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Cunard Queen Anne cruise review: A lovely new ship that's still coming into its own

Editor's Note

Are you thinking of a cruise on Cunard 's new Queen Anne ? Be warned: It's not like any Cunard ship you've seen before.

The storied cruise brand's first new vessel in 14 years is notably more contemporary in its look and feel than the line's three other ships, including the iconic Queen Mary 2 .

It also offers venues that embrace the latest trends of travel and cruising in a way that Cunard ships haven't done in the past.

As I've seen on two visits to Queen Anne since it debuted four months ago, including a weeklong stay in September as it sailed the Norwegian coast, the $600 million vessel offers more choice in dining and entertainment, more wellness options, and more of a focus on onboard celebrations than we've ever seen on a Cunard ship.

That's no small thing, given that Cunard has fielded 149 ships in its 184-year history.

Still, even as Queen Anne ushers in a new era for Cunard, it's a vessel that holds true to the traditional values at the core of the line — particularly a formality and elegance that harks back to the grand old days of ocean liner travel.

Overview of Queen Anne

Queen Anne is the new belle of the ball when it comes to Cunard ships. Unveiled in May, it's far younger and more up to date than the three other ships in the Cunard fleet, which range from 14 to 20 years in age. It also has a smorgasbord of new-for-the-line dining and entertainment venues that tap into the latest trends in hospitality.

Unlike other Cunard vessels, for instance, Queen Anne features a wide array of extra-charge eateries, ranging from a Mediterranean cuisine venue where the dishes are sprinkled with African and Arabic influences to one of the first contemporary Indian restaurants on a cruise ship.

That's on top of the four relatively formal main restaurants that have long been at the core of the Cunard dining experience (one each for each class of onboard cabins — if you're in a Britannia-class cabin, your main eatery is the Britannia Restaurant; if you're in a Princess Grill suite, your main eatery is the Princess Grill).

Queen Anne also has a broader array of entertainment options than past Cunard ships, including an all-new cabaret venue that is home to a murder mystery theater show for part of every cruise.

Like all Cunard ships, it's a vessel that maintains longtime ocean liner traditions such as gala evenings where passengers wear black tie and ballgowns and nightly dancing in a grand ballroom (something you no longer find on most ships).

But alone for now in the Cunard fleet, Queen Anne aims to bridge the gap between such traditions and a more contemporary sort of cruising — not just in the venues it offers on board but in its overall look and feel.

It's been a change that hasn't been without controversy. Some Cunard regulars have mercilessly (and sometimes hilariously) panned the ship at online review sites, citing both the new look and what they say are obvious design flaws.

Queen Anne also clearly has suffered from teething pains in its first four months at sea, with Cunard fans reporting listless service, mediocre food in some eateries and uninspired entertainment. These are all things that I saw, too — so much so that I'm hesitant to recommend that passengers book this ship just yet. While lovely, it's not quite ready for prime time.

That said, if Cunard can work out the kinks over the coming months, particularly in the areas of service and specialty dining, Queen Anne has the potential to be a wonderful cruise ship.

What I loved about Queen Anne

The new look.

Put me down as firmly in the camp that loves the new look. Make no mistake, I have long enjoyed the ocean liners-of-old design of Cunard vessels. Sailing on the Atlantic-crossing Queen Mary 2, in particular, is like stepping onto the movie set for "Titanic," which definitely has an appeal. Combined with Cunard's focus on old-style tradition and elegance, it has given Cunard something unique in the world of cruising. But that doesn't mean the brand has to be forever stuck in the past.

In my view, which admittedly isn't shared by some Cunard fans, Cunard has artfully updated its design and onboard offerings for modern-day cruisers in a way that doesn't lose the tradition and elegance for which its ships have long been known.

Related: This movie will give you a sense of a transatlantic Cunard voyage

The British feel

Like all ships operated by United Kingdom-based Cunard, Queen Anne has a particularly British feel. It's a vessel where mushy peas and fish-and-chips (along with other British culinary favorites) are on the lunch buffet not just once a sailing but every day , and afternoon tea is a major event. It's also a ship where one of the busiest drinking spots is the (very traditionally English) pub.

But beyond such Britishness in food and drink, it offers a uniquely British style of prim and properness that is perhaps Queen Anne's most distinctive feature. It is a ship, for instance, where even on nights when the dress code is a relaxed "smart" casual, most passengers arrive for dinner in a jacket, some in full coat-and-tie. It's a vessel where you generally don't see people being loud or garish or otherwise inappropriate.

For American cruisers increasingly aghast at the way some passengers behave (and dress) on mass-market American vessels, where anything-goes American values rule the day, it can be wonderfully refreshing — a throwback to what cruising was across the board not all that long ago. Of course, for some Americans, it might come off as just plain stuffy.

What I didn't love about Queen Anne

The hard-to-navigate top deck.

Getting around the top deck of Queen Anne is easy — if you're staying in a top suite. Otherwise, it's like navigating a maze. That's because a significant chunk of the middle of the top deck is devoted to a private sunning area for the swells in top suites. If you're not booked in such a suite (and thus do not have the secret keycode to enter and cross this elites-only zone), you can't easily get from the sunning and sports deck areas at the front of the ship to the pool area at the back. The only way to do it is to descend into the interior of the vessel and walk across its already congested buffet restaurant (called the Artisans' Foodhall).

This, in turn, adds to the congestion of the buffet, which itself has design flaws (most notably, its self-serve drinks stations are inexplicably located along the crowded walkways through the eatery, such that you'll smack right into people pouring hot coffees and teas as you work your way across the space).

Queen Anne is more packed with people than Cunard's three other vessels, in a way that affects the experience. Seats are hard to come by for some shows, and the crew seems more harried than usual. The cabin experience is also diminished in some cases.

The numbers tell the story: At 113,000 gross tons, Queen Anne is 24% bigger than Cunard's last new vessel, the 14-year-old Queen Elizabeth. But Cunard has jammed 44% more cabins (and thus 44% more people) onto the vessel. Queen Anne holds 2,996 passengers at double occupancy (two passengers per cabin), up from Queen Elizabeth's capacity of 2,081 passengers at double occupancy. Notably, this drops the ship's "space ratio" of space (measured in hundreds of cubic feet) to passengers to just 37.8, which isn't a great number. By comparison, Queen Elizabeth has a space ratio closer to 44. The line's flagship Queen Mary 2 has a space ratio around 56.

The spotty service

I truly was excited to sail on Queen Anne, as I've long loved the elegance and refinement of Cunard vessels. I figured Cunard's first new ship in 14 years would set a new benchmark for the brand. Alas, what I experienced on board was a vessel that wasn't quite functioning right, mostly in the area of service.

I've sailed on more than 200 ships in 30 years of writing about cruising, including lots of just-out-of-the-shipyard vessels, and I've rarely encountered one where the crew members seemed as untrained and indifferent as they seemed on Queen Anne. It wasn't in every space. The servers in the exclusive restaurant for Princess Grill passengers were fabulous, catering to my every need. The bartenders at the casino bar (Room 1840) were a delight. But in many other venues, I regularly encountered crew who didn't seem to know what they were supposed to do or how to interact with passengers. Some venues also just didn't have enough staff to function properly.

Queen Anne cabins and suites

Queen Anne has 28 cabin and suite categories — a large number. But finding the right cabin category for you isn't as complicated as that number might make it seem. As is often the case on cruise ships, many cabin categories on Queen Anne are essentially the same, with the exception of where the rooms are located.

For instance, there are nine categories of balcony cabins, all basically the same in size and decor. The only differences among most of them are whether they are located at the front, middle or back of the ship and whether they have a clear or obstructed view.

Similarly, there are five categories of ocean-view cabins (those with a window but no balcony) and six categories of windowless inside cabins. The only difference between them is location.

There are eight categories of suites, some of which also are essentially the same except for their locations.

All that said, when booking accommodations on Queen Anne, it's important to know that the type of cabin you book will have a significant impact on your cruise experience beyond what you'll experience in your room.

Unlike most lines, Cunard still operates with an old-school class system, where passengers dine and lounge on ships in different places depending on their cabin category.

Most of Queen Anne's 1,498 cabins — including all inside and ocean-view cabins and most balcony cabins — are what's known as Britannia cabins. When you book passage in one, you'll dine in the ship's cavernous Britannia Restaurant at night (when not at an extra-charge specialty restaurant) and only have access to the non-elite lounge areas of the ship.

For those wanting something more exclusive (and willing to pay for it), there are three higher tiers of accommodations with ever-greater levels of pampering and perks:

• Britannia Club cabins . These 162 balcony cabins are similar to standard balcony cabins but come with access to a more intimate private restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Princess Grill suites . A big step up from Britannia Club cabins, these 127 rooms — all suites — come with concierge service and access to an exclusive lounge area (the Grills Lounge) and a restaurant (the Princess Grill) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, you'll get access to a spacious private outdoor sun deck called the Grills Terrace.
• Queens Grill suites . These 65 suites are the ship's finest accommodations. Measuring 484 to 1,440 square feet, they come with butler service, concierge service, upscale touches such as fresh flowers, and access to an elegant private restaurant (the Queens Grill) for all meals. In addition, you get access to the same Grills Lounge and Grills Terrace as those staying in the Princess Grill suites.

My room was a Princess Grill suite, and the exclusive private areas that came with it really were wonderful. I particularly loved my special access to the Grills Lounge, a stylish bar and lounge space. Filled with curvy chairs upholstered in luscious peacock blue fabric, with a striking circular chartreuse seating area as a focal point, it served as a quiet escape from the ship's bustling public areas.

One deck up, the private Grills Terrace was a similarly serene and uncrowded oasis for decktop lounging that felt a world away from the busier public areas atop the ship.

Like all Princess Grill suites, my room measured about 300 square feet, including its balcony area. That's quite large for a cruise ship cabin, and it was room enough to contain everything I could want in a cabin for a week at sea: a king bed that could be split into two single beds, a built-in desk area, a separate built-in cabinet hiding a miniature refrigerator, a seating area with a sofa and chair, built-in closets, and a bathroom.

For the most part, I was happy with my Princess Grill suite on Queen Anne. While it wasn't inordinately high-end in its finishings, it had a clean-lined, contemporary look that felt modern and up to date. A recurring circular motif in its carpeting, lighting and mirror gave it a whiff of an art deco feel, one that was augmented by the room's red and gold accents (a nod to Cunard history, as they are two of Cunard's signature colors).

While surprisingly small in relationship to the overall size of the room, the bathroom in my Princess Grill suite was modern and bright, with a well-thought-out layout that made the most of its limited space. I particularly liked the relatively large walk-in shower and ample shelving space for toiletries — a sign that its designers understood what matters most to cruisers (unlike the designers of the poorly laid-out bathrooms on the new Seabourn ship that I just tested a few weeks ago ).

If my Princess Grill suite had a flaw, it was in the lack of adequate storage in the room. Given the formality of Cunard ships, which requires that passengers pack elegant eveningwear (think ballgowns and tuxedos) in addition to everyday clothing, the storage needs for Cunard passengers are higher than for passengers on some other lines. Cunard ships (and Queen Anne in particular) also often make longer sailings that require more clothes.

While there was enough storage in my room to pack away everything my companion and I brought for a weeklong sailing, it would have been tight if we had been on one of the ship's longer two-week sailings. I can't imagine how it'll work for passengers on the monthslong around-the-world sailings that are planned for the vessel starting in January.

One detail of the room I truly loved was the placement of large nightstands with large drawers on each side of the bed where I could hide away all my electronics and their cords, books, papers, glasses and the like. Bedside storage at this level is increasingly rare on ships. What's more, each of the nightstands was topped with a U.S.-style 110-volt outlet, a British-style 220-volt outlet, and both USB-A and fast-charging USB-C ports. Bravo, Cunard, for knowing how to keep us charged.

