Good morning! We’re on our way to Ketchikan this morning. This is the last port day of the cruise. I’m going on a bear watching excursion today. That was something I wanted to do last year but missed out on. It was early in the season so there weren’t a lot of options. This time it’s the right time of year. The salmon are running. I did my research and think I got the best excursion for seeing bears.

As usual there’s no real line for coffee.

Here is today’s schedule of events.

I never book midship rooms so this is an adjustment. And it’s a new cruise line so that’s another adjustment. A few times I’ve ended up not where I thought I was. I’ve nailed it down to one thing. Carnival has odds on one side of the ship and evens on the other side of the ship. NCL has odds and evens on both sides.

The door slamming thing isn’t really a thing here. I think I’ve hear one door slam this week. Why? Doors don’t really slam here. If I let mine go it may not even close all the way. Then you have to go back and pull it tight. That’s a little annoying but I like the no slams. Other than this morning’s wakeup bang, the room has been pretty quiet. 

It’s rare that they don’t take me directly to a table here. When they don’t they have me sit on a couch while I wait on someone to take me to my table.

Today is kind of a weird day. I think we were in Ketchikan 1-7pm last year. I’m not even sure what it is today but my excursion was moved from 2:20 to 3:45. So I’m guessing I’m either eating dinner in Ketchikan or at O’Sheehans. I didn’t realize the sandwich already came with potatoes.

I’m grabbing a couple screwdrivers at the aft bar on lido deck.

We were talking about drinks. I brought up the duck shot/fart (depending on if you’re in Icy Strait or Juneau.) I had one at the saloon in Juneau last year. The ladies decide they want to try it so the bartender is hooking them up.

The hot tubs stay packed on this cruise but today there are actually people in both pools.

Saturday college futbol.

There was a guy at this bar talking about the Tennessee game and saying he was going to show them some support before his ATV excursion. I don’t know where he plans on doing that. All I’ve seen on this ship is soccer and tennis.

Bridge viewing is open now.

This is very cool. They don’t have this on Carnival.

Oh my gosh. That was almost a big screwup. I’m looking at the port time and the excursion length and it just isn’t adding up. My excursion meets at 13:45 or 1:45 not 3:45. But the ticket is poorly printed.

NCL docks in Ward Cove. This is where I was bussed to last year for my Eagles, Totems, and Lighthouse tour. Carnival definitely docks in a better area with a lot of shops and restaurants right off of the pier. It probably won’t matter to me today since I’m going on a long bear excursion, but in general I would rather be at the Carnival pier.

I have a long tour and not much time so I thought I should grab something to eat in the buffet. 

I decide to try their pizza.

It’s pretty good. I went back for more. The pizza disappears fast. It comes out of the oven and it’s gone. I kind of like it that way so I can have eyes on it oven to plate. I saw some random lady separating two slices with her bare hands and leaving one behind. I like the pizza but don’t like that it’s a buffet.

“80 for Brady” is on in the atrium.

Tennis on the other TVs.

I’m heading off of the ship. They don’t have towel animals but they have a towel animal mascot that’s almost exactly like Carnival’s mascot?

This is what they have here for restaurants.

It looks like they do have a shuttle downtown. If you don’t book a tour I would recommend going there and eating at the Fish House. The lumber jack show is right next to the Fish House so that’s another potential option.

It feels like they changed an old Christmas store into a cruise port.

They have a lot of retail in here.

The downtown shuttle is to the left.

Tours are to the right.

I found my tour sign.

For full coverage of my tour, please visit Neets Bay Bear Encounter. Now I’m going to skip to after the t0ur.

I am back at the Ward Cove port. That excursion was awesome. I highly recommend it.

This Sitka Spruce they have in the port is over 600 years old.

I don’t think it came out in the pictures but there are a ton of fish by the boat.

If you do the bear excursion, make sure you put the off on. There were a bunch of small bugs and it looks like they got my hands.

My room was cleaned while I was out.

I’m going to use my last specialty dinner tonight but I stopped by the dining room to see their menu anyway.

I was able to walk in at Cagney’s at 7:30.

Shrimp cocktail

Onion soup

Risotto 

Potatoes au gratin

Ribeye

I got strawberry crème Brûlée to go.

While I was dropping off the brûlée, there was definitely some running going on upstairs. I’m guessing I have kids above me and they’re horsing around. I thought I heard a basketball bouncing up there the other day.

It’s comedy time. I’ve been waiting all week for another comedy show. It’s quite a change from three shows a night on Carnival.

This is Al Park. He’s been here all week but only did a family friendly show on embarkation day. He has adult shows tonight and tomorrow night.

During the show I got this alert. I allowed this app to track my location and send me alerts prior to the cruise.

Karaoke

Chin Chin, Le Bistro, and Teppanyaki are all specialty restaurants I didn’t try this cruise. I believe anyone can go to Chin Chin but the others count as specialty dinners.

Glow party

I found the chapel.

I made a few laps around the open decks but didn’t see the Northern Lights.

On my last walk I came across a half dozen people taking pictures and filming this. It just looks like the moon to me.

I’m off to bed. Tomorrow is a sea day and the last day of the cruise.