david,Mississauga

I have taken the railway twice and the time given was the time of departure of the train. I have booked it again for next month and the time of the departure is what we have. As indicated above, the cruise line will give you information about disembarking the ship. If your ship is docked at the Railroad Dock it may take some time to get to the train because passengers have to take either a shuttle bus or a tender to get to the town end of the dock.

We have done three recent round trip cruises from Vancouver, including last year when the ArriveCan forms had to be filled out . Arrival back was painless. The purser's office asked us to fill out our customs declaration forms a couple of days before arrival and place them in a box. On arrival in Vancouver we simply walked off and never spoke to an officer.

It is great to read some others remember the Union-Castle Line. My wife and I were on the very last voyage of RMS Windsor Castle from Port Elizabeth to Southampton in September 1977. There was no dressing down, at least in First Class. It was formal every night except the first, last, an evening in port, and Sundays. As much as I love the Cunard ships, my two voyages on the Windsor Castle remain my favourite of all.

Well said. A few years ago I wrote to Cunard to complain about there being only two formal nights on a 10-day cruise on the QE. I pointed out that a few years before there were three on a seven-day cruise on the same ship. The reply stressed the standards are minimum and "guests" are free to dress more formally any time they wish.

Last year we had our second Alaska cruise on the QE - our third cruise on the ship. We knew there would be changes due to COVID which was still an issue. We saw the humour in not having cocktail parties to keep people safe but allowing people to pack into tenders and stand in a long queue at disembarkation. There were other minor cutbacks that had nothing to do with keeping us safe. The quality of red meat in the Princess Grill was inconsistent. Some of it was tough and even inedible but the rack of lamb and Beef Wellington were superb. We don't each much red meat so this didn't bother us as much as it did other passengers. Some of the finger sandwiches in the Queens Room were stale. The string orchestra did not play once at tea-time. An amplified saxophone made conversation impossible, something we have never before experienced on any Cunard voyage at tea-time. Some of the usual amenities in the PG cabin were missing but cheerfully provided on request, such as a tea-pot and cups and saucers (there was a kettle and mugs) ice, a laundry list and bag. On the plus side: the crew were uniformly excellent, the food was mostly very good, the ship was in good condition. We normally avoid the "big shows" in the Royal Court Theatre, but there was one we were pleased to attend: Top Hat. A quiet after-dinner drink could be enjoyed with the string trio or pianist in the lobby or the Commodore Club. I have read that a harpist has returned. The QE is one of our two favourite ships, the other being the QM2. Within two weeks of getting home last summer we booked another QE Alaska cruise for next month. We have reason to believe that the ship is getting back to normal.

Thanks, I will try this on our voyage next month. We have lots of internet credit, but I know that has nothing to do with "my voyage." I don't use the tablet for our free internet. I find it far more convenient to use Cunard's computers with a proper keyboard and normal screen.

Although I don't have a smart-phone I do travel with a tablet. We were told My Voyage is supposed to work on a tablet, but on our two voyages last year it did not. Every few days I asked for a print-out at the purser's office. I expect I will have to do the same next month on the QE.

Thanks for the info. When I clicked on the link it still said Feb. 27th. So I fiddled with the URL, changing the "2" to "5" and it gave me the current listing. It must have something to do with cookies.

With all the recent talk about cancelled port calls at Skagway I am surprised the port listing has apparently not been updated since Feb. 27th. Perhaps it has been updated but the date has not been changed.

I have always been told no. You can, of course, just use them consecutively which has worked well for us.

