QUEEN ELIZABETH
June 24–July 1, 2022 | 7-Night Alaska Cruise – Roundtrip Vancouver, British Columbia
In June 2022, we traveled aboard Queen Elizabeth (Cunard Line) on a seven-night roundtrip Alaska cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia. The voyage combined scenic cruising in Glacier Bay with visits to Icy Strait Point, Sitka, and Ketchikan before returning to Vancouver on July 1. This master gallery brings together our complete voyage aboard the third Cunard ship to carry the Queen Elizabeth name.
Our seven-night Alaska cruise aboard Queen Elizabeth began in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 24, 2022. Sailing roundtrip from Canada Place, the voyage took us north toward Alaska for scenic cruising in Glacier Bay and visits to Icy Strait Point, Sitka, and Ketchikan before returning south to Vancouver on July 1. The itinerary combined two days at sea with some of Southeast Alaska's best-known ports and one of its most significant protected landscapes.
The voyage was our opportunity to experience the current Queen Elizabeth, which entered service for Cunard in 2010. Built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, Italy, she became the third Cunard passenger ship to carry the Queen Elizabeth name, following the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth 2. Although her traditional Cunard colors, interiors, and passenger-service traditions draw heavily on the company's ocean-liner heritage, the present Queen Elizabeth was designed as a modern cruise ship and has spent her career operating worldwide itineraries.
Over eight calendar days, Queen Elizabeth carried us from Vancouver through the coastal waterways of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska, into Glacier Bay, and through a series of distinctly different Alaskan destinations. This master collection provides an overview of the complete cruise, while the individual galleries in the voyage series document specific days, destinations, and experiences in greater detail.
Information List
Name: Queen Elizabeth
Operator: Cunard Line
Ship Type: Cruise ship
Builder: Fincantieri, Monfalcone, Italy
Float Out: January 5, 2010
Named: October 11, 2010
Godmother: Queen Elizabeth II
Maiden Voyage: October 12, 2010
Class: Vista Class
Length: Approximately 964 feet / 294 meters
Beam: Approximately 106 feet / 32.3 meters
Gross Tonnage: 90,901 GT
Guest Capacity: Approximately 2,081
Crew: Approximately 1,000
Passenger Decks: 12
Service Speed: Approximately 21.7 knots
Maximum Speed: Approximately 23.7 knots
Registry During This Voyage: Bermuda
IMO Number: 9477438
Voyage: Q220
Cruise: Seven-night roundtrip Alaska cruise from Vancouver
Departure: June 24, 2022 – Vancouver, British Columbia
Return: July 1, 2022 – Vancouver, British Columbia
Personal Voyage: Traveled aboard Queen Elizabeth
History and Features
Construction and Entry Into Service:
Queen Elizabeth was built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, Italy, for Cunard Line.
She was floated out in January 2010 before fitting-out work continued through the remainder of the year.
Queen Elizabeth II officially named the ship at Southampton on October 11, 2010.
Queen Elizabeth departed Southampton the following day on her maiden voyage.
Her introduction created a three-ship Cunard fleet consisting of Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen Elizabeth Name:
The present Queen Elizabeth is the third major Cunard passenger ship associated with the Queen Elizabeth name.
The original Queen Elizabeth entered service in 1940 and became one of the defining express ocean liners of the 20th century.
Queen Elizabeth 2, commonly known as QE2, entered service in 1969 and maintained Cunard's passenger and transatlantic traditions for nearly four decades.
The current Queen Elizabeth continues the name in modern cruise service rather than operating as a traditional express ocean liner.
Her name, appearance, interiors, and shipboard traditions maintain a deliberate connection with Cunard's earlier passenger ships.
Design and Features:
Queen Elizabeth is based on the Vista-class cruise-ship platform and is closely related to Queen Victoria.
Her exterior incorporates Cunard's traditional dark hull, white superstructure, and red-and-black funnel.
Interior spaces use Art Deco influences and references to Cunard history while providing the facilities expected aboard a contemporary cruise ship.
Major public spaces include the Grand Lobby, Queens Room ballroom, Royal Court Theatre, Commodore Club, Golden Lion pub, library, restaurants, and extensive open decks.
Cunard's traditional passenger categories continue aboard the ship through Britannia, Princess Grill, and Queens Grill accommodations and dining.
Service:
Since entering service in 2010, Queen Elizabeth has operated worldwide cruise itineraries rather than maintaining regular scheduled transatlantic liner service.
