cunard cruise ship nurse

• Our Medical Team

You will provide basic and emergency nursing care to our guests and crew, working closely with the shipboard Doctor to attend to patients visiting the clinic.

• Provide individualized outpatient, inpatient and ICU care for guests and crew
• Act as first responders; triage emergency calls; assess and treat on-scene; and transfer patients to the medical center for definitive care
• Assess patients and provide treatment and advice for specific conditions
• Perform various technical and non-clinical administrative tasks that support an efficient and safe medical center under the supervision of the Senior Nurse
• Perform equipment checks, medicine and inventory management
• Participate in drills, audits, inspections and training of other crew members
• Learn and practice technical skills on board, such as X-rays acquisition
• Perform various laboratory tests and other procedures
• Provide excellent customer service, maintaining a professional, dignified, friendly, assertive, and polite manner at all times
• Perform consistently with the organization’s Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan

Registered Nurse and current registration/ licensing with an appropriate government or national regulatory body

At least three years post graduate clinical experience in emergency medicine, acute care or ICU, and most recent work experience should be in a clinical setting

prior to joining a ship

may be required before completing the first year of employment

both conversational and technical

with Microsoft Windows 7 (or higher) and MS Office programs

Experience with use of electronic health records is preferred

Outstanding interpersonal, customer services and communication skills

WHY CHOOSE US?

Embark your medical career on a new international voyage of discovery. Join our team of skilled Medical team working on any of our 90 ships across our nine brands: Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Cunard, AIDA Cruises, Costa, P&O Cruises (UK) and P&O Australia. Our staff are passionate about providing quality healthcare to our guests and crew while they sail the world creating lasting memories.

90 SHIPS ACROSS 9 CRUISE LINES AND +8 NEW SHIPS COMING BY 2025

SAILING IN NORTH AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, EUROPE AND MORE

COMING SOON

Cruise Job Directory

Directory of Cruise Ship Job Information

How to Apply as a Cruise Ship Nurse

CRUISE SHIP NURSES work with the onboard doctors to provide and maintain high standards of individualized patient care for passengers and crew, responding to emergencies whenever they occur on the ship. Nurses are expected to have a broad range of experience in acute care areas and clinical care skills in order to handle the varied and challenging clinical caseload.

Most cruise lines expect that candidates will have at least 3+ years of either Emergency or Intensive Care experience. Typically, current BLS certification and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) is preferred. Here are some additional specifics on requirements for cruise ship nurses as well as information on how to apply.

Cruise Ship Nurse Jobs with Holland America Group

Nurse applicants must hold a Registered Nurse Qualification, and current registration and licensing with an appropriate governmental or national regulatory body. Applicants must have at least three years post graduate clinical experience in emergency medicine, acute care or ICU, and most recent work experience should be in a clinical setting. Additional requirements include a valid accredited ALS/ACLS certificate prior to joining a vessel.

How to Apply with Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Group To apply with Carnival Cruise Line or the Holland America Group cruise brands (Holland America, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, and P&O Australia), applicants can apply online via the Carnival Medical Jobs website .

Contact:  Joe Scott (Director of Fleet Medical Operations for Holland America Group) Contact:   Grant Tarling (Group SVP and Chief Medical Officer for Holland America Group and Carnival Cruise Line)

Cruise Ship Nurse Jobs with Royal Caribbean Group

Applicants are required to have a good-standing RN license; ACLS and BLS certificates; minimum of three years post-graduate clinical training; minimum of one year practical experience in Advanced Cardiac Life Support; a minimum of one year experience in the Coronary Care, Emergency, or Intensive Care units; and a minimum of one year experience performing Basic Life Support.

How to Apply with Royal Caribbean Group The Royal Caribbean Group encompasses the cruise line brands, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Silversea Cruises. To work for any of these brands, apply online through Royal Caribbean’s CTRAC career resource . Alternatively, Royal Caribbean Group works with the hiring partners, Hospitalio Recruitment and Faststream Recruitment to assist with recruiting medical personnel.

