Cunard bosses have shared what features of Queen Anne most excites them ahead of the arrival of the new ship.
When she joins the fleet on 3 May, it will be the first time since 1999 that the luxury cruise line will have four ships at sea, boosting its overall capacity by 44%.
Bookings for the 2,996-passenger vessel are ‘especially strong’, according to global sales chief Angus Struthers. “That has been down to agents,” he added.
“We had a record Black Friday and sales across the whole fleet continue to be very strong, but they need to be because with Queen Anne we have 44% more capacity to sell.”
Talking to Travel Gossip onboard Queen Victoria during an event to preview Queen Anne’s new Indian-themed restaurant, Aranya, Cunard President Katie McAlistair and UK Head of Trade Sales UK Tom Mahoney revealed what other new features they’re most excited about in this short video:
Cunard hopes to get around 500 agents onboard Queen Anne during her inaugural season from Southampton.
Some 200 to 250 agents are already booked for ship visits during the CLIA Cruise Conference in May 2024. “Those places sold out within 48 hours, but we’re hoping there will be other opportunities for agents and our partners to visit Queen Anne,” added Angus.
Meanwhile, Cunard has just announced exclusive new shore experiences for guests sailing on Queen Anne during her maiden season.
Of the 700 shore experiences in 115 ports available in 2024, there will be 50 Signature experiences in 60 ports.
Examples include an exclusive orchestral performance in a secret location in the heart of Barcelona, a behind-the-scenes tour of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City, wine tasting at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Enchanted Forest of Madeira and joining a fjord safari to a goat cheese farm in Norway.
Queen Anne will set sail on 3 May on a seven-night maiden voyage to La Coruna and Lisbon, before visiting the Canary Islands and then travelling around the British Isles, visiting Scotland and Ireland, as well as Cunard’s founding home port and spiritual home, Liverpool.
The ship will have four alternative dining venues, twice as many as Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. It will have a new Indian restaurant, Aranya, a Mediterranean restaurant, Tramonto, the Aja Wa Japanese restaurant and Sir Samuel’s steak and seafood house. The four restaurants will be available to book in advance, for a supplement or cover charge, and complement the inclusive dining options that will be available elsewhere on the ship.
With menus by renowned chef Surjan Singh, fondly known as Chef Jolly, Aranya will offer a cross between an al la carte and tasting menu, with three courses selected by the diner and two chosen by the chef. Travel Gossip was invited onboard Queen Victoria to sample some of the innovative Indian dishes, pictured below with Chef Jolly.
Katie said: “Aranya will be one of the most exciting dining venues aboard our newest ship Queen Anne. Cunard is renowned for high-quality dining options, and we’re delighted to be introducing more venues that reflect the vibrancy and varied cultural tastes of our guests. Queen Anne will offer more choices of entertainment, dining, and bars than ever before and we’re so excited to be working with chefs at the very top of their game, such as Surjan Singh, to ensure that our new Queen surprises and delights guests not just in her maiden season but for many years to come.”