Other Queen Anne cabin tidbits:

• Every cabin has a small hair dryer that works with the ship's specific current. Leave yours at home.
• Rooms have nicely wide personal safes that can hold even a big laptop.
• There are Cunard-red "Do Not Disturb" magnets to stick to your door when you don't want to be disturbed. Flip them over, and a steward will make up your room. It's not a sophisticated system, but it works.
• Cabin televisions offer a wide range of movies on demand at no extra charge, a nice touch (some of Cunard's competitors charge as much as $11.99 to watch a movie).

The Princess Grill suites seem like a sweet spot to me when it comes to the higher-end accommodations on Queen Anne. They get you the same exclusive access to private indoor and outdoor lounge areas as the higher-priced Queens Grill suites and access to a private restaurant, too, but at a significantly lower price point.

That said, if you're looking for the ultimate in Queen Anne swankiness, you'll find it in the Queens Grill suites.

The best suites on Queen Anne

The two largest Queens Grill suites, called Grand suites, measure an astounding 1,440 square feet — nearly five times the size of my Princess Grill suite. They boast a bedroom, a master bathroom with a separate bath and shower, a large living room, a dining room, a powder room, a private balcony, and a walk-in closet.

Also impressive are the ship's four Queens Grill Master suites, which measure 896 square feet. They also feature a bedroom, a master bathroom with a separate bath and shower, a living room, a dining room, a powder room, a private balcony, and a walk-in closet.

The remainder of the Queens Grill suites are split between Queens Grill Penthouse suites, which measure 501 to 527 square feet, and slightly smaller Queens Grill suites, which measure 484 to 500 square feet. Each has a bedroom, a bathroom with a separate bath and shower, a living area, and a private balcony.

In addition to fresh flowers, Queens Grill suites come with personalized stationery, fresh fruit daily, predinner canapes and a complimentary minibar, including alcoholic drinks and soft drinks.

As noted above, Queen Anne's designers have packed a lot more cabins on Queen Anne than on earlier Cunard ships, and they did it in part by shrinking the size of some cabins. While standard balcony cabins on Queen Anne are just a tad smaller than balcony cabins on the line's past two new ships (236 square feet versus 239 square feet), the differential with Princess Grill suites is more noticeable.

Princess Grill suites measure 335 square feet on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria — about 10% more space than my Princess Grill suite on Queen Anne. Princess Grill suites on the line's flagship, Queen Mary 2, measure a far more generous 381 square feet.

At the Queens Grill level, there are notably no two-deck-high duplexes measuring more than 2,000 square feet on Queen Anne, as you'll find on the Queen Mary 2, which remains Cunard's reigning monarch for over-the-top accommodations.

Related: Cunard cabins and suites guide: Everything you want to know

Queen Anne restaurants and bars

Cunard has never been known for having ships that offered lots of dining options, but that changed notably with the debut of Queen Anne. It boasts 15 different places where you can grab a bite — more than double the number on the line's other ships. It also offers quite a few bar options, including several new-for-the-brand venues.

Restaurants

As on all Cunard ships, the dining scene on Queen Anne revolves around four main restaurants: Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill and Queens Grill — only one of which you will experience during any given cruise.

In keeping with Cunard's old-fashioned class system of dining, you'll be assigned a table in one of the four eateries for the duration of your cruise based on the type of cabin you book.

The vast majority of passengers — those in the least expensive windowless inside cabins, ocean-view cabins and most balcony cabins — are assigned to the least intimate of the four eateries: the expansive, two-level Britannia Restaurant. It's packed with close-together tables that can hold 596 people at a time — a banquet hall sort of number.

Dinners on the lower level of the Britannia Restaurant take place during two fixed seatings each night, while the second level is reserved for diners on an open-seating plan (arrange this in advance). Breakfast and lunch have open seating.

Passengers who pay up for one of 162 premium balcony cabins will be assigned a table in the more intimate Britannia Club restaurant. It's designed to hold up to 339 passengers and doesn't turn over tables for multiple seatings. If you book this class, you have a specific table in the eatery that is available whenever you want to dine during breakfast, lunch and dinner hours.

Even more intimate and upscale are the Princess Grill and Queens Grill restaurants, which are assigned to passengers staying in suites. The Princess Grill is for passengers booked in the ship's 127 smaller suites, known as Princess Grill suites. The Queens Grill is for passengers in the ship's 65 biggest suites.

In the Princess Grill and Queens Grill, as with the Britannia Club restaurant, you'll have a specific table that is available to you whenever you want it during dining hours.

Among the four main eateries, I only was able to experience the Princess Grill, as I was staying in a Princess Grill suite. Serving mostly classic Continental cuisine, it offered a refined dining experience with top-notch service, as you'd expect from an eatery reserved for passengers in top suites. Elaborate dishes such as chateaubriand and Dover sole meuniere (the latter expertly deboned and plated tableside) were available every night, as were such showy desserts as bananas Foster and cherries jubilee that were flamed tableside — a throwback to first-class travel during ocean liner days.

In addition to the four eateries above, Queen Anne also has a wide range of alternative dining options — something that isn't the case with other Cunard ships.

These include four new-for-the-line extra-charge dining concepts: Aranya, an Indian eatery; Tramonto, serving Mediterranean dishes; Aji Wa, a Japanese restaurant; and Sir Samuel's, a steakhouse.

I tried nearly all these new restaurants while on board and, alas, was disappointed with them all for varying reasons.

Both Aranya and Tramonto, which came with upcharges of $35 and $20, respectively, seemed like eateries added to the ship as afterthoughts. Both were in carved-out corners of the buffet area, and they had the ambience you might expect from such a location. From my table at Aranya, I looked out over a sad landscape of empty tables and a trolley cart with glasses in the buffet. Tramonto's ambience was better, thanks to the addition of a built-in wine cabinet blocking the buffet view. But it still suffered from being aside one of the main thoroughfares into the buffet.

Foodwise, the 38-seat Aranya was the biggest disappointment. The "carefully crafted spice-led journey" that it promised was almost devoid of spice across much of its (very limited) menu. A turbot wrapped in banana leaf came out dry. The one choice of naan that was available (plain) had the consistency of cardboard. It was nothing like the fabulous Indian eateries you'll find all over the ship's home country (for a similar cost, my companion and I feasted on truly wonderful Indian cuisine in London just the night before boarding).

Aranya also was plagued by servers who seemed only half awake (one server tried to fill our water glasses with tap water twice in five minutes, even though we clearly told her the first time we were drinking sparkling water).

The cuisine at the 38-seat Tramonto wasn't quite the disaster it was at Aranya, but too many dishes at this venue arrived cold, tasteless or otherwise underwhelming, and the servers were inattentive, even absent at times.

Both Aranya and Tramonto suffered, I suspect, from not having their own kitchens on-site. It appeared that waiters at both outlets were walking out of the eateries periodically to head to the buffet kitchen to grab dishes. They also apparently had to travel long distances to get drinks, as the eateries had no bars of their own. Our charge for sparkling water at Aranya posted as coming from the Panorama Pool Club bar, suggesting that our server had to walk to the back of the ship to get it.

Aji Wa, the Japanese eatery, had a much better atmosphere and served lovely sushi and other Japanese dishes. Its main flaw was disorganized service. During one of two visits, we sat at the sushi bar, ordering small sushi plates directly from the chef (as instructed) a couple at a time. Alas, nobody cleared these dishes away as we finished them, such that dirty dishes were piling up all around us by the end of the evening. We then sat for 20 minutes waiting for someone to notice we were done and bring us a bill. We finally got one, but just for our drinks. We had to wait again for a second bill for the food portion of the meal — a separation of charges that surely makes sense to someone in the accounting department at Cunard's U.K. headquarters but, of course, is nonsensical to the customer.

Sadly, I wasn't able to try Sir Samuel's, Cunard's new signature steakhouse. The eatery was unavailable for the entire week I was on board due to a private event that was being held in the space.

Other places to dine on Queen Anne include the Golden Lion pub, a mainstay of Cunard ships. On Queen Anne, it features a tasty new pub menu designed by chef Michel Roux Jr., who owned London's Le Gavroche restaurant, the first U.K. restaurant to receive three Michelin stars. (He also created an exclusive gala menu for the Queens Grill restaurant.) I particularly loved the steak-and-ale pie. It looked underwhelming on the plate but was fabulously rich and yummy.

You'll pay up to $11 a plate for lunch at the Golden Lion, but it's a worth-it upcharge. Some items, such as the quintessentially British Scotch eggs, are available at no extra cost.

In addition, Queen Anne passengers can eat in casual comfort at the Artisans' Foodhall, the ship's buffet. It features active food stations instead of traditional self-serve buffet lines, with a chef standing by at each station to make a dish just for you — a nice upgrade. There also are preplated dishes available to grab and go. The array of dishes is more limited than on some mass-market ships, but I never had trouble finding something to suit my taste.

That said, for something fast and casual, my favorite outlet, hands down, was the new-for-Cunard Wellness Cafe on the second level of the ship's Pavilion pool area. Part of Cunard's expanded focus on wellness, it offered no-extra-charge, built-to-order healthy food bowls that were not just tasty but beautifully plated. You could pick from a long list of healthful items such as edamame, kale, quinoa, roasted broccoli and charred cauliflower and top it all with grilled salmon and other proteins, as well as fresh dressings such as miso, lime and ginger. It was the one new eatery on Queen Anne that was a clear home run.

Eat there, and then blow your calorie count at the nearby Pavilion Gelateria, which serves massive extra-charge gelatos starting at a very reasonable $2.50 for one flavor. The Pavilion is also home to a grill for no-extra-charge burgers and hot dogs.

You'll also find small bites available from morning to night at the Carinthia Lounge. Located off the Grand Lobby, it's a European-style coffee bar by day with lovely handmade pastries and other elevated breakfast bites at no extra charge. At night, it morphs into a wine bar that serves artisanal cheese and charcuterie sourced from small producers for an extra fee (on my sailing, $6.50 for a selection of three cheeses or meats).

The Carinthia Lounge also serves oysters on the half shell at night ($6.50 for three oysters) and a few other small snacks that pair well with wines.

Room service is available day and night with several solid options including the same Michel Roux-designed burger you can get in the Golden Lion pub. That said, many of the better items come with an upcharge, which isn't always the case with room service menus on ships. The burger will set you back $11, while the room service steak — from the ship's Sir Samuel's steakhouse — will cost you $25 to $29, depending on whether you order a sirloin or filet. With an added lobster tail, the plate cost jumps to $40 to $44.

If you're heading out for a drink in the evening on Queen Anne, you're probably heading to one of two places: the Commodore Club or the Chart Room.

Located at the top of the ship overlooking the bow, as it is on all Cunard ships, the Commodore Club is the hot spot for drinks in the evenings, and for good reason. It's an elegant and inviting space with an impressive martini menu, friendly bartenders and lively entertainment (on my sailings, a pianist who took requests and played to the crowd).

The Commodore Club is such a popular venue on Cunard ships that the line has made it bigger than ever on Queen Anne, even bigger than its counterpart on Queen Mary 2, which is a far bigger ship.

Just off the Grand Lobby, the Chart Room is the main bar and lounge for the ship's lower-deck interior areas. It has a creative list of specialty cocktails themed around the signs of the zodiac (I loved the Leo-themed Natural Leader cocktail, made with pisco, lemon juice, raspberries and elderflower syrup) and the stylish art deco-inspired decor.

