Cunard Line

The Cunard Line is a British Maritime company created by the Canadian Samuel Cunard in 1838.

Initially, Cunard starts to connect the the United Kingdom and the the United States for the transport of mail (it obtains the name of RMS or Royal Mail Ship in front of the name of all its ships, like the White Star Line).

In 1840, the first steamer of Cunard, the Britannia, starts to sail between Liverpool and Boston marking the beginning of the regular service for the passengers and the cargoes with steamers. Cunard had to face many competitors in the United Kingdom, the United States and in Germany, but always succeeded in remaining one of the leaders of the market of the deck chairs. Indeed, even if its ships were not largest nor most impressive, they remained nevertheless surest. One sees of it the example with the White Star, owner unfortunate of the Titanic . The largest steamers of pre-war period of Cunard were probably the Mauretania and the Lusitania.

During more than one century and half, Cunard dominated the transatlantic maritime voyages and was one of the most influential companies of the world. Its ships played a big role in the development of the worldwide economy and took part in all the British wars of the Crimean War to the Guerre of the Falklands while passing by the two World wars.

The frequentation of the maritime voyages started to drop in the years 1950, whereas the competition of the plane was done increasingly present. During three decades, the only ship which still went on transatlantic journeys was the Queen Elizabeth 2, because of irremediable rise of aviation. In 2004, the Queen Elizabeth 2 is transformed into boat of cruising and is replaced in its transatlantic route by the Queen Mary 2, which always remains the last deck chair in service.

External bonds

the site of the company '' Cunard ''
the French site of the company '' Cunard ''

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