Contacts at Royal Caribbean Group Ruben D. Parejo (Fleet Director of Medical and Public Health for Royal Caribbean Group) Calvin Johnson (Chief Medical Officer for Royal Caribbean Group)

Nurse Jobs with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

To be hired as a nurse with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the applicant must have a good-standing RN license; ACLS certificates; minimum of three years post-graduate clinical experience; Intermediate to Advanced verbal and written level of English; minimum of one year practical experience in Advanced Cardiac Life Support; and minimum of one year experience working in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care or Coronary Care Unit.

How to Apply with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises are all brands that are part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. To work with any of these brands, apply online through their shipboard employment page if there is a job posting. Alternatively, Norwegian works with a global network of hiring partners .

Medical Contact at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Carlos J. Gonzalez (Chief Medical Officer at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings)

Other Cruise Ship Nurse Jobs

Crystal Cruises and Disney Cruise Line – Crystal Cruises and Disney Cruise Line are both partnered with Vanter Cruise Health Services to recruit nurses for their onboard medical department.

Cunard Line and P&O Cruises – To join P&O Cruises or Cunard Line as a Ship Nurse, you must be a level 1 registered nurse with current registration with the United Kingdom Nursing and Midwifery Council or appropriate Governmental regulatory body, three years post qualification. They ask that you have a broad range of experience in acute care areas with recent experience within A&E and a wide variety of clinical skills. Apply through the Carnival UK job pages .

Vikand Solutions offers careers at sea for a number of cruise lines including Viking Cruises, Hurtigruten, Azamara, Virgin Voyages, American Cruise Lines, and many others.

Updated: November 5, 2021.

Working as a ship’s Nurse is an opportunity to fast-track your medical career.

Join our team and you’ll gain skills and qualifications as you work in a fast-paced and rewarding environment. Our well-equipped medical centres and people-centric business ethics ensure quality patient care, with opportunities for invaluable experience across all medical specialisms.

As a cruise Nurse you’re fully supported to progress quickly on board by gaining industry-recognised qualifications, organised, and paid for by us.

Our teams work hard and enjoy amazing travel experiences, alongside a stable and competitive Nurse’s salary with the benefits of working in the private healthcare sector.

Being part of our Medical Team has its benefits…

Good for you and your career

As you earn a competitive cruise Nurse salary, we’ll help you broaden your independent practitioner skillset while providing gold standard care in a unique environment.

Gain technical skills such as running blood tests or performing X-rays, alongside first responder duties supporting the team with immediate patient care and transfers.

You’ll also learn about the management and upkeep of a standalone medical department, including maintaining rosters, supplies, and equipment.

From a personal perspective, you’ll work within a team of other experienced medical professionals, developing strong working relationships to bring the best out of yourself and others. And should you return to shore, your years of travelling cruise Nurse experience will help you secure a more senior role.

Life on board

Cruise Nurses work daily shifts and like all healthcare settings, it’s faced-paced and rewarding. However, you have the autonomy to deliver gold-standard patient care in a well-equipped medical centre with on-site laboratory and radiography facilities.

There’s also lots of opportunities to learn from your colleagues who are experienced professionals with varied healthcare backgrounds.

And to make sure you’re able to be your best self at work, cruise Nurses enjoy extended leave at home to relax, recharge and be reenergised about returning to sea.

If you’re at least 3-years post-qualified with A&E or ICU experience, you can start your career at sea.

A warm welcome

When you apply for a cruise Nurse job, we’ll look after you at every step of the process. From helping you with compliance documentation, to paying for your flights and supporting you to settle in on board, you’ll get a warm welcome when you join our team.

Watch the video below to find out more about joining our fleet.

Our medical team work on board both Cunard and P&O Cruises ships and although the video has been created for Cunard crew, the warm welcome is just the same for P&O Cruises crew too!

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Cunard officially welcomes new ship queen anne with ceremony at fincantieri shipyard.

VALENCIA, Calif. , April 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- She's the next in a fine line for Cunard, and today ( April 19 ), Queen Anne officially joined the luxury cruise line's iconic fleet during a historic handover ceremony in Italy .

