Not-quite-Live < limited > cruise journal: QE (Q427) Alaska cruise: 10 night, 30 Aug – 9 Sep 2024 plus Vancouver pre & post

[mking8288]

We got back just in time for a quick bite at Golden Lion, then move over to Queens Room for 2nd afternoon tea service.

 

 

 

The clotted cream seems fine, definitely not a butter spread and enough for the scone, nothing wasted. 

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

40 minutes ago, Seas2mountains said:

Pssst… @cruiseny4life, please keep adding your comments and asking questions ... the appearance of the food looked more appealing to me than the written description. I thought, why didn’t they explain it better?

 

Thank you, @mking8288  I’ll go back to just reading and enjoying this review. 

All are most welcomed & feel free to comment, post, ask and bring fun & humor along to share. If you are loving the photos, that's enough already ... ignore my "biased" commentary, we all carried our liabilities & perceived expectations of sailing Cunard.  

 

3 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

... Starlink swoops in to save the day.

Not just Sitka but today, here in Skagway overwhelmed by 4 ships and thousands ashore, jamming the cellular network. 

 

And what's the scoop with hotel strikes, good thing we are staying in a B&B.

 

Took a photo of these, in case my courier services is desired.  Otherwise, tea biscuits & Cunard chocolate mints will be flown back to NY, if they survive the flight and layover.

[mking8288]

 

$3 pp each way to downtown, $5 all day pass ... helpful for those with some mobility issues

 

 

 

 

The first building near the Broadway Berth for QE is this, and it has free WiFi.  Off-duty ship crews gathered here.

Edited September 4 by mking8288

[mking8288]

 

 

 

Edited September 4 by mking8288

[mking8288]

 

 

 

Another vital institution whenever you see cruise ships docking 😁 like Diamonds International 

Edited September 4 by mking8288

[Sugar Magnolia]

7 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

And what's the scoop with hotel strikes, good thing we are staying in a B&B.

 

The strikes over the holiday weekend were limited to a few hotels in certain cities..about 25 hotels across 9 U.S. cities...but could spread. 

 

[mking8288]

The rock/landslide nearby, where Princess & Celebrity ships docked today and the berths has the longest walk to town, apparently some got confused & nearly lost returning to their ship.

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

We are on the move, sailing on time w 8 PM scheduled.  Next port: Juneau w 7 AM arrival, docking until 11, then moved to anchorage & begin tendering, last return is 4:30 PM. 

 

Photos of the Queen Elizabeth - 

 

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

Craved or etched into the hillside near town

 

[Victoria2]

5 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Top Gun pilots flying sightseeing helicopters, coming into the LZ fast & low while banking ... far end of the local airport runway...

Don't call the airport 'local' to the local pilots.

 

It's Skagway International Airport if you please!😀

 

There is or was a flight to Vancouver every now and then which, according to the pilot of our incredibly small four seater as we took off to get back to Juneau many years ago, makes the airport, international!😄

[mking8288]

NCL'ers missing O'Sheshan or The Local meals - Pub / Gold Lions "comfort food" photos 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

 

Edited September 4 by mking8288

[dexddd]

21 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

This is a super nice touch! For pin collectors, it's nice you get a Cunard pin upon your first sailing. If I recollect, you don't get Bronze pins from cheap-o NCL until your second sailing. But, it is a nice touch to have a welcome party for all those new to the queens. 

 

Hash browns, those deceitful little nuggets of golden oil deliciousness that abandoned us on NCL. It's nice to see Carnival Corp can source hash browns, unlike the lord and master Dirty Harry at NCLH. 

Well, Dirty Harry subjects told us last sailing as Sapphire at CN Desk, 'you feeling lucky punk' for which we got no perks other than laundry.  Upcharge at the time for Crown, can of coke zero upcharge all in Haven.  Yelled at by Asst CS Mgr for simple question.

[Mommapadraig]

1 minute ago, dexddd said:

Well, Dirty Harry subjects told us last sailing as Sapphire at CN Desk, 'you feeling lucky punk' for which we got no perks other than laundry.  Upcharge at the time for Crown, can of coke zero upcharge all in Haven.  Yelled at by Asst CS Mgr for simple question.

There is an upcharge for a can of Coke Zero???????

