Cunard Line has announced the master for its upcoming fourth ship, Queen Anne. The Pinnacle-class vessel’s captain will be Inger Klein Thorhauge, who will command the ship and crew for the inaugural season when Queen Anne debuts in early 2024. At the same time, the cruise line revealed further details about the ship’s design and how it will pay homage to the rich traditions of Cunard Line.
Queen Anne Captain Named
Inger Klein Thorhauge became Cunard Line’s first female captain in 2010, when she was named as master of Queen Victoria. A native of the Faroe Islands, Thorhauge began working on the sea at the age of 16, serving as a stewardess on cargo ships during school holiday breaks. She earned her Master’s license in 1994.
Thorhauge started her career with Cunard Line in 1997 as Second Officer on board Vistafjord. She was named the first female captain in the line’s history in 2010 as captain of Queen Victoria, and in 2011 became captain of Queen Elizabeth. In the past 25 years of service, her career has seen her travel the world many times over as captain of the two magnificent vessels.
“I am very proud to be Cunard’s first female captain, but to be named as the first captain of Queen Anne is the greatest honor. It means the absolute world to me to be a part of the next chapter of Cunard,” Thorhauge said.
Sharing captain duties will be David Hudson, who started his career with Cunard in 2006. Further news about Queen Anne‘s leadership team will be revealed over the coming months as the ship’s 2024 debut approaches.
“When I discuss Queen Anne with Cunard crew it is so clear how excited and proud they are too, to welcome a new ship to the fleet,” Thorhauge said. “The crew are fundamental in delivering that quintessential Cunard experience, and I know they will continue to deliver the exceptionally high standards of our White Star Service on Queen Anne that our guests expect from us.”
Designing Queen Anne
When the ship sets sail, Queen Anne will become the fourth active ship in the Cunard fleet, the first time the cruise line has had four ships in service since 1999. Though still paying homage to the line’s rich nautical history, the ship is designed with reimagined, updated spaces that harken back to the classic days of cruise travel but still lead the way to the future of Cunard Line.
Designers David Collins Studio, Richmond International, and Sybille de Margerie, working with the Creative Director Adam D. Tihany, Creative Director for Cunard, are collaborating to create an extraordinary and thoughtful, modern approach to the venues, suites, and décor design of the new vessel.
Five pillars – heritage, craftsmanship, storytelling, style, and innovation – have guided the ship’s design. To stay true to the line, the design teams combed through the Cunard Archives to study historical documents such as poster advertisements, brochure covers, and photography to get the details of layout, materials, fabrics, patterns, and textures absolutely correct.
“Just the way a world-renowned orchestra delivers a feeling, or takes you to a moment or an era, Queen Anne’s aesthetic would do the same in harkening Cunard’s gilded age, but through the bold, onward lens of modernity,” Tihany said.
“We have added layers of architectural details and design codes that refer back to Cunard’s history and that add a touch of whimsy and British eccentricity to the experiences,” Lewis Taylor, Design Director at David Collins Studio, said. “These architectural design elements along with the exquisite level of service on board, will make the new vessel truly unique.”
Among the new features planned for the 113,000-gross ton Queen Anne are the Cunard Queens Grill Grand Suites, which give guests their own exclusive, private residences on board, with carefully curated finishes and thoughtful details in every room.
Features such as a dedicated dining room and adjacent butler’s pantry, walk-in wardrobes, marble finished bathrooms with views out to sea, and the largest balconies onboard make these accommodations luxurious indeed.
When complete, Queen Anne is estimated to have an occupancy capacity of 3,000 guests, the largest passenger capacity of any of the line’s active ships.
The ship’s Grand Lobby will be a focal point for guests, focusing on a lighted metal mural that can change throughout the day to create different ambient atmospheres.
Guests will be able to choose from 15 restaurants featuring global tastes, and for outstanding relaxation, Queen Anne will also reveal a new wellness and beauty concept never seen before on a Cunard vessel featuring the widest selection of fitness, beauty, thermal, and spa suite facilities.
Another first for Cunard, the ship’s updated exterior will proudly sport the famous red funnel but also will debut a refined updated livery, with a finessed design of the iconic crest and introduction of an elegant new font inspired by the grand ocean liners of the past, to confidently present the name Queen Anne on the forward bow.
Bookings for Queen Anne‘s maiden season will become available in May 2022.
