Carnival Moves Arcadia to Holland America, Queen Anne to P&O
Key Aspects:
P&O Cruises’ Arcadia will transfer to Holland America Line in 2029, expanding the cruise line’s fleet from 11 to 12 ships.
The transfer is part of a wider Carnival Corporation fleet reshuffle that will also see Cunard’s Queen Anne move to P&O Cruises in 2029.
Both vessels are set to undergo refurbishments before sailing under their new brands.
Carnival Corporation is mixing things up a bit with a shuffle of two cruise ships between three of its cruise brands. Firstly, Holland America Line’s fleet is expanding from 11 to 12 ships. The 83,781-gross-ton Arcadia will be transferred to the cruise line from P&O Cruises in 2029.
Secondly, Cunard’s Queen Anne will also see a transfer to P&O Cruises in 2029, complete with an extensive redesign.
Arcadia’s transfer can be seen in some ways as the ship finally coming home. The Vista Class ship was originally ordered by Holland America Line in 2000. Arcadia shares its Vista Class platform with other Holland America Line ships. These include Oosterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, and Zuiderdam.
Plans changed, however, and it was reassigned to Cunard Line, where it was meant to debut as Queen Victoria. Before launch, the vessel was reassigned once again, this time to P&O Cruises, which has operated Arcadia since 2005.
This transfer will finally bring the vessel into service with Holland America Line after more than 20 years. The addition will also give the cruise line capacity for more than 2,000 additional guests and greater flexibility in deploying its fleet.
Holland America describes the transfer as an extension of its Evolution program. Cruise Hive reported on this $500 million multi-year fleet investment when it was first announced in April 2026.
“As a Vista Class ship, she is a natural fit and an exciting extension of Holland America Evolution, the largest guest experience transformation in our 153-year history,” said Beth Bodensteiner, president of Holland America Line.
The program initially included upgrades for six vessels: Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Westerdam, Noordam, Nieuw Amsterdam, and Eurodam. The investment will add venues, restaurants, staterooms and some Pinnacle Class features to the ships.
Which changes will be made to Arcadia have not been revealed by Holland America ahead of the transfer. It is also unclear which, if any, of the previously announced Evolution upgrades will be introduced onboard.
More follows shortly.
Carnival Moves Arcadia to Holland America, Queen Anne to P&O