The land Down Under just got its first visit from new royalty — Cunard Line’s Queen Anne.
This is Cunard Line’s first new ship in 14 years — and on February 28, 2025, it made its grand debut in Australia.
Currently, Queen Anne is on its inaugural world cruise with a comprehensive 111-night itinerary. This voyage includes stops at 47 ports in 20 different countries — spanning across the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.
To celebrate its arrival in Sydney, Australia, a British Garden Party was held onboard — with stunning backdrops including Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
The party also celebrated three special guests, all named Anne, who are exceptional everyday women each nominated by Australians for their dedication to serving others.
Additionally, there was a tug boat water salute — a ceremonial custom to welcome large vessels entering or exiting ports, which is not uncommon to commemorate inaugural voyages for new ships.
Cunard Line has been sailing to Australia for a century, so it was important that the country be included in the vessel’s maiden voyage.
“The maiden arrival of our magnificent new ship Queen Anne to Sydney Harbour builds on our rich Australian legacy and marks another historic moment for Cunard – one that started with our first World Voyage that included Australia in 1925,” boasted Cunard President Katie McAlister.
Queen Anne will be making additional stops in Australia including Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Yorkeys Knob, and Darwin before heading to the Philippines.
This all-new vessel exudes luxury cruising — featuring 13 spacious decks and 15 dining venues with dishes curated by 2-time Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
This 113,000 gross ton vessel is now the second largest in the Cunard Line fleet — with space for 2,996 guests and 1,225 crew.
The active fleet is made up of just four ships — Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2, and Queen Victoria.
From Laconia to Queen Anne
Cunard Line started doing world cruises on Laconia in 1922. While the company was not the first to offer world cruises, they were the first to complete one on a single vessel.
The 130-day voyage on Laconia stopped at only 22 ports and had 450 passengers for the entire world cruise.
In comparison, the Queen Anne, which entered service in May, 2024 — is stopping at more than 2-times as many ports and can accommodate 500% more guests on their world trip.
This inaugural world cruise on Queen Anne departed from Hamburg, Germany on January 7, 2025 — though passengers also boarded at the first stop in Southampton, England on January 9.
Prior to the ship heading to Australia for the first time, it made just a few stops — only 14! Following an 8-day transatlantic journey, the ship arrived in New York City on January 17.
Next, it visited Miami, Florida, and Cartagena, Colombia, before heading through the Panama Canal at the end of January. This leg concluded with stops in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
In February, the first port of call was San Francisco, California. From there, the ship ventured into more tropical waters, stopping in Honolulu, Hawaii, before setting off on a long stretch of sea days.
Read Also: When Is the Best Time to Go on a Cruise for Each Region?
After another 8 days of being on the ocean, stops were made in Apia, Western Samoa, and Nukualofa, Tonga. Both countries are located in Oceania, which is a small island nation off the coast of Australia.
Finally, before heading to Sydney, the ship visited several ports in New Zealand, including Auckland, Tauranga, and Bay of Islands.
As mentioned above, after departing Australia on March 11, the ship will head to Asia, visiting the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Finally, it will visit three ports in Africa before returning to Europe, where it will visit three additional countries before disembarking in Germany on April 29.
Who wouldn’t want to live like royalty? Well, if you’re lucky enough to experience an epic world cruise like this one, what better way to live like a king—or in this case, a queen?
