Cunard Queen Anne World Voyage 2025 – Episode Three

Cunard Queen Anne World Voyage 2025 – Episode Three

Welcome to the third episode of 
this epic journey across the world. We are on board Cunard’s 
brand new ship, Queen Anne, for her inaugural World Voyage which will 
see us visit 30 ports, across 19 countries, during 107 nights, in what promises 
to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In episode one, we made our way from 
Southampton, across the Atlantic to America, stopping in New York and Miami, making our 
way across South America and transiting the Panama Canal before finishing up with 
visits to San Francisco and Hawaii. In the second leg of this adventure we then 
crossed the Pacific to see the islands of Tonga, Samoa and then visiting amazing places and 
iconic ports across New Zealand and Australia. Now, in this penultimate chapter of our 
world voyage, we head to the Far East, where we will explore cities of 
the future and towns of the past. But before we arrive at our next port…
life on the ship would take another dramatic turn… After leaving Darwin in Australia, Queen 
Anne set a course for The Philippines. This would mean passing through Indonesia 
and the notorious Sulu-Celebes Sea. In the past, this stretch of ocean 
has gained a reputation for pirate attacks and our captain was taking no chances when it came to safety. THIS AREA IS KNOW FOR PIRACY THREATS THEREFOR WE WILL BE OPERATING AT A HEIGHTENED 
LEVEL OF SECURITY ALERTNESS DURING THIS PERIOD THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE SHIP, ALL GUESTS 
AND CREW ON BOARD IS MY HIGHEST PRIORITY. Of course the likelihood of an attack on 
a ship as big as Queen Anne is minimal… but it doesn’t stop the heart from 
racing a little faster and creating that feeling of intrigue and unease… 
so we went to investigate the decks. Water cannons at the ready, banners hanging from 
the handrails warning to ‘stay 50 metres away’ and spotters keeping an eye on the many small boats 
close by, all made for an exciting deck walk, but our closest contact was with the squadron 
of Brown Boobeys escorting us along the way. I could see online that the announcement had made international news headlines around the world which felt a little mad. But also when you hear the word ‘pirates’ 
it stirs up big media attention. Through the night and the following 
day Queen Anne continued on course, vigilant but untroubled, and in the 
end, the precautions taken became nothing more than a fun footnote to our 
world voyage story… but in a small way, it also reminds you that this is an adventure 
and anything can happen along the way! A few days later we awoke in our first port 
of call on this leg of our journey, Manila. We had a hit-list of what we wanted to do here, 
so it was straight off the ship and to a mall to re-acquaint ourselves with our favourite 
burger joint in the world… MOS Burger! It was then time to burn off those burger calories with the 4 mile walk through Manila to the 
Conrad Hotel, where we had booked massages. Along the way, we would see the beautiful… 
the scruffy… and the fascinating. The Manila Film Centre has an intriguing 
past, shrouded in controversy, during which construction workers tragically died, earthquakes 
caused devastation and which currently lies abandoned Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a way 
to have a look inside, so we continued our walk. The area around the Conrad was the 
modern face of Manila: Giant malls, five star hotels and Hard Rock Cafe. After getting 
lost in the mall we headed for our massages. A little separate time in our own treatment 
rooms would freshen up the cabin fever greatly. A couple of hours later we emerged from 
our rooms and after seeing the new Manila, it was time to check out the historic with a visit to the old town, an area packed with colonial style buildings which are now inhabited by cool coffee shops, bars and restaurants. We strolled, grabbed drinks and 
then made our way back to Queen Anne in time to set sail for our next destination. Our next port of call promised to be one of 
the highlights of the world voyage… Hong Kong. The history, the buildings, 
the food, the shopping, the harbour we intended to experience as 
much as possible during this overnight stay. During our time in Hong Kong, we were joined 
by a special guest… my mum! She made the short flight from Taipei to hang with us for a 
couple of days and I was so happy to see her. First up food… and another 
chance to grab MOS Burger for me and a chance for dim sum for me. Day one was lots of walking, exploring 
and just catching the feel of Hong Kong. It’s a place that has changed a lot 
in recent years. It feels much more Chinese than when we last visited 10 years ago, but you can still see the international 
and British influence at certain moments. One thing that hasn’t changed in decades, centuries even are the wonderful boats 
that ferry passengers between Kowloon, where we were over to HongKong Island… 
where we planned to have dinner later. For less than a quid, you jump on board the 
quick journey over the bay and just take in that you are at one of the most historic 
and interesting places in the world. We should also mention at this point that Cunard 
had organised a big event in Hong Kong on this evening. A gala dinner for all World Voyage passengers which included presentations from the company CEO and some kind of show. But we took the decision to do our own thing. With one night in Hong Kong, we 
wanted to experience the place itself, rather than just Cunard on land!