A third major drinking spot in the interior of the ship is the Golden Lion pub, which is just down the hall from the Chart Room past the Queens Room — the ship's ballroom. It's definitely the place to go for a pint of beer and a chat or a full-blown pub meal. Just be warned that it sometimes morphs into a karaoke club at night and is often taken over by trivia and bingo sessions, which sort of wrecks the cozy British pub ambience. In my view, it's a space that suffers from mission creep, though people who love karaoke, trivia and bingo with a side of John Smith's bitter ale surely will disagree.

Another option for a drink in the afternoon or evening is the Carinthia Lounge. As mentioned in the dining section above, it's a coffee bar by day but morphs into a wine bar as the day goes on. It has a wonderfully diverse wine list that includes things like Hungarian furmint, a wine you don't normally find at cruise ship bars.

Alas, as an evening drinking spot, the Carinthia Lounge suffers a bit from a ho-hum setting along a sometimes busy corridor through a shopping area — the reason, I suspect, for why it wasn't drawing much of a crowd at night when I was on board. It also closes down early. It's much more popular during the day when it functions as a coffee bar.

Note that the Carinthia Lounge is one of the venues on Queen Anne where the servers seem particularly out to lunch. You apparently get to order just one coffee here, after which your server will disappear, never to be seen again.

Yet one more bar option, one that is something of an unexpected gem, is the bar attached to the ship's casino, Room 1840. Most casino bars on ships are dreary places you don't want to visit unless you're in the casino to gamble. But the Room 1840 bar is both striking in its design and home to a fabulous cocktail menu focused on Negronis (in addition to a classic gin Negroni, you'll find creative variations on the Campari-infused elixir made with everything from double-oaked whiskey to tequila).

The Room 1840 bar is also one of the few bars on the ship where you'll find proper oversize ice cubes for cocktails such as Negronis — something that is standard at any semidecent cocktail bar on land but sorely missing from most Queen Anne bars (to be fair, this is a flaw not just with Queen Anne bars but bars on most cruise ships).

And, no, Room 1840 isn't smoky. Unlike on most ships, you can't smoke in the casino on Queen Anne.

In addition to the above, there are small interior bars attached to the Queens Room, the Bright Lights Society cabaret theater, the Artisans' Foodhall and the Sir Samuel's steakhouse. But none of them are venues you'd necessarily visit specifically for drinking. They are more bases for the waiters serving these various areas.

On the outside decks of the ship, you'll find bars at all the main sunning and pool areas, including at the front-of-the-ship sports deck (known as the Observation Deck) and at the back-of-the-ship Panorama Pool Club. One of the outdoor venues, Cabana, is a new-for-the-line rum-focused venue touting 50 different brands of the drink.

Queen Anne activities

As is typical for Cunard ships, the top decks of Queen Anne are mostly devoted to relaxing pool and sunning areas. This isn't a ship where you'll find lots of family-friendly decktop amusements such as waterslides and kiddie splash zones.

This is in keeping with the clientele of the brand, which is mostly older adults. Cunard has never been known as a family line.

Queen Anne is also one of the relatively few cruise ships with a top deck designed specifically for operating in a wide range of climate zones.

At the heart of Queen Anne's top deck is The Pavilion, an enormous central pool area that — unlike the main pool areas on the last two new Cunard ships — is topped with a retractable glass roof designed to keep poolgoers warm and dry on cold and rainy days.

It's a retractable glass roof that is not only functional but beautiful — a showpiece for the ship. Soaring higher and feeling airier than the typical magrodome (as such retractable glass roofs on ships are called), the giant structure above the pool was created by Martin Francis, the U.K.-based design wizard who figured out how to make the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum stay up.

The Pavilion, moreover, is much more than just a covered pool area. Underneath the dome — in addition to a pool, three whirlpools and lounge chairs — is a bar, a grill for poolside food, a gelateria and a stage for entertainment.

Just forward of The Pavilion is an open-air sun deck that is the closest thing the ship has to an amusement zone. Called the Observation Deck, it has a paddle tennis court that doubles as a pickleball court, a putting green, a golf net for practicing your drives, a table tennis table (or, as most Americans would call it, a pingpong table) and — this being a British ship — deck quoits. If you're an American, you'll have to Google that last one.

There's also shuffleboard, here and elsewhere along the outdoor decks. It's that sort of deck-top vibe.

One other top-deck amusement, located toward the middle of the ship, is an archery range — something you won't find on most cruise ships. Indeed, while Royal Caribbean has offered a watered-down version of archery on its ships with toylike bows and arrows, Queen Anne is the first ship where you can shoot real (and very sharp) arrows with a real bow. You do it during formal reservations-only sessions with an instructor, and you have to sign your life away with a waiver form before you start.

In addition to the public areas above, there is an open-air deck area toward the middle of the ship that is exclusive to the swanky set staying in the ship's Princess Grill and Queens Grill suites. The center-of-the-ship placement of this exclusive area, alas, blocks regular passengers from moving across the top of the ship — a major design flaw.

The top of the ship is also home to a new-for-the-line, glass-enclosed Wellness Studio. Just past The Pavilion Pool (under the same glorious glass dome that covers that venue), it offers yoga, Pilates, Zumba and line-dancing classes during the day for an extra charge.

The Wellness Studio is part of the major expansion of wellness offerings at Cunard mentioned above. It was added to the ship in part to get all the fitness classes that the line normally offers in interior fitness areas up to the top deck, where participants can enjoy natural light and views of the sea all around.

That said, Queen Anne still has a good-size fitness center and a spa with a thermal pool complex in a lower part of the vessel. The latter venue is a wow with heated loungers, experiential showers, a reflexology footpath with textured stones, a cold room (a first for Cunard), a large steam room, a Himalayan salt sauna, and a traditional sauna. There's also a relaxation room and a wellness suite.

Two-hour passes to the thermal complex are available for $59 per person.

If you're looking for activities in the interior of the ship, there are two main places to go: the Queens Room and the Golden Lion pub.

The Queens Room — a staple of Cunard ships — is the ship's grand ballroom and the place to dance the night away to big-band music. But it's also the spot for afternoon tea at times — a big thing for the ship's heavily British crowd — and occasionally other activities such as low-impact chair yoga.

The Golden Lion pub is home to frequent trivia contests (often several times a day), darts competitions, bingo and karaoke nights — so many such activities, in fact, that passengers looking for a traditional pub experience may be disappointed.

Other activity areas in the ship's interior include the small casino area called Room 1840 mentioned above. It's just forward of the Queens Room. There's also a small Games Room for card playing just off the Grand Lobby.

At the very top of the ship, off the Commodore Club, is a library with one of the best views of any library at sea. Just beyond it is a very small children's area called The Zone (as noted, Cunard isn't a line that draws many children).

Other interior areas include dedicated space for weddings and wedding receptions, part of a bigger focus on celebrations at Cunard, and a large number of shops.

Queen Anne shows

Cunard has beefed up its entertainment offerings with the debut of Queen Anne.

In addition to an 835-seat main theater (the Royal Court Theater) offering Broadway-style shows, it's home to a new-for-the-brand, 132-seat cabaret-style theater called the Bright Lights Society.

The former is home to a wide variety of entertainment during any given cruise, from full-blown musicals to comedy shows and vocalist performances. (It's also used for lectures by a rotating list of guest speakers and occasional screenings of feature-length films.) The latter offers a murder mystery theater-type experience on some days and a lively cabaret-style musical show on others.

On my sailing, the two big main theater productions were a smoke-, strobe light- and laser-infused musical production called "Imagination" and a shortened version of the West End musical "Pride and Prejudice (sort of)" — the latter a comedic retelling of the Jane Austen love story. Both were entertaining, if not the sort of wow productions you'll find on the ships of cruise entertainment leaders Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line .

The Bright Lights Society (the name is an oblique reference to the fact that Cunard was the first ocean liner operator to use electric lights on its ships) was a fun and lively venue — when I was able to get into it. Alas, all six performances of what some passengers said was the best show in the venue, the interactive murder mystery "Noir," booked up seemingly instantly on the first day of my cruise, so I never was able to get a reservation to see it.

With Queen Anne's passenger count significantly higher than Cunard's other vessels, there just isn't room in the Brights Light Society venue to accommodate the demand for its shows.

The "Noir" show was the only show in the venue for three of the first four nights of the cruise. For the last three nights of the sailing, the space was home to "Fizz," a cabaret-style show with musical and burlesque elements and a loose storyline of romance for which I did manage to snag a reservation. It was energetic and amusing, with the cast of five pulling in the audience to become part of the show.

Additional entertainment, including the occasional comedy show, vocalists and silent discos, takes place in the Queens Room, the ship's ballroom. On Queen Anne, it's a space that has gotten a makeover compared to the ballrooms on other Cunard ships to make it more multipurpose, and it often hosts some of the same acts that play on different nights in the Royal Court Theater.

With clusters of modern ball lamps hanging from its ceiling, evoking planets floating in the sky, and a stunning, multicolored marquetry wood floor as a counterpoint, the Queens Room has a dreamy, make-believe quality unlike anything seen before on a Cunard ship.

A large digital screen behind its semicircular stage and high-tech lighting add to its more modern feel.

The Queens Room is also rounder in its design and more open to its surroundings. Its top level, in particular, is open to an area of boutique stores and the passing traffic of passengers moving between the front and back of the ship.

Queen Anne itineraries and pricing

Of Cunard's four ships, Queen Anne is the one that spends the most time sailing out of Southampton, England — Cunard's traditional home. Nearly all its sailings during the year begin and end in the port.

Still, that doesn't mean Queen Anne only sails in the vicinity of the British Isles.

For all but the first few months of the year, Queen Anne operates an unusually wide array of Europe itineraries out of Southampton that can get you to just about every corner of the continent, from the far reaches of the Baltic Sea to the full expanse of the Mediterranean.

Some of Queen Anne's Europe sailings out of Southampton go all the way to the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa.

Queen Anne's trips from Southampton are diverse not only in where they go but in length, as the ship operates everything from quickie two-nighters to Hamburg, Germany (a good way to test the vessel to see if you like it), and seven-night sailings to Northern Europe to far lengthier voyages of 14 to 19 nights to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.

During the first few months of every year, Queen Anne sets off from Southampton on an even more ambitious voyage around the world. Since the ship's debut in early 2024, it has become one of Cunard's main ships for such lengthy voyages.

The around-the-world voyages (two of which currently are on Queen Anne's schedule for 2025 and 2026) typically last nearly four months and include stops in North America, Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe. In addition to selling passage for the entire cruise, Cunard also sells shorter segments of the voyage that focus on particular regions along the way.

Prices for Queen Anne sailings start around $400 per person, based on double occupancy, for a two-night sailing from Southampton to Hamburg. More typical seven-night sailings out of Southampton start at $1,159 per person, based on double occupancy. The ship's first world cruise, a 107-night trip kicking off in January 2025, starts at $17,536 per person.

The above rates include all taxes and fees.

Note that you'll pay a significant premium to stay in Queen Anne's Britannia Club, Princess Grill and Queens Grill accommodations as compared to standard Britannia cabins. A voyage where a balcony cabin in Britannia class starts around $3,000 per person might cost closer to $5,000 per person if you book the same balcony cabin in Britannia Club class or $7,000 per person if you book a Princess Grill suite. A Queens Grill room on the same voyage might set you back more than $9,000 per person.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

A passport is required for all itineraries, and passports must be valid for at least six months. The name on your reservation must match that on your passport. Double-check if you've recently gotten married or use a different version of your name.

Queen Anne guests will find an automatic service charge of $16 to $18 per person, per day, depending on cabin category, added to their onboard account and final bill. You are allowed to adjust this amount at the Purser's Office desk before disembarking.