Cunard took ownership of their stunning 3,000-guest ship during a traditional handover ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice – where master shipbuilders have been constructing the luxurious vessel.

The event was attended by Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy , Adolfo Urso , and Italian Minister for Relations with Parliament, Luca Ciriani .

Katie McAlister , President of Cunard; Paul Ludlow , President of Carnival UK; Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo , General Manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division; and Marco Lunardi , Fincantieri Shipyard Director, were also present.

Queen Anne , the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag – and the third built by Fincantieri – will now set sail for Southampton ahead of her seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on May 3 .

As the newest addition to the Cunard fleet, Queen Anne's design concepts have been founded on heritage, craftsmanship, style, storytelling, and innovation, and the 114,000-ton ship, which spans 14 decks, will offer travelers several breath-taking experiences, and more choices of entertainment, dining, and bars than ever before.

Cunard has previously announced a series of partnerships for Queen Anne , including Le Gavroche at Sea residencies hosted by two Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux , wellness packages curated by Harper's Bazaar UK's beauty experts, and exclusive British Film Institute screenings in The Pavilion.

She will also boast the widest selection of fitness, beauty, thermal, and spa facilities so far seen on a Cunard ship, with her reimagined Mareel Wellness & Beauty proposition heralding a new era of wellbeing at sea.

Katie McAlister , President of Cunard, said: "We are so excited to welcome Queen Anne to our fleet as she completes a remarkable quartet alongside Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth , and Queen Victoria – marking the first time since 1999 that Cunard will have four ships in simultaneous service. We are now fully focused on readying her to welcome guests for her maiden voyage on May 3 before she embarks on a historic British Isles Festival Voyage, including a momentous Naming Ceremony in Cunard's spiritual home of Liverpool on June 3 ."

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, added: "We are very pleased and eager to deliver Queen Anne to Cunard, a pioneering figure in luxury sea travel, renowned for setting new standards in oceanic voyages for over 180 years. This beautiful and iconic ship testifies the longstanding partnership between our two companies, underscoring our shared commitment to excellence and tradition in the maritime industry. Queen Anne , as Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth , the other two ships we built for Cunard, proudly bear Fincantieri's signature, embodying our enduring expertise, reliability, and craftsmanship in shipbuilding. Constructing a liner for such a distinguished shipowner not only reconnects us to our origins but propels us towards the future with a determination to blend tradition and innovation. Fincantieri thus confirms its leadership in the cruise shipbuilding sector, a fundamental pillar of the company's business project, as both the Group's Business Plan and the vitality of the post-pandemic cruise sector clearly show."

For more information about Cunard or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Advisor, call Cunard at 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com .

For Travel Advisors interested in further information, please contact your Business Development Manager, visit  OneSourceCruises.com , or call Cunard at 1-800-528-6273.

About Cunard  Cunard is a luxury British cruise line, renowned for creating unforgettable experiences around the world. Cunard has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic, since 1840, celebrating an incredible 183 years of operation. A pioneer in transatlantic journeys for generations, Cunard is world class. The Cunard experience is built on fine dining, hand-selected entertainment and outstanding service. From five-star restaurants and in-suite dining to inspiring guest speakers, the library and film screenings, every detail has been meticulously crafted to make the experience unforgettable. Destinations include Europe , the Caribbean , the Far East, Alaska and Australia .

There are currently three Cunard ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria and a fourth ship, Queen Anne , will enter service in 2024. This investment is part of the company's ambitious plans for the future of Cunard globally and will be the first time since 1999 that Cunard will have four ships in simultaneous service. Cunard is based at Carnival House in Southampton and has been owned since 1998 by Carnival Corporation & plc.  www.cunard.com  (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

Social Media Facebook:  www.facebook.com/cunard Twitter:  www.twitter.com/cunardline YouTube:  www.youtube.com/wearecunard Instagram:  www.instagram.com/cunardline

For additional information about Cunard, contact: Jackie Chase , Cunard,  [email protected] Cindy Adams,  [email protected]

