Have you ever wondered what it’s like to cruise to Alaska? We’ve got you covered!
We heard from Cruise.co.uk expert consultants, Lyndy Barker and Bhavika Parekh, who told us all about their experience sailing onboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth for a 7-night cruise exploring ‘The Last Frontier’.
Day One: The adventure begins
Today we flew from London Gatwick Airport to Vancouver. Once we arrived in Vancouver, Cunard transferred us to the Radisson Blu Airport Hotel for an overnight stay.
We then caught an Uber to the Flying Beaver Bar & Grill for food and drink, which was recommended by one of the Cunard meet and greeters- and it didn’t disappoint. It was set on the Waterfront where we could watch seaplanes taking off and landing. The atmosphere, company and food were good and we had an enjoyable evening.
Day Two: Embarkation day
This morning, our transfer wasn’t due to pick us up until 11:30 am, so four of us decided to take an Uber and walk a little way to the cruise terminal. You really need to spend at least two or three days in Vancouver to fully appreciate it as there are so many things to see and do here.
The terminal area is really lovely; we spent a few hours looking around at the other cruise ships which were in port before embarking on Queen Elizabeth earlier than our scheduled time. The check-in process was very quick and smooth.
Two Bellhops greeted us as soon as we stepped onboard and, as it was early, we had the opportunity to wander around the ship before the other passengers embarked. Queen Elizabeth is a very elegant, spacious and traditional ship.
A little later on, we had some lunch in the Lido and then sat on deck with a drink until our cabins were ready. We elected to buy the drinks package which was $75 per person per day when purchased onboard at the time.
We had a balcony cabin each and these were very spacious, comfortable, clean and had plenty of wardrobe space. There was also a safe in the middle shelving unit and a fridge which had a mini bottle of sparkling wine in it!
We met our hosts and the rest of the agents for drinks in the Yacht Club after sailaway. After another drink in the Golden Lion, we then moved on to dinner in the Britannia Restaurant; which was good but the menu was fairly limited.
We didn’t make the show this evening as by the time dinner was finished it was too late. It had been a long and tiring day so a few of us retired to our cabins whilst others went back to the Yacht Club for the Welcome Onboard Disco.
Day Three: A day spent at sea
For our first morning on the ship, we went for breakfast in the Lido- followed by our first training session. This was a getting-to-know-you session, an introduction to the week ahead and the history of Cunard.
Once the session was over we headed back to the Lido deck for a drink and had lunch in the Lido buffet restaurant. We spent the afternoon enjoying the facilities on the ship and then headed to our cabins to get ready for the first Gala Evening – the Ice White Ball.
The scenery began to change in the surrounding landscapes outside of the ship and all we could say was, wow. We passed through Burrard Inlet, through the Strait of Georgia between Point Atkinson and Point Grey.
We met at the Britannia Restaurant and our tables were ready for us. After dinner, we made our way to the Queen Room for the Ice White Ball; the ice sculpture was impressive!
The entertainment in the Royal Court Theatre today was Hollywood Nights – a roller coaster ride through the history of the Silver Screen. Following this, some of the group then elected to go to the Yacht Club for Karaoke.
Day Four: Tracy Arm Fjord
Today was fabulous! As we headed towards the Tracy Arm Fjord, the Captain announced that he would try to get us as close as possible to the Glacier. We were on deck for most of this journey and the Captain opened the forward bow crew sections on decks four and five to allow better views for passengers.
We could only stay on deck for a short while as we had a Cocktail Masterclass to attend in the Commodore Club. In this class, you get to sample five different cocktails. As we were in Alaska, we sampled ones native to here, some of which were mind-blowing- especially the moonshine one!
Once we finished here, we proceeded to the front of the ship as we were approaching the Glacier. I was in awe of the scenery, the small blue icebergs, and even the seals in the smaller pieces of ice flow. The Captain advised this was the closest he had managed to get the ship to the glacier.
Day Five- Sitka
Sitka is a hidden beauty on the east coast of Baranof Island in southeast Alaska, towered over by snowy mountains in the distance. Today we had a Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest excursion; this was a 3-hour experience.
The scenery was very picturesque as we headed out from the port. As we got further out, the captain said he had spotted a whale – this was the highlight of our trip as it was a humpback!
Not only was it arching, but it came out of the water and we managed to capture two fairly good photos of this amazing creature.
We stayed in this area for a while and then proceeded to look for the sea otters. We were told these were mothers with their babies who travel on their Mums’ bodies. Again, I managed to capture a couple of photos.
We then travelled to the further limit of our journey passing dense green landscaped shores with snow-capped mountains in the distance. We found another two humpback whales close to where the local boats were fishing and the Captain informed us that it was unusual for these creatures to be in shallow depths.
Again, we stayed here for a while but then it was time to head back. We boarded Queen Elizabeth and met up with two of the other agents we had become friends on the trip. We had a midweek catch-up session with our hosts and the room was buzzing with our adventures of the day.
