Trip Index
- Cruise planning, pre-cruise stay in Anchorage, Grandview Train to Seward, embarkation
- Morning at sea, Hubbard Glacier, La Cucina
- Icy Strait Point, Seven Seas main dining room
- Skagway, Cagney's Steakhouse, Juneau, Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier, Le Bistro
- Ketchikan, day at sea, Moderno Churrascaria
- Norwegian Sun Disembarkation, post-cruise stay in Vancouver
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Day 6 Freestyle Daily and inserts:
It was Saturday morning, and we enjoyed breakfast at the Great Outdoors Cafe while sailing into Ketchikan.
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| doesn't this look inviting? |
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| tonight's main dining menu |
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With the loss of Berth 3 due to the
Celebrity Infinity collision last week, luxury ship
Silver Shadow had to park in the middle of the bay and tender their passengers in.
360 spherical photo of the ships docked in Ketchikan:
Norwegian Sun docked in Ketchikan #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
Kaleb and I planned a hike to
Deer Mountain. I had found a
trail guide online. The hike was rated "most difficult". Getting to the trailhead from the dock was a long walk in itself. Some people recommend taking a taxi there, but we decided to use our legs. It wasn't too bad, except for the steep climb at the end.
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| Silver Shadow parked in the bay |
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| town is right next to the ship |
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| signs pointing to trailhead |
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| steep road |
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| the last few hundred yards |
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| found the trail |
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The trail was lush and scenic. We could see the cruise ship docks from above. The weather started to get worse as we neared the top, so we ended up turning around after reaching the second overlook.
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| trail nicely maintained |
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| what a view! |
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| view of the ships in port |
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| maybe we should turn back |
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360 spherical picture at the Deer Mountain overlook:
On Deer Mountain Trail in Ketchikan #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
We returned to town, got a snack, and checked out the repairs going on at Berth 3 before heading back to the ship.
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| Berth 3 repairs |
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| "shortcut" takes you through a souvenir shop |
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| Disney Wonder parked nearby |
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| Kaleb helping me take a 360 photo |
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360 spherical photo of what Kaleb took:
Norwegian Sun and Disney Wonder docked in Ketchikan #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
Passengers were welcomed back on board by the crew with song and non-alcoholic jello shots...wow!
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| red carpet treatment |
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| town of Ketchikan, Oceania Regatta in the background |
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Tonight, we grabbed dinner both at the Sports Bar as well as the buffet. There was a "pho" station; it wasn't authentic, but edible.
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| Sports Bar menu |
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| buffalo wings, pretty good |
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| chicken tenders and fries |
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| "pho" |
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| dessert selection |
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| vanilla soft serve on the balcony |
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When we got back to the room, there was a special treat waiting for us. Not sure why, but thanks Juan!
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| monkey |
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| petit fours and a bottle of red wine! |
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Day 7 Freestyle Daily and inserts:
Sunday was a day at sea, our last of the cruise...boo hoo! We packed up our carry-ons and ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch.
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| main dining dinner menu tonight |
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It was raining when the ship entered Canadian waters. We witnessed a guy sailing alongside the ship in a motorboat, playing the Star Spangled Banner as well as the Canadian national anthem, O Canada.
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| what a crazy guy |
Tonight, we had dinner at the specialty restaurant
Moderno Churrascaria, aka a Brazilian steakhouse. I've been to a churrascaria before so why do I go to one on a cruise ship? I like the style of cooking, and there is a lot of variety compared to teppanyaki, so I don't mind it. Our tummies were quite satisfied, yet I managed to save space for one more vanilla soft serve cone!
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| Moderno menu |
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| salad bar |
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| side dishes |
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| a ton of food came around |
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| flan |
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| mango rice pudding |
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| papaya cream |
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| requisite vanilla soft serve |
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And that was the end of our cruise! I really enjoyed doing the one-way Alaskan itinerary, since we got a chance to visit Hubbard Glacier up close. I didn't mind going to Alaska again after
having been a year ago, as I enjoy the scenery and we were able to find different activities to do in repeat ports. If you haven't been on an Alaskan cruise, I highly recommend it! There are deals if you book over a year in advance, or at the very last minute. Even if you book in between, there are always offers such as free-at-sea or free gratuities. I would also suggest a balcony cabin so you can enjoy the views in your own space. Kaleb and I had a good time using binoculars to search for bald eagles and other fauna on our balcony. If you are interested in booking Alaska or any other cruise or trip, let me know and I can help you find the perfect itinerary.
Tomorrow, we disembark in Vancouver. I was just here little over a week ago! Stay tuned!
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Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
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Skagway, Cagney's Steakhouse, Juneau, Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier, Le Bistro