About Fincantieri Fincantieri is one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups, the only one active in all high-tech marine industry sectors. It is leader in the construction and transformation of cruise, naval and oil & gas and wind offshore vessels, as well as in the production of systems and component equipment, after-sales services and marine interiors solutions. Thanks to the expertise developed in the management of complex projects, the Group boasts first-class references in infrastructures, and is a reference player in digital technologies and cybersecurity, electronics and advanced systems. With over 230 years of history and more than 7,000 ships built, Fincantieri maintains its know-how, expertise and management centres in Italy , here employing 10,000 workers and creating around 90,000 jobs, which double worldwide thanks to a production network of 18 shipyards operating in four continents and with almost 21,000 employees. www.fincantieri.com

For additional information about Fincantieri, contact: Press Office, Tel. +39 040 3192473 [email protected] Investor Relations, Tel. +39 040 3192279 [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cunard-officially-welcomes-new-ship-queen-anne-with-ceremony-at-fincantieri-shipyard-302122306.html

SOURCE Cunard

A look inside the £479m Queen Anne, Cunard’s first new cruise ship in 14 years

I t all looks very familiar. Especially, perhaps, at first glance. For one thing, that fabled colour scheme is present and correct; that grey-black hue of the hull, the flawless white of the cabin decks, the tell-tale red, striped with black, where the funnel pushes up into the sky. Even the name has a melodic ring of flashback – so much so that, standing at the Hampshire dockside, I have to reach for my phone; check that it has not been used before.

It has not. At least, not by Cunard.

But my sense of déjà vu is forgivable. The British cruise line’s newest baby, Queen Anne , is the latest in a long line of regally named vessels. On Tuesday, she entered British waters for the first time, slipping into Southampton, which will be the base port for many of her voyages. As she came in, she was practically sailing in her ancestors’ wakes.

Ancestors? Well, there are a few. Three of them are core components of the current Cunard fleet – Queen Mary 2 (launched in 2003); Queen Victoria (2007); Queen Elizabeth (2010). Two of them are grande dames of yesteryear, now retired as floating hotels – Queen Elizabeth 2 (moored in Dubai as of 2018), the Queen Mary (a static fixture on the waterfront in Long Beach, California, since 1967). And one of them is sadly gone – the original Queen Elizabeth , consigned to the bottom of Hong Kong harbour by fire in 1972. But it all adds up to a fine heritage. The new girl has a little of all of them about her.

True, she is a 21st-century creation. So much was clear this week, on Wednesday, during a day of preview tours and getting-to-know-yous. Queen Anne is both the 249th ship in the company’s history, and the first Cunard launch in 14 years. She has come alive in Venice over the last two, via the Italian ship-builders Fincantieri, at a reported cost of US$600 million (£479 million). And she is no shrinking violet. At 323m (1,058ft) in length, and with a gross tonnage of 113,300, she is longer and larger than two of her siblings ( Queen Victoria , Queen Elizabeth ) – though shorter and smaller than her flagship, Queen Mary 2 . She can hold 2,996 passengers, and 1,225 crew members. She has 14 restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, a theatre, an art gallery, a casino and a library. She is not a slender yacht for shallow tides.

But for all her various bells and whistles, Queen Anne clings to the quiet elegance that has long been a Cunard hallmark; if not quite since 1839, when British-Canadian shipping magnate Samuel Cunard was awarded the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract, then certainly since 1879, when his business was reorganised as the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd, in the face of competition from the likes of White Star Line – and the golden age of oceanic passenger ships began in earnest. Queen Anne ’s softly carpeted interior has echoes. There is polished wood. There are Art Deco flourishes. That the opening production in its Royal Court Theatre is a pleasingly breezy rendition of Noël Coward’s 1945 film (via his 1936 play) Brief Encounter feels appropriate.

Fast forward (back) to 2024, and it is easy to make a comparison to one of this year’s other major launches – Icon Of The Seas ; the Royal Caribbean behemoth that, with space for 7,600 passengers, is now the biggest cruise ship on the planet. While the two vessels are aimed at different markets, and deliver different styles of travel, the contrast between the somewhat gaudy Icon – with her unmistakable upper-deck spaghetti-pile of brightly coloured water slides – and Queen Anne ’s understated sophistication is striking.

