I Cruised on Cunard’s Queen Anne – Full Ship Review

Cunard is famous for dress codes, formal nights, ballroom dancing, and white-glove afternoon tea—basically the opposite of my usual cruising vibe.

But when they announced Queen Anne, their first new ship in over a decade, I had to see whether a modern Cunard would finally feel like me.

I kept hearing veteran Cunarders calling the ship “disappointing” and “not really Cunard.”

Was that code for “it’s changed and I don’t like it,” or was the ship genuinely missing the mark?

To find out without blowing the budget, I grabbed a four-night sampler to Bruges and Cherbourg, booked the cheapest inside cabin, and embarked in Southampton.

First Impressions: Not Your Grandparent’s Cunard

A Fresh, Contemporary Look (That I Actually Love)

Stepping on board, I knew instantly: Queen Anne looks nothing like the older Cunard ships.

The color palette, carpets, stairways—everything is light, modern, and elegant without being fussy.

I was smitten, but I quietly wondered: Is this style over substance?

• Designed and built over seven years—expectations were sky-high.
• Cunard mapped the ship around Staircases A, B, and C, each color-coded. Carpets and directional arrows match your location, which makes navigation feel… dare I say… pleasant?
• There are extra staircases dotted around (including some spirals—yes please), which helps disperse crowds.

Finding My Bearings (and My Cruise Cards)

I followed the signs along Deck 1 to my cabin, where cruise cards were waiting—your key to on/off scanning and all onboard purchases.

I’ve stayed in plenty of inside cabins, but this one felt surprisingly plush: rich blue-and-gold accents, thoughtful detailing around the mirror—as luxurious as a windowless box can be.

Top Deck Tour: Iconic Funnels, Quiet Pools, and a Big Glass Roof

Sun Decks with a Botanical Touch

Up top, Cunard’s iconic red funnels looked glorious against a bright sky (don’t confuse brightness with warmth, though!).

The loungers and planters match the ship’s modern aesthetic nicely.

Indoor Pool with a Retractable Roof (Closed… But Still Useful)

The indoor pool space is genuinely impressive, thanks to a massive retractable roof. It was closed for repairs during my sailing, but we still used the area as a relaxed, sun-lit hangout.

Aft Pool Vibes

There’s another lovely pool aft, with adorable yellow menus and more greenery. A few brave souls even swam—I cheered them on from the dry side of the rail.

Drinks & Small Luxuries: The “Feels-Posh” Touches

Soda Package = Easy Win

I’d pre-purchased the soda package for £12/day. Flash the cruise card, get your drink—simple. Also, Pepsi is on the menu (small joy, huge smile).

Details That Make It Feel Upmarket

• Elegant soda glasses—tiny detail, big difference.
• Cunard towels on loungers (mine doubled as a blanket—again, sunny, ≠ warm).

Quirks I Didn’t Expect

“Do I Go Through This Door… or Is It Crew Only?”

I ran into the first of several odd doorways that looked off-limits to passengers—even though they weren’t.

I wasn’t alone; Cunard had plastered extra signs to reassure people. Odd little quirk #1—more to come.

Back to the Old School: A Full Muster Drill

I haven’t done a traditional, in-person safety drill in ages. On Queen Anne, we had to report together to our muster location (Room 1840—a bar next to the casino, not someone’s cabin!).

• It took just over 30 minutes.
• Extra seating was brought in.
• We were told this happens every ~6 months; the cruises before/after ours didn’t do it this way.
• Verdict: I prefer the new video/app style, but I get that this was a timing issue.

Ship Type 101: Queen Anne Is a Cruise Ship (Not an Ocean Liner)

Queen Mary 2 is the ocean liner built for long, rough crossings. Queen Anne is a cruise ship—designed for itineraries and circles, not transatlantic sprints in big seas. Different missions, different bones.

Buffet Dinner: Food-Court Chic… with a Learning Curve

Pretty Design, Awkward Flow

The buffet sits high up, and we wandered in “just to look”… and promptly stayed for dinner. The food-court concept looks fabulous—but the flow needs work.

• Crew-served stations created clumps of waiting guests who weren’t sure where to stand.
• Signage and queue management would fix 80% of it.
• The food itself? Really good. The pizza was a hit.
• I even found a wall map of stations—including something called “Meat Theatre.” (If that means carving at the counter, “theatre” is… ambitious. Entertaining, though.)