Her deployments have included Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, Alaska, and extended voyages across the Pacific.
Longer cruises and World Cruise itineraries continue Cunard's tradition of sending its passenger ships on extended international voyages.
Alaska became part of the ship's North American deployments, with Vancouver serving as a gateway for voyages through Southeast Alaska.
Our 2022 Alaska Cruise:
Our seven-night voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth began in Vancouver on June 24, 2022.
The first full day after departure was spent at sea as the ship sailed north toward Alaska.
Scenic cruising in Glacier Bay on June 26 was followed by visits to Icy Strait Point, Sitka, and Ketchikan.
After Ketchikan, Queen Elizabeth turned south for another day at sea before returning to Vancouver on July 1.
The complete voyage consisted of seven nights aboard the ship and eight calendar days from embarkation through disembarkation.
Complete Cruise Itinerary:
June 24: Vancouver, British Columbia – Embarkation and departure
June 25: At Sea
June 26: Glacier Bay, Alaska – Scenic cruising
June 27: Icy Strait Point, Alaska
June 28: Sitka, Alaska
June 29: Ketchikan, Alaska
June 30: At Sea
July 1: Vancouver, British Columbia – Arrival and disembarkation
Glacier Bay:
Queen Elizabeth entered Glacier Bay National Park on June 26 for a day of scenic cruising.
Rather than a conventional port call, the ship's passage through Glacier Bay made the surrounding landscape the destination.
The protected area encompasses mountains, glaciers, waterways, and extensive coastal wilderness.
Glacier Bay became one of the defining scenic portions of our Alaska voyage.
Icy Strait Point:
Icy Strait Point was our first Alaska port call after Glacier Bay.
The destination is located near the community of Hoonah on Chichagof Island.
Its setting provided a different experience from the larger Southeast Alaska communities visited later in the cruise.
From Icy Strait Point, Queen Elizabeth continued toward Sitka.
Sitka:
Sitka is located on Baranof Island along the outer coast of Southeast Alaska.
The community has a distinctive history as the former center of Russian colonial activity in Alaska.
The transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States was formally marked at Sitka in 1867.
Our visit on June 28 came between Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan.
Ketchikan:
Ketchikan was our final Alaska port before the southbound return to Vancouver.
Located along the Tongass Narrows, the community developed around fishing, canneries, timber, and maritime transportation.
Its waterfront location has made Ketchikan one of Southeast Alaska's best-known cruise destinations.
After departing Ketchikan on June 29, Queen Elizabeth began the return portion of the voyage.
Vancouver and Alaska Cruising:
Vancouver is one of the principal gateways for cruise voyages to Alaska.
Canada Place provides a downtown passenger terminal with direct access to the coastal route leading north toward British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.
The city's geographic position allows ships to begin and end Alaska itineraries while traveling through some of the protected waterways of the Pacific Northwest.
Our voyage returned to Vancouver on July 1, completing the seven-night roundtrip cruise.
Cunard in Alaska:
Alaska represents a very different operating environment from the North Atlantic routes historically associated with Cunard.
Modern Cunard ships have expanded the company's worldwide presence through destination-focused cruise itineraries.
Queen Elizabeth combines these itineraries with shipboard traditions associated with Cunard, including formal evenings, afternoon tea, ballroom dancing, enrichment programs, and the company's established Grill accommodations.
Her Alaska voyages demonstrate how Cunard's historic passenger-service identity has been adapted to contemporary destination cruising.
Our Queen Elizabeth Voyage Series:
This master gallery brings together our complete June 24–July 1, 2022 voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth.
Individual galleries document specific days and destinations from the cruise in greater detail.
Together, the series follows the voyage from Vancouver through Alaska and back to British Columbia.
The collection records both Queen Elizabeth herself and the changing destinations and landscapes encountered throughout the voyage.
Legacy:
Queen Elizabeth carries one of the most significant names in Cunard history.
Although the present ship is a cruise ship rather than a traditional express ocean liner, her design preserves visual and operational connections with Cunard's maritime heritage.
Her worldwide deployments have carried the Queen Elizabeth name far beyond the North Atlantic routes associated with Cunard's earlier liners.
The ship represents Cunard's transition from traditional liner operations to modern worldwide cruising while retaining many of the company's established passenger-service traditions.
OLP Social: Our seven-night roundtrip voyage combined scenic cruising in Glacier Bay with visits to Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Ketchikan, linking Alaska’s coastal communities with two days at sea.
