Photos: Cunard cruise ships

A view of the outdoor deck area with swimming pool on the Queen Elizabeth on Oct. 14, as the ship pulled into Vigo, Spain, the first stop on its maiden voyage.  (Salvador Sas / EPA)

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II stands beside a specially commissioned portrait of herself in the Queen’s Room on the Queen Elizabeth ship. The monarch was the star of a lavish naming ceremony for the new vessel on Oct. 11 in Southampton, England.  (Arthur Edwards / AFP / Getty Images)

Onlookers admire Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth ship, moored in Southampton, England, for its naming ceremony. The ship later departed on its maiden voyage.  (Matt Cardy / Getty Images)

For the Queen Victoria, the inescapable benchmark is fleet mate Queen Mary 2, and the ships are sometimes confused. Though the Queen Victoria does echo many interior features of the QM2, which was the largest ship ever built when it set out on its maiden voyage in January 2004, the Victoria is essentially a cruise ship, not an “express liner” like QM2, which is built for point-to-point voyages in any weather.  (Robin Utrecht / EPA)

The sleek QE2, tied up at the Manhattan cruise terminal. Not a mere cruise ship, she’s an ocean liner designed to withstand the rigors of the North Atlantic, which she has crossed more than 800 times since entering service in 1969.  (Jane Engle / Los Angeles Times)

Yes, the QE2 has a sundeck. On a rare April day, when the ship’s speed perfectly matched the wind’s and near-summer conditions prevailed, a few hardy cruisers actually sunbathed. But overall, the ship’s recreational facilities pale beside those of newer vessels.  (Jane Engle / Los Angeles Times)

A simply decorated cabin.   (Jane Engle / Los Angeles Times)

Since the late 1960s, the Queen Mary has been docked in Long Beach, where it has served as a hotel, special events center and tourist attraction.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Visitors walk past the ship’s bell, located on the Promenade Deck of the legendary ocean liner.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The Queen Mary 2, christened in 2004, docks in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, on her maiden voyage.  (Elvira Urquijo / EPA)

Waiters line up in the Britannia Restaurant aboard the massive Queen Mary 2.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)