Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, ou, the French Line

CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE, CGT, or The French Line for short.

This, obviously, French line has exceeded in creating some of the most famous, noteworthy ocean liners in the world. Established in 1855 at the initiative of the Pereire brothers, Emile and Isaac, it expanded over time with some of the most innovative ocean liners the world has ever seen.

Le Havre was the lines main port of call for all of its career, via Brest, Cherbourg, and Saint-Nazaire (where many of the ships were built, rennovated, ext.). A great many liners made their way in and out of this harbor, with the famous Ile De France of 1927, and the favourited Normandie of 1935.

One of the great last ocean liners France of 1962 was perhaps the lines last vessles. Because of air traffic, however, the ship had to be dicomissioned in 1974 (bought by NCL: Norwegian Cruise Line in 1979 and transformed into the Norway up till 2003).

The line merged with Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes in 1977 to become Compagnie Générale Maritime. Converted into a container shipping company, it has prospered in carrying supplies across the 7 seas, to and form such ports as Los Angeles/San Pedro, and such countries as China, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Canada, and many more.

Cunard Line: History and Heritage

Cunard Line has a very rich haritage. Mr Samuel Cunard started the shipping line as a Canadian service in 1840 with the first passenger vessel Britannia. Since then, long after his death, Cunard Line has prospered through a great deal of history. For the longest time now, it has been defaulted as a British line.

During the Great Depression (that truly wasn't so great), Cunard Line was undergoing construction on the world renowned Queen Mary. White Star Line (the British "rival" line) was, at the same time, working on their own liner to be named Oceanic.

Work had to be suspended on both ships (Queen Mary halted for two years), and were at a downfall. The two lines decided to combine and finish Queen Mary, while Oceanic was never completed.

This is how Cunard became Cunard White Star, as it was known throughout the 1930's-1950's.

The two Cunard Queen's Mary and Elizabeth were popular liners of the 1950's with a multitude of noted celebrites, and stars sailing them frequently. It wasn't until those two had to retire, and make way for the next generation of ocean liner-cruise travel. The Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) prospered through the line for 41 years as other noted cruise ships (like the known Vistavjord, bought by Cunard and renamed Caronia) including the twin luxury yaughts Sea Goddess I and II.

Lately, Cunard Line has gradually succeeding in getting out of the fall they were encountering, what with the transfer of the Caronia fairly recently, with QE2 their main source of income. In 2004 Queen Mary 2 (QM2) was brought into service as flagship, and Queen Victoria in 2008 as luxurious sister.

What with the QE2 retiring in Dubai World as a hotel and tourist attraction, Cunard is expecting Queen Elizabeth in 2010. Indeed Cunard is prospering through another century, and another generation of ocean liners in a world where the tradition is fading away.

QE2 Sails to Dubai

Alas, the beloved Cunard Liner Queen Elizabeth 2, or popularily known as QE2, is on her way to Palm Jumeirah Dubai (located in Saudi Arabia) on November 26th, all but two days away from this post. Currently on the Red Sea, she will reach Mina Rashid to become a hotel and tourist attraction much like her predecessor Queen Mary, who became one in Long Beach, California in 1967.

The liner that was built to replace the age of ocean travel, has now been replaced a good fourty years later. She is an icon of the 1960's, as well as a former "modern" form of ocean liner reminice. I myself got a chance to board her on her last call to Los Angeles (San Pedro), California (pier 92) on 30 March 2008, and she proves, by far, a well-noted ocean liner, and, though rather far away, preserved in the generation she has been assigned.

And not to lose hope. For though the 2004 Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is not the QE2, she is now the next generation of "modern" ocean liners. The newest Queen Victoria has graced our ocean in as much style and comfort, and the Cunard Queen on her way, Queen Elizabeth (of the same class as Queen Victoria), shall be add to Cunard Line's historic fleet in 2010.

All this is to remind us that the era of ocean liners are simply at a different place and time. The QE2 will stay with us almost as a statue, a frozen image in time, reminding future generations of the wonders that will be the past. What a glorious one that will be remembered.