A survey conducted by YouGuv and commissioned by Carnival Cruises, polling more than 2,000 adults, holds some interesting results for the cruise industry.

According to the survey, the name that immediately comes to mind when someone thinks of a cruise ship almost inevitably starts with the word “Queen.”

The cruise ship most people think of first is the Queen Elizabeth II. Not far behind is Cunard’s pride of the moment, the Queen Mary II. The newly-launched Queen Elizabeth is in third place.

People who went on a cruise during the last five years were asked to recall the name of their ship and once again Cunard’s three Queens came out tops. This time the Queen Mary was first, closely followed by Queen Victoria with Queen Elizabeth once again in third place.

Peter Shanks, President of Cunard had this to say about the survey results: “It cannot escape notice that our competitors vie with each other in the hunt for ever more exotic celebrities to name their ships. But these are rapidly forgotten by the public - while namings by Her Majesty live on in the public mind.” He went on to say that every single cruise ship in the Cunard line has been named by a senior Royal family member.

All three Cunard Queens will take part in celebrations in Southampton when the latest royal marriage takes place in April.