Island to Alaska with Pictures

[ssapiers]

When it comes to BBQ, nothing wrong with hitting the bottle -- BBQ sauce bottle, that is.

 

Try mixing a shot or two of Jack with the BBQ sauce. MMMM .... maybe that's why that cat in Saigon tasted more like dog!!!!;)

 

Bill

[cmash95]

ok I am leaving august 28th for my island trek I sure hope we are almost done with this review by then. page 16 and we havent gotten out of ketchican. not a good sign I must say

[cruisingbug]

ok I am leaving august 28th for my island trek I sure hope we are almost done with this review by then. page 16 and we havent gotten out of ketchican. not a good sign I must say

 

I think they've left Ketchikan...just haven't gotten to that night yet! :)

 

I'm SO glad you bought the jackets - I just wish you'd gotten some binoculars too!!

[cruisebie]

cruisebie,

Still looking for that check.

 

Darned post office! I can't imagine why it hasn't gotten there yet. ;)

 

I almost had the next payment scraped together, but I had to run out at lunch today and buy a BBQ sandwich. :D

[Taters]

I have absolutely L-O-V-E-D reading your review so far! We sailed on the Island Princess over the Christmas/New Year holidays last winter and weren't impressed with the diningroom service, either. It was by far the worst of any of our cruises. We found the food mediocre and the deserts bland. However, I did love the ship, the itinerary and not having to cook or clean or decorate over the holidays. Would do it again in a heart beat. We're booked onto the Coral Princess for an Alaska sailing next fall, giving them a chance to redeem themselves in the dining department.

 

I am looking forward to reading the remainder of your entertaining review!

 

Thanks a million,

 

Taters

[Shirleya53]

We just got back from our 3 week vacation which included the one week cruise to Alaska (July 2-9). I have just caught up on all your posts since June 27.

I typed a short journal almost every night we were gone, but your recall is just amazing.

 

Since you are only in Ketchcan so far, I will comment on that. We did the Saxman Village tour thru Princess (the only tour we booked thru them). It was okay. That big building you were talking about is the Tribal Building. In there we saw Indian dances. I even got to go up on stage, wear the cape, and dance. We also saw a 20 minute movie beforehand. If you don't take this particular tour, you don't get the history movie or the tribal dances.

[cworld]

Shirley, welcome back, we missed you. Hope your voyage was as good as ours.

 

Taters, thank you, and welcome to the party.

 

cruisebie, checked the mail 3 times today, still nothing. I'm patient, I can wait a while. By the way, did the sandwich have sauce on it? Just wondered.

 

cruisingbug, didn't even think about binoculars. Had camera with heap big lens. Mrs. cworld used the provided ones. I don't think we used ours even after we got them. Oops, shouldn't have let that slip. Oh well.

 

Chris, I hope so too, but I wouldn't count on it. I'm going at about a day a month clip right now. Sorry, but there are only 26 hours a day.

 

Bill, I'm a little confused. Does the Jack go in the sauce or in the mouth? And it the Siagon cat tasted alot like chicken.

 

cindy, thanks, just for you, I'll eat dry next time I have BBQ.

 

And to all, sorry, I've got a headache tonight, (how many times have you either heard or used that one?) and I can't get words to form correctly. It's taken me 15 minutes just to compose this. I solemly swear that I will faithfully defend... seee. See you tomorrow, hopefully.

[margord]

Yeah, finally you used some of the money.

 

Marilee

[cworld]

So up we went, to the top of the ship, and the deck area right above the outdoor pool. Why? Because, that’s where the Fishy BBQ was. It was also the place I had staked out as being the perfect place to watch for the lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by. (I don’t know, I’m just making things up). Why the up here, you ask? That’s a good question. Several months (or maybe that was days, or minutes, I don't know, time is kinda confusing to me) of intense research led me to the conclusion that the deck area right above the outdoor pool afforded the best, unobstructed view of both sides of the ship. This was about the only place on the ship where you could move from one side to the other without running into walls, and that wasn’t blocked by those annoying blue screens. There is an area up here, that for about 100 feet on each side of the ship, there is only 1 row of blue wind screens, not two. Yeah, I know we could have gone to the back end of the ship, but they weren’t murdering Fishys back there, and Mrs. c wanted a murdered Fishy.

 

When we got up to the pool area, and Holy Gamoly (to quote my ole buddy Jimmy), there were people everywhere. OK, who spilled the beans… There’s never anybody up here, it’s cold up here. You poachers go back to your cabins, this is my place, I thought of it first. I called “dibs” on it yesterday. How am I gonna get my award winning pictures of the lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by, you know the ones that are going to be on the cover of Whale Times, if all of you people are around getting in my way? It might just ruin me forever if one of you peons gets in the way of my picture taking adventure. Vamoose. Scram. Go Away.

