Editing Cunard Line (section)

===Carnival: from 1998–present===
[[File:Queen Mary 2 Boston July 2015 01 (cropped).jpg|thumb|''[[RMS Queen Mary 2|Queen Mary 2]]'' of 2004 (151,400 GT), docked in [[Boston Harbor]] as part of a tour to mark Cunard's 175th anniversary in 2015]]
In 1998, the cruise line conglomerate [[Carnival Corporation & plc|Carnival Corporation]] acquired 62% of Cunard for US$425&nbsp;million. Coincidently, it was the same percentage that Cunard owned in Cunard-White Star Line<ref name=times9>{{cite news |title= Carnival in $500 million deal to buy Cunard|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=4 April 1998 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/04/business/company-news-carnival-in-500-million-deal-to-buy-cunard.html?pagewanted=1| url-access  = subscription }}</ref> and the company historian later stated the acquisition was in-part due to the success of [[James Cameron]]’s blockbuster 1997 film, ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krashinsky |first=Susan |date=2012-04-12 |title=White Star name sails on without Titanic |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/white-star-name-sails-on-without-titanic/article4099917/ |access-date=2023-03-29}}</ref> The next year Carnival acquired the remaining 38% and stock for US$205 million.<ref name=times10>{{cite news |title= Carnival to buy remaining share in Cunard|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=20 October 1999 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/20/business/company-news-carnival-to-buy-remaining-stake-in-cunard-line.html?pagewanted=1| url-access  = subscription }}</ref> Ultimately, Carnival sued Kværner claiming that the ships were in worse condition than represented and Kværner agreed to refund US$50 million to Carnival.<ref name=Butler>{{cite book | last = Butler | first = Daniel Allen | title = The Age of Cunard | publisher = Lighthouse Press | year = 2003 | isbn= 978-1-57785-348-0}}</ref> Each of Carnival's cruise lines is designed to appeal to a different market, and Carnival was interested in rebuilding Cunard as a luxury brand trading on its British traditions. Under the slogan "Advancing Civilization Since 1840", Cunard's advertising campaign sought to emphasise the elegance and mystique of ocean travel.<ref name=times11>{{cite news |first=Edwin |last=McDowell |title=Carnival's Cunard cruise line plans to spend 12.5 million to stress a touch of class |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=19 August 1999 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/19/business/media-business-advertising-carnival-s-cunard-cruise-line-plans-spend-12.5.html?pagewanted=1| url-access  = subscription }}</ref> Only ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' and [[Saga Ruby|''Caronia'']] continued under the Cunard brand and the company began Project ''Queen Mary'' to build a new ocean liner/cruise ship for the transatlantic route.<ref name=times>{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Wakin |title=Restoring the Queen's Glamour |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=19 August 2001 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/19/business/private-sector-restoring-the-queens-glamour.html?scp=1&sq=restoring%20the%20queen%27s%20glamour&st=cse | url-access  = subscription}}</ref>

Following the Carnival acquisition, Cunard Line introduced ''White Star Service'' to ''[[Queen Elizabeth 2]]'' and ''Caronia'', as a reference to the high standards of customer service expected of the company. The term is still used today onboard its newer vessels. The company has also created the White Star Academy, an in-house programme for preparing new crew members for the service standards expected on Cunard ships.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.cunard.co.uk/cunard-experience/why-cunard/white-star-service/| title=White Star Service – Cunard Cruise Line |work= Cunard.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= https://chrisframe.com.au/post/738732637218340864/what-is-cunard-white-star-service| title=What is Cunard's White Star Service? |work= Chris Frame Maritime Historian}}</ref>

By 2001, Carnival was the largest cruise company, followed by [[Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.|Royal Caribbean]] and [[P&O Princess Cruises]], which had recently separated from its parent, P&O. When Royal Caribbean and P&O Princess agreed to merge, Carnival countered with a hostile takeover bid for P&O Princess. Carnival rejected the idea of selling Cunard to resolve antitrust issues with the acquisition.<ref name=times16>{{cite news |title=Carnival may sell unit to complete takeover |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=28 May 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/28/business/carnival-may-sell-unit-to-complete-takeover.html?pagewanted=1| url-access  = subscription }}</ref> European and US regulators approved the merger without requiring Cunard's sale.<ref name=times17>{{cite news |first=Suzanne |last=Kapner |title= End is seen in long battle for cruise line|work=[[The New York Times]]|url-access  = subscription |date=25 October 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/25/business/end-is-seen-to-long-battle-for-cruise-line.html?scp=2&sq=end%20is%20near%20in%20long%20battle%20for%20cruise%20line&st=cse }}</ref> After the merger was completed, Carnival moved Cunard's headquarters to the offices of Princess Cruises in [[Santa Clarita, California]], so that administrative, financial and technology services could be combined.<ref name=times12>{{cite news |title=Carnival to move Cunard line's operations to California |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=12 July 2004 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/17/business/company-news-carnival-to-move-cunard-line-s-operations-to-california.html?pagewanted=1| url-access  = subscription }}</ref>

Carnival House opened in Southampton in 2009,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4501646.Opening_of_landmark_city_base_for_Carnival_UK/ |title=Carnival UK moves into new Southampton headquarters |author=Keith Hamilton |date=20 July 2009 |access-date=27 August 2010}}</ref> and executive control of Cunard Line transferred from Carnival Corporation in the United States, to [[Carnival UK]], the primary operating company of Carnival plc. As the UK-listed holding company of the group, Carnival plc had executive control of all Carnival Group activities in the UK, with the headquarters of all UK-based brands, including Cunard, in offices at Carnival House.

