Saga’s Spirit of Discovery A 16 Night Cruise

 

As I ended our QE Alaska June 2019 blog I alluded to we had just come back from a wedding , month prior in Barbados 🇧🇧

After we had booked our cruise mid 2018 we then were informed my Niece in Barbados had decided to get married in May 2019, well one cannot ignore that invitation.🇧🇧🎉

Though married to a Barbadian for many years we had always stayed with family either on the East Coast or Sunset Crest or in my in-laws house in the countryside.

Liz and I decided we should stay at a five star resort for part of the short stay so with our daughters we shared a suite at the Crane Resort

The Crane Resort has its own shops, restaurants, bars, numerous private sun bathing and pool areas.

Our suite had its own private pool and garden lounge area.

The master bedroom had a 12 inch mattress on top of its bed frame such I needed a step stool to get into the bed😂

It had its own washing / dryer unit as well as a stove and microwave

My sister-in-law also came to the wedding so Charlotte had her overseas family who all traveled from Vancouver Island

it was great to give her Mum support and to enjoy the wedding.

Here are some pics of the wedding

We being the older generation left about 10 pm while we heard the wedding party went into the early hours of the next day.

Their was music, food , dancing and people just having a great time.

It has been two years 2017 since our last cruise on a Cunard ship Queen Victoria thru the Panama Canal and two years prior that 2015 on the QM2 for its TA 175 Anniversary voyage.

So must be a pattern now we are on the Queen Elizabeth 2019 for one of its four 10 day cruises in Alaska Vancouver – Vancouver

Cunard after 20 years has returned to Alaska and for 2020 will be operating a full May – September Alaska cruise season out of Vancouver with the QE such the demand exceeded their expectations.

Liz and I were surprised when one of our daughters and her family ( 2 granddaughters) plus her mother-in-law decided to join us

Cunard has a wonderful kids club so that helped plus I learned to sample a lot of Gins from the Gin Bar

Our first cruise was Vancouver return on Celebrity Infinity August 2001 to Alaska

It included us visiting Hubbard Glacier again

And visiting Skagway again 🚢😊

Course the town has grown a lot and with four ships in very crowded.

We decided this time to take a return ride on the WhitePass railway which is about 3 hours long. Not for the faint hearted if heights bother you looking down from the side of the carriage

I had to add a mascot to my collection of Cunard bears so this time bought Mr Bobby or should I say “Constable 👮‍♀️ Rob ”

We only had two Formal nights of the ten nights

First night was Black/White and second Formal was Roaring Twenties

Here is my daughter and granddaughter dressed. We were unable due to ships cough , will explain later on

icey Straits is a private island opened up to cruise companies and offers all thing Alaska. A days tender port

Here are some pics around the ship

Easy to walk and find

Our favourite spot was Garden Lounge and to enjoy a midday Hot Chocolate with Cognac and such

 

Not to forget the Library with its two decks and drop off a book and take one in return

I had forgotten I get a few free hours internet being now Gold but I used my $8 CDN daily mobile roaming plan instead when in port

That way I could easily post pictures

Finally the Fanzine members got a picture together at the World Club drinks event

Mr CC Paul Cunane, myself , Liz and Gillian Heard

Cunard just informed us we only have 31 more nights to move to Platinum status

We have cruised on the three Cunard ships in the last four years for a total of 39 nights. 😊🚢🎉🍷🇧🇧

Our family and granddaughter did get to the Commodore Club early in evening after a show and being Alaska one could enjoy late sunsets

Of course we enjoyed leaving Vancouver and the Inside Passage day

At one point early in the day I saw a mast outside our Cabin Window 1105

Turns out it was the Canadian Pilot boat come to collect the pilots and the waves were choppy

on about the last few days Liz came down with a dreadful cough and fever such she missed the Roaring Twenties Ball and had even bought a special gown which is now gathering dust.

I thought I had escaped but on the day of disembarkation I was now with such plus a fever

When we got here home I slept from mid afternoon till following day and it took 2 weeks to get back to normal, still cough stacks at times

Our final port visit before Vancouver was Victoria and due to Marine shore rules we could not leave the ship. QE is deemed leaving and arriving a Canadian port for the 10 days

Who says kids do not enjoy Cunard. Here is my granddaughter waiting for desert, outside on deck

To close our cruise

The dreaded luggage in the corridor

The only issue I had was changing our meal times to 5:30 pm especially as tour times did not close earlier

They say it was done to satisfy a group but that group had left three cruises prior to us

Of course we had a great family time together

Now I just have to work out how not to get the dreaded Cunard cough in the future

Did I mention we had just returned from my Nieces wedding in Barbados 🇧🇧 month prior 🇧🇧😊🎉🍷

Here we are in San Francisco a day prior to boarding QV for our 17 day voyage https://www.instagram.com/p/BiP2L5xH_1p/

This was the second year in a row that Cunard brought together USA and U.K. Designers to show case their creations and talents.
The voyage from Southampton to New York themselves with start of NewYork Fashion week.
This time Cunard invited Bloggers from UK who review and try out fashions that the average person can afford, to challenge themselves and us as to what might wear on a voyage or such
Attached is a lovely review of her first QM2 voyage with pictures and outfits.
To review the whole trip also check out her part 1 where a link is provided
Under an outfit picture will be tabs that if tapped will take you to the actual company

Enjoy http://www.bangonstyleblog.com/2017/10/transatlantic-cruise-to-new-york.html

The Cruise ships have started to arrive at our port

As we were on Queen Victoria from April 4th to April 21 2017 I missed Star Princess arriving on April 10th followed by HAL Zaandam April 25th and Eurodam , Nieuw Amsterdam that same week

I finally was able to get down to Ogden Point this week and though the weather was cloudy and windy the sun came out so I saw Coral Princess,  Ruby Princess, Eurodam and NCL Jewel

Even saw new emergency loos