Cunard's 175th Anniversary Details

Fans of British traditionalists Cunard will be pleased to know the company has released details of the celebratory voyages it has planned in 2015 to mark the 175th anniversary of its first ship, Britannia, which set sail in July 1840.  

 

Britannia inaugurated the first-ever regularly-scheduled service across the Atlantic and every year since then Cunard ships have crossed and re-crossed the Atlantic, in peace and war, without fail. 

 

Here are the details of the major events to come in 2015.

The 175th Anniversary Crossing

Flagship Queen Mary 2 will recreate history when she sails from Liverpool on July 4, 2015, following in the wake of Britannia, which left the city 175 years earlier to the day. This will also be the first time since January 1968  a Cunard ship has departed from Liverpool for America. The 10-night crossing from Liverpool will call at Halifax and Boston, just like Britannia, and will conclude in New York on July 14.

The full voyage, number M511D, begins in Cunard's homeport of Southampton on July 2 and the 12-night crossing from Southampton to Liverpool, Halifax and New York has fares from £2,249 per person.

There has been intense excitement about this voyage since it was initially announced and demand is expected to be high. Whether joining in Southampton or Liverpool, passengers will be taking part in the signature celebration of the company’s 175 years and will themselves become part of Cunard’s illustrious history.

A Salute to Liverpool

Cunard was founded in the city of Liverpool and the company’s Head Office remained there for 128 years. Today, the magnificent Cunard Building forms one third of the World Heritage-listed ‘Three Graces’ on the Pier Head. It is fitting, therefore, that 175 years after the inauguration of Cunard’s transatlantic service from Liverpool, the current fleet salutes the company’s ‘spiritual’ home. From May 24-26, 2015, Liverpool will play host to the three largest Cunard ships ever built in an historic three-day event.

Queen Mary 2 will arrive in Liverpool on May 24 and make her first ever overnight stay in the city, berthed in sight of the Cunard Building. The following morning, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria will sail into the city and, for a time, all three ships of the fleet will line up on the Mersey in a spectacle that is expected to draw huge crowds. Over a million people saw QE2 sail into Liverpool for the first time in July 1990.

Queen Mary 2 will then take her leave and sail out of Liverpool late morning on the 25th as Queen Elizabeth berths at the landing stage, where she will remain until late that night. Queen Victoria, meanwhile, will anchor in the Mersey.

Late in the evening, Queen Elizabeth will set sail and Queen Victoria will then take the berth and remain overnight, and for the following day, May 26. The event also features as a highlight of three very different cruises that go on general sale from 1pm on March 13:

Queen Mary 2: 10-night ‘British Isles – Liverpool Salute’

May 17-27, 2015. Voyage number M506. Fares from £1,499 per person.
This ‘lap-of-honour’ by the Cunard flagship leaves Southampton and calls at Cobh, Dun Laoghaire, Greenock (where celebrations to recognise the 125 Cunard ships built on the Clyde since 1840 will take place), Oban, Liverpool and St Peter Port before returning to Southampton.

Queen Elizabeth: 16-night ‘Baltic – Liverpool Salute’

May 11-27. Voyage number Q507. Fares from £1,849 per person.
Southampton – Oslo – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Tallinn – St Petersburg (overnight) – Warnemunde – Kirkwall – Liverpool – Southampton.

Queen Victoria: six-night ‘Liverpool Salute’

May 22-28. Voyage number V512. Fares from £899 per person.
Southampton – St Peter Port – Liverpool (overnight) – Southampton

Let the Party Commence – Southampton, May 3, 2015

Cunard’s 175th celebrations will start in earnest at its homeport of Southampton on May 3 when all 3 ships will sail into Southampton together and depart later that day in formation. This will be the first time Queen Mary 2 will have led the fleet out of Southampton in daylight.

After the meeting, Queen Victoria will depart on her ‘Lusitania Remembered’ voyage; QM2 will head for New York (seven-nights; voyage number M504, fares from £1,299 per person); and Queen Elizabeth will set sail for Northern Europe (eight-nights calling at Hamburg and Amsterdam; voyage number Q504A, fares from £849 per person). Places on these two sailings go on general sale from 1pm on April 8.

‘Lusitania Remembered’

On May 7, 2015, it will be exactly 100 years since Cunard flagship Lusitania was torpedoed while en-route from New York to Liverpool. The ship sank approximately 14 miles off the old Head of Kinsale in Ireland. In all, Cunard lost 22 ships during the First World War, including Carpathia, which had rescued all of the survivors of the Titanic.