In recent years we have boarded three times in Vancouver. My wife has mobility issues but is proud and doesn't like requesting a wheelchair unless necessary. But after some bad experiences in the USA (Newark Airport and the Brooklyn Cruise terminal) I request a wheelchair for most of our air and ship embarkations and disembarkations. That now includes Vancouver. There are not a lot of wheelchairs and staff to push them at the Vancouver pier, so we have been advised to show up early near the baggage drop-off area. The last two times we arrived about 10:15. Once there was a short wait for help but last year we didn't even have to sit on the bench when help arrived. We always stay the night before at either the Pan Pacific or across the street at the Fairmont Waterfront. Porters will collect your luggage from your room and deliver it to the ship. That is one step of the boarding process you don't need to do. Our friends went straight to the convention centre hall for check-in with the cruise line. Otherwise you start on the lower level with luggage drop-off, go up a level and down a long hall to check-in, then back down for the rest of the procedures as others have indicated. I must give a warning about disembarkation. Although we have never had to speak to a border agent (even when ArriveCan was in effect) the queue for a taxi can be considerable. Coach transfers booked through the cruise line are way more expensive than a taxi, but for convenience we sometimes do so. Of course times have changed since our first ever cruise which was from Vancouver 50 years ago. The old CPR terminal was in the same spot as Canada Place. At that time there were no formalities on the pier. We simply walked on board with our visitors, showed our tickets at the purser's office and received our keys. That was it: no security, no photos, no passports for an Alaska cruise, no credit cards to produce. The purser's office dealt with both Canadian and US immigration officers on behalf of the passengers.

Although I have not yet travelled in this luxury coach I have booked it for a June cruise. This was on the recommendation of a friend who did so in 2019. Cunard is charging $345. Unlike the regular coach tickets which can be booked either through the cruise line or direct, the luxury coach can be booked only through the cruise line. He highly recommended it. The bubbly is not Champagne but was a drinkable sparkling wine. He said the "goodies" were ample. The coach is at the end of the train and with the turning loop in operation at "Summit" the coach remains at the end of the train on the return. Before the loop was built, the locomotives were run around the train and it was pulled back to Skagway in reverse. So the last coach northbound became the first one on the return. As I found out on a trip a year or two before the loop was built (and before the luxury coach was introduced) standing on the open platform was not too comfortable with the diesel fumes. Fortunately that is no longer a problem.

We have used Cunard's coach transfer to Gatwick several times. We have not flown from Gatwick the same day, but we stay at a hotel there. Generally the coach departs the dock at 8:30 or shortly after. It can take up to two hours depending on traffic. Cunard wants to know what flight you are taking or they will not issue a ticket for the transfer. It has been indicated that flight must be at 1:00 p.m. or later. (Even though we are not flying the same day we have to indicate something so I just pick a flight at random after 1:00 p.m.) We have occasionally used a car service. It can take a little less time because the driver can take the scenic route if traffic is heavy. Our arrival at Gatwick has always been approximately 10:30 except once when it was 11:00.

There is now a long turning loop at Summit. According to a friend who rode the last car on the train in 2019 that was the year it opened. So it is no longer necessary for the engines to be run around the train to tow it back to Skagway. The last coach is great for viewing from the open platform. (We did that in 2015, although as indicated that became the first one behind the locos on the return.) Some of the trains which depart from the docks have a luxury parlour car on the end. The fare is about $345. This can be booked only through the cruise line. As others have said it is not a long walk to the station from any of the three docks. The furthest distance is from RFA (Railroad Dock Aft), but because of the danger of a rockslide passengers must take a shuttle bus to and from the town end of the dock. This cuts the walk to the station by half. There is another shuttle, for a small fee, that goes into town.

They are (I hope they still are!) also available for Canadians. The FCDs are purchased in Canadian $ which makes sense because the fares we pay are in Canadian $. For the past several FCDs, Cunard has charged us a rate of 30% over the US $ rate. This is slightly advantageous to us. The on-board credit that is offered with them is in US $. We are returning to the QE in less than two months and hope we can still buy FCDs.

Our summer cruise on the QE was from Vancouver to Alaska. We also had a Québec - New York voyage on the QM2 in the autumn. The FCDs were available to us on both. I foolishly neglected to purchase them on the latter voyage although the staff told me they were available.

The announcement for this cruise refers to: "a much-loved Gala Evening."

