google-maps-discoverbooktravel: November 2012

Diamond Princess Alaska Cruise Day 3 Dinner Menu (Ketchikan)

Posted by Unknown at 5:44 AM Tuesday, November 27, 2012 Labels: Alaska, Alaska Cruise Menus, Cruise, Ketchikan, Travel Resources, USA 0 comments

Alaska Cruise . 2012 . Sep 17

Dinner Menu for Day 3 (Ketchikan)

(V) indicates vegetarian dish

Appetizers

Applewood Smoked Duck Breast
with a zesty cranberry-blackberry relisg and baby green salad

Marinated Vegetable Antipasto with Basil Oil (V)
grilled eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and tomatoes

Game and Wild Mushroom Pate
with port wine glaze and salad bouquet

Warm Crab & Artichoke Dip with Baguette Chips
seasoned with old bay spice and Dijon mustard

Shrimp Cocktail
an American classic with horseradish-spiked cocktail sauce

Soups and Salads

Celebrated Alaskan Seafood Soup
with white fish, shrimp and mussels, crostini

Roasted Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder (V)
garnished with leeks and parsley

Chilled Granny Smith and Cider Soup (V)
silky yogurt cream with cinnamon and calvados brandy

Seasonal Field Greens with Shredded Carrots and Cherry Tomatoes (V)
choice of homemade and low-fat dressings

Classic Caesar Salad (V)
crisp romaine lettice, caesar dressing, parmesan cheese and herb croutons; anchovies upon request

Signature Pastas

Available as an appetizer or main course and served with freshly grated parmesan cheese

Trenette ai Frutti di Mare con Pomodoro e Basilico
flat noodles with seafood, tomato and basil

Fettuccine Alfredo in Crisp Parmesan Basket (V)
An All-Time Princess Favorite
rich, comforting and entirely satisfying

Main Courses

To enhance the flavors the chef has paired each dish with the freshest sides

Steamed Cod over Warm Lentil Salad
firm-fleshed cod filet with Dijon-balsamic dressing and boiled potatoes

Grilled Calamari Steak with Champagne Beurre Blanc
tiny shrimp and diced tomato in butter sauce, garlic-wilted spinach and roast potatoes

Chicken Paillard with Alaskan Ale & Onion Gravy
butterflied, grilled chicken breast with gratinated tomato and French fries

Kassler-Style Smoked Pork Loin & Sauerkraut
served with buttered carrots and parsley potatoes

Surf & Turf
petite filet mignon and jumbo shrimp with jus and béarnaise sauce asparagus, carrots and sautéed new potatoes

Pad Thai – Southeast Asia’s Favorite Noodle Dish (V)
quick-fried rice noodles with tofu, egg, vegetables, cilantro, chilli lime and crushed peanuts

Grilled Salmon with Herb & Lemon Compound Butter
vegetables of the day and parsley potatoes

Pan-Seared Corn-Fed Chicken with Thyme Jus
lightly seasoned boneless breast, vegetables of the day and roast potatoes

Princess Half Pound Sirloin Burger
ground fresh daily, cooked to order, served with gourmet fries and our signature secret sauce

Grilled Spice-Rubbed Tri Tip Roast
marinated choice American beef, slow roasted and grilled, served medium-well wuth chimichurri or BBQ sauce, broiled tomato & zucchini and steak fries

Santa Fe Dining Room Specialty Dish

Fajitas (Chicken or Steak)
grilled meat served as a taco on a flour or corn tortilla

After Dinner Drinks, Digestifs, Dessert Wine

Coffee

Cafe Latte                 $2.50
Mocha                   $2.50
Cappuccino                 $2.50
Espresso                     $1.70
Double Espresso        $2.50

Dessert Wine

Errazuriz Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc by the glass    $3.95
notes of honey and golden raisins add depth and richness to the fruity citric Sauvignon Blanc characters

Port Wine and Sherry

Sandeman's Port (20 years)        $7.25
Harvey's Bristol Cream              $4.95
Tio Pepe                                       $4.95
Dry Sack                                      $4.95

