I was on this cruise and had a wonderful time. This was my first time on Cunard (I was very doubtful when I learned that Carnival now owned the line), as well as going to Canada & Alaska and I had a wonderful time. This was a very mature cruise, meaning the passengers were not rowdy or entitled (I even felt out of place at times). There was 3 sea days devoted to Cruising by the glaciers and it was an amazing experience. I met some nice people and had some nice, polite dinner conversations. The Qn. Elizabeth is very beautiful ship, with elegant wood furnishings and banisters everywhere.
I also enjoyed the Mareel Spa, one day I had it all to myself, well the pool anyway. That day the stone lounge room was full. The spa is not designed for a lot of people. The showers were cool, but the water jets on the Infinity seem more varied then on Qn. Elizabeth. I did, however, try them out and I liked the cool lights that came on when the water jets sprayed. The views from both the heated lounges and the dry sauna were amazing! I wasn't expecting the floor to ceiling windows in the dry sauna!
This was what I had wanted from all my cruises. The mature crowd and elegant crew, and the beautiful ship adorned with wood everywhere. I felt I was aboard an actual ship, and not a floating hotel. Cunard's Qn. Elizabeth was truly an elevated (and really affordable!) cruising experience! I will sail on the Qn. Elizabeth again! I'll want to sail the Qn. Mary 2 next.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
This was very easy, however, Canada Place is a mess of hallways and corridors; but getting to one place or the other was easy and not confusing. I was onboard within a reasonable amount of time - 1 hour, really. I really don't understand WHY people complain about taking one stupid hour to board a cruise ship. I learned Canada Place used to be an arena or something like that. Once I got aboard I was really wowed by the Qn. Elizabeth; it is a very beautiful ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food was excellent, and the Lido was very good. I loved the food at the Lido Bar as well. While the ship was not at full capacity, about twice the Lido got so crowded, there was no place to sit; unless you sat with someone else, which I did on one occasion. Even the Garden Lounge had no seating during breakfast on the last sea day. Although one passenger toward the end of the cruise complained about the lack of variety, which was bull because there were signs listing the daily specials during lunch and dinner. Breakfast was the only constant, but it never left me hungry. I could also mention the lack of desserts; while there were some tasty treats, to be sure - nothing as big a selection as my first cruise aboard Celebrity Equinox or Infinity in 2019. Even the Bliss last year had a fairly big selection of treats. The Lido dessert area was one small area at the end of section. :(
The Britannia was a very nice restaurant with very well appointed staff. You didn't need to wear a dinner jacket if you didn't want to. The food was excellent. One passenger advised not going there for breakfast, and she was right: it is better to go the Lido or get room service (the latter being the best experience).
They did offer a 24 hour room service menu, and I did use it twice: once for my Champagne Breakfast in bed package, and once for just breakfast in bed. I forgot to try out the whole 24 hour in room service, I wanted to try the late night offerings, but I completely forgot about the menu altogether because I had it stuffed in the drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. My best spot was the Cafe Carinthia, as I had the NonBooze package. The price of the package (300$) well very efficient, as it was VERY easy to drink 30$ worth of water, juices, soda, tea and coffee a day - and I did just that! I did get some booze during the Ice White Ball and a couple of other times. I also, did have a boozy coffee at one point, I think. I will admit, that during the last 3 days of the cruise I didn't really feel like wearing my dinner jacket to dinner.
The dress code was really only "strict" in the Verandah Restaurants, like The Steakhouse (I had the Cunarder Burger). But, in Frontier and Coriander (the Specialty restaurants - which were located in a repurposed area of the Lido Dining hall) they didn't enforce it. I wore my dinner jacket to one and a dress sweater to the other.
Cafe Carinthia
5 out of 5
My favorite spot, I loved this place. I had the Non-Booze package and was fully able to drink 30$ (or more) worth of coffee, soda, fruit juices a day for the whole cruise.
Midships Bar
4 out of 5
I don't why I selected this and it won't let me skip it - I just bought the 3 Queens Gin Mini set.
Lido Pool Grill
5 out of 5
I loved this, and ate here twice or so. They had some good sandwiches, but they sure did skimp on the fries. Also, the fries were sitting in a basket and weren't actually hot-hot.
Lido Buffet
5 out of 5
This very nice and quite quaint (read somewhat small). The specialty venues are actually one side of the Lido on certain days. The food selection was fairly good, though the desserts were slim, while good, there was just not the variety I've seen on Celebrity [Equinox/Infinity] (pre-COVID) and NCL [Bliss] (post-COVID).
