I have just returned from my summer Alaska cruise on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth.
One of my bucket list dreams was to sail on a ‘Queen’ and it did not disappoint.
Read on to find out more as I travelled north to Alaska.
Although vaccinations are no longer required by Cunard, it recommends passengers stay up to date with vaccinations.
Queen Elizabeth is a medium-sized ship for 2,081 passengers and has a lovely mix of glamorous Art Deco-style interiors in the bars, lounges and public spaces but a relaxed ambience at all times, despite the smart dress code after 6pm.
Most days guests are eager to get off the ship and explore the ports, and in Alaska there’s a slight expedition cruise feel to the ship, too, because Queen Elizabeth is one of only four ships with a permit to sail in Unesco-listed Glacier Bay, thanks to its green credentials.
At night most people will get dressed up for dinner and to enjoy the entertainment, which ranges from string trios and harpists to folk music and pop, comedy and West End-style shows.
Sea days are the chance to sleep in, join a dance class, use the gym or stretch out beside one of the two open-deck pools, before getting ready for a black tie Gala Night dinner – although suits and smart dresses are as acceptable as tuxedos and cocktail gowns.
The WOW factor
The ship’s interiors – from its Grand Lobby, with a sweeping staircase and two deck-high marquetry panels of the original Queen Elizabeth ship, to its chandelier-festooned ballroom and deck-top croquet court – make sailing on Queen Elizabeth a very special experience.
You can’t help feeling like minor royalty yourself as you swish through the Art Deco-style bars and lounges on your way to dinner in the splendidly elegant Britannia dining room, which has the look and feel of a wood-panelled New York club.
Guests lucky enough to be sailing in the Queens Grill and Princess Grill – with the best cabins on the ship and their own private restaurants and lounge – are even more spoiled, with their own concierge to sort out any problems.
Staterooms
There are three grades of cabins: Britannia, Princess Grill Suites and Queens Grill Suites, with varying sizes for all. Britannia has Inside Cabins, Oceanview Cabins with a window, Balcony Cabins and suite-like Club Balcony Cabins, which have exclusive access to the intimate Club Balcony restaurant. We’re fortunate to stay in a Club Balcony cabin. Well worth the money.
Princess Grill Suites are slightly bigger, with more complimentary options such as in-suite dining, fresh fruit and mineral water every day as well as exclusive access to the Princess Grill restaurant, while Queens Grill Suites are even bigger, with a butler, pre-dinner canapes, complimentary mini-bar, in-suite dining and exclusive dining at the Queen’s Grill.
But all the cabins have tea and coffee-making facilities, at least one UK power socket among other foreign and USB sockets, king size or twin beds, Penhaligon’s toiletries, complimentary room service, daily room cleaning, satellite TV and a bottle of sparkling wine to welcome you on board.
Dining
As you’d expect from such a traditional cruise line, Queen Elizabeth has one glorious main dining room and a large self-service buffet – both open for breakfast, lunch and dinner – with just a few alternatives for casual dining. There’s also dedicated dining for suite guests and one fabulous specialty restaurant for splashing out on special occasions.
Britannia is truly magnificent main dining room, with set-dining on deck three which is more like two large balconies overlooking the open-sitting tables on deck two. There’s a swirling mahogany grand staircase down from deck three to two if you want to make an entrance.
Lido Restaurant on deck nine is also open for breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet meals and has a good choice, with the benefit of being able to take your food outside to the back of the ship for impromptu alfresco dining.
At lunchtime you can get a burger and fries at the Lido Grill on the back deck, and interesting options here might include a salmon Scotch egg or bean burger.
Suite guests can get all meals in their respective restaurants – all beautifully styled and excellently organised by diligent waiters – while those who prefer a more casual bite to eat can get fish & chips at the Golden Lion Pub on deck two or charcuterie and seafood platters at Café Carinthia, where you can buy drinks and specialty tea and coffee.
Paid-for specialty dining is available at Bamboo at the Lido, which is open for dinner and serves destination-focused food, while Steakhouse at The Verandah has a Mayfair-like ambiance and is everything you would expect of a classy steak and lobster restaurant. We ate at both and enjoyed our meals and service.
There’s also afternoon tea every day in the Queens Room from 3pm until 4pm served by white gloved waiters accompanied by classical musicians. If you don’t get there early, you usually must queue.
Lifestyle
Queen Elizabeth is relatively small compared to newer resort ships but there’s plenty to do during sea days or if you don’t fancy getting off when it’s in port.
Those who favour an unhurried holiday can relax in the conservatory-like Garden Lounge, read in the book-lined Library or stretch out on a deck lounger in the sun. But if you prefer to get into the thick of things there are pub quizzes, dance classes, bridge lessons for beginners and intermediates, croquet and bowls on the sports deck and two pools to swim in – or at least paddle around.
Paid-for options include the lovely Mareel Wellness and Beauty spa with treatments ranging from fabulous facials to all kinds of massages, and there are yoga and HIIT Reboot lessons in the gym, which also has free stretch sessions and free equipment to work out with.
During Queen Elizabeth’s Alaska cruises, on board naturalist Dr Rachel Cartwright gives an expert commentary while the ship sails through Tracy Arm Fjord; sails past seven mile-wide Hubbard Glacier and sails into Unesco-listed Glacier Bay to see two giant glaciers rolling down between the snow-topped mountains.
