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The ships are back in the city for the new season; check out the Liverpool Cruise Schedule for 2024.

This year, Liverpool will welcome over 95 cruise ships to its docks. The city has also been chosen to host a naming ceremony for Cunard’s new ship Queen Anne.

Please note that this list is subject to change.

Full Liverpool Cruise Schedule 2024 dates and liners:

Saturday 13 April 2024 – VIKING VENUS – Transit

Friday 19 April 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Wednesday 24 April 2024 – VIKING VENUS – Transit

Thursday 25 April 2024 – VIKING SATURN – Transit

Friday 26 April 2024 – MSC POESIA – Transit

Friday 3 May 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Monday 6 May 2024 – HANSEATIC INSPIRATION – Transit

Tuesday 7 May 2024 – VIKING SATURN – Transit

Wednesday 8 May 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Friday 10 May 2024 – DEUTSCHLAND – Transit

Sunday 12 May 2024 – VIKING SKY – Transit

Wednesday 15 May 2024 – VIKING NEPTUNE – Transit

Thursday 16 May 2024 – MEIN SCHIFF 3 – Transit

Saturday 18 May 2024 – CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE – Transit

Monday 20 May 2024 – ROTTERDAM – Transit

Tuesday 21 May 2024 – ODYSSEY – Transit

Wednesday 22 May 2024 – ODYSSEY – Transit

Thursday 23 May 2024 – AMADEA – Transit

Saturday 25 May 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Thursday 30 May 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Saturday 1 June 2024 – REGAL PRINCESS – Transit

Monday 3 June 2024 – QUEEN ANNE – Transit

Tuesday 4 June 2024 – VIKING SATURN – Transit

Saturday 8 June 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Tuesday 11 June 2024 – AMBITION – Turnaround

Saturday 15 June 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Tuesday 18 June 2024 – JEWEL OF THE SEAS – Transit

Sunday 23 June 2024 – AMBITION – Turnaround

Monday 24 June 2024 – REGAL PRINCESS – Transit

Tuesday 25 June 2024 – VIKING SKY – Transit

Wednesday 26 June 2024 – NIEUW STATENDAM – Transit

Thursday 27 June 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Friday 28 June 2024 – VIKING NEPTUNE – Transit

Saturday 29 June 2024 – CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE – Transit

Sunday 30 June 2024 – SEVEN SEAS MARINER – Transit

Wednesday 3 July 2024 – CARNIVAL LEGEND – Transit

Thursday 4 July 2024 – AMBITION – Turnaround

Saturday 6 July 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Sunday 7 July 2024 – VIKING SKY – Transit

Wednesday 10 July 2024 – VIKING NEPTUNE – Transit

Saturday 13 July 2024 – MEIN SCHIFF 3 – Transit

Monday 15 July 2024 – AMBITION – Turnaround

Thursday 18 July 2024 – SEABOURN QUEST – Transit

Friday 19 July 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Saturday 20 July 2024 – VIKING SATURN – Transit

Tuesday 23 July 2024 – VIKING SKY – Transit

Wednesday 24 July 2024 – CARNIVAL LEGEND – Transit

Thursday 25 July 2024 – ARCADIA – Transit

Friday 26 July 2024 – JEWEL OF THE SEAS – Transit

Saturday 27 July 2024 – AMBITION – Turnaround

Sunday 28 July 2024 – ISLAND SKY – Turnaround

Monday 29 July 2024 – VIKING SATURN – Transit

Tuesday 30 July 2024 – SILVER SPIRIT – Transit

AUGUST 2024

Thursday 1 August 2024 – AMBITION – Turnaround

Friday 2 August 2024 – JEWEL OF THE SEAS – Transit

Sunday 4 August 2024 – VIKING SKY – Transit

Wednesday 7 August 2024 – JEWEL OF THE SEAS – Transit

Friday 9 August 2024 – ISLAND SKY – Transit

Sunday 11 August 2024 – AIDA BELLA – Transit

Monday 12 August 2024 – ROTTERDAM – Transit

Tuesday 13 August 2024 – MS NAUTICA – Transit

Wednesday 14 August 2024 – CARNIVAL LEGEND – Transit

Thursday 15 August 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Friday 16 August 2024 – EUROPA – Transit

