Queen Anne in Sydney Harbour. The Cunard ship will transfer to P&O Cruises in 2029 after just five years with the line. Photo: ID 446475579 © Bruce Whittingham | Dreamstime.com
Cunard’s newest cruise ship is set to leave the fleet after just five years, with Queen Anne transferring to sister brand P&O Cruises in 2029.
The surprising move forms part of a wider reshuffle between three Carnival Corporation cruise lines, which will also see P&O Cruises’ Arcadia move across to Holland America Line.
Queen Anne only entered service for Cunard in May 2024, making the decision to transfer the line’s newest ship particularly notable.
Queen Anne will leave Cunard in 2029
Queen Anne will continue sailing for Cunard for more than two years before the change takes place, including completing her 2028/29 World Voyage.
She is then scheduled to join P&O Cruises in May 2029.
Before entering service with her new cruise line, the approximately 3,000-passenger ship will undergo an extensive refurbishment and design changes intended to bring her into line with the P&O Cruises fleet.
She will also receive a new name, although P&O Cruises has not yet revealed what that will be.
Further details about her itineraries, onboard changes and new identity are expected to be announced at a later date.
Photo: ATGImages
Cunard will return to three ships
Queen Anne’s departure will leave Cunard with three Queens: Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.
That is particularly interesting considering Queen Anne was launched as the fourth ship in Cunard’s fleet just five years earlier.
Cunard has described Queen Anne as introducing a more contemporary interpretation of the traditional Cunard experience, while retaining signature features including the Queens Room, afternoon tea and Gala Evenings.
Before leaving the line, Queen Anne will still have some major Cunard milestones ahead of her.
She is expected to participate in Cunard’s Four Queens celebration in Liverpool in May 2028 before embarking on her final World Voyage for the line in January 2029.
For Australians, there will also be opportunities to sail aboard Queen Anne well before the change. Cunard’s published World Voyage program includes Australian visits, including a Sydney to Singapore sector aboard Queen Anne in 2028.
Existing published cruises before the transfer are expected to operate as planned.
Arcadia is moving to Holland America Line
Queen Anne’s transfer is only one half of the fleet shuffle.
P&O Cruises’ Arcadia will leave the line after completing a farewell season, with her final P&O sailing scheduled to conclude in August 2029.
The ship will then transfer to Holland America Line, increasing its fleet from 11 to 12 ships.
P and O Cruises ship Arcadia moored in Alesund Harbor. Photo: ID 475386125 | Carnival © Vaclav Sonnek | Dreamstime.com
While Queen Anne moving away from Cunard may seem unusual, Arcadia’s destination is actually rather fitting.
Arcadia is a Vista-class ship sharing the same platform as Holland America Line’s Oosterdam, Noordam, Westerdam and Zuiderdam.
Holland America says the addition will provide capacity for more than 2,000 additional guests and give the cruise line greater flexibility in its future deployments.
Arcadia will also become part of the Holland America Evolution program, which is introducing new venues, restaurants, accommodation and other changes across parts of the fleet.
Exactly what will change aboard Arcadia has not yet been announced.
Three cruise brands, two ships
All three cruise lines involved are part of Carnival Corporation, allowing ships to be moved between brands without leaving the wider company fleet.
It isn't unprecedented for Carnival Corporation to transfer ships between its cruise lines, but Queen Anne's age makes this particular move stand out.
By the time she changes brands in 2029, Queen Anne will have spent only around five years sailing as a Cunard ship.
P&O Cruises, meanwhile, will effectively replace the departing Arcadia with a much newer and larger vessel.
Queen Anne can accommodate around 3,000 passengers, compared with Arcadia's capacity of just over 2,000.
That extensive refurbishment will therefore be worth watching.
Queen Anne was designed specifically around Cunard's identity, from her Queens Room and traditional afternoon tea to the styling and venues throughout the ship. P&O Cruises has already confirmed substantial design changes will be made before she joins its fleet.
Just how much of the ship's Cunard character survives the transition remains to be seen.
What happens to existing Queen Anne bookings?
For passengers already booked aboard Queen Anne, there is no immediate change.
The transfer isn't scheduled until 2029, after Queen Anne completes her final Cunard World Voyage, and currently published voyages before the transfer are expected to operate as planned.
More information about Queen Anne's new name, refurbishment and first P&O Cruises itineraries will be announced closer to the transfer.
Arcadia passengers likewise have plenty of time before her departure, with P&O Cruises planning a farewell season before she leaves the fleet in August 2029.
For now, the most surprising part of the announcement may simply be that Cunard's newest Queen already has an expiry date.
Queen Anne arrived amid considerable fanfare in 2024 as Cunard expanded to four ships for the first time in decades.
Five years later, she'll be sailing under an entirely different name and brand.
