Let’s Not let QE feel left out…semi-live Alaska report

[MylesS]

Thank you for the live, looking forward to the future posts.

 

I did Alaska at a young age with my parents in Princess, but have wanted to go on Queen Elizabeth there for a while.

 

Given I’ve now been on Queen Anne more than I have Victoria and Elizabeth, and with some deals on Alaska cruises, maybe it’s time to try!

[Wedgie Wedgie]

On 6/24/2024 at 12:37 AM, Clewgarnet said:

I think you're the only Panthers fan I've encountered! Even when my beloved Jags was playing for them, I couldn't make myself root for 

And then there are the Loud McNultys!

No Alaska quietness can keep us down.

P-A-N-T-H-E-R-S

[NE John]

2 hours ago, Desert Cruisers said:

Will be sailing Alaska on QE in late August.  Princess Grill cabin.  Questions:

 

What time was embarkation day lunch served in the Grills?

Was afternoon tea available in the Grills Lounge?

What time are the evening shows in the theatre?

 

Thanks.

The Grills restaurants will be open when you embark. I recommend to go there first to check out your table. There are really no bad tables because of the wrap around windows. You’ll see amazing sights for every meal. There will be a card in your cabin about the PG dining, bring it to make life easier. 

There is no afternoon tea served on embarkation day and it’s served in PG restaurant for the rest of the voyage. First come first serve seating. See if you can get tea in the Lounge the first day. 
Theater shows are 8 and 10 pm and last 45 minutes. Good talent onboard, lots of energy. 
 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 hours ago, Wedgie Wedgie said:

And then there are the Loud McNultys!

No Alaska quietness can keep us down.

P-A-N-T-H-E-R-S

 

Congratulations (said grudgingly from a Rangers fan). 

 

You must be very confused about weather and seasons, going from FL to AK and watching a winter game in June!

[Clewgarnet]

15 hours ago, Wedgie Wedgie said:

And then there are the Loud McNultys!

No Alaska quietness can keep us down.

P-A-N-T-H-E-R-S

Congratulations! Bobrovsky was on the case!

 

Maybe one day my Devils will actually make it back to the playoffs.

[NE John]

After another digital holiday, a few other comments about Alaska and QE. 
First, many people said to take a lot of pictures while in Alaska and I have both my IPhone and Nikon. However, Alaska must be experienced through one’s senses both visual and aroma. Spending too much time staring at a lens trying to take the perfect picture takes you away from being in the present and absorbing everything. I put the camera down after while and took it all in. Be. Here. Now. 
We are so happy and fortunate to be in QG with the best views while dining. The Cunard excursions are excellent too. 
With that said, here’s some pictures from the last couple days, one of them biking along a glacial fjord:

 

Edited Thursday at 06:46 PM by NE John

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 minute ago, NE John said:

Spending too much time staring at a lens trying to take the perfect picture takes you away from being in the present and absorbing everything. I put the camera down after while and took it all in. Be. Here. Now. 

 

Good advice. I do spend too much time seeing the world through my camera. When I'm in Alaska (two weeks!!!!), I will try harder to just be there. 

 

That said, your pictures are excellent, so the time spent with your camera/phone hasn't been wasted.

[NE John]

The Hubbard Glacier has been the highlight of this voyage so far. The weather has been perfect every day and especially today for glacier viewing. Dr. Cartwright’s commentary has been very helpful too. I recommend the Commodore Club for viewing. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

44 minutes ago, NE John said:

The Hubbard Glacier has been the highlight of this voyage so far. The weather has been perfect every day and especially today for glacier viewing. Dr. Cartwright’s commentary has been very helpful too. I recommend the Commodore Club for viewing. 

Did they open the space on the bow? 

[NE John]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Did they open the space on the bow? 

For Tracy Arm yes. Calmer waters there. There was no announcement saying deck five was open for Hubbard Glacier. 

[NE John]

Last night was the Captain’s CWC social in the QR and only 430 were Gold level or higher on board. It was great; we got to meet the captain, get a drink, and even a seat. But most importantly, 70-80% of the pax on this Alaska cruise are Cunard newbies and they have been certainly been introduced to a great ship and voyage. The pax also make up a diverse mix from East and South Asia and minority representation from the US. This is a great sign for Cunard’s future. 

[DaisyUK]

Enjoying travelling along with you. Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing, brings back happy memories.

