Cunard's newest ship, Queen Anne, slipped out of Southampton on 20 September 2026 for a 19-night sweep of the Mediterranean and the Greek Islands — a proper old-school, no-fly cruise for anyone who'd rather not deal with airports.
The itinerary ticks off eight ports across Southern Europe, starting with Spain and Italy before hitting the big-name Greek stops. Cadiz, Cagliari, Heraklion, Katakolon, Mykonos, Santorini and Piraeus are all on the list, with Gibraltar scheduled on the way home to the UK. The sailing was also bookable in segments, which is handy if you only want a chunk of the voyage rather than the full three weeks.
The Greek Islands run is a one-off for now. Through the rest of 2026, Queen Anne stays based in Southampton offering shorter four- to 14-night itineraries to Northern Europe, Scandinavia and the Canary Islands.
Things get more ambitious in early 2027. The ship is lined up for an 82-night roundtrip from Southampton that circles South America, one of Cunard's longest sailings for the year. Along the way there are overnight calls in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Panama — think Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and San Antonio as anchor stops. A visit to Santos is notable for cruise nerds: it marks Cunard's return to the port after roughly 30 years, and it puts São Paulo, Brazil's biggest city, within easy reach. The voyage also dips into North America and the Caribbean, with two calls each at Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral in Florida.
Queen Anne is the latest addition to the Cunard fleet, built at Fincantieri's Marghera yard in Italy and in service since May 2024. She carries the line's signature look — grand lobby, ballroom, formal nights and all — which is a big part of the appeal for these long, leisurely sailings.
Why it matters: if you like the idea of arriving in Santorini or Rio by ship rather than plane, this is the kind of itinerary that removes the flying entirely. The Southampton homeport makes it straightforward for UK travellers, and the mix of epic voyages (82 nights) and shorter tasters (four nights) means there's an entry point at most budgets and holiday allowances. Book early for the big one — world and circumnavigation-style cruises tend to sell out well in advance.