I think you are referring to the Future Cruise Deposit. When I was on the QE 10 months ago I purchased deposits for us. It was explained that they were available only to those from the US and Canada. People from the UK were particularly annoyed, as has been discussed earlier on CC. Perhaps the rules have changed yet again.

I am always amused by discussions on why many people will not travel with formal wear or anything even close to that. A common reason given is airline restrictions on luggage. As an avid collector of Aeroplan points - and one who despises flying economy except on very short flights - my wife and I usually fly Business Class for free. We are allowed two large suitcases each, but always travel with just one medium-sized case each and a small carry-on. Occasionally we pay for Business Class if the required points are too high. Even when we fly in economy (usually on Porter) we pay only about $40 or $50 a case. Many people who willingly spend thousands of $ or £ on a cruise will squawk about spending a relative pittance to check luggage. We have crossed the Atlantic by sea many times, occasionally in both directions, and even with a week or fortnight overseas have never taken more than one medium case each. There are laundry facilities on the ships. On our favourite line, Cunard, the laundrettes are free, even the soap. My wife does not dress like Cinderella going to the ball. She takes two fairly simple long dresses and one cocktail dress in addition to casual wear. I take a tuxedo which takes up no more room than a suit. (I doubt I would bother a tuxedo any more on most lines except Cunard and P&O.) I wear a sport coat/blazer on the plane - not for appearances - but it is one less thing to pack. All those pockets come in handy. I know the trend today is to not dress formally, but the excuse of airline luggage restrictions always makes me smile.

The closest thing to a reason that Cunard gave us was "operational reasons." The Queen Elizabeth had been scheduled for Juneau on the 22nd of June. There are now only four ships booked for that day. On many other days there are five or six ships booked.

The friend we were travelling with has Nexus. He said there was no Nexus line. There was priority for Canadians who were invited to use the US residents line.

If I were to take the three main meals in the restaurant plus afternoon tea I wouldn't want snacks. The snacks in the QM2 Concierge Lounge and HAL's Neptune Lounge are an alternative to breakfast or lunch or tea. We often skip the dining room lunch (on Cunard it is always voluntary and usually forced most days on HAL as I indicated previously.)

We took an Alaska cruise on HAL the last year they used the term "formal." That was a joke. Although I was not the only man to wear a traditional dinner jacket it seemed that anything goes. There were even some young chaps in T-shirts and baseball caps at formal dinners. The women were much better dressed than the men, but even on Cunard that is often the case. We had a Neptune suite, which was similar to a Cunard Queen's Grill suite. Breakfast was available to us in the Pinnacle Grill, which was a nice touch. The dinners in the main dining room were mediocre, although the table settings with lovely china and silver cutlery were elegant. HAL rarely serves lunch in the dining room, which is a blessing in a way. The two lunches we had there were not good at all. That included the special lunch for members of the Mariners. The Neptune lounge offered a good selection of snacks (I wish Cunard's Grills lounge on the QE would do that). Otherwise we would have to have lunch in the cafeteria or through room service on port days. As has been pointed out above, Cunard's Grills passengers can have all meals at their assigned table. None of Cunard's four dining rooms close on port days.

We have taken three cruises from Quebec City to New York. Sadly, there was no pre-clearance and each time we had to join the mob scene at the Brooklyn terminal. Even when we have been continuing on to Southampton on the same ship we have had to disembark and go through this process. I wish it could be as convenient as it has been for us boarding in Vancouver.

The excursion to "Summit" can be a lot more expensive if you want the luxury class coach. It is a parlour car with 14 seats and is at the rear of the train. Some food and beverages are included. I didn't give into the temptation on my last two calls in Skagway, but for this year I accepted the advice of a friend who highly recommended it. When I last checked there was no mention of this service on the WP&Y site. It appears it can be booked only through the cruise line. Not every train has this luxury coach. When I was last in Skagway I was told there are only two of these coaches. The tariff is $345 booked through Cunard. Some cruise lines charge a little more. I got the last available seat with the blessing of my lady wife (who will spend the equivalent in the shops).