Cunard has unveiled the design vision for the new interiors that will welcome guests when its Queen Mary 2 cruise ship emerges from a major refurbishment next year.
The cruise ship, the world’s only ocean liner, will enter dry dock at Damen Shiprepair Brest in France in March 2027 for a two-month upgrade.
The Queen Mary 2 makeover will introduce 31 new cabins, new interiors and expanded spaces on the pool deck, in the restaurants as well as the onboard spa and famous kennels.
The new designs, referred to as “Cunard Deco”, draw inspiration from Hollywood’s glamorous heyday with a touch of British and American tradition, inspired by the ship’s regular transatlantic crossings.
Cunard has collaborated with illustrator Tanu Vasu on a collection of newly released illustrations to show what Queen Mary 2’s most iconic spaces will look like.
Designed by London-based studio AD Associates, the interiors draw from Cunard’s historic archive and the decorative art of the original Queen Mary, which entered service in 1936 and offered transatlantic crossings until September 1967.
The carpets, wallcoverings, screens and artwork will be inspired by the 1936 liner.
Each Grill Suite will have a scallop shell motif, a historic emblem of safe passage across the sea. Its distinctive fanned shape, which echoes tide lines and horizons, takes a different form in each space.
These include the iconic bow of Queen Mary 2 cutting through the Atlantic in the Queens Grill Suites and a cinematically symmetrical design inspired by the Manhattan skyline in the Princess Grill Suites.
A peacock-fan-inspired design will appear in the Grill Suites Lounge, inspired by the social promenade aboard the original Queen Mary, known affectionately to guests as “Peacock Alley.”
In the Princess Grill Suites, embroidered headboards will depict cityscape silhouettes to share the stories of transatlantic travel.
Printed panels in the bathrooms will reinterpret Leslie MacDonald Gill’s map of the Atlantic, which was hung in the first-class dining room of the original Queen Mary.
Gill’s map included a working clock, and the hands in the new artwork are stopped at 4.33pm, the moment Queen Mary first left Southampton in May 1936.
The refurbishment celebrates the craft of Cunard’s 1930s liners, including marquetry and cabinet making. It will even include carpets from Ulster Carpets, a Royal Warrant holder that weaves for royal residences including Buckingham Palace.
Many of the ship’s existing timbers, stone floors and fittings will be restored, reducing waste and preserving original details.
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Paul Ludlow, president of Cunard, said: “Queen Mary 2 holds a unique position within our fleet and remains one of the most recognisable ships in the world.
“Our focus is on protecting and celebrating everything that makes her so special, while making considered enhancements that will further elevate the onboard experience. We are confident these improvements will ensure Queen Mary 2 continues to set the standard in luxury ocean travel for years to come.”
The design reveal coincides with Queen Mary 2’s 450th transatlantic crossing, which departs today, 10 November.
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