In addition, a 15% gratuity is added to bar bills. You should not feel pressured to add an additional tip.

Related: Everything you need to know about tipping on cruise ships

In recent years, Cunard has upgraded the Wi-Fi service on its ships and now offers a relatively fast connection through Starlink satellites. As is often the case with cruise ships, the service isn't free, nor is it inexpensive. Passengers can choose an Essential plan that allows web browsing and access to emails and social media sites for $18 per day if bought for the entire voyage (24-hour access is available for $24). A Premium plan allowing for streaming costs $24 per day if bought for the entire voyage (24-hour access is available for $36) is also available.

The above rates allow you to log in on a single device. Multidevice plans are also available. They'll cost you more in absolute terms but are a much better value if you are buying Wi-Fi for several people. On my voyage, a multidevice plan for four devices was the same cost as buying two single-device plans.

Note that top-tier members of the line's Cunard World Club loyalty program get credit toward buying internet plans.

Carry-on drinks policy

Cunard allows every passenger of drinking age to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne onto ships at boarding. The line charges a corkage fee if you bring the wine or Champagne to an onboard restaurant or other public areas to drink.

Smoking policy

Smoking (including e-cigarette smoking) is allowed only in designated outdoor areas. It's forbidden in cabins, on cabin balconies and — with one exception — in all other indoor areas of the ship. The exception is that passengers can smoke cigars and pipes only (no cigarettes) in Churchill's Cigar Lounge, the ship's dedicated space for cigar smokers.

Unlike on some cruise ships, smoking is not allowed in Queen Anne's casino.

Queen Anne has self-serve launderettes on cabin decks where passengers will find washers, dryers and ironing boards for use at no extra charge. Even the detergent is free. The ship also offers extra-charge laundry, pressing and dry cleaning services.

Related: Everything you need to know about cruise ship laundry services

Electrical outlets

You'll find North American-style 110-volt outlets and European-style 220-volt outlets in cabins, along with USB ports.

The onboard currency is the U.S. dollar. But you won't need cash while on board. Queen Anne operates on a "cashless system," with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a keycard that you can use to make charges, and Cunard will charge your credit card at the end of the sailing to settle the balance.

While on board, you can check your balance at the Purser's Office or via your in-cabin television.

Drinking age

You must be 18 to consume alcohol on Queen Anne in most parts of the world. When the ship is sailing in U.S. waters, Cunard enforces the U.S. drinking age limit of 21.

During the day, there is no specific dress code, and people dress casually. If it's a sea day, and you're bound for the pool deck, that means looking like you're going to the beach — T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits are just fine. Just note that swimwear is not permitted in indoor dining areas, so you'll want to change from that bathing suit before heading to lunch inside the vessel.

During the evenings, there is an official dress code, and it's more formal than at many lines. Cunard has always been known as a line where passengers dress up — and its dress code reflects that (though it's not nearly as formal as it was just a few years ago).

On most nights, the Queen Anne dress code is "smart" attire, which Cunard defines as a dress shirt and trousers, skirt and a top, or a cocktail dress. Jackets are optional, but many men do wear them. Some men even wear coats and ties on casual nights. This is a ship where passengers get very dressed up, and you might feel out of place if you don't.

Unlike on some lines, jeans are not allowed in restaurants in the evening, and the line is strict about it. You will likely be turned away if you show up in them, and you'll definitely get dirty looks from Cunard's formality-loving regulars.

Every few nights, the dress level on the ship becomes much more formal as the ship holds "gala evenings." These are shipwide events where passengers are encouraged to dress to the nines, and they generally do.

There are typically two gala evenings on every seven-night cruise and more on longer sailings. Cunard asks men to wear black tie or dark suits. For women, Cunard suggests floor-length dresses, ballgowns or off-the-shoulder cocktail dresses.

Cunard typically designates a theme for each gala evening, set in advance so you can plan your wardrobe. Examples include Black and White Gala Evening, when passengers are encouraged to wear black and white, and Red and Gold Gala Evening, when red and gold are the go-to colors. Some sailings also have a Masquerade Ball, where the line suggests passengers spice up their attire with masks.

Note that if you really, really hate the idea of getting all dolled up for a gala evening, you'll find that there are a few designated places on the ship (such as the pub) where you still can drink and dine without the formality. That said, the dress-up nights are a big part of the Cunard formula. If it doesn't sound appealing to you, maybe you're picking the wrong ship.

Related: What to pack for your first cruise

Bottom line

Queen Anne is a lovely ship that, alas, isn't yet running like it should. The design of the vessel, which is more contemporary in its look and feel than what we've seen from Cunard in recent years, is meant to usher in a new era for the brand, and it does. In my opinion, it's the most beautiful new Cunard ship to debut since Queen Mary 2 arrived more than 20 years ago.

But four months after opening, some of Queen Anne's venues still are struggling to deliver the sort of friendly and intuitive service that they should, given Queen Anne's positioning as a "premium" product that is a step above mass-market cruising (in some of its messaging to consumers, the line even refers to itself as offering a "luxury" experience).

In addition, several new-for-the-line dining concepts on the ship are struggling to hit their stride and may need rethinking.

Cunard, no doubt, will tweak all the above and eventually get it right, maybe by the time you are on board. And there's a lot already to love about Queen Anne — particularly the higher-end experience available in the ship's already smoothly-running Princess Grill and Queens Grill areas. If Cunard can work out the kinks with the rest of the ship, particularly in the areas of service and specialty dining, Queen Anne has the potential to be a wonderful cruise ship.

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Review: Queen Anne

What is the line? Cunard

Name of ship? Queen Anne

Passenger occupancy? 2,996 passengers

Itinerary? Roundtrip from Southampton to Norway fjords (with stops in Haugesund, Nordfjordeid, Geiranger, Bergen)

Start out with the big picture—what is this cruise line known for?

Cunard is best known for its elegant transatlantic crossings that once transported movie stars and fashionable travelers aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 throughout the 1980s. Today, the line’s fleet of four cruise ships continues to embody the sophistication of this bygone era, with afternoon tea, ballroom dancing, and formal gala evenings.

Tell us about the ship in general .

Queen Anne is the first new Cunard cruise ship since 2010, representing the line’s ambitions to attract the next generation of passengers. As a result, the ship’s design leans more modern than its beloved predecessors ‎ *Queen Mary 2 , Queen Victoria,* and Queen Elizabeth. As a first-time cruiser several decades younger than the average passenger, I thought many of the spaces were beautifully done; however, some Cunard loyalists prefer the traditional feel of the classic ocean liner. Time will tell if that preference remains.

Who is onboard?

Most passengers are British or American, with a few Aussies on board. It appeared the majority of people on my sailing were in the 60+ age range, however Queen Anne definitely skews younger than Cunard’s other ships—there were a fair number of younger couples in their thirties and forties. This was a popular sailing for multi-generational groups of grandparents, parents, and grandchildren.

Describe the cabins .

My cabin was in the Princess Grill Suite category. With a king-size bed and a separate seating area with a loveseat, desk, and TV, it was larger than many luxury hotel rooms. The bathroom and closet space was spacious for a ship. My room was located in the middle of the ship on deck nine and I barely felt the rough water during the overnight North Sea crossing.

The main reason to splurge on a Princess Grill Suite is to access the Grill restaurant, lounge, and deck (with private hot tubs). The zone was never overly crowded and felt like its own ship-within-a-ship with more personalized service. The Queens Grill, a category above, offers even more space and a more exclusive dining experience.

The Britannia staterooms are the ship’s smallest cabins, but they are still well-configured and nicely designed. Book a balcony or oceanview room if you want a lounge area with seating. If you stay in this suite category, you will eat most of your meals at the Britannia restaurant—which is larger and hosts many more passengers than the Grills—but in my opinion, it's one of the prettiest dining rooms on the ship.

Regardless of which suite category you stay in, Cunard’s mattresses and bedding are exceptionally comfortable.

Tell us about the crew.

The dining staff in the Princess Grill was top-tier, but at restaurants and bars elsewhere on the ship, the service varied from place to place and occasionally felt understaffed. As it is a brand-new ship, I imagine this will improve with time.

My cabin steward was lovely, making the bed and tidying up the room twice a day, including folding any loose clothing. I had an incredible masseuse who tackled deep knots and tense muscles with ease. Working on a cruise ship is a tough job. I spoke with crew members who were on the ship working 9-month contracts away from their spouses and children, sending their paychecks back home for a better life. If possible, please tip them generously.

What food and drink options are available on board?

As previously mentioned, the main dining rooms are organized by your cabin category. I dined in the Princess Grill most nights and the rotating menu of creative steak, chicken, fish, and vegetarian dishes offered a nice variety of options throughout the week. Treat yourself with one of their yummy desserts, like the flaming cherries jubilee, prepared table front. The Princess Grill room service menu is surprisingly delightful; the green curry dish was so good I had it three times. The colorful exotic fruit bowl (listed in the desert section) was my go-to snack.

For breakfast and light bites, I enjoyed my morning cappuccino at the peaceful Carinthia Lounge and nibbled on the poached egg and salmon toast as well as various pastries (pro tip: try the banana bread). In the afternoon, I’d return here for a small trout sandwich and an artisan charcuterie board. Another solid option for lunch is the Wellness Café, located above the panorama pool. The menu includes healthy bowls, chia cups, fresh juices, and more. If you’re still hungry, the buffet-style Artisan Food Hall serving pizza, pasta, salads, and the like is open most hours of the day.

The specialty restaurants (read: not included in your fare and require advance reservations for an extra fee) varied in quality and service. I very much enjoyed the sushi and Japanese restaurant Aji Wa. The Italian restaurant Tramonto was nothing worth writing home about.

Now, onto the bars. With some of the best views on the ship, The Commodore Club turns into one big party during sailaways—arrive early to grab a seat by the windows. With a grand piano at the center and a drink menu specializing in martinis, it has a jazzy, sophisticated vibe. The Chart Room was another personal favorite; the creative cocktail menu organized by zodiac sign was a cute conversation starter and quite tasty. People also enjoyed the negroni bar at the casino. If you’re looking for more casual drinks (no dress-code required), the Golden Lion pub has a fun ambience and solid beer menu to accompany nightly live music, karaoke, and trivia.

Is there a spa on board and is it worth visiting?

The spa was a highlight of my voyage. The vast space has two saunas (Himalayan salt and Finnish), a steam room, cold room, and more “immersive shower” options than I ever knew existed. At the center, an aqua therapy pool allows you to gently sway in small waves. When I went on the first sea day, I basically had the whole place to myself. On the last sea day when I returned for a massage, word had spread and it was busier. In order to use all the spa’s facilities, you need to purchase a day pass or an unlimited pass for use during the whole voyage. If you book a treatment, you’re only able to access a relaxation lounge and one communal steam room.

What about activities and entertainment?

You won’t find water parks or roller coasters on this ship. Instead, expect a daily itinerary filled with educational and sports programming. On the upper decks, there is a pickleball court, archery lessons, and of course, shuffleboard. Passengers spoke highly of the guest lecturers, who spoke on topics ranging from Norwegian geography and history to the comedic differences between American and British humor.

I took a few fitness classes at The Wellness Pavilion, a large, bright space overlooking the pool that hosts beginner mat pilates, stretching, and slow-flow yoga classes. I wish the space was better utilized when classes were not available; the gym staff kindly agreed to lend me a mat to bring up if I wanted to work out here on my own.

