Georgia_Peaches

Absolutely, yes! In fact, we have found that the MDR staff are excited to have us. Tonight we dined in Blu. The menu was just better and the staff bent over backwards to accommodate us. I will note that we stopped in around 6 to make sure they could seat us at 8. No problem.

We had a lovely day in port…despite the rain. In fact, given that I was prepared, I welcomed the rain by channeling my inner child and splashing through rain puddles…because I could! After a walk about town we made our way to the 11:15 lumberjack show. We bought our tickets on line ahead of this trip and used a military discount to gain entry for an addition 15% savings. The show was the perfect amount of cheesy with a sprinkling of historical account of the logging industry. We had a ball! I’d like to give a special shout out to the Ketchikan Fire and Rescue who promptly and professionally attended to an elderly cruise passenger who was having difficulties at the beginning of the show. My heart and prayers go out to the patient and family. 🙏 After the show we sought a place to eat smoked salmon dip to be washed down with a local brew. Not sure why I thought such was a thing because apparently it isn’t. After 3 failed attempts to find such elusive offerings, we gave up and headed back to the ship. We opted instead for a cocktail in the hot tub on the retreat pool deck. It was a great way to while away the afternoon. And finally, I found this in a gift shop on our way back to the ship. I thought it was appropriate, so I bought it. I’m happy to add this little number to my cruise T shirt collection.

And a visit to Dolly’s house of ill repute. Where she lived until her death in 1972. Her house and its contents are as they were back in the day.

A few pics from Ketchikan: Salmon walk where salmon swim up stream to spawn…

Yes, you are right on the money!

Two interesting things occurred yesterday: 1. Deal or No deal cards went on sale in the casino and the line was very long and slow moving. I wasn’t in line but I was playing at a slot machine in the thick of the line. It was interesting to hear people’s complaints about various things…in this case, the very slow moving line. The game must be a lot of fun..not sure I would have waited in that line. At one point there was a brief, yet hostile exchange between 2 passengers regarding possible line cutting. It was quickly resolved but not before a few choice words were exchanged. Celebrity may want to reconsider how they go about selling the Deal/No Deal cards. 2. Evening chic is very casual. Those of you who are struggling with how to pack all your Alaska stuff AND chic attire, rest assured there’s nothing to fret about as it seems most anything goes. But regarding chic night, the other interesting thing occurred in the theater in the reserved section for Retreat guests. We were seated just behind this area at the high top bar (great for quick exits) and witnessed a lady become irate bc she wasn’t allowed to sit in the reserved section. She was loud and quite vocal in expressing her disgust with all the “able bodied people in that area taking space away from a little old lady…”. We offered our seats but she declined. And if that wasn’t enough, the show was standing room only with crowds of people standing behind us…carrying on full conversations… during the show! It ceased a bit when I turned around and flashed my teacher grade stink eye in their direction. People never cease to amaze me…

Lunch was in Luminae. I had the petit filet and DH had the salmon. I liked mine better. For dinner, we dined in Tuscan. We find the MDR menus to be more varied and the Luminae menu didn’t appeal. Additionally, the MDR’s ambience is much more pleasing to us because we don’t feel packed in like sardines. The food was good and the service was excellent! I had the lamb t bone and DH had the fish. We tried the duck breast but I’m not a fan of the leathery texture. The apps of baked Brie and scallops in a cream sauce (not how it’s named on the menu) were my favorite.

Water aerobics in full swing… but not much going on outside.

Note to self… post in small chunks in case something goes haywire! We gained an hour last night so it’s currently 6 AM. Ketchikan is simply charming with very light rain and temps in the 40’s. Today I’ll be wearing my rain gear! Yesterday was fun! We caught a Beyond the Podium lecture, a bar show, and met up in the Retreat lounge with friends we made from a previous cruise. Later we watched a show in the main theater.. the cruise director said it was standing O material… I guess like food, entertainment is subjective. We thought the show was fine.

I just lost all my commentary…🤦‍♀️. Pulling into Ketchikan now. More to follow

It was the sommelier. He poured me a glass and didn’t up charge it.

I consider it an ok sauv blanc. It’s produced by the Wagner family (Caymus) and runs about $20 + or - a bottle back home. Certainly the up charge wont break the bank… the inconsistency is puzzling. Im now on a recon mission for Whispering Angel… stay tuned!

Emmolo Sauv Blanc is $17 in the Martini bar but $22 in Luminae. I pointed out the discrepancy today at lunch when I was told there was going to be a $5 up charge. The nickel and diming of the “elevated” wines is annoying.

Thank you for this tip! Works perfectly now! 😊

The embarkation process in this port was unlike any I’ve experienced! The drop off line was a mass of cars, vans, busses criss crossing each other every which way. It took longer to snake our way to the curb that it took to get from our hotel to the port. Thank you for the info on the Retreat check in location. Very helpful!