[david,Mississauga]

13 hours ago, NE John said:

For Tracy Arm yes. Calmer waters there. There was no announcement saying deck five was open for Hubbard Glacier. 

 

The bow had been open for Hubbard Glacier on the three previous Alaska cruises we had on the QE.  Last year it was a dreadful day with constant rain in the area yet it was open for those brave enough to put up with it. We could barely see the glacier.  I felt sorry for those who had never  seen it before, especially for those who who had travelled from other continents.  It was a glorious day in Glacier Bay, though.

Edited 13 hours ago by david,Mississauga

[NE John]

A summary of a few QG food highlights so far: breakfasts are very good but sometimes a wait. Cunard knows Eggs Benedict like few others on the planet know and I enjoy the smoked fish offerings. Even the toast is good. In reality, you can get the same breakfast food at the Lido, even waffles and pancakes if in a rush. (We didn’t eat at Lido, btw). Room service works well too. 
A Lunch highlight was lasagna al forno, one of the best lasagnes I’ve ever eaten (and DW agreed). The pastas have been good. Thai curry was good but served very oddly. For fun, I tried the Buffalo Chicken wings and while tasty, they were breaded, fried, and had a sweet sauce. 
Dinner - DW spoke to Sandro in their Napoli dialect and he knew exactly how we wanted a simple grilled octopus starter. Excellent. We also ordered an excellent Indian banquet, better than any Indian food at home. Dover sole was a specialty but Duck was a bit overcooked. Soups are so-so. Dorset lamb coming up…
Frontier Alternative Dining - if you ate in Grills, don’t bother. The extra charge seafood platter looks impressive but nothing was cooked correctly, the mussels were not “debearded” and overall a failure. We sent 80% of it back and the chef came out to explain that they receive everything precooked and they assemble it. This is marketed as fresh local Alaska products but QE needs to go back to the drawing board for the seafood platter. The staff and M’d were all just as gracious and kind as in the Grills. 
I’m so glad Cunard offers the 10 night itinerary up here vs seven from many others; we’d be debarking now if we were on the latter and we have three nights to go!

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'll be on QE in 2 weeks. The last time was June 2022, during the restart. Embarkation was a clown show (not the term in my head, but I'm trying to be polite here), with everything starting on the upper level by the walkway, where staff checked covid cards, ArriveCAN, test results, passports (twice), tickets. I was a good girl and went at my assigned time and the process took more than an hour. I got stuck behind a queue of people who hadn't done ArriveCAN (I had, but it didn't matter). People who ignored their assigned times and went early had less hassle.

 

I am lucky in that QE will be the only ship at Canada Place that day, so I'm hoping things will be better. Not having to deal with all the covid-related stuff will definitely help.

 

I have three questions:

-Are they checking/enforcing times?

-Are they honoring any sort of priority? My boarding pass says I'm diamond, but it isn't marked "Priority" the way it was for Southampton.

-Does any of the process still happen upstairs, or is it all down on the lower level now?

[exlondoner]

7 minutes ago, NE John said:

A summary of a few QG food highlights so far: breakfasts are very good but sometimes a wait. Cunard knows Eggs Benedict like few others on the planet know and I enjoy the smoked fish offerings. Even the toast is good. In reality, you can get the same breakfast food at the Lido, even waffles and pancakes if in a rush. (We didn’t eat at Lido, btw). Room service works well too. 
A Lunch highlight was lasagna al forno, one of the best lasagnes I’ve ever eaten (and DW agreed). The pastas have been good. Thai curry was good but served very oddly. For fun, I tried the Buffalo Chicken wings and while tasty, they were breaded, fried, and had a sweet sauce. 
Dinner - DW spoke to Sandro in their Napoli dialect and he knew exactly how we wanted a simple grilled octopus starter. Excellent. We also ordered an excellent Indian banquet, better than any Indian food at home. Dover sole was a specialty but Duck was a bit overcooked. Soups are so-so. Dorset lamb coming up…
Frontier Alternative Dining - if you ate in Grills, don’t bother. The extra charge seafood platter looks impressive but nothing was cooked correctly, the mussels were not “debearded” and overall a failure. We sent 80% of it back and the chef came out to explain that they receive everything precooked and they assemble it. This is marketed as fresh local Alaska products but QE needs to go back to the drawing board for the seafood platter. The staff and M’d were all just as gracious and kind as in the Grills. 
I’m so glad Cunard offers the 10 night itinerary up here vs seven from many others; we’d be debarking now if we were on the latter and we have three nights to go!

