Ketchikan, Alaska

We were at sea this morning and it was the day of the white elephant sale- an auction of items Around the World passengers have brought or bought on the trip and decided not to take home. Oh my. There was everything from a can of baked beans, loads of packages of Dramamine, tchotchkes to shoes and a tripod. It was entertaining and proceeds go to the crew welfare fund.

We arrived in Ketchikan midday, perfect time to head out to a crab feast excursion at a lodge. This town of about 8,000 is the southern most city in Alaska and a cruise ship favourite. There were six ships here today.

As we drove through town to get to the lodge, it felt much like a Caribbean port with T-shirt shops side by side with jewelry stores and souvenir shops. And packs of tourists roaming around.

But once we travelled further towards George Inlet Lodge, the scenery was majestic. The lodge itself was rustic and expert in serving Dungeness crab. It was fabulous.

We, along with our friends Renate and Helmut, decided to take a taxi into town after our meal instead of returning directly to the ship. We were keen to visit historic Creek Street, a picturesque boardwalk path on stilts built over Ketchikan Creek. It was the town’s red light district until 1954. Charming. We wandered around a bit more before meeting up with other friends - Maria, John, Carol and Paul, for dinner. We went to the Cape Fox Lodge which is perched over Ketchikan on the side of a slope and you can climb a winding wooden staircase to get there, which we did. It offered a spectacular view.

We were back on the ship well before the 9:30 pm all aboard and had a beautiful sail away as we said bye to Ketchikan and to Alaska.Read more