Friday, February 15, 2019

Family cruise to Alaska on Emerald Princess: Sea day, Ketchikan, Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier - July 16-18, 2018



Trip Index
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(some pictures courtesy of the rest of the family)

Monday was sea day - tonight would be formal night. We enjoyed breakfast at the Horizon Court buffet, then roamed around the ship. I forgot to take pictures of today's Princess Patter.

usual breakfast buffet selections
Crown Grill specialty restaurant menu
Crown Grill specialty restaurant menu
special Alaskan selections at Crown Grill
special Alaskan selections
Crown Grill specialty restaurant menu
Crown Grill specialty restaurant menu
Crown Grill dessert menu
Crown Grill dessert menu
Emerald Princess atrium
Emerald Princess atrium
complimentary pub lunch at Salty Dog 
selections at the International Cafe
selections at the International Cafe

After looking at all the options for lunch on board, we decided on the main dining room. I forgot to take a picture of the menu.

caprese salad
mussels
roast beef sandwich
I think this was blueberry frozen yogurt

There was a show in the afternoon in the Princess Theater. Seats filled up quickly. I think this was a magic act.


Tonight was the captain's welcome dinner in the main dining room, formal dress code. We were assigned to an oval table that fit all 11 of us. Our waiters had wondered where we were on the first night. We had such friendly and efficient service from them the entire week; they took care of the kids so well. Our waiter would recommend certain dishes, which I chose most of the time, and usually they were pretty good. All of the desserts tonight were fabulous.

Emerald Princess Captain's Welcome Dinner menu pg 1
Emerald Princess Captain's Welcome Dinner menu pg 1
Emerald Princess Captain's Welcome Dinner menu pg 2
Emerald Princess Captain's Welcome Dinner menu pg 2
waldorf salad with stilton mousse
shredded duck and pork rillettes
french onion soup
beef tenderloin medallions
rosemary leg of lamb
after dinner drink menu
Emerald Princess Captain's Welcome Dinner dessert menu
Emerald Princess Captain's Welcome Dinner dessert menu
Emerald Princess kid's dinner menu
Emerald Princess kid's dinner menu (never changes)
chocolate hazelnut bar with citrus cream
mango passion fruit sorbet
gourmandises
bananas foster flambe

After dinner, we took pictures at different photo stations around the ship.



Afterwards, we took a peek into one of their obstructed oceanview cabins to see how it was set up. Then it was time for bed.


Our steward left a flyer for the Port Valet program, offered by the Port of Seattle. It's a free program that issues boarding passes for you and transfers checked luggage to the airport; you won't see your bags until you pick them up at your destination airport. I would recommend using this time-saving service if you are eligible and are flying one of the participating airlines.


The next day, Emerald Princess docked in Ketchikan, Alaska. Port time was only from 6:30am to 2:30pm so we booked our duck tour with Princess in case it ran late, so that the ship would wait for us. You could book the duck tour independently to save a few dollars, but only do so if you have enough time in port.

Princess Patter Ketchikan page 1
Princess Patter Ketchikan page 1
Princess Patter Ketchikan page 2
Princess Patter Ketchikan page 2
Princess Patter Ketchikan page 3
Princess Patter Ketchikan page 3
Princess Patter Ketchikan page 4
Princess Patter Ketchikan page 4
spa specials for men

There were several duck vehicles parked next to Emerald Princess. It was raining, but we would be inside the vehicle and staying mostly dry. Blankets were provided in case you got cold. The duck bus drove around town before entering the water.


24-second video of the duck vehicle entering the water: (click here if you cannot see the preview below)


We saw several bald eagles during our boat ride.


Our time in Ketchikan was way too short. We all spent the rest of the day on the ship participating in our own activities. Allen skunked everyone at the sudoku competition, finishing in 3 minutes.


Tonight's dinner theme was Italian. The food was pretty good.

Princess Italian dinner menu page 1
Princess Italian dinner menu page 1
Princess Italian dinner menu page 2
Princess Italian dinner menu page 2
prosciutto con melone 
seafood antipasto
eggplant parmesan
mixed greens
veal scallopini
sauteed sea scallops and shrimp
Princess Italian dessert menu
Princess Italian dessert menu
tiramisu
limoncello sorbet
Abby enjoyed this balloon stuck on

Wednesday morning, Emerald Princess sailed into Tracy Arm Fjord, getting a glimpse of Sawyer Glacier located at the end. We had done this before on our 2016 Norwegian cruise, so we didn't wake up for it. The rest of the family did and captured nice photos of the beautiful landscape.

Princess Patter Tracy Arm/Juneau page 1
Princess Patter Tracy Arm/Juneau page 1
Princess Patter Tracy Arm/Juneau page 2
Princess Patter Tracy Arm/Juneau page 2
Princess Patter Tracy Arm/Juneau page 3
Princess Patter Tracy Arm/Juneau page 3
Princess Patter Tracy Arm/Juneau page 4
Princess Patter Tracy Arm/Juneau page 4
Sawyer Glacier way in the distance
ice floating in the fjord

We would dock in Juneau at 2:30pm today. Since this is getting long, I'll talk about our adventures in the next post...stay tuned!


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