True, she is a 21st-century creation. So much was clear this week, on Wednesday, during a day of preview tours and getting-to-know-yous. Queen Anne is both the 249th ship in the company’s history, and the first Cunard launch in 14 years. She has come alive in Venice over the last two, via the Italian ship-builders Fincantieri, at a reported cost of US$600 million (£479 million). And she is no shrinking violet. At 323m (1,058ft) in length, and with a gross tonnage of 113,300, she is longer and larger than two of her siblings (Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth) – though shorter and smaller than her flagship, Queen Mary 2. She can hold 2,996 passengers, and 1,225 crew members. She has 14 restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, a theatre, an art gallery, a casino and a library. She is not a slender yacht for shallow tides.