martinmct

Having left Sitka, the captain informed us that we needed to bypass Ketchikan in order to visit Victoria for Canadian authorities to inspect QE, before getting into Vancouver on 8th June. We spent about 5 hours anchored off Victoria before being allowed to dock. It’s a very pleasant evening in Victoria - all aboard for 11.30pm.

@sfred that is a great shot! Onto Sitka today Monday 5th June - not quite the skies of yesterday, but it has plenty to throw at us judging by the commentary from the bus driver from the pier to the town - I’m not sure who was most exhausted, him talking…or us listening!

Sunday 4th June, and how Alaska has delivered, wall to wall sunshine and QE has just made an unforgettable visit to Hubbard Glacier. Just glorious! Tonights gala night is, quite appropriately, Ice White. I shall be back again on 14th June…but you can’t guarantee what the weather will be like then, it’s my wife’s birthday so I will have everything crossed for a repeat!

….and here is QE from the ground today. There is a shipwide air of expectancy for what is to come! Nice to hear memories of cruises past… just leaving the pier at Seward.

So, Saturday 27th May QE is at Otaru, Hokkaido. A peaceful overnight crossing from Aomori, we arrived in good time. On board immigration in the Queens Room is currently being carried out by Japanese authorities before we leave for Seward… shortly… A Japanese gentleman was doing a pencil sketch of QE next to where I took my shot - he was more than happy for me to picture his sketch. Final photo taken from Suitengu Shrine - a high point above the town.

@sfred so QE will in fact be departing Japan for Alaska for the first time since you departed back in 2019 - wow! You were a lot earlier over to Alaska in 2019 which meant that you got to see some blossom - we did a quick Bullet train trip to Hakodate on 5th May before joining QE a day later, this years blossom was few and far between by then. Currently got our tug escort for the Otaru approach, will see if I can come up with a cryptic and not so cryptic photo of QE at rest - if it’s a photo of her moving then we’ve got a problem, it’s a long swim to Seward!

After a hard passage from Yokohama, respite was reached in North Honshu - Aomori, today, Friday 26th May. We were lucky all day with Mount Fuji whilst in Yokohama - lovely scenes behind QE before, and as we left port.

This picture may be just a little more helpful for the game!

24th May and QE is back in Yokohama for another changeover day - it’s a beautiful morning and Mt Fuji is on fine display, just can’t get in position to picture it with QE. We are on the 17 bus to Tsurumi station on our way to Kanazawa for a quick visit.

May 10th and QE has slipped halfway down the east coast of Taiwan to Hualien.

A couple of sea days later 9th May and we are at Keelung, Taiwan. A 5 minute walk to the train station and a cheap train trip to Taipei, tickets can be bought by credit card from ticket machines very easily.

Saturday May 6th - Coronation Day - QE at Yokohama for turnaround day. It was incredibly windy and she required a lot of assistance from bow and stern tugs to get away from the dockside - brilliant seamanship all round!

As promised, here’s a link to a picture of Sakurajima ‘erupting’ at Kagoshima during QE visit, actually a link to a fellow passenger travel blog, nice guy too! http://www.gotogate50.com/tokyo-south-korea-cruise-pt-1/. 4th image down - thanks Patrick!

We did actually observe ‘cloud’ coming from the top of the volcano towards the end of our stay, someone on board did get a decent shot - I’ll see if I can get permission to link to their blog…. In the meantime thanks for those links… However, JR Kyushu Railway Company do have some fairly dramatic promotional material!

11th May 2023 QE at Miyakojima - Hirara port - along with the commemorative plaque presented to the Captain at a ceremony that morning.

12th May 2023 QE at Naha Cruise Terminal, Okinawa

17th May - Kagoshima

Sfred, we have been ‘stuck’ on here since 6th May and ‘have’ to stay until 20th June - there are far worse ways to spend life! No problem whatsoever with the phots - I’ll see if I can dig a few more out - believe Myakojima was a maiden call too…

To complete the last 4 days of Port calls for QE, Nagasaki was visited on Saturday 20th May - was due to be Hiroshima…but G7 put paid to that. Nevertheless Nagasaki is a fine destination, with obvious similar history to Hiroshima, with the Cruise Terminal literally a stones throw from town.

Sfred, as per April 23rd, on Friday 19th May QE came up to the Busan International Passenger Terminal again - certainly helped me out as we headed straight to the rail station for a return trip to Seoul…less than a 10 minute walk away. A lot of work going on in Busan seemingly in connection with Expo 2030.

Sfred, your wish is my command… A shot of QE at Aburatsu yesterday, taken from a train returning from Shibushi, please excuse the quality.

After years of looking at this forum, finally signed up and have a bit of a cheesy image to contribute, confirming QE at Kochi today! Fantastic day for a great visit and the Japanese are just so welcoming.