MS Queen Anne
Product brand
UnclaimedMS Queen Anne is a Cunard Line cruise ship and the sole Halifax-class vessel, an extended version of the Pinnacle class.
Last updated August 26, 2026
Overview
MS Queen Anne is a cruise ship operated by Cunard Line and the fourth vessel in the modern Cunard fleet. The ship is the sole member of the Halifax class, which is an extended development of the Pinnacle-class design used by Holland America Line. It was conceived as a large contemporary ocean-going vessel that could expand Cunard's capacity while retaining the company's emphasis on formal maritime style, traditional service, enrichment programming and destination-focused itineraries. The ship was ordered in 2017 as Cunard's fourth vessel and was described at the time as the 249th ship in the company's history. The initial plan was to base the design on Holland America Line's MS Koningsdam. Queen Anne was specified at approximately 113,000 gross tonnage with capacity for as many as 3,000 passengers. Delivery was originally expected in 2022, but the projected maiden voyage was subsequently moved first to January 2024 and later to May 2024. Design development included specialist work on the ship's public spaces. Cunard announced the design team in June 2019, and steel cutting began at Fincantieri's Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on 11 October 2019. Construction was later completed through work at Fincantieri's Marghera facility. The forward section was transferred to Marghera in August 2022, and the structurally complete ship floated out of the construction dry dock on 3 May 2023. Cunard announced the name Queen Anne in February 2022. The name continues the line's practice of naming ships after British queens, while also connecting the vessel to Anne, Queen of Great Britain, who reigned from 1702 to 1714. Six grand suites were named with the assistance of maritime historians Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross. Their names reference waterways and maritime locations associated with Cunard, including the River Mersey, River Clyde, Hudson River, The Solent, Boston Harbor and Halifax Harbour. Queen Anne began its seven-night maiden voyage from Southampton on 3 May 2024, visiting A Coruña and Lisbon. Its onboard Insights Programme included presentations by Yeoman Warder Peter McGowran, sports broadcaster Clare Balding and maritime historian Chris Frame. The ship was christened in Liverpool on 3 June 2024. Rather than selecting one individual godmother, Cunard designated the city of Liverpool as the ship's godmother, with the ceremony involving Ngunan Adamu, Natalie Haywood, Jayne Casey, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Melanie C. This departure from Cunard's usual naming traditions gave the ceremony a civic and cultural connection to Liverpool, a city with a longstanding relationship to the company. As an individual ship rather than a broad consumer brand, Queen Anne's offering consists primarily of accommodation, dining, entertainment, enrichment and cruise itineraries sold under the Cunard brand. Its commercial positioning is therefore tied to Cunard's premium ocean-cruise identity rather than to an independent corporate organization. The vessel remains in active service and is the second-largest ship in Cunard's fleet after RMS Queen Mary 2.
History
Queen Anne was ordered by Cunard in 2017 as the fourth ship in the company's current fleet and the 249th vessel in its historical fleet. The project was initially presented as a ship based on Holland America Line's Pinnacle-class MS Koningsdam. The resulting design became the sole Halifax-class ship, an extended Pinnacle-class development with an estimated gross tonnage of 113,000 and capacity for up to 3,000 passengers. The original delivery target was 2022. Construction and planning changes moved the planned maiden voyage to January 2024 and then to May 2024. Cunard announced the team responsible for the ship's public-space design in June 2019. Steel cutting took place at Fincantieri's Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on 11 October 2019. Construction continued through Fincantieri facilities, with the forward stub transferred to the Marghera yard in August 2022. The ship floated out of its construction dry dock on 3 May 2023 after reaching structural completion. Before its official naming, maritime observers considered whether Cunard would use another royal name or return to the historical convention of ship names ending in “-ia,” as seen with vessels such as Aquitania, Berengaria, Caronia and Mauretania. In February 2022, Cunard confirmed the name Queen Anne, referring to Anne, Queen of Great Britain, who reigned from 1702 to 1714. Maritime historians Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross worked with Cunard on the names of the ship's six grand suites. The suite names—River Mersey, River Clyde, Hudson River, The Solent, Boston Harbor and Halifax Harbour—connect the vessel to waterways and places associated with the company's maritime history. Queen Anne sailed from Southampton on 3 May 2024 on its seven-night maiden voyage, calling at A Coruña and Lisbon. Presenters for the ship's initial Insights Programme included Yeoman Warder Peter McGowran, Clare Balding and Chris Frame. The vessel was christened in Liverpool on 3 June 2024 by Ngunan Adamu, Natalie Haywood, Jayne Casey, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Melanie C. Cunard selected Liverpool itself as the ship's godmother, departing from the more customary practice of choosing a single individual and keeping the identity of the godparent secret until the ceremony. Queen Anne is currently an active Cunard vessel and is the second-largest ship in the fleet after RMS Queen Mary 2. Its identity is inseparable from Cunard's premium cruise proposition: the ship provides accommodation, dining, entertainment, maritime-themed presentation programming and international cruise itineraries under the Cunard name.