This, of course, is the idea. During a panel discussion on Wednesday afternoon, Lewis Taylor of London-based David Collins Studio – one of the design companies behind the Queen Anne blueprint – spoke of fact-gathering missions to the Cunard Archive in the company’s spiritual home of Liverpool. “It’s an incredible resource to have,” he said. “There is so much on record, from menu cards to colour combinations, and period details that we were able to interpret in a contemporary way.

“It’s important that this new ship has all this DNA. You have to be inspired by those archive references. But you have to reinterpret them. We didn’t want Queen Anne to be a pastiche. This is a ship for the future.” 

On-board attempts to add contemporary scratches to that classic gleam are not hard to find. For every exercise in haute cuisine – double-Michelin-starred French chef Michel Roux has crafted an evening menu for the Queens Grill restaurant – there is an edgier take on modern culture. While – as with the three other Cunard ships currently in service – The Gallery is a showroom for London-based specialists Clarendon Fine Art, and everything on the walls is for sale, a brief visit to its well-lit space on Deck 2 will allow you to gaze at works by (at time of writing) Banksy, Los Angeles street artist Mr Brainwash (Thierry Guetta), and Salvador Dalí. The Pavilion – the two-deck space which acts as the heart of the ship – will offer evening screenings of engaging short films, via a partnership with the British Film Institute.

As for the future of the “ship for the future”, it is already here. Tomorrow (May 3), Queen Anne will set off for Lisbon on her inaugural voyage. A two-week jaunt to, and around, the Canary Islands, will follow (May 10-24).

The schedule is busy. A third cruise – the 14-night “British Isles Festival Voyage” – is in the diary for May 24-June 7, and will include a stop in Liverpool, for the official naming ceremony, on June 3. And if any of this has whetted your appetite, a 16-night “Western Mediterranean” odyssey – calling on five ports in Spain (Vigo, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, La Coruña) and two in Italy (Civitavecchia, Alghero) – is planned for June 7-23 (cabins are still available from £4,189 per person, similar voyages later in the year start at £1,749 a head; 0344 338 8641; cunard.com ).

Classically elegant she may be, but this sailing queen will not have much chance to rest. 

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Will Queen Anne usher in a new golden age of cruising? A first look as Cunard crowns its new £500m monarch

Ahead of her maiden voyage, benjamin parker spends a night aboard queen anne – finding the iconic british cruise line’s long-established grandeur has been given a jolt of contemporary panache, article bookmarked.

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A crisp spring wind whipped over the River Test, skimming the water that flowed on its path to the Solent. From my open-air viewpoint metres above water, the sunless sky is punctured by one thing only: the hulking red and black funnel that has crowned Cunard ships for almost two centuries.

On Tuesday evening, Southampton welcomed Queen Anne , the latest monarch to join Cunard’s fleet. There was much fanfare in the south-coast city , with crowds watching her sail in through the arcs of a water salute, Cunard’s first female captain, Inger Klein Thorhauge, at the helm. The following day, I was among the first to step onto her decks as she docked at her home port, where the line’s vessels have been based since 1919. In a swell of container ships and the concrete jungle of the port, Queen Anne beamed as a diamond in the rough.

Even the most reluctant of cruisers should appreciate Cunard Line; it’s a brand that transcends the industry and peppers history books. Since its first transatlantic crossing in 1840, its ships have been considered the height of luxury at sea – its designs drawing comparisons to The Ritz hotel at the end of the 19th century. Names, from Charles Dickens and Mark Twain to Judy Garland and David Bowie, have sailed under those famed funnels. Cunard’s Carpathia steamed to the stricken Titanic to rescue survivors in 1912.

Jumping forward to October 2019, I was at the Fincantieri shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia, southern Italy , to watch the steel-cutting ceremony – the cruise equivalent of a ground-breaking celebration – for an unnamed ship that would become Queen Anne . Built at a reported cost of £500m, it’s the company’s first new vessel in 14 years (sailing two years later than planned).