This special seven-night cruise by Queen Victoria will commemorate the loss of Lusitania and of Cunard crew and ships in World War One more generally. The ship will call at Cobh (formerly Queenstown) on May 7, 100 years to the day since Lusitania was lost. A special service ashore will be held, to which all passengers on Queen Victoria will be invited, in addition to a number of other tributes that will be made that day.
 

Sailing round-trip from Southampton on May 3, Voyage number V510, Queen Victoria will call at St Peter Port (Guernsey), Le Havre, Cobh and Dublin. Fares start from £799 per person. This sailing goes on general sale from 1pm on March 13.

 

More info: call 0843 374 0000 or visit www.cunard.co.uk.

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Voyages to Antiquity's Big Med Savers

At World of Cruising we like to have a good geographical spread of voyages. And, after the recent run of Arctic/Antarctic/Norway features, we thought you might need warming up a bit, so here are a couple of nice cruises in the sunny Mediterranean for you, courtesy of Voyages to Antiquity.

Take your pick from either one - and benefit from a generous £600 per cabin saving if you book this month:

Monumental Sicily, Herculaneum & Pompeii, Classical Greece and more: This 17-day cruise tour takes passengers from Istanbul to Rome, and from historical era to historical era. Shore excursions are included in 10 of the 11 ports visited, plus there is a choice of included sightseeing in five of them - Izmir, Athens, Nauplia, Taormina and Sorrento. It sails May 8, with prices from £2,595

Jerusalem and the Treasures of the Aegean: This new itinerary provides ample time to explore the iconic city of Jerusalem before setting sail for the Crusader strongholds in the Southern Mediterranean and some of the finest Roman and Hellenistic remains in Europe. It lasts 17 days and covers 11 ports, including three nights in Jerusalem, sailing on April 2 and with prices from £2,345pp.

For both these cruises, book by December 31 for cabin savings up to £600 and a single supplement of just 15 per cent.

More info: 0845 4379737 or visit http://www.voyagestoantiquity.com.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this month ONLY - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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An Alaskan Un-Cruise Adventure - Pt 9, A Whale Of A Day

(Pic Courtesy Jocelyn Pride)

Continuing our magnificent Alaska cruise experience aboard the SS Legacy with the unique style of Un-Cruise Adventures...

Legacy Cruise Day 9

Finally out of US waters, we are heading for two days of gentle sailing through Canada’s own Inside Passage, a series of narrow inlets that the big ships avoid but which is tailor-made for Un-Cruise sailing.

The weather varies from periodic curtains of light rain to bright sunshine, with cloud still lingering among the towering hills and mountains to either side.

Spectacular waterfalls cascade down precipitous slopes and the occasional sea-lion and porpoise slides by in the ice-cool green waters. After the run of port calls, today’s ambience is distinctly slower and lazier, with people taking

the time to settle down with a good book, a game of cards, a jigsaw puzzle or just convivial conversation in the lounge. The Grenville Channel provides the occasional whale sighting, but they prove fleeting and largely elusive.

Several groups of passengers – notably the New Zealanders – gather to rehearse for the evening’s ‘Open Mic’ night, which promises to be quite a laugh, but otherwise this is about as low key as the voyage has been.

Of course, the lure of the local wildlife keeps many eyes drifting back to the windows and the waters beyond; waters that have developed a distinct glitter under the late-morning sun and are studded every now and then by another startling waterfall.

A message from the bridge briefly brings most people out on to deck at reports of a humpback whale sighting but, once again, it dives deep and is not seen again, even though our Captain idles the engines for a while in hopes our mammalian friend might resurface (yet another reminder of the unscheduled Un-Cruise style).

Lunch is interrupted by a ‘call’ at the former cannery site of Butedale, a derelict Canadian industrial plant that was abandoned in the 1950s yet still has a caretaker (and his family) standing guard over the slowly decaying remains. The Legacy noses up to his small dock

and one of the crew throws several bags of cookies to the eager incumbents. A special delivery indeed!

Another tannoy announcement of ‘Whale!’ brings a minor ripple of attention to the outdoor decks – which soon becomes a MAJOR event, and quite a surprise for the sleepy day.

Two humpbacks are spotted feeding close in to the shore (barely 5 yards away at times), then two more and then another couple, including a calf. A huge breach REALLY gets our attention, and that quickly gives way to another example of bubble-net feeding – not as dramatic as Day 4’s but still attention-grabbing.