Nightlife Sampler: Immersive “NOIR” and a Pub That Feels Like Home

Bright Lights Society: “NOIR” (Interactive Theatre)

We booked NOIR via the app—“interactive” made me nervous, but it was free, and I’m game.

The actors stayed in character the entire time, roping in volunteers with props pre-show.

• Many guests were howling with laughter and loving it.
• I thought it was well executed, just not my usual thing.
• This is a recurring Cunard theme for me: quality product, not always my taste—and that’s okay.

Karaoke in the Pub: My Happy Place

After the show, we hit the pub for karaoke—and the singers were surprisingly good. The venue itself is spacious for a pub, still buzzing, and very British in feel.

Service was spot-on, and I adored the flooring at the entrance (yes, I notice these things).

Room Service Breakfast (Free!) & A Great Sleep

I don’t normally do room service, but on Cunard it’s included, so we ordered breakfast for the next morning—such a nice treat.

I slept incredibly well in that comfy bed. We were above Bright Lights Society, and yes, you can hear music, but it didn’t bother me. I was snug as a bug, excited for our sea day.

Sea Day Meandering: Sunshine, Bars, and a Hitchhiking Bird

We actually sailed in the opposite direction at first to kill time (schedules are fun like that).

The sun was out in the west, the outdoor bars were beautifully styled with tons of space, and I spotted a tiny bird hitching a ride among the plants. Approved passenger.

The Promenade Deck: Where Traditionalists Might Frown

On classic Cunard ships, the promenade deck is wide, scenic, and fully wraparound. On Queen Anne, it’s narrower and broken up, which explains why traditionalists are grumbling.

• You can still get your steps, and when the sky clears, the views are gorgeous.
• But if you love those grand ocean-liner promenades, this isn’t that.

Daytime Rhythm: Trivia, Dancing, Lectures… and Proper British Touches

Cunard’s daily schedule leans classic: lectures, dance sessions, trivia. We popped into the pub several times—for quizzes and even lunch (more on food shortly).

British comforts abound:

• Kettles in every cabin
• Biscuits in the buffet
• I stocked up on peppermint tea bags to brew in my room like a very content gremlin

Wi-Fi, Spending, and Saving: Keeping It Sensible

I was trying to keep costs in ch6. Hated and 4 Loved Things About My Costa Toscana Cruise on this trip.

I chose the cheaper Wi-Fi plan—no video streaming, and YouTube was blocked entirely (oddly, I could upload the same photo to Facebook and Instagram).

For a short cruise, it was fine for staying in touch.

Casual Eats: Pool Grill Win (and a Wellness Café I Missed)

We grabbed burgers and onion rings at the Pool Grill—you get a buzzer, the wait isn’t long, and the food hits the spot. There’s also a Wellness Café one deck up; I ran out of time to try it.

Formal Night & Main Dining Room: Black and White Glamour

Formal nights are serious business on Cunard. Ours was themed “Black & White”, though I didn’t realize until it was too late.

My solution? A dark purple dress that blended in well enough.

Here’s how it works:

• After 6 PM, dress codes apply across most of the ship.
• Even non-formal nights require more effort than other cruise lines’ “formal nights.”
• Themes are optional, but plenty of people join in.

I usually prefer cruise lines without strict dress codes, but for four nights, it was fun to play along.

The main dining room itself is huge, holding about 600 guests, but it never felt loud or overwhelming.

The design is elegant, with windows along the edges and a calm, polished atmosphere.

Dinner with my co-author Jerome was a highlight—we brainstormed ideas for our next Captain Hudson children’s book (this one inspired by Cunard and ocean liners).

The food itself? Tasty but on the smaller side. Thankfully, with buffets, pool grills, and room service, nobody goes hungry on a cruise.

Our meal took about 90 minutes, which I thought was fine, but I overheard others saying theirs lasted much longer.

Queens Room Ballroom & Afternoon Tea

The Queens Room is the ship’s ballroom and evening dance venue. Unlike Cunard’s older ships, where ballrooms feel enclosed, this one is open and airy, blending into surrounding spaces.

• Dance floor: Always busy, with a band playing a mix of modern and classical tunes.
• Vibe: If you love ballroom dancing, you might find it odd having passersby looking down from balconies, but nobody seemed to mind.

