Cunard Delays Queen Elizabeth’s Seattle Departure for Maintenance

Cunard postponed Queen Elizabeth’s Sept. 17 departure from Seattle by more than 24 hours while essential routine maintenance was completed, holding the ship in port at the start of its final Alaska sailing of the 2026 season. The 90,901-GT, 2,081-passenger vessel, initially due to sail at 4:30 p.m., was rescheduled to depart at 5 p.m. Sept. 18.

Sept. 18 had been designated as a sea day ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s scheduled arrival in Ketchikan on the morning of Sept. 19. Cunard had not announced a change to that call.

Passengers were first notified shortly after boarding that departure had moved to 9 p.m. The captain later announced the additional delay, confirmed in a written notice delivered to guests.

“To allow for on-going essential routine maintenance to be completed, we will need to remain in Port until 17:00 tomorrow,” the letter said.

Cunard did not identify the maintenance being performed or explain why the work required the extended stay.

Pier 91 berth change

Queen Elizabeth also had to vacate its original position at Pier 91 for another arriving ship. Cunard initially advised passengers that Queen Elizabeth would leave the port at 9 p.m. and return at 7:30 a.m. the following day.

Passengers posting from onboard later said Queen Elizabeth moved slowly to another berth without leaving the port. They said the captain had advised that the original berth was required for a larger vessel.

The passenger notice did not identify that ship. The Port of Seattle’s 2026 schedule lists Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas at Pier 91 on Sept. 18.

Guests were required to remain aboard overnight but were permitted to go ashore during the additional day in Seattle. Cunard instructed them to return by 4 p.m., one hour before the revised departure. Onboard activities continued as scheduled while the ship was docked.

Final Alaska itinerary under review

The seven-night voyage is the last of 15 roundtrip Alaska cruises Cunard scheduled from Seattle aboard Queen Elizabeth in 2026. The season’s itineraries ranged from seven to 12 nights.

The final sailing includes Ketchikan, Juneau and Victoria, along with scenic cruising at Endicott Arm, before returning to Seattle on Sept. 24. The cruise is also sold as the opening segment of a 28-night voyage to Miami; passengers continuing on that itinerary are scheduled to sail south along the Pacific Coast and transit the Panama Canal.

Cunard told guests that it anticipated further effects on the voyage and would seek to limit changes to the planned ports. The line scheduled another passenger update for Sept. 18 after assessing the remaining itinerary.

See current Queen Elizabeth fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.