Cunard cruise line 2026–2027: ships, crossings and who it suits

Cunard cruise line at a glance

Fleet

4 ships, all named for queens. Queen Anne leaves for P&O Cruises in 2029

Price tier

Premium in Britannia staterooms, luxury in the Princess Grill and Queens Grill suites

Ship size

About 90,000 to 149,000 gross tons. Queen Mary 2 carries 2,695 guests

Main regions

Transatlantic, Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Norway, Canada and New England, Caribbean, world voyages

Included

Stateroom, meals in your assigned restaurant, afternoon tea, entertainment and lectures

Not included

Alcohol and bar drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, specialty restaurants

Parent company

Carnival Corporation & plc, owner since 1998

Cunard cruise ships

Cunard has four ships and one of them is not a cruise ship. Queen Mary 2 was built as an ocean liner, for speed and for North Atlantic weather, and is the only ship of that kind still in service. The other three are cruise ships with the same formal style.

• Queen Mary 2Ocean liner, 2004, 2,695 guestsThe flagship, at about 149,000 gross tons with a crew of about 1,250. It sails the transatlantic crossings and has a planetarium and kennels.
• Queen Anne2024, up to 3,000 guestsCunard's newest ship, at about 114,000 gross tons. It sails from Southampton and will transfer to P&O Cruises in 2029.
• Queen Elizabeth2010, about 90,900 gross tonsThe ship North Americans are most likely to have seen: Alaska until September 2026, the Caribbean this winter, the Mediterranean in summer 2027.
• Queen Victoria2007, about 90,700 gross tonsSails the 2027 world voyage, then round trips from Southampton.

Queen Anne is leaving. On October 6, 2026, Carnival Corporation said Queen Anne will move to its sister brand P&O Cruises in 2029. The ship stays with Cunard through its world voyage in early 2029, then is refitted and renamed before starting with P&O in May 2029. Cunard returns to three ships. If you want to sail Queen Anne as a Cunard ship, the 2027 and 2028 seasons are the time.

What a Cunard fare includes

The fare covers your stateroom, all meals in your assigned restaurant and the buffet, afternoon tea, shows, films and lectures. Drinks from the bar, wine with dinner, Wi-Fi and the specialty restaurant cost extra, and a daily gratuity is added to your onboard account. The amounts change, so check them for your sailing before you compare Cunard with a line that includes them. Our all-inclusive cruise guide shows which lines do.

What you book decides where you eat. Cunard still divides its ships by restaurant:

• Britannia. Most staterooms, from inside cabins to balconies. Dinner is in the main Britannia Restaurant at a set sitting.
• Britannia Club. Balcony staterooms with a smaller, single-sitting dining room.
• Princess Grill. Suites with their own restaurant and no set dining time.
• Queens Grill. The top suites, with their own restaurant and no set dining time.

The dress code is part of the product. On a seven-night Queen Mary 2 crossing at least three evenings are formal, which means a dinner jacket and black tie or an evening dress. On the other nights men are still asked to wear a jacket at dinner.

Queen Mary 2 cruises in 2026 and 2027: the transatlantic crossing

Queen Mary 2 sails between the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in New York and Southampton, with no port calls on the way. Most crossings take seven nights, and a few take eight or nine. It runs as a regular service for much of the year, so you can sail one way and fly the other, or book a crossing each way.

The ship is due out of service for a major refit in spring 2027, expected to run from March 31 to May 8 at a shipyard in Brest, France. The first crossing afterward leaves Southampton on May 12, 2027, and New York on May 19, 2027, and crossings continue into December. Between crossings in 2027 the ship also sails to Norway, Canada and New England and the Caribbean, with a first call at Charlottetown and July 4 in Boston.

Dogs and cats can travel in the kennels on Deck 12, on crossings only, and the space is limited. For how the crossing compares with a repositioning cruise on another line, see our transatlantic cruise guide. For the terminal, see the New York cruise port guide.

Where Cunard cruises in 2027

Cunard’s program from April 2027 to January 2028 has 195 voyages to 115 destinations in 32 countries. All four ships spend the summer in Europe and the Atlantic.

• Queen Elizabeth. Caribbean cruises of nine to twelve nights from Miami through early 2027, then a crossing to Southampton. From May to October 2027 it sails 65 Mediterranean voyages of 7 to 28 nights, with calls including Istanbul, Palermo and Trieste. See our Europe cruise guide.
• Queen Victoria. A 109-night world voyage from Southampton in January 2027, which we cover in our world cruise guide, then round trips from Southampton to Scandinavia, Iceland and the Mediterranean.
• Queen Anne. Mediterranean and Nordic voyages from Southampton, including northern lights itineraries. Our Northern Europe cruise guide covers the fjords and Iceland.
• Queen Mary 2. Crossings, plus the Norway, Canada and New England and Caribbean voyages above. See our Canada and New England cruise guide.

Cunard Alaska cruises: 2026 was the last season

Queen Elizabeth sailed from Seattle to Alaska from May to September 2026 on itineraries of seven to eleven nights, including Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. That was Cunard’s last scheduled Alaska season. The line has said it is not returning in 2027 or 2028, with all four ships in Europe and the Atlantic for the summer.

If you were looking for a Cunard Alaska cruise in 2027, the closest matches in style are the other two Carnival Corporation lines that go into Glacier Bay: Holland America in Alaska and Princess in Alaska. Our best cruise lines for Alaska ranking compares all of them.

Cunard cruise deals and prices

We don’t show a Cunard price on this page. Cunard is not in our monthly price snapshot, and we don’t publish a price we haven’t checked and dated. The button on this page opens CruiseBound, where you can compare current cruise fares.

Three things decide what a Cunard cruise costs:

• The restaurant class. A Britannia inside stateroom is the cheapest way on board. Princess Grill and Queens Grill suites cost far more for the same sailing.
• The date. Fares move with demand, so price more than one crossing or sailing date before you book.
• The extras. Add drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities to the fare before comparing it with a line such as Holland America or Princess, which sell bundles that cover them.

Cunard cruise line FAQ

Who owns Cunard cruise line?

Carnival Corporation & plc. It bought 62 percent of Cunard in 1998 and the rest the following year. Carnival also owns Carnival Cruise Line, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn and P&O Cruises. Cunard was founded in 1840 by Samuel Cunard and is based in Southampton, England.

How many cruise ships does Cunard have?

Four: Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Anne. Queen Anne is due to move to P&O Cruises in 2029, which will leave three.

Is there a Cunard Alaska cruise in 2026 or 2027?

Not anymore. Queen Elizabeth’s 2026 season from Seattle ended in September 2026, and Cunard has said it will not sail in Alaska in 2027 or 2028.

How long is a Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossing?

Usually seven nights between New York and Southampton, with no stops. A few crossings take eight or nine nights.

Are drinks and gratuities included on Cunard cruises?

No. The fare covers your stateroom, meals, afternoon tea and entertainment. Bar drinks, wine, Wi-Fi and a daily gratuity are charged to your onboard account.

Is Cunard formal?

More than any other large line. Expect several formal evenings on a week-long voyage and a jacket at dinner on the others.