Alaska Cruise Aboard The Cunard Lines Queen Elizabeth

Alaska Inside Passage - July 07 - 17 2023

It was a tremendous honour to be invited by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Cunard Cruise Lines to give a series of talks aboard the Queen Elizabeth.My presence on board is part of the Canadian Geographic Adventures partnership, and I loved being on this trip. The Queen Elizabeth is an amazing ship with an art deco interior style that made me feel like I was on an early 20th century voyage, but with all the modern amenities and comforts.   I was joined on this sailing by my sister, and this marks the first time that we've travelled together since we were both kids.

Day 01 - 2023 07 07 - Depart Vancouver

Day 1 - We flew from Toronto to Vancouver and boarded the ship, and I'm still finding my way around. The ship is gorgeous, and I'm really looking forward to giving my presentations on board. We shoved off and as we started to head north, we passed underneath the Lions Gate bridge and we're treated to a wonderful, pastel sunset.

Day 02 - 2023 07 08 - At Sea

Day 2 - Today was a sea day as we continued north towards Alaska. The low clouds made for moody textures as we passed between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Tonight was the first of the gala evenings, so getting dressed up was the thing to do. This ship really evokes a bit of an old school, art deco feel, and the on board library is nothing less than stunning. There’s no shortage of things to see and do aboard. We were also treated to a gorgeous sunset off the coast of Haida Gwaii.

Day 03 - 2023 07 09 - Sitka

Day 3 - Sitka, Alaska. Today was our first day going ashore. I gave my first presentation of the trip and then got ready to head off the ship. My sister, Elena, is joining me on this voyage, and once ashore we hopped onto a smaller boat to get a look at some of the local wildlife and sights of Sitka including a bald eagle, a raft of sea otters and some cranky sea lions.

Day 04 - 2023 07 10 - Skagway

Day 4 - Skagway, Alaska. Much to share, but one really cool natural phenomena we spotted today that I wanted to share was the sharp dividing line between the regular sea water in Lynn Canal fjord and the lighter coloured, silty water that is glacial fed. As the glaciers in the area slowly work their way downhill towards the sea, they grind the rock into a fine powdery silt that gets washed into the fjord by the rain. The amazing contrast between the two is remarkable, and is a phenomenon I was hoping to see on this trip!

Day 05 - 2023 07 11 - Hubbard Glacier

Day 5 - Today we made it to the northernmost point in the voyage, Hubbard Glacier. Hubbard is North America’s largest tidewater glacier (meaning it makes it all the way to sea level). It’s over 120 kilometers long (75 miles), 11 km wide (7 miles). The glacier is massive and it's hard to put the size and scale into perspective. The weather was absolutely perfect. The ice you see at the terminal face originally fell as snow, as much as 500 years ago. The glacier is over 2,000 feet thick at some locations. Hubbard Glacier starts at Mount Logan (2nd tallest mountain in North America at 19,850 feet) in the Yukon Territory in Canada.   Interestingly, 95% of Alaska's glaciers are receding, but Hubbard is one of the few that is actually advancing. Most of the glacier is at the high altitudes of Alaska & Yukon where a lot of new snow falls on the glacier, adding more to it than melts away.   We got to spend a few hours cruising around the fjord, admiring the deep-blue ice.

Day 06 - 2023 07 12 - Juneau & Mendenhall Glacier

Day 6 - Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls. Today we stopped in Alaska’s capital of Juneau and took a trip to to go see the Mendenhall Glacier, which is about 13.6 miles long & located in Mendenhall Valley, about 12 miles from downtown Juneau. Mendenhall Glacier is one of the many large glaciers that flow from the 1500 square mile Juneau Icefield. As glacial ice continues to build, gravity pulls the ice down slope. The glacier slowly scours the bedrock and grinds down its 13-mile journey to Mendenhall Lake. Unlike Hubbard Glacier, Mendenhall is retreating and used to be much thicker and used to extend much further down the valley. It is a beauty to behold, but it’s future is uncertain.

Day 07 - 2023 07 13 - Icy Strait Point & Hoonah

Day 7 - Hoonah, Alaska. The weather has continued to be simply perfect! Mostly clear skies, warm temperatures and not a single drop of rain. I'm shocked at how cooperative Mother Nature has been this week. Today the Queen Elizabeth stopped at Icy Strait Point, near the town of Hoonah. I spent most of the day walking around, checking out the shore, spotting eagles and their nests, and wandering in to town. Then it was back on board for another outstanding dinner and a round of competitive trivia.

Day 08 - 2023 07 14 - Glacier Bay N.P.

Day 8 - Glacier Bay National Park. One again, we had perfect weather to cruise around the bay and get great views of numerous glaciers and the surrounding mountain peaks which are usually shrouded in low clouds. We also had park rangers come aboard to give excellent commentary about the geology and history of the area.

Day 09 - 2023 07 15 - Ketchikan

Day 9 - It has been a tremendous pleasure to have been invited on this Cunard voyage. I've had a great time, both at the Alaskan destinations, and aboard the ships itself (which is stunning). Our last stop was in the town of Ketchikan, which is known as the "salmon capital of the world".   Tomorrow is a sea day, headed back south to Vancouver, and I'll be giving my second talk of the trip in the main theatre.

Day 10 - 2023 07 16 - At Sea

Day 10 - At sea. Today I gave y last lecture on the ship as we continued south from Alaska, back into Canadian waters, headed towards Vancouver. Thank you so much to Cunard and the RCGS for the invitation to share my stories with the passengers and to experience this amazing voyage.

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