Day Six: Juneau
We were informed that there would be a 4th July Parade today in Juneau so we made our way off the ship by 9 am to get in line for the Mount Roberts Tramway, which we could see from the ship.
We waited for our Gondola for only about 10-15 minutes and then we ascended 1,800 feet from the cruise dock in downtown Juneau through the rain forest to the Mountain House, offering expansive, panoramic views of Juneau and Gastineau Channel. The Juneau tram is one of the most vertical tramways in the world!
Once we reached the top, we spent about an hour enjoying the views and looking around. There are hiking trails, a gift shop, the Timberline Bar & Grill and a coffee shop.
We returned down on the tram and had a look in some shops before making our way to the Red Dog Saloon, which we entered through swinging doors into a carpet of sawdust. We had a drink from a very intriguing menu and then joined the crowd outside to wait for the parade to start.
After watching the Juneau parade, we headed back to the ship and went for Afternoon Tea in the Queens Room. It started with the parade of the white-gloved waiters followed by dainty sandwiches and scones being served. The 4th July cakes were then presented to us and we did indulge!
Later on, we joined the rest of our group for the ‘Fronteir’ Speciality Dining experience in the Lido Restaurant. Cunard has various menus for each location they visit so, for us, the menu consisted of local Alaskan fare, predominantly fish and seafood. After dinner, we headed to the Yacht Club to watch karaoke for the rest of the evening.
Day Seven: Ketchikan
Ketchikan is a thriving fishing town with colourful stilted houses, a rich Alaskan culture and a throng of trawlers hauling in fresh crab and salmon.
It’s just three miles long and three blocks wide but here you can be sure to find Alaska’s busiest waterfront bustling with boat planes, fishing boats, pleasure craft, and busy fishermen. It also has free shuttles to the main area, the Totem Park and Walmart.
After breakfast, we met the group ashore, took the free shuttle to Walmart and then headed back to the ship to deposit the goodies that we had purchased. Top tip: you need to pay by cash or card in Walmart as they do not take Apple Pay!
We then took the shuttle to the main area by the waterfront as we had a group excursion to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. The show lasted about 45 minutes; it was a family-friendly performance that included some thrills and laughs.
Afterwards, as we had some free time, we went into a few shops and then hopped on the shuttle which took us on a little tour of Ketchikan. It stops off at the Totem Heritage Centre Park, which looked very pretty with various totem poles and unique carvings.
Once back onboard, it was time to get ready for the Masquerade Ball! We all ate together as a group in the Britannia Restaurant and this was the best menu of the week.
Once dinner had finished, we made our way to the Queens Room where the official Ball was taking place. After a while, we moved on to the Yacht Club just in time for karaoke- the group’s favourite venue!
Day Seven: Another day at sea
This was the last day of our Alaskan adventure. We were sad as we were all in agreement that this was a Bucket List experience which none of us wanted to end!
We had lunch in the Steakhouse at the Veranda today. This was a lovely menu for meat-eaters, although there didn’t seem to be a vegetarian burger option. After lunch, we enjoyed the ship again and some of us started the dreaded packing to go home!
Later on, we met the group for pre-dinner drinks in the Yacht Club and then proceeded to our final dinner in the Britannia Restaurant. Afterwards, most of the group carried on through the night until the early hours and some retired to their cabins.
Day Eight: Disembarkation in Vancouver
We elected not to go for breakfast this morning and instead met the group to go to the Queens Room, where we would be called off in our groups to disembark. We were called off by 9:15 am and on the coach for 10 am.
We had a bit of a wait but Vancouver is a lovely airport so we sat on what can only be described as a small arena seating and waited until we could check-in. The flight was on time and we arrived back safely at Gatwick Airport the following morning.
Trip Highlights
Alaska is an amazing place to visit and we would definitely recommend travelling there on a cruise, especially with a balcony cabin as the views to wake up to in the morning are stunning.
Queen Elizabeth is beautiful, elegant and timeless and exudes traditional qualities for cruising. We never felt as though we couldn’t get a seat or sunbed as the ship is very spacious and has lots of areas. Afternoon Tea in the Queens Room was a particular highlight and needs to be experienced at least once.
If the special menu in the Lido Restaurant is available onboard Queen Elizabeth when you are sailing, then please try this! There was a cover charge of $20 per person to pre-book or $25 per person if booked onboard- but it was worth every penny! The Golden Lion Pub is also a must-try for lunch or dinner: here you can get fish & chips, pie and other traditional pub fare.
Our favourite place was the pool area on Deck 9 aft. We had the most amazing views and the waiter Elie, who seemed to be there no matter what time we visited, would always recognise us and make a point of saying hello. The Mareel Spa is also a relaxing place to spend some downtime in.
The balcony cabins are spacious and kept extremely clean and serviced morning to night- even providing a small chocolate each evening!
The only thing I can think of that could be improved is the Britannia menu. It is fairly limited and, as we had vegetarians and gluten-free travellers within our group, some nights they struggled with choices.
And, finally…
VISIT ALASKA – YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!
