Cunard Stops Homeporting in Oz 2026

[cruiser3775]

Yes, you need to book in advance. The ferries are public transport and run 24 hours, so you need to choose a timetable that does not see you arriving in a port at 3 am or something.  I looked for sailings that were mainly in daylight and arrived at reasonable hours.  There is a shuttle bus that meets each ferry and takes you into town, if the port is not actually in the town.  I did one overnight ferry ride and paid for a basic cabin.  Use the very helpful timetable grid on their website. It probably won't have the next season timetable yet - you will need to wait for that to be scheduled.

The other thing you need to book is accommodation. Because the summer season is relatively short and much of it is in the US school vacation time, available accommodation is at a premium. I decided to not book my stop at Prince Rupert, and found that it was totally booked out when I arrived.  I thought I might have to sleep in a bus shelter or something, but the wonderful visitor bureau there found me an emergency bedroom in someone's basement, complete with a gigantic stuffed fish above my bed. 

The best accommodation is the bed and breakfast places, where you stay with a local family, who will give you all sorts of help and sightseeing advice, and how to avoid getting close to a bear on your walks around.

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, bazzaw said:

Can you tell us more about the "mechanics" of organising this please. Did you book a "segment" of the overall trip and then try to get accomodation for a couple of nights in the port, before booking the ravel/accomodation for the next segment? This could be a bit of a "chicken or the egg - what comes first " thing. - maybe you could book the ship for a particular segment , but not be able to find suitable accomodation? 

We booked all ferries, accommodation, and a course at Petersburg, before we left Australia.

We picked where we wanted to stay first, on the Alaskan Marine Highway route,  then checked accommodation availability and booked, then booked ferries.  Most of the ferries ran regularly as a service to the locals.  We caught a taxi from each port of call to our accommodation. We also booked car hire and truck camper rental in Anchorage.  We didn't need to book camping accommodation as the season had ended and booked land accommodation when we had hire car, as need be. 

[MMDown Under]

5 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Yes, you need to book in advance. The ferries are public transport and run 24 hours, so you need to choose a timetable that does not see you arriving in a port at 3 am or something.  I looked for sailings that were mainly in daylight and arrived at reasonable hours.  There is a shuttle bus that meets each ferry and takes you into town, if the port is not actually in the town.  I did one overnight ferry ride and paid for a basic cabin.  Use the very helpful timetable grid on their website. It probably won't have the next season timetable yet - you will need to wait for that to be scheduled.

The other thing you need to book is accommodation. Because the summer season is relatively short and much of it is in the US school vacation time, available accommodation is at a premium. I decided to not book my stop at Prince Rupert, and found that it was totally booked out when I arrived.  I thought I might have to sleep in a bus shelter or something, but the wonderful visitor bureau there found me an emergency bedroom in someone's basement, complete with a gigantic stuffed fish above my bed. 

The best accommodation is the bed and breakfast places, where you stay with a local family, who will give you all sorts of help and sightseeing advice, and how to avoid getting close to a bear on your walks around.

Reminds me when we stayed at the Pioneer Guesthouse at Prince Rupert, a young guy poked his head in the door and asked is this accommodation just for pioneers or can anyone stay here?  Yes I looked like a pioneer.  VIA rail from Prince Rupert to Jasper is a daylight only train, so requires an overnight stop at Prince George on the way.   When we arrived at Prince George our accommodation lady wasn't at the railway station to meet us.  I thought we were going to have to stay in the Railway Station.  However, a kind sole hunted the lady down and all was well in the end.  We loved this scenic rail journey.  

[cruiser3775]

I also booked the accommodation first, then the ferries, then a hire car in Anchorage. I got off the ship in Whittier and took the bus to Anchorage. If you are on a daylight sailing and therefore don't need a cabin, it is quite easy to get a ferry booking. Just look at the timetables first to be sure you can get one that departs and arrives at reasonable hours. They are public transport foremost, for the locals, as there are virtually no coastal roads. The other thing you need to book is trains, if you are interested in that.  The train from Anchorage to Denali and the one from Anchorage to Seward are both really good.

