Queen Elizabeth makes first stop in Ketchikan

The dining room of the Queen Elizabeth. (KRBD photo by Leila Kheiry)

The third in a slew of Ketchikan inaugural cruise ship celebrations took place May 28 on board the Cunard Cruise Lines’ Queen Elizabeth.

A group of Ketchikan officials went on board for the ceremony and a tour of the vessel.

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One can easily envision Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
bantering on the promenade of the Queen Elizabeth just before breaking into a tap-dance
routine.

The ship has classic old-fashioned cruise features,
including an art deco décor that harkens to the British cruise line’s past.

Art Deco influences are seen throughout the Queen Elizabeth. (KRBD photo by Leila Kheiry)

One of those old-fashioned spaces is the Commodore Club,
where we meet Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge and other crew members for a short
ceremony.

City Mayor Bob Sivertsen and Borough Mayor David Landis
presented a framed photo and plaque to Thorhauge, and she presented a plaque in
exchange to mark the first visit of the Queen Elizabeth to Ketchikan.

Thorhauge says the Cunard line hasn’t been in Alaska for
about 20 years. So far, the return has been positive.

Borough Mayor David Landis, City Mayor Bob Sivertsen and Queen Elizabeth Captain Inger Thorhauge during the plaque exchange ceremony. (KRBD photo by Leila Kheiry)

“It has been a fantastic start of the season for us, coming
back to Alaska,” she said. “The welcome we’ve gotten in every place has been
phenomenal. Coming in and sailing in to every port has been breathtaking.”

Joe Williams of the Village of Saxman and Norman Skan of
Ketchikan Indian Community offered a traditional welcome for the ship, crew and
guests.

Following the ceremony, the ship’s entertainment host
Graeme Bradley took the group of Ketchikan visitors for a tour of the ship.

While we walked around, the crew practiced a fire safety
drill. Crew members in orange life jackets mustered throughout the ship.

Queen Elizabeth crew members muster for a fire safety drill. (KRBD photo by Leila Kheiry)

The Queen Elizabeth has a night club, a ballroom with live orchestras,
a pool, library, British pub, a theater with box seating, casual dining and
fancy dining.

Bradley says the main dining room has a dress code for
evening meals, part of that traditional cruise experience that the ship
provides. Most nights call for “smart” attire, with a couple of “gala”
evenings.

A sign on board defines the dress code for the Queen Elizabeth dining room. (KRBD photo by Leila Kheiry)

“Smart attire, for ladies, we ask them to wear stylish
separates or cocktail dress. For men, a jacket, no tie is required. Smart
casual-type attire,” he described. “For gala evenings, it’s a bit more formal,
so for gentlemen we ask for a dark suit or tuxedo with tie or bow-tie. For
ladies, a formal dress, cocktail dress or formal separates.”

Yep. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

The Queen Elizabeth is one of eight new cruise ships
visiting Ketchikan in 2019. The Cunard Lines ship is about 965 feet long, carries
around 2,000 guests and about 1,000 crew members.

The Queen Elizabeth stops in Ketchikan just four times this
summer. Its next visit is Friday, June 7. Subsequent stops will be June 12 and
June 22.

Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carrie Starkey, Borough Mayor David Landis and Ketchikan Visitors Bureau Executive Director Patti Mackey test the deck chairs on the Queen Elizabeth. (KRBD photo by Leila Kheiry)

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