The salmon capital of the world, Ketchikan, was our last port of this 7 day run. And what a difference a week makes. Last Monday, we enjoyed the nicest weather we have ever seen in this port. Today was a whole different story.
On our way here last night, we woke up to the sounding of the ship's foghorn. Some of our friends like that horn, but to be honest, it is blowing for a reason and that's to warn other vessels of our location. In other words, we are not always visible from a short distance. When the horn blows repeatedly every few minutes, then it is scary. Looking outside our window at 7am, we could barely see the islands of the Inside Passage, and although the fog was thick, it eventually lifted and turned to rain. The need for the horn was finally over.
Breakfast was at 8am, even though it is a port day. We won't arrive to Ketchikan until 11am. There was scenic cruising before our arrival, but the bow was not opened this time as it was raining. A small group of us went to deck six forward as we approached the city. Two Princess ships were already docked – the Crown and the Grand. There was no sign of the Viking Orion.
There was a total of 30 excursions offered here today. We doubt that the tours that involved flights happened. Way too dangerous to fly in this weather. Docking between the two Princess ships, we were directly across from the iconic Ketchikan Welcome Arch. We left the ship around 12pm, and headed under the arch for a change. Several stores lined this street….most were high end jewelry shops like Milano, Effy, and Diamond International. Unlike the same stores in the Caribbean, these stores did not offer a free charm. And the prices seemed quite high and tax would be added on top of that. Better deals could be found on the ship, and the purchases would be tax free, more or less.
The streets were alive with cruise folks, all looking for bargains. They must have found them since most everyone was carrying a bag with treasures. There is a Walmart about 5 miles out of the center of town. Many of the crew members have access to a free shuttle that takes them there. Their biggest purchases are snack foods.
Making our way to Creek Street, we followed the boardwalk watching the salmon fighting their way up the rapids. The tide was in, so the creek was much deeper than what we saw last week. It was not as easy to see the battered salmon under the acidic tea-colored waters of Ketchikan Creek. There was a whole lot of people here today, doing the same thing we were. Squeezing around the crowd of onlookers, we continued up the street to the bridges that crossed the creek. We would estimate that only half the amount of salmon were here today. Perhaps the run is coming to an end soon.
City Park was about empty of people today. The rain must have kept the locals inside. In fact, the smell of wood fires permeated the air, reminding us of home in the winter. The Totem Heritage Center is up this way, and we always take photos of the totems outside. Several buses had brought guests here, so the place was busy. Time to head back to town, and go to lunch.
Once again, we took the elevator at the Alaska King Crab Company. Since it was near 2pm, the restaurant only had a few diners. Seated at a window table, we watched as many buses, shuttles, and the Duck tour vehicles dropped off guests near the ships. Even in the rainy weather, most all went shopping afterwards.
Lunch was good starting with Amber Gold draft beers, a small salad, and chicken tenders with French fries. Their BBQ sauce is really good here. After our relaxing meal, we headed to Tongass, the biggest store on the pier. We did not find any treasures today, but it is aways fun to look.
Back to the ship where the rising tide had made boarding challenging. The gangway had gotten steep. Since we were docked portside today, when the tide went out, we could look directly out our window to the street level. Working on photos took the rest of the afternoon while we watched the foot traffic and tour groups pass by our window.
All aboard was 6:30pm, and shortly after that time, the Zaandam pulled away from the pier and headed south. The other two ships had left already. We had intended on going to the sail away, but there was none at the pool deck. There was wildlife spotting at 7pm, but it was raining heavily so it did not happen.
Usually "dressy" evenings are on sea days. On these shorter itineraries, a dressy night could be on a port day, which was the case today. Honestly it really does not matter what they call it, people will arrive dressed any way they wish. A handful of guests looked quite formal, but the majority were not. "Fixed seating" is not the same as it used to be. The guests were being seated wherever there was a table and a wait staff available. Ever since anytime dining arrived on the scene with competing cruise lines, HAL followed suit. Sure seems like a lot more work for the staff to accommodate the diners these days.
We tried some different items tonight, although our starters were the same Caesar salads and a shared shrimp cocktail. Pork schnitzel and the brown sugar glazed salmon were very tasty. Actually, the cranberry rice pilaf was the deal maker with the fish entrée. Dessert was one chocolate volcano cake (not like the old one) and a plate of sliced bananas.
Later at 9:30pm, there was a chocolate surprise on deck five. Musicology was the Step One Dance Company, a routine we have enjoyed many times on other cruises. Since the clocks had to be set forward one hour, we skipped the festivities and turned in after dinner.
Tomorrow will be the last day at sea with some scenic cruising on the way back to Vancouver…..again.
Bill & Mary Ann