Monday 19 August 2024 – RENAISSANCE – Transit

Tuesday 20 August 2024 – SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE – Transit

Wednesday 21 August 2024 – ISLAND SKY – Transit

Thursday 22 August 2024 – AZAMARA QUEST – Transit

Friday 23 August 2024 – VIKING NEPTUNE – Transit

Saturday 24 August 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Sunday 25 August 2024 – SEVEN SEAS SPLENDOR – Transit

Tuesday 27 August 2024 – VIKING VENUS – Transit

SEPTEMBER 2024

Sunday 1 September 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Tuesday 3 September 2024 – VIKING NEPTUNE – Transit

Thursday 5 September 2024 – MS MARINA – Transit

Friday 6 September 2024 – QUEEN MARY 2 – Transit

Saturday 7 September 2024 – QUEEN MARY 2 – Transit

Sunday 8 September 2024 – VIKING VENUS – Transit

Wednesday 11 September 2024 – DISNEY DREAM – Transit

Thursday 12 September 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Sunday 15 September 2024 – CRYSTAL SYMPHONY – Transit

Monday 16 September 2024 – REGAL PRINCESS – Transit

Friday 20 September 2024 – VIKING STAR – Transit

Saturday 21 September 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Wednesday 25 September 2024 – WORLD VOYAGER – Transit

Sunday 29 September 2024 – REGAL PRINCESS – Transit

Monday 30 September 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

OCTOBER 2024

Saturday 5 October 2024 – NORWEGIAN STAR – Transit

Sunday 13 October 2024 – HAMBURG – Transit

Sunday 20 October 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Sunday 27 October 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

NOVEMBER 2024

Sunday 10 November 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Sunday 24 November 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

DECEMBER 2024

Thursday 12 December 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

Saturday 21 December 2024 – BOLETTE – Turnaround

For further information and updates for Liverpool Cruise Schedule click here .

READ MORE: PLANS APPROVED FOR CITY’S NEW CRUISE TERMINAL

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Full list of cruise ships coming to Liverpool in 2023

Vessels from the likes of Disney, P&O and Cunard will all call at the port

• 07:37, 9 FEB 2023
• Updated 14:18, 6 JUN 2023

Liverpool Cruise Terminal has shared its cruise schedule for the remainder of 2023.

The city will host some new and iconic cruise lines this year. There will be an enormous range of luxury, boutique and expedition vessels coming to Liverpool.

Over the next seven months, vessels from the likes of Disney , P&O and Cunard will all call at the port. Since 2007, Liverpool’s terminal has offered cruises with many of the world’s most famous cruise lines.

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List of all cruise ships coming to Liverpool in 2023