Britannia Restaurant
5 out of 5
This was very nice. I was told that breakfast is better in your room or in the Lido. They were right, the experence isn't really special for the whole sit down.
The Garden Lounge
5 out of 5
This is lovely "air space" that is right next to the aft pool. You can get drinks and eat in here as well. They also have live bands.
The Verandah Restaurant
5 out of 5
I was here for Lunch and Dinner (Steakhouse). The food was good, though (for me) portions were small.
The Golden Lion
5 out of 5
I always missed the lunch here, because ...I was doing other stuff or in port. I really wanted to try the fish and chips! I came in here at night and saw the Irish Duo.
Pavilion Bar
5 out of 5
The same as all the bars.
Lido Pool Bar
5 out of 5
Like all bars they serve booze, and the selection is somewhat varied. But I had the no-booze package, so was able to get my drinks at any bar.
Commodore Club
5 out of 5
Thus has the best forward view on the ship. The atmosphere is great, except when the pianist sings. Dude, no!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
This cruise had two Gala evenings: Ice White and Masquerade, both on the first and last Sea Days. These Balls were not what i expected. The Balls were not what I expected, but if I was an actual dancer I probably would had more fun than I did. But I did wear a fancy mask during the Masquerade Ball, which, again, wasn't what I expected. I imagined the fancy affairs I've seen in movies. I had fun, nonetheless, and got compliments on my chosen mask! During the Ice White Ball I wore an all white tuxedo with blue accoutrements. My pants, while ironed and pressed, refused to stay that way - soon after putting them on they got wrinkled. I was...miffed to say the least.
Commodore Club/Yatch Club/Lions Pub- Between the two the CC was the best spot for the ocean views. The YC was mainly used for private meeting, and I only went there once to watch karaoke. The Lions Pub was a nice place, but I never made it for lunch to try the fish & chips, but did make during one late night for cool Irish Duo.
Pools/ Pool Bar- I never went into the pools, even though aft one was heated. I used the spa pool more often (three times). The ship was not crowded at all (much less than 2K people)
Spa-I used this three times and the 35$ for two hours was reasonable. It was only "crowded" twice: 98% of the lounges in the pool area were all occupied, and once all of the heated stone loungers were occupied. But it was very nice, and had dry and wet saunas, as one would expect.
Casino- Passed through here, never donated. It seem rather small than most I've seen.
Art Gallery-This was not very large, but it is a transit area right between other public areas. It seems Cunard wanted to you to look at lovely art while on your way to the Queens Room or Theatre.
Games deck-I never knew where this was, and forgot the ship had oe until i went to the top deck to see the glaciers. Because the ship wasn't at full capacity I think I saw the games deck being used for actual games once. But, the area far more impressive than others I have seen on the last 2 cruise ships I've been on.
Royal Court Theatre- This was beautiful theatre with comfortable seating. There are boxes for rent. The stage productions were very well done.
Lido Pool
5 out of 5
I never used the pools, I wish I did because they were heated and never crowded. Most days it was too cold, I didn't want go swimming in the cold, as many people actually did.
Hydropool
5 out of 5
I had three spa days so I used this hydropool everyday. It was great, but those giant faucets that spray water had no way to adjust the flow. So the water came gushing out like a broken spigot.
Whirlpools
5 out of 5
These I wanted to use but they were always in sue on the days I wanted to get in, or closed.
Internet Centre
4 out of 5
Since I have learned that internet on cruise ships is pointless, this was the first cruise I relied only on the PCs in the Library and free WiFi. There were some times I wished for my phone to access the internet, but it was nice being "sort of off the grid".
Pursers Office
5 out of 5
Prior reviews (from Seattle embarkers) complained that the Purser's office was rude. I never once experienced this, so I guess it may because I embarked from Vancouver. My cruise was very international, so I will assume that Seattle cruises to Alaska have mostly US citizens and give off a different vibe for the crew. 🤷🏿♂️
Book Shop
5 out of 5
Went in here once, it looked nice, but for some reason I can never actually read on a cruise. Unless, it's my own stuff, but even then I get distracted. I guess if it was a longer cruise with many sea days...
Royal Spa And Fitness Centre
5 out of 5
The Mareel spa was amazing, they could use more heated lounges. The gym was cool, but the spin bikes were not working (or were just never in use).
Shops
5 out of 5
I bought more stuff from the shops on this cruise then I really should have. But, aside from the chips and cookies everything else was a good and affordable buy. Cunard prices ar actually reasonable. I got a QE mug for 14$ compared to my NCL Bliss mug for 25$!
