P&O Cruises to Retire Arcadia in August 2029 and Take Over Cunard’s Queen Anne

October 7, 2026 — P&O Cruises will hand its adults-only Arcadia to Holland America Line after a final sailing on August 21, 2029, and will receive Cunard’s Queen Anne in May 2029. Carnival UK, the Carnival Corporation unit that runs both British brands, announced the moves on October 6.

Queen Anne carries about 3,000 guests and entered service in May 2024. It will finish Cunard’s 2028–29 world voyage, then go through what the company calls an extensive reimagining and take a new name before sailing for P&O. Arcadia joined P&O in 2005 and is known for longer voyages and world cruises.

Key dates

Event	Date
Queen Anne joins P&O Cruises	May 2029 (exact date TBA)
Arcadia’s final P&O sailing	August 21, 2029
Arcadia farewell season on sale	TBA
Queen Anne’s new name	TBA
First P&O itineraries and homeport for the renamed ship	TBA

The company says all currently published Arcadia and Queen Anne voyages before the transfer dates will sail as planned. Carnival UK president Paul Ludlow said Queen Anne will “introduce a new class of ship to the P&O Cruises fleet,” Cruise Critic reports.

Not yet answered: whether the renamed ship will be adults-only like Arcadia, and how much of the Cunard interior will remain.

What it means for travelers

Existing bookings are safe. No published Arcadia sailing is cancelled, so no flight changes are needed.
Adults-only fans should watch the next announcement. P&O has not said whether the replacement ship keeps Arcadia’s adults-only policy.
Farewell season: P&O plans a celebratory final season for Arcadia, but those cruises are not on sale yet. Expect demand from loyal guests when dates appear.
Homeport: TBA for the renamed ship, so hold off on planning flights for summer 2029 sailings.