Thousands Welcome Queen Anne at Southampton Port, UK

Cunard's latest addition, the Queen Anne, has docked at her homeport of Southampton in preparation for her inaugural journey to Lisbon this Friday.

The vessel, marking the 249th ship in Cunard's fleet, arrived in the city at around 8 p.m. local time.

As the Queen Anne made her first-ever navigation through Southampton, she was greeted by an ensemble of small boats from the local maritime community, celebrating her arrival.

Having sailed from Italy, where she was officially handed over at the Fincantieri Maghera shipyard in Venice on April 19, the luxury liner attracted thousands of onlookers along Southampton Water. Spectators eagerly viewed the 113,000-ton ship, which can accommodate 3,000 guests.

A ceremonial blessing and the exchange of a commemorative plaque are scheduled to take place at the Mayflower Terminal on Friday, May 3. Following these events, the Queen Anne will set sail on a 14-night voyage to the Canary Islands.