Pavilion Pool
5 out of 5
This pool I know was heated, and wish I did swim in it. But, I had the spa pass for 3 days, and it was enough for me, actually.
Games Deck
5 out of 5
I wanted to play the games! But, I forgot there was a games dek until the sixth day when we started cruising the glaciers! It was very nice, but the weather during the three days was not favorable for outdoor games. The rest of the week was stellar, but again i forgot about it. I need a cruise longer than 10 days that I won;t take for granted.
Art Gallery
4 out of 5
I walked passed this on my way to other venues, and resisted the urge to buy more art off a cruise ship.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Because I tend to spend money in the art gallery on cruises - I never attended any art showings, just passed through and looked at the artwork. I did however attend some shows and they were fantastic!! I enjoyed everyone I went to: The ship's cast performances of "The Hollywood Nights" and "Top Hat" was absolutly amazing; guest performers: Chantuease, Gloria Gorbin, Duo Quintessence (WOW); along with shipwide entertainment from: the Harpist, Aucostic Guitarist, Pianist, the Eco String Trio, and Irish Ruka Duo in the Lion's Pub. I was so glad that every performer was amazing! The Blujays were great, but not my style. Even the Queen's Room performers were amazing - I saw the Zumba dance lessons, and wished I came early to join - so I just watched. During one dance class (not Zumba) the teacher scolded (politely) the people who were filming with their cameras, by asking them not to.
Royal Court Theatre
5 out of 5
Clearly the best shows at sea! Not one show was bad or tacky or plain awful. They were very well produced and the cast did an amazing job. The show HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS is fantastic breathtaking show! If t playing on your cruise SEE IT! Top Hat was also amazing! I have seen the film and they did an amazing job! It was cool seeing this generation trying to inflect the same way they did in the Fred and Ginger film.
Queens Room
5 out of 5
This was nice place for dancing and afternoon tea. Because this was first time on Qn. Elizabeth, I forgot to take advantage of tea every afternoon. I joined tea shortly after 3pm, so I missed the opening ceremony they do when they first start.
The Yacht Club
5 out of 5
I went here once and just watched the karaoke. It was used as a night club for the millenials, at night. Other days it was used for meeting or small dance classes.
Library
5 out of 5
This was 2 stories and very nice, though I never did actually sue it. Except for my private photo shoot.
Grand Lobby
5 out of 5
This was beautiful place, and the live music was always great. The wood bannisters, railings and the staircase, everything was just stellar.
Connexions
3 out of 5
This place confused me, since I never asked what it was for I made no use of it. I gather it was a meeting place.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
While there were kids onboard and they did have a great time (one kid had the pool all to himself, and 3 teens had the hot tubs to themselves), I myself had no kids with me.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The Cunard staff are very professional, however I did notice a couple of times that a small few exhibited the typical "cruise employee" demeanor. That is to say: their job is your expensive vacation, and they let it show when they shouldn't. The staff in Cafe Carinthia had one (and only one) staff who wasn't consistent. But I did notice that he, and others, often worked in many areas of the ship, thus wore more than one uniform. My Stateroom steward was nice (this cruise was his first day), and he was very accommodating. Cunard did appear to have twice daily turndown. However, there was day he had to let me know to place the sign on the door if i wasn't going to out of stateroom by 9am, so he didn't interrupt me on the days I slept in late. He even helped with my white tuxedo that had some stitches I forgot to remove. The bar staff, restaurant staff, and all around were not rude or snippy but professional.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Qn. Elizabeth is the most beautiful ship I have been on, so far. The design of this ship is not lazy or tacky at all. It was very easy to get around, and there was no confusing navigation of stair and elevators to get to places once you knew where they were. The Commodore and Yacht clubs are at the front of the ship; but one was above the other, I kept forgetting which was which. What I loved most about the QE was the fact that you could walk all the way around the ship on deck 3. And to a lesser extent on deck 10, but open deck space is being phased out on modern ship completely, it was such a blessing to be on a ship that kept this layout. Overall, the ship is warm and beautiful with heated pools, and a library that is two decks and actually quiet. In fact, this ship has a few actual quiet spaces.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Very well appointed stateroom on deck 4 (right in front of the elevator and by the stairs - Cunard auto selected this stateroom for me, as I chose a Sailing Soon cruise), with a nice sized balcony. It was very comfortable to stay here for ten days. I just wished I took MORE advantage of the 24 hour INCLUDED room service. The use of two small beds for a "king" is a cruise lameduck, but oh well. I guess if one wants a real king: sail on Regent. The stateroom was a good size and never crowded. But the shower tube was just silly. While my small stature I could deal with it, it is just so out of place for such and elegant ship, the plastic shower curtain, notwithstanding. Cunard did appear to have twice daily turndown with the nightly chocolate on the pillow or bed, just like on my Celebrity cruises I left the cruise with a bunch of little chocolate squares to take home xD. NCL, not so much.