Come night time, the real entertainment highlight is the Queen’s Room dance floor. With the formal attire and feel-good cover bands, every night feels like a wedding bash (and on one night, it actually was—two former crew members were married onboard and had their first dance here in front of guests). Reserve a seat at The Bright Lights society for interactive theatrical performances Noir and Fizz, or walk into the auditorium for one of the plays. If you’re feeling lucky, there’s a small casino too.

When in need of peace and quiet, the library was one of my favorite nooks on the ship, offering some of the best window views of the sea without the noise or crowds. Funnily enough, the pickle ball court is located directly on top of the library, a design-flaw that means readers may be subjected to loud thumping above their heads during matches.

My sailing began and ended with a black and white and masquerade gala night. I was excited to see passengers take the dress code very seriously—bow ties, white gloves, and all. Nowadays, truly dressing to the occasion is rare.

How was the experience for families?

This ship is perfect for multi-generational trips that older relatives will appreciate while still offering a selection of nightlife activities and entertainment for grandkids and adult children. Surprisingly, I spotted a few infants on board too. Children 8 to 12 can sign up for supervised activities in The Kids Zone (included in the fare), but there are no theme-park-esque activities onboard this sailing.

Where did it sail and how were the excursions? Did anything stand out?

The “Hiking Westeras” excursion in Geiranger was my favorite excursion of the trip, with knowledgeable guides and incredible views of the fjord. The lighthouse walk in Haugesund was a close second.

In Nordfjordeid, I went kayaking from the local beach and explored the small town right off the gangway. Most people will check out the Viking museum here, but walk a few blocks further for delicious cinnamon rolls from local bakery Minibakeriet and treasures from the nearby antique and vintage shops.

In Bergen, I opted for independent exploration. It’s a great little city (Norway’s second-largest after Oslo) and is easily walkable and navigable on your own. If you choose to book a shore excursion, fellow passengers highly recommended the local farm visit here as well.

When visiting the smaller villages in the Norwegian fjords, hiking is never a bad idea (though the weather won’t always cooperate, pack a rain jacket). I recommend speaking with the shore excursions desk on board to get a better idea of what each excursion entails, as the online descriptions can be vague.

Are there any stand out sustainability or green initiatives about this cruise?

Like most newer ships, Queen Anne is equipped with shore power capability. This allows the ship to plug into the local grid where facilities are available, and switch off the engines, reducing air emissions and noise in ports. Onboard, food waste biodigesters and an advanced wastewater treatment system (AWWTS) help reduce waste, with Queen Anne producing the majority of water that will be used on board. Energy efficiency technologies including Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems with the latest energy-savings features and

LED lighting systems will help the ship be more than 20 percent more efficient per guest, from a greenhouse gas emissions perspective.

Finally, give a sentence or two on why the cruise is worth booking.

The Queen Anne is a beautiful new ship combining modern luxury with the traditional elegance Cunard is best known for.

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Cunard Line

The Cunard cruise line is synonymous with luxury cruising and boasts an unrivalled maritime heritage dating back almost two centuries.

From mini cruises to round-the-world voyages and iconic transatlantic crossings, Cunard is a name that has achieved legendary status within the cruising industry.

From the moment you step on board one of Cunard’s ships, you’ll be struck by the exquisite attention to detail. Polished brass fittings, Art Deco interiors and Afternoon Tea served by white-gloved waiters – all this and more creates the ambience of a bygone age. And with a high staff-to-passenger ratio, you’ll find yourself well attended to, from morning till night.

From royalty to the stars of the Silver Screen, Cunard have welcomed an endless line-up of illustrious figures and continues to do so in unparalleled style sailing to the furthest points of the globe. Travel on one of four world-famous ships, each one of them a paragon of nautical excellence, and create your own Cunard story.

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Cunard FAQ's

How much are gratuities on cunard.

Whilst it is not necessary to tip, gratuities are appreciated. Britannia Staterooms, gratuities are $11.50 pp per night. For Grill Suites, they are $13.50 pp per night. These are the same regardless of age for adults and children.

How many cruise ships does Cunard have?

Cunard have four ships; Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and their newest addition Queen Anne.

What is the average age of Cunard passengers?

Contrary to popular belief, the average age on board Queen Mary 2 isn’t anywhere near 80. In fact, in recent years it has dropped from 59 to 55, and there are plenty of twenty and thirty somethings on each voyage.

Which is the biggest Cunard liner?

Cunard’s flagship, Queen Mary 2, is the largest liner in the fleet.

What is the newest Cunard cruise ship?

Queen Anne is Cunard’s newest ship, she is due to set sail in early 2024.

Do Cunard ships have single cabins?

Yes Cunard have single cabins. Solo travelers can select a single stateroom, either with or without an ocean view.

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Discover luxury and elegance with Cunard. Cruising on-board one of the fleets 4 Queens is an unforgettable experience. Queen Victoria , Queen Mary 2 , Queen Elizabeth , and the newest addition Queen Anne will be your home as long as the cruise lasts. Cunard always delivers a luxurious White Star Service that will be there to help you with everything you need.

You can travel around the world, encounter unforgettable ports, discover new & ancient cultures and so much more whilst you sail to your next destination. Wherever you choose to discover, you'll find lots included in your fare. Well-appointed accommodation, fine dining, fabulous entertainment, and outstanding service, it's all included.

Cunard suites are among the most spacious at sea, with a long list of included features, such as Penhaligon toiletries, twice-daily turndown service and sparkling wine on arrival. Our Princess and Queens Grill Suites, offer additional benefits, including priority disembarkation, concierge service and even a personal butler during your stay; all of which are covered by your cruise fare.

Take your pick of elegant fine dining, gastro pubs, and indulgent buffets. You’ll enjoy a sense of freedom regarding the array of places to eat, from hearty to healthy, light bites to fine dining. With so much to choose from the only challenge is deciding what to order.

Discover the Cunard Grill Suite Experience: Find out what to expect when you stay in a Queens Grill Suite or a Princess Grill Suite, where our most luxurious accommodation options are partnered with refined dining experiences and exclusive amenities.

Queens Grill: Benefit from all the features and special touches that our Princess Grill guests, and Britannia stateroom guests enjoy, plus these additional elements:

• Your own reserved table in the exclusive Queens Grill restaurant.
• Fresh flowers.
• Binoculars and a world atlas to track your travels.
• A complimentary mini bar, stocked with two bottles of wine or spirits of your choice, and soft drinks.
• Pre-dinner canapés delivered daily.
• A bottle of Champagne and box of chocolates to celebrate your arrival.
• The option to dine in-suite from the exclusive Queens Grill menu.
• A dedicated butler and steward to keep your suite in fine order day and night and host the perfect soirée.
• Priority tender services in Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 suites on all ships.
• An iPad in selected suites on all ships.

Princess Grill: Guests will benefit from all the features and special touches that our Britannia stateroom guests enjoy, plus these additional elements:

• Your own reserved table in the exclusive Princess Grill restaurant.
• A spacious lounge area with seating.
• A bathroom with bath/walk-in shower.
• Sparkling wine and chocolates on arrival.
• A pillow concierge menu with a variety to choose from.
• Access to your own private balcony with seating and sea views.
• Speciality tea and coffee-making facilities.
• Complimentary spring water replenished throughout your voyage.
• A selection of fresh fruit delivered daily.
• A 24-hour complimentary room service menu.
• An elevated Grills Afternoon Tea served daily in the Grills Lounge.
• The option to dine in-suite from the exclusive Princess Grill menu.
• Exclusive access to the Grills Lounge and outside Grills Terrace on all our ships, and a special Grills Courtyard on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.
• Use of the Grills concierge service for on board reservations and Shore Experiences.
• Priority embarkation and disembarkation.

To discover more about Cunard and to find the very best value for money deals, speak to our cruise concierge today.

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Sail in luxury onboard a Cunard Cruise ship. With butler service available in all suits you can sit back and relax. You’ll find all the essentials onboard, allowing you to have the rejuvenating holiday you wanted.

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Cunard Cruise Deals

Discover a world of ultimate luxury and entertainment on board a Cunard Queen. Check out all the special offers of our Cunard Cruise Deals!

Take a trip on Queen Elizabeth , Queen Mary 2 , Queen Victoria , or new Queen Anne .

The iconic Queen ships of Cunard carry on defining the meaning of sophisticated ocean travel and are dubbed ‘the Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World’. Mingle among stars as you enjoy feasts in the dining rooms, toast champagne in the salon and immerse yourself in the classic Cunard lifestyle.

With over 300 newly released voyages, sailing from September 2025, into 2026 and onto January 2027, there’s a world of choice available for you!

Enjoy up to $600 on board credit per balcony stateroom

Enjoy up to $600 on board credit on selected Cunard voyages when you book by 9 December 2024. When so much is already included, what would you spend it on? Perhaps a relaxing hot stone massage at Mareel spa? An expert-led Shore Experience in one of your ports of call? However you’d like to elevate your holiday, get more from every moment with extra on board credit from Cunard.

Flights from £199.

Not only will you receive $600 on board credit, you can, fly out to meet Queen Victoria in the Mediterranean from just £199 on selected 2025 voyages.

T&Cs apply.

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Up to US$600 on board credit per balcony stateroom. Plus, flights from £199pp on selected 2025 voyages*

Early Saver Fare

Low 15% deposit secures your booking, with balance conveniently payable online later. You will be able to select dining preferences online after payment. As always, every effort will be made to meet these preferences. You can select the type of room you would like and the general location of your room (Mid/Forward/Aft), but as an Early Saver guest Cunard will allocate your room for you before sailing.

Cunard will assign your stateroom number either in the grade secured or in a higher grade before departure. When booking under our Early Saver price you will receive second priority for dining. We will capture your dining preference nearer to sailing and we’ll do our best to accommodate it, subject to availability. You will receive notification of your allocated dining once on board. Please note that shuttle buses will be chargeable on board, except in ports where they are compulsory for health and safety reasons.

Fares are subject to availability and operator booking conditions. All savings are included in the fares shown unless specified. All fares are a guide and subject to change without notice, please call for latest prices. Fares are per person based on 2 people sharing a stateroom. Offers are capacity controlled and may be modified or withdrawn at any time. Other restrictions may apply. ABTA P6710. E&OE.

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With their famous White Star Service, you'll be treated like royalty whilst sailing on one of Cunard's ships.

Cunard Line cruises bring old-world glamour to the table, ferrying guests across vast oceans in high style since 1847. Their Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria ships are the world’s most famous ocean liners, synonymous with ballroom waltzing and champagne toasts. Embark on your own epic adventure on a Cunard luxury cruise, known for its 5-star service and classic sophistication. Cunard’s most iconic itineraries include their World Voyages and Transatlantic crossings. The route between Southampton and New York is a classic, undertaken by the flagship Queen Mary 2 ocean liner.

What do Cunard offer?

White star service.

As soon as you step onboard you'll get to experience Cunard's famous White Star Service where white-gloved stewards will greet you with a warm welcome.

Meet the fleet

Queen elizabeth, queen mary 2, queen victoria.

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Cunard Cruises

The age of elegance lives on aboard Cunard's impressive fleet, with white-gloved afternoon teas, grand staircases, exuberant cabins and formal galas in elegant restaurants.

Now that Cunard has observed the centenary of its pioneering world cruise, the famous mantra of dignified excellence has intensified to create not just one of the greatest cruise experiences, but the finest travel money can buy.

About Cunard Line

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Why choose Cunard Line

Cunard offers a charming blend of old-world elegance and contemporary touches for an increasingly fraught modern world.

Water parks, roller coasters and crass attempts at lowbrow entertainment are not the Cunard way. You won't find anything other than deluxe leisure and pure relaxation when onboard, from classic games - such as paddle tennis, shuffleboard and croquet - to dance lessons, cooking demos, lectures and tasteful movie screenings.

