Will there ever be another LINER ?

[Cruise_Princess]

Do you think that any other company would build a liner?  Obviously Cunard hold the trump card here...but with cruising so dare I say it 'common' ...nowadays...is there room for another QM2?   Somehow I don't think crossing the pond is popular with todays cruisers...they want a port a day and an all singin dancin ship...they dont want to be at sea for more than a day....so is it a thing of the past? Do they actually KNOW what a liner actually is?

I loved the transatlantic crossings....there are so many 'cheaper' repositioning voyages in spring and autumn but I would not want to sail the Atlantic in anything other than a 'liner' ..i don't like Qm2 mainly because of her bulk and size and would love to have the opportunity to choose which Liner to sail on.

Perhaps something smaller than QM2 along the size of QE2 would be more accommodating to all us  true shippy people.....might the day actually come when Cunard will sell off the vista jobs and build another 'liner' to sail 'alongside the QM2??? and open up the true line voyages we all hanker after?

What cruise company would build it? Is there a market for it... would it pay? .would be interesting to see what you think....

[Rob Lightbody]

I think Cunard are raking it in with QM2 crossing the pond - I think its proving to be extremely popular - quite a few crossings this year are already fully booked or nearly, and this is despite prices being higher, for us in the UK at least.

If someone could produce something smaller than QM2, but still designed to cross the Atlantic all year round, that would be just amazing...

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I venture to say that there would be good business for a liner between Europe and the Far East (say, Yokohama), stopping at various strategic ports on the way to carry out a genuine liner service, i.e. pick up and drop off passengers, cars and cargo. I am pretty sure that a similar service between India and East Africa could work well, and also perhaps another route, from Europe to South Africa via the Canary Islands and the West African coastline.

I dare say that Cunard would not be interested in these routes -- but how about a Europe to Australia route?

[Bob C.]

I agree with Rob but it all depends on demand and your definition of "liner". 

With the popularity of cruising and the "don't need to be anywhere in a hurry" mentality hull shapes(the main characteristic of a liner - IMHO) will not migrate from modern cruise ship to a QE2 or QM2 "liner" design.  In other words, the Blue Ribband competition, the North Atlantic and the popularity of the trans-Atlantic trade of the early/mid 20th century drove the design of liner hull forms as far as speed and efficiency.

Tradition, nostalgia and,  in my opinion, a bit of a business gamble drove the QM2 hull design because her owners wanted to follow, at least in part, the trans-Atlantic trade of her predecessors.  To my knowledge, no other company is setting this as a priority. 

Perhaps a resurgence in the popularity of crossing the pond by liner will bring more cruise lines to design their ships with "liner" hulls but it will all wring out in the end in their cost-benfit analysis.

[Peter Mugridge]

I have pointed out on my other thread https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,1283.0.html that there should be a year round line voyage ooprtunity for an express liner to the Canaries and Balaerics.

[Twynkle]

Will there ever be another Liner?

Probably the 'Pretenders' will have a go at joining the Liners club -
they won't be allowed in by the 'true believers', will they?!
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=83982.blog

Just a thought - can a cargo vessel be classed as a liner? (Pace - Rob, as in 'peace'!!!)
On second thoughts - 'spose Liner does need 'passenger' in front of the word,
a cargo liner doesn't sound quite right....

[Clydebuilt1971]

Cargo Liner is indeed a term. Many of the cargo vessels on long haul routes took passengers as well.

Cunard ships such as Parthia and Media were termed as Cargo Liners.

http://www.greatships.net/media.html

Hope this helps!!

Gav

[Matt]

I cant see it happening, as much as i want alot more to be put out into the market! If it ever does happen, i can only see Cunard making a smaller one, say 100,000 GRT. However with the track records these days, and over use of the same designs (eg Vista), i cant see why they would consider a liner that costs '40% more' than a ship of the same size...

Matt

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Cargo liners exist even now. A friend of mine has travelled several times on Tiger Breeze and loves the experience :

http://www.freighterworld.com/index.html

and more details here :

http://www.freightercruises.com.au/tiger-breeze

This is one of the ships I would sail on at the drop of a hat, if only I had the time...

[Cruise_Princess]

WE were more than keen to find a cargo ship to sail home on from the Dubai final cruise... as we hate flying..but on looking into it closely we were advised that Cargo ships have no stabilizers as cargo doesn't get sea sick!  ( We have only been sea sick once in our lives but wouldn't like to chance it) also no doctors on board.....just felt a little off putting....