Embarkation onto Queen Elizabeth: Vancouver BC

 “To the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world.”

 

John Muir

 

Slow Travel Northward

 
Slow travel takes many forms.  For us, it has most often meant hiking…or walking.  Setting out by foot inherently means that you are moving slowly along a trail and across the landscape step by step, which itself allows the world to unfold at a natural pace.  This journey north aboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth is obviously different from our hikes.  Yet, it is still part of the same long exploration of the natural world.

 
In recent years, we have found ourselves slowly drawing a line across the map of each province, of Canada, or Europe and around the world.  Our crossing of the Atlantic Ocean aboard Queen Mary 2 connected the Trans Canada Trail to our hikes in the United Kingdom and to pilgrimages across Portugal, Spain and France.  That same impulse to connect our journeys and to see new places continues northward. The ship sails from Vancouver, a city closely tied to the western end of our Trans Canada Trail journey, and later in the voyage, we will pass through Skagway, only a short distance from Whitehorse in the Yukon, where the TCT also crosses through.
 
Embarkation days always carry a certain excitement and energy. There is anticipation, exhilaration, and a sense that something new is beginning. Boarding a ship has the same emotional charge as stepping onto the first kilometres of a long trail - a feeling of setting out into the unknown.
 
Today, that excitement is mixed with something else as well - relief. For once, we are not hiking. We are not figuring out distances to the next water source or wondering where we will pitch a tent before nightfall. After months of demanding so much from our bodies on the trail, the simple acts of standing still or sitting down while the ship carries us north feels almost luxurious.
 
Yet there is another complication to this voyage.

 
We have never been drawn to cruising. Indeed, the idea has often held very little appeal.  When people speak of cruises, they tend to conjure images of retirees, floating buffets, endless drinks, crowded decks and the kind of noisy excess that feels very far removed from the peacefulness of the trail.  
 
And yet here we are – about to board a cruise ship. 
 
There are two reasons why this particular voyage works for us.  The first is Cunard. While Queen Elizabeth is technically a cruise ship, Cunard’s vessels carry something of the tradition of the great ocean liners. Our crossing aboard Queen Mary 2 reminded us that ships can still offer a slower and more reflective way of travelling across water.

 
The second reason is the destination.  This voyage leads north, toward Alaska – a region with landscapes of glaciers, deep rainforests and a diversity of wildlife.  For two people who have spent years walking to spot birds and see wildlife, heading to an area so full of natural wonders is a wonderful opportunity. So while this journey may technically be called a cruise, for us it feels more like something else entirely: another way of continuing the long line of slow travel that has been gradually carrying us across the world.
 
Starting today – somewhere ahead and beyond the railings of the promenade deck – lay the northern coastlines of British Columbia and Alaska.  Places where tides, whales and birds will shape our days far more than any itinerary ever could.
 

Morning of Embarkation

 
We woke up early this morning – embarkation day.  Partly from excitement at the thought of stepping on board Queen Elizabeth, the sister ship of Queen Mary 2, and partly from the anticipation that always seems to accompany the beginning of a new journey.
 
We had stayed at the Lonsdale Quay Hotel on the north shore of Vancouver.  After months and years of hiking the Trans Canada Trail, we have learned not to take travel logistics lightly.  As such, spending the night in North Vancouver allowed us to avoid the possibility of delayed ferries from the Sunshine Coast disrupting the start of the voyage. 

 
With time to spare before we needed to check out of the hotel and before we were allowed to board, we left our bags in the room and wandered down to the shoreline to watch the sunrise.   Over Vancouver Harbour, the skies were shades of pinks, reds, and oranges.  The morning’s early light and colours reflected across the thousands of windows in the city’s skyscrapers as well as the harbour’s waters. 
 
It was a beautiful way to begin the day.  As with so many such moments, however, it did not last long.

 
Out in the harbour, the first ship appeared: Celebrity Silhouette, gliding slowly toward Canada Place to disembark the passengers who had completed their voyage. Not far behind her, emerging beneath the span of the Lion’s Gate Bridge, another silhouette began to take shape.
 
It was Queen Elizabeth.

Even at a distance, the ship was unmistakable. Her dark hull and the distinctive red-and-black Cunard funnel stood out against the colours of the morning sky as she entered Vancouver Harbour and made her way toward the cruise terminal.  Then, in a slow, graceful movement, she turned and docked on the opposite side of Canada Place from Silhouette.

