Luxury cruise line Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth began the company’s return to Alaska in their West Coast homeport of Vancouver, Canada. Queen Elizabeth will cover four ten-night roundtrip voyages out of Vancouver in 2019, and ten voyages in 2020, calling at Juneau, Ketchikan, Victoria, Skagway, and more, as per the cruise line.
In order to celebrate the launch season, Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge, Master of Queen Elizabeth, along with Josh Leibowitz, Senior Vice President, of Cunard, and Simon Palethorpe, President, welcomed aboard dignitaries from the Port of Vancouver during a traditional Plaque and Key ceremony. They warmly welcomed the ship to the city and exchanged gifts.
It was also announced that during Cunard’s expanded 2020 Alaska season, Queen Elizabeth will visit the stunning Glacier Bay during its 2020 Alaska voyages. Sailing to Glacier Bay National Park is an iconic experience, which is highly rated by cruise passengers and a highlight of Alaska.
The 2020 program runs during the June-September period, providing a variety of nine to 12 nights and a getaway cruise to San Francisco for an overnight stay on the 4th of July. The Alaska voyages will witness longer time in ports such as Ketchikan, Victoria, Juneau, Skagway, and others.
“In other experiences only to be found on Cunard, guests will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture of Alaska with Cultured Heritage Guides on every sailing. For relaxation, guests can indulge in Mareel Wellness & Beauty (Cunard’s new holistic spa concept) on every voyage, offering oceanic treatments and meditation rituals inspired by the wilderness. And as night falls, with the backdrop of Alaska, guests will enjoy the unique sense of occasion with an Ice White Ball in the spectacular Queens Room on every voyage,” says the cruise line.
“We are thrilled to launch our inaugural Alaska season today in Vancouver,” said Josh Leibowitz, SVP Cunard North America. “Our guests now have the opportunity to sail into this spectacular region with the luxury and style of being on a Cunard ship. With Glacier Bay added to our 2020 Alaska itineraries, our guests will have an even more dramatic front-row seat to witness the immense beauty of the region.”
Queen Elizabeth, the youngest ship in the fleet, has recently launched the new spa concept that offers a holistic approach with an emphasis on the healing energy of the sea.