Cunard has revealed details of the design of its newest ship, Queen Anne, which is set to join the cruise line’s fleet in 2024.
Creative director Adam D. Tihany will collaborate with David Collins Studio, Richmond International and Sybille de Margerie for the interior design of the new ship. It is the first time that David Collins Studio and Sybille de Margerie have worked onboard a ship following extensive land-based work.
The concept of the design will be based on five ideals: heritage, craftmanship, storytelling, style and innovation. The design teams explored the Cunard archives at the University of Liverpool in the UK to find historical documents that detailed layouts, materials and patterns from past Cunard ships, including its early art deco-inspired vessels.
“Just the way a world-renowned orchestra delivers a feeling, or takes you to a moment or an era, Queen Anne’s aesthetic will do the same in hearkening back to Cunard’s gilded age, but through the bold, onward lens of modernity,” said Tihany.
The ship’s Queen Grill Grand Suites have been designed by David Collins Studio, with a specific finish curated for each separate room. Each will have a dedicated dining room and adjacent butler’s pantry, walk-in wardrobes, marble-finished bathrooms with sea views, and the largest balconies onboard.
‘I was daunted by the scale and multitude of venues to begin with, but as we started to unravel the journey, craft the experiences, and hone the vision, it all became clear,” said Simon Rawlings, creative director at David Collins Studio. “We wanted to create something nostalgic yet contemporary, relaxed yet glamorous, new and exciting – all within the constraints of a ship.”
The Princess Grill Suites, designed by Sybille de Margerie, will feature a bespoke dressing table and bar area with patterned wall panels inspired by the flowing lines of Cunard's past cruise ships, sculpted ceiling panels and grand saloon carpets by textile designer, Corinne Hughes.
‘We based the design on a sense of wonder, like a matchmaker at sea that introduces the past to its most alluring future,” said Sybille de Margerie, founder of the design studio.
The Grand Lobby, meanwhile, will feature an art deco design that pays tribute to the ‘Golden Age’ of travel. The space will house a contemporary metal mural sculpture with integrated lighting that changes throughout the day. The Royal Court Theatre designed by Richmond International has also been inspired by the period, with 825 velvet-lined seats to be installed in the two-deck space.
Queen Anne will also include 15 restaurants, each of which will have a design inspired by the cuisine they serve. The ship will feature the cruise line’s first wellness and beauty offering, which will comprise of a selection of fitness, beauty, thermal and spa suite facilities with an open and airy aesthetic.
Each space onboard the ship will have an individually curated colour palette, ranging from deep blues with accents of golden yellow in the Britannia Staterooms to tones of red, amber and gold in the Princess Grill Suites. For the Princess and Queens Grill restaurants, bright colours were chosen with elements of gold.
The exterior of Queen Anne will be decorated with an updated livery featuring a refreshed design of Cunard’s crest and the vessel’s name in a new font, which was inspired by cruise ships of the past.
“Anything tricky can date, anything too predictable can be tiresome and replicated, so keeping things fresh, unique and bold ensures the designs are timeless, and meet or exceed guest expectation,” said Rawlings.
Cunard has also revealed that Queen Anne’s first captain will be Inger Klein Thorhauge, who became the cruise line’s first female captain when she took the helm of Queen Victoria in 2010. Thorhauge, who is originally from the Faroe Islands, started her career in 1997 as second officer onboard Cunard's Vistafjord.
“I am very proud to be Cunard's first female captain, but to be named as the first captain of Queen Anne is the greatest honour. It means the absolute world to me to be a part of the next chapter of Cunard,” said Thorhauge. “I can't wait to see the reaction Queen Anne will receive from our guests when they first step onboard, then to set sail and showcase our beautiful new ship to the world, visiting wonderful, and exciting ports!”
Queen Anne is currently being constructed by shipbuilder Fincantieri in Italy. Once delivered, she will sail to Southampton, UK, ahead of her inaugural voyage in early 2024.