The newest Queen of the seas arrives in Australia for the first time

Cunard’s newest Queen of the seas, Queen Anne, has arrived in Australia for the first time.

The ship arrived in Sydney Harbour on Friday morning as part of its inaugural 107-day world cruise. She’ll stay overnight before departing on Saturday evening for other Australian ports including Brisbane, the Whitsundays, Cairns and Darwin.

Queen Anne arrives in Sydney on Friday morning.Credit: Getty Images

From there, she will continue her world voyage to Bitung (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines) and Hong Kong.

The 2996-passenger, 13-deck Queen Anne joins sisters Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria in service and is the 249th ship for Cunard, which recently marked 100 years of sailing to Australia with the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth in Sydney in October. It was the start of her record 125-day home-port season in the city.

Despite its long history and commitment to the grand tradition of cruising, Cunard has fitted out the Queen Anne with a fresh look aimed at attracting a younger crowd.

Pavilion Pool, Queen Anne.Credit:

Dining is, of course, a big focus with 15 restaurants on board, including several new-to-Cunard choices. While the offering remains distinctly Cunard, it too has been skewed to appeal to Millennials and Gen Z – the line’s signature afternoon tea is a feature, but so too now are poke bowls and sushi.

The ship has classic Cunard style, balanced with colourful contemporary decor, and notably ups connections to the outdoors thanks to expansive decks, swimming pools, and al-fresco dining and bar choices.

To mark Queen Anne’s arrival, Cunard will throw a celebration for guests onboard. A British Garden Party will take place on deck on Saturday afternoon ahead of the ship’s departure that evening.

Among the special guests will be four women named Anne, each nominated for their service to the community by those who know them.

The “Deserving Annes” have been given spa packages, a private butler service and exclusive dining as part of their experience.

True Brit: The Britannia Club. Credit:

The Queen Anne is just one of the new ships visiting Australia this summer season. Others include Azamara Pursuit, Silversea’s Silver Nova and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sun.

Britannia Balcony Stateroom.Credit:

Interesting facts about Cunard’s Queen Anne

Queen Anne is the 249th ship in the Cunard line’s history.Credit: Katherine Scott

• Length: 322.5m
• Size: 113,000 gross tonnes
• Height: 64m above water
• Width: 35.6m
• Capacity: 3000 guests
• Crew: 1225
• Decks: 14 (excluding missing deck 13)
• Restaurants: 15
• Draft: 8.12m
• Top speed: 22 knots
• Cabling: 3.5 million metres
• Anchors: Two weighing 12.6 tonnes each
• Engines: Four weighing 52 tonnes each
• Water: Desalination plants and evaporator units can produce 2300 cubic metres a day – enough to make 11.5 million cups of tea