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And while the 3,000-capacity Queen Anne (plus space for 1,200 crew members) is the 249th ship to sail under Cunard’s flag, what makes this such a milestone is her joining the coveted ranks of Cunard’s ‘queens’, which themselves hold a special place in cruise culture, as well as British consciousness.

She expands the current trio – Queen Mary 2 , Queen Elizabeth , Queen Victoria – into a quartet, and is an echo of its regal predecessors. Two are now decommissioned and sit as floating hotels ( Queen Elizabeth 2 in Dubai , Queen Mary in California ); the original Queen Elizabeth retired to Florida before sailing to Hong Kong , a blaze destroying it in the harbour in 1972.

The challenge for Cunard with Queen Anne has been to successfully juggle that heritage with modernity – something that has been done with aplomb across the 13 decks. While the exterior does little to push boundaries, inside is a sensitive homage to the traditions given contemporary zeal. The concept began in the line’s archives at the University of Liverpool , rooting this new addition firmly in the past. Old brochures, fabrics and posters gave inspiration but designers – including London’s David Collins Studio – were determined not to end up with a pastiche.

Art Deco nods are found across public spaces, such as the curvaceous central ballroom, and the sheen of metals is paired with a palette of more muted – and more modern – colours. Gaudy carpet patterns, always a concern on cruise ships, cannot be found; my favourite were the blue designs that seem influenced by the water surrounding the hull or the air that would have blown the sails of bygone ships. While anti-cruise snobbery often sees noses turned up at ship accommodation, aboard Queen Anne , the calming tones sit against wooden furnishing and the Art Deco style seeps in; if this was on land it would be a hotel at the higher end of the scale.

Some of the best touches are clear attempts to bring the ship into the 21st century. Take the gallery, where work by Banksy was revealed on Wednesday – yours for a cool £125,000 – to sit alongside pieces from Thierry Guetta, better known as the LA -based Mr Brainwash. There’s simply no room for mass-produced dross in the “reimagined, elegant spaces”, as Cunard president Katie McAlister puts it. While elements such as the white-glove afternoon tea service remain, they’re bolstered by a Himalayan sea salt sauna or DJ booth around the pool.

Even the most reluctant of cruisers should appreciate Cunard Line; it’s a brand that transcends the industry and peppers history books

A huge coup is the work from chef Michel Roux Jr, who ran the two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche in London before it closed in January. He has revamped the offering inside this Golden Lion, Cunard’s pub-at-sea concept that can be found on all the ‘queens’, adding what he called “little details that make a huge difference”. He labelled the haddock scotch eggs (I think best served with a pint of Cunard Gold lager) as “bang on”. Rubbed his belly talking about getting the fish and chips just right.

For me, the most exciting thing is that the chef has brought with him a slightly tweaked version of the laden, three-cheese stovetop toasties from The Wigmore (another pub setup, at the bottom of The Langham hotel in central London , that Michel was tasked with elevating from the ordinary). The other girls in the fleet need not be jealous; Michel’s approach is being rolled out across the fleet. If you want a sublime dining experience on the water, there are two Le Gavroche at Sea residencies (with Michel on board and behind the pass) on Queen Anne this year, plus two more on Queen Mary 2 .

As for today, the debutant is getting ready to leave Southampton this evening, sailing to La Coruna in Spain and Lisbon in Portugal (with days at sea bookending each port) before returning home to England . Then it’s off to the Canary Islands before the 14-night British islands itinerary – including a stop for a naming ceremony in Liverpool, the spiritual home of Cunard. From then, the Med and the fjords beckon; however, cruise fans tell me they’ve got their eyes set on Queen Anne ’s maiden world voyage in 2025, stretching over 111 days.

Waking up yesterday after a night moored in Southampton, I stepped out onto the balcony to more of the same rain. What warmed me – even more than the previous long night of champagne and martinis – was the thought of voyages yet to come.

I’m too young to know the ‘golden age’ of cruising, but Cunard has taken a step forward into its renaissance. Long live Queen Anne – and happy holidays at sea for all who sail on her.

