Cunard Queens

I have just returned from yet another voyage on Queen Mary 2. I say "yet another" because this was my eleventh trip on this ship, which is in addition to more than 70 voyages on fleetmate Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2). While it may be too early to draw any firm conclusions, it appears that there is something about the Cunard way of doing things that I find attractive.

Whether a person will enjoy a particular ship or cruise line is a matter of personal taste. Indeed, I tend to find that people who say they disliked a particular cruise or ship usually mean that they did not like the style of that line or ship. While there can be bad waiters or incompetent staff on any ship, the main source of friction comes when someone who is looking for a casual vacation goes on a very formal ship or when someone looking for quiet intellectual enrichment goes on a party ship. Thus, when I say that I like Cunard, I can only tell you what I like about it, not that you will like it.

A Cunard voyage is aimmed more at the intellectual and cultural side of life than say toward physical activity. There are plenty of sports facilities, gyms and a large spa but these are not the primary focus. Neither is sitting poolside. Rather, there are enrichment lectures, concerts, and good conversation with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. In addition, things are done in an elegant way, ranging from the afternoon teas to the various formal receptions. These are rather formal ships.

Cunard likes to emphasize its history and tradition. The line began in 1840 providing the first regularly scheduled voyages between the Old World and the New World. Its fame was achieved on the transtalntic service with ships that were not only famous in their own day but which have gone on into legend such as the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and Lusitania.

However, the Cunard ships are not living on past glories. For 40 years, QE2 has been the most famous ship of her time; a symbol of contemporary luxury and technological achievement - - very much a ship of her own time. More recently, QM2's impressive size, technology and seawothiness on the arduous North Atlantic run have earned her millions of fans, most of whom will never get to sail on her. Moreover, the ships are full of modern amenities that would never have been dreamed of in the "Golden Age of Ocean Travel."

While Cunard today pays homage to the line's history, its ships are in the habit of making history. When I asked Captain Robert O'Brien, USCG, Captain of the Port of New York, for a comment about the meeting of the three Cunard Queen-class ships in New York on January 13, 2006. he said: "The visit and departure of the QE2, QM2 and the Queen Victoria was an impressive and significant event for the international maritime community and New York City." My article on the event is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/Cunard-ThreeQueens.html.

In order to better organize my artciles, photos, and other matarials about Cunard, I have created a Cunard page on my website. http://www.beyondships.com/Cunard.html I plan to make similar pages for the other major lines in the future.