The handover ceremony was attended by Cunard President Katie McAlister, Carnival UK President Paul Ludlow, Fincantieri CEO and MD Pierroberto Folgiero, Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division GM Luigi Matarazzo and Fincantieri Shipyard Director Marco Lunardi.
Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and Italian Minister for Relations with Parliament, Luca Ciriani were also present.
Four ships in simultaneous service
‘We are so excited to welcome Queen Anne to our fleet as she completes a remarkable quartet alongside Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria – marking the first time since 1999 that Cunard will have four ships in simultaneous service,’ said McAlister.
‘We are now fully focused on readying her to welcome guests for her maiden voyage on May 3 before she embarks on an historic British Isles Festival Voyage, including a momentous naming ceremony in Cunard’s spiritual home of Liverpool on June 3.’
A longstanding partnership
Folgiero said the ship testifies to the 'longstanding partnership’ between the cruise line and shipyard. ‘...Queen Anne, as Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, the other two ships we built for Cunard, proudly bear Fincantieri's signature, embodying our enduring expertise, reliability, and craftsmanship in shipbuilding,’ he said.
‘Constructing a liner for such a distinguished shipowner not only reconnects us to our origins but propels us towards the future with a determination to blend tradition and innovation…’
Heading to Southampton
The 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag will now set sail for Southampton ahead of a seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on May 3.
The 114,000gt vessel spans 14 decks and has capacity for 3,000 passengers.
Queen Anne partnerships include Le Gavroche at Sea residencies hosted by two-star Michelin chef Michel Roux, wellness packages curated by Harper’s Bazaar UK’s beauty experts and exclusive British Film Institute screenings in The Pavilion.
With its reimagined Mareel Wellness & Beauty proposition, the vessel will also offer the widest selection of fitness, beauty, thermal and spa facilities so far seen on a Cunard ship.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited.
Add Seatrade Cruise News to your Google News feed.  |