Read more: The best Caribbean cruises for a holiday on the water in 2024/2025

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Cunard provides the definitive ocean travel experience perfected by over 180 years at sea and is continuously redefining the voyage experience for future generations. We’ll help you find the perfect role and build a career to be proud of.

Latest updates

Working as a ship’s Nurse is an opportunity to fast-track your medical career.

Join our team and you’ll gain skills and qualifications as you work in a fast-paced and rewarding environment. Our well-equipped medical centres and people-centric business ethics ensure quality patient care, with opportunities for invaluable experience across all medical specialisms.

As a cruise Nurse you’re fully supported to progress quickly on board by gaining industry-recognised qualifications, organised, and paid for by us.

Our teams work hard and enjoy amazing travel experiences, alongside a stable and competitive Nurse’s salary with the benefits of working in the private healthcare sector.

Being part of our Medical Team has its benefits…

Good for you and your career

As you earn a competitive cruise Nurse salary, we’ll help you broaden your independent practitioner skillset while providing gold standard care in a unique environment.

Gain technical skills such as running blood tests or performing X-rays, alongside first responder duties supporting the team with immediate patient care and transfers.

You’ll also learn about the management and upkeep of a standalone medical department, including maintaining rosters, supplies, and equipment.

From a personal perspective, you’ll work within a team of other experienced medical professionals, developing strong working relationships to bring the best out of yourself and others. And should you return to shore, your years of travelling cruise Nurse experience will help you secure a more senior role.

Life on board

Cruise Nurses work daily shifts and like all healthcare settings, it’s faced-paced and rewarding. However, you have the autonomy to deliver gold-standard patient care in a well-equipped medical centre with on-site laboratory and radiography facilities.

There’s also lots of opportunities to learn from your colleagues who are experienced professionals with varied healthcare backgrounds.

And to make sure you’re able to be your best self at work, cruise medics enjoy extended leave at home to relax, recharge and be reenergised about returning to sea.

If you’re at least 3-years post-qualified with A&E or ICU experience, you can start your career at sea.

A warm welcome

When you apply for a cruise Nurse job we’ll look after you at every step of the process. From helping you with compliance documentation, to paying for your flights and supporting you to settle in on board, you’ll get a warm welcome.

Watch this video to learn more about what happens when you join our team.

Cunard Ships by Size, Age and Class (2022)

Cunard Line has an active fleet of 3 ships currently. They plan to launch a further ship in 2024. ( Queen Anne ) which will bring them to 4 ships, one of the smallest cruise line fleets in the world.

Whilst they might be one of the smallest fleets in the world, they are certainly one of the most well-known cruise lines with over 180 years of history and an infamous link with a rival company that owned the ill-fated ship, Titanic .

Introduction to Cunard Line

Cunard Line is a brand of the Carnival Corporation. Originally, Cunard Line started as the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company over 180 years ago (1840).

Cunard Line is probably best well-known for their formal nights, extremely decadent and classy ships and also having the only active ocean liner in the world – Queen Mary 2 .

Cunard’s fleet is fairly small but modern and with the addition of the upcoming ship Queen Anne , will continue the tradition of transatlantic and world cruises that they are known for.

Cunard Ships Frequently Asked Questions

Which cunard ship is the biggest.

This can be answered in several ways!  Queen Mary 2  is the longest ship in the fleet and currently,  Queen Elizabeth  is the biggest in terms of GRT.  Queen Anne  will carry the most passengers when she launches in 2024.

Which Cunard ship is the newest?

The newest Cunard ship is  Queen Elizabeth . She took her maiden voyage in 2011 from Southampton.

Which Cunard ship is the oldest?

The oldest active Cunard Line ship is  Queen Mary 2 . She took her maiden voyage back in 2004 from Southampton. She was originally constructed in Saint-Nazaire in France.

How many classes of ship does Cunard have?

Cunard has two classes of cruise ships and  Queen Mary 2  is a class of her own, as the only unique ocean liner at sea.

Which Cunard ship is larger Queen Elizabeth or Queen Victoria?

