The Queen Anne cruise ship is under construction by shipbuilding company Fincantieri in Italy.
Queen Anne is UK-based luxury cruise line Cunard’s newest ship and its 249th overall.
The ship is named after the former Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, who ruled from 1702 to 1714.
Construction of the first section of the ship began in 2019, while the ship is set for launch in 2024. It is the third ship to be built by Fincantieri for Cunard, after Queen Victoria in 2007 and Queen Elizabeth in 2010.
Construction details of the Queen Anne
The steel-cutting ceremony for the Queen Anne ship was held at the Castellammare di Stabia Shipyard in October 2019.
The forward lower section of the ship, also known as the troncone, was launched at the shipyard in April 2022.
The keel-laying ceremony was held in September 2022 to mark the official start of construction and the end of the design and development phase.
Queen Anne reached the funnel lift milestone in April 2023 with the installation of the red and black funnel.
The ship was launched into the water for the first time during a float-out ceremony at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Venice in May 2023.
Queen Anne cruise ship specifications
Queen Anne will be 322.5m (1058ft) long with a gross tonnage of 113,000gt. Its draught will be 8.12m and the height above water will be 64m. The 11,251t troncone will be 165m long and 35.6m wide.
The ship will accommodate 1,225 crew members and 3,000 passengers. It will feature 14 decks and can achieve a cruising speed of 40.7km/h (22kt).
Design and features of the Queen Anne
The cruise ship’s design incorporates a colour palette that has been curated individually for each space to provide a distinct atmosphere in each area.
The exterior of the ship will feature an updated design comprising Cunard’s red funnel and a refined livery.
Spanning three decks, the Grand Lobby will serve as the ship’s centrepiece. It will provide a grand entrance and feature a sculpted mural that will keep changing throughout the day.
Queen Anne will also feature the Royal Court Theatre with 835 seats, an art gallery, a casino and a library.
The Mareel wellness and beauty salon onboard the ship will offer fitness, beauty, a spa and thermal facilities. Additionally, there will be a selection of treatment rooms, a private spa suite and a wellness studio.
The Queens Room will host ballroom dance, classical performances, afternoon tea and Gala evenings.
The Pavilion is an outdoor space with a glass dome canopy that can retract during warmer temperatures. The area will include a pool, in addition to a central stage and an LED screen to host open-air theatre activities, movie screenings and live music.
Located at the forward of the ship on deck 14, the Observation Deck and Sky Bar will serve as a multi-purpose destination. It will provide views of the sea and will keep guests engaged with a range of deck games.
Other facilities on the level will include a full-sized paddle tennis court, a driving range, deck quoits, a putting green and a shuffleboard.
The cruise ship’s accommodation
Queen Anne will feature six categories of accommodation. The Britannia Inside stateroom, which will be spread over an area of 148ft², will be located across the different positions of the ship.
The Britannia Oceanview staterooms will range in size between 200ft² and 221ft² and provide sea views.
Spanning 236ft², the Britannia Oceanview Deluxe staterooms will come with an additional shower room.
The Britannia Balcony and Britannia Club Balcony rooms will measure 236ft². Guests will be able to enjoy sea views from the private balconies of these rooms.
Each Princess Grill suite will be spread across 302ft² and highlighted by red and gold colour tones.
Located at the heart of the ship, the suites will provide views from both inside and outside the room.
The Princess Grill staterooms will have additional concierge service and dine-in-suite options, as well as access to the Grills Lounge and Grills Terrace.
Queens Grill suites are in four sizes between 507ft² and 1,440ft², including Queens, Penthouse, Master and Grand suites.
Dining onboard Queen Anne
The company will introduce new dining experiences on Queen Anne, while also retaining crowd favourites.
Queen Anne will feature different dining experiences, including Britannia dining, Britannia Club, Princess Grill dining and Queens Grill dining.
The ship will house 15 dining locations that will serve food ranging from small bites to fine dining.
The dining venues will serve a wide range of cuisines to meet the requirements of different kinds of passengers.
The cruise ships’ bars and lounges
The Commodore Club on deck 12, at the forward section of the ship, will provide guests with views.
The Carinthia lounge will be located at the midships section on deck 3, while Chart Room will be located on deck 2. The Panorama Pool Club at the aft of the ship will offer views of the sea.
Situated on Deck 14, the Sky Bar and Observation Deck will include a sit-up bar.
Furthermore, Queen Anne will feature a relaxed bar called Cabana, which will serve a variety of rum-based cocktails.
Itinerary details
The luxury cruise ship will depart Southampton, UK, in May 2024 to embark on its maiden voyage to Lisbon, Portugal.
The seven-day trip will halt in La Coruna in northwest Spain, before heading to Lisbon.
The debut season will also include voyages to The Mediterranean, tropical Caribbean islands, Norwegian fjords, Canary Islands, British Isles, Iceland and Northern Europe.
Queen Anne will make its first world voyage in January 2025, travelling across five continents.