Of all the cruise lines in the market of today, perhaps the most venerable would be the Cunard line. A name that is synonymous with transatlantic crossing, the Cunard Cruise Ship Line is known in some capacity to just about everybody who knows anything about ships. The famous old brand is of course most famous for its White Star Line ships of the early part of the last century, and in particular the tragic and ill-fated liner Titanic, which even those who care nothing for travel of any sort know at least something about. Even if it is only in connection with Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet, surely there is no-one reading this who does not know what happened, ultimately, to this most ambitious of passenger liners.
Today, the Cunard line still sails the sea, though today it is owned by the Carnival Corporation and has just two active ships – the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria. There are also plans afoot to build a third ship, which will be named for Britain’s current monarch Queen Elizabeth, after the old Queen Elizabeth II (or QE2) was retired from active service pending its conversion to a hotel ship, which will be moored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The current fleet is used principally for world cruises, and mixes the stately grandeur of its forebears with the inescapable touch of modernity – no cruise liner of the present day can afford to be without a spa complex, after all.
The ships of the present day notwithstanding, those who know the name Cunard will most likely know it through its impact on history. The sinking of the Titanic is as inextricably linked with the Cunard name as any company can be with a past event. No-one who has heard the story of the Titanic can possibly forget it. Spoken of before its launch in such glowing terms as to become legendary, the Titanic’s end was all the more shattering to the Cunard brand. The very moment the word “unsinkable” was uttered in connection with the ship, it was as though its fate were sealed. We all know what happened next – inevitably, tragically, the ship sank to a watery grave after a huge collision with an iceberg holed it beneath the water line.
It is, then, to Cunard’s credit that it is still in operation today, regardless of its status as part of the Carnival Cruises portfolio. On the Cunard Cruise Ship Line website there are still references to the company’s renowned “White Star Service”, even though two of the three White Star Line ships ended up sinking. The present day ships, although possessed of the same grandeur for which Cunard became a watchword, have made a seamless fit for the present-day requirements of the cruise liner. As indeed they must, for any ship that undertakes a world cruise taking up to three months at a time will need to lay on the very best in comforts for its passengers. In years to come, people will still remember the Titanic – but anyone who has sailed aboard the current Cunard fleet agrees that there is far more to the famous name of Cunard than that.
Caterina Christakos is a published author and reviewer. Read her latest reviews of mop hair products and ojon hair products.
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