Queen Elizabeth  is the larger of the two sisters. She was designed with a straight-back stern compared to  Queen Victoria’s  sloping stern (later modified) which allowed more staterooms to be added and extra passengers.

Which Cunard ship is the best?

This depends on the type of voyage you wish to take. For a transatlantic crossing, there is no other ship in the world that would beat or be as more comfortable to sail on as  Queen Mary 2 . Whereas for itineraries such as the Norwegian Fjords or Canary Islands, people prefer  Queen Victoria  or  Queen Elizabeth .

Is Queen Victoria an ocean liner?

No. Whilst  Queen Victoria  does have a strengthened bow to allow her to sail across the Atlantic Ocean easier, she has a flat-bottomed hull and her bow isn’t as pointed as  Queen Mary 2  – which is the only ocean liner at sea.

What are the Cunard Queens?

The Cunard Queens are the common name affectionately given to the current three Cunard ships. The Cunard Queens sometimes sail together from one port each year, drawing many visitors to the port to watch them sail out. This has been done numerous times and is usually done to mark special occasions, such as the Queen’s Birthday or a milestone in Cunard history.

Cunard Ships by Size (from largest to smallest)

What does ‘tonnage (grt)’ mean.

GRT (Gross Registered Tonnage) is a term used to calculate the volume inside a ship. It is a measure of cubic capacity and is calculated by the total volume from inside the hull and decks of the ship. 1 GRT = 100 cubic feet of space. In essence, the bigger the GRT – the more ‘space’ the ship has for passengers, cargo, etc.

How are ‘Passengers (Max)’ calculated?

You’ll see multiple numbers for passengers on ships – this is because many ships include extra beds in cabins (such as the sofa/couch can convert to a pull-out bed) – but the majority of cabins or staterooms (as called by Cunard) usually have 2 people in them. the ‘Max’ number is if every cabin used their additional pull-out bed, etc. This number is unlikely to be reached very frequently.

Cunard Ships by Age (from newest to oldest)

Are all cunard ships new builds.

Yes. All of the ships in the Cunard fleet are new builds. However, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth use the same ship class as other Carnival ships. The Vista-class has been used for other brands in the Carnival fleet such as P&O Cruises, Costa Cruises and Holland America Line.

Queen Mary 2 is the only totally unique build for Cunard Line. This ship was designed specifically for Cunard and is a one-off.

Cunard Ships by Class (from newest to oldest)

What class is queen mary 2.

Queen Mary 2 is her own class as she is a purpose-built Ocean Liner. The only ocean that is sailing today.

Queen Mary 2 is different by having a v-shaped hull and a more pointed and strengthened bow. This allows her to sail ‘point-to-point’ via Southampton and New York across the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the rough weather, she may endure her pointed bow allows her to cut through the ocean easier, allowing a much more comfortable and faster voyage for her passengers.

What is the Pinnacle-class?

The Pinnacle-class design of a cruise ship was first used by sister brand Holland America Line and their MS Koningsdam ship. The future Queen Anne cruise ship for Cunard will be based on the Pinnacle-class build but with her own unique distinct Cunard style.

What other ships are Vista-class?

Both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth are Vista-class ships, which have been used for other Carnival brands in the past.

These include:

• Arcadia for P&O Cruises
• MS Noordam for Holland America Line
• Costa Luminosa for Costa Cruises

Final Thoughts

When it comes to choosing a Cunard Line ship for your cruise then a lot of people either pick Queen Mary 2 if it is a transatlantic or world cruise or Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth if sailing elsewhere.

Whilst Queen Mary 2 can be enjoyed for any cruise, she excels on transatlantic voyages due to her unique ocean liner design.

Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are very popular ships for sailing in Norway – as their promenade deck is much lower than Queen Mary 2 it brings the feeling of being closer to the water for many.

Queen Anne , when she launches in 2024 will likely homeport at different places around the world throughout the year, giving passengers a chance to try out the unique style of cruising that Cunard Line offers.

Enjoyed this article? Check out our other guides on MSC Cruises , Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean .

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