This was certainly proving a night to remember as a blaze of fireworks lit up the sky over Liverpool’s famous Pier Head in a sparkling climax marking the official celebrations of Queen Anne, the 249th ship to join the Cunard fleet.
Just a few hours earlier, I’d watched as the 3,000-passenger newcomer was named in front of The Cunard Building, one of the imposing Three Graces that line the historic waterfront, in a glamorous ceremony that represented something of a watershed moment for this historic cruise marque.
The Merseyside city is regarded as the line’s spiritual home after it was founded here by Canadian Samuel Cunard in 1840, giving the company nearly 200 years of history unmatched by any other cruise line.
Yet this latest Cunard Queen represents a distinct sea change and is markedly different from its three sister ships, having been designed to attract a new generation of cruisers with a more modern, fresh feel that takes its roots from the line’s hallowed history.
The mantra accompanying this ship since the first piece of steel was cut at the Italian shipyard where it was built was “inspired by the past, but designed for the future” - something that was evident as soon as I stepped aboard for a short British Isles sailing. Without a doubt, Queen Anne is unmistakably Cunard and its pedigree shone through, from the smart red-suited bellboys to elegant white-gloved service at afternoon tea, yet it felt different.
There were Cunard hallmarks aplenty, such as the Queens Room and the Commodore Club, which have been given a modern makeover though I felt they lacked the presence of their more traditional equivalents on Queen Anne’s sister ships.
However, anyone cruising on Cunard for the first time - the type of guests this ship has been built to attract - will be unaware of such contrasts and Queen Anne has enough stand-out features of its own to impress all-comers.
One of my favourite spots was the main Britannia Restaurant, stretching across two decks and a triumph of light and elegance with an exquisite palette of ivory and gold and graceful Grecian-style columns at its heart.
Another was The Pavilion pool area, with its chic blue and ivory colour scheme bringing a strong Art Deco flavour and where the large movie screen and retractable glass roof also transformed this into an all-round, all-weather space.
You can always count on Cunard for traditions, so outdoor pastimes of deck quoits and shuffleboard are a given, but in a nod to one of the new modern sports crazes, Queen Anne has a pickleball court. There’s an archery range too, and this Cunard debutante is the only ship in the world where guests can take aim with a real bow and arrows.
But cruising is very much about dining in style and Queen Anne does not disappoint. With 15 venues, there’s no shortage of choices with new speciality restaurants Aji Wa serving Japanese cuisine, Indian restaurant Aranya and the Mediterranean-style Tramonto.
I enjoyed many memorable meals, from sizzling choice cuts and the creamiest cheesecake I’ve ever tasted in Sir Samuel’s steakhouse to tender duck a l’orange, finished in style by our table in the Princess Grill restaurant, followed by beautifully tangy crepes Suzette, also cooked tableside.
Another Cunard staple is the Golden Lion Pub where, thanks to the line’s tie-up with two Michelin-star chef Michel Roux who has developed the menu, fish and chips is elevated to gourmet style and his signature Three Cheese Toastie is well worth a taste too.
I spent evenings enjoying the contrasting ambience of the different venues, the cocktail vibe of the Chart Room bar and the big band feel of the Queens Room that never failed to tempt nimble-footed couples onto the dancefloor.
One night I watched the innovative West End hit, Pride and Prejudice* (sort of), the amusing reworking of the Jane Austen classic that has been adapted for the ship’s Royal Court Theatre. However, my favourite production was Fizz, a wacky, immersive show in the Bright Lights Society cabaret club that proved to be a fun-filled explosion of live music and burlesque dance.
Proving the perfect foil to such revelry was the Mareel wellness and spa complex, an intoxicating hideaway with an impressively expansive gym and tempting thermal suite where I whiled away hours amid the bubbles of its thalassotherapy pool.
Another welcome sanctuary was my Princes Grill suite which I loved (even if the ensuite shower room was rather on the small side), but the deep red and gold tones of the decor and carefully curated wall display exuded sumptuous comfort.
It was indicative of the attention to detail that the designers of Queen Anne have lavished on this ship - succeeding in bringing a 21st-century twist to nearly two centuries of history and transporting Cunard’s newest regal fleet member into the modern age with aplomb.