What happened next will probably have us still talking about it for years to come. As the ship again cut its engines to allow for a prolonged observation of the group, two broke away to come and look at US. Passing along first one side, then the other, they topped this truly eye-popping close-up wildlife show by nosing under the bow and drifting along the port side, tilting to one side to eye us up and ascertain what kind of creature was threatening to move in on their feeding grounds.

Or maybe they were just curious. Or maybe they were feeling playful. Either way, we were again treated to the kind of live-action wildlife theatre you usually see only in the most vivid TV documentaries. We galloped from one side of the ship to the other as the duo performed their slow-motion ballet alongside and cameras almost went into meltdown as everyone

tried to record the moment and add it to an indelible memory.

Both whales eventually moved off with a long, languid wave of their huge tails, and we settled back – emotionally exhausted once more – to compare notes on this amazing hour-long experience that even had Captain Danno looking back in awe.

First mate Katie drew a good crowd in the lounge for her lecture on maritime navigation and, before we knew it, it was cocktail hour once again and the precursor to a dinner featuring an absolute feast of Alaskan king crab (or filet mignon for those who might be shellfish-averse).

Finally, Open Mic Night offered us a hugely amusing mix of the entertainment crew (our re-enactors, turned singers, musicians and comedians) plus passengers in a fairy raucous selection of singers, comics, poetry readers and Capt Danno (again) offering one of his

inimitable rhyming stories (poems are too small a word for them).

Yet again, another example of a day at sea with a difference. We can’t wait for another one tomorrow! 

To learn more about Un-Cruise adventures, call 1888 862 8881 in the US; or visit www.un-cruise.com. In the UK, specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line can also help with bookings.

Be sure to read the full report of the cruise in the Autumn edition of World of Cruising, out now! You can subscribe here: www.worldofcruising.co.uk/subscribeOrder.html

PS: Yes, that is Yours Truly at Open Mic Night - a fearsome sight (and sound!) to behold. There is even a video file of it online somewhere, although I hesitate to mention it. Oh go on, then... http://s203.photobucket.com/user/SusanVeness/media/P1450843_zpsb06ca823.mp4.html

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An Alaskan Un-Cruise Adventure - Pt 8, Ketchikan

Continuing our magnificent Alaska cruise experience aboard the SS Legacy with the unique style of Un-Cruise Adventures...

Legacy Cruise Day 8

After several days working the small ports and the nooks and crannies of south-east Alaska, we are back in a big port today; the second-biggest, in fact, and the region’s ‘first city,’ as it is usually the initial Alaska port of call for most voyages.

Ketchikan is the former ‘salmon capital of the world’ and one of the wettest places on earth, with more than 13 FEET of rain annually. The record is more than 200 inches but so far in 2013

it has been a ‘dry’ year, some 10 inches below the average by late August. And today is FAR from average, beautifully dry and sunny, with the temperature pushing a balmy 65F.

It is serious port territory, though. There are FIVE major cruise ships already tied up by the time we arrive at 7.30am, meaning there are fully 9,000 day-visitors in a city with has a population of just 8,000. So it’s busy. Really busy.

Thankfully, our little ship is barely noticeable in the overall scheme of things and, while the tour buses load and unload around the mega-ships in a seemingly non-stop stream of humanity, our little travelling band departs on foot in two groups at 8 and 9.30am in the company of local Tlingit guide Joe Williams, whose family have been fishing these waters for generations.

Joe is now a well-established, articulate and amusing guide and, for 90 minutes, we wander

Ketchikan under his leadership, stopping at regular points for him to detail the city’s history, culture and modern development (with tourism taking over from logging as the main industry in the past 20 years).

In fact, the place is almost unrecognisable from even 10 years ago as the former wooden dockfront is now largely concrete – and lined with rows of gift and jewellery shops. Sadly, the frontage has that sameness about it that now marks out the likes of Juneau, Skagway and large parts of the Caribbean as virtually every shopfront looks nearly identical to its compatriots in the other places.

Happily, there is still plenty here to see and enjoy on foot, and Joe pointed out all the salient points, concluding with a walk through Creek Street, the former (and extensive) red light district that was the heart of Ketchikan in the early 20th century (in fact, up until 1954, when it was closed down).

We then had time to wander back through the area and do some shopping before our ‘all-aboard’ time of 12 noon. We sailed at 12.30, while enjoying lunch, and headed out to Misty Fjords National Park, the vast former glacial river valley that is now a monumental scenic area.

Again, most ships don’t venture far up into the Fjords (preferring to offer expensive tours by plane and small boat) but we were getting the grand up-close-and-personal tour, and, once again, it fully lived up to its billing.

