Cunard today laid the keel for its new ship, the 3,000-passenger Queen Anne, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Venice. Captain Inger Klein Torhauge first welded the ceremonial coin into the keel before a massive crane pulled the center section of the Queen Anne into place next to the new ship's superstructure.

The "laying" of the keel is a key milestone in shipbuilding, marking the official first step in the ship's construction and is celebrated with a ceremony attended by officials and cruise and shipbuilding companies. The new ship, which will be completed by the end of next year, will enter service at the beginning of 2024.

"Over the last three years the world's leading designers have worked with master shipbuilders here at Fincantieri to design this ship which reinforces our resolve to be a world-renowned luxury brand on every continent," Carnival UK chairman Sture Mirmel said at the ceremony.

Queen Anne will be enjoyed by many generations to come and we really look forward to welcoming her to our fleet."

Queen Anne is the first new ship from Cunard since the Queen Elizabeth launched in 2010, and will increase the fleet to four for the first time since 1999.

Queen Anne's design draws on Cunard's Art Deco past and will be a tribute to the "golden age" of travel.

The ship will feature Cunard's first double-deck, 825-seat Royal Court Theater inspired by the world's great theatres, with lavish fittings and velvet seats.

The ship will have 15 restaurants, including the main dining Britannia restaurant, found on all ships of the line -- and the popular Golden Lion pub, which serves bar food.