CruiseStar
Carnival Corporation is redrawing its fleet map. On October 6, the company announced a two-ship swap between its brands: P&O Cruises' Arcadia moves to Holland America Line in 2029, and Cunard's Queen Anne moves to P&O Cruises in May 2029. Here is what is changing, when it happens, and what it means if you sail with any of the three lines.
At a glance
- Arcadia leaves P&O for Holland America in 2029; farewell season ends August 21, 2029
- Queen Anne leaves Cunard for P&O in May 2029 after a final World Voyage
- Holland America grows to 12 ships; P&O inherits Cunard's newest vessel
Arcadia joins Holland America
Arcadia gives Holland America its twelfth ship and more than 2,000 additional guest berths. The fit is natural: she is a Vista-class vessel, the same platform as HAL's Oosterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, and Zuiderdam, so she will slot into the fleet without the growing pains of an unfamiliar design.
Before the move, Arcadia gets the Holland America Evolution treatment, the line's fleet-wide upgrade program. The specific venues and cabin changes are still to be decided in the coming months.
She sails a farewell season with P&O Cruises through August 21, 2029, then transfers. If you have a soft spot for Arcadia under P&O, that farewell season is your last call.
Queen Anne moves to P&O Cruises
The other half of the swap is the bigger surprise. Queen Anne is Cunard's newest ship, entering service only in May 2024 with room for around 3,000 guests. She will sail for Cunard through her 2028/29 World Voyage, with the Four Queens celebration in Liverpool in May 2028 along the way, then leave the fleet after a final World Voyage in January 2029.
Before joining P&O in May 2029, she goes through an extensive refit and gets a new name. Cunard keeps Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth.
For P&O sailors, this is a significant upgrade: the line inherits a nearly new ship. Expect P&O to publish her first itineraries once the refit plans are final.
What to watch next
The ships are only half the story. Watch for Holland America to announce where Arcadia sails once she joins the fleet, and for P&O to reveal Queen Anne's new name and first itineraries. Itinerary announcements usually follow a transfer like this by several months.
If either line is on your short list for 2029, the CruiseStar ship pages are a good place to compare the fleets as they stand today.