En route, another cry of ‘whale!’ brought all binoculars to the port side, where a humpback was lazily patrolling along the shoreline, and, while the bright sunshine didn’t last, we were still able

to enjoy the views under relatively clear skies (as the valley usually fully deserves its ‘Misty’ title).

We cruised serenely through the main part of the channel, past the iconic New Eddystone rock (as named by British captain George Vancouver in 1793; pictured left - spot the sight-seeing plane!) and turned sharp right into Rudyerd Bay, where the ice-carved mountains suddenly loomed 2,000ft above us in the classic U-shaped valley.

Here, bald eagles – including several juveniles – flitted among the trees and the occasional mountain goat was spotted high up on the rocky outcrops. Salmon jumped out of the water at regular intervals and the waterway twisted this way and that, each time revealing a stunning new vista and a new sense of raw, rugged nature.

With the light starting to fade, we reached the end of the inlet and a truly tranquil bay that was utterly quiet apart from a stray gull or eagle call. You could easily believe the hand (or foot) of man had never interfered, and it could easily stay that way for centuries to come.

The journey out was equally spectacular, with more of this immense scenery to drink in, before

it was time to head for another excellent dinner (king prawns being tonight’s highlight, along with a delicious scallop appetiser).

Afterwards, it was time for another presentation from our onboard entertainment group, this time being the turn of naturalist Larry to tell the story of the vast Tongass National Forest that covers much of south-east Alaska, with its geology, flora and modern history.

Sadly, though, it is now time to leave Alaska behind and head further south. We are heading for Canada’s Inside Passage and the route back to Seattle.

2013 it has been a ‘dry’ year, some 10 inches below the average by late August. And today is FAR from average, beautifully dry and sunny, with the temperature pushing a balmy 65F.

Tomorrow: abandoned Butedale - and another major whale encounter!

To learn more about Un-Cruise adventures, call 1888 862 8881 in the US; or visit www.un-cruise.com. In the UK, specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line can also help with bookings.

Be sure to read the full report of the cruise in the Autumn edition of World of Cruising, out September 20. You can subscribe here: www.worldofcruising.co.uk/subscribeOrder.html 

In port in Ketchikan - spot the little SS Legacy against the massive bulk of the Star Princess!

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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An Alaskan Un-Cruise Adventure - Pt 7, Wrangell

Continuing our magnificent Alaska cruise experience with Un-Cruise Adventures on their unique SS Legacy...

Legacy Cruise Day 7

After staying overnight in the Petersburg channel, we were greeted by thick fog in the morning, denying us a second look at the town as we sailed on to today’s rendezvous in the equally small and fishing-based community of Wrangell.

The sound of the ship’s foghorn kept us company through the moody morning mist, but, before long, it was replaced by stunning blue sky overhead and a truly brilliantly sunny day. The Morning highlight today was provided by a chance to indulge in that classic riverboat (and Gold 

Rush steamer) activity – Texas hold 'em poker.

Under the guidance of Hotel Manager Neil, we enjoyed some spirited card-sharping in the wonderful Pesky Barnacle Saloon (below), complete with whisky, of course, and actually managed to while away a full two hours before lunch, swapping chips and make (often outrageous) bets in best play-acting fashion. 

It proved a completely amusing and utterly novel and authentic way to pass a glorious morning in south-east Alaska and we were certainly ready for something to eat at the end of our marathon card session. Lunch was then followed by today’s inclusive tour (although there was an alternative one, to take in the major bear-viewing site of nearby Anan, a 30-minute jet-boat ride away, with guaranteed unobstructed wildlife viewing in the company of

an armed guide – it sounded compelling but, at $300/person, a bit rich for us). 

Two buses arrived to carry us off to the nearby Norton Museum, where Wrangell’s long – and often highly volatile and lawless – history was laid out in clear fashion. Next stop was the town’s Totem park, where a Native Tahltan tribe member told us his family history, as well as that of the local tribespeople.

It was refreshing to hear this summer had been marked by a major gathering of peoples from all over the north-west coast here in Wrangell, and the central ceremonial Chief Shakes Tribal House had been the focal point of a big re-dedication ceremony involving the Tlingit tribe and other First Nation peoples.

Our driver/guide then took us off to the famous petroglyph beach to the north of town, where we marvelled at these 2,000-plus-year-old markings in the rocks hereabouts – and took rubbings of them with the stems of ferns! Finally, it was back in town for a quick look around (not the longest of tours, it has to be said) while continuing to enjoy the clear sense of community and

purpose that Wrangell appears to have in abundance.

