Cunard is great for:
- Guests aged 50 and above
- Those who love the idea of a luxurious and romantic cruise
- Travelers interested in a transatlantic or world voyage
Cunard might not be great for:
- Those seeking a mega-resort experience
- Families with young children
Welcome to one of the classiest and most elegant cruise lines in the world, where you’ll have the chance to enjoy classic gala nights and some of the best service at sea. Cunard is all about romance and luxury onboard your cruise, where the mega-resort experience is replaced by fine dining, live music, themed voyages, and, of course, afternoon tea. Yeah, they’re British.
Keep in mind that you can always click the Request a Quote button to talk to us about anything related to Cunard Cruise Line. You can also book your next cruise through us, and better yet, you won’t pay a dime more for it. Our travel advisors might even have access to special deals not available to anyone else and can help guide you through the many stateroom options, gala nights, and more.
Cunard operates just four vessels, yet they sail across the globe. Their main destinations include Alaska, the Caribbean, and, most notably, transatlantic crossings and world voyages. If you’ve ever dreamed of crossing the Atlantic, they might be the perfect choice. In fact, Cunard even offers themed transatlantic voyages from Southampton to New York (and back), making each journey a unique experience. Their transatlantic crossings are also pet-friendly, featuring dedicated accommodations for dogs and even occasional dog parades. Now that’s cool.
Cunard is for those that love a slower pace and to drink a nice cocktail while enjoying live music, instead of going on waterslides or caring too much about pools. They’re about gala night, ballroom dancing, good food and great service. Cunard might not be the best option for those travelling with children, even if they do feature a Kids Club and even a nursery. But if you’re looking for a romantic, stylish cruise above all else, you can’t go wrong with them.
Reviews of Cunard Cruise Line
The Good
Romantic & Luxurious: Cunard isn’t technically an ultra-luxury cruise line, but they’re definitely a step above the competition when it comes to offering a fun, romantic experience. They focus on elegant lounges with live music, ballroom lessons, gala nights, afternoon tea, and everything else to make you fall in love all over again with your significant other. Cunard even specializes in weddings at sea, with a dedicated section on their official website, proving they know how to create unforgettable moments.
Themed Cruises: Sure, Cunard does weddings at sea, but it’s also cool that they have several different themed cruises. These include a Film Festival at Sea, Literature Festival at Sea, a Great Australian Culinary Voyage, a special Cunard Anniversary Sailing, a Dance the Atlantic event voyage, Voyage du Vin, Transatlantic Fashion Week and much more. These events always add a small twist to your cruise, and make them all feel unique and fresh.
Transatlantics & World Voyages: Cunard travels to popular destinations like Alaska and the Caribbean, but one of the most popular destinations is actually… the world? Yeah, they often offer cruises that go from Southampton to New York and back and forth, and world voyages that depart from various locations in the globe, like Hamburg, Southampton, New York and Los Angeles.
Afternoon tea: you can’t forget the daily afternoon tea.
The Bad
Not for Children…: Cunard isn’t the best cruise line for families with kids. While they do have a Kids Club, that’s about it. They lack large pools and high-energy entertainment options like those found on Carnival or Royal Caribbean. Instead of going for crazy onboard attractions, Cunard focuses on elegant lounges, bars, and live music. If you're traveling with children, they’ll likely have a better time on a more family-oriented cruise line.
…and Not for Everyone: Cunard offers exceptional service and a relaxing atmosphere, but it’s not for everyone. The cruise line places a strong emphasis on elegance, making formal nights and ballroom lessons a common part of the experience. In fact, their formal nights are quite traditional, often requiring tuxedos and sharp attire. While many guests appreciate the romance of a refined cruise, others may find the dress codes and frequent formal events a bit too much for their taste.
How Much is a Cruise on Cunard Cruise Line?
A cruise with Cunard is generally a bit more expensive than a standard sailing with Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line. Prices are often compared to those of Disney Cruise Line, though some itineraries may be cheaper or more expensive than those offered by Mickey and friends.