Dr. Cartwright, who runs a humpback whale research program in Hawaii when not on the ship, is part of the exceptional Cunard Insights team and her wildlife lectures in the theatre should not be missed.
Entertainment
When daytime classes and lectures are over the evening entertainment begins, usually at about 5pm with a little light music in the bars for those early diners who want a pre-dinner drink. If this is too early you won’t miss out, as the musicians perform several sets throughout the night.
Deck 10’s Commodore Club, with its wraparound windows for looking out to sea, is a popular pre-drinks meeting place and the perfect piano lounge.
There’s dancing in the Queens Room, which has a sprung dance floor, and this can range from recorded ballroom and Latin music to the hits of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
The Golden Lion pub has acoustic sets in the evening – anything from folk to pop – and the Royal Court Theatre has a show every evening featuring West End names who sing and share stories about their stage careers; comedians – American and British; old-style song and dance revues and at least one West End-style show. The burgers here are amazing.
And if that’s not enough after there’s always Late Night Dancing at The Yacht Club.
We were able to visit many ports of call each with its own magic.
Ketchikan is known for three things: Native Alaskan (Tlingit) totem poles, Misty Fjords National Monument and the city’s distinction as the “salmon capital of the world.” The town has more standing totem poles than anywhere else in the state; see them at the Saxman Native Village and the Totem Heritage Center. Access the Misty Fjords by kayak, floatplane or scenic cruise. Fishing excursions are plentiful here, too.
Ketchikan is where folks go to see the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, with athletes wielding axes and saws in traditional lumbering activities. It is also the jumping-off point for a Bering Sea crab fishing tour.
Juneau
Alaska’s capital city is interesting because no road leads from here to the rest of the state. It’s located at the base of Mount Juneau, and you can only get there via boat or small plane — even residents have to bring their cars to Juneau via ferry. Home to Mendenhall Glacier, this is a popular port for hikes by, kayak tours to and helicopter landings on the glacier.
For a view of the city and cruise port, take a ride in the sky on the Mount Roberts Tramway. Various wildlife-viewing trips (whale, bears and more) and visits to dogsled camps and salmon bakes leave from Juneau.
Skagway
If you’re interested in Alaska’s Gold Rush history, Skagway — 90 miles northwest of Juneau — is a port you shouldn’t miss. In fact, it’s the gateway to the Klondike and Dawson’s mining district in Canada’s Yukon territory, where prospectors searched for gold in the late 1890s. The historic district still has a Wild West feel, though that’s been a bit commercialized for the modern era. This port can get crowded in summer when several ships can call on the same day.
Skagway is an easy port for independent travelers who want to explore the town or go for a hike on their own. It’s most famous as the terminus for the White Pass Railway into the Yukon.
Sitka
Sitka is as much a working fishing town as it is a tourist destination. Sitka’s Russian heritage also sets it apart from other Alaskan ports on your cruise itinerary. See St. Michael’s Orthodox Cathedral with its onion dome and the Russian Bishop’s House.
Before the Russians came, the Tlingit people settled here. You can learn about their history and culture at the Sitka National Historical Park and Sheldon Jackson Museum of native Alaskan art. Wildlife enthusiasts may want to visit the Alaska Raptor Centre or go bird- and bear-watching.
Haines
The population of Haines remains less than 2,000, according to the United Status Census Bureau, and it isn’t yet as touristy as some of the other Alaskan ports, such as nearby Skagway. It’s known for great fishing (salmon, halibut and trout) and an eagle preserve — because eagles know where the best fish can be found.
Animal lovers and kids tend to enjoy a visit to the Kroschel Center for Orphaned Animals here. For a special tour, go bear-watching at twilight. It’s very easy to explore on your own.
Icy Strait Point
Icy Strait Point is notable among Alaska cruise ports because the area and its attractions are all native Alaskan owned. Most port and tour staff hail from Hoonah, Alaska’s largest Tlingit village. The port is set on Chichagoff Island, which is known for its large bear population. Wildlife lovers have plenty of opportunities to search for whales and eagles here; adventure-seekers won’t want to miss the ZipRider, with its course of six zip lines.
Scenic cruising
Most Alaska itineraries include some “scenic cruising,” where your ship sails past incredible natural sights. You’ll rarely leave the ship during these sail-bys (unless you happen to be aboard certain expedition, luxury or small ships that offer the chance to get on board a skiff to get closer … but, even then, you’re still viewing these sites from the water).
Why Alaska?
Breathtaking beauty aside, Alaska is a perfect field study of nature, going through lesson after lesson as you cruise past million-year-old fjords, forested islets of eagle-clad hemlocks, orca-swarmed inlets and whale-rich open water. It’s also a lot of fun.
Not many big ship cruise destinations can boast such an array of flora and fauna in a week’s cruise, but Alaska can. That’s why more than a dozen cruise lines, using everything from expedition-style boats to floating resort mega-ships, make the rounds up and down the Inside Passage, past the Hubbard Glacier, and into seductive ports-of-call that edge you even closer to the abundant wilderness that’s seemingly everywhere.
Romantic, educational, and awe-inspiring, Alaska cruises are honeymoons, family vacations and every nature lover’s dream.
Cruises operate from the end of April through to the beginning of October to avoid the ice and Alaska’s numbing winter cold. Due to the short season, Alaska cruises are always a hot ticket, often booking up a year in advance.
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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before travelling.