Like Petersburg, this is almost totally a working fishing town, and the vast majority of cruise lines never visit this little gem, which is both a shame and a blessing.

Back aboard, the magnificently sunny day continued long into the evening, affording some magnificent photos of the surrounds and our departure from the harbour, with dinner spent dodging out to the aft deck to snap away as the blue gave way to magnificent oranges and pinks.

This evening, it was the turn of female interpreter Arika to provide the women’s view of the Gold Rush, with another one-person presentation in the main lounge. It sparked some pleasant follow-up conversation about the region’s history in general, and the female perspective of it, before it was time to turn in for the night.

Tomorrow we have a much bigger port to explore – Ketchikan, plus, weather permitting, the potential enthrallment of Misty Fjords National Park.

To learn more about Un-Cruise adventures, call 1888 862 8881 in the US; or visit www.un-cruise.com. In the UK, specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line can also help with bookings.

Be sure to read the full report of the cruise in the Autumn edition of World of Cruising, out September 20. You can subscribe here: www.worldofcruising.co.uk/subscribeOrder.html 

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

An Alaskan Un-Cruise Adventure - Pt 6, Petersburg

More from our magnificent Alaska cruise experience with Un-Cruise Adventures on their unique SS Legacy...

Legacy Cruise Day 6

Another morning in Alaska, another morning of majestic whale-sightings. We are on our way to the tiny Norwegian-founded community of Petersburg today, which means a morning traversing Frederick Sound, and a wide, lake-like body of water that is home to many hundreds of humpback and minke whales.

In typical fashion, we are pretty much wide awake with the early-riser breakfast served at 7am in the main lounge (as an alternative to the full breakfast served in the dining room an hour later) and on deck in time for the first sighting of the day (actually, it was the second, as a minke had already been spotted by the earliest risers).

With the sea a complete, glassy calm all around, it was easy to see the first humpback surface.

And the second. And the third. And so on, until the Legacy was completely surrounded by more than a dozen whales, all cruising the Sound in search of food.

To one side was a group vigorously slapping the water with their tails; to the starboard side was a group dipping and diving in regular fashion. Aft of us was yet another pod engaged in what looked like sideways feeding, where we could see their heads first, then their flippers and finally the big, signature tails.

And, off in the distance, was a solo ‘performer’ simply enjoying the pleasures of a late summer day, breaching at regular intervals and crashing into the sea on his back. Why to whales do this? No-one seems to know, but it could well just be because they can.

Finally, after an hour with the ship drifting along to enjoy the show, the Captain got us back on course for the small town of Petersburg – population less than 3,000.

This heavily fishing-inspired port sees little in the way of cruise traffic and is all the better for it.

We were met at the dock by two ‘fishing’ guides, locasl who can tell us the town’s maritime history (largely based on salmon fishing and processing) as we walk along the shore to the Sons of Norway Hall.

Here the local Norwegian-inspired youth put on a show of traditional dancing (below) while we enjoy coffee and pastries, concluding with some amusing stories from the kids about their lives in Petersburg, and others’ perceptions of it.

The tour continues with a bus ride to the key local sites, which include the quaint downtown area, the Scandinavian-inspired domestic architecture, wall murals and the extensive muskeg at the back of town – a thick peat bog that most people are advised to avoid at all costs!

A black-tailed deer wandered out into the road at one point, bothering the driver not a jot, while

a stop at the Clausen Museum afforded an opportunity for some of the group to jump off and learn more local history.

We preferred to head back into the ‘downtown’ area (all 3 blocks of it) and learn that the Petersburg Fisheries (a division of the Icicle Seafoods, Inc) had canned some 21,792,048 cans of salmon so far this year. Yes, that's right more than 21 million (although the salmon canning industry used to be MUCH bigger in this region, before people started demanding more whole-fish product).

It was easy to see why, as the various different harbours afforded huge and easy access for the big fishing fleet here, and it was refreshing to see a true working port without any of the usual heavy industry or even the yachting marina with its pleasure craft instead of working vessels. There is nothing pretentious about Petersburg – just honest-to-goodness simplicity and sureness.

Back on board, the mist and fog had started to roll in as we prepared for dinner, providing for

some suitably atmospheric photos of the inlet and its surrounds. 

We were due to stay in the area overnight, dropping anchor just up from the port itself, and we enjoyed yet another impressive 4-course dinner, this time featuring a chili-rubbed bison ribeye steak that was truly taste tantalising.

The evening was given over to a one-man tour de force from one of the costumed characters, Kenny, playing the part of successful prospector CJ Berry (who had appeared earlier in the day with his faithful wife Ethel - as played by re-enactor Arika) and regaling us with his stories of failure and ultimate triumph, in the Klondike.

