QUEEN ELIZABETH
September 30, 2025 | Los Angeles Harbor, California
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth sailed astern down Los Angeles Harbor on September 30, 2025, her illuminated decks standing out against the evening sky. The departure came between her Alaska season and a new chapter sailing from Miami, with a Panama Canal passage connecting her Pacific and Caribbean deployments.
Queen Elizabeth brings Cunard’s maritime heritage into a modern cruise ship, combining art deco interiors with the familiar dark hull, white superstructure, and red-and-black funnel. Introduced in 2010, she carries a name closely associated with the company’s historic transatlantic fleet while serving a different role through regional cruises and longer voyages.
Information List
Name: Queen Elizabeth
Operator: Cunard
Year Entered Service: 2010
Shipyard: Fincantieri, Monfalcone, Italy
Length: Approximately 294 meters (965 feet)
Beam: 32.3 meters (106 feet)
Gross Tonnage: Approximately 90,900 GT
Passenger Capacity: Approximately 2,074 guests, as listed by Cunard
Crew: Approximately 911, as listed by Cunard
Passenger Decks: 12
Service Speed: Approximately 21.7 knots
Major Refurbishment: 2025
History and Features
Construction and Entry Into Service
Built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Italy, Queen Elizabeth joined Cunard in 2010.
Queen Elizabeth II named the ship at Southampton in October that year.
Her interiors draw inspiration from the original Queen Elizabeth, particularly through their art deco styling and references to Cunard’s earlier passenger ships.
Design and Features
The Grand Lobby features a marquetry panel by David Linley, while a two-level library provides a quieter space close to the ship’s central public rooms.
The Queens Room hosts dancing, live music, and afternoon tea. The Royal Court Theatre offers tiered seating and private theatre boxes.
Dining venues include the Britannia Restaurant, Britannia Club, Princess Grill, and Queens Grill.
Outdoor spaces include a promenade deck, swimming pools, and a Games Deck with traditional activities such as croquet and bowls.
Although her styling recalls Cunard’s ocean liners, Queen Elizabeth is a cruise ship.
Service
Queen Elizabeth has become an important part of Cunard’s Alaska programme, bringing the line’s traditional onboard experience to Pacific coastal itineraries.
In 2025, her deployment linked an Alaska season with a new Miami-based Caribbean programme.
Her refurbishment that year refreshed spaces including the Commodore Club, Queens Room, Garden Lounge, and Pavilion. Work also improved outdoor seating and introduced the Pavilion Wellness Café.
Los Angeles Departure — September 30, 2025
Queen Elizabeth sailed astern down Los Angeles Harbor during her evening departure, offering an unusual view of the ship moving stern-first through the port.
With her decks illuminated against the fading sky, the departure highlighted the ship’s long profile and familiar Cunard colors.
Cunard’s published itinerary listed an early-morning arrival and evening departure at Los Angeles on September 30.
The call formed part of her repositioning journey from the Pacific Northwest toward Miami, with a scheduled Panama Canal transit on October 9.
This Southern California visit connected her Alaska deployment with the Caribbean programme that followed.
Legacy
Queen Elizabeth preserves a recognizable connection to Cunard’s earlier ships through her name, interiors, and onboard traditions. Her career also reflects the company’s evolution, carrying that heritage beyond the Atlantic into Alaska, the Caribbean, and other cruising regions.
