It has been several weeks since we returned to solid ground...
so it is time to wrap up my cruise review!
Our last stop in Alaska was Ketchikan...
...the salmon capital of the world.
Our shore excursion consisted of walking about the town...
checking out the shops...
and picking up a few souvenirs.
My keepsake is a wee jade inukshuk on a chain.
I have a Ulu knife at home that I love...
and so I picked up a set (with cutting board) for a friend.
So did many others on the cruise ship.
Who knew that one can not take Ulu knives to their stateroom?
Upon our return to the cruise ship...
all Ulu knives were confiscated.
We were given a claim number...
and told to pick up our knives as we disembarked in Seattle.
Ketchikan was established as a fishing camp in 1883.
Once gold was discovered in the area...
it became a mining supply center.
The logging industry flourished as well.
Today the economy is based on tourism and fishing.
We came by boat.
Some arrive by plane.
None come by car!
I must introduce you to Sam...
our favorite crew member.
He was our head waiter...
and knew us all by name in no time.
He had a great sense of humour!
He decided that a group our size must have a birthday or two to celebrate...
and so he declared it was Broni's birthday...
and brought in the choir...
and a special dessert.
Another night he decided that it was Tim's birthday...
and again the troops were called in to help celebrate.
Neither of them want more than one birthday a year!
As we left the waters of Alaska...
and sailed homeward...
we decided it was pay-back time for Sam.
As dinner time came to an end....
we called in Sam's troops (his fellow waiters)...
and announced that it was Sam's birthday.
We had a special dessert prepared just for him...
and a 'birthday boy' badge.
Everyone joined in singing to our friend Sam.
I'm not sure that happens too often on a cruise ship!
He was a great guy.
Back in our stateroom we had Michael at our beck and call.
Actually, we never called.
He just came...
and kept that room spic and span...
and brought us treats at night time.
His towel creations on the bed every evening always made me smile.
I have on occasion wished for Michael since I have been back home!
There are many special little things we will not forget...
like ice carvings...
...and walks on the red carpet:)
Our final port of call was Victoria, British Columbia.
Most of the passengers disembarked and set out to explore...
just a wee bit.
We were only there for four hours...
and so we decided to spend our final night on board.
We watched the sun set from the top deck...
had a leisurely dinner...
and thought about packing our bags to disembark in Seattle the next morning.
One of us visited the spa that evening.
Actually, most of us did...
just to 'see'.
I'll tell you about that...
another time.
I'll have to go back and read the rest! It sounds like this long-awaited trip was everything you'd hoped and planned. I'll bet the little ones loved all the extra birthdays!
ReplyDeleteFun, fun, fun...
ReplyDeleteOf all the delights of the trip, Sam may take the prize. Isn't that interesting? I find this true so often. It's not the beauty of God's world or the view or the little treasures (like towels made to look like lobster — loved that one!), it's the people who make this journey worth the trip. So glad that your family had this time together.
I loved seeing the pictures of your travels, family and hearing about the fun you had together on the ship. Your grandkids will remember this family time for years to come.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had such a fun guy to see to your meal times. Fabulous! Those towel creations are really something. I'm glad you have these great photos to take you all back to your time at sea and on shore...
ReplyDeleteHow special for Sam to be treated to his own birthday celebration. I'll bet he'll never forget your thoughtfulness.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun ending to your cruise.
Judy, I must share our experience from our last cruise, about a year and a half ago. One of the towel creations in our stateroom was a monkey, which was hung on a coat-hanger and placed on the ceiling light fixture. I should mention that this was the final day of our cruise. When we came back to the room, it had fallen on the floor, so D picked it up and re-hung it -- on the sprinkler. That was no problem, until the room steward came in that evening to turn down the bed, while we were at dinner. Well, the sprinkler had gone off, and everything in the room was soaked. The ship's staff were most gracious, and moved us to another stateroom (I think one of the entertainers gave up their room for us) and took all of our belongings to clean and dry out. They were all returned, cleaned and folded the next morning, in time for our departure. It was a great blessing in a way, because when we got home we didn't have a mountain of laundry to deal with!
ReplyDeleteLove your story, Lorne. We are on a little getaway with Vern and Martha. I just shared your comment with them and we all had a good laugh...as we eyed the sprinkler in our hotel room and considered hanging something on it! Now that will be a cruise adventure you won't forget anytime soon.
DeleteThis sounds like so much fun! I'm glad you had a good cruise experience and were treated well. I've never been on a cruise but this one to Alaska sounds wonderful. Pamela
ReplyDeleteJudy...it is just as it should have been...simply wonderful to remember. You would be very fun to cruise with....Just sayin'
ReplyDeleteHow absolutely WONDERFUL!!! Thank you for sharing your trip! I have never been on a cruise but it is on my list of things I want to do in the next 10 years!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and super pictures that tell the story as well as the words you used!!
I think the guys you mentioned, hope that there will be more groups as fun as you all were, on more of their cruises. What great advertisement you provide for the cruise line you chose. I think these pictures are so good and so revealing of the wonderful memories you all carry with you. I can't imagine how memorable it all was to your little ones.
ReplyDeleteLooks like so many wonderful times with your family. It's always a treat to meet with all the butlers, waiters and the rest that treat us so royally. I feel like I need a cruise about now. I know your family will never forget this experience.
ReplyDeleteI almost forgot how fun a cruise is... getting dressed up and enjoying a beautiful dinner, night after night and coming back to a room with linens turned back and a little treat. Beautiful family memories for you to look back on for a long time.I'm curious what a ulu knife is. I'll have to look that up.
ReplyDeleteSuch fun! You definitely get spoiled on a cruise! Great that you showed your appreciation for Sam...I bet that was a first for him!!!
ReplyDeletei enjoyed seeing your pictures of Ketchican. It must have been fun to have a waiter like Sam. He would have enjoyed meeting your family too from the sound of your story! I wound have walked home along the Dallas to where I grew up and back in that 4 hours in Victoria. When I worked on the Princess Marguerite which sailed back and forth to Seattle, I went home often after docking at noon and before heading back to Seattle at 5pm.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing more of your cruise, Judy! What a wonderful time you all had and what wonderful memories you made!
ReplyDelete