Achi news desk-
Crowds gathered at Mayflower Park to watch the liner go by just before 7.30pm ahead of her maiden voyage on Friday, where she will host 3,000 guests.
Hundreds earlier had also watched from the marina at Heath as a ship passed by.
Andrew Stretch was in the crowd at Mayflower Park. He works at the cruise terminal and said he already booked a cruise on the Queen Anne.
Andrew said: “I followed the construction of the ship throughout its journey.
“Cunard is without a doubt the leading cruise line even though they are a bit more expensive.
“The Queen’s ships are definitely something special.”
Tim Bond lives all the way in Derbyshire but came down to see Queen Anne in Mayflower Park.
He said: “I’m on the reserve list for the maiden voyage cabin, but I don’t think it’s likely to happen.
“I’ve been on all the other Cunard ships and I absolutely love them all.
“It’s always more of a journey than a sailing holiday and it’s just a fantastic experience.
“It’s also great to have the first captain on a Cunard ship when traveling.
“I have always found them to be a very inclusive and diverse company.”
Ann is the 249th ship to fly under the Cunard flag. She completes a quartet alongside Queen Mary II, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.
This is the first time since 1999 that Cunard has four ships in service at the same time.
The ship sets sail on Friday for a seven-day trip, taking in La Coruna in Spain and Lisbon in Portugal before returning to Southampton on May 10.
For her 2025 programme, Queen Anne will sail from Southampton, providing a variety of destinations and itinerary lengths ranging from two to 19 nights, visiting destinations across the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, the Canary Islands and the Norwegian fjords.
Her debut season will feature 19 girl calls to stunning locations such as Bilbao, Ibiza, Skilden, Messina and Santorini.