We heard some people loved the event and some people wished they had done the same as us… 
so I guess it’s whatever you prefer. After duck and pancake at One Habour Road, we headed back to Queen Anne for 
40 winks before Hong Kong day 2. With our first day mainly in Kowloon, we wanted to spend more time on Hong Kong 
island on day 2. So it was back on the ferry, over to see some of the beautiful old streets and 
architecture on the other side of the harbour. After some delicious yum cha… we hit that Hong 
Kong classic… M&S! All jokes aside, it was nice to be able to pick up some comfort food and snacks after being away from the UK for so many weeks Time to say farewell to my mum, and 
back to the ship to our surprise, we had a different kind of family 
member visit… Queen Elizabeth! Queen Elizabeth holds special 
memories for us and our family, so it was so great to see her again, 
alongside our new love, Queen Anne. We also found out that Queen Anne had been 
given special permission to sail out directly through the harbour that evening… and 
wow… just like our arrival in Sydney, this was another iconic moment that only being 
here on the inaugural world voyage made possible. Hong Kong 謝謝 Next up was another port of call we had 
really been looking forward to – Vietnam. Although Queen Anne arrived in 
Phu My, there was only one thing on our mind… Ho Chi Min City or as 
many of you will know it, Saigon! So it was straight on the coach and making 
our way to yet another fascinating city. We arranged to roll with the newlyweds 
today, linking up with Alan and Alison in the city and making our way towards 
the palace and war remnants museum. But first, coffee. However this time, 
we took the advice of a member of staff on Queen Anne and decided to sample 
the Vietnamese local speciality – egg coffee wow it might be the single 
sweetest drink on planet earth. Once we had stopped shaking from the sugar rush, we headed through the city to the museum. This was an intense experience. On the one 
hand, you have the amazing military tech, the thousands of visitors, the humidity 
and the desire to take pictures, all while thinking of the amazing 
Vietnam movies we have all seen. But then on the other hand as 
you explore you feel the pain, cruelty and pure awfulness of the Vietnam 
war and what an absolute travesty it was for people on all sides. It forces you 
to take a moment and reflect, even in the midst of all the adrenaline you are feeling. 
An exciting and sobering experience all in one. After leaving the museum and catching 
our breath, it felt like a good moment to grab yakiniku, beer and enjoy the 
modern side of this captivating city. We then strolled some more and headed back to our coach to start the journey back to 
Queen Anne and onto our next port. Vietnam… we will return one day to dive back into 
your fascinating history and exciting future. Our days on land were not the only time for culinary delights. On board Queen 
Anne, we were spoilt for choice. In Episode 2 of this series 
we talked about the wonders of Aji Wa and right next door was another 
speciality restaurant: Sir Samuel’s. Sir Samuel’s is a steakhouse and grill. On the 
menu there’s beef, lamb, lobster, ribs, steaks and a multitude of side orders to complement 
your main dish. Whenever we ate here, we could not resist going all in on the sides and then 
regretting not leaving enough room for dessert! After dinner at Sir Samuel’s, steps 
are needed and while walking around, you see the ship begin to transform. Relaxed days become glamorous evenings: 
The lights dim, the outfits change, music starts to fill the air and as is usual on 
Queen Anne… the choice of entertainment is yours. Some people head for the theatre and 
a show, others to try their luck in the casino. The pub is always buzzing 
with a quiz, live music or live sport. For us, the Queens Room was the place to be. 
The dancing, the big band, the whole atmosphere just feels like the golden age of cruising. 
It also feels quite unique to Cunard too. However… we must confess… for at least 
10 years we have been saying we will learn to ballroom dance before our next 
cruise… and every year we totally fail. It didn’t stop us visiting the Queens Room though, 
we are people watchers, we loved listening to the music and watching the dance floor fill with 
absolute ballroom ninjas and beginners alike. It’s so beautiful to just watch your fellow 
travellers enjoying life and feeling the moment… for our next cruise, we once again promise to 
learn the moves and hit the floor ourselves! It wasn’t long before we arrived 
at our next stop, Singapore. It really feels like this leg of voyage 
was packed with fascinating cities, iconic ports and we were super excited 
to see what Singapore was all about. We had a loose plan of what we 
wanted to do here, but as always, exploring and feeling the place 
out is one of our first steps. On first impressions, the streets felt quiet… but 
then we realised… everything was under our feet! The real streets are under the streets! So we headed down a level and started to see 
the vibe and the real lives of Singaporeans. First up, brunch and drinks. Then walking, shopping, exploring, 
getting lost in the maze. Up a level, down a level, underground mall, street level mall, umbrellas up, umbrellas down, walk some 
more… Singapore initiation complete. It was then onto to the national museum to 
get the back story on this unique place. I must admit, before arriving to Singapore, I didn’t fully appreciate how much influence 
and involvement the British had here. It was fascinating to hear of all the positive 
