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About Cunard Line |
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Steeped in the traditions of 160 years' worth of transatlantic service and the greatest liners in history, Cunard Line today lies under the umbrella of Carnival Cruise's Princess/P&O Cruises operations. At present, her fleet consists of two British-flagged liners: Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), the longest-serving ship in Cunard's history and Queen Mary 2 (QM2), the largest, longest, highest, and most expensive ship ever built so far. Carnival has signed a contract to build a third ship, Queen Victoria, a running mate to Queen Mary 2; although smaller and not intended to cross the Atlantic year-round, the ship will have with many of the same amenities as its larger counterpart.
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Life Onboard |
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Queen Elizabeth 2 sails as a one-class ship these days, but reminders of her previous service as a two-class Atlantic liner still exist:. Passengers are assigned to one of five restaurants based on the category of cabin they book; all but the restaurant for the lowest grade of cabins have single-seating dining. Cabins themselves vary greatly between and within restaurant grades; the smallest inside cabins are 87 square feet, while the largest suites are almost 1,200 square feet. In addition to the five main restaurants, QE2 has four other dining venues; a computer learning center; a two-story show lounge with nightly entertainment; and lectures, classes, games, and demonstrations throughout the day. A wrap-around promenade deck, outdoor pool, and Steiner Leisure spa also are onboard.
Queen Mary 2 was built to carry on Cunard's tradition of offering liner voyages year-round between Southampton and New York. Cabins number 1,300, and most of them are outside and have balconies; suites top out at 2,250 square feet. QM2 also follows the custom of assigning restaurant seating based on cabin accommodations; of the three main dining rooms, only one has two sittings for dinner. Seven other dining venues are available and open to all passengers by reservation, and a British pub and a champagne bar are onboard as well. Afternoon tea is, of course, served daily by white-gloved stewards. Amenities include the first planetarium at sea; a computer learning center (the ship is wired for Wi-Fi); and a two-story Canyon Ranch Spa. Activities offered include classes taught by Oxford dons and acting workshops with students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
And on every sailing of both the QE2 and the QM2 there are gentlemen hosts available to dance with the single female passengers.
The dress code on the QE2 is very formal; on this ship, dining informally means jacket and tie instead of tuxedo, and cocktail dress or pantsuit instead of evening gown. The dress code on the QM2, on the other hand, tends to rotate among casual, informal, and formal in about equal proportion.
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Fellow Passengers |
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| Queen Elizabeth 2's passengers tend to be older, except during school holidays when there may be (literally) hundreds of children onboard. Queen Mary 2's passengers represent all age groups and often include a significant number of younger passengers and families. Repeat passengers are common on QE2 and are likely to become equally common on the QM2. |
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Explore the Ships |
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See the Cunard cruise calendar
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Booking Information |
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Though we sell a full complement of Cunard cruises, customers are unable to book these cruises online at this time. To book a Cunard cruise, or to learn more about Cunard's ships and itineraries, please call one of our friendly and knowledgeable Cruise Specialists at 1-888-249-3978.
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Cruise line reviews are provided by CruiseCritic.com, an award-winning cruise community, giving you objective, unbiased information to help you choose the right cruise.
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