I also had camping gear and was planning to camp at some places. But this is problematic given Alaska's weather, even in summer.  In Skagway, the temperature was freezing and there was horizontal sleet when I arrived, so I found some last minute budget accommodation.  I did camp on the spit at Homer, which had million dollar views, like most of Alaska.

If you go in June or after mid September, things will be quieter than in the peak season months.

Edited November 9, 2023 by cruiser3775

[MMDown Under]

36 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

I also booked the accommodation first, then the ferries, then a hire car in Anchorage. I got off the ship in Whittier and took the bus to Anchorage. If you are on a daylight sailing and therefore don't need a cabin, it is quite easy to get a ferry booking. Just look at the timetables first to be sure you can get one that departs and arrives at reasonable hours. They are public transport foremost, for the locals, as there are virtually no coastal roads. The other thing you need to book is trains, if you are interested in that.  The train from Anchorage to Denali and the one from Anchorage to Seward are both really good.

I also had camping gear and was planning to camp at some places. But this is problematic given Alaska's weather, even in summer.  In Skagway, the temperature was freezing and there was horizontal sleet when I arrived, so I found some last minute budget accommodation.  I did camp on the spit at Homer, which had million dollar views, like most of Alaska.

If you go in June or after mid September, things will be quieter than in the peak season months.

Sounds like you had a wonderful adventure in Alaska.  We had really good weather in August but mid September, we caught the last ferry from Skagway, It was too late in the year, so too cold with snow and muddy driving conditions from Skagway to Whitehorse Yukon return.

Wow I'm impressed that you camped on The Spit at Homer, with its beautiful views.  We enjoyed the seafood at the Kenai Peninsula.

[Sparky74]

I’ve been following the discussion about Alaska and the ferries.

DW and I are have been deliberating about holiday plans for 2025 (or ‘26, or possibly ’27) as we’ll have 8 weeks to play with. From past experience we’d prefer to take the 8 weeks in one block. We really enjoyed our Alaskan inside passage cruise on HAL last year and are keen to return. (It's only one of many options on the table.) 

 

BUT I’ve started looking at the prices of accommodation in Alaska and it’s not cheap. I'm actually thinking that a traditional cruise or two (B2B or even B2B2B on jump from ship to ship) might be as cheap. It’s certainly looking like better value for money for us. 🤷‍♂️

[cruiser3775]

Yes, a cruise to Alaska will be good value for money, but it will be over in a lot less time than you have.

While I enjoyed the coastal towns, I found the inland places more interesting in some ways, and mostly off the major tourist trail. Check out Eagle, where I spent a few days.  You could also add in a visit to the Canadian Yukon. Dawson City is fascinating. 

Maybe take a one way cruise, then go back south using the Alaska Marine Highway.

Accommodation prices might improve if the AUD gets better against the greenback. We live in hope.

Edited November 9, 2023 by cruiser3775

[arxcards]

Another alternate is to Northbound from Vancouver to Anchorage/Whittier/Seward, then to train or bus up to Denali, spend X number of days between there & Talkeetna, then swap ships and cruise back south to Vancouver.

 

A shorter version could be to fly to Anchorage including whatever number of hops, spend time in Denali, then just do the southbound to Vancouver. There are so many options, and many of the cruiselines link all this into easy-to-book cruise tours.

[arxcards]

A bit of deja vu from last Thursdays' story 

https://cruisepassenger.com.au/news/is-dressing-for-dinner-a-cunard-turn-off/

[MicCanberra]

Yep, lots of speculation in that story, not many actual facts.

[getting older slowly]

Another one bites the dust......   was starting to enjoy Cunard on the QE  ... so back to Princess....

 

Also comparing a Suite on Princess to Princess Grills Suite on Cunard  ... Cunard it about 20-30% dearer also drinks are a bit dearer as well... but most enjoyable..  and food is very good in the grills

 

Dressing for dinner it a good idea.. wouldn't want people jumping overboard...

Jacket with collar and tie, does help one look somewhat human....lol

 

So have two Princess cruises and two Cunard cruises between now and the end of January, so 33 nights at sea out of 61 days

 

Cheers  Don

[Bubbeh]

On 11/3/2023 at 6:49 PM, Cruisers47 said:

I think that there are plenty Aussie who do not want to dress up for dinner.

