When I was a little girl – I dreamed, dreamed, dreamed of going to Paris. I grew up in a very non-wealthy part of Connecticut, and I never thought I would get there. Part of my inspiration was seeing the movie Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, the acclaimed 1957 film about a beautiful model who is photographed in France. Oo la la! It was a dream. And I even actually came very close to getting to Paris when I was in sixth grade – I won first prize in a Singer Sewing Company dress-making fashion competition – but alas, I did not make it to the nationals. I only wound up with a portable phonograph – it wasn’t until a few years later that my family and I actually made a three-day trek to Paris after visiting our family in Poland. (and it wasn’t until I became a luxury travel writer that I frequented gorgeous places such as the Four Seasons George V and the Shangri-La hotels).
This storied cruise brand just unveiled its first new ship in 14 years
03.05.2024 - 13:53 / thepointsguy.com / queen Elizabeth / queen Mary
It's a big, big day for Cunard, the storied cruise brand that once operated such legendary ocean liners as the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth 2.
The 184-year-old shipping company is finally beginning sailings with Queen Anne, its first new ship in 14 years.
Under development since 2017 and delayed by two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the much-awaited 2,996-passenger vessel will depart late Friday from Southampton, England, on a seven-night voyage to La Coruna, Spain, and Lisbon.
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The ship will then return to Southampton May 10 for a months-long series of sailings out of the port to such destinations as the Canary Islands, Scotland and Norway.
Queen Anne's arrival marks a major expansion for Cunard. Long a three-ship line, the brand will now have four ships for the first time in years. It's an expansion that will bring a 42% increase in cabin capacity and allow for a greater mix of itineraries.
It also signals an evolution of the brand, which has long traded on its history and nostalgia for the Golden Age of ocean liners.
Built to an all-new design, Queen Anne embraces the latest trends of travel and cruising in a way that Cunard ships haven't done before; it's including a new focus on choice in dining and entertainment, wellness and onboard celebrations.
Related: A sneak peek inside Queen Anne under construction
"With Queen Anne, what we sought to do is to preserve that quintessential Cunard essence but also to introduce an innovative modernity, which we believe truly heralds a new era in luxury travel," Katie MacAlister, Cunard president, said Wednesday during a preview event for the ship in Southampton.
Queen Anne offers an impressive 15 places to grab a bite — more than double the number of dining options on the line's other ships. The venues include Aji Wa, a new restaurant concept for Cunard that serves Japanese cuisine influenced by the seasons of the year. Also new is Aranya, an Indian eatery; Sir Samuel's, a high-end steakhouse; and Tramonto, which serves Mediterranean dishes.
Wellness-focused areas include a new-for-the-line, glass-enclosed Wellness Studio at the top of the ship that offers yoga, Pilates, Zumba and line dancing during the day as well as ballroom dancing classes at sunset.
A new juice bar and a cafe near the main pool serve healthy dishes, and the ship's spa was built as a temple to wellness.
The spa offers a sprawling thermal pool complex that features eight heated loungers, four experiential showers, a reflexology footpath with textured stones flowing with hot water, a cold room (a first for Cunard), a large steam room, a Himalayan salt sauna and a traditional sauna. A relaxation room and a
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