This November, Queen Mary 2 will do something no other ship on Earth still does as a matter of routine — cross the Atlantic on a scheduled service — for the 450th time.
The milestone crossing departs Cunard’s home port of Southampton on 10 November, arriving in New York on the 17th.
The timing is rich in history. This weekend marked 186 years since the voyage that started it all: on 4 July 1840, Cunard’s paddle steamer RMS Britannia left Liverpool for Boston, launching the world’s first regularly scheduled transatlantic steamship service.
Nearly two centuries later, Queen Mary 2 remains the world’s only ocean liner still making scheduled crossings between Southampton and New York — and by Cunard’s estimate, one in five immigrants to the United States between 1840 and 1923 travelled on a Cunard ship.
Fittingly, she spent the anniversary itself in New York Harbor, taking her place in the Sail4th 250 flotilla for America’s 250th birthday celebrations as the US Navy’s Blue Angels roared overhead.
A place on board to be won
To mark the 450th crossing, Cunard has launched a giveaway: the winner and a guest sail the milestone voyage, with flights, a Southampton hotel stay and port transfers included.
Entries are open until 31 July at cunardcrossinggiveaway.com, with a bonus entry for uploading a photo from a past Cunard voyage or answering a short poll.
One caveat for Gazette readers: the promotion is run by Cunard’s North American arm and the prize package is built around US travellers, so check the official eligibility terms before getting your hopes up on this side of the Atlantic.
Why it matters for UK cruisers
Cunard’s Liz Fettes calls transatlantic travel “one of the most iconic experiences in luxury travel today”, and it remains a bucket-list trip that starts on a British quayside: seven days at sea, no ports, formal nights and the world’s last ocean liner doing what she was built for.
It’s a very different proposition from a port-a-day holiday — worth understanding before you book, as our guide to choosing your first cruise explains — but for many it’s the most special way to cross the Atlantic that money can buy.
Cunard’s fleet of four Queens — Queen Mary 2, Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria — all sail from Southampton, where the line has been headquartered since its move from Liverpool.
Image: Cunard
