Queen Anne has officially joined the Cunard fleet during a handover ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice in Italy.
Cunard took ownership of its new 3,000-guest ship during a traditional handover ceremony, attended by Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and Italian Minister for Relations with Parliament, Luca Ciriani.
Katie McAlister, President of Cunard; Paul Ludlow, President of Carnival UK; Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division; and Marco Lunardi, Fincantieri Shipyard Director, were also present.
Queen Anne, the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag – and the third built by Fincantieri – will now set sail for Southampton ahead of her seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on May 3.
A rendering of the Queen Anne's Grand Lobby. (photo via Cunard Line) (Photo Credit: (photo via Cunard Line))
As the newest addition to the Cunard fleet, Queen Anne's design concepts have been founded on heritage, craftsmanship, style, storytelling, and innovation, and the 114,000-ton ship, which spans 14 decks, will offer travellers more choices of entertainment, dining, and bars than ever before.
Cunard has previously announced a series of partnerships for Queen Anne, including Le Gavroche at Sea residencies hosted by two Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux, wellness packages curated by Harper's Bazaar UK's beauty experts, and exclusive British Film Institute screenings in The Pavilion.
She will also boast the widest selection of fitness, beauty, thermal, and spa facilities so far seen on a Cunard ship, with her reimagined Mareel Wellness & Beauty proposition heralding a new era of wellbeing at sea.
"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 Cunard President Katie McAlister.
A Britannia-class ocean-view stateroom on Cunard's Queen Anne, due out in 2024. (Rendering courtesy of Cunard)
“We are now fully focused on readying her to welcome guests for her maiden voyage on May 3 before she embarks on a historic British Isles Festival Voyage, including a momentous Naming Ceremony in Cunard's spiritual home of Liverpool on June 3."
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