Crystal Serenity Day 3 - Ketchikan

We enjoyed another wonderful evening on board Crystal Serenity last night.
​

Waterside. dinner menu

Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

It was ironic that as we left our room to walk towards the stairwell, we saw a familiar face. It was Franz Weiss who was the former executive chef on-board Crystal Serenity and who has returned to Crystal as Corporate Executive Chef. Keith knew he had returned, and it was great to catch up with him as we hadn’t seen him since 2019.

One of the aspects we have always enjoyed about cruising is meeting new people. Cruising provides this opportunity as you are together with the same guests for the entire cruise.  At the same time, with two ships and a very loyal following we know whenever we sail with Crystal, we are going to know guests from prior sailings and of course the amazing crew.  This cruise has been no exception. We have met some very nice guests who we never sailed with before.  Last evening, we were touched while waiting in the Crystal Plaza.  A widow of about one year recognized us and shared some nice words that her late husband had said.  It truly touched our hearts.  The good news is that she and the couple she is traveling with will be on these two cruises and also on board a couple of cruises we have booked for a future date. We also spoke with another couple we have known since 2007 who we have been on sailings with, and Keith caught up yesterday with a woman who we have sailed with several times.  Yes, this is why we refer to sailing with guests and crew as part of our Crystal extended family.  
​
Dinner was at Waterside last evening. We dined with Cruise Director Rick Spath.

Everything was perfect.  Food was amazing including the entree of Halibut served with a very tasty sauce and accompanied by a ravioli. It was a wow.

We were taken care of by the outstanding waitstaff team of Senior Waiter Marcin, Waiter Nitish, Head Waiter Jacques and Sommelier Marli. This was the first time we met Marli. She is from South Africa and was very familiar with the wine we had sent down to the dining venue.

For us, dining at Waterside is like dining at a specialty restaurant.  Given the number of people who can dine at Waterside, it still is a very special experience for us.
​

The good news is we turned back the clocks one hour before we went to sleep.  Always nice to turn the clock back but when we return back to Vancouver we will be forwarding the clock one hour.

​The seas were relatively calm and with the gentle rocking of the ship we slept very well.  

​Following is the daily Reflections Program.

Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

It was windy outside so rather than starting the day by walking and running on the Promenade Deck, Keith changed it up.  First, a visit to the to the Fitness Center, followed by a walk inside the ship and then a walk on the pool deck.

​

---

When we first sailed Alaska in the 1990's far less cruise ships sailed this area.  Often, we would arrive to port and including our vessel there would be one or two ships in port.  With the popularity of cruising and the popularity of this destination more and more ships cruise Alaska during the Alaskan cruising season.  At the same time, with the start up of new Crystal this made scheduling of itineraries more challenging since they had to be put together with far less lead times than normal.  In the case of today, we were docked approximately 7.5 miles from Ketchikan instead of being in walking length of this city. While a shuttle was offered we decided given an arrival time of 1:00 PM, we would enjoy the ship rather than going into port. We do love Ketchikan and have many lovely memories of this city.  On our first family cruise of Alaska the four of us went salmon fishing and we had the salmon we caught sent back home to enjoy.  Fast forward to our first cruise on Crystal Harmony in 2002, and Keith, our son Eric, and our future son-in-law Gui went on a salmon fishing excursion offered by Crystal while Anne Marie and daughter Jennifer went on a different excursion. Back then if you caught salmon you could have it brought back and cooked for you by Crystal. This changed overtime due to more stringent health requirements. On other visits we have enjoyed additional tours as well as enjoyed walking around the downtown area. 

The good news is Crystal Serenity served as our destination. The morning featured two lectures: one on mastering your memory and the other one about the implications of a rising China. We also enjoyed walks together and talks with crew and guests. There was great food to enjoy as well. LOL.  

Some photos after we docked at the remote port.