Cunard’s New Queen Anne Ship Has the Largest Collection of Artwork at Sea
In its 180 years the storied Cunard line has carried across the seas the likes of Winston Churchill, a hippopotamus named Jimmy, Rita Hayworth, and my mama. Add to that all 705 survivors of the Titanic, thousands of troops during wartime, and the Muppets. Not me, alas (and I’d like to remedy that), but meanwhile I did spend a night on the newly launched and pretty fabulous Cunard Queen Anne days before her maiden voyage in May. She is their first new ship in fourteen years, holding 3,000 passengers and 1,225 crew.
As guests of Cunard, our group of journalists, travel execs, and selfie-taking influencers were invited to sample the ship’s many diversions, from fourteen dining venues and “clubs,” to various musical acts and theatrical revues, to games ranging from pub quizzes to party bingo. It was dizzying to the uninitiated like me, but fun, with a prevailing and communal sense of curiosity and adventure that I imagine to be part of most cruises.
Other activities would include spin classes, open-air yoga, archery, pickleball, dance, and swimming in the stunning blue-and-white Pavilion with retractable roof. The spa offers everything from cryotherapy to micro-needling to pain management, complete with on-staff physician. There is even a sauna encased in Himalayan salt. By the look of it, no extravagance is spared.
Not to mention, the ship looks wonderful. Designers Adam Tihany, Sybille de Margerie, and David Collins Studio’s Simon Rawlings have created sleek, sophisticated and colorful spaces punctuated by more than 4,300 specially commissioned artworks, the largest collection at sea.
With de Margerie and David Collins collaborating under the direction of Tihany, the staterooms, like the ship’s public spaces, are inspired by Cunard history and rich with archival references deploying a streamlined Deco vibe to feel modern but timeless, in honey-toned wood, gleaming brass, and tactile, multi-textured fabrics in strong, classic colors.
All three firms were new to maritime design. Britannia cabins were steered by de Margerie and are dressed in deep blues and yellows, with the windowless Britannia Inside cabins being the most budget-friendly. De Margerie also did the Princess Grill suites, where I stayed. Each has a private balcony and is schemed in warm ambers, bronzes, and autumn reds, with sleeping and seating areas divided by a dressing table/desk and bar/bookcase.
When I went to adjust the position of the decorative objets (as one does), I giggled to discover that they are firmly epoxied to the shelves (duh). Collins Studio helmed the top level Queens Grill suites, which have palettes in emerald, blush, gold and champagne, some embellished with marble floors and furnishings, pendant lights, and bespoke drinks cabinets with starburst veneer fronts and interior gold leaf mirrors.
The Queens Grill Master and Grand Suites have an extra room that may be made into a private dining room or guest bedroom. The trick, says Rawlings, was to avoid the predictable while warding off what might become dated by keeping things “fresh, unique, and bold.”
With thoughtful design, sumptuous materials, and a massive art collection, the public spaces, restaurants, and lounges feel less like you're on a cruise ship and more like you're hanging out in someone's well-appointed living room.
Fun facts: Not only is the ship captained by a woman, Inger Klein Thorhauge, but the uniforms were designed Kathryn Sargent, the world’s first female master tailor.
To book, go to cunard.com or call 1-800-728-6273. On June 23, an 11-day cruise through the Norwegian fjords embarks from Southampton (about $4,700 for a balcony suite) As a cruise ship and not an ocean liner, per se, the Queen Anne primarily covers environs of Europe, though she will make a maiden global voyage for 111 days early next year, embarking Southampton January 9.
You Might Also Like