And of course, afternoon tea here is an event in itself.

• White-gloved servers delivered trays of scones, cakes, and finger sandwiches.
• Classical music played in the background.
• We arrived 20 minutes early—good thing, too, because seats filled up quickly on this short sailing.

The only downside? The location felt a little like a corridor, with people walking past and peeking in. Still, the experience itself was pure Cunard tradition.

Atrium Ambiance: Music, Lounges & Design

Queen Anne’s atrium quickly became one of my favorite spaces. It’s designed with a blend of classic and modern touches—grand enough to impress but not stuffy.

• Live music: We stumbled on a string quartet playing, which added so much charm.
• Carinthia Lounge & Chart Room: Flowed naturally into the atrium without feeling like separate, walled-off rooms.
• Model ship & nautical chess set: A gorgeous scale model of Queen Anne sat proudly on display, alongside puzzles and even a chessboard with tiny ships as pieces.

The design feels timeless now, though I did chuckle, wondering whether people in 20 years will look back the way we laugh at ’90s cruise ship carpets today.

Theatre & Entertainment

Queen Anne’s theatre is striking—it’s the longest I’ve ever seen, with excellent sightlines and no obstructing pillars.

The seating was comfortable, and the overall design felt sleek and modern.

We watched:

• “Brief Encounters” – Marketed as a musical, though that description felt generous. The sets and performers were high quality, but the show itself was quirky and not to my taste. That said, plenty of people around me seemed to love it.
• NOIR (covered in Part 1) – Immersive and interactive theatre in the Bright Lights Society.

Again, this sums up my Cunard entertainment experience: undeniably polished, but not always aimed at me personally.

Commodore Club & Queens Grill: Two Very Different Worlds

Commodore Club

At the very top of the ship, the Commodore Club is a grand lounge with sweeping views. We often met friends here in the evenings, soaking in the atmosphere and enjoying live music.

Queens Grill (Luxury Experience)

Cunard also has its ultra-luxury enclave: the Queens Grill. Friends staying there invited me to peek inside their incredible suite.

The experience is like a different cruise entirely, with exclusive dining and service.

But it’s perfectly possible to sail in your inside cabin, enjoy the buffet and pubs, and never even know that the world exists.

Ports of Call: Bruges & Cherbourg

Our sailing included stops at Bruges (Belgium) and Cherbourg (France).

• Bruges: A picture-perfect city with canals, cobblestone streets, and endless charm. Easy to explore and always a highlight on any Northern Europe cruise.
• Cherbourg: Right next to the port is an excellent museum complex with an aquarium, Titanic exhibits, and even a submarine tour. This was my second time visiting, and I’d happily go again—it’s that good.

Who Queen Anne Is (and Isn’t) For

Cunard’s average passenger age is higher than most lines (around 61, compared to the cruise industry average of 47).

On our short sailing, most were British, with a few Americans who had flown over just for this cruise.

Some long-time Cunard fans complain Queen Anne “might as well be P&O.” I get what they mean—it’s younger, more modern, less traditional.

But honestly? That’s exactly why I liked it. For me, Queen Anne feels like Cunard easing into the mainstream.

She’s still classy and elegant, but far less intimidating if you don’t live for ballroom dancing and gala nights.

Final Costs

For transparency, here’s what I spent on this 4-night cruise:

• Cruise fare: £589 / $730 (inside cabin, based on 2 sharing)
• Gratuities: $64
• Wi-Fi (basic plan): $80
• Soda package: $54
• Casino: $10

Total: $938 / ~£750

Not the cheapest short cruise I’ve ever done, but for a brand-new ship, I thought it was good value. New ships always carry a premium, and Queen Anne didn’t disappoint.

Final Verdict

Queen Anne won’t please every traditional Cunard fan. If you’re expecting art-deco grandeur, endless promenade decks, and purely classical entertainment, you may find her too modern.

But for travelers like me—who enjoy Cunard’s heritage but also appreciate a more contemporary, flexible cruise experience—she’s a breath of fresh air.

Yes, I missed a few traditional touches (like the grand promenade deck and more classic ballroom design), but overall, Queen Anne feels more accessible and welcoming than any Cunard ship I’ve been on before.

For anyone curious about Cunard but hesitant because of the formality, Queen Anne might be the perfect entry point.