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 – Norwegian Dawn

Thursday, June 8, 2023 – Ambience

Thursday, June 11, 2023 - P&O Brittania

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 - P&O Brittania

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – Silver Shadow

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 – Jewel of the Seas

Thursday, June 15, 2023 – Celebrity Apex

Friday, June 16, 2023 – Borealis

Sunday, June 18, 2023 – Viking Venus

Saturday, June 24, 2023 – Zuiderdam

Sunday, June 25, 2023 – Silver Moon

Monday, June 26, 2023 – Borealis

Thursday, June 29, 2023 – Regal Princess

Tuesday, July 4, 2023 – Borealis

Friday, July 7, 2023 – Ambition

Saturday, July 8, 2023 – Jewel of the Sea

Sunday, July 16, 2023 – Viking Venus

Monday, July 17, 2023 – Silver Shadow

Tuesday, July 18, 2023 – Ambition

Wednesday, July 19, 2023 – Borealis

Thursday, July 20, 2023 – Seven Seas Navigator

Saturday, July 22, 2023 – Azamara Journey

Sunday, July 23, 2023 – Azamara Journey

Monday, July 24, 2023 – Island Princess

Tuesday, July, 25 2023 – Ambition

Thursday, July 27, 2023 – Borealis

Friday, July 28, 2023 – Jewel of the Seas

Saturday 29 July 2023 – Jewel of the Seas

Monday, July 31, 2023 – Norwegian Dawn

Tuesday, August 1, 2023 – Silver Moon

Wednesday, August 2, 2023 – Silver Moon – TBC

Thursday, August 3, 2023 – Silver Shadow

Friday, August 4, 2023 – Borealis

Tuesday, August 8, 2023 – Ambition

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 – Silver Moon

Friday, August 11, 2023 – Island Sky

Saturday, August 12, 2023 - Nieuw Statendam

Sunday, August 13, 2023 – Jewel of the Seas

Monday, August 14, 2023 – Aida Bella

Wednesday, August 16, 2023 – Carnival Pride

Thursday, August 17, 2023 – Viking Jupiter

Friday, August 18, 2023 – Borealis

Saturday, August 19, 2023 – Vasco De Gama

Sunday, August 20, 2023 – Vasco De Gama

Monday, August 21, 2023 –Ambition

Tuesday, August 22, 2023 – Jewel of the Seas

Wednesday, August 23, 2023 – Viking Mars

Friday, August 25, 2023 – MS Vista

Saturday, August 26, 2023 – Borealis

Sunday, August 27, 2023 – P&Q Arcadia

Monday, August 28, 2023 – Queen Victoria

Tuesday, August 29, 2023 – Island Princess

Wednesday, August 30, 2023 – Norwegian Dawn

Thursday, August 31, 2023 – Borealis

Friday, September 1, 2023 – MSC Explora 1

Saturday, September 2, 2023 – Seven Seas Voyager

Sunday, September 3, 2023 – Ambition

Monday, September 4, 2023 – Sliver Moon

Monday, September 4, 2023 – Island Sky

Tuesday, September 5, 2023 – Viking Mars

Wednesday, September 6, 2023 – CARNIVAL PRIDE

Thursday, September 7, 2023 – Celebrity Apex

Friday, September 8, 2023 – Ambience

Saturday, September 9, 2023 – Borealis

Sunday, September 10, 2023 – Costa Favolosa

Monday, September 11, 2023 – Europa

Tuesday, September 12, 2023 – Viking Venus

Thursday, September 14, 2023 – Disney Dream

Saturday, September 16, 2023 – Hanseatic Spirit

Sunday, September 17, 2023 – Borealis

Monday, September 18, 2023 – Viking Saturn

Wednesday, September 20, 2023 – Norwegian Dawn

Thursday, September 21, 2023 – Seven Seas Slendor

Friday, September 22, 2023 – Europa II

Saturday, September 23, 2023 – Viking Venus

Tuesday, October 3, 2023 – Borealis

Wednesday, October 4, 2023 – World Traveller

Friday, October 6, 2023 – Regal Princess

Wednesday, October 18, 2023 – Pacific World

Thursday, October 19, 2023 – Pacific World

Sunday, October 22, 2023 – Borealis

Monday, October 23, 2023 – Zenith

Wednesday, November 1, 2023 – Borealis

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 – Borealis

Thursday, December 14, 2023 – Borealis

Friday, December 22, 2023 – Borealis

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Cruises To Liverpool, England

Liverpool Visiting Cruises Calendar

WHATSINPORT.COM: YOUR CRUISE GUIDE TO 1200 PORTS OF CALL

Interactive world cruise map, home | cruise ships | port expenses | hints and tips, liverpool united kingdom cruise port guide.

Liverpool's cruise berth officially opened on September 21st 2007. The berth is just a 5-10 minute walk from the World Heritage City center, whilst England's beautiful Northwest region is practically on the door step. A new permanent cruise terminal has been replaced the old facility in 2023. This terminal is only a block or two away from the existing terminal.

The berth is at Princes Dock. A 3 minute walk south to Pier Head, where in summer there is a fair with many rides, a rather lively area. Another 8 minute walk south, you will find the beautiful restored Albert Dock with The Beatles Story Museum and the Mersey side Maritime Museum and many restaurants and cafes in a very pleasant area. Right next to the Albert dock you will find Wheel of Liverpool , a huge ferris wheel with great views.

If the weather is nice, the above area is certainly good for a few hours of fun and relaxation.

For transportation from the airport click here .

Hotels near the Cruise Terminal

Printable map to take along.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Watch a destination video .

Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers

Sightseeing:

Liverpool is not only the birth place of the Beatles but is also a cultural capital, with more national museums, theatres and galleries than any other UK city outside London.

Sport is a passion too with two Premiership soccer clubs and home to the world's most famous steeplechase, The Grand National. The Northwest region is known as England's Golf Coast.

