Cunard ship Queen Anne to transfer to P&O Cruises in fleet reshuffle

Carnival UK is moving Cunard’s newest vessel, Queen Anne, into the P&O Cruises fleet in May 2029, ending her stint as a Cunard liner after just five years.

Under the reshuffle, Queen Anne will be renamed and undergo a significant overhaul before entering service for P&O Cruises. The move also triggers a second shift within Carnival Corporation: P&O Cruises' long-serving ship Arcadia will wrap up her operations with the line on 21 August 2029 before transferring to Holland America Line.

All currently published itineraries for both vessels leading up to the transfers will go ahead as scheduled, the company confirmed.

Why is Queen Anne moving to P&O Cruises?

Queen Anne entered service in May 2024 as Cunard’s first new vessel in more than a decade. Despite her recent arrival, Carnival UK leadership concluded that the vessel's layout and amenities suit P&O Cruises better.

Paul Ludlow, president of Carnival UK, P&O Cruises and Cunard, said the decision followed a portfolio review to align each ship’s strengths with passenger demand. He noted that Queen Anne was built with contemporary design, flexible public rooms and varied dining venues that give her a "natural affinity with the modern P&O Cruises holiday experience".

Ludlow added that the transfer will create a new class of ship for P&O Cruises, while returning Cunard to a three-ship lineup of Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. He described that smaller fleet as more unified around the brand’s traditional transatlantic heritage.

Cunard has not yet announced a new name for the vessel or detailed how extensive the refit will be.

What happens to Queen Anne before 2029?

Passengers booked on Queen Anne over the next four years will see no disruption to published sailings. The ship will remain central to Cunard’s schedule through early 2029.

Her upcoming commitments include Liverpool’s Four Queens event in May 2028, where all four Cunard vessels will gather together. Queen Anne will then embark on her final world voyage under the Cunard flag in January 2029 before handing over to shipyard teams for refurbishment.

Carnival UK insisted the move does not signal a retreat from Cunard. Ludlow pointed to a planned refit next year for Queen Mary 2, the world's only purpose-built ocean liner operating regular scheduled transatlantic crossings, to keep her in service for decades to come.

Where is Arcadia heading?

Arcadia, which has sailed under the P&O Cruises flag for more than 20 years, will finish her British career with a designated farewell season concluding on 21 August 2029.

Rather than leaving the parent company or being retired, Arcadia will move directly to Holland America Line later that year. Specific itineraries and deployment plans for her arrival at Holland America have not yet been released.