The world’s most iconic luxury cruise line will showcase untold stories from guests around the world as part of its exciting new Sea of Glamour exhibition celebrating 185 years of Cunard.

Curated by celebrated British photographer and filmmaker Mary McCartney, the exhibition features 185 incredible images – sourced from the Cunard archives, and a collection of guest pictures, chosen from more than 1,000 photographs submitted by hundreds of guests from across the globe.

Archive images will include rare shots of Hollywood icons, musicians, and politicians at sea, alongside historic moments with royalty.

Cunard is a proud pioneer of luxury ocean travel, boasting a strong British identity – but its iconic ships have touched lives across the world. This exhibition is a platform for their stories to be heard on a global scale.

From America to Australia, Canada to Germany, Japan to the UK, Cunard guests’ pictures help tell a magical story of life on board the iconic liners, from the 1900s to the present day. These captivating moments of family holidays, friendship groups, wedding ceremonies, milestone anniversaries, and more will help recreate Cunard’s magic at sea at The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool, England this Spring.

For the 185th anniversary image, Mary McCartney will also capture a portrait of Cunard’s Queen Anne Icons in Liverpool on the exhibition’s opening day, offering a fresh and captivating perspective on the brand’s deep-rooted history with its spiritual home.

The Icons are all proud Liverpudlian women: Spice Girl and author Melanie C, broadcaster and community leader Ngunan Adamu, local restaurant entrepreneur Natalie Haywood, Liverpool music and cultural legend Jayne Casey, and British Olympian heptathlon athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Sea of Glamour exhibition

The Sea of Glamour exhibition will be open to the general public at The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool between May 28, 2025, and June 17, 2025, before setting sail around the world aboard the Cunard fleet.

It will feature a stunning collection of 185 photos of Hollywood icons, musicians, politicians, and royalty from the Cunard archives, alongside newly curated images from the public to form a timeline of iconic moments that will immerse visitors in the magic of nearly two centuries of transatlantic travel.

Visitors will be treated to an experience of glamorous maritime history like no other, with interactive moments including an immersive audio storytelling experience, transporting visitors to life aboard Cunard ships through the stories of guests past and present, as well as striking sculptural installation, Sails of History, whose beautiful feature sails will be suspended mid-air in The Royal Liver Building. The sails themselves will serve as dynamic canvases for the images of the exhibition.

British photographer Mary McCartney said, “Curating Sea of Glamour for Cunard has been such a brilliant project for me as a photographer. To delve into 185 years of photographic history, I had the privilege of exploring not only Cunard’s iconic legacy but also the real, heartfelt moments shared by its guests on board.

“As I went through the archives and read the stories submitted by passengers from all corners of the world, I was struck by the strong sense of community and connection that Cunard has fostered over the years. I loved seeing the personal submissions – moments of joy, connection, and family milestones.

“As I reflected on these stories, I was reminded that glamour isn’t only found in images of royalty or Hollywood stars, but in the shared experiences of all Cunard passengers.”