Liqueurs and Cordials

Amaretto di Saronno           $5.75
Drambuie               $5.75
Grand Marnier                  $5.75
Kahlua                   $5.75
Frangelico                  $5.75
Brogan's Irish Cream             $5.75
B&B D.O.M               $5.75
Sambuca               $5.75
Tia Maria               $5.75
Galliano                  $5.75
Southern Comfort              $5.75

Cognac

Courvoisier V.S.O.P                  $7.25
Courvoisier Napoleon               $9.50
Remy Martin V.S.O.P              $7.25
Remy Martin X.O                    $10.75

Desserts

Burned Rhubarb Napolean
Nectarine ice ceam

Apple and Walnut Spring Rolls
Raspberry-pepper dipping sauce

Sugar-Free Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake
Dollop of whipping cream

Princess Love Boat Dream
rich chocolate mousse on brownie

Traditional New York Cheesecake
macerated strawberries

French Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee
with sugar cane crust, lemon madeleines

Ice Cream
Strawberry, butter toffee, red currant sorbet

Create Your Own Sundae
vanilla or chocolate ice cream, strawberry, chocolate, butterscotch caramel or pineapple toppings, whipped cream

Sweet & Nutritious Fruits
lemon twist, mint leaf

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Day 3 Diamond Princess Alaska Cruise - Ketchikan Neets Bay Bear Watching Trip

Posted by Unknown at 5:31 AM Monday, November 19, 2012 Labels: Alaska, Cruise, Ketchikan, USA 0 comments

Ketchikan . 2012 . Sep 17

Neets Bay Bear Watching Cruise

(KTN-880) USD$229 per pax

Princess Cruises has an excellent logistics management team working tirelessly to ensure that every passenger’s needs are seamlessly well taken care of. An envelope containing all our tickets for the shore cruises we reserved before embarkation arrived at our cabin the day before our first land excursion at Ketchikan.

The cruise ship docks at Ketchikan at 6.30am and leaves at 1.30pm, leaving us with time for only one land excursion. But there were so many options available – Misty Fjords cruise, Neets Bay Bear watching cruise, Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary walk, Zipline etc. We were torn between bear watching and Misty Fjords. We evenutally chose to see the bears as it was cheaper and also due to the fact that it is not likely to be cancelled due to weather conditions unlike the Misty Fjords.

Bear-Watching starts now!

Leaving the comfort of the cruise ship for the early morning bear watching cruise.

Our small group bus drops us off at Knudson Cove Marina for the 45 min jet boat ride to Neets Bay.

Serenity at Knudson Cove in the early morning.

Boarding the jet boat for the bear watching cruise. The boat can only accommodate about 10-12 passengers, but there are toilet facilities on board.

The transparent rain proof curtains are absolutely necessary to provide keep out the cold!

The tour is actually operated by West Rock Alaska Tours. The attitude of the tour guide was as cold as the weather (probably he was in a bad mood that day). But we didn’t give a hoot about it and focused on the awesome scenery instead.

Flat-screen TV and earphones are provided for the documentary on salmon hatcheries played on board. Raincoats and binoculars are also provided for the tour.

Heavenly scenery along the way as we cruise along to Neets Bay.

Neets Bay houses one of the world’s largest salmon hatcheries.

Every year, millions of salmons swim back from the ocean to spawn at Neets Bay. And so, every year, from mid July onwards, wild bears gather to forage and fish around the bay in a bid to gorge themselves with the nutrient-rich salmons in order to gain enough weight for hibernation in the approaching winter months. The black bears leave their dwelling place in the forest to fish in the calm waters of Neets Bay.

The many angles of Neets Bay.

We love the dramatic landscape of Neets Bay – quiet, peaceful and untouched.

Wild Bears? Or just people in bear suits to amuse the tourists? Can you spot the bear? It is actually the black spot on the shoreline. In total, we saw about 4-5 bears, all of them moving singly and none of them with cubs. With a 10x binoculars, you’ll see them quite clearly, moving into the water and emerging with a struggling fish in their mouth.

At Neets Bay, it is not just bears that you will get to see. On top of the awesome scenery, bald eagles and harbour seals also make a regular appearance.