and sometimes negative things we brought to this place… and also impressive to 
see how much it is flourishing right now. As the day rolled on and the sun began to set, there was only one place we were 
heading… Gardens By The Bay. At the risk of sounding repetitive on our World 
Voyage episodes… wow! Another bucket-lister! This display was simply breathtaking. From the moment we arrived all the way through 
to the Garden Rhapsody show, this was unreal. The lights, the music, the entire 
experience was something truly special. What a magical way to end our first day here. Since we learned a little bit of 
Singapore’s history yesterday at the museum, let’s venture from the futuristic present 
and explore old-time Singapore on day two. The walk from the central area to 
Chinatown is all at street level, wow we’re really in that tropical climate. But we got to see some beautiful 
architecture. What’s unique about Singapore is that it merges so many cultures in harmony. And that also includes food. Today, I chose to have a signature dish 
in this area — Hainanese chicken rice, in a market! A real local experience, 
and an Anthony Bourdain–approved flavour. Packed with great memories of Singapore, we headed back on board Queen 
Anne to continue our adventure. Back on the ship, we finally lost our battle. Throughout the World Voyage, 
inevitably certain bugs, coughs and sniffles make 
their way through the ship. So far we had avoided everything and been 
at full power the whole time… until now. We succumbed and had to lay low for a few 
days to recover, ready for future adventures. It meant that we were mainly confined to 
the stateroom with plenty of vitamins, Yorkshire Tea, room service, gaming and sleep. Although lame in real life, for 
the purposes of this episode, it does provide a useful segue-way 
to talk about the room for a moment. This was a Club Balcony room, which 
is the same as most balcony rooms, with a few extra perks such as coffee 
machine and bottles of water included. With Queen Anne being much newer than 
her sister ships in the Cunard fleet, naturally the room felt more modern and fresh. We would say that the biggest improvement vs 
say Queen Mary 2 was the bathroom and shower. The outdated shower curtains 
are now proper glass doors and the whole bathroom just feels slightly 
better laid out and easy to move around. But let’s be real, the key to this 
room is in the name… balcony. That’s what you are paying for and this 
is the most important feature. Be it for a quick spot of fresh air 
or most impressively, the views. Arriving and leaving ports while 
sitting on your own balcony is a dream. Be it good weather or bad, day or night, we would just constantly head out and 
feel the sea air and live that dream. With all that being said, after a 
few days laid low with this bug, we were sick of the room at this point and 
ready to venture out again and see the world! Although not back to full power, we were heading 
in the right direction, so when we arrived in Port Klang, we decided to take it steady and 
catch the Cunard shuttle bus to a nearby mall. Just a quick word on the shuttle buses for 
information: At a vast majority of the stops, Cunard would provide a shuttle bus to take you 
to a nearby mall or landmark. Obviously these were not needed when arriving right in the middle of a city like Sydney or Auckland but were super useful when arriving in places where the port 
is a bit of a trek from the main city centre. Anyway, back in Port Klang, 
we checked out the local mall and started to regain our match-fitness 
with a bite to eat and spot of shopping. We would have liked to have seen more and probably would have done the much longer journey to Kuala Lumpur but we had to take a rain-check this one time. For our final call on this chapter of the World Voyage we visited our second Malaysian port, Penang. With our personal batteries recharged we 
headed off into George Town to explore. Our first stop was for coffee and 
a snack. The proprietor of this establishment required snacks and strokes in 
return for coffee and cake, so we obliged. It was then on to a local museum, or more 
accurately, this gorgeous 19th century mansion. This is such a beautifully preserved, interesting space packed with vintage furniture, ornaments and decorations. We then headed for Two Frenchies for food. This 
was definitely one of the best restaurants we visited during our entire world voyage. The food, 
the place, the service, the vibe… all exquisite. We then continued to explore the 
backstreets of this old town, checking out various shops 
and markets along the way. Before finishing up at the famous Jetties. A nice stroll back to the ship was the 
final act of this leg of our journey. A leg packed with spectacular 
moments, views and experiences. Now Queen Anne sets sail for the final 
part of this World Voyage… Africa. For us, this upcoming leg 
would be our most challenging. Where changes to itineraries, odd rules 
and bad decisions would cause havoc. But amidst the drama, we would still strive 
to find those moments of magic along the way. We hope you enjoyed episode 
three of our adventure. Please like and subscribe to stay informed 
of our next episode dropping and we will see you for the final chapter of 
our world voyage story very soon. Tschüss

Episode Three of our journey around the world.

0:00 Intro
1:34 Cruise ship vs Pirates
3:38 Day 67: Manila
5:32 Day 69: Hong Kong
9:19 Day 73: Ho Chi Minh City
11:30 Ship Life: Sir Samuel’s
12:17 Ship Life: Queens Room
13:47 Day 75: Singapore
17:27 Ship Life: Getting Ill
18:11 Ship Life: Club Balcony stateroom
19:38 Day 77: Port Klang
20:40 Day 78: Penang