 

WHY?

 

BECAUSE photographing lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by, professionally, is a not for just everybody. It's a grueling task. It’s not for the weak at heart. It’s hard work. You have to be in just the right place when the lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by, breaks the surface of the water. You have to gauge where you need to be in relationship to the sun. You have to gauge the wind speed and direction. You have to make sure the clouds aren’t going to change the light conditions at a crucial time. It’s just not easy to attain this level of preparation. When all of that is done you have to have your instrument fully prepared. Your camera has to be set just right. Your shutter settings must be set to shutter correctly. Your aperture setting must be set to just the right amount of aperture. And then comes the all-important focus. The focus setting must be set to precise focus distance. How may of us like unfocused pictures? I rest my case. And all of this has to be done with unimaginable precision and indescribable timing. (Right tee?)

 

Then it comes, the moment of truth, that time that all of us professional picture takers, (PPTs) wait our whole lives for, that very infinitesimal instant in time when IT happens. Our subject, subjects. Our theme, themes, Our…you know. That very instant when we PPTs find photographic nirvana. In that split second, time stands still, and we PPTs get that great adrenalin rush, as our pointer fingers gently lower the button that will trigger the incredible picture of a lifetime. Knowing how to make all of these things come together is what separates us PPTs with our superlative, outstanding, one-in-a-million abilities from your average, every day, Hamilton, Joe, Frank or Reynolds.

 

Hey son, did you put something in those eggs this morning? Dad’s being awfuly arrogant today.

 

Back to reality. We staked out a couple of lounge chairs that had a pretty good view of the ocean so I could do my Great, lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by, thingy. Mrs. cworld said she was going to get some Fishy BBQ. I turned up my nose when she asked if I wanted some. So, I stayed behind to guard the chairs and prepare myself, and my equipment, for the long ordeal to come.

 

A little while later, Mrs. cworld nudged me. I was awake, really. I was just deep in meditation (preparation, you know). She handed me a plate with a skewer of murdered fishy, scallops, and shrimp on it. Beside the skewer were a couple of “crab cakes”. I’m still suspicious, but she’s all excited. She says the shrimps are wonderful, and the “crab cakes” (I don’t know where she got it, but this is one of her all time favorite sayings) she said the "crab cakes" - “will make you slap your mother” (PS – that’s a good thing.) Still a little skeptical, I take a nibble. First the skewer.

 

FIREWORKS, ALARM BELLS , HORNS HONKING, (think Times Square at rush hour)

 

Mrs. cworld was right (yes, dear, I know that I was wrong to ever doubt you) This skewer thing was great. The fish was Alaskan Halibut, and it’s absolutely perfect. Moist, soft and just right. The scallops were sweet and wonderful, and the shrimps… Mmmm good, Mmmm good that’s what the fishy BBQ was Mmmm good. But then I tried the “crab cakes”.

 

Will Carl like the “crab cakes”? Will he pan the “crab cakes”? Will Carl get over the drugs that are obviously washing through his system? Will peace reign on the earth? Stay tuned for the answers to these and other questions in our next exciting adventure of Island to Alaska with Pictures.

 

Catchy isn’t it.

[zachnlucy]

I'm drooling for my own murdered fishy BBQ on a skewer now.

[alwalaska]

CWorld, We have only just booked our cruise on the Island for Alaska 9/3. We are new to Princess and certainly to Alaska.

 

I've been reading this thread forever and I've only gotten to the end of page 4. As I write, we are on page 14. I hope you can answer a question for me. The answer probably lies somewhere between page 5 and this page and I just haven't gotten to it yet.

 

We loved your pictures by the way.

 

Can you tell me if it is possible to just get off the ship and walk around a couple of these places with a tour or guide?

 

I can't imagine we would have to tender anywhere, do we?

 

I promise to go back and read some more of this thead starting where I left off, the beginning of page 5. I have really enjoyed what I've read so far. People tell me that I'm a bit of a writer myself. I thinkthis is because I am also quite a talker and I tend to write as I would speak. I would bet you are a good talker too.

 

Thanks for any help you can give us.

 

I'm back home and I found the web site with the port info - finally. It is http://www.claalaska.com/schedules.html . You will need the Berth Codes file as well as the files for the towns you are visiting. The files are a little overwhelming, but it is fun to check out what ships are there on what days.

[luv_jeeps]

I'm drooling for my own murdered fishy BBQ on a skewer now.

 

Me too. :)

I also can't wait to have my chance at photographing lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by with a couple of new lenses for the Nikon. :D

Or perhaps a Haliaeetus Leucocephalus (or 10, or 20) as they soar through the sky.

T minus 20 days, and counting.

[cworld]

Mrs. cworld was away today, and this popped out. I think the music you’d hear playing in the background for this one would be STYX – Too Much Time on My Hands.