In the evenings, guests can enjoy quizzes, karaoke, dancing and live bands, or else retreat for a nightcap in one of the ships’ bars. Regardless of choice, you can rest assured that a royal service is guaranteed.

Cunard remains in the more luxurious bracket when it comes to cost, but remember, you are paying for the ultimate iconic cruising experience. Nobody does it better.

Cruising with Cunard

Southampton-based Cunard offers a stylish and traditional style of cruising that’s in a league of its own. The legendary cruise line is famed for its nostalgic transatlantic sailings, reminiscent of a bygone era with formal black-tie dinners, classy afternoon teas, ballroom galas and all-round quintessentially British mantra.

The ships’ elegant, art deco design features, grand furnishings and images of Hollywood thespians all serve as reminders of cruising's golden era - when regality ruled the waves.

Cunard has rightfully become known for its voyages of cultural enrichment, including the annual Transatlantic Fashion Week cruise, which has seen the line partner with well-known designers including Zandra Rhodes, Julien McDonald and Badgley Mischka.

This goes hand-in-hand with the cruise line's Literary Festival of Sea, which has previously featured authors Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall Smith, Prue Leith and Joanne Harris.

For cruises where decorum and grandeur meet technology and contemporary demands, nothing comes close to Cunard's White Star service.

• Leaving from: Southampton
• Ship: Queen Victoria
• Visiting: and 3 more stops

• Visiting: Lanzarote Lisbon and 1 more stop

• Leaving from: Hamburg
• Ship: Queen Anne
• Visiting: Málaga Valletta 'Aqaba Salalah and 5 more stops

• Ship: Queen Mary 2
• Visiting: Quebec City, Québec and 2 more stops

Who should travel

Passengers seeking a traditional, glamorous and formal style of cruising will love travelling aboard Cunard’s extensive fleet of ships.

Typically (and unsurprisingly), the transatlantic voyages predominantly attract older British and North American cruisers, but you will find some younger couples and families. Not to mention solo cruisers seeking good company in stylish surroundings.

You will also find some furry companions on board Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, being the only ship in the world that permits pets to cruise with their owners between the two countries. You'll want to book early to avoid disappointment.

While traditional in design, the ships are modern in terms of facilities, with wi-fi, computer lounges and shopping boutiques. However, the cruise line has one of the strictest formal dress codes at sea, with even informal nights requiring jackets and dresses, so those seeking a more relaxed and contemporary style of luxury cruising should look elsewhere.

Destinations

Along with the cruise line's famed transatlantic voyages, Cunard also offers various sailings and experiences across the globe.

Destinations include the Mediterranean, United States and Canada, Alaska, South America, Northern Europe, Canary Islands, the Caribbean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and the South Pacific.

Cunard’s around-the-world voyages are also fairly legendary, with the cruise line’s RMS Laconia having sailed the first one over a century ago. The spirit of that first voyage is firmly embedded in Cunard's DNA, making for a remarkable trip regardless of destination.

You will be utterly spoiled for choice. Cunard takes great care to provide the finest cuisine available, from the stylish and vibrant Britannia Restaurant serving traditional favourites and contemporary selections, to the Golden Lion eatery and its unique pub atmosphere full of great beers and homely lunches.

The Britannia Club restaurant provides an intimate backdrop with impeccable service for those seeking a mouth-watering selection of foods, while the Princess Grill is open for stylish breakfasts, lunches and exquisite dinners. And that’s just for starters – there’s a huge number of venues!

Seasoned cruisers often talk about food-based withdrawal symptoms following a trip with Cunard. And you won't take long in discovering why.

So, what's included in your package price? First off is your breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Britannia, Britannia Pub, Princess Grill or Queens Grill restaurant, or a buffet in the Golden Lion pub, King's Court or Lido. Unless you plump for excessive dining experiences, you can rest assured that the finest ocean-going chefs are at your service free of charge.

All entertainment and daily activities are also included, with on-board guest lectures and cultural enrichment the order of the day. Use of the library is part of the voyage, and there's free access to the Children's Club when you need time away from the kids.

Flights and transfers are also incorporated into the price where indicated.

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Cunard Deals

Refined Style & Graceful Appeal

Exclusive Extras & Huge Savings

For over 150 the iconic ships of Cunard have been sailing the seas - View our handpicked selection of incredible Cunard offers.

Ensuring our customers find their perfect cruise package for the best possible price is at the very heart of our ethos. Every member of the Cruise Club UK team is passionate about cruising and our consultants regularly travel with all the major cruise lines, experiencing the delights on offer.

Did you know?

• All bookings made with Cruise Club UK are 100% ABTA and ATOL protected.
• Cruise Club UK always guarantee you the best price will all Cunard Cruises.
• Our expert cruise consultants can tailor make any cruise package!

Cunard Offers Updated Daily

Specially selected and recommended cruises from the team at Cruise Club UK. Contact us now for the BEST price on ANY Cunard Cruise!

Norway and Northern Lights from only £1267

Onboard: Queen Anne

Departs: 15/October/24

Duration: 12 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - Alesund - Tromso, Norway - Narvik - Stavanger, Norway - Southampton

Bruges And Rotterdam from only £633

Onboard: Queen Victoria

Departs: 30/October/24

Duration: 4 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - Zeebrugge - Amsterdam - Southampton

Norway and Northern Lights from only £14381

Onboard: Queen Mary 2

Departs: 1/November/24

Itinerary: Southampton - Bergen - Tromso, Norway - Trondheim - Geirangerfjord - Stavanger, Norway - Southampton

Caribbean Celebration from only £2145

Departs: 13/November/24

Duration: 27 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - New York - St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands) - St. Kitts - Roseau - Bridgetown, Barbados - Castries, St. Lucia - Philipsburg, St Maarten - New York - Southampton

Atlantic Coast Adventure from only £1014

Departs: 17/November/24

Duration: 14 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - Cadiz - Cartagena, Spain - Valencia - Malaga - Gibraltar - Lisbon - Southampton

The Canary Islands from only £1092

Departs: 19/November/24

Itinerary: Southampton - Lisbon - Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands - Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Las Palmas,Gran Canaria - Funchal - Southampton

The Canary Islands from only £1023

Departs: 1/December/24

Itinerary: Southampton - Funchal - La Palma, Canary Islands - Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Las Palmas,Gran Canaria - Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands - Lisbon - Southampton

Atlantic Coast Adventure from only £975

Departs: 5/December/24

Duration: 11 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - La Coruna, Spain - Cadiz - Malaga - Gibraltar - Lisbon - Vigo - Southampton

Westbound Transatlantic Crossing from only £633

Departs: 14/December/24

Duration: 7 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - New York

Cities of Western Europe from only £682

Departs: 15/December/24

Itinerary: Southampton - Le Havre - Zeebrugge - Amsterdam - Hamburg, Germany - Southampton

Canary Islands Celebration from only £1511

Departs: 16/December/24

Itinerary: Southampton - Lisbon - Funchal - La Palma, Canary Islands - Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Fuerteventura - Southampton

Canary Islands Celebration from only £1989

Departs: 22/December/24

Itinerary: Southampton - Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands - Fuerteventura - Las Palmas,Gran Canaria - Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Funchal - La Coruna, Spain - Southampton

Amsterdam Short Break from only £1209

Departs: 28/December/24

Duration: 5 Nights

Northern Cruise Break from only £702

Departs: 2/January/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Hamburg, Germany - Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Zeebrugge - Southampton

Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing from only £633

Departs: 3/January/25

Duration: 8 Nights

Itinerary: New York - Southampton

Southampton to San Francisco from only £2710

Departs: 9/January/25

Duration: 26 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - New York - Oranjestad, Aruba - Puerto Quetzal - Cabo San Lucas - San Francisco, California

Westbound Transatlantic Crossing To Fort Lauderdale from only £1248

Itinerary: Southampton - Praia di Vitoria, Azores - Port Canaveral, Florida - Fort Lauderdale

Westbound Transatlantic Crossing from only £682

Duration: 9 Nights

Caribbean from only £3558

Departs: 11/January/25

Duration: 35 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - Santa Cruz de Tenerife - St Georges, Grenada - Bridgetown, Barbados - Castries, St. Lucia - Willemstad, Curacao - Roseau - English Harbour, Antigua - St. Kitts - Roadtown, Tortola - Philipsburg, St Maarten - Funchal - Southampton

Great Australian Culinary Voyage - Event Voyage from only £867

Onboard: Queen Elizabeth

Departs: 6/February/25

Itinerary: Sydney, Australia - Hobart - Sydney, Australia

The Canary Islands from only £1394

Departs: 15/February/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Lisbon - Funchal - La Palma, Canary Islands - Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands - Cadiz - Southampton

Spain And Portugal from only £838

Departs: 1/March/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Lisbon - Vigo - Southampton

Eastern Caribbean from only £3120

Departs: 8/March/25

Duration: 29 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - New York - Philipsburg, St Maarten - Castries, St. Lucia - St Georges, Grenada - Bridgetown, Barbados - Roseau - St. Kitts - Tortola - New York - Southampton

Transatlantic Film Festival at Sea - Event Voyage from only £828

Singapore to yokohama, japan from only £call.

Departs: 14/March/25

Duration: 24 Nights

Itinerary: Singapore - Chan May - Hong Kong Kai Tak - Manila - Hualien, Taiwan - Taipei - Kagoshima - Yokohama, Tokyo - Aomori - Sakaiminato - Busan, South Korea - Nagasaki - Shimizu - Yokohama, Tokyo

Singapore to Southampton from only £2925

Departs: 25/March/25

Duration: 33 Nights

Itinerary: Singapore - Port Kelang, Kuala Lumpur - Penang - Port Louis - Durban - Cape Town - Walvis Bay - Dakar - Tenerife - Southampton

The Canary Islands from only £1111

Departs: 1/April/25

Duration: 13 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - Lisbon - Funchal - La Palma, Canary Islands - Tenerife - Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands - Cadiz - Southampton

The Norwegian Fjords from only £955

Departs: 6/April/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Stavanger, Norway - Geirangerfjord - Olden, Norway - Bergen - Southampton

Mediterranean Highlights from only £1335

Departs: 13/April/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Vigo - Barcelona - Rome (Civitavecchia) - Alghero - Malaga - Cadiz - Southampton

Atlantic Coast And Iberia from only £1023

Departs: 14/April/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Vigo - Leixoes, Portugal - Lisbon - Southampton

Northern Europe and Scandinavia from only £1316

Departs: 27/April/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Hamburg, Germany - Copenhagen, Denmark - Visby, Sweden - Tallinn, Estonia - Helsinki, Finland - Aarhus - Hamburg, Germany - Southampton

Spain and Italy from only £780

Departs: 4/May/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Cadiz - Malaga - Palma De Mallorca - Rome (Civitavecchia)

Norwegian Fjords from only £828

Departs: 11/May/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Stavanger, Norway - Alesund - Olden, Norway - Haugesund - Southampton

Greece and Turkey from only £828

Departs: 12/May/25

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia) - Rhodes - Kusadasi - Istanbul

British Isles from only £1179

Departs: 18/May/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Newhaven - Invergordon - Stornoway (Isle Lewis) - Greenock (Glasgow) - Liverpool - Cobh - Southampton

Japan and Alaska from only £2856

Departs: 24/May/25

Duration: 20 Nights

Itinerary: Yokohama, Tokyo - Hakodate - Kushiro, Japan - Kodiak, Alaska - Seward - Juneau - Sitka - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

Departs: 30/May/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Bergen - Alesund - Andalsnes - Zeebrugge - Southampton

North Cape Discovery from only £1365

Departs: 8/June/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Stavanger, Norway - Bodo - Tromso, Norway - Honningsvag, Norway - Trondheim - Alesund - Southampton

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Reykjavík stay & Alaska Cruise from only £2799

Departs: 9/June/25

Duration: 15 Nights

Itinerary: Reykjavik, Iceland - Seattle - Ketchikan - Skagway - Juneau - Sitka - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

Italy, France and Spain from only £1608

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia) - Livorno - Ajaccio - Palma De Mallorca - Valencia - Barcelona - Toulon - Alghero - Messina - Naples, Italy - Rome (Civitavecchia)

Italy, France and Spain from only £780

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia) - Livorno - Ajaccio - Palma De Mallorca - Valencia - Barcelona

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Reykjavík stay & Alaska Cruise from only £2399

Departs: 20/June/25

Itinerary: Reykjavik, Iceland - Seattle - Icy Strait Point, Alaska - Juneau - Skagway - Ketchikan - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

Iceland and British Isles from only £1560

Itinerary: Southampton - Belfast - Reykjavik, Iceland - Isafjordur - Akureyri - Stornoway (Isle Lewis) - Greenock (Glasgow) - Southampton

Transatlantic Crossing, New England and Canada from only £2310

Departs: 24/June/25

Duration: 21 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - New York - Newport, Rhode Island - Boston, USA - Halifax - New York - Southampton

Transatlantic 185th Anniversary Event Voyage from only £1121

Norwegian fjords from only £780.