Liverpool has splendid country houses, exciting sporting events and fascinating reminders of the area's maritime heritage, but nearby you'll also find the Roman City of Chester, contemporary Manchester and the stunning landscapes of Lancashire and the Lake District.

Liverpool is an amazing paradox. From museums to music, world class sport to shopping, it is a city bursting with energy, life and passion to be explored and enjoyed.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

All over the town (on nearly every corner of the downtown area) are big poles with arrows that would point in the direction of where sights are and not only would have the name of the sight, but the distance to that sight and the amount of minutes to walk there.

Buses, including the hop-on-and-off sightseeing services, are a five-minute walk away

Hop-on-and-off bus When a cruise ship is in port the buses leave every 15 minutes. As guides are "real": only English spoken and no earphones.

It pays to compare your cruise line tours here

Nearby Places:

The beautiful Lake District is nearby.

Shopping and Food

For serious shoppers the new Met Quarter and Liverpool 1 boast designer boutiques and over 200 new shops, restaurants and bars.

The currency throughout the UK is the pound (£). You may also hear the slang term quid for pounds. Scottish bank notes are frowned upon in other parts of the UK, so change the notes before leaving Scotland.

Cash machines (ATM) or less formally 'holes in the wall' are very widely available and usually dispense £10 and £20 notes.

Visa, Mastercard and Maestro, are accepted by most shops and restaurants.

Currency Converter

Communication:

English is spoken throughout the country, but sometimes with heavy accents!

Plenty of cafes and fast food outlets offer free WiFi.

The local emergency telephone number is 999, however the EU-wide 112 can also be used.

Opening Hours and Holidays:

Shopping hours are in general:

Small stores 6 or 7 days a week (10am - 6pm) Larger stores in general stay open til' 9PM Hyper marts often 24/7

Holidays in the United Kingdom

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Thank you for printing this article! Please don’t forget to come back to whatsinport.com for new and updated port guides.

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• Liverpool cruise port schedule 2023 includes record number of...

Liverpool cruise port schedule 2023 includes record number of roundtrips

2 cruise ships on the berth at once, a record number of turnaround calls, and a 20th-anniversary celebration are some of the highlights of the 2023 Cruise Liverpool schedule .

Queen Victoria is set to return to the port, the first time a Cunard liner has been back in Liverpool UK since before the COVID crisis.

Last year's cruise season has been heralded as a huge success, generating a GBP 14 million economic boost to the city courtesy of the 107 cruise ship calls and ~200,000 passengers and crew who traveled through the port in 2022.

Highlights of the 2023 Cruise Liverpool schedule feature:

• 15 cruise calls from Viking ’s luxury lines including the latest addition, Viking Saturn , complete with an infinity pool/Nordic thermal spa
• 8 overnight calls, allowing ~25,000 visitors to explore the port city and beyond during the extended stay
• The return of Amara Journey for an overnight during the Open Golf at Royal Liverpool
• 2 calls from Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria in June & August.
• A new turnaround cruise operator, Ambassador Cruise Line , will commence regional departures from Liverpool in June
• Celebrating Fred Olsen ’s 20th-anniversary sailing from Liverpool in August.
• Liverpool’s cruise ship terminal is set to welcome 2 ships at once, as Island Sky and Silver Moon will be berthed at the same time in September - a first for the team of Cruise Liverpool.

John Mawer, Head of Cruise Operations for Cruise Liverpool, said they were "constantly working to make Liverpool’s cruise offering bigger and better than ever."

"We put operators and passengers at the heart of our planning, to maximise their experience when they come to Liverpool, whilst ensuring their visits reap dividends for the city’s restaurants, hotels and tourism sector. “And while we continue to look to the future, I am absolutely delighted to be welcoming back a piece of our past in the shape of the Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria, and I know this will be a show-stopper for many a cruise-fan, not to mention our residents who will no doubt want to catch a glimpse. It’s shaping up to be our best season on record.”

