Cunard officially welcomes new ship Queen Anne with ceremony at Fincantieri shipyard
Queen Anne, the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag – and the third built by Fincantieri – will now set sail for Southampton
She’s the next in a fine line for Cunard and today (19 April), Queen Anne officially joined the luxury cruise line’s iconic fleet during an historic handover ceremony in Italy in the presence of Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and Italian Minister for Relations with Parliament, Luca Ciriani.
Cunard took ownership of their 3,000-guest ship during a traditional handover ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice – where master shipbuilders have been constructing the luxurious vessel.
The event was attended by Katie McAlister, President of Cunard; Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri; and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division.
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 3 May. She will arrive in her homeport on 27 April.
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.
Katie McAlister, President of Cunard, said:
“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. 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.”
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, added:
“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. This beautiful and iconic ship testifies the longstanding partnership between our two companies, underscoring our shared commitment to excellence and tradition in the maritime industry. Queen Anne, as Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, the other two ships we built for Cunard, proudly bear Fincantieri's signature, embodying our enduring expertise, reliability, and craftsmanship in shipbuilding. Constructing a liner for such a distinguished shipowner not only reconnects us to our origins but propels us towards the future with a determination to blend tradition and innovation. Fincantieri thus confirms its leadership in the cruise shipbuilding sector, a fundamental pillar of our Business Plan.”
