Editing Cunard Line (section)

===Trafalgar House years: 1971–1998===

[[File:RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 in Trondheim 2008.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Queen Elizabeth 2]]'' of 1969 (70,300 GRT) at Trondheim, Norway, in 2008]]

In 1971, when the line was purchased by the conglomerate [[Trafalgar House (company)|Trafalgar House]], Cunard operated cargo and passenger ships, hotels and resorts. Its cargo fleet consisted of 42 ships in service, with 20 on order. The flagship of the passenger fleet was the two-year-old ''Queen Elizabeth 2''. The fleet also included the remaining two intermediate liners from the 1950s, plus two purpose-built cruise ships on order. Trafalgar acquired two additional cruise ships and disposed of the intermediate liners and most of the cargo fleet.<ref>{{cite book | last = Monopolies and Mergers Commission | title = Trafalgar House plc & Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company: A report on the proposed merger | chapter = Appendix 3: Trafalgar House plc: composition of fleet in 1971 and 1983 | year = 1984 | pages = 77–79 | url = http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1984/fulltext/178appendices.pdf | access-date = 17 February 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071025230333/http://www.competition-commission.org.uk//rep_pub/reports/1984/fulltext/178appendices.pdf | archive-date = 25 October 2007 | url-status = usurped }}</ref> During the [[Falklands War]], ''QE2'' and [[MS Cunard Countess|''Cunard Countess'']] were chartered as troopships<ref name=times6>{{cite news |title= A Full Log of Sailings|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=21 November 1982 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/21/travel/a-full-log-of-sailings.html?scp=1&sq=a%20full%20log%20of%20sailings&st=cse }}</ref> while Cunard's container ship ''[[Atlantic Conveyor]]'' was sunk by an [[Exocet]] missile.<ref name=times3>{{cite news |title= French Missiles En Route to Argentina|work=[[The New York Times]] |date= 19 November 1982 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/19/world/around-the-world-french-missiles-en-route-to-argentina.html?scp=1&sq=french%20missiles%20en%20route%20to%20argentina&st=cse }}</ref>

Cunard acquired the [[Norwegian America Line]] in 1983, with two classic [[ocean liner]]/cruise ships.<ref name=times2>{{cite news |title=Cunard Purchase |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=12 May 1983 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/12/business/cunard-purchase.html?scp=1&sq=cunard%20purchase&st=cse }}</ref> Also in 1983, the Trafalgar attempted a hostile takeover of [[Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company|P&O]], another large passenger and cargo shipping line, which was founded three years before Cunard. P&O objected and forced the issue to the British [[Monopolies and Mergers Commission]]. In their filing, P&O was critical of Trafalgar's management of Cunard and their failure to correct ''Queen Elizabeth 2'''s mechanical problems.<ref>{{cite book | last = Monopolies and Mergers Commission | title = Trafalgar House plc & Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company: A report on the proposed merger | year = 1984 | url = http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1984/178traf_house_plc_peni_ori_steam_navigation_comp.htm | access-date = 17 February 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090903094145/http://www.competition-commission.org.uk//rep_pub/reports/1984/178traf_house_plc_peni_ori_steam_navigation_comp.htm | archive-date = 3 September 2009 | url-status = usurped }}</ref> In 1984, the Commission ruled in favour of the merger, but Trafalgar decided against proceeding.<ref name=times15>{{cite news |title=Trafalgar bid for P&O |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=15 March 1984 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/15/business/trafalgar-bid-for-p-o.html?scp=1&sq=trafalgar+bid+for+p%26o&st=nyt }}</ref> In 1988, Cunard acquired [[Ellerman Lines]] and its small fleet of cargo vessels, organising the business as Cunard-Ellerman, however, only a few years later, Cunard decided to abandon the cargo business and focus solely on cruise ships. Cunard's cargo fleet was sold off between 1989 and 1991, with a single container ship, the second ''Atlantic Conveyor'', remaining under Cunard ownership until 1996. In 1993, Cunard entered into a 10-year agreement to handle marketing, sales and reservations for the [[Crown Cruise Line]], and its three vessels joined the Cunard fleet under the Cunard Crown banner.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iS0DAAAAMBAJ&q=cunard+crown+dynasty&pg=PA28| title=Cruise Travel| last1=Co| first1=Lakeside Publishing| date=November 1993}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 1994 Cunard purchased the rights to the name of the [[Royal Viking Line]] and its ''[[Royal Viking Sun]]''. The rest of Royal Viking Line's fleet stayed with the line's owner, [[Norwegian Cruise Line]].<ref name=times14>{{cite news |first=Edwin |last=McDowell |title= Cruise lines sail through choppy seas|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=19 October 1994 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/09/travel/fall-and-winter-cruises-cruise-lines-sail-through-choppy-seas.html?scp=1&sq=cruise%20lines%20sail%20through%20choppy%20seas&st=cse }}</ref>

By the mid-1990s Cunard was ailing. The company was embarrassed in late 1994 when ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' experienced numerous defects during the first voyage of the season because of unfinished renovation work. Claims from passengers cost the company US$13 million. After Cunard reported a US$25 million loss in 1995, Trafalgar assigned a new CEO to the line, who concluded that the company had management issues.

In 1996 the Norwegian conglomerate [[Kværner]] acquired Trafalgar House, and attempted to sell Cunard. When there were no takers, Kværner made substantial investments to turn around the company's tarnished reputation.<ref name=times7>{{cite news |first=Edwin |last=McDowell |title=Chief's Strategy for an Ailing Cruise Line |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=6 August 1996 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/06/business/chief-s-strategy-for-an-ailing-cruse-line.html?scp=1&sq=chief%27s%20strategy%20for%20an%20ailing%20cruise%20line&st=cse }}</ref>