As the debut of Cunard’s first new ship in a decade approaches, the luxury line officially took delivery of Queen Anne at an Italian shipyard where she has been under construction for the last two years.
Government representatives and cruise line and shipyard executives gathered to celebrate the traditional handover ceremony on April 19, 2024.
Handover Ceremony Is Held for New Cunard Ship
Cunard’s new Queen Anne, set to enter service in early May 2024, was officially delivered to the line during a handover ceremony at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard, near Venice. The ship will join Cunard’s existing fleet, which includes Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria.
AlthoughQueen Annewill sail her inaugural voyage on May 3, 2024, a 7-night roundtrip cruise from Southampton to Lisbon, Portugal, and La Coruna, Spain, her christening ceremony will not be held until June 3, 2024, in Liverpool, England. The ship will arrive in Liverpool at the end of a 14-night British Isles Festival cruise that departs Southampton on May 24, 2024.
“We are so excited to welcome Queen Anne to our fleet as she completes a remarkable quartet alongside Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria – marking the first time since 1999 that Cunard will have four ships in simultaneous service,” said Katie McAlister, president of Cunard.
“We are now fully focused on readying her to welcome guests for her maiden voyage on 3 May before she embarks on an historic British Isles Festival Voyage, including a momentous Naming Ceremony in Cunard’s spiritual home of Liverpool on 3 June,” added McAlister.
14 days to go and we are so excited to announce that Queen Anne has officially joined our iconic fleet during a traditional handover ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice.
Video credit: Fincantieri Marghera shipyard /bxXV0i65bc
— cunardline (@cunardline) April 19, 2024
The ship’s maiden British Isles Festival Voyagewill call at Edinburgh, Invergordon, Greenock, Belfast, and finally Liverpool, where the naming ceremony will be held. Cunard has not yet revealed the name of the ship’s godmother or godfather, but an announcement is expected very soon.
The 14-deck, 113,300-gross ton Queen Anne will accommodate 3,000 guests in Cunard’s three traditional categories of service, Queens Grill, Princess Grill, and Britannia. Design highlights include a two-level Royal Court Theatre, 15 restaurants, several sports courts, and a wellness center, called Mareel Wellness & Beauty, offering a full spa and fitness area.
The line’s Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth also were constructed by Fincantieri, launching in 2007 and 2010, respectively. Top executives of the shipyard were on hand to mark the historic handover.
Read Also: Cunard Unveils Extraordinary 2025 Alaska Season
Queen Anne Ship Sea Trials (Credit: Cunard Line)
“We are very pleased and eager to deliver Queen Anne to Cunard, a pioneering figure in luxury sea travel, renowned for setting new standards in oceanic voyages for over 180 years,” said Pierroberto Folgiero,CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri.
“This beautiful and iconic ship testifies to the longstanding partnership between our two companies, underscoring our shared commitment to excellence and tradition in the maritime industry,” Folgiero added.
High-end Retail, Cuisine Await Queen Anne Guests
Queen Anne will feature several innovative public spaces, such as a luxury retail area called Grand Lobby Boutiques, where guests will find the ship’s Cabinet of Curiosities and the Experience Lounge.
The Cabinet of Curiosities promises to be a highlight, with a rotunda-style gallery design showcasing nearly 40 display cases of high-end jewelry, clothing, art, and collectibles. In the Experience Lounge,Queen Anne’sguests can enjoy the luxe treatment from dedicated shopping hosts, or personal shopping concierges, who will offer expertise and knowledge of the goods for sale and the brands behind them.
Cunard also partnered with two-Michelin star chef Michel Roux, famous for his restaurant Le Gavroche, who worked closely with Cunard’s culinary development team to devise a unique gala menu exclusively for theQueen Anne‘s Queens Grill restaurant. Roux also has revamped the offerings in the ship’s Golden Lion pub.
Following her naming ceremony,Queen Annewill home-port in Southampton and sail a variety of cruises to the Western Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Norwegian fjords, Scandinavia, and Northern Europe. Getaway cruises as short as 2 nights will be offered along with lengthy voyages up to 18 nights.
