Even queens need a little pampering now and then and Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth is no exception.
The 24-year-old vessel, which underwent refurbishments in 2014 and 2018, is ready for her new makeover ahead of two milestones: her first-ever dedicated Caribbean season sailing from Miami and her debut in Alaska from Seattle.
“This transformation marks an exciting new chapter for Cunard,” said the cruise line’s President, Katie McAlister. “Inspired by the beauty of these extraordinary destinations, the ship’s revitalization will seamlessly blend timeless elegance with modern comforts, creating an unparalleled guest experience.”
Queen Elizabeth’s refurbishment will focus on refreshing both interior and exterior spaces, including guest favorites like the Commodore Club, Queens Room, Garden Lounge, and The Pavilion.
A centerpiece of the upgrades will be the revitalization of the Grills experience, Cunard’s signature luxury offerings. Guests staying in Grills suites will see new furnishings and elevated dining options.
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These include a new Gala Evening menu developed by Michelin-starred Chef Michel Roux, of The Waterside Inn in Bray, England. The three-course menu highlights seasonal ingredients and is exclusive to Grills guests.
The ship will also introduce The Pavilion Wellness Café, which made its debut on Cunard’s newest ship, the 113,000-gross-ton Queen Anne, earlier in 2024. The new café focuses on plant-based cuisine alongside sustainably sourced meats and seafood.
Wellness programming will include the Harper’s Bazaar Wellness at Sea, in partnership with Harper’s Bazaar magazine. This program, which also debuted on Queen Anne, will provide three-day packages tailored to relaxation, recovery, or energy restoration.
From Sydney to Seattle to St. Lucia
The 2,000-guest Queen Elizabeth is currently enjoying a summer season homeported in Sydney and sailing a number of short roundtrip cruises to Tasmania and longer South Pacific itineraries to New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Fiji, as well as several Australian ports.
Her final voyage before her makeover will be a 14-night repositioning cruise to Singapore, on February 11, 2025, where the vessel will enter dry dock at Seatrium’s Admiralty Yard from February 25 to March 13, 2025.
Following the upgrades, the 90,900-gross-ton Queen Elizabeth will spend a spring in Asia, sailing to South Korea and multiple locations in Japan, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki, from her homeport in Yokohama.
After a transpacific journey from Yokohama, the ship will make her first appearance in Alaska, enjoying a summer season with 10- and 11-night roundtrip itineraries from Seattle beginning on June 23, 2025.
During this deployment, the vessel will visit the popular ports of Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, and Sitka, with scenic visits to Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier.
In September 2025, the ship will transition to warmer waters, sailing to Miami for its first season in the Caribbean. But first, Queen Elizabeth will travel along the coast of California and Mexico and pass through the Panama Canal.
From Miami, the ship will offer 9- to 28-night voyages in the Caribbean, island hopping to destinations in Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Belize, and Mexico.
Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to stay in the Caribbean through March 2027. News of the refurbishment may help propel Cunard Line into even more record-breaking bookings in 2025.