 
As it turns out, it wasn’t only ships moving through the harbour this morning.  As we stood in the park watching these ships cruise into Vancouver Harbour, a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk and a cute Harbour Seal watched us – one perched from a nearby signpost, the other from the waters.  Even before our departure – even before boarding the ship – the harbour is already alive with wildlife
 

Ferry Rides, Canada Place, and Connections

 
Ready to get underway and begin our journey in earnest, we headed back to the hotel, packed up, checked out and set off for the nearby ferry terminal
 
There was a brief wait before the next SeaBus departed from North Vancouver for the short crossing to downtown Vancouver.  It was a familiar route that we had last ridden this same ferry while hiking the Trans Canada Trail when we crossed from Stanley Park and Vancouver to North Vancouver before continuing west on foot toward Horseshoe Bay. 
 
It was strange to think that the same harbour we had once crossed on foot and ferry while hiking across Canada would now be the starting point for another journey.  Today, instead of hiking backpacks, we pulled rolling luggage.   I’m not sure that this was an improvement – we both felt less like explorers on an adventure and more like travellers between destinations.  Sigh....

 
The ferry ride was quick, lasting only a few minutes.  Soon we stepped off at the Waterfront terminal and pulled our somewhat awkward suitcases through the busy concourse to Canada Place, which was only a couple of minutes away. Although we knew the area well, the route was easy to follow. Staff and security from Canada Place were already guiding the steady flow of passengers arriving for embarkation, while at the same time directing an equally steady flow of passengers disembarking. 

Multitudes of people moved through the concourse, some heading towards check-in counters, others collecting luggage from voyages that had just ended.   The scene made me feel like a salmon struggling upstream, just trying to stay in the right flow.

 
We arrived a little earlier than necessary and weren’t entirely sure whether luggage drop-off and check-in would already be open. Fortunately, they were welcoming passengers inside, and we were directed toward the large embarkation hall inside the convention centre.

 
It was a curious moment to pause and notice how little we were carrying.  For the past five years, we had travelled across Canada on foot with everything we owned strapped to our backs. Now, preparing for a voyage to Alaska, we had arrived with far less.  Though we still had our binoculars and cameras on us now, rather than trekking boots and backpacks, we had dresses, suits and polished shoes. 
 
Standing in the hall also brought back an unexpected memory. Years earlier, we had given talks here in Canada Place as part of the Canada Outdoor Adventure Show, speaking about long-distance hiking, the landscapes of Canada, and bird conservation. Returning now as passengers beginning a different kind of journey felt like coming full circle.

 
Canada Place itself carries its own history. Built for Vancouver’s World Exposition in 1986 - Expo 86 - the structure’s distinctive white roof was designed to resemble the sails of a ship, an architectural nod to the city’s maritime identity. Today, Vancouver remains one of Canada’s busiest ports, and Canada Place has become one of the country’s busiest cruise terminals.
 
Before long, we were able to drop off our luggage, complete the check-in process, and confirm our onboard payment details.  Around us, the embarkation hall was alive with excitement. Some passengers were clearly setting off on their first cruise, while others looked like seasoned travellers who knew the routines well. Luggage carts moved in slow circles across the hall, and many passengers were already dressed for Alaska - jackets, hats, and layers prepared for northern weather – even though it was 20 degrees Celsius in Vancouver at the moment.
 
There was only one small complication – boarding would not begin for another hour.  

 
As such, rather than waiting inside during a beautiful day, we stepped back out onto the harbour front to explore the ships and waterfront while we had the time. We walked along the busy docking area and circled (as much as possible) Queen Elizabeth first. Up close, her hull was sleek and stylish.  The ship was even more striking than it had appeared earlier in the morning as she had made her way across the harbour.  From the dock, we could see her bulbous bow and the clean lines of the hull rising above us. 

 
Next, we made our way along the outside concourse around Canada Place – tracing names of Canadian cities inlaid into the ground as we went.  Amazed at how many we now knew and had visited.  Around the other side of the building was Celebrity Silhouette, which appeared a little more worn – streaks of rust along the hull stood out against the otherwise modern design. 
 
Two ships reflecting two very different styles, yet both were preparing to carry passengers north to the same ports of call. 
 

Embarkation on Queen Elizabeth to Alaska

 
After spending the past hour or so wandering Vancouver’s waterfront, we made our way back into Canada Place and joined the growing queue of passengers waiting to board.  Our boarding passes had already been checked earlier and stamped “OK to Board”, so the process moved quickly once embarkation began.  Within about fifteen minutes, the line began to move, and we found ourselves weaving through the large halls of the convention centre along with the steady stream of well-dressed passengers, each preparing to begin the voyage.

Eventually, the line led toward the gangway, which rose gently toward the side of Queen Elizabeth.  Step by step we walked upward until we had reached the side of the ship. 
 
