Key Aspects:
- Cunard has delayed embarkation for Queen Anne’s June 21, 2026, sailing by 90 minutes.
- The cruise line cited changing health conditions and current elevated levels in the UK.
- The delay will allow crew members to provide enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures.
A voyage around Norway’s fjords will begin a little later than planned for passengers sailing aboard Cunard’s Queen Anne this weekend.
The UK-based cruise line has notified guests booked on the ship’s June 21, 2026, departure from Southampton, England, that embarkation will begin 90 minutes later than originally scheduled. The reason? Crew are doing some extra cleaning onboard.
In a message sent to booked passengers, Cunard said the additional time would allow crew members to complete enhanced cleaning and sanitation measures before guests board the ship for its next sailing.
Passengers have been asked to arrive an hour and a half later than the embarkation time listed on their boarding passes. The cruise line also warned that staterooms may not be immediately available upon boarding while the hotel team works to prepare accommodations following the ship’s arrival.
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The notice comes ahead Queen Anne’s 14-night Norway and North Cape voyage, which is scheduled to depart Southampton on June 21 to visit Olden, Trondheim, Tromsø, Honningsvåg, Åndalsnes, and Ålesund, Norway, before returning on July 5, 2026.
The 3,000-passenger ship, one of four in Cunard’s fleet, is wrapping up a 12-night British Isles voyage that departed Southampton on June 9, 2026. That journey has already called in Edinburgh, Invergordon, Stornoway, and Oban, Scotland; Belfast in Northern Ireland; and Liverpool, England.
The ship is currently enjoying a sea day and will arrive in Cork, Ireland, on June 19 ahead of her Southampton return.
Cunard Cites Elevated Illness Levels
While Cunard did not specifically mention a reason for the enhanced cleaning procedures, the cruise line said its hygiene and sanitation protocols are designed to adapt to changing health conditions, including “current elevated levels in the UK.”
The notice also encouraged guests to wash their hands regularly, particularly before eating and after using the restroom, and to use hand sanitizer when handwashing facilities are unavailable.
Said Cunard, “Throughout the voyage, we will continue to maintain robust hygiene and sanitation measures. These protocols have been developed in conjunction with leading regional and global health authorities and are designed to adapt to changing health conditions, including current elevated levels in the UK.”
The additional cleaning measures come at a time when health protocols remain top of mind across the cruise industry and aboard Cunard ships.
Earlier this year, passengers aboard Cunard’s flagship, Queen Mary 2, reported a widespread respiratory illness outbreak during a transatlantic voyage. The illness, informally dubbed the “Cunard Cough” by some passengers, was described as persistent coughing and flu-like symptoms spreading through the ship.
More recently, the cruise industry faced heightened scrutiny after a deadly hantavirus outbreak in May was linked to an expedition voyage.
According to the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, several passengers became seriously ill and multiple deaths were reported after exposure to the rare virus.
Although the illnesses involved very different causes, it’s a reminder of how quickly health concerns can emerge where large numbers of people share dining venues, entertainment spaces, elevators, and other common areas.
Cunard has not indicated that any illness outbreak is occurring on Queen Anne and that the measures are a cautious approach.
