'Detail, quality and tradition': Cunard launches first ship for 14 years, Queen Anne

Around 1,000 brand partners, trade guests and the teams behind the creation of Cunard’s Queen Anne this week got a feel for the line’s first new ship for 14 years – the first time since 1999 Cunard has had four ships in simultaneous service.

Arriving in her homeport of Southampton for the first time on Tuesday (30 April), Queen Anne on Friday (3 May) became the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag after departing on her maiden voyage – a seven-night Lisbon sailing via La Coruna.

The 3,000-guest ship will sail the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, the Canary Islands and Norway’s fjords during its maiden season, visiting more than 60 destinations across 16 countries.

Cunard’s decision to base Queen Anne in Southampton will be a sales boon for agents, and its manageable size puts it in a very comfortable space between smaller-scale ultra-luxury ocean brands and big-brand mega ships, with one of its key USPs being Cunard’s massive attention to detail, quality and its own tradition.

It’s testament to the excitement around Cunard and the trade’s faith in the historic brand that Queen Anne’s maiden voyage is sold out, but there are still spaces on the naming cruise around the British Isles from 24 May to 7 June.