Stepping on board felt slightly disorienting. Unlike being on trail, where we have to take care of everything and solve each problem ourselves.  On board – for right or wrong – we would have most of our needs taken care of by the amazing staff.  For the next 10 days, all anyone could want would be managed by the remarkable crew who keep a ship like this running smoothly.

 
Despite this (or maybe because of it), stepping on board did not feel like an escape.  It was simply a different means of undertaking a journey that also allowed us to rest en route.
 
After clearing the final security check on the promenade deck, we stepped inside the ship. Our next adventure had begun – Voyage Q427 to Alaska!
 

Outside Cabin Britannia Class

 
We stepped aboard from the promenade deck and were gently prompted to enter the main corridor by the crew.  The first view that greeted us was the ship’s stunning central staircase rising between two floors at the centre of the vessel.  It is a design feature that immediately reminded us that we were again on board a Cunarder.  The polished wood, elegant railings, and sweeping staircase framed by an Art Deco depiction of QE gave the space a sense of tradition and formality that was unmistakably Cunard. 

 
Embarkation staff were efficient but friendly, helping keep the steady flow of passengers moving while asking where each cabin was located. When we mentioned our room number, they quickly pointed us toward the appropriate corridor.  Our cabin was located on Deck 1, the first passenger deck above the waterline and only a short distance from the Purser’s office and Reception.
 
Inside the corridor, we soon found our stateroom: 1091.
 
As is typical, our room number plaque had two envelopes neatly tucked behind it – one with each of our names on it.   Inside were our room card keys that provide us access to our cabin, serve as the payment method throughout the ship and work as our security passes for leaving and rejoining the ship at each port of call.

 
Our cabin was an Oceanview Britannia Class stateroom, something of a novelty for us. On most of our crossings aboard Queen Mary 2, we had travelled in inside cabins, and on one voyage we had tried a sheltered balcony. This time, we had deliberately chosen a room with a window.
 
The decision was practical rather than luxurious. Located midship and close to the waterline, the cabin allowed us to glance outside at any moment of the day or night. In the northern waters ahead, that meant we could easily check for whales, seabirds, shifting weather - or, if we were fortunate, even the northern lights
 

Britannia Class

 
Like most of our previous voyages with Cunard, our cabin on Queen Elizabeth were Britannia Class, which is the main category of cabins for the majority of passengers. These rooms are designed for double occupancy and can be configured either with two single beds or put together.  The layout it compact but very comfortable, providing everything needed for life aboard during a voyage. 

 
Not long after arriving, we met our room steward – Al, a quiet and professional young man who would be responsible for keeping our room in order throughout the voyage.   After introducing himself briefly, he detailed where everything could be found in our room and offered any assistance if we had any needs. 
 

Notes from the Navigator

 
Waiting on the desk inside the cabin was the ship’s daily program, the printed schedule that quietly organizes life onboard.  Today’s was aptly named - Welcome Aboard and included the captain’s greetings -
 
“Captain Stephen Howarth, his officers and crew, welcome you on board for this 10-night Alaskan voyage.  Ketchikan will delight with its colourful totem poles, while Mendenhall Glacier awaits from Alaska’s capital, Juneau.  The chance to sail beside Hubbard Glacier, the sheer scale of which will amaze you, is another stunning highlight.
 
You will be sure to make enchanted memories on this wonderful voyage.  We wish you a pleasant journey and a relaxing holiday as Queen Elizabeth sets sail for Ketchikan, Alasaka, USA”
 
The program noted that the key activities for the day included the Vancouver Sail Away at 4:30 PM, a Sail Away party by the Lido Pool and later live piano music in the Commodore Club provided by Ian Turner.

 
Flipping through the first day’s notes, we also immediately noticed something encouraging. According to the program, there were already possibilities for whale sightings not far beyond Vancouver Harbour - particularly after passing Stanley Park, rounding the point, and sailing beneath the Lion’s Gate Bridge before heading out along the coastline!
 

Anticipation and Exploration

 
Although we usually like to spend some time exploring a new ship after boarding, the promise of a beautiful sail away made it difficult to stay indoors for long. After a quick walk through a few of the public spaces on Queen Elizabeth, curiosity soon gave way to anticipation, and we eventually made our way upward toward the open decks to watch the departure.
 
Outside it was warm and beautiful – the mountains beyond North Vancouver were layered, and the waters around us were clear and blue.   We were not alone long on top of the ship as the decks began to fill with passengers.

An announcement from the captain echoed across the ship, and people appeared from staircases and corridors throughout the vessel, gathering along the railings to watch the moment of departure.  It was a moment of collective excitement. 
 
