Travel

Cunard added a 4th luxury cruise ship to its famous fleet — see what it'll be like on the new Queen Anne

Brittany Chang

2024-05-08T16:22:18Z

Cunard's Queen Anne at sea — Cunard added a fourth ship, the 2,996-guest Queen Anne, to its historic fleet. Cunard

Cunard welcomed its fourth ship and newest in 14 years, the 2,996-guest Queen Anne.
The 114,000-ton vessel has amenities like an Indian restaurant and pool under a retractable glass roof.
Queen Anne's 2024 itineraries, primarily in Europe, start at $300 per person for a two-night cruise.

Cunard has operated 249 ships throughout its 184 years in operation, including the famous Queen Mary and Queen Mary 2. But it's been 14 years since the cruise line has launched a new vessel — until now.

Luxury cruisers, meet Queen Anne. It's Cunard's latest 2,996-guest ship, replete with 4,300 art pieces, archery, and the company's signature high-end flair. Its arrival was so highly anticipated that every cabin on its May 3 maiden voyage was fully reserved in minutes, the BBC reported.

The Carnival Corp. brand may be storied, but that doesn’t mean it’s past its prime.

Construction on the ship began in early September 2022. Cunard

Katie McAlister, president of Cunard, recently told the BBC that its bookings have grown 25% since the beginning of 2024 and are now the best they've been in a decade.

So it should come as no surprise that several of Queen Anne's 2024 itineraries are almost sold out.

Cunard isn’t in the business of building bigger.

empty bar on Queen Anne — The Chart Room is one of several bars and lounges on Queen Anne. Cunard

Luxury cruise lines are beloved for their small-ship experience. Cunard is no different.

The new 114,000-ton cruise liner is the company's second-largest, although it can carry more guests than any of its other ships.

However, at a 2,996-guest and 1,225-crew capacity, Queen Anne is still tiny compared to the mass-market cruise industry's newest ships, the largest of which can carry 10,000 people.

Queen Anne's cabins are divided into four categories, listed from most to least luxurious: Queens Grill, Princess Grill, Britannia Club, and Britannia.

empty restaurant — Queen Anne has 162 Britannia Club cabins, about 200% more than on Cunard's previous ships. All of these mid-tier cabins have a balcony and access to the Britannia Club restaurant, pictured. Cunard

Despite being the cheapest option, the Britannia accommodations have high-end amenities like sparkling wine, Penhaligon toiletries, and tea and coffee machines.

That's nothing compared to the most luxurious Queens Grill suites, where guests get amenities like pillow menus, stocked mini-bars, a butler, fruit, and pre-dinner canapes.

Forget the sparkling wine — Queens Grill travelers get a bottle of Champagne.

Cabin categories are especially important for Cunard, not for reasons you might expect.

empty lounge on queen anne — Princess and Queens Grill guests can use their room keys to access the exclusive Grills Terrace, shown in a render. Cunard

Besides how luxurious your hotel room at sea is, your cabin influences where you have breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Guests in the Princess Grill suites dine at the Princess Grill restaurant, while Britannia Club guests stick to the Britannia Club restaurant, and so on.

Guests in the higher-end Princess and Queens cabins also get a pretty sweet bonus: an exclusive lounge with infinity hot tubs.

Regardless of your cabin, the 14-deck ship has plenty of areas for all guests to relax under the sun.

empty pool surrounded by chairs and a movie screen — The glass dome retracts when the ship is in warm-weathered destinations. Cunard

For example, the Pavilion. It's one of Queen Anne's go-to places for an afternoon swim, nighttime movie viewing, silent disco, and not-so-silent live music, all under a retractable glass roof.

The ship's pool club also has plenty of lounge seats for a more traditional pool deck experience. For something indoors, head to the drawing and game rooms instead.

Like every new cruise ship, Queen Anne has a pickleball court.

empty pickleball court with paddles on ground — The sky bar and observation deck have outdoor activities like a putting green and pickleball. Cunard

But unlike every new cruise ship, it also has archery — coaches, bows, and arrows included.

Travelers looking for a less intense afternoon can instead try their hand at the putting green, shuffleboard, or quoits.

Not confident in your athletic abilities? Don't worry — there's a bar nearby, too.

If you lose your pickleball match, you can retail therapy your pain away at Queen Anne’s high-end stores.

empty store with cases of high-end goods — Queen Anne's stores, shown in a render, carry 115 brands, 27 of which are first for Cunard. cunard

Travelers have been splurging big on their cruise vacations. On Queen Anne (and with help from one of the ship's personal shoppers), this could include a Bremont watch or Chanel makeup.

Or, do as cruisers do: Eat and drink the pain away.

The ship has 15 eateries. Unfortunately, you'll have to pay extra for the Mediterranean, Indian, Japanese, steakhouse grill, alfresco, and British restaurants.

Thankfully, the food hall-style buffet, room service, and cabin-assigned dining rooms are included in the fare.

Specialty Tramonto, shown in a render, serves Mediterranean food "with a sparkling of African and Arabic influences," according to Cunard. Cunard

Feeling peckish in the afternoon? Afternoon tea is held in the Queens Room, the same venue that hosts events like ballroom dancing and Cunard's signature black-tie galas.

Of course, a cruise wouldn’t be complete without a casino, spa, and nighttime shows.

render of empty theater — Entertainment is shown in the two-deck, 825-velvet-seat Royal Court Theatre, shown in a render. Cunard

Queen Anne is showing two new productions, including an adaptation of the classic British film "Brief Encounter."

For more casual entertainment, the ship also has a "show bar" helmed by a variety of musicians and entertainers.

For a more relaxing afternoon, try the spa's cryotherapy, "experience showers," and salt saunas.

wellness studio with yoga mats rendering — Cunard says Queen Anne has more wellness facilities than any of its previous ships. The "wellness studio" — a first for Cunard — hosts fitness classes like yoga, pilates, and meditation, as shown in a rendering. Cunard

Afterwards, to keep the wellness trend going, grab a healthy bite at the veggie and "sustainably sourced protein"-forward Wellness Cafe. Its kombucha bellinis are technically good for you, right?

Cunard is beloved for its regular transatlantic cruises on its Queen Mary 2 ocean liner.

queen anne at night — Cunard says Queen Anne is scheduled for more than 60 ports across 16 countries. Cunard

In 2025, Queen Anne will embark on its first three-month around-the-world cruise. However, for the most part, it's not scheduled for repeat long-haul journeys.

Instead, in 2024, the ship will be homeported in Southampton, UK and travel on two- to 19-night itineraries across Europe.

The cheapest way to experience the new ship is a two-night summer cruise from Southampton to Hamburg, Germany, which currently starts at $300 per person.

But if money is no problem, the 18-night roundtrip Hamburg cruise during Christmas and the New Year might pique your interest — and your wallet. The itinerary's luxurious Queens Grill suites start at $19,350 per person.

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