Cunard has taken ownership of its latest ship – the Queen Anne – at a traditional handover ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice.
The Queen Anne is the latest addition to Cunard’s luxury fleet, and is able to house 3,000 passengers.
The event was 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 soon set sail for Southampton ahead of her seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on 3 May.
As the newest addition to the Cunard fleet, Queen Anne’s design concepts have been founded on heritage, craftmanship, style, storytelling, and innovation, and the 114,000-ton ship, which spans 14 decks, will offer travellers several breath-taking experiences, and more choices of entertainment, dining, and bars than ever before.
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.”