Soon, the lines were released, and the ship began to move.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, Queen Elizabeth eased away from the dock. As the ship began to move, a familiar sensation returned - one we had felt before aboard Queen Mary 2. Beneath our feet came the low vibration of the engines, the subtle shifting of weight through the deck, and the unmistakable awareness that the ship was no longer connected to land.
 
The ship drifted outward into the harbour, turning gracefully before pointing her bow toward open water.  Another chapter in our journeys had begun as we slipped away from Vancouver.
 

Sail Away from Vancouver

 
As Queen Elizabeth eased away from the dock at Canada Place, there was almost no sensation of movement. The ship did not rock or shudder, and the engines made little sound. The only real indication that the voyage had begun was the slow widening of water between the ship and the busy downtown waterfront of Vancouver.

 
We have always found it interesting to watch both the landscapes and the people around us during departure.  A harbour sail away reveals as much about the travellers as it does about the place itself.  Everyone seemed to take in the moment differently. Some leaned over the railings, photographing the skyline. Others wave toward the shore, perhaps to family and friends, or to say goodbye to Vancouver.  A few simply sit quietly in deck chairs and loungers, watching the harbour slowly disappear behind us.
 
The ship soon turned and began its gradual passage along the edge of Stanley Park. From the deck, we could see Brockton Point and the long curve of the Stanley Park Seawall Trail tracing the shore. It was a familiar landscape to us, a place where thousands of people walk and cycle each day with views across the water toward the North Shore mountains.

 
Standing at the railing, sipping slowly from glasses of champagne – a sail away tradition – we watched the shoreline pass by.  Ahead of us, the Lion’s Gate Bridge spanned the narrow entrance to the Burrard Inlet between West Vancouver and the North Shore.
 
The bridge carries its own interesting history. Built in the 1930s with financial backing from the Guinness family, the structure was designed to connect the British Properties on the North Shore with downtown Vancouver. Its elegant suspension design later inspired the construction of a similar bridge between Halifax and Dartmouth - a crossing we had also walked while following the Trans Canada Trail. So many interesting connections across this country.

 
As Queen Elizabeth approached the bridge, we had West Vancouver to one side of us and the forested slopes of the coastal mountains and north shore to the other.  Ahead of us, the waters of Burrard Inlet are dotted with anchored tankers and container ships – a reminder that Vancouver is one of the busiest ports in Canada and on the Pacific Coast.
 
Passing under the Lion’s Gate was like departing and returning to New York under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge – it was a moment that divided the journey from cruising around a small harbour to voyaging in the open seas!

As the ship cleared the bridge and continued westward, the skyline of Vancouver remained visible in the distance, framed against the mountains that rise behind the city.  Gradually, the towers of downtown began to shrink against the horizon as the ship moved toward the open coastline.

 
In all the excitement of departure, we realized something slightly ironic. Normally, when travelling, we keep a careful watch on the water and sky, always looking for seabirds, whales, or any movement that might reveal wildlife along the shore. Yet in the excitement of sailaway, we had done almost none of that. Like so many of the other passengers around us, we had simply stood at the railings and enjoyed the moment. 
 
Ultimately, that was perfectly fine – the evening ahead would more than make up for it.
 

Voyaging British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast

 
It did not take long before we began to recognize the waters we were travelling through.
 
During the first hours of the voyage, Queen Elizabeth followed the coastline northward along British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast - a place that, for us, is also home. We have paddled and sailed through these waters many times before, and the familiar outlines of the coastline were easy to recognize even from the deck of a ship.

 

Beyond the coastline, the mountains were layered in shades of blue and grey.  As the day progressed and the light shifted, these same landscapes transformed into stunning overlapping silhouettes.

 
As amazing as the landscapes and seascapes were, our attention was soon captured when the first whale spout appeared!
 
At first, it was only a brief plume of mist rising from the water not far from the ship. Then another appeared further out, followed by the slow arch of a dark back breaking the surface. Before long, we realized that we were surrounded by whales!

 
Spouts rose again and again across the water. Arcing fins slipped beneath the surface while broad tails lifted briefly into the air before disappearing again into the depths. It quickly became clear that we were watching not just a single whale but several pods moving through the same stretch of water.  Their tall spouts rose repeatedly from the calm waters of the Strait of Georgia as the ship moved slowly through the area.  

 
Their distinct blows and curved dorsal fins mean that the whales were almost certainly humpbacks.  This species has returned in remarkable numbers to the waters of British Columbia after nearly disappearing during the industrial whaling era of the twentieth century. Protected since the 1960s and benefiting from decades of conservation work, humpbacks have slowly reclaimed many of their traditional feeding grounds along the Pacific coast. The Strait of Georgia and the waters off the Sunshine Coast now regularly host whales feeding on schools of herring and krill during the summer months.

