We've Been Onboard Cunard’s Queen Anne!

• Firsthand Expert Impressions: Specialist Cruise Consultants Stuart and Warwick step aboard Cunard's Queen Anne to explore her design and atmosphere.

• Expanded Fleet Favourites: A closer look at the redesigned Golden Lion Pub, a larger Commodore Club, and the glass-domed Pavilion pool area.

• Heritage vs Evolution: An honest look at the balance between sleek modern styling and Cunard's legendary ocean liner traditions.

When Cunard announced the arrival of Queen Anne, the fleet's first new ship in over a decade, it immediately sparked lively debate across the cruise community.

For generations of ocean liner enthusiasts, Cunard represents the pinnacle of classic British maritime tradition: grand ballrooms, polished brass, dark timber, and formal white-glove service.

Could a 21st-century newbuild embrace fresh, contemporary luxury without losing the heritage that makes Cunard so distinct?

To find out, Cruise.co.uk Specialist Cruise Consultants Stuart and Warwick stepped aboard Queen Anne for a firsthand inspection. Here is their honest review of how the ship balances time-honoured tradition with modern evolution.

A Visit Aboard Cunard’s Queen Anne

Stepping aboard Cunard’s Queen Anne was an experience I had been eagerly anticipating.

During my day-to-day interactions, existing Cunard loyalists frequently shared starkly divided opinions on the new ship: some voiced concern that she felt too modern and "wasn't true Cunard," while others warmly embraced the contemporary uplift.

I wanted to experience the ship firsthand to see where she lands between tradition and evolution.

Modern Freshness & Expanded Public Spaces

My immediate impression of the ship was how exceptionally clean, modern, and fresh everything felt. Cunard has clearly taken feedback from earlier ships to heart, noticeably expanding key venues that often felt cramped on the rest of the fleet:

The Commodore Club: Generously scaled up, offering an elevated lounge experience with sweeping forward-facing ocean views.

The Golden Lion Pub: Considerably larger than its counterparts across the fleet. It retains its welcoming atmosphere while offering a traditional, complimentary pub lunch menu featuring classic fare like fish and chips, cottage pie, and pub draughts.

Open-Air Living: The Pavilion Pool & Wellness Café

One of the standout design features on board is The Pavilion pool area. Outfitted with a retractable glass roof, it offers a bright, year-round indoor-outdoor space regardless of the weather outside.

Overlooking the pool is the Pavilion Wellness Café, a fantastic addition that serves a complimentary healthy-options menu.

Featuring nutritious options (from plant-based breakfast bowls and poached eggs on seeded sourdough to Mediterranean grain bowls, protein plates, and fresh smoothies), it adds a light, modern dining choice right by the water.

Layout Observations & The Cunard Identity

While the ship excels in many areas, a few layout changes raised interesting questions about how the ship will operate at full capacity:

The Queens Room

The iconic Queens Room appears visibly smaller compared to her sister ships. Given that Cunard's famous Afternoon Tea is a signature event that draws large crowds, it will be intriguing to see how the reduced footprint handles the daily surge of guests.

Accommodations & Grill Dining

The staterooms across all grades are stylish, bright, and comfortably appointed. However, while the Princess and Queens Grill Suites (and their dedicated dining rooms) remain spacious, they seem to have lost a bit of the grand scale found on older ships.

While high-end and modern, the Grill Suites feel slightly stripped of the dramatic architectural grandeur traditionally associated with the Cunard Grill experience.

Queen Anne is a beautifully designed vessel with vibrant amenities, exceptional dining choices, and thoughtfully upgraded social venues.

While I would love the chance to sail on her, my visit left me pondering whether Cunard has struck the right balance.

In updating her aesthetics for a contemporary audience, the ship occasionally trades away some of the timeless, golden-age ocean liner charm that Cunard works so hard to promote.