Once again, it underlined the great novelty – and interest value – of this period-style voyage,

and ensured we had yet another memorable historic experience to go with our present-day ones.

Tomorrow - Wrangell

To learn more about Un-Cruise adventures, call 1888 862 8881 in the US; or visit www.un-cruise.com. In the UK, specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line can also help with bookings.

Be sure to read the full report of the cruise in the Autumn edition of World of Cruising, out September 20. You can subscribe here: http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/subscribeOrder.html

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

An Alaskan Un-Cruise Adventure - Pt 5, Sitka

Continuing our magnificent Alaskan Gold Rush voyage with Un-Cruise Adventures on their unique new SS Legacy...

Legacy Cruise Day 5

After two immensely rewarding days at sea, we were heading for port again today, but only after a morning cruising the intricate interior waterways between Baranof and Chichagof islands, with a narrow passageway that afforded genuine close-ups with both shores in turn.

Another humpback whale passed by, lazily cruising close in to the rocky shoreline, and a huge colony of sea otters were spied among great clumps of floating kelp along several rocky outcrops.

Chief barman Jason provided another highlight of the morning with his own speciality Bloody Mary mix, featuring a bacon-wrapped whole shrimp. Here was a meal in a glass, and mighty tasty to boot!

The approach to Sitka itself was equally breathtaking, the mountainous hinterland still topped

by snow and ice while the busy working fishing harbour maintains a constant flow in and out. The Japanese-built suspension bridge served as an iconic entryway and the extinct volcano of Mt Edgecumbe appeared offshore out of the clearing cloud.

After a quick lunch, and with the cloud giving way to unseasonably warm sunshine, we embarked on our included tour for the afternoon, on the Tribal Tours trolleys with native Tlingit guide Toby.

Our first stop, at the Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi tribal heritage centre where the Naa Kahidi Dancers (below left) provided a traditional Tlingit welcome and song and dance show, demonstrating traditional dances and activities in heart-warming fashion (several of the ‘performers’ were barely four years old, but joined in with gusto!).

Next up was the Raptor Rehabilitation Center, where we were given a close-up of an (injured) bald eagle and told about the highly successful volunteer-led rehab programme, that takes in many injured eagles, hawks, owls and even ravens and returns them to the wild if at all possible. The handful of birds that cannot be treated and returned to flight are, instead, treated to a five-star rest home for the rest of their lives.

There was an optional extra tour at this point, to go kayaking, but we decided we would prefer to stick with the main group and see more of the area.

Back on the Trolley, it was time to take in the Sitka National Historic Park, where we learned more about Tlingit history and especially their long-established tradition of totem pole carving and narrative story-telling. A side-trip to the park's central stream revealed a narrow waterway positively choked with salmon, many dead and the rest in the slow process of coming to a halt and dying. A sobering if macabrely fascinating sight.

Finally, we had time for a half-hour wander through the town itself – and the central icon of St

Michael’s Cathedral (right), the 19th century Russian Orthodox church that burned down in 1966 but has been faithfully rebuilt.

Back aboard, we said a fond farewell to Sitka amidst a beautifully mild evening, sailing away from the shadow of Mt Edgecumbe while the crew prepared yet another excellent dinner.

An evening showing of the classic John Wayne film North to Alaska concluded proceedings but, truth to tell, we were nodding off long before the end.

Next up – a visit to Norwegian-inspired Petersburg.

To learn more about Un-Cruise adventures, call 1888 862 8881 in the US; or visit www.un-cruise.com. In the UK, specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line can also help with bookings.

Be sure to read the full report of the cruise in the Autumn edition of World of Cruising, out September 20. You can subscribe here: http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/subscribeOrder.html

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

An Alaskan Un-Cruise Adventure - Part 4

Continuing our magnificent Alaskan voyage with Un-Cruise Adventures on their unique new SS Legacy...

Legacy Cruise Day 4

After the majestic quality of Glacier Bay, we had hoped today we would be slightly more relaxing, with another day just sailing the region – this time mainly in Icy Strait – to soak up the immensity of Alaska. Not quite.

Today turned out to be one of the most fascinating, eye-opening, astonishing – and exhausting – days we could imagine.

It began in relatively sedate style with a series of more humpback sightings, with these big, indolent creatures lazily drifting by and waving their great tales at us in passing.

A course diversion into secluded Whitestone Bay afforded a view of black-tail deer on the

shore, yet another testament to the unscheduled nature of our sea days, where the ship can wander pretty much wherever it fancies in search of wildlife.

