MIAMI — PortMiami welcomed its latest luxury cruise liner to South Florida Thursday morning.
For the first time in its 185-year history, the Cunard Line anchored its Queen Elizabeth ships at its new homeport in Miami where it will set sail from, traveling across the Caribbean.
“She’s a gorgeous boat and, it’s just -- it’s not all hectic like a Carnival cruise (or) one of those, it’s more sedate,” Queen Elizabeth passenger Greg Gunnell said.
Cunard is famous for its transatlantic voyages and “slow travel,” giving guests plenty of time for relaxation and rejuvenation, a press release from the cruise line stated.
“Queen Elizabeth, an exquisitely designed ship with timeless art deco glamour, will arrive newly refreshed and boast revitalized signature spaces,” the press release stated. “Cunard’s Queens have hosted iconic stars of the screen, theatre, fashion, and music, from Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor to Ed Sheeran and Alan Cumming. This fall, Tony Award-winner Sutton Foster and renowned actor Hugh Bonneville will appear onboard Queen Elizabeth.”
“It’s a whole different demographic, and there’s not all the gimmick stuff, you know, like waterslides and roller coasters -- there’s none of that. None of that,” Gunnell said. “I think they have shuffleboard and croquet.”
While the Queen Elizabeth is far from the biggest ship at sea, she makes up for her small size by offering more regal, upscale activities.
“They did have different line dancing, chair yoga, and art, painting classes for people that want to do that. They did have a choir made up of guests, cooking demonstrations, and things like that,” passenger Laura Wilson said.
Cunard, a British cruise line now owned by Carnival, decided to bring its “QE” to Miami after seeing increased demand from American customers.
Queen Elizabeth, which docked in Terminal D at PortMiami shortly before 6 a.m., will sail to Barbados, Saint Lucia and other Caribbean islands between October and April 2026.
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