What time will the naming ceremony take place and how long will it be?

The Official Naming of Queen Anne is planned to start at 4pm on 3 June 2024, and will be approximately one hour long. Then later in the evening at 8.30pm, we’ll be celebrating further with the waterfront audience, with some very special guests joining us on stage, up until Queen Anne’s sailaway.

Where is the naming ceremony planned to take place?

The Official Naming of Queen Anne will take place on the Pier Head at Liverpool Waterfront on 3 June 2024.

Will the naming ceremony be available to watch at home?

No, however we will be sharing the latest updates and content from the naming ceremony across Cunard’s social media channels so people will be able to follow along with the celebrations.

Will guests who are booked on The British Isles Festival Voyage be able to watch the naming ceremony from ashore?

Queen Anne guests sailing on this voyage will be invited to watch the ceremony from a dedicated viewing area ashore in the heart of the action. This area will not be accessible to the public, to ensure our guests have the best opportunity to watch the ceremony from the waterfront. Please note that the dedicated viewing area will be standing only, with no seats available.

If guests are booked on The British Isles Festival Voyage, are they able to watch the naming ceremony from on board Queen Anne?

Guests will be able to join in the celebrations on board as the event is broadcast live throughout the ship. Venues broadcasting the naming ceremony will be communicated through the Daily Programme once on board.

Will all guests sailing on The British Isles Festival Voyage be invited to attend the naming ceremony?

Yes, all guests sailing on this voyage will be invited to watch the ceremony from a dedicated viewing area ashore in the heart of the action, should they wish to. This area will not be accessible to the public. Please note, that the dedicated viewing area will be standing only.

Will seating be available in the dedicated viewing area?

Unfortunately, the dedicated viewing area is standing only. However, there will be a raised platform for a small number of wheelchair users. More details on how to access this platform will be shared once on board. Please ensure any guests who require a wheelchair for the duration of the voyage have filled out the on board needs questionnaire on My Cunard.

What refreshments will be available on the waterfront?

Refreshments will be available to purchase from stands alongside the waterfront. Guests in the dedicated viewing area will be able to leave and re-join the area if they wish to purchase refreshments.

Will guests sailing on The British Isles Festival Voyage be able to invite friends who have travelled to Liverpool into the dedicated viewing area?

No, the dedicated viewing area is for Cunard guests on board The British Isles Festival Voyage only and is not open to the public.

Queen Anne naming ceremony

All the information around Queen Anne's naming ceremony, held in Liverpool, UK on 3 June 2024.

Very soon, Queen Anne will make her debut in Liverpool, Cunard’s spiritual home. Here she will be officially named at a spectacular event taking place during her inaugural sailing around Britain, The British Isles Festival Voyage.

For anyone who won’t be on board, and who can’t join us in Liverpool, be sure to follow our social media channels. We’ll be posting updates throughout the day from the heart of the action.

Queen Anne’s arrival

7.00am
From early morning on 3 June, as the world’s media awaits Queen Anne’s arrival into the River Mersey, all eyes will be on Liverpool Pier Head. Our new ship is scheduled to arrive at around 7.00am, and then the waterfront will be alive with activity in the lead up to a dazzling ceremony set to start at 4.00pm, which will hosted by musician Matt Willis and his wife, TV presenter Emma Willis.

The Official Naming

4.00pm
We are thrilled to announce that world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will be performing, joined by a line-up of Liverpool’s finest talent. Those in attendance will enjoy one-of-a-kind performances from Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, local DJ Lauren Lo Sung, and of course the official naming by Queen Anne’s Godparent, including the iconic smashing of a Champagne bottle against the ship.

All guests sailing on The British Isles Festival Voyage are invited to watch the ceremony from a dedicated viewing area ashore. The celebrations will also be broadcast live throughout the ship, for those who remain on board.

A spectacular send-off

8.30pm
From around 8.30pm, as evening celebrations begin, we’ll be treated to a further performance from Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, before legendary Liverpudlian TV personality and DJ, Craig Charles, joins them on stage for a unique collaboration. Craig will keep the party going until the grand finale, when Queen Anne sails away to a backdrop of dazzling fireworks as light falls. It’s sure to be a sailaway party that’ll live long in the memory, both along the waterfront and on board Queen Anne.

Sail on Queen Anne

FAQs - for all guests and visitors

No, the event will not be ticketed, however there will be a dedicated viewing area for our guests on board that will not be accessible to the public. Any Cunard guests, fans and followers are welcome to make their own arrangements to join us in Liverpool to be a part of the shoreside celebrations, even if they are not on board. For anyone who won’t be on board the naming voyage, and who can’t join us in Liverpool, be sure to follow our social channels for updates. We’ll be posting throughout Queen Anne’s inaugural season from the heart of the action as this incredible new chapter for Cunard begins.

World-renowned tenor, Andrea Bocelli, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and local DJ, Lauren Lo Sung will be joining our hosts Emma and Matt Willis on stage, with a unique, one-of-a-kind celebratory performance. In the evening Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by legendary Liverpudlian DJ Craig Charles on stage, for an unforgettable sailaway party for Queen Anne.

FAQs - for guests on the British Isles Festival Voyage

Guests on board The British Isles Festival Voyage who wish to attend The Official Naming of Queen Anne ashore will be provided with full details on how to access the dedicated viewing area, during the voyage. Guests will be able to enter and exit this area as they wish, however, the waterfront is expected to be fairly crowded, therefore we’d advise allowing sufficient time to access the viewing area prior to the naming ceremony starting.

We expect Queen Anne to be alongside the cruise terminal by 9.00am, when guests will be free to disembark. In order to watch the naming ceremony from ashore, guests will be required to disembark no later than 2.30pm. Queen Anne will not be alongside during the naming ceremony, and guests are unable to disembark or re-join the ship during this time. Later in the evening guests will be able to re-join the ship from 6.00pm, but have the flexibility to stay ashore until final re-embarkation at 8.30pm.

Queen Anne

The next in a fine line, Queen Anne is the perfect blend of classic and contemporary, with the freedom to do as little or as much as you choose.

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