• Deutschland 636 passengers 10 May 2024 - 08:00
• Viking Sky 930 passengers 11 May 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Sky 930 passengers 12 May 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Neptune 930 passengers 14 May 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Neptune 930 passengers 15 May 2024 - 00:00
• Mein Schiff 3 2.700 passengers 16 May 2024 - 08:00
• Celebrity Silhouette 3.463 passengers 18 May 2024 - 09:00
• ms Rotterdam 3.210 passengers 20 May 2024 - 08:00
• Amadea 624 passengers 23 May 2024 - 08:00
• Bolette 1.656 passengers 25 May 2024 - 00:00
• Costa Favolosa 3.617 passengers 29 May 2024 - 09:00
• Bolette 1.656 passengers 30 May 2024 - 00:00
• Regal Princess 4.272 passengers 01 Jun 2024 - 08:00
• Queen Anne 3.353 passengers 03 Jun 2024 - 00:00
• Bolette 1.656 passengers 08 Jun 2024 - 00:00
• Ambition 1.428 passengers 11 Jun 2024 - 09:00
• Bolette 1.656 passengers 15 Jun 2024 - 00:00
• Britannia 4.406 passengers 16 Jun 2024 - 00:00
• Jewel Of The Seas 2.573 passengers 18 Jun 2024 - 08:00
• Ambition 1.428 passengers 23 Jun 2024 - 08:00
• ms Nieuw Statendam 3.218 passengers 23 Jun 2024 - 08:00
• Regal Princess 4.272 passengers 24 Jun 2024 - 06:00
• Bolette 1.656 passengers 27 Jun 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Neptune 930 passengers 28 Jun 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Neptune 930 passengers 29 Jun 2024 - 00:00
• Celebrity Silhouette 3.463 passengers 29 Jun 2024 - 09:00
• Seven Seas Mariner 779 passengers 30 Jun 2024 - 08:00
• Ambition 1.428 passengers 04 Jul 2024 - 09:00
• Bolette 1.656 passengers 06 Jul 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Neptune 930 passengers 09 Jul 2024 - 00:00
• Carnival Legend 2.549 passengers 09 Jul 2024 - 08:00
• Viking Neptune 930 passengers 10 Jul 2024 - 00:00
• Mein Schiff 3 2.700 passengers 13 Jul 2024 - 08:00
• Ambition 1.428 passengers 15 Jul 2024 - 09:00
• Seabourn Quest 540 passengers 18 Jul 2024 - 08:00
• Bolette 1.656 passengers 19 Jul 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Sky 930 passengers 23 Jul 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Sky 930 passengers 24 Jul 2024 - 00:00
• Carnival Legend 2.549 passengers 24 Jul 2024 - 08:00
• Arcadia 1.904 passengers 25 Jul 2024 - 00:00
• Jewel Of The Seas 2.573 passengers 26 Jul 2024 - 07:00
• Ambition 1.428 passengers 27 Jul 2024 - 09:00
• Silver Spirit 648 passengers 30 Jul 2024 - 08:00
• Regal Princess 4.272 passengers 30 Jul 2024 - 08:00
• Ambition 1.428 passengers 01 Aug 2024 - 07:00
• Viking Sky 930 passengers 03 Aug 2024 - 00:00
• Viking Sky 930 passengers 04 Aug 2024 - 00:00
• AIDAbella 2.500 passengers 11 Aug 2024 - 08:00
• Regal Princess 4.272 passengers 12 Aug 2024 - 08:00
• ms Rotterdam 3.210 passengers 12 Aug 2024 - 08:00

A look inside the £479m Queen Anne, Cunard’s first new cruise ship in 14 years

I t all looks very familiar. Especially, perhaps, at first glance. For one thing, that fabled colour scheme is present and correct; that grey-black hue of the hull, the flawless white of the cabin decks, the tell-tale red, striped with black, where the funnel pushes up into the sky. Even the name has a melodic ring of flashback – so much so that, standing at the Hampshire dockside, I have to reach for my phone; check that it has not been used before.

It has not. At least, not by Cunard.

But my sense of déjà vu is forgivable. The British cruise line’s newest baby, Queen Anne , is the latest in a long line of regally named vessels. On Tuesday, she entered British waters for the first time, slipping into Southampton, which will be the base port for many of her voyages. As she came in, she was practically sailing in her ancestors’ wakes.

Ancestors? Well, there are a few. Three of them are core components of the current Cunard fleet – Queen Mary 2 (launched in 2003); Queen Victoria (2007); Queen Elizabeth (2010). Two of them are grande dames of yesteryear, now retired as floating hotels – Queen Elizabeth 2 (moored in Dubai as of 2018), the Queen Mary (a static fixture on the waterfront in Long Beach, California, since 1967). And one of them is sadly gone – the original Queen Elizabeth , consigned to the bottom of Hong Kong harbour by fire in 1972. But it all adds up to a fine heritage. The new girl has a little of all of them about her.