Let’s take a look at some of their cruises and the starting prices per passenger:
- 7-Nights Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami: $1,070
- 7-Nights Mediterranean Highlights from Rome: $1,050
- 7-Nights Alaska Cruise from Seattle: $919
- 8-Nights Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing from New York to Southampton: $909
- 108-Nights Full World Voyage from New York: $23,699
Cunard Cruise Line Fares
There are three different Cruise Line Fares when booking with Cunard.
- The Late Saver Fare: when you want to book a cruise that will set sail in the next three months. This fare comes with a pre-allocated stateroom and is non-refundable, but gives you a small discount.
- The Early Saver Fare: enjoy discounts and a few perks, such as preferred dining times for Britannia guests.
- The Cunard Fare: this one offers a lot of flexibility. It includes a range of benefits such as the ability to amend bookings, later payments, and stateroom selection. Plus, you’ll have access to potential upgrades, low deposits, complimentary shuttle buses (between the ship and transport hubs), priority dining (for Britannia guests), and complimentary parking/return coach travel for sailings of 7 nights or more.
What is included in your Cunard Cruise Line fare?
Cunard follows a traditional model where your stateroom, dining and activities are included in your fare. There may be some promotions when booking that offer you packages that include Wi-Fi and Drink Packages, but the default option gives you the basics only.
It includes:
- Your room
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the main restaurant associated with your stateroom grade.
- A buffet restaurant
- Tea, coffee, water and fruit juice
- Room service
- Afternoon Tea
- Fitness Center
- Sports Court
- Live Shows & Music
- Kids Club
What is NOT included in your Cunard Cruise Line fare?
It’s also important to know what’s not included in your base fare. This typically includes Wi-Fi, alcoholic drinks, and a few other extras you might not expect.
Your base fare does not include:
- Wi-Fi
- Shore experiences.
- Premium soft and alcoholic drinks.
- Drinks packages
- Wine experiences
- Specialty Dining
- Specialty Afternoon Teas
- Gift packages
- Casino
- Spa and Wellness Center
- Selected classes, tours and activities on board.
Cunard Cruise Line Fleet and Destinations
Cunard operates worldwide, offering numerous transatlantic crossings and world voyages, but did you know they only have four ships? That’s impressive given the number of sailings they offer.
Their newest ship, Queen Anne, launched in 2024 and accommodates 2,996 passengers. For comparison, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas can carry up to 7,600 passengers at full capacity. Despite their smaller fleet, Cunard’s ships are spacious and quiet, with plenty of open deck space to move around.
This is their current fleet:
- Queen Anne
- Queen Mary 2
- Queen Victoria
- Queen Elizabeth
Cunard Cruise Line Destinations
Cunard is present all over the world. You can find them cruising to:
- Around the World (popular destination)
- Alaska (popular destination)
- Caribbean (popular destination)
- Mediterranean (popular destination)
- Asia
- Oceania
- Northern Europe
- South America
- South Pacific
Cunard Cruise Line Main Ports of Departure
These are the main ports of departure for Cunard:
- New York
- Miami
- Seattle
- Southampton, England
- Barcelona, Spain
- Hamburg, germany
- Rome, Italy
Keep in mind that Cunard has approximately 28 departure ports worldwide, and we have just listed their most popular options above.
Why book Cunard Cruise Line with us?
At Famvia, we are luxury cruise specialists. We proudly partner with some of the world’s most prestigious cruise lines, including Seabourn, Silversea, Explora Journeys and of course Cunard Cruise Line.
Navigating Cunard Cruise Line’s extensive portfolio of itineraries along with stateroom options can be overwhelming. That is where we come in. Our dedicated travel advisors specialize in Cunard Cruise Line and can help you find the perfect voyage tailored to your preferences. In addition, we often have access to exclusive offers and pricing not available to the general public.
With deep expertise in Cunard Cruise Line and their ships, we are here to guide you every step of the way. Simply click the Request a Quote button to get in touch. Our personalized planning services are complimentary and we look forward to crafting an unforgettable journey just for you.
Activities onboard Cunard Cruise Line
Cunard doesn’t offer the same amenities you’d find on the newest ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, or Norwegian. They focus on seminars at sea, small theatrical productions, live music, and more intimate shows. If you enjoy live productions while sipping a good drink, you’ll have a great time with them. However, if you and your family are looking for waterslides, huge Broadway shows, or a full-on waterpark, you may be disappointed.
