When the 965-foot-long Queen Elizabeth cruise ship pulled into Ogden Point on Thursday morning for a day-long visit, it brought echoes of the early days of elegant ocean-crossing liners.
This was the Queen Elizabeth’s first visit to Victoria and the first time in more than 20 years that a Cunard-operated ship has been here. The vessel carries up to 2,081 passengers and has 1,005 crew members.
Despite her classic lines, Vista-class Queen Elizabeth is a modern ship, built in 2010 in Italy and upgraded in drydock last year with a new spa and other improvements.
Cunard Line launched two Queen Elizabeth liners in past years, one in 1938 and another in 1969. The first is renowned for its work as a troop ship during the Second World War. The second is now being used as a floating hotel in Dubai. Cunard is part of the Carnival Corporation.
Today’s Queen Elizabeth cruise ship features art deco decor along with memorabilia such as historic photographs.
A British theme pervades the ship. You see it in a large lobby clock, made by Dent, the company that made London’s Big Ben, which was installed in 1859.
There’s a spacious Queen’s Room ballroom, model ships on display, an elaborate Royal Court tiered theatre and a two-level library with a winding staircase and 800 volumes.
In the Midships Bar, patrons can choose from thousands of gin-and-tonic combinations.
Thursday was the kind of day Victoria tourism officials love. Government Street’s sidewalks were full of visitors who arrived via cruise ships.
The massive 1,141-foot-long Ovation of the Seas, with room for 4,180 passengers, also moored Thursday morning, staying until early evening.
When the Ovation of the Seas pulled in on May 12 for its inaugural visit, it became the largest ship to have stopped at Ogden Point.
Day-long stays allow tourists to travel throughout the community and sample attractions, restaurants and stores.
The Celebrity Solstice, with capacity for 2,850 passengers, was scheduled to pull in early Thursday evening.
Three ships are expected today: Norwegian Joy, Eurodam and Ruby Princess.
Victoria’s busy cruise ship port is anticipating 264 vessel visits this season, with ships carrying more than 700,000 passengers, making 2019 a record year.
Vancouver is the home port on the popular Alaska cruise route for the Queen Elizabeth, which will visit Victoria again this summer and is planning for more stops here in 2020.
“Victoria is quite a special port, I would say, as you have extremely strong tides outside,” Queen Elizabeth Capt. Inger Klein Thorhauge said. “But as soon as you get to the port, it just all becomes quiet.”
Fog cleared as the ship approached the port, revealing scenery that was “just amazing,” she said.
This year, the Queen Elizabeth is to complete four round trips between Vancouver and Alaska, she said. “Next year, we are here for the entire season, from May until September.”
Customers had urged Cunard to add Alaska cruises, she said.
