Cunard has unveiled details of the interior redesign planned for Queen Mary 2, which will return to service in May 2027 following a refurbishment. The new design concept, named ‘Cunard Deco’, will combine references to the ship’s Art Deco heritage with elements of Hollywood’s golden age and British design.
The refurbishment will introduce new Grill Suites accommodation, an expanded wellness offering and refreshed guest spaces. New fabrics and furnishings will feature across the ship’s accommodation and restaurants, while existing materials and fittings will be retained and restored where possible.
London-based studio AD Associates is leading the design work, drawing on Cunard’s archive in Liverpool and the decorative arts of the original Queen Mary, which entered service in 1936. The project takes inspiration from the original liner’s drawings and decorative schemes, translating elements of its 1930s interiors into a design language for Queen Mary 2.
The design concept uses the idea of a tapestry connecting Britain and America, with the ship’s structure representing the warp and the people, experiences and interactions of each crossing forming the weft. The theme also has a historical connection to Queen Mary 2’s namesake: Queen Mary of Teck, who was a patron of the decorative arts and collected historic textiles.
The redesign will cover all grades of accommodation, from Britannia and Britannia Club staterooms to the Grand Duplex, Royal and Penthouse Queens Grill Suites, as well as the Princess Grill and Queens Grill restaurants and the Grill Suites Lounge.
The Britannia and Britannia Club staterooms will use marine and midnight blues alongside warm neutral tones. Their geometric carpets will reference the New York skyline, while semaphore symbols at the entrances will reflect the theme of discovery associated with the transatlantic route.
Across the Cunard Grill Suites, a scallop shell motif will provide a recurring design feature. Historically associated with safe passage at sea, the motif’s fanned shape will take different forms in each space: the bow of Queen Mary 2 cutting through the Atlantic in the Queens Grill Suites, a symmetrical design inspired by the Manhattan skyline in the Princess Grill Suites and a peacock-fan pattern in the Grill Suites Lounge. The latter references ‘Peacock Alley’, the social promenade onboard the original Queen Mary.
The Princess Grill Suites will feature Cunard red accents, geometric detailing and warm taupe tones. Embroidered headboards depicting cityscape silhouettes will reference transatlantic travel, while bathroom panels will reinterpret Leslie MacDonald Gill’s map of the Atlantic, originally displayed in the first-class dining room of the original Queen Mary. The new artwork will include a clock stopped at 4.33pm, the time the original liner departed Southampton on its maiden voyage in May 1936.
The Queens Grill Suites will use purple tones, bespoke furniture and panelled walls. In the Grand Duplex, Royal and Penthouse suites, the design will draw on the flora and fauna of British royal gardens and parks, with custom fabrics, artwork and rugs incorporating botanical references to the gardens associated with each suite’s name.
“The process of exploring Cunard’s archive in Liverpool, with the drawings and decorative arts of the 1936 Queen Mary, gave us both inspiration for the designs and stories to build meaning behind those creative choices,” said Chris Finch, founder and CEO of AD Associates. “A guest might not know that the clock design in their suite stopped at the minute Queen Mary first set sail, but once they do, they never look at the room in the same way.”
The refurbishment will also incorporate traditional craft techniques associated with Cunard’s 1930s liners, including marquetry, hand embroidery and gilding. Marquetry will feature in cabinetmaking and tables in the Queens Grill Suites, while embroidery will be used on headboards, cushions and chairs in the Britannia Club and Queens Grill restaurants. Gilding will appear on lighting trims, mirror edges and menus.
Existing bespoke furniture in the Grand Duplex Suites, timber panelling in the Grill Suites and black stone floors in the Princess Grill and Queens Grill restaurants will be retained and restored. British suppliers will also contribute to the project, including carpet manufacturer Ulster Carpets.
“Queen Mary 2 holds a unique position within our fleet and remains one of the most recognisable ships in the world,” said Paul Ludlow, president of Cunard. “Our focus is on protecting and celebrating everything that makes her so special, while making considered enhancements that will further elevate the onboard experience. We are confident these improvements will ensure Queen Mary 2 continues to set the standard in luxury ocean travel for years to come.”
The design announcement coincides with Queen Mary 2’s 450th Transatlantic Crossing, which takes place between 10 and 17 November 2026. To mark the milestone, Cunard has commissioned ‘The 450 Club: Celebrate the Transatlantic’, an immersive programme created by studio Immersive Octopus and staged across the ship during the voyage.
The programme will include theatrical performances and historical events, among them ‘The Captain’s Account’, which recounts the Titanic disaster through the perspective of Sir Arthur Rostron, captain of Cunard’s Carpathia, which rescued 705 survivors. Other events include ‘War Brides’, a gathering in the Queens Room featuring songs and personal stories, and a performance imagining playwright Noël Coward travelling to America as a young writer. The programme will also feature talks by maritime historian Chris Frame and Queen Mary 2 lead designer Dr Stephen Payne, a commemorative gala dinner and a closing celebration in the Queens Room.
Queen Mary 2 will enter dry dock at Damen Shiprepair Brest in France on 31 March 2027 and is scheduled to return to service on 9 May 2027.