Cunard's Queen Anne made her majestic entry into Sydney Harbour on 28 February, marking her first visit to Australia as part of a 107-day maiden round-the-world voyage.

To celebrate the historic moment, a British Garden Party was hosted on board the ship, set against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Cunard President Katie McAlister said: “The maiden arrival of our magnificent new ship Queen Anne to Sydney Harbour builds on our rich Australian legacy and marks another historic moment for Cunard – one that started with our first World Voyage that included Australia in 1925."

Cunard’s first new ship in 14 years, Queen Anne features 13 decks and 15 dining venues, with accommodations for up to 3000 guests.

More than 1.2 million passengers and crew from 312 cruise ships are expected to visit NSW ports by the end of the current summer season, including 23 maiden arrivals across Sydney, Newcastle and Eden.

The 2023-24 cruise season brought a record-breaking $4.41 billion to the NSW economy, with significant growth expected to continue in this dynamic sector.

Cruising supports the entire ecosystem of the NSW visitor economy, from visitor experience operators to hotels and restaurants, retailers, transport providers and port operators.

In addition, passengers often return to destinations they initially discover on a cruise, which creates added benefits for regional visitor economies in the longer term.

Destination NSW is working closely with visitor economy businesses to develop and deliver memorable shore experiences for cruise passengers that reinforce NSW’s reputation as Australia’s cruise capital.

Pictured above: Destination NSW Acting CEO Karen Jones with Queen Anne Captain Inger Thorhauge.