 
For the next several hours, we remained on deck, watching the spectacle unfold. The whales surfaced repeatedly while the coastline slowly drifted past beside us. Eventually, the sky began to glow with the warm colours of sunset, and the mountains gradually shifted under the evening light.

 
Earlier in the day, we had laughed at ourselves for forgetting to watch for wildlife amid the excitement of sailing away. Now the opposite happened. Completely absorbed in the whale activity around us, we lost track of time and entirely missed our scheduled dinner in the Britannia restaurant - normally one of our favourite parts of the evening aboard Cunard.
 
It hardly seemed to matter.  Dinner could wait, moments like this could not
 

Lido Dinner

 
Not wanting to leave this scene or take the time to change into anything more formal, we had dinner in the Lido Buffet– something we don’t typically enjoy.  On most evenings, we look forward to the slower rhythm and elegance of the Britannia Restaurant. Tonight, however, the decision was easy.  Eating casually at the Lido allowed us to stay up on deck, watching the waters and skies while the whales continued to surface.

 
In fact, the decision felt almost inevitable. Throughout the afternoon, we had already abandoned several small routines that normally mark the beginning of a voyage. Instead of exploring the ship, settling into the cabin, or preparing for a formal dinner, we found ourselves drawn again and again back outside. The wildlife, the shifting light, and the quiet passage along the coastline held our attention in a way that no interior space could compete with.

 
Our meal was quick and simple, a service of quinoa salad and a few small desserts tossed into a bowl quickly before returning outside.  We ate slowly near the railing, paying more attention to the sea than our meal. 

 
As a small aside, something we noticed during these early meals is how often passengers use the word Lido almost interchangeably with buffet on cruise ships. The term actually refers to the Lido Deck - traditionally, the open-air pool deck designed for lounging, swimming, and casual dining. The word itself comes from the Italian lido, meaning beach or shore, and reflects the relaxed seaside atmosphere these spaces were meant to evoke. Its origins are often traced to the famous Lido di Venezia, a fashionable seaside resort that became popular in the nineteenth century.

 
While we ate, the ship continued north through waters that felt familiar to us. Travelling along the Inside Passage, we remained close to the Canadian coastline, passing the western side of Texada Island - a place we had previously sailed around on a friend’s boat and paddled along while travelling the Salish Sea Marine Trail, itself one of the water routes that are part of the Trans Canada Trail.
 
To voyage these waters again from the deck of a ship felt strange and as though we were again coming full circle.  We have navigated these waters by paddle and sail in the past, and yet here we were again on a journey neither of us would have ever expected to be on. 
 

Evening on Queen Elizabeth

 
As the skies began to darken, we eventually retreated to our cabin, where we found our luggage waiting for us.  Here, we took the opportunity to unpack and hang our clothes as well as take quick showers to refresh before changing for the evening.
 
With everything in order, we made our way up to the Commodore Club, a familiar space that we enjoy.  Here we settled in with a glass of wine to relax with while we chatted and watched out the front of the ship into the night.

 

By day’s end, the ship had carried us far beyond Vancouver Harbour.  We were now somewhere off the coast near Courtenay, British Columbia, as Queen Elizabeth continued northward, the steady vibration of the engines a quiet reminder that the voyage was fully underway.
 
This journey would clearly be very different from our transatlantic crossings. Those voyages had unfolded slowly across the Atlantic Ocean with only a couple of ports of call on the journey – embarkation and departure.  This itinerary, by contrast, would bring us into new harbours almost every day. Whether that would prove energizing or disruptive to our familiar on-board routines remained to be seen. Would we enjoy the rhythm of frequent ports? Would it interrupt the quiet days we often love while at sea? We don’t know…

 
Throughout the night, QE will continue on through the narrow coastal waterways of British Columbia, passing through Queen Charlotte Strait and later the Discovery Passage, channels that wind between the mainland and Vancouver Island.
 
Having returned to our cabin for the night, outside our porthole, the sea remained calm, and the skies were clear.  Sean fell asleep quickly after the long day, while I lingered by the window watching the dark water slide past in the faint light of the ship.  The small ledge beside the porthole proved to be a perfect place to sit and simply observe the night sea moving by.

 
By the end of that first day, one thing already seemed certain: this porthole might easily become my favourite place on board.
 
See you on deck!
 
Nautical Term of the Day - Trim One’s Sails - Adjusting sails to match the wind ensured efficient progress. Figuratively, it means adapting behaviour to circumstances.