Queen Elizabeth Position

[martinmct]

6 minutes ago, sfred said:

Thanks for your Kagoshima photo.  That is a much better view than the webcams that @bluemarble and I found of that port.

 

Interestingly, since your QE port call there, there has been a partial eruption of the Sakurajima volcano.  Volcanic ash was spread over the eastern part of Kyushu.  Here are two web sites with some photos.

 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/08/national/sakurajima-eruption-kagoshima/

 

https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=282080

 

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!

[NE John]

That’s wonderful to see that you didn’t need to tender and docked in the middle of the action, a really appealing element to go on a Japan cruise. 

[martinmct]

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!

[martinmct]

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!

[martinmct]

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.

[martinmct]

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

[sfred]

Thanks @martinmct.  Hualien was also an unseen port where none of us could find a webcam covering your port call that day.  I've copied your photo over to the "Where in the World" game.

[martinmct]

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.

[sfred]

Thanks @martinmct.  You're lucky to have a clear day to see Mt. Fuji.  The hotel where I used to stay in Tokyo had a concierge lounge with a window facing Mt. Fuji.  In all my work trips, I think I had a clear view only once or twice.  Hope you have a good port day.

[martinmct]

5 hours ago, sfred said:

Thanks @martinmct.  Hualien was also an unseen port where none of us could find a webcam covering your port call that day.  I've copied your photo over to the "Where in the World" game.

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

[martinmct]

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.

[sfred]

Hope you've had a nice day in Aomori, @martinmct.  That was our first port on 7 May 2019 after leaving Tokyo for Alaska.  Mrs sfred and I had a very nice day there.  The cherry trees in the parks all still had their blossoms, while Tokyo's were already finished for the season.

[sfred]

By the way, I see that your next port after Aomori is Otaru, for Sapporo.  That is another unseen port in the Where in the World game.  In 2019, we used Muroran for our Sapporo call, on the other side of Hokkaido.  A photo would be wonderful - thanks!

[martinmct]

@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!

[martinmct]

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]

QE has arrived in Seward Alaska this morning, for the 2023 Alaska season.  Best wishes to @martinmct and everyone else aboard for a nice port day.  In 2019 QE used the Port of Alaska facility adjacent to the Anchorage city area, much closer than Seward. 

 

[alibabacruisers]

sfred, we were on QE 2019 Tokyo to Vancouver cruise and it was a wonderful cruise!  Our first time to Japan and to Alaska and we would love to do it again!  Thanks for sharing your pictures and memories!

Edited June 3, 2023 by alibabacruisers

[sfred]

1 hour ago, alibabacruisers said:

sfred, we were on QE 2019 Tokyo to Vancouver cruise and it was a wonderful cruise!

 

That was a great trip, wasn't it!  Among our memorable Cunard voyages, 2019 Alaska rates at the top. Sorry we didn't know you at the time to say hello.  We made several good mates on the trip who we've stayed in touch with since then.

[martinmct]

….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.

[martinmct]

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!

[sfred]

I'm so glad you had a nice day for Hubbard, @martinmct.  It is a stunning location.  We had a beautiful day for our Hubbard cruise-by in 2019 also.  A photo shown below.

 

[martinmct]

@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!

[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.

[martinmct]

8th June 2023 and QE back in Vancouver for her 2023 season. It’s a lovely day and there is a holiday feel in the air. Some friends we’ve go to know well are on their way home - we’re back aboard later for another 12 nights - sounds like we’ll be leaving with a full ship!

[sfred]

Best wishes for your day in Vancouver, @martinmct.  Mrs. sfred and I had a Vancouver port day in the middle of our 2019 voyage also.  After the transpacific, and stops at Kodiak, Anchorage, and Juneau, we called at Vancouver, and we stayed on for the next 10 nights and calls to Hubbard and all the other Alaska locations.  It was such a nice feeling knowing that we would be going back aboard later that day.  We had a nice lunch in gastown, and then caught up on all the business and personal admin things we had ignored so far during the voyage using the free wifi at the Vancouver public library.  The sailaway from Vancouver was particularly scenic, and we has a pleasantly warm evening to be out on deck.

 

A question I've been meaning to ask - have you happened to notice what the menu is for the new "Frontier" pop up in the Lido?  That wasn't a feature in 2019, and I think several others here on Cruise Critic are also curious about what Cunard has come up with.