Cunard Steamship Lines

Cunard Steamship Lines had their beginnings in 1838 when Canadian shipping magnate, Samuel Cunard, along with engineer, Robert Napier, and businessmen, James Donaldson, George Burns, and David Maclver formed the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. The company successfully bid on the rights to run a transatlantic shipping company between England and America. Later, it would change its name to Cunard Steamships Limited becoming the greatest name in ocean travel in history.

In 1840 the company's first steamship, the Britannia (ship), sailed from Liverpool to Boston marking the beginning of regular passenger and cargo service. The prosperous company eventually absorbed Canadian Northern Steamships Limited and its principal competition, the White Star Line, owners of the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Cunard faced many competitors from Britain, the United States and Germany but survived them all. This was mainly due to a great focus on safety. Cunard ships were usually not the largest or the fastest but they were the most reliable and the safest. For more than a century and a half, Cunard dominated the Atlantic passenger trade and was one of the world's most important companies. It ships played important roles in the development of the world economy and also participated in All of Britain's major wars from Crimea to the Faklands. The line began to decline in the 1950s, however, as ship and speedy air travel replaced ships as the main transporters of passengers and mail across the Atlantic. Currently the line's only vessel is the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, but in 2003 the company announced that this storied ship would be retired and replaced by the RMS Queen Mary 2.

The company has operated some of the world's most famous liners including:

• RMS Alaunia
• RMS Albania
• RMS Antonia
• RMS Aquitania
• RMS Ascania
• RMS Aurania
• RMS Berengaria
• RMS Campania
• RMS Carinthia
• RMS Carmania
• RMS Caronia
• RMS Carpathia - 1903 rescued the Titanic survivors
• RMS Franconia
• RMS Laconia - 1912
• RMS Lancastria
• RMS Lucania
• RMS Lusitania - 1906
• RMS Majestic - 1934
• RMS Mauretania - 1907
• RMS Queen Elizabeth - 1940
• RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 -- 1969
• RMS Queen Mary - 1936
• RMS Queen Mary 2 - 2004
• RMS Samaria
• RMS Saxonia
• RMS Scythia
• SS Servia

Some of the "firsts" accomplished by Cunard Steamships according to the company's web site were:

• First transatlantic passenger service (Britannia, 1840)
• First passenger ship to be lit by electricity (Servia, 1881)
• First twin-screw ocean liner (Campania, 1893)
• First steam turbine engines in a passenger liner (Carmania, 1905)
• First gymnasium and health centre aboard a ship (Franconia, 1911)
• First indoor swimming pool on a ship (Aquitania, 1914)
• Largest passenger ship (until 1996) (Queen Elizabeth, 1940)
• Largest passenger ship (Queen Mary 2, 2004)