In 2004, the 36-year-old ''QE2'' was replaced on the North Atlantic by the ocean liner RMS [[RMS Queen Mary 2|''Queen Mary 2'']]. ''Caronia'' was sold and ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' continued to cruise until she was retired in 2008. In 2007 Cunard added [[MS Queen Victoria|''Queen Victoria'']], a cruise ship of the [[Vista-class cruise ship (2002)|Vista class]] originally designed for [[Holland America Line]]. To reinforce Cunard traditions, ''Queen Victoria'' has a small museum on board. Cunard commissioned a second Vista class cruise ship, [[MS Queen Elizabeth|''Queen Elizabeth'']], in 2010.<ref name=times4>{{cite news |first=Fernanda |last=Santos |title=Three Seafaring Queens Spend a Day in New York |work=[[The New York Times]] |date= 4 January 2008 }}</ref>

In 2010, Cunard appointed its first female commander, Captain Inger Klein Olsen.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|title=Queen Elizabeth: Cunard liner returns for celebrations|work=BBC News|date=2 July 2016|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-36687644|access-date=3 July 2016}}</ref> In 2011, Cunard changed the vessel registry of all three of its ships in service to [[Hamilton, Bermuda]],<ref name="registry" /> the first time in the 171-year history of the company that it had no ships registered in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/oct/28/cunard-leaves-britain-bermuda | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Terry | last=MacAlister | title=Cunard waves goodbye to Britannia after 170 years | date=28 October 2011}}</ref> The captains of ships registered in Bermuda can marry couples at sea, whereas those of UK-registered ships cannot, and weddings at sea are a lucrative market.<ref name="registry" />

On 25 May 2015, the three Cunard ships – ''Queen Mary 2'', ''Queen Elizabeth'' and ''Queen Victoria'' – sailed up the Mersey into Liverpool to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Cunard. The ships performed manoeuvres, including 180-degree turns, as the [[Red Arrows]] performed a fly-past.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-32836087|title=Cunard liners mark 175th anniversary in Liverpool|work=BBC News|date=25 May 2015}}</ref> Just over a year later ''Queen Elizabeth'' returned to Liverpool under Captain Olsen to take part in the celebrations of the centenary of the Cunard Building on 2 June 2016.<ref name="BBC" /> 

In September 2017, Cunard announced a fourth ship was ordered for the fleet. It would be a modified hull platform of Holland America's Pinnacle class [[MS Koningsdam|''Koningsdam'']].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stieghorst |first=Tom |date=September 25, 2017 |title=Cunard getting new ship |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Cunard-getting-new-ship}}</ref> The ship was original supposed to be delivered in 2022, but would eventually be pushed back 2 years.

At the outbreak of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in March 2020, Cunard cut short three world-cruises, with the passengers being flown home.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-03-16 |title=Coronavirus: Cunard ends its three world cruises |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-51904969 |access-date=2023-06-02}}</ref>

The White Star Line flag is raised on all current Cunard ships and the ''Nomadic'' every 15 April in memory of the ''Titanic'' disaster.<ref>{{cite news
| last        = Krachinsky
| first       = Susan
| date        = 12 April 2012
| title       = White Star name sails on without Titanic
| url         = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/white-star-name-sails-on-without-titanic/article4099917/
| url-access  = subscription
| work        = The Globe and Mail
| location    = Toronto, Ontario
| access-date = 14 August 2021
}}</ref>

The new ship ''Queen Anne'' was delivered to Cunard on 19 April 2024, the first new ship for the line in over 14 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fincantieri Delivers Cunard Line's First New Cruise Ship in 14 Years |url=https://maritime-executive.com/article/fincantieri-delivers-cunard-line-s-first-new-cruise-ship-in-14-years |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=The Maritime Executive |language=en}}</ref> She arrived in Southampton on 30 April 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-04-30 |title=Cunard Queen Anne cruise ship arrives in Southampton |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-68921943 |access-date=2024-05-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref> The ship departed on her maiden cruise from Southampton to the Canary Islands on 3 May 2024, and she will be officially named in [[Liverpool]] in June.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-02-05 |title=Liverpool to host new Cunard ship naming ceremony |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-68203622 |access-date=2024-05-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In May 2025 Cunard introduced a paid menu for Britannia grade room service, which garnered a significant negative response online and suggestions of product decline in various cruise publications. <ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-05-31 |title=Cunard: Room service fee introduced for Britannia grade passengers.|url=https://chrisframe.com.au/post/785046663388594176/cunard-room-service-fee-introduced-for-britannia |language=en-GB}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-05-31 |title=Cunard Now Charging for Room Service After Breakfast|url=https://emmacruises.com/cunard-now-charging-for-room-service-after-breakfast/|language=en-GB}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-05-31 |title=Cunard Makes Disappointing Change To Room Service Offering|url=https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/cunard-makes-disappointing-change-to-room-service-offering/|language=en-GB}}</ref>