Lunchtime was marked in typical fashion, with a table appetiser and then a choice of sandwich or salad, before it was time for another turn on deck, taking advantage of Legacy’s supreme array of open deck space, in the bow, on the top deck, along the covered promenade deck and right aft, almost at water level, as well as from the forward-facing main lounge and the aft Pesky Barnacle Saloon (truly, one of the great little bars at sea!).

With not much on the horizon – apart from the non-stop epic panorama of the Alaskan vista – we wandered up to the wheelhouse, where the open-bridge policy invites passengers to drop by at almost any time.

First Mate Katie showed us around the tools of her trade, explaining the variety of bridge equipment at the ship’s disposal, along with, surprisingly, the traditional ship’s wheel – non of that fancy modern joy-stick rubbish here!

With the hour approaching 3.30 – the appointed time for the afternoon activity sessions, of either a poker tournament in the Pesky Barnacle with Captain Danno or a knot-tying demonstration in the lounge with deckhand Kristen– our Captain paid a quick wheelhouse visit to ensure all was well but quickly noticed some tell-tale movement in the distance.

Quick as a flash, he made a course correction and headed in that direction, at the same time grabbing the intercom to announce, “Orcas on the starboard bow!” Sure enough, Capt Danno had spotted a pod of around 8 killer whales heading along roughly our course, and it took only a minor deviation to draw alongside.

For the next hour or so, with the engines idle, we watched, enthralled, as these classical mammalian sea-hunters went about their business, diving hither and thither individually and in groups.

No sooner had we started up again, though, than there was more activity on the horizon, a series of humpback blows moving in earnest towards a sheltered bay on Chichagof Island.

Here we could see some serious concerted activity close to the shore as the group of 6-8 whales circles and dived, circled and dived, moving increasingly in earnest. The reason soon

became clear in truly amazing fashion as, right before our startled eyes, the humpbacks proceeded to demonstrate the art of bubble-net feeding in classic wildlife documentary manner.

Over and over again, they dived, spun a tight web of circular water, surrounded it with bubbles – then dived up through the middle to surface, mouths agape, in the midst of a heaving mass of herring.

It was a genuine ‘Wow!’ moment of awe-inspiring proportions, not least because the whales maintained this feeding frenzy for more than 3 HOURS, coming up as a hungry group again and again in the tight circle of bubbles they had woven under water. The scene was one of nature at its finest – and an absolute triumph for the Un-Cruise unstructured cruise style.

Almost numb with elation, we stumbled down to a late dinner to compare notes in total wonder with our fellow passengers. The evening concluded with another presentation from our period re-enactors, this time with Prospector Jake Thompson telling us all about his gold mining activities – and sorry tales of nearly striking it rich.

It was a weary group that made it to bed that night – tired but truly thrilled by the day’s events. It would be hard to imagine topping the spectacle. But we would.

Tomorrow - Sitka.

To learn more about Un-Cruise adventures, call 1888 862 8881 in the US; or visit www.un-cruise.com. In the UK, specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line can also help with bookings.

Be sure to read the full report of the cruise in the Autumn edition of World of Cruising, out September 20. You can subscribe here: http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/subscribeOrder.html

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

An Un-Cruise Alaska Adventure - Part 3

Legacy Cruise – Day 3

Still giddy from the previous day’s huge amount of sight-seeing and wildlife-viewing – especially the bears – we knew today would also be another long and involving one, albeit without leaving the ship.

Today we would be in the magnificent United Nations biosphere reserve of Glacier Bay, arriving at 6am to pick up our Park Ranger guide for the day and not leaving again until after dinner.

We were therefore wide awake at 5.59am (and not just due to the big time difference in Alaska!) and up with our cold-weather gear on and binoculars in hand in time to watch the grand entry into this stunning realm of glaciers and wildlife.

To say it was a memorable day would be a major understatement (despite some intermittently gloomy weather, that actually added a rather moody quality to the proceedings).

We took in three main glaciers and several minor ones; we approached within a half a mile of the extensive Margerie Glacier and were rewarded with an immense display of ‘calving’ as several large pieces of the glacier front fell into the fjord with resounding cracks; we enjoyed

an ultra-rare sailing into the protected harbour seal colony of John Hopkins Inlet (where only small ships may venture at certain times of the year); and we got up close to the boisterous male sea-lion colony on South Marble Island, where a pinniped game of ‘king of the hill’ was in full swing.