 

Here’s part one of my ingenious plan to “Rid the World of Unrestful Vacations”.

 

Coming soon to a bookstore near you! (well… maybe)

 

Do your yearly vacations make you tired?

 

Do you spend hours each day planning your vacation, just so you every minute of your vacation will be jam-packed with adventure?

 

Do you know the best time to ride every ride at Rodent World?

 

Do you get nervous when you are on vacation and you don’t have something planned?

 

Do you wake up at night sweating about your schedule for the day you arrive at your destination, one year before your trip? Will we be there in time for supper? Will we have to eat supper on the road? Will we have time to ride the fabulous new roller coaster?

 

Isn’t it time to take a break from all of that? Carl’s Travels, in conjunction with ItAwP Productions, proudly presents a fabulous new book by that World Renown Author, Mr. Carl Trent. Mr. T's works include several interesting articles on “The World of ETMS” and “Traffic Management for Dummies”. Mr. T's works have been applied by scores of Air Traffic Control Specialists worldwide. In addition, Mr. T has spent the last several years advising travelers on the best way to take vacations to Rodent World and other destinations that he knows nothing about. And now he is here to help you.

 

“For years, all of our family vacations were wall-to-wall, jam-packed, action adventures that took us weeks to recover from. We suffered from the ‘We have to do everything’ mentality. One week of my life change all of that for me, and I like to share with you my simple 17.000 step program that could change your life forever too.” – Mr. Carl Trent

 

Here’s what our readers are saying: Mrs. Josie Jones from Jonesboro Arkansas says – On every vacatun we’d ever took, we spended every minute doin sumpthin. Mr. T’s book changeded r lives. Now whenst we travl we apply Mr. T’s 17 hunred thingys of resting. We now cum bak from or vacatun restd and readied to go. Tnkx Mr. T.

 

For other testimonials visit our website here: carlsfictionalworldoftravel.com

 

So, how much would you pay for a fabulous restful vacation? Polling data shows that most people would pay as much as $1999.99 for this great work. But, since we’re not out to make money, we priced this gem at the unbelievable low, low, price of, can you believe it, just $199.95 down and 3 easy payments of $269.95. Why, that’s less than my first house cost.

 

You can order today by calling 1-900-MAKE-ME-RICH. Have your credit cards ready, our operators our standing by.

 

Wonder if this falls under the “bumping” guidelines?

 

“Too much time on my hands,

Too much time on my hands.”

[tee_wrecks]

BECAUSE photographing lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by, professionally, is a not for just everybody. It's a grueling task. It’s not for the weak at heart. It’s hard work. You have to be in just the right place when the lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by, breaks the surface of the water. You have to gauge where you need to be in relationship to the sun. You have to gauge the wind speed and direction. You have to make sure the clouds aren’t going to change the light conditions at a crucial time. It’s just not easy to attain this level of preparation. When all of that is done you have to have your instrument fully prepared. Your camera has to be set just right. Your shutter settings must be set to shutter correctly. Your aperture setting must be set to just the right amount of aperture. And then comes the all-important focus. The focus setting must be set to precise focus distance. How may of us like unfocused pictures? I rest my case. And all of this has to be done with unimaginable precision and indescribable timing. (Right tee?)

 

.

 

You got it Mr C...couldn't have described it better myself. Top o the ship is definitely the best place to spot them....but (and yes, that means everything before that word was bs) at that altitude you're so far away from them that unless you have a lens the size of a toddler they suddenly become lumbering lilliputians yada yada yada.

 

As for the check in the mail theory, well, there's a lot more similar homiles but I won't travel down that road. I will, however, comment that as a former postal employee I can assure you the check(s) are probably at this moment safely stored in some letter carrier's crawl space.

 

I do miss my job as a letter carrier though....the hours were flexible which made it easy for me to attend my anger management classes and shooting lessons.

[ssapiers]

cworld- I usually use two shot of Jack for the cook's pleasure (guess who that might be) and two shots of Jack per cup of BBQ sauce.

 

Bill

[cworld]

Now for the crab cakes. Mrs. cworld has already voiced her opinion, something about slapping your mother, well, that’s gonna be pretty tough, my mom’s 50,000 miles or so away. And I still don’t understand why I’d want to slap her. So… here goes nothing… what do I have to lose? These crab cakes things don’t look very special. They looked just like the ones we got at Red Lobster the last time we went. What makes you think that I’m gonna like… pop, she stuck a bite right in my mouth. (Not really, but it makes for better story telling) and… hmmmm, mmmm, Mmmm, MMMMMM, MMMMMM.

 

NOTE TO EVERYBODY WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY VOICE (and yes, to you caps lock police, I’m shouting.) You have got to try the crab cakes at the Fishy BBQ. (Insert Tony the Tigers voice here) There GRRREEEEAAAATTTTT!!!!!!! I can’t emphasize enough how good these things were.