Cunard is also well-known for its gala nights - at least one is included on their three-night cruises, with more on longer voyages. So, if you love to dress up and look sharp, you’ll enjoy it here. They are also famous for their ballroom lessons and, of course, the traditional afternoon tea, which takes place every day.
Here’s what you can expect to find onboard a Cunard cruise:
- Live shows & Music
- Afternoon Tea
- Gala Evenings
- Libraries
- Kids Club
- Fitness Center
- Spa
- Shopping
- Art Galleries
Kids Club
While Cunard Cruise Line is often known for attracting an older audience, it’s worth noting that they do offer a Kids Club onboard, which is included in your base fare. The club is divided into three different age groups to cater to children of different ages:
- Night Nursery: suitable for children aged 6 to 23 months and open from 6.00pm to 11.00pm.
- The Play Zone: for children aged 2-7.
- The Kids Zone: from kids aged 8-12.
- The Teen Zone: from kids aged 13-17.
Dining onboard Cunard Cruise Line
One interesting thing to note is that your stateroom will determine your main dining room. For example, the Queens Grill Restaurant is reserved for guests in a Queens Grill Suite, while the Britannia Restaurant is for those in a traditional Inside, Oceanview, or Balcony Stateroom. This is the main restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a rotating daily menu depending on where you’re dining.
There are also dining venues available for all guests onboard, such as the buffet at The Lido and Kings Court, and The Golden Lion Pub, which serves authentic British cuisine. Specialty dining is also available for an additional charge, with options including a steakhouse and Mediterranean restaurant.
The food is often considered good, but not exceptional. It’s similar to what you’d find on Celebrity Cruises - a step above most other cruise lines, but not quite a ten out of ten.
Cunard Cruise Line Info List
Dress Code Onboard Cunard
The dress code on Cunard is casual by day, and what they call “smart attire” by night. Here is what Cunard has to say:
“If you do want to make an effort in the evening you won’t be alone. The majority of guests travelling with us embrace the chance to switch to smart attire by night. This doesn’t mean you’ll be expected to wear a gown or dinner jacket each evening. Smart attire simply means a dress shirt and trousers, skirt and a top, or a cocktail dress. Essentially, choose something along the same vein as you’d wear to a stylish restaurant or the theatre on a special occasion”.
Keep in mind that Cunard hosts Gala Evenings at least once during your cruise. A formal suit, shirt, and tie of any colour or a formal dress will also do just fine for this event.
Wi-Fi onboard Cunard
Cunard offers two different internet packages.
- The Essential Internet Plan: good for web browsing, email and social media. Costs $20 per day if bought for your whole cruise, or $25 per 24 hours.
- The Premium Internet Plan: good for all of the above, plus streaming. Costs $28 per day if bought for your whole cruise, or $40 per 24 hours.
Drinking Age
In U.S. waters, the minimum drinking age is 21. Outside of U.S. waters, the minimum drinking age is 18.
Drink Packages
There are a variety of drink packages offered by Cunard Cruise Line. You can check the table below for options and prices. Prices are per guest, per night.
Gratuities
The service charge for Queens and Princess Grill Suites will be US$19 per person per day, and Britannia Staterooms will be US$17 per person per day. A 15% service charge is automatically added to your onboard account for each beverage purchase as well.
Laundry onboard Cunard Cruise Line
Cunard offers a complete laundry service including washing, ironing and specialist cleaning for a nominal fee. An express ‘same day’ and standard 48 hour service are available. Self-service washing machines, dryers and ironing boards are available in the ship’s launderettes.
Carry-on Drinks Policy onboard Cunard
Passengers can also bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person, up to 750 ml.
Should you wish to consume your own alcohol on board, outside of your suite or stateroom, you may do so, however a corkage fee will apply. This is in the amount of US$25 per bottle, subject to change.
Book Your Dream Vacation with Cunard Cruise Line!
Now that you know all about Cunard, it’s time to pack your bags and explore some of the most beautiful places in the world while sipping a cup of tea!
Feel free to reach out anytime for the best deals, more details on room options, activities, or anything else you need. Cunard is known for its classy, elegant atmosphere, and we like to think we share the same values here at Famvia. Truly, a match made in heaven.
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