On Friday 19 April, Cunard officially took delivery of Queen Anne from master shipbuilders Fincantieri, during an historic handover ceremony in Italy.
The event was attended by Katie McAlister, President, Cunard, Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri; and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division. Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, was also present.
Queen Anne, the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag – and the third built by Fincantieri – will set sail on her seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on 3 May.
Katie McAlister, Cunard President,said
We are so excited to welcome Queen Anne to our fleet as she completes a remarkable quartet alongside Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria – marking the first time since 1999 that Cunard will have four ships in simultaneous service. We are now fully focused on readying her to welcome guests for her maiden voyage on 3 May before she embarks on an historic British Isles Festival Voyage, including a momentous Naming Ceremony in Cunard’s spiritual home of Liverpool on 3 June.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, added:
We are very pleased and eager to deliver Queen Anne to Cunard, a pioneering figure in luxury sea travel, renowned for setting new standards in oceanic voyages for over 180 years. This beautiful and iconic ship testifies the longstanding partnership between our two companies, underscoring our shared commitment to excellence and tradition in the maritime industry. Queen Anne, as Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, the other two ships we built for Cunard, proudly bear Fincantieri’s signature, embodying our enduring expertise, reliability, and craftsmanship in shipbuilding. Constructing a liner for such a distinguished shipowner not only reconnects us to our origins but propels us towards the future with a determination to blend tradition and innovation. Fincantieri thus confirms its leadership in the cruise shipbuilding sector, a fundamental pillar of the company’s business project, as both the Group’s Business Plan and the vitality of the post-pandemic cruise sector clearly show.