The lasagne is my fav. too. Alas, on our 14 nighter on QA we didn’t have it once. If I’d realised it wasn’t going to happen, I’d have asked for it, but I didn’t realise until too late.

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 minutes ago, NE John said:

A summary of a few QG food highlights so far: breakfasts are very good but sometimes a wait. Cunard knows Eggs Benedict like few others on the planet know and I enjoy the smoked fish offerings. Even the toast is good. In reality, you can get the same breakfast food at the Lido, even waffles and pancakes if in a rush. (We didn’t eat at Lido, btw). Room service works well too. 
A Lunch highlight was lasagna al forno, one of the best lasagnes I’ve ever eaten (and DW agreed). The pastas have been good. Thai curry was good but served very oddly. For fun, I tried the Buffalo Chicken wings and while tasty, they were breaded, fried, and had a sweet sauce. 
Dinner - DW spoke to Sandro in their Napoli dialect and he knew exactly how we wanted a simple grilled octopus starter. Excellent. We also ordered an excellent Indian banquet, better than any Indian food at home. Dover sole was a specialty but Duck was a bit overcooked. Soups are so-so. Dorset lamb coming up…
Frontier Alternative Dining - if you ate in Grills, don’t bother. The extra charge seafood platter looks impressive but nothing was cooked correctly, the mussels were not “debearded” and overall a failure. We sent 80% of it back and the chef came out to explain that they receive everything precooked and they assemble it. This is marketed as fresh local Alaska products but QE needs to go back to the drawing board for the seafood platter. The staff and M’d were all just as gracious and kind as in the Grills. 
I’m so glad Cunard offers the 10 night itinerary up here vs seven from many others; we’d be debarking now if we were on the latter and we have three nights to go!

 

I ate in Nordlis on QV in Norway last fall and thought the food was very good. But I didn't do the seafood platter, so I can't comment on that other than to say if it's sold as fresh, it should be truly fresh. Frontier is essentially the same menu as Nordlis but some items are marked as "Alaskan" instead of "Norwegian." 

 

I was in PG on QA and I agree about the duck. Mine was a little dry. Another night someone at the table said his was inedible it was so dry. 

[NE John]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I'll be on QE in 2 weeks. The last time was June 2022, during the restart. Embarkation was a clown show (not the term in my head, but I'm trying to be polite here), with everything starting on the upper level by the walkway, where staff checked covid cards, ArriveCAN, test results, passports (twice), tickets. I was a good girl and went at my assigned time and the process took more than an hour. I got stuck behind a queue of people who hadn't done ArriveCAN (I had, but it didn't matter). People who ignored their assigned times and went early had less hassle.

 

I am lucky in that QE will be the only ship at Canada Place that day, so I'm hoping things will be better. Not having to deal with all the covid-related stuff will definitely help.

 

I have three questions:

-Are they checking/enforcing times?

-Are they honoring any sort of priority? My boarding pass says I'm diamond, but it isn't marked "Priority" the way it was for Southampton.

-Does any of the process still happen upstairs, or is it all down on the lower level now?

Yes. All very orderly but I don’t remember the ups and downs. That’s a good thing!  You should have no problems. 

 

[Victoria2]

Grilled octopus  .

Thank you NE John .That's one I've not thought of. I'll ask for that on Annie with an aioli dipping sauce and see if it's available.

[Wedgie Wedgie]

This is our 17th cruise and first Cunard. We’ve been on board Celebrity, NCL, Princess and HAL.

 

Totally agree with @NE John regarding the food. I had an eggs Bennie the first morning and could not believe how good the English muffin, the ham, egg and hollandaise were- superb!

 

When we first inquired about stretching the menu I asked about a halibut Oscar and also Alaskan king crab legs. I was told by the head waiter there would be a charge for crab legs.

 

So the halibut was excellent and I asked the head waiter if I could send a beer or drink to the chef. He told me that he doesn’t drink.

 

The next day we were in Juneau and went to Tracy’s #2 and we had 2 pounds of crab legs and 2 beers- $200 with grat. Then we went to Red Dog Saloon for a beer. I started chatting with my barstool neighbor and come to find out he was the executive chef on the QE. He had come on shore to inspect and purchase fresh prawns and salmon.

 

When I told him I was told he doesn’t drink he laughed. I bought him 2 beers.
 

Guess what I ate last night? I couldn’t even finish the huge plate of crab legs! Thanks chef!