 

How do I describe them? They looked like normal crab cakes. Round, with lumps and bumps. But what’s important is the taste. These were perfect. Just the right mix of breading, crab (or whatever they were using for crab) and spices. But what made these crab cakes absolutely special was they tasted like they had cream cheese added to them. The cream cheese, or whatever it was, gave these crab cakes depth. Emeril is always talking about layers of taste, and now I kinda know what he’s talking about. I’d had a few crab cakes before. Not a lot but some, and I liked them. But these, these were special. They were extremely rich. They were luxurious. They weren’t like what you’d get from massed produced food. This was food fit for someone of high status. Like that snooty-pooty Robin guy from Cheers. This was upper class food. I’m a little surprised that they fed these to us, since we weren’t “Suite” people. This was really outstanding grade AAA, top notch, USDA Prime, premium grub.

 

Note to Princess – I have to mention something about your Fish BBQ that was held on the Island Princess, when we cruised on her in May of 2005. We thoroughly enjoyed the food served at the BBQ. It was quite possibly the best food we had all week. And that brings me to my point. It’s a crying shame that we’ve been on your ship for 48 hours, (sheesh, only 48 hours? that means we’ve got like 100 hours to go, at this rate, I’ll turn 50 before I’m finished) had 6 meals, and this was the first food we’d eaten that met or exceeded our expectation. This was the kind of food we’d had hoped to experience all week. Food with punch. Food with flair. Food that was better than we what could get on a regular basis in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Please know that we’re not complaining about the food. It was good. But it was just good. Being on a cruise, we were expecting very good or great. The Fish BBQ was GREAT.

 

Rating for the Fish BBQ – A+++++, I hope, at least one more time in my life, to experience those crab cakes again. And the stuff that had been skewered was pretty good too. Poor fishys.

 

Note to Carl and all of you other, good for nothin’, nay saying, “we don’t want to do that” types out there – Sometime… Somewhere… When you least expect it… Someone will walk up to you and stick the best crab cake, no, one of the best things that you’ve ever tasted, right in to your mouth. And then what are you going to say to her? Other than, “Yes Dear, you were right again.”

 

Don’t discount the peripheral events. Not all of the good stuff happens after dark (which is a good thing on an Alaska cruise, because it hardly ever gets dark.)

 

Tomorrow the lumbering leviathans that lollygag lugubriously as they go locomoting by, I hope.

[zachnlucy]

Awww, I'm not cruising on the Island, I'm on the Sun. Does anyone know if the Sun has the dead fish BBQ? Cause I want one NOW!

 

Carl, I love love totally love your posts. Don't get me wrong here. Every word is pure fun. But see, here's the crux of the matter...31 lines on the END of the fish BBQ. I'm perfectly happy reading and reading and reading until you finally reach the end. My only concern here is ... will we ever? :D

 

And I'm being PATIENT. PATIENCE is now my middle name. I actually don't care know long it takes. I figure that by the time we leave on August 28 for our cruise, you might have left Ketchikan. :)

[Joy2Day]

we had the fishy BBQ on the day we left Juneau.

 

Carl, are these the same crab cakes offered in the dining room? Or did I miss something even yummier?

[cworld]

we had the fishy BBQ on the day we left Juneau.

 

Carl, are these the same crab cakes offered in the dining room? Or did I miss something even yummier?

 

Unfortunately, no. The ones we had in the dining room were just plain compared to these.

 

Cindy, I'll try to pick up the pace and at least get to Skagway before you leave, or not.

 

I'm great at trying peoples PATIENCE. And let's get real here. By this time we're at least 10 whole miles out of Ketchikan. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Bob-A-Loo]

I have alot of patience - BUT - we leave in 5 weeks on the Sapphire and would truly love to finish reading before I go. Hopefully the Sapphire will also have a fishy BBQ - it sounds wonderful!!!

[ssapiers]

I dated a girl named Patience and she wasn't as frustrating as you!!

 

Bill

[Druke I]

I knew Patience's cousins, Hope and Charity - but they had none.

[zachnlucy]

I'm great at trying peoples PATIENCE. And let's get real here. By this time we're at least 10 whole miles out of Ketchikan. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

Oh well scuse me ... my bad.

[ssapiers]

I knew Patience's cousins, Hope and Charity - but they had none.

 

I was always hoping that my Patience would get me a little Charity.

 

Bill

[tee_wrecks]

Patience is a virtue....A thing of beauty is a joy forever....all those mommilies be darned...WE WANT MORE STORIES DADDY!!!!

 

On the Tee front, at last there are a FEW images on the website.....gave the web monkey 100 pics and there are 21 of them uploaded..must be that modern math.