Alaska Queen Elizabeth itinerary change June 20 2023.

[lilacsam]

Not sure if travellers have received notification or are aware of these changes but we have received an email from Cunard, 2 weeks after we paid our balance, notifying us of changes to our itinerary due to ‘operational issues’

Juneau June 22nd has been removed completely and replaced with Sitka which we were due to visit June 25th. 

June 25th will now be Endicott Arm ( which we had never heard of) will be a cruise-by. 
Our trip to Mendenhall Glacier and Whale watch is now a no-go, thankfully booked through Cunard so expecting a full refund but we were really looking forward to the experience.
This now gives us 3 days together cruising- by Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay and Endicott Arm plus the original 2 sea days 21st +28th.

This is not the cruise we booked! Would like to know what ‘operational issues’ really means.

 

 

 

[david,Mississauga]

45 minutes ago, lilacsam said:

Not sure if travellers have received notification or are aware of these changes but we have received an email from Cunard, 2 weeks after we paid our balance, notifying us of changes to our itinerary due to ‘operational issues’

Juneau June 22nd has been removed completely and replaced with Sitka which we were due to visit June 25th. 

June 25th will now be Endicott Arm ( which we had never heard of) will be a cruise-by. 
Our trip to Mendenhall Glacier and Whale watch is now a no-go, thankfully booked through Cunard so expecting a full refund but we were really looking forward to the experience.
This now gives us 3 days together cruising- by Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay and Endicott Arm plus the original 2 sea days 21st +28th.

This is not the cruise we booked! Would like to know what ‘operational issues’ really means.

 

 

 

 

The information about these changes was showing on the Cruise Lines Agencies of Alaska site, last updated  on Feb. 27th. So this would not have been a surprise to Cunard. They took a while before informing passengers. Two days after Cunard notified passengers and their travel agents, they were still showing the original itineraries on the booking site and selling excursions for Juneau on "my-cunard".  That has now been corrected.

 

My first thought was maybe there were too many ships booked in Juneau, but that is not ncessarily a problem. There are now four on the date originally scheduled for the QE. On another day there are seven. (Last year Juneau was a tender port for the cruise we were on.) 

 

I am concerned about Skagway, our favouite port on this cruise. There are only three ships booked on our day and the QE is assigned to the "Railroad Dock aft".

[LB_NJ]

43 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

 

I am concerned about Skagway, our favouite port on this cruise. There are only three ships booked on our day and the QE is assigned to the "Railroad Dock aft".

I read an article that says the Skagway dock repairs will hopefully be done by April.

 

If the repairs are successful we should be OK.  If the repairs aren’t successful then they will have to skip Skagway.

 

The article also mentioned using buses to shuttle people at the dock.

[david,Mississauga]

Just now, LB_NJ said:

I read an article that says the Skagway dock repairs will hopefully be done by April.

 

If the repairs are successful we should be OK.  If the repairs aren’t successful then they will have to skip Skagway.

 

The article also mentioned using buses to shuttle people at the dock.

 

I have read an article that said passengers from ships docked at the aft end of the dock would be transferred by shuttle bus through the rock slide area to the head of the dock. Those from ships docked forward will tender.

 

Those ships assigned to the forward position are subject to cancellation. Indeed, one QE cruise in July has cancelled the call at Skagway as have ships of other cruise lines.  Being assigned aft is more promising, but I would have preferred to be at the Broadway or Ore docks.

[LB_NJ]

1 minute ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

I have read an article that said passengers from ships docked at the aft end of the dock would be transferred by shuttle bus through the rock slide area to the head of the dock. Those from ships docked forward will tender.

 

Those ships assigned to the forward position are subject to cancellation. Indeed, one QE cruise in July has cancelled the call at Skagway as have ships of other cruise lines.  Being assigned aft is more promising, but I would have preferred to be at the Broadway or Ore docks.

The problem with being shuttled is that the mountain has to be fixed and safe from landslides in order for the shuttle to run.  Again work scheduled complete by April if all goes smoothly.

[bluemarble]

There's one more 2023 Alaska itinerary change I don't think I've seen mentioned before. On the June 30, 2023 cruise the originally scheduled call at Glacier Bay on July 2nd is being replaced by a call to Tracy Arm Fjord instead.

[david,Mississauga]

48 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

The problem with being shuttled is that the mountain has to be fixed and safe from landslides in order for the shuttle to run.  Again work scheduled complete by April if all goes smoothly.

 

My first thought when I read this was: if it is unsafe to walk along the dock can it be much safer to go on a shuttle bus.  

 

If it is demeed unsafe, the QE can operate tenders from the "Railroad Dock Aft" position. Many ships did that last year. It was a slow process because, of course,  tenders can be used on only one side of the ship. Another article said there are some reasons (which I don't remember) why large ships can't anchor in the harbour.

[LB_NJ]

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

There's one more 2023 Alaska itinerary change I don't think I've seen mentioned before. On the June 30, 2023 cruise the originally scheduled call at Glacier Bay on July 2nd is being replaced by a call to Tracy Arm Fjord instead.

That would get me really upset.  I have a friend on that cruise.