Cunard Cruise Line

This prestige line has two ships, the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, with a third vessel to be launched in late 2010, Queen Elizabeth. Cunard Line has captured the imaginations of generations since the 19th century and is synonymous with the elegance and grand tradition of transatlantic cruising.

Originally known as the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, the line was founded in 1839 by Samuel Cunard, principally to carry the Royal Mail between Britain and North America.

Cunard Line's modern-day fleet includes the magnificent Queen Mary 2 and stylish Queen Victoria, which together offer regular voyages to Northern Europe, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, North America and annual World Cruises.

Cunard's 21st century flagship, Queen Mary 2, entered service in 2004 and now provides the only scheduled transatlantic liner service, maintaining the legacy of her Cunard and White Star predecessors. The US$800 million liner, the longest in the world and the biggest vessel ever to visit Australia and New Zealand, combines the last word in style with a rich heritage redefining the golden age of ocean liner travel.

Meanwhile the 90,000-tonne Queen Victoria debuted in late 2007, offering distinctive elegance and luxury as well as a sense of space and height in the grand tradition of ocean liners. She also introduced a few firsts to the oceans, including private theatre boxes and a double-storey library.

Following the departure of the world famous Queen Elizabeth 2 from the line's fleet in November 2008, construction of a new Queen Elizabeth is well underway, with the 92,000-tonne ship set to be Cunard's second biggest ship ever, when she enters service in 2010.