In between we marvelled at the immensity of the glaciers and the deep mountains they spring from; enjoyed two more immaculate meals in the Klondike Dining Room; watched eagerly for humpback whales, and were rewarded with two fine showings, including one massive breaching; and counted sea otters, more seals and sea-lions, harbour porpoises and a massive variety of birdlife – such as puffins, cormorants and kittiwakes – among the great vastness of the Bay.

As if all that nature wasn’t enough, we were then regaled after dinner with another presentation from our costumed Victorian character actors in the Grand Salon, providing four fascinating vignettes of the life and times – and key glacial studies – of Scots naturalist John Muir (who went on to urge

President Teddy Roosevelt to start the National Parks programme) and gain even more insight into the Bay.

Truly, another amazing Un-Cruise Adventure day aboard the Legacy, but there is more to come – MUCH more, as we head tomorrow for a day cruising Icy Strait in search of more whales!

To learn more about Un-Cruise adventures, call 0877 263 9888 in the UK; 1888 862 8881 in the US; or visit www.un-cruise.com. In the UK, specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line can also help with bookings.

Be sure to read the full report of the cruise in the Autumn edition of World of Cruising, out September 20. You can subscribe here: http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/subscribeOrder.html.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

An Un-Cruise Adventure - Part 2

Continuing our magnificent Alaskan voyage with Un-Cruise Adventures on their unique new SS Legacy...

Alaska Legacy Cruise – Day 2

We always knew our first full day at sea would be a busy one – but not quite THIS busy! We were up for breakfast at 6.30 and ready to leave for a tour of Skagway by 7.45. There were another three largeships in port (with the big Grand Princess unable to reach port because of high winds and low tide) but we were off and running before the multitude.

The organisation was first-class – three of the town’s classic 1920 street cars came to pick us up and gave us a full tour of the downtown area (which consists of barely 10 blocks!) before handing us off to a coach for the drive up into the mountains along the White Horse Pass – scene of the big 1898 gold rush stampede.

Once up into the interior, just across the Canadian border at Fraser, we awaited our return journey – by the White Horse Pass & Yukon Railway. This fabulous and extraordinary feat of engineering winds back down through the mountains to Skagway, through two tunnels and over

several rickety-looking trestle bridges, sticking firmly to the edge of the mountain and affording amazing views in every direction.

Back in town, we were whisked back to our original little ship in time for lunch while we set sail for the smaller town of Haines – a more modern settlement than Skagway, which literally grew up to feed the gold rush – and another included organised excursion.

This one took us to the Haines high points, including The Hammer Museum (I kid you not!) and the local history centre of The Sheldon Museum – a repository of all things south-east Alaskan – as well as Fort Seward, the original army base, decommissioned in 1947.

After our full Haines highlights excursion (like the morning’s, fully included with the cruise), there was an optional tour at $55 a head to go bear-watching. And there was no way we were turning that one down.

Our specialist guide picked us up from the centre of town and off we went to the Chilkoot River at 5pm sharp, ready for an evening of intense wildlife viewing.

Fully briefed on Alaska’s brown and black bears, we were told about the local brown bears and

their predilection for the nearby salmon river, where there was a high chance we would see them at their own ‘dinner hour.’

We stopped en route to watch the resident seals swimming up-river to join in the fishy feast, and then spotted a bald eagle family high atop the trees. We were able to stop by Chilkoot Lake (left) and continue our tour, all the time both watching the river-banks and listening for news of any other bear sightings on our guide’s walkie-talkie.

Finally, with time running out for our ship return, the news we had been eagerly awaiting came over the radio and we were off to the observation point – where a large brown mother bear and her cub casually wandered by on the opposite bank, stopping for any tasty salmon morsels that might already have been left out on the banks.

We happily snapped away as the two made their way past our observatory, then swam across the channel to pursue more dining opportunities on the beach. Excited, elated and just a little relieved, we returned to the Legacy.

Did I mention it was a busy day? Busy? We were exhausted by dinner-time, but still had (just about) enough energy to enjoy the evening’s excellent four-course meal and then a theatrical presentation in the main lounge featuring our four costumed interpreters, and Tales of Gold Rush Skagway.

It was a fitting end to a fairly tumultuous day, but an early night was called for as tomorrow is one of Alaska’s greatest treasures – Glacier Bay.

To learn more about Un-Cruise adventures, call 0877 263 9888 in the UK; 1888 862 8881 in the US; or visit www.un-cruise.com. In the UK, specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line can also help with bookings.

Be sure to read the full report of the cruise in the Autumn edition of World of Cruising, out September 20. You can subscribe here: http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/subscribeOrder.html

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.