Departs: 4/July/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Kristiansand, Norway - Oslo - Skagen - Southampton

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Reykjavík Stay & Alaska Cruise from only £2699

Departs: 7/July/25

Itinerary: Reykjavik, Iceland - Seattle - Ketchikan - Haines, Alaska - Juneau - Sitka - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

Italy, France and Spain from only £1803

Itinerary: Barcelona - Valencia - Ajaccio - Nice (Villefranche) - Livorno - Rome (Civitavecchia) - Toulon - Alghero - Messina - Naples, Italy - Rome (Civitavecchia)

Italy, France and Spain from only £1413

Departs: 11/July/25

Duration: 16 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - Gibraltar - Barcelona - Ajaccio - Alghero - Palma De Mallorca - Ibiza - Cadiz - Southampton

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Reykjavík stay & Alaska Cruise from only £2599

Departs: 18/July/25

Itinerary: Reykjavik, Iceland - Seattle - Sitka - Juneau - Skagway - Ketchikan - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Reykjavík stay & Alaska Cruise from only £2699

Departs: 28/July/25

Itinerary: Reykjavik, Iceland - Seattle - Ketchikan - Skagway - Juneau - Icy Strait Point, Alaska - Sitka - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

Adriatic and Western Mediterranean from only £1755

Itinerary: Trieste - Zadar, Croatia - Split - Valletta, Malta - Sorrento - Rome (Civitavecchia) - Marseille - Alghero - Messina - Naples, Italy - Rome (Civitavecchia)

Departs: 3/August/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Cobh - Reykjavik, Iceland - Isafjordur - Akureyri - Greenock (Glasgow) - Liverpool - Southampton

France and Italy from only £877

Departs: 4/August/25

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia) - Marseille - Alghero - Messina - Naples, Italy - Rome (Civitavecchia)

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Reykjavík stay & Alaska Cruise from only £2539

Departs: 8/August/25

Itinerary: Reykjavik, Iceland - Seattle - Ketchikan - Sitka - Skagway - Icy Strait Point, Alaska - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

Transatlantic Dance the Atlantic - Event Voyage from only £1072

Spain and italy from only £1462.

Departs: 17/August/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Cadiz - Alicante - Livorno - Rome (Civitavecchia) - Cartagena, Spain - Gibraltar - Southampton

Departs: 25/August/25

Itinerary: Reykjavik, Iceland - Seattle - Ketchikan - Juneau - Haines, Alaska - Icy Strait Point, Alaska - Sitka - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

Departs: 31/August/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Stavanger, Norway - Alesund - Nordfjordeid - Haugesund - Southampton

Transatlantic Anthony Inglis & the National Symphony Orchestra - Event Voyage from only £877

Departs: 3/September/25

Departs: 5/September/25

Itinerary: Reykjavik, Iceland - Seattle - Ketchikan - Juneau - Skagway - Icy Strait Point, Alaska - Victoria, British Colombia, Canada - Seattle

Mediterranean and Greek Islands from only £1950

Departs: 7/September/25

Duration: 19 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - Cadiz - Heraklion - Kusadasi - Piraeus (Athens) - Santorini - Messina - Malaga - Southampton

Spain And Portugal - Voyage du Vin - Event Voyage from only £975

Departs: 13/October/25

Itinerary: Barcelona - Palma De Mallorca - Cartagena, Spain - Cadiz - Vigo - La Coruna, Spain - Southampton

Atlantic Coast And Iberia from only £799

Departs: 26/October/25

Itinerary: Southampton - Vigo - Lisbon - Southampton

Departs: 16/November/25

Duration: 10 Nights

Itinerary: Southampton - Lisbon - Malaga - Tangier - Vigo - Southampton

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Eastern Caribbean from only £2149

Departs: 24/November/25

Itinerary: Miami, Florida - San Juan, Puerto Rico - St John's, Antigua - Castries, St. Lucia - Bridgetown, Barbados - Philipsburg, St Maarten - Tortola - Miami, Florida

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Caribbean from only £2699

Duration: 25 Nights

Itinerary: Miami, Florida - San Juan, Puerto Rico - St John's, Antigua - Castries, St. Lucia - Bridgetown, Barbados - Philipsburg, St Maarten - Tortola - Miami, Florida - Grand Turk - Montego Bay - Belize - Cozumel - Miami, Florida

Eastern Caribbean from only £1316

Departs: 26/November/25

Itinerary: New York - Philipsburg, St Maarten - Roseau - Bridgetown, Barbados - Castries, St. Lucia - St. Kitts - New York

Canary Islands from only £1170

Departs: 30/November/25

Transatlantic Literature Festival at Sea 2025 - Event Voyage from only £780

Departs: 8/December/25

Eastern Caribbean (V602) from only £2973

Departs: 4/January/26

Itinerary: Southampton - Funchal - Bridgetown, Barbados - Castries, St. Lucia - St Georges, Grenada - Kingston - Willemstad, Curacao - Oranjestad, Aruba - Roseau - St John's, Antigua - St. Kitts - Philipsburg, St Maarten - Ponta Delgada, Azores - Southampton

***CCUK EXCLUSIVE*** Caribbean from only £2899

Departs: 28/February/26

Itinerary: Miami, Florida - Grand Turk - Montego Bay - Belize - Cozumel - Miami, Florida - San Juan, Puerto Rico - St John's, Antigua - Castries, St. Lucia - Bridgetown, Barbados - Philipsburg, St Maarten - Tortola - Miami, Florida

Spain And France from only £1608

Departs: 9/August/26

Itinerary: Southampton - Santander, Spain - La Coruna, Spain - Gijon - Pauillac, Bordeaux - Southampton

Western Mediterranean from only £1852

Departs: 10/August/26

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia) - Tarragona - Palma De Mallorca - Nice (Villefranche) - Toulon - Barcelona - Ibiza - Cagliari - Messina - Salerno - Rome (Civitavecchia)

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Cunard line.

• Onboard Experience

Cunard Luxury Cruises

Well-seasoned travelers who enjoy the finer things in life. The classic liners attract like-minded guests who enjoy the Cunard hallmarks of impeccable White Star Service, fine dining, sumptuous surroundings, civilised adventure and the legacy of historic voyages and transatlantic travel.

Launched: -

Queen Elizabeth

Launched: 2010

Queen Mary 2

Launched: 2004/2016

Crew: 1,292

Queen Victoria

Launched: 2007

ONBOARD EXPERIENCE

Entertainment & Attractions

A full programme of daytime and evening entertainment is included on every Cunard voyage. The Daily Programme is your schedule of ship activities and daily entertainment events. During the Transatlantic Crossings you will spend seven days at sea between Southampton and New York, and you'll even discover that there is too much on offer to fit into just one trip. During a night, choose from participating in Dancing, listing to live Jazz or other music performances, enjoying a Theater show, or perhaps relaxing at a Pub. The elegant Empire Casino will set your heart racing as you spin the roulette wheel, play the slots or try your hand at black jack. If you are not sure how to play then take part in the complimentary gaming lessons.

You’ll be amazed by just how much there is to do. From deck sports, friendly quizzes and dance classes to fascinating talks and terrific movies, there’s so much to choose from. Your ship’s Daily Programme (delivered daily to your stateroom) has full details of all the activities, events and entertainments happening each day.

Other activities include: informal talks, port lectures, academic and cultural enrichment programmes, celebrity speakers, computer classes, aerobics classes, sports tournaments, games, quizzes, competitions, as well as concerts, musical shows and cabarets. You can also catch up on movies and play the tables in the casino.

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Dining Options

Dining: All of your on board meals are included in the main restaurants or the self service buffet restaurants. A 24 hour complimentary room service menu is also available. Cunard Line upholds the classic ocean travel tradition of matching your dining experience to your accommodation. Therefore, Queens Grill dining is only available to guests booked into the Queens Suites and Penthouses, whilst Princess Grill is for those guests who choose the Princess Suites. Britannia Club dining is available for AA grade club balcony guests and the two tier Britannia restaurant is the formal dining area for Britannia grade guests. They do not permit movement between the restaurants. Drinks: Tea, coffee, water and fruit juice are available 24 hours a day at the Lido Restaurants on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, and Kings Court on board Queen Mary 2. Alcoholic drinks and specialty teas and coffees will be charged to your on board account.

Spa & fitness

Queen Elizabeth: Whichever shores you seek out in the company of Queen Elizabeth, her Royal Spa by Elemis invites you on a blissful journey thanks to its range of innovative and indulgent treatments, massages and fitness services. Queen Victoria: The Royal Spa comprises breathtaking ocean views, relaxation areas, beautifully appointed treatment rooms, indulgent therapies and a panoramic glass encased Fitness Centre. Queen Mary 2: Enjoy the ultimate in pampering and wellness at the exquisite on board Canyon Ranch SpaClub®. Indulge in signature Canyon Ranch massages, treatments and facials from the classic Canyon Stone Massage or Rasul Ceremony, to exotic Ayurvedic or Thai treatments. All Cunard ships have complimentary fitness centres with state-of-the-art equipment to help you keep

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Book direct or through Travel Agent?

By DaisyUK , January 4, 2023 in Cunard Line

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Apologies if this question has been asked and answered previously. I have searched the forum and cannot find anything that refers. I am wondering whether most of you book direct with Cunard, or through a Travel Agent and, if the latter, the reason why and whether you receive a discount by so doing? 

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Unfortunately, I can't give any names out here but I have been lucky enough to find a wonderful agent. He has been the go between Cunard and ourselves for many years. He does not discount but the service he gives us is beyond a discount and everyone I have recommended him to, books with him.

There will be others like him ''out there'' and it's often a question of word of mouth which unfortunately, as I said, can't be done on here.

Good luck. 🙂

Always book through a specialist cruise tA and not a High St national TA. They always are cheaper than booking direct with Cunard direct. Can be as much as 5% discount which can be a significant amount.

35 minutes ago, majortom10 said: Always book through a specialist cruise tA and not a High St national TA. They always are cheaper than booking direct with Cunard direct. Can be as much as 5% discount which can be a significant amount.

I do agree about a cruise specialist  rather than general travel agents but I will add not all agents add a  discount to any Cunard pricing so are therefore not necessarily cheaper but find a good one and the personal service given will be beyond discounts. However, if discounts are important to anyone, there's plenty of research to be done via Google etc.

