Guides
Cunard Queen Anne: The Ship Guide for US Travelers
Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; we may earn a commission from links, and it never changes what we recommend.
At a glance (lite)
- Ship: Queen Anne, Cunard. Guest capacity 2,956, crew 1,225, length 1,058 ft (checked Oct 14, 2026).
- Homeport for most readers: Southampton, England. Fly into London (Heathrow or Gatwick), then rail from London Waterloo or coach south.
- Class system: Cunard sells "Grills" (the ship-within-a-ship) above the main Britannia experience. Queen Anne has a Grill Suites Restaurant and Grill Suites Lounge, plus separate Britannia and Britannia Club restaurants (checked Oct 14, 2026).
- Regions on her page: Canary Islands, Asian cities and Norwegian fjords in 2026; Europe and South America in 2027; a westbound World Voyage and Northern European city breaks in 2028 .
- Pay with points: the flight is the part points do best. Chase, Amex, Capital One and Citi all move to Virgin Atlantic or Flying Blue 1:1 where listed in our chart; British Airways too (Chase, Amex, Capital One), per our chart checked 2026-10-08.
- Advisory: United Kingdom, Level 2, issued September 9, 2026 (checked Oct 14, 2026).
Who this is for
Queen Anne suits travelers who like a ship that still feels like a ship: formal evenings, a theatre-and-lounge rhythm, afternoon tea habits, and a crowd that skews older and more British than the big-resort lines. It is not the right pick if your priority is waterslides, a casual dress code every night, or a cheap seven days. If you are curious about the Grill-class idea (a smaller, quieter ship inside the ship, with its own restaurant and lounge) it is one of the few places to try it at sea. US readers should also remember the cost of the flight: Southampton is not a US homeport, and the airfare plus a hotel night are real parts of the budget.
The ship, the line and the route in brief
Cunard is the British line with a long transatlantic tradition. Cunard's fleet page (https://www.cunard.com/en-us/cruise-ships/queen-anne) lists Queen Anne as its newest ship. Her page lists decks 1 to 12 and 14, with decks 1 to 3 grouped as "Low" and deck 4 and up as "High" (checked Oct 14, 2026). The page names Britannia Restaurant, Britannia Club Restaurant, Grill Suites Restaurant, Aji Wa (Indian and Asian fine dining) and Tramonto, plus Grill Suites Lounge, Sky Bar and the Bright Lights Society cabaret venue. A spa called Mareel Wellness & Beauty and a Pavilion Wellness Studio are also named. Launch year is not stated on that page; the year is commonly reported as 2024 (unverified on the line's site).
Three free or included things (with photo subjects)
- Sailaway from Southampton. Watching the ship leave the Solent past the Isle of Wight is typically included in your fare. Photo subject: the Solent and the Isle of Wight from the water.
- A day in a Norwegian port. Walking a harbor front costs nothing. Representative ports are Bergen or Stavanger (our example week, not a published sailing), and a scenic fjord day such as Nærøyfjord is a typical highlight of a Norway sailing. Photo subject: Bryggen waterfront in Bergen.
- Afternoon tea and evening entertainment. Cunard is known for afternoon tea; confirm the venue and times in the daily programme once aboard. Photo subject: Southampton's Ocean Cruise Terminal area with a liner alongside.
Paying with points, in five lines
- Book the cruise with cash (or a card with a travel credit; we never state amounts).
- Search London flights on Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Flying Blue or Aeroplan award calendars.
- Transfer only after you see award space; transfers are one-way.
- Chase to Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Flying Blue is 1:1; Amex to the same is 1:1; Capital One to British Airways and Flying Blue is 1:1; Citi to Virgin Atlantic and Flying Blue is 1:1 (per our chart checked 2026-10-08).
- Check taxes and surcharges on the final screen; transatlantic award tickets can carry large cash fees.
Where to confirm
- Ship page: https://www.cunard.com/en-us/cruise-ships/queen-anne
- Cunard World Club: https://www.cunard.com/en-us/cunard-world-club (Silver 1 voyage, Gold 2 voyages or 20 nights, Platinum 7 voyages or 70 nights, Diamond 15 voyages or 150 nights )
- U.S. advisories: https://travel.state.gov
The full guide goes much deeper: Grill-class decisions, deck-by-deck, cabin logic, a seven-night representative week, Southampton base cards, a points playbook, a cost sheet and a printable.
What a first-timer should know before booking
Think about category first. Cunard asks you to choose a class before you choose a stateroom, because the class decides which restaurant you eat in. Queen Anne's page names four dining rooms by category: Britannia Restaurant, Britannia Club Restaurant, Grill Suites Restaurant, and a Grill Suites Lounge for the top category (checked Oct 14, 2026). Price the step up per night, not per trip, and ask what it includes before you pay for it.
Expect a different rhythm. Evenings on a Cunard ship are typically more dressed-up than on US-market ships, and many guests plan around a daily programme. If that sounds like a charming ritual, you will likely enjoy it. If it sounds like homework, a casual line may suit you better. The dress-code page is https://www.cunard.com/en-us/faqs/dress-code; its details are Not confirmed here as of 2026-10-14 — check there before you pack.
Budget for the extras you can see coming. The fare is only one line. Add the service charge (rates are on Cunard's service-charge page, not confirmed here as of 2026-10-14), flights to London, a hotel night before sailing, rail or coach to Southampton, and any drinks or Wi-Fi package. The full guide has a cost sheet that names the official page for each line so you can fill in your own numbers rather than trust ours.
Plan the flight like it matters. Missing the ship is the most expensive mistake a cruiser can make. Arrive in England at least a day early, and keep your boarding documents in your carry-on.
Know the name of the thing you are buying. Cunard World Club is the loyalty program, with Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond tiers based on voyages or nights sailed (checked Oct 14, 2026).
If you read nothing else
Pick the category, not the cabin. Arrive a day early. Pack for at least one formal evening. Use points on the flight, cash on the fare. Confirm everything that costs money on Cunard's own pages.
This is the free lite guide. The full day-by-day guide, with maps, photo stops, rain plans and the points playbook, is part of PerkJolt All-Access.
Good to know before you go
We checked the facts below on 2026-10-14. Confirm fares, fees, package prices, gratuity rates, itineraries and port calls on the official page or in your booking / the line's app before you sail.