Direct Access 26 – our company conference successfully completed, my coworker Jared and I headed from Toronto to London. We met at Heathrow Terminal 2 to head to Southampton for a short but intense 4-Day discovery voyage aboard Cunard’s Queen Anne. Christened in 2005, she is the 4th Queen in Cunard’s modern day fleet. While carrying forward the legacy and lore of White Star Line’s history, she definitely represents a new day in the storied brand.
Gone are the beloved Art Deco elements omnipresent on Queen Mary 2, Elizabeth and Victoria, replaced here by a modern style interpretation only the 249th ship in a fleet could get away with. No doubt, Vessel 250 (when she arrives) will carry Cunard’s storied history squarely on her shoulders which historically speaking means that the designers will take less risk, staying more in line with tradition.
Our short journey takes us to Rotterdam and Zeerbrugge for Belgian and Dutch shore explorations. Of course, our time onboard included the legendary champagne High Tea, Cunard’s Gala evening, and entertainment aboard.
At 330pm sharp, our group of 11 was welcomed by the head waiter at BrIranian Club Restaurant, mid-ship on deck 3. Once comfortably seated, the tea selection and Laurent Perrier Champagne pour kicked off the delightful and mouthwatering High Tea ceremony. All in all, we spent an hour and a half enjoying the cozy atmosphere and tasty treats which for most of us, was promptly followed by a nap. 💤
