One year ago, I had the pleasure of experiencing Alaska aboard the gleaming Queen Elizabeth - one of Cunard's luxury cruise ships.
I Invite you to read along as I share my past itinerary, the planned and unplanned, and my honest experience aboard as a Cruise Specialist.
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth – 7 night - Inside Passage cruise to Alaska from Vancouver - June 24 to July 01, 2022
Check-In
After an Uber ride from home to the impressive cruise port at Canada Place in Vancouver, we arrived for our 3:15PM check in. The cruise ship terminal can be challenging to navigate if you are doing a self-drive, but the Uber took us directly to level two and right to the Cunard baggage handlers. Very easy! In hindsight, we should have arrived earlier because once we got onboard, the only thing open for a snack was cold sandwiches at the buffet.
Once checked-in, we proceeded down to the Cruise Ship level and through Security. From Security we then went through customs. It sounds a bit daunting but it ran very smoothly. We used the machines to scan our passports, gave the cards to the Customs agents, and proceeded onboard. We were then required to show our vaccination cards and negative Antigen (within 48 hours of travel) or PCR test (taken within 72 hours of departure). We had done the online check in with Cunard and pre-submitted our photographs so once we got to the 1st security check on the ship, they already had our pictures linked to our bar code that is printed on the boarding passes.
The cabin keys were in an envelope at tour cabin door, it was a very contactless procedure. There is no longer an Emergency Drill, instead we were instructed to go to our Muster Station (posted on the back of the door), take our life jackets, and then we scanned our room card with one of the staff to show we had checked in to the 'virtual Emergency Drill'.
Masks were recommended to be worn onboard. At the beginning of the journey, everyone was wearing them. By the end, less than 10% were wearing them – until disembarkation where they were again mandatory. The ship, as expected, was not completely full. We were advised it was over 50% but less than 70%, so we did find some of the services were not being offered. Cunard normally has specialty restaurant evenings at the buffet – you pay a surcharge for this – but on this sailing it was not offered.
When cruising from Canada, you are required to fill in the ArriveCan app before you board the ship and within 72 hours of travel, his must be done again before returning to Canada.
Onboard Dining
Dining was traditional cruise dining schedule - we were allocated 2nd seating. We requested a table for 2 but were placed at a table for 6. We quickly changed this with the help of the Maître De but then found our table for 2 was too close to the next table - it was like we were still dining with other passengers. Our dining room waiter Mariano was excellent. He was very attentive and accommodating; he made sure we were always enjoying our meal, and on one occasion, replaced a meal he could tell was not up to par.
We did dine at La Veranda, the specialty steak and seafood venue, for $39 USD per person. We had decided to book the restaurant as the seafood tower ($20 USD upcharge) looked phenomenal. Before our reservation, we found out that the seafood platter had been taken off the menu, which was very disappointing. We spoke with the Maître De, who said he would speak to the chef but added that there was no guarantee that it could be offered. We arrived at the restaurant to excellent news – the chef said Yes! We indulged in one of the best seafood platters we have ever had. The service in La Veranda was excellent and they also had a wonderful wine list. If you have the chance to go, I highly recommend booking this venue.
The buffet was lovely but we would instead go outside to the Lido Grill at the back of the ship as their seafood dish of the day was always fresh and tasty.
A highlight of the cruise is the afternoon tea. It gets very busy so I recommend to go early to get your table. The waiters bring around the tea and an assortment of sandwiches and of course, the scones with jam clotted cream. Don't leave early as they continue to bring out many more desserts.
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The Ports
The ports of call were very enjoyable - our itinerary included Icy Strait Point, Sitka, and Ketchikan. The weather was also spectacular.
Icy Strait Point is the port for Hoonah Alaska. They have built a shopping area and a restaurant at Icy Strait along with a gondola. The gondola to the top of the mountain was $49 USD, but depending on which pier you dock at there is a free gondola from one side to the other. The locals offer a shuttle into town for $5 USD round trip. The town itself is very small with only one or two stores. It is 1.5 miles to walk but we opted for the shuttle as the weather was a stunning 85 degrees Fahrenheit – far too warm to walk that far. On return to the dock we decided to support the local community and had lunch at the Crab Shack. Big mistake - the line up was long, the service was not up to par, and honestly, the food onboard was far superior.
Sitka now has a dock built for large ships. The distance is approx. 5 miles to the center of town and there is a complimentary shuttle service. There were two large ships in port so the shuttle line was quite long. The Community Center is where the shuttle picks you up and drops you off, and also offers free wifi, so it was quite busy there as well.
Our sail into Glacier Bay was beautiful! Unfortunately, there was a bit of engine trouble so we did not make it up to Margorie Glacier.
The Cabins
The Queen Elizabeth is a beautiful ship; very comfortable and has many unique features. The Queens Grill and Princess Grill are the top categories of suites that have their own separate dining venues and lounges for guests staying in them. The Britannia Club Balcony is cabins with breathtaking balconies and access to their own open-seating dining room. The Britannia cabins dine in the Britannia restaurant with their choice of two set dining times – 5:30PM and 8:15PM.
Our cabin was on Deck 5 mid ship, it was quite spacious with a private balcony. A very nice detail was the half bottle of sparking wine that is in each cabin on arrival, as well as a kettle with coffee and tea and a mini fridge. There was a couple amenities we needed that were not available in our room, but if you need something just ask your steward.
The Experience
On a seven night cruise there are two formal nights and people do dress up. We had the Ice Night where the dress code was silver, blue, and white fancy dress, and then the Roaring Twenties night. It was truly great to see everyone getting in the mood of the evening. If you do not want to dress up, the options would be the buffet or room service.
Cruising to Alaska is one of my favorite things to do. Sailing the inside passage is very beautiful no matter if it is raining or brilliant sunshine. We saw so many whales and seals and eagles – it was spectacular.
Conclusions
Please note, the period of time I embarked this trip in regards to the COVID pandemic definitely altered the experience onboard. Nevertheless, the requirements for cruise travel are changing rapidly and many lines have now scrapped the testing requirements. Your North South travel advisor will ensure that you have the up-to-date information.
One suggestion for returning to Canada for trips ending on July 1st - we found the roads in front of Canada Place were blocked off for the Canada Day celebrations so had to walk a few blocks for the Uber station, so just be aware and be prepared.
The year 2022 was still a bit unusual for cruising. I personally think it was THE time to cruise as promotions were excellent. It was still a bit challenging with the various testing but when you travel, always remember to pack your patience! There are still many great cruise deals to be found but keep in mind, many people are using up their Future Cruise Credits from 2020 so space is starting to be limited for 2023!
Nevertheless, we are here to make sure you embark on the cruise of your dreams.
Photo credits: www.cunard.com