Owned by Carnival Corporation now, Cunard Cruises was the first shipping company to be awarded a transatlantic shipmail contract in the year 1839. in the subsequent year, Samuel Cunard, the founder of the group, established the British and North American Mail Steam-Packet Company. For the next 30 years, the Cunard group was the proud holder of the Blue Riband, a title that is bestowed upon the fastest shipping company across the Atlantic. In the subsequent years, Inman Cruises and White Start shipping took over Cunards to clinch the title. Cunard then had to go public with his company, in order to raise capital to compete in the shipping business. The company went public with the name Cunard Steamship Company Ltd, in the year 1879.
In 1902, White star became a member of the American shipping company- the International Mercantile Marine Company and Cunard again was at the danger of falling prey at the hands of stiff competition. In those demanding times, it was the British government that came to the rescue of Cunard Cruise lines by offering them huge loans to overcome the competition and to stay afloat in the market.
Cunard Cruise lines built two large steamers after being funded by the government and one of their liners held the Blue Riband or a few more years. The competition, however got tougher, with the French, Germans and Italians entering the sailing industry with a bang, by launching their super-luxury prestige steamers in the decades of 1930s and 1940s.
Due to the depression, Cunard had to stop all his on going plans. The British government again came to the rescue and offered him a loan enough to get him to complete Queen Marry and Queen Elizabeth, the two steamliners that Cunard was pursuing back then. The government had a condition though, that Cunard would have to merge with the Whitestar corporation. Cunard agreed and formed the Cunard White-star company, which later came to be known as the Cunard Line in 1950. This is how a gem in the shipping and cruising industry was born.
The end of World War II Saw the Cunard Corporation regaining the position of the largest and the most trusted transatlantic cruise operator. With more than 12 steamers in its fleet by the end of the war, Cunard has started operating in full swing. With one of the most respected on-board staff and having one of the best guest-service record in the shipping industry, Cunard is all set to retain its position of being the best in the North Atlantic for years to come. In 1998, Cunard was annexed and taken over by Carnival Corporation, which is home to some of the best cruise liner companies in the world. Today, Cunard stands as a British operated, American owned company, which retains its legacy and is the perfect mixture of modern sophistication, coupled with age old work ethics that the company is known for, all over the world.