- 2024
Maiden voyage from Southampton
[1]Queen Anne began its first voyage on 3 May 2024, visiting A Coruña and Lisbon during a seven-night itinerary.
- 2024
Liverpool christening
[1]The ship was christened in Liverpool on 3 June 2024, with the city named as its godmother.
- 2023
Structural float-out
[1]The structurally complete vessel floated out of the construction dry dock on 3 May 2023.
- 2022
Ship name confirmed as Queen Anne
[1]Cunard announced the vessel's name in February 2022, linking it to Anne, Queen of Great Britain.
- 2022
Forward section transferred to Marghera
[1]The forward stub was moved to Fincantieri's Marghera facility in August 2022 for completion work.
- 2019
Public-space design team announced
[1]Cunard announced the design team for Queen Anne's public spaces in June 2019.
- 2019
Steel cutting begins
[1]Steel cutting for the ship began at Fincantieri's Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on 11 October 2019.
- 2017
Cunard orders its fourth modern fleet ship
[1]Cunard announced the order of a fourth ship for its current fleet, planned as a large vessel derived from Holland America Line's Pinnacle-class design.
Products and positioning
A contemporary large-scale Cunard ocean liner combining expanded passenger capacity with the line's premium hospitality, formal maritime heritage, destination cruising and enrichment programming.
Cruise ship · 2024
MS Queen Anne cruise ship
Queen Anne is Cunard's sole Halifax-class cruise ship and one of the largest vessels in the company's fleet. At approximately 113,000 gross tonnage, it can accommodate up to 3,000 passengers. Its onboard proposition combines cabins and suites, restaurants, public rooms, entertainment, enrichment presentations and access to Cunard itineraries departing from major cruise ports.
Brand decisions
2022
Cunard selects the Queen Anne nameStrategyBackground
Cunard faced a choice between continuing its contemporary practice of using royal names and reviving the older convention of ship names ending in “-ia.”
Action taken
The company confirmed Queen Anne as the ship's name, connecting the vessel to Anne, Queen of Great Britain.
Aftermath
The decision positioned the ship within Cunard's modern sequence of Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth while emphasizing the line's royal naming tradition.
Recent events
- 2024
Queen Anne begins its maiden voyage[1]
Product launch
Queen Anne departed Southampton on 3 May 2024 for a seven-night inaugural voyage calling at A Coruña and Lisbon.
- 2024
Queen Anne is christened in Liverpool[1]
Other
The ship was christened in Liverpool on 3 June 2024. Liverpool was designated as the ship's godmother, while the ceremony featured five named presenters and public figures.
- 2023
Queen Anne floats out after structural completion[1]
Other
The structurally complete vessel floated out of its construction dry dock at Fincantieri on 3 May 2023, marking a major stage in the shipbuilding process.
- 2022
Cunard announces the name Queen Anne[1]
Other
Cunard confirmed that its fourth modern fleet vessel would be named Queen Anne, continuing the company's use of royal names for its contemporary ships.
Sources2 sources
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