Checking in: Cunard’s Queen Anne
During what was a star-studded event earlier this year, Hotel Designs Editor Sophie Harper was among one of the first aboard Cunard’s latest addition in the fleet, The Queen Anne, ahead of her maiden voyage to Lisbon…
Stepping on board Cunard’s Queen Anne, the latest ship in the fleet, is momentous. At 322 metres in length, 64 metres above water, weighing in at 113,000 tons and with the capacity for 3,000 guests, the Queen Anne is the second largest ship after RMS Queen Mary 2; and it baffles me how all this not only floats but glides so elegantly through the water.
The Queen Anne is the 249th ship to sail under Cunard’s leadership, and the first to launch in almost 14 years. At a cost of £500 million, the floating city has been nine years in the making, from initial construction based on naval architect Martin Francis’s designs carried out by the expert shipbuilders at Fincantieri in Italy, to the finishing touches given to the luxurious interiors.
Cunard made the decision to break conventional cruise ship norms, and so employed the design services of hotel specialists rather than traditional cruise designers. An elite team was assembled under Adam Tihany’s creative direction, which saw David Collins Studio, Sybille de Margerie, and Richmond International work together to create the best in opulent hospitality.
Image credit: Christopher Ison©
Spanning 14 decks, the interiors of both accommodation and public spaces are nothing short of dazzling. The three-floor lobby area is one of the first spaces to greet guests and provides a stunning focal point with a sweeping staircase, spiral ceiling feature and four-metre-tall artwork by London-based Canadian artist Ian Kirkpatrick depicting the journey of the ship. The brass-etched lenticular panels are made in such a way that the imagery changes at different vantage points, which adds to the magic of this unique piece of art.
It’s just one of the liner’s incredible artworks. In fact, the Queen Anne acts as a floating art gallery, boasting the largest curated art collection at sea with over 4,300 pieces from more than 300 artists, curated by Double Decker.
Wilhelm Finger and Melita Skamnaki, Double Decker’s founders, carefully selected a cohort of over 300 multidisciplinary artists from across the globe for the project, closely guiding them to create unique pieces responding to the timeless luxury of sea voyages and in line with the ship’s design principles: rich heritage, craftsmanship, style, storytelling, and innovation.
Image credit: Christopher Ison©
These principles continue throughout the interiors. Art deco influence is evident with rich colour schemes, bold geometry, and delicate detailing, all paying homage to the golden age of ocean travel and Cunard’s historic legacy. Luxury materials, from polished wood, marble, and high-shine metals add a level of opulence.
Incredibly, there are 15 (yes 15!) restaurants on board – sadly, I did not get to try them all. The most notable are the Queens Grill, Princess Grill and Britannia Restaurant for fine dining, whilst Sir Samuel’s, Aji Wa, Aranya, and Tramonto offer delectable dining from around the world, and The Lido and Kings Court, Golden Lion, The Verandah, and Carinthia all offer a more casual setting.
Image credit: Christopher Ison©
Benjamin West, specialists in hospitality and interior design procurement, worked alongside David Collins Studio who were the creative brains behind 18 different areas of the ship, including the most luxurious suites, specialty restaurants and The Pavilion entertainment hub. The restaurant interiors were designed to echo the brand heritage with elegantly designed spaces.
David Collins Studio wanted to give each of the restaurant spaces its own individual style and atmosphere. Open to all guests, and the primary dining venue on board Queen Anne, the Britannia restaurant is an impressive two-tiered dining space, located over decks 2 and 3. The interiors are inspired by a historic frieze of the Anemoi, found on board Cunard’s Queen Mary. In ancient Greek mythology, the Anemoi are Wind Gods who represent the four seasons: Boreas – the North Wind God of Winter, Zephyr – East Wind God of Spring, Eurus – East Wind God of Summer, Notus – South Wind God of Autumn.
Image credit: Christopher Ison©
The Pavilion is an impressive open-air entertainment space on the top deck with a pool and jacuzzis, that has been designed with a retractable glass dome roof by Martin Francis (who engineered the Louvre Pyramid in Paris).
At The Commodore Club, a stylish bar and lounge area where guests can relax to the sounds of the waves and ivory tinkling, we were treated to a conversation between designers, Lewis Taylor from David Collins Studio, Fiona Thompson from Richmond International, Sybille De Margerie, and Adam Tihany.
The designers each spoke about their passion for the project and the time and research that went into creating the interiors of the vessel. Inspired by Cunard’s vast archive of historical documents, which includes detailed information on layout, materials, fabrics, patterns and textures, the studios have designed the ship’s interiors with concepts that draw on heritage, craftsmanship, storytelling, style and innovation.
Lewis Taylor referenced the smallest details, from the wall sconces to the fabric trim on the chairs, which were inspired by original bellhop uniforms, as well as telling us how David Collins Studio reimagined many signature Cunard spaces including the lobby, the grand Britannia Restaurant, and two luxury suites.
Image credit: Christopher Ison©
The accommodation ranges from neat and comfortable little cabins to spacious and luxurious suites, where a regal colour palette of blues and golds have been used in the Britannia rooms, and lighter whites, greys, and heather hues give the Queens Grill Suites a more contemporary feel.
The Queen Anne is a ship for a new generation of cruise traveller, it certainly gives a nod to its rich history and other Queens in the fleet, yet feels very much as though it is breaking ground for the future of cruise. Perhaps this is helped by the female leadership with Cunard’s first female captain, Inger Klein Thorhauge and Cunard President Katie McAlllister.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Cunard’s latest offering though, has to be its evident personality. There is something quintessentially British about this vessel, aside from its namesake. It is glitzy and glamorous but at the same time genteel and proper, and if it were in human form, you could quite imagine it enjoying taking afternoon tea, pinky finger protruding as it sips its loose-leaf blend (with a bottle of champers on ice, of course).
Main image credit: Courtesy of Cunard, Photographer: Christopher Ison
