 The ban was in retaliation for a similar restriction in the USA which prevented British musicians from working in the States.It was especially frustrating for post-war British jazzmen who wanted to see and hear their American idols.However, one way for them to cross the Atlantic was to join the dance bands of Cunard liners such as the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Mauretania and the QE2, or Canadian Pacific vessels like the Empress of England and the Empress of Canada.