True, she is a 21st-century creation. So much was clear this week, on Wednesday, during a day of preview tours and getting-to-know-yous. Queen Anne is both the 249th ship in the company’s history, and the first Cunard launch in 14 years. She has come alive in Venice over the last two, via the Italian ship-builders Fincantieri, at a reported cost of US$600 million (£479 million). And she is no shrinking violet. At 323m (1,058ft) in length, and with a gross tonnage of 113,300, she is longer and larger than two of her siblings ( Queen Victoria , Queen Elizabeth ) – though shorter and smaller than her flagship, Queen Mary 2 . She can hold 2,996 passengers, and 1,225 crew members. She has 14 restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, a theatre, an art gallery, a casino and a library. She is not a slender yacht for shallow tides.

But for all her various bells and whistles, Queen Anne clings to the quiet elegance that has long been a Cunard hallmark; if not quite since 1839, when British-Canadian shipping magnate Samuel Cunard was awarded the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract, then certainly since 1879, when his business was reorganised as the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd, in the face of competition from the likes of White Star Line – and the golden age of oceanic passenger ships began in earnest. Queen Anne ’s softly carpeted interior has echoes. There is polished wood. There are Art Deco flourishes. That the opening production in its Royal Court Theatre is a pleasingly breezy rendition of Noël Coward’s 1945 film (via his 1936 play) Brief Encounter feels appropriate.

Fast forward (back) to 2024, and it is easy to make a comparison to one of this year’s other major launches – Icon Of The Seas ; the Royal Caribbean behemoth that, with space for 7,600 passengers, is now the biggest cruise ship on the planet. While the two vessels are aimed at different markets, and deliver different styles of travel, the contrast between the somewhat gaudy Icon – with her unmistakable upper-deck spaghetti-pile of brightly coloured water slides – and Queen Anne ’s understated sophistication is striking.

This, of course, is the idea. During a panel discussion on Wednesday afternoon, Lewis Taylor of London-based David Collins Studio – one of the design companies behind the Queen Anne blueprint – spoke of fact-gathering missions to the Cunard Archive in the company’s spiritual home of Liverpool. “It’s an incredible resource to have,” he said. “There is so much on record, from menu cards to colour combinations, and period details that we were able to interpret in a contemporary way.

“It’s important that this new ship has all this DNA. You have to be inspired by those archive references. But you have to reinterpret them. We didn’t want Queen Anne to be a pastiche. This is a ship for the future.” 

On-board attempts to add contemporary scratches to that classic gleam are not hard to find. For every exercise in haute cuisine – double-Michelin-starred French chef Michel Roux has crafted an evening menu for the Queens Grill restaurant – there is an edgier take on modern culture. While – as with the three other Cunard ships currently in service – The Gallery is a showroom for London-based specialists Clarendon Fine Art, and everything on the walls is for sale, a brief visit to its well-lit space on Deck 2 will allow you to gaze at works by (at time of writing) Banksy, Los Angeles street artist Mr Brainwash (Thierry Guetta), and Salvador Dalí. The Pavilion – the two-deck space which acts as the heart of the ship – will offer evening screenings of engaging short films, via a partnership with the British Film Institute.

As for the future of the “ship for the future”, it is already here. Tomorrow (May 3), Queen Anne will set off for Lisbon on her inaugural voyage. A two-week jaunt to, and around, the Canary Islands, will follow (May 10-24).

The schedule is busy. A third cruise – the 14-night “British Isles Festival Voyage” – is in the diary for May 24-June 7, and will include a stop in Liverpool, for the official naming ceremony, on June 3. And if any of this has whetted your appetite, a 16-night “Western Mediterranean” odyssey – calling on five ports in Spain (Vigo, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, La Coruña) and two in Italy (Civitavecchia, Alghero) – is planned for June 7-23 (cabins are still available from £4,189 per person, similar voyages later in the year start at £1,749 a head; 0344 338 8641; cunard.com ).

Classically elegant she may be, but this sailing queen will not have much chance to rest. 

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