Our first sight of a Bald Eagle for the entire cruise. We have the honour of being the first one on the boat to spot the eagles. Harbor seals frolick and play so much in the water, it is almost impossible to miss hearing the splashes they make in the water.

Bald eagle in flight...

In the quiet of the morning and the tranquillity of the surrounding, we caught sight of salmons leaping out of the water. It happened so quickly that if you were not observing the water surface, you would have missed it totally. We managed to capture one of these rare moments on our camera.

Scientists postulate that fish jump out of the water for two reasons: they are either trying to loosen their eggs in preparation for spawning, or they are trying to rid themselves of sea-lice. We prefer to think that they are jumping for the simple fact that they are happy.

Seagrass! After being awed by the bears and seals and eagles, we happened to glance down at the water and realize that there is a meadow of seagrass beneath our boat!

Seagrasses look just like grass that grows on land, and because they photosynthesise, they mostly survive in shallow waters where sunlight can penetrate. Seagrasses are the natural habitats of many marine animals, and its presence suggests a good diversity of marine creatures around.

These guys pay for a floatplane ride to Neets Bay instead of taking the boat here. The journey by plane is shorter, and the scenery must be better from up there, but they’ll pay an arm and a leg for the tour. I don’t envy these guy, they are made to stand on such a narrow strip of space that any missteps means that they end up in the water. Arrgghhh, and they made such a din when landing that it must have scared off all the eagles and seals and bears.

On our way back to Knudson Cove, the boat stopped by a small outcrop where harbour seals lay themselves out for a sun-tan. Warning: they stink, and they grunt. We’ll never forget this sight. It feels like a scene straight out of a National Geographic documentary.

Beautiful scenery on our way back to Knudson Cove...

Oh, and light snacks and bottled water are provided as we head back to Knudson Cove. Due to the space constraints on the boat, hot beverages are not provided although it would be a great relief from the cold.

There is a shop at the pier at Knudson Cove. If you want to buy some souvenir t-shirts or food, you may stop by and visit it while waiting for the coach to come and pick you back to the Diamond Princess cruiseship.

USD$229 per pax is a hefty price to pay for a half day shore excursion, but it is not easy to get to observe wild bears at a safe distance, so we say, the money paid was well worth it.

Check out our next post on Ketchikan Downtown.

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Day 3 Diamond Princess Alaska Cruise - Ketchikan (1st Port of Call)

Posted by Unknown at 4:30 PM Wednesday, November 14, 2012 Labels: Alaska, Cruise, Ketchikan, USA 0 comments

Alaska Cruise (Ketchikan) . 2012 . Sep 17

Ketchikan is the first port of call for most North-bound cruise ships to Alaska, hence it is commonly known as the 'Gateway to Alaska'. Also known as the ‘Salmon Capital of the World’, Ketchikan is home to some salmon hatcheries and its economy depends heavily on primary industries such as fishing and forestry. It also depends on the seasonal tourism trade from Alaskan cruises.

Ketchikan sits on its own island, Revillagigedo Island and receives an abundance of rainfall every year. In fact, it is also goes by the name of the 'Rainfall Capital of the U.S'. Because of Ketchikan's climate, the area is conducive for the growth of one of the world's largest temperature rainforest – known as the Tongass National Forest. The high amount of rainfall also means that the well-fed freshwater rivers attract spawning salmon every summer and this in turn attracts many other form of wildlife higher up in the food chain.

The Diamond Princess pulls into the sleeping town of Ketchikan early in the morning at 6.30 am. Conditions are extremely cold, humid and misty then. We took a picture of the town on our camera without using the flash function, and repeated the same shot with flash. See the amount of moisture in the air when you shine light through!

Ketchikan at 6.30am. The cruise ship docked at our side of the ship (that's the benefit of the starboard - right hand side for the North Bound trip), so we could capture the various faces of Ketchikan town as the sun rises. The town sits along the edge of the island and is heavily shrouded in mist.

The first sight of Ketchikan reminds me of Stephanie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’, where Edward had to go to Alaska to hide it out when he discovered that Bella’s scent appeals to him so much. I could totally understand why vampires would like it here – cold, little sun and perpetually rainy and misty.