in the Britannia Restaurant and can ask to share. Transatlantic crossings on Queen Mary 2 suit solos best; book single staterooms early as there are few of them.
Where does Cunard sail?
Cunard's ships in service sail World cruises (2 ships), Caribbean (1 ship), Alaska (1 ship), Transatlantic (1 ship), Asia (1 ship) and Australia and New Zealand (1 ship).
How is Cunard rated?
Cunard's fleet averages 3.8 out of 5 on Cruise Frog, across 4 rated ships. Its best-rated ship is Queen Anne at 3.8.
How many ships does Cunard have?
Cunard has 4 ships in service on Cruise Frog: Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.
What ship classes does Cunard sail?
Cunard sails 1 class of ship in service: Vista class (2 ships), plus 2 ships not in a named class.
Who owns Cunard?
Cunard is part of Carnival Corporation & plc.
Where is Cunard based?
Cunard is headquartered in Southampton, United Kingdom. It has operated since 1840.
What is Cunard's loyalty program called?
Cunard's past-guest loyalty program is Cunard World Club.
What is the largest Cunard ship?
Queen Mary 2 is Cunard's largest ship at 149,215 gross tons, carrying 2,695 guests.
Cruising with children
Cunard combines traditional shipboard routines with dedicated spaces for children. The best family plan fits the clubs around meals and shore days, with some evenings kept flexible.
Read the Cunard family guide →Is a drinks package worth it?
Thinking about a drinks package on Cunard? The average drink starts at what a glass of house wine costs on board, about $12; change it to what you usually order, and enter the package price Cunard quotes.
A 175 ml glass of house wine costs about $12. Cunard 2026 bar menu (PDF) ↗
Per person, a day, as the line quotes it.
A glass of house wine on Cunard.
Optional. Count coffees and sodas if the package covers them.
The days the package is charged for.
To make the drinks package pay for itself
7drinks a day
A $75-a-day package costs the same as 6.3 drinks at $12. Over 7 days that's $525, or 44 drinks for the cruise.
Pay as you go
At 5 drinks a day, buying drinks one at a time costs about $105 less than the package.
- Drinks package, 7 days
- $525
- Drink by drink, 5 drinks a day
- $420
Break-even is a target for your wallet, not a dare for your liver.
Traveller reviews
What people who've been say. One review each; you can update yours.
Related news about Cunard and its ships
- Queen Mary 2's 500th crossing will leave from Liverpool, a first for Cunard since 2015
Cunard opened 93 voyages for October 2028 to May 2029. The headline act is Queen Mary 2's 500th Transatlantic Crossing, with a rare Liverpool departure.
Itineraries
- Holland America's new Oosterdam bar is built around a 3-meter glowing tulip and 200+ heritage pieces
Bar 1873, the first new venue from Holland America's Evolution refits, fills Oosterdam's two-story atrium with a giant lit tulip, heritage objects and live piano. The Crow's Nest gets more live music too.
Ships
- What a glass of house wine costs on cruise lines, and which ones pour it free
From $9 on Royal Caribbean to $14 on MSC, and free on 25 lines. The prices behind Cruise Frog's drinks package calculator.
Cruise lines
- Solo cruising on Cunard: single staterooms, shared tables and the Atlantic crossing
Cunard is one of the few premium lines with cabins built for one. Here is what sailing alone on its Queens is really like, and how to keep the cost down.
Cruise lines
- 5 things Cunard does well—and 1 it doesn’t
Five strengths of Cunard, one clear drawback, and the travelers most likely to enjoy its cruise style.
Cruise lines
- Cunard Gala Evenings: pack for the schedule you will actually sail
Cunard’s evening dress expectations shape dining and entertainment choices. Check your voyage calendar and casual alternatives before packing.
Ships
- Queen Victoria heads home to Southampton, with a 19-day refit before its winter season and world cruise
Cunard's Queen Victoria has left the Mediterranean on a 16-night trip to Southampton. A Dutch drydock adds eight Britannia cabins and refreshes the Grills suites, and a 111-night world cruise leaves in January.
Ships
- Michel Roux's Le Gavroche at Sea returns to Queen Anne for five voyages in 2027 and 2028
Cunard has confirmed five Le Gavroche at Sea residencies from May 2027 to June 2028, all in Norway or Denmark. Dinner is still capped at 50 guests a night, and Queen Anne is due to leave Cunard's fleet in 2029.
Ships
- Queen Mary 2's 500th crossing will leave from Liverpool, a first for Cunard since 2015
Cruise Frog
- Queen Mary 2's 500th crossing will leave from Liverpool, a first for Cunard since 2015
Cruise FrogQueen Mary 2
- Cruise ship swap: Holland America takes P&O's Arcadia, and Cunard's Queen Anne goes to P&O
Lounge Frog