[dexddd]

I see in post 414 after pic of 'ole 52 you have another picture of Mr. Schmoopie on a bench.

[dexddd]

7 hours ago, mking8288 said:

All are most welcomed & feel free to comment, post, ask and bring fun & humor along to share. If you are loving the photos, that's enough already ... ignore my "biased" commentary, we all carried our liabilities & perceived expectations of sailing Cunard.  

 

Not just Sitka but today, here in Skagway overwhelmed by 4 ships and thousands ashore, jamming the cellular network. 

 

And what's the scoop with hotel strikes, good thing we are staying in a B&B.

 

Took a photo of these, in case my courier services is desired.  Otherwise, tea biscuits & Cunard chocolate mints will be flown back to NY, if they survive the flight and layover.

Two Kit Kats please.

[dexddd]

7 hours ago, mking8288 said:

 

 

 

That looks like your cruise packing list sans Base Station Zebra.

[dexddd]

58 minutes ago, Mommapadraig said:

There is an upcharge for a can of Coke Zero???????

On NCL the 'free' drink package only includes gun soda so cans are extra if that bar has gun soda.  Even in Haven.  Note actual experience can vary widely as I've seen two liter bottles being used or glasses being poured from cans.

[Mommapadraig]

26 minutes ago, dexddd said:

On NCL the 'free' drink package only includes gun soda so cans are extra if that bar has gun soda.  Even in Haven.  Note actual experience can vary widely as I've seen two liter bottles being used or glasses being poured from cans.

Sadly I’m not surprised….

[cruiseny4life]

10 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

Pssst… @cruiseny4life, please keep adding your comments and asking questions. 
 

The responses (and your comments) are very informative and entertaining.  😀 Good thing you are back at work so you can resume with CC. 

 

I thought the same as you did about the dinner menu. But the appearance of the food looked more appealing to me than the written description. I thought, why didn’t they explain it better?

Well, thank you! @mking8288 does a fantastic job at making his live's a safe space for everyone, whether they are cruising with him or not. I try not to take over and impede (though I fear yesterday I may have). There are some lives I'll just read and not engage as I know those cruisers want it to be all about their experience, only. Nothing wrong with that, btw! I just so appreciate those that allow us to be ourselves. 

 

The meals do look very good. I need to review more of the main dining room menus from Cunard as it's possible we could survive...though the alternative "pop-ups" look appetizing as well. It's possible I wouldn't necessarily need the main dining room. I'm not about to say yes, 100% I'm going to sail Cunard, but it's more an option now after reading a familiar voice experiencing the line. 

[david,Mississauga]

You were fortunate to be at Broadway Dock, which is our favourite for easy access to the town. We were docked there on the QE three voyages ago.  

 

On our last two cruises we were docked at Railroad Dock aft.  Because of the danger of rock slides passengers must take shuttle buses to the land end of the pier.  Those whose ship is docked at the forward berth have been using tenders for the very short trip across the harbour.

 

Thanks for the photos.  Although it has been a month since we disembarked the QE I am still suffering withdrawal.

[schmoopie17]

3 hours ago, dexddd said:

I see in post 414 after pic of 'ole 52 you have another picture of Mr. Schmoopie on a bench.

My effort to go incognito while waiting for some "company" from the girls of the Red Onion apparently has gone viral.

[mking8288]

4 hours ago, dexddd said:

Two Kit Kats please.

Not a problem 😁 

4 hours ago, dexddd said:

That looks like your cruise packing list sans Base Station Zebra.

On this trip, it's been Zebra Lite and mostly not firing up the Sony notebook. 

 

Unlike NCL, outlets are plentiful, although having at least 1 outlet (for CPAP users) and 1 or 2 USB ports bedside would be better - a 6' extension and the 6' cable works fine otherwise.

 

How's your breakfast lately ? 

 

[mking8288]

Juneau, AK - beautiful outside our balcony, ship cleared about 30 minutes ago. 

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

Cellular network appears better here than Skagway, Red Bull Mobile Data and Google Fi (T-Mobile) has 4G signal.

 

 

Britannia MDR last night's 2nd seating, where did some of them go ?  Noticed the dress mode: smart casual

 

 

Lots of table set for 2's and 4's and easily 6 together. Oval tables for 8 and 10 too.