QUEENS OF THE HIGH SEAS: CUNARD'S LATEST £500M LINER QUEEN ANNE ARRIVES IN SOUTHAMPTON AHEAD OF FIRST CRUISE - AND SHE WILL BE HELMED BY LEGENDARY FIRM'S FIRST FEMALE CAPTAIN
- The 14-deck, 113,000-tonne vessel is the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag
- She was greeted by a water salute having arrived in England from the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice
- Queen Anne completes a Cunard quartet alongside Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria
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Cunard's brand-new ship, Queen Anne, has entered UK waters for the first time, making a grand entrance into her home port of Southampton.
The 14-deck, 113,000-tonne vessel - the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag - was greeted by a water salute on Tuesday night, having made her way to England's south coast from the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice, Italy.
She took five years to build and completes a quartet alongside Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria – not since 1999 has Cunard had four ships in simultaneous service.
Her maiden passenger voyage begins tomorrow (Friday), when she departs for Lisbon, Portugal, with Cunard's first female captain at the helm - Inger Klein Thorhauge.
Queen Anne, which has a maximum speed of 40.7kph (25mph), can carry 3,000 passengers and boasts 'several breathtaking experiences, and more choices of entertainment, dining, and bars than ever before', Cunard said.
And she features the largest curated collection of art at sea, with 4,000 pieces of art by painters, photographers and illustrators adorning her decks.
On board the £500million ship are 15 eateries, 'from laid-back light bites and indulgent treats, to the ultimate in fine dining'.
Michel Roux, who owned the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche in London, has developed an exclusive gala menu for the Queens Grill restaurant and a new menu for Queen Anne's pub, the Golden Lion.
Queen Anne also has four new-concept dining experiences – Aji Wa for Japanese cuisine, India-inspired Aranya, steakhouse Sir Samuel's, and Tramonto, which features Mediterranean food.
Guests will also have exclusive use of dining 'appropriate to their stateroom type', from the 'grand, two-tiered' Britannia restaurant to the 'opulent settings' of Princess Grill and Queens Grill dining.
Those staying in a Princess Grill Suite are invited to dine at the Princess Grill restaurant, and those staying in Queens Grill Suites are welcomed at the Queens Grill restaurant, Cunard explained.
Guests can also enjoy 'impressive sea views' from the Panorama Pool Club – which features a central pool and whirlpools - and play paddle tennis and practice their putting at the Sky Bar and Observation Deck.
The venue line-up is further bolstered by The Pavilion – 'a clever space' featuring a swimming pool as well as a central stage and large LED screen for open-air theatre
Cabana, meanwhile, is 'a laid-back leisure bar featuring a selection of vibrant, rum-based cocktails'.
Other venues include the Commodore Club – a signature martini bar – Room 1840, a casino venue where guests can enjoy 'Monte Carlo glamour', and the Royal Court Theatre – a 'daily destination for Cunard's headline entertainment'.
The 'jewel in Cunard's suite of public venues', though, is the Queens Room, the 'flagship multipurpose event and lounge space, hosting everything from large group daytime activities to spectacular gala evening celebrations'.
Extra doses of rest and relaxation are distributed in a brand-new top-deck wellness studio.
Cunard added: 'Queen Anne will boast an elevated focus on health and wellbeing, with the widest selection of fitness, beauty, thermal and spa facilities so far seen on a Cunard ship.'
Cunard president Katie McAlister said: 'We are immensely proud of Queen Anne.
'Not only does she reflect the Cunard distinctive style on the outside, the inside perfectly echoes the brand heritage with reimagined, elegant spaces and designs.
'We can't wait to welcome guests on board for her maiden voyage.'