Ship tip
Don't think just because Carnival owns the line that it will be tacky, this is a beautiful ship. It actually looks just what a cruise ship should look like (not a hotel). Cunard is traditional, so do take advantage of the oppurtunity to dress uop and even dance in the ball room. This is what cruising was meant to be (before they became amusement parks). Enjoy and endulge!.
Vancouver, BC - It rained a bit the day arrived. I stayed at Hotel BLU and it was awesome. The area reminded me of Downtown L.A. with all the shops and entertainment. I ate at Black Rice, FIve Guys and a slushy place. I would like to spend more time here, my driver told me about this small island that would have been awesome to visit.
Sitka, Skagway, Ketchikan, AK- These are all tourist towns. Sitka and Skagway were small and quaint. Ketchikan was the biggest. I did a glass working class in Sitka. It wasn't what I thought. I didn't make anything fancy like the flower I did on my first cruise. It was instead a long glass wand, that had to be cut in tow so I could take it home safely, as it was over 2 feet long. But, it was a nice trip, and the weather was very nice and I had a reindeer dawg. Sorry Rudolph, but you taste very good!
I went a brothel museum and it was pretty cool. Weather in Skagway was so mild, I had to take my jacket off. All that talk about layers was bunk! The town is very touristy, but very cute and you could walk the entire town in one trip.
We traveled the Gulf of Alaska and were to spend three days cruising by the glaciers. One reviewer actually complained about "three sea days". THIS is why I took the cruise: to see the glaciers before they melt away. These were awesome and I truly regret not coming here in 2001 or earlier when the glaciers were much larger. Now the parks are reverting to what they were millions of years ago before the Ice Age. It was majestic to see the remaining glaciers. This particular day I had a photo shoot around the ship and have one photo of me with Hubbard in the background. I know I looked silly wearing a tuxedo outside when it drizzled just a bit. But the photo came out nice! (check it out)
Here is where we saw the Dawes Glacier. We saw a bunch of otters (or seals) scattered all over the floating glaciers. There was a bear, but I couldn't actually see it, even though the Park ranger tried her best to point it out. I didn't bring my binoculars.
These are all tourist towns. Sitka and Skagway were small and quaint. Ketchikan was the biggest. Ketchikan we learned has usually rainy weather, we were told by our guide that we brought the good weather with us! I went to what they called "the largest totem pole outdoor museum in the world". It was cool, but I wasn't as awed as thought I would be. Also, all that talk about wearing layers was bunk. Ketchikan was just sunny and nice.
This was a beautiful city and the weather was great. I saw this big castle and big totem poles. I had a walking tour; however, the excursion pier staff directed me to the wrong area, twice and I missed meeting my group. I ended up walking by myself from the pier, and it was great and I ended seeing pretty much everything I would have seen on the guided tour. Lesson here was: don't pay 60$ to walk around town when you can do it yourself for free! I went into town, and even went inside an indoor mall (something I haven't seen in the U.S. for over a decade)! This was a really nice city and really question HOW and WHY others complain about this city in their reviews. I had a wonderful time!
While the process was smooth and organized, myself and anothers had to wait for additional pieces of luggage to arrive. This caused us to miss our airport transfer bus. Cunard refunded the cost, and used it as a taxi voucher. We were then escorted out to the taxi; we did not have to go through customs, as we filled out the Declaration two days before while onboard the ship. So it was all very well.
Thanks for your detailed review and photos. Quite nice and informative. Glad you had a wonderful cruise. Looks like a beautiful and very interesting ship.
Thanks for your detailed review and photos. Quite nice and informative. Glad you had a wonderful cruise. Looks like a beautiful and very interesting ship.
Thanks for your comprehensive review, it's appreciated. My husband and I cruise a lot and are going to Alaska on Queen Elizabeth next August. We've never sailed with Cunard before so your comments are reassuring.
Carnival now owns the Cunard line? Ummm they've been under carnival for 25 years lol... you lost me with that sentence... I'm sure the rest of the review was great though🤷♀️
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