We were going to book a Cunard cruise a few years back but were advised by friends that it would not suit us at all.  These friends are casual people like ourselves and said that when they did the World Cruise they felt a degree of elitism amongst the other passengers and even the crew.  As we prefer Princess or RC, where I can go to dinner in a frock but not actually frock up, we decided to stick with those lines and give Cunard the big raspberry.  Other friends love Cunard but they are people who like to get their glad rags on.

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, Bubbeh said:

We were going to book a Cunard cruise a few years back but were advised by friends that it would not suit us at all.  These friends are casual people like ourselves and said that when they did the World Cruise they felt a degree of elitism amongst the other passengers and even the crew.  As we prefer Princess or RC, where I can go to dinner in a frock but not actually frock up, we decided to stick with those lines and give Cunard the big raspberry.  Other friends love Cunard but they are people who like to get their glad rags on.

My friends love dressing up on ships in the evening.  Husband is a tradesman businessman so wore tradie clothes at work.  I think if you are Office workers/middle management, you have to dress up at work, so you don't want to dress up on holidays.  Luggage weight on long haul flights is a restriction.  My daughters travel with hand luggage, unless flying to US.  

[Bubbeh]

37 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

My daughters travel with hand luggage, unless flying to US.

I am in awe of people who can do this.  I'm a two suitcases and carry on for a week in Bali type of girl.  Packing light, I just don't get it.🤷‍♀️

[MMDown Under]

32 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

I am in awe of people who can do this.  I'm a two suitcases and carry on for a week in Bali type of girl.  Packing light, I just don't get it.🤷‍♀️

My daughter is flying from Phuket to JFK NY on Thanksgiving.  She is going to buy an extra large port in NY at a cost of $100 to bring all her purchases home.  

[Bubbeh]

11 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

My daughter is flying from Phuket to JFK NY on Thanksgiving.  She is going to buy an extra large port in NY at a cost of $100 to bring all her purchases home.  

A very smart and organised young woman.  Me, I'd take my two suitcases and carry on to NY and still buy an extra suitcase to bring home stuff.  Don't get me started on my luggage to really cold countries, just about got to hire my own plane!  It's a joke with family and friends and I've have many offers of help to pack 'only necessities'  and even a gift of packing cubes from a well meaning friend.  The thing is, I do only pack necessities, and just in case necessities and maybe on the off chance necessities.  I'm often perplexed at why this is an issue to others, if I can pay for the extra baggage and I can either lug or pay for the porterage of my extra luggage, what's the problem?

[arxcards]

22 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

A very smart and organised young woman.  Me, I'd take my two suitcases and carry on to NY and still buy an extra suitcase to bring home stuff.  Don't get me started on my luggage to really cold countries, just about got to hire my own plane!  It's a joke with family and friends and I've have many offers of help to pack 'only necessities'  and even a gift of packing cubes from a well meaning friend.  The thing is, I do only pack necessities, and just in case necessities and maybe on the off chance necessities.  I'm often perplexed at why this is an issue to others, if I can pay for the extra baggage and I can either lug or pay for the porterage of my extra luggage, what's the problem?

I don't even have packing cubes, as they are just extra weight.

 

My wife has crook shoulders, so we have learned to travel comparatively light, as it is me that is the one lugging our 2 suit cases around as well as a carry-on satchel over my shoulder. For anyone that wants to pay excess or have a means of portaging it around - go for it. There is no right or wrong, and it isn't a competition.

 

15 years ago, packing lists were all the rage. They were full of all the "just in case" items, and by the time 100 people had appended to the list, it was like you were packing an entire life into suitcases. Over time, we have just made note of what we haven't used on each trip, and slowly eliminated the bloat that we have carted around the world. It isn't just about the weight or even excess charges, but making those "transit" days more comfortable. Then there is the adage that if you have space in your luggage, it is easy to buy some nice things along the way.

 

In keeping with Cunard, I have room for a bag of fruit, but I would prefer not to be flying with it. Although I have been known to take my tux on Princess just to get it cleaned for nix.