I use a well known cruise specialist. I think it is important to have someone who is used to doing business with Cunard. If you saw them, you could probably recognise them by baldness, as a result of the hair they have torn out over the years. 😀 But I much prefer having them deal with problems then having to gird myself up to do it myself.

11 minutes ago, Victoria2 said: I do agree about a cruise specialist  rather than general travel agents but I will add not all agents add a  discount to any Cunard pricing so are therefore not necessarily cheaper but find a good one and the personal service given will be beyond discounts. However, if discounts are important to anyone, there's plenty of research to be done via Google etc.    

Well I have very good cruise specialist TA who has won many awards on a yearly basis, gives excellent service and gave me 5% discount on price booking direct. When you are paying thousands of pounds for you cruise that 5% discount can run into a considerable sum of money.

9 minutes ago, majortom10 said: Well I have very good cruise specialist TA who has won many awards on a yearly basis, gives excellent service and gave me 5% discount on price booking direct. When you are paying thousands of pounds for you cruise that 5% discount can run into a considerable sum of money.

Then we are both happy bunnies.

I book onboard (Cunard voyage sales office)  The benefit is that the deposit is low and the OBC is often 'very generous' and as a return guest a 5% discount is offered  . The voyage sales office transfer the booking to my preferred 'CRUISE SPECIALIST' here in the UK ( who is a Cunard preferred agent) This cruise specialist in turn offers me a further discount ( approx 3%)   from the original booking invoice .  

21 minutes ago, exlondoner said: I use a well known cruise specialist. I think it is important to have someone who is used to doing business with Cunard. If you saw them, you could probably recognise them by baldness, as a result of the hair they have torn out over the years. 😀 But I much prefer having them deal with problems then having to gird myself up to do it myself.

I think mine will also have suffered from the same cruise induced Trichotillomania!  😀   It's been a heck of a few years for our agents and here's hoping for a return to some sort of new normality for them all. We are certainly doing our best to help ours return to ''normal''. 👍

7 minutes ago, Victoria2 said: I think mine will also have suffered from the same cruise induced Trichotillomania!  😀   It's been a heck of a few years for our agents and here's hoping for a return to some sort of new normality for them all. We are certainly doing our best to help ours return to ''normal''. 👍

To be fair, I imagine it has been equally awful for the Cunard staff at Carnival House, perhaps more so. And I will say that when I have spoken to Cunard direct, say about blankets rather than duvets, they have been universally charming and helpful, and nearly always effective.

5 minutes ago, exlondoner said: To be fair, I imagine it has been equally awful for the Cunard staff at Carnival House, perhaps more so. And I will say that when I have spoken to Cunard direct, say about blankets rather than duvets, they have been universally charming and helpful, and nearly always effective.

I'm positive Cunard agents have been equally challenged over the last few years and my hope for a sort of normality extends to all agents, independent or at Cunard. 

I'm glad you got the bedding issue sorted. Our agent sorted that out for us years ago.

28 minutes ago, Bell Boy said: I book onboard (Cunard voyage sales office)  The benefit is that the deposit is low and the OBC is often 'very generous' and as a return guest a 5% discount is offered  . The voyage sales office transfer the booking to my preferred 'CRUISE SPECIALIST' here in the UK ( who is a Cunard preferred agent) This cruise specialist in turn offers me a further discount ( approx 3%)   from the original booking invoice .  

Excellent way of booking if the cabin ''you'' want is available at the time. We used to do exactly as you described before our choice of cabins became more limited. Now we book on release.

Or we used to buy future credits to be utilised if the itineraries hadn't been released. Maybe one day those will be re introduced.

Solent Richard

40 minutes ago, majortom10 said: Well I have very good cruise specialist TA who has won many awards on a yearly basis, gives excellent service and gave me 5% discount on price booking direct. When you are paying thousands of pounds for you cruise that 5% discount can run into a considerable sum of money.

26 minutes ago, Bell Boy said: I book onboard (Cunard voyage sales office)  The benefit is that the deposit is low and the OBC is often 'very generous' and as a return guest a 5% discount is offered  . The voyage sales office transfer the booking to my preferred 'CRUISE SPECIALIST' here in the UK ( who is a Cunard preferred agent) This cruise specialist in turn offers me a further discount ( approx 3%)   from the original booking invoice .  

I use the same one @Bell Boy . The preferred Cunard agent that got you to the Queen Anne event in London a couple of moths ago I believe. 

14 minutes ago, Victoria2 said: Excellent way of booking if the cabin ''you'' want is available at the time. We used to do exactly as you described before our choice of cabins became more limited. Now we book on release.   Or we used to buy future credits to be utilised if the itineraries hadn't been released. Maybe one day those will be re introduced.

Indeed the demise of further cruise deposits for UK bookers is much lamented. But seeing how much prices have risen of cruises I booked when they were released, I’m glad I didn’t wait to book on board.

Unfortunately there are no direct Cunard staff in Southampton anymore as they are all employed by Carnival UK and deal with both Cunard and P&O. I phoned Southampton on 2 occasions last year one for. Cunard and one for P&O with regards price and availability and was dealt with by the same person even though different telephone numbers were rung. Sign of the times and personally think service has suffered that is why I don't book direct.

15 minutes ago, exlondoner said: Indeed the demise of further cruise deposits for UK bookers is much lamented. But seeing how much prices have risen of cruises I booked when they were released, I’m glad I didn’t wait to book on board.

I agree. Let's hear it for ''Dynamic pricing''! 😀

The price of one of our cabins rose dramatically and yet still sold out. Mind you, cabins selling out now and actually completing the purchase come time to pay the rest of the invoice  might be a different matter.

Cunard (and P&O) provide around 8% commission to travel agents, it is from this they can provide their discounts. 3-6% is my historic range for discounts through booking with travel agents (online/phone) with 5% discounts being where the most competitive (on price) agents currently offer.

I always book with an agent due to the discounts, it seems foolish that Cunard/P&O don't post discount codes online of a similar value (5%) like other marketing teams in other companies do to divert price conscious consumers away from agents. Any savvy consumer will know where to look to find these and it's better than coughing up 8% commission (or rather not being paid as much for the cruise because Cunard is paid net of commission, I believe).

Agents, for fly cruises (both P&O and Cunard), are available to offer special rates if they create their own packages. In the past, some of these have been extremely well priced, to the point where it is cheaper to book the package with flights and extra nights hotel accommodation in departure/arrival ports included than just pay the cruise only price directly with Cunard. However, from my experience, OBC has never been offered with these cut price deals vs. what you'd get with paying for the Cunard fare. 

Finally, it is possible, if you've booked with an agent before, to book on board availing yourself of the extra OBC for doing so and transfer your booking to that agent. You then get the discount and the extra OBC. 

The only exception was a recent P&O booking of very low value (<£500) where I booked direct because the discount would have been very small and may not have been honoured due to tiny commission being made. 

2Oldpeopleinlove

Dissenting voice here. Perhaps I’m a control freak,but we tried using an agent once, and I disliked the remove from direct communications. We’ve never had the drama with calling Cunard that many here describe. I prefer direct contact, and we’ve had deals we’re quite satisfied with booking onboard.

david,Mississauga

From reading these replies - and those on similar discussions - one might get the impression the best reason for using a TA is to get a discount. In Canada, discounts from TAs are not common. My reason for using a TA is service.  It is not for a possible discount or for the gifts we have received from our TA on board. 

This year is the 50th anniversary of our first Cunard voyage. Two of the crossings we had would not have been possible without the assistance of our cruise specialist.  When the cruise line says: "No, it can't be done" an experienced TA - especially one with connections with the line - can get things done.

A while back a CC member said it was nonsense to say that a TA works for you as opposed to the cruise line. Based on my experience in the past 50 years that person is wrong.  

 Fortunately, Canadians are still able to purchase future cruise deposits so we find there is no advantage for us to book on board.

3 hours ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said: Dissenting voice here. Perhaps I’m a control freak,but we tried using an agent once, and I disliked the remove from direct communications. We’ve never had the drama with calling Cunard that many here describe. I prefer direct contact, and we’ve had deals we’re quite satisfied with booking onboard.

Thank you all for your various replies which I read with interest. Generally speaking we have always booked through an agent, mainly in order to get a good discount (in the region of 8-10% with RSSC). However, our agent only gives 2% discount for Cunard cruises (obviously because they don't get as much commission from Cunard as they do from RSSC).

The comment above (2Oldpeopleinlove) resonated because I have had problems with indirect communications with Cunard. For example, when we booked our last cruise, I might have missed it altogether had I not booked direct because it was my agent's day off and there was only one suite left in the category we wanted to book. 

For an 8-10% discount on an expensive cruise I'm happy to deal with an agent, but in my experience I have had better service from the cruise line direct (Cunard and RSSC). Perhaps I just haven't found the right agent yet!

Anyway, thanks again to everyone who responded..

3 hours ago, david,Mississauga said: From reading these replies - and those on similar discussions - one might get the impression the best reason for using a TA is to get a discount. In Canada, discounts from TAs are not common. My reason for using a TA is service.  It is not for a possible discount or for the gifts we have received from our TA on board.    This year is the 50th anniversary of our first Cunard voyage. Two of the crossings we had would not have been possible without the assistance of our cruise specialist.  When the cruise line says: "No, it can't be done" an experienced TA - especially one with connections with the line - can get things done.   A while back a CC member said it was nonsense to say that a TA works for you as opposed to the cruise line. Based on my experience in the past 50 years that person is wrong.      Fortunately, Canadians are still able to purchase future cruise deposits so we find there is no advantage for us to book on board.

I heartily agree with all you say.

Superb service from your cruise TA is beyond any offer of a discount and as I have said before, ''you'' really  find out how good your agent is when you  need them to sort ''things'' out for you. 👍

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said: I heartily agree with all you say. Superb service from your cruise TA is beyond any offer of a discount and as I have said before, ''you'' really  find out how good your agent is when you  need them to sort ''things'' out for you. 👍      

But even better when you get a good discount and superb service from one of Cunard/P&Os leading cruise TAs and award winning on a regular frequency.

We used an agent recommended by a friend who cruised at least six times a year until falling victim to ill health. The agent shows no sign of losing any of her blonde locks.

We only travelled on one B2B TA that she booked, but due to the pandemic it was the 5th sailing she booked for us, and we ended up with almost 40% more value than originally paid. She spent 6 months fighting with Cunard over a miscalculation of FCC they had made. Eventually she resolved the matter in our favour. We didn't need to do anything.

We won't be going to anyone else for our next booking.

1 hour ago, majortom10 said: But even better when you get a good discount and superb service from one of Cunard/P&Os leading cruise TAs and award winning on a regular frequency.

I am really happy for you to have such a good discount and superb service from one of Cunard's leading cruise TAs and award winning on a regular basis.

Some people like to broadcast their savings eg discounts. Others, like myself  prefer to keep a lid on transactions, safe in the knowledge our TAs are indeed, invaluable. 🙂

On 1/4/2023 at 7:54 PM, majortom10 said: But even better when you get a good discount and superb service from one of Cunard/P&Os leading cruise TAs and award winning on a regular frequency.

Good morning Major. 

I've noted that here in the UK there are a number of 'TAs' who have in the past been employees of some of the larger online agents and who have purchased a named cruise agent 'franchise' . The majority  of these franchise are sold and overseen  by a reasonably well known cruise company operating in the UK.

Hence with good reason an other member has indicated that the usual discounts, that you, I and @Bell Boy  receive, are not forthcoming. There is an extra mouth to feed.

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