Queen Anne: Cunard’s Last Ship Makes Historic Maiden Voyage to Funchal

This Tuesday, 14th May, Cunard’s last ship, the ‘Queen Anne’, will start in the Port of Funchal.

As reported in a note sent to the editorial team, the cruise ship, which sails with approximately 2,600 passengers and 1,000 crew on board, is on its first commercial voyage, following its voyage launch, reserved for guests and the media, taken from Southampton, in the United Kingdom, to Lisbon, and back to Southampton.

The maiden call in Madeira, which will also be the ship’s first ever, is scheduled for 7am, and will take place 20 years after the first voyage through Funchal of the ‘Queen Mary 2’ , at the time the largest cruise ship in the world.

Now, two decades later, ‘Anne’ arrives from Southampton and spends the night in Funchal, with a scheduled departure for the next day, Wednesday, at 5pm, going to Lanzarote.

The ship’s group is headed by Blatas, Lda (Blandy Shipping), a Cunard shipping agent since 1905. The first record of a Cunard cruise ship, in Madeira, dates back to that year, with the name of the -ship Caronia, anchored in the bay of Funchal, at the time already managed by Blandy Brothers & CA.

The same note further states that upon arrival in Funchal, “passengers will be welcomed by a regional folklore group and a team of car drivers from Monte, with traditional basket cars”.

The Ship Enthusiasts Club (CEN) also organized a photo exhibition, commemorating Cunard’s cruises to Funchal, which will be opened that day. This exhibition will be seen for the first time at Gare Marítima da Madeira, although it has not been denied to be able to install it in other places in the city.

When they leave, the “Anne” will receive the traditional baptism, carried out by the tug ‘Ponta do Pargo’ from the Administration of Ports in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM).

Before that, at 10 am, the president of APRAM’s board of directors, Paula Cabaço, will present a plaque celebrating the first ascent, to captain Inger Klein Thorhauge, the first woman to command a Cunard ship.

“Madeira and Cunard have a special bond. The Wedding Queen 2 made her debut here, and now, 20 years later, Queen Anne gives us the same honor, which shows the importance of the tune and its reputation. that we have for the tourism industry”, stresses Paula Cabaço, adding in the last one. two decades Cunard ships have made 112 calls, carrying nearly 205 thousand passengers.

“Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria regularly attend New Year’s Eve in Madeira, and Queen Anne’s arrival has already been confirmed this year,” he said.

Built in the Italian shipyards of Fincantieri and launched on April 24, the ‘Queen Anne’ has the capacity to carry 2,996 passengers and 1,225 crew. She is Cunard’s 249th ship, and the fourth ship in the current fleet. It was named in honor of Queen Anne, who ruled the United Kingdom between March 8, 1702 and May 1, 1714). She is also the company’s second largest ship at 323 meters in length, surpassing the Queen Marry 2 (345 metres), which remains the oldest in the Cunard fleet. But ‘Anne’ is the one with the largest transport capacity, compared to the 2,691 passengers on ‘Marry 2’.

The company also has ‘Queen Elizabeth’ and Queen Victoria, the first time since 1999 that four Cunard ships are sailing, thus paying tribute to all the British queens.