 

 

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, Bubbeh said:

A very smart and organised young woman.  Me, I'd take my two suitcases and carry on to NY and still buy an extra suitcase to bring home stuff.  Don't get me started on my luggage to really cold countries, just about got to hire my own plane!  It's a joke with family and friends and I've have many offers of help to pack 'only necessities'  and even a gift of packing cubes from a well meaning friend.  The thing is, I do only pack necessities, and just in case necessities and maybe on the off chance necessities.  I'm often perplexed at why this is an issue to others, if I can pay for the extra baggage and I can either lug or pay for the porterage of my extra luggage, what's the problem?

My daughters are better than me.  I put my port on the bed and put everything I plan to take beside on the bed.  I then have to pass the third degree why I need this and that.  We are not used to porters, so have to lug our luggage ourselves.  I'm now at the stage that I request a wheelchair for the long distance alone.  You can only put so much hand luggage between your legs.  My purse sits on my lap.  When the girls were young we used to travel with 8 large ports plus hand luggage (our entitlement).  We only used used a porter in NY to take us to our booked seats on the train.  The porter reverses the escalators, so we were all settled before other passengers knew the platform.  Now that tip was a pleasure to give and money well spent!

[lyndarra]

7 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

Dressing for dinner it a good idea.. wouldn't want people jumping overboard...

Jacket with collar and tie, does help one look somewhat human....lol

Cheers  Don

 

[Sparky74]

The term "port" for a suitcase takes me back to my childhood; I was born and raised in Queensland where we had a duchess in the bedroom and rode in the back of a tilly. 
 

The rule in our house is that if you pack it, you carry it. 

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

The term "port" for a suitcase takes me back to my childhood; I was born and raised in Queensland where we had a duchess in the bedroom and rode in the back of a tilly. 
 

The rule in our house is that if you pack it, you carry it. 

Yes that is my language until this day.  I wish I remembered all my grandmother's expressions. The ones which annoyed me I remember.  

 

I have great wheels on my port, so I don't have to carry it.  Lifting it up for inspection is another question!

[lyndarra]

5 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

The term "port" for a suitcase takes me back to my childhood; I was born and raised in Queensland where we had a duchess in the bedroom and rode in the back of a tilly. 
 

The rule in our house is that if you pack it, you carry it. 

Duchess??

Tilly? We had tilly lamps.

 

The only port I ever had was a school port.

Now that I'm a grown up I have suitcases sans suits.

Edited November 22, 2023 by lyndarra

[MMDown Under]

19 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

Duchess??

Tilly? We had tilly lamps.

 

The only port I ever had was a school port.

Now that I'm a grown up I have suitcases sans suits.

Yes we had school ports, which got put on the school port rack, plus big ports for travel.  Duchess is a bedroom dressing table.  All children rode in the back of the tilly, on two sets of forms, plus 3 adults in the front.  Tilly is a smalll ute.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, lyndarra said:

Duchess??

Tilly? We had tilly lamps.

 

The only port I ever had was a school port.

Now that I'm a grown up I have suitcases sans suits.

Tilly - maybe utility? Always been a ute for us, but maybe tilly is something else.

I had a port for school, and it carried over as a term for a few years. More often than not, I pack my bag or my luggage, as the one I prefer to travel with isn't really a case and definitely isn't a port. It is elongated and is a perfect fit in the overhead luggage racks of the intercity trains used between Newcastle & Sydney.

[MMDown Under]

5 hours ago, arxcards said:

Tilly - maybe utility? Always been a ute for us, but maybe tilly is something else.

I had a port for school, and it carried over as a term for a few years. More often than not, I pack my bag or my luggage, as the one I prefer to travel with isn't really a case and definitely isn't a port. It is elongated and is a perfect fit in the overhead luggage racks of the intercity trains used between Newcastle & Sydney.

Ute was bigger than a tilly (utility).  Our tilly was the first small family car  Can you imagine letting children sit on forms in the back?  I had a flashback in Tahiti when the utility transport had a form in the middle of the back 

Another elderly uncle had a car with a small dickey seat in the back in which he carried his lawn mower to mow older people's yards.  I loved that car which looked so posh to me.