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Crab in Alaska!


kjbacon
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We are starting to prepare for our first Seabourn cruise to Alaska for next summer. Should we expect to be served Alaskan crab legs on board or would it be better to book a crab feast excursion?

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5 hours ago, kjbacon said:

We are starting to prepare for our first Seabourn cruise to Alaska for next summer. Should we expect to be served Alaskan crab legs on board or would it be better to book a crab feast excursion?

While I doubt you will be able to cruise to Alaska in the summer of 2020, I don't remember any Alaskan crab being served  aboard the ship on our SB Alaskan cruise last summer .  There may well have been crab, but not from the area where we were traveling.  We DID take an excursion that included a crab feast that was quite fun for us and other that were along.  It was at  the George Inlet Lodge.  The excursion included a catamaran cruise which was also entertaining as we pulled up crab pots and saw eagles closeup as well as some small whales.  No complaints at all. 

 

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13 hours ago, SLSD said:

While I doubt you will be able to cruise to Alaska in the summer of 2020, I don't remember any Alaskan crab being served  aboard the ship on our SB Alaskan cruise last summer .  There may well have been crab, but not from the area where we were traveling.  We DID take an excursion that included a crab feast that was quite fun for us and other that were along.  It was at  the George Inlet Lodge.  The excursion included a catamaran cruise which was also entertaining as we pulled up crab pots and saw eagles closeup as well as some small whales.  No complaints at all. 

 

I was just looking at that very excursion in Ketchikan and that is what prompted the question! It sounded like a great time and you are certainly reinforcing that so thank you for that help. It did seem possible that while in Alaska, SB would stock fresh salmon and crab. Btw, I agree with you about summer of 2020 ... we are booked for 2021 but enjoying every second of the prep and daydreaming!

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1 hour ago, kjbacon said:

I was just looking at that very excursion in Ketchikan and that is what prompted the question! It sounded like a great time and you are certainly reinforcing that so thank you for that help. It did seem possible that while in Alaska, SB would stock fresh salmon and crab. Btw, I agree with you about summer of 2020 ... we are booked for 2021 but enjoying every second of the prep and daydreaming!

Yes, the George Inlet Lodge crab feast and catamaran cruise was out of Ketchikan.  There are a lot of stairs to reach the catamaran (at the lodge) but they are easy steps.  They also have another option for the mobility challenged.  The guides for this particular excursion work for the George Inlet Lodge and they were particularly enthusiastic and friendly.  I found the history of the area interesting.  The guides told us that the fishermen in the area really wanted Alaska to become a state  back in the 1950s because large corporations had encouraged overfishing in the area which hurt local fishermen.  With statehood Alaska was subject to regulations concerning the extent of fishing---and that these regulations helped protect the area for future fishing.  The crab feast itself is in a dining room and is very well organized and pleasant.  I think the combination of the catamaran cruise and the lunch were well done.  There were some very frequent SB cruisers on this particular excursion and they told me that they also enjoyed this day, so I am not reluctant at all to recommend it.  

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3 hours ago, SLSD said:

Yes, the George Inlet Lodge crab feast and catamaran cruise was out of Ketchikan.  There are a lot of stairs to reach the catamaran (at the lodge) but they are easy steps.  They also have another option for the mobility challenged.  The guides for this particular excursion work for the George Inlet Lodge and they were particularly enthusiastic and friendly.  I found the history of the area interesting.  The guides told us that the fishermen in the area really wanted Alaska to become a state  back in the 1950s because large corporations had encouraged overfishing in the area which hurt local fishermen.  With statehood Alaska was subject to regulations concerning the extent of fishing---and that these regulations helped protect the area for future fishing.  The crab feast itself is in a dining room and is very well organized and pleasant.  I think the combination of the catamaran cruise and the lunch were well done.  There were some very frequent SB cruisers on this particular excursion and they told me that they also enjoyed this day, so I am not reluctant at all to recommend it.  


Thank you so much! You make it sound so good, exactly what we were looking for. They should hire you as their internet spokesperson 😉 If you have any other Alaska excursions from your trip that you would recommend , I would be anxious to hear more of your opinions.

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25 minutes ago, kjbacon said:

Thank you for that great idea! There’s no such thing as too much fresh crab 😊 Any other great ideas or excursions in Alaska are much appreciated!

 

Have been to Alaska on 6 cruises and love it up there.  Happy to share thoughts but it's always helpful to know what kinds of things you like to do.  If you want to, you can email me offline at barb dot h at comcast dot net

 

Barb

 

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38 minutes ago, zelker said:

Have been to Alaska on 6 cruises and love it up there. 


Nice to here that, glad you enjoy it. Haven’t been to that side. When were did Montreal to Boston, it was a toss up as we wanted to do both, but chose New England side. So when things calm down I am sure we will get to Alaska. Thanks. 

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2 hours ago, zelker said:

 

Have been to Alaska on 6 cruises and love it up there.  Happy to share thoughts but it's always helpful to know what kinds of things you like to do.  If you want to, you can email me offline at barb dot h at comcast dot net

 

Barb

 

Thank you, Barb! I will take you up on that and will email you tomorrow ... Karen

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We were in Alaska last summer and the King Crab were not in season.  We did enjoy crab legs at Tracy’s but they had been frozen and were displayed frozen, not fresh.

Check on the internet to see what is in season but it will probably be salmon.  Even previously frozen crab legs were good!

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8 hours ago, zelker said:

Or just walk off the ship in Juneau and go to Tracy's King Crab Shack - https://www.kingcrabshack.com/

 

I recognize that you can always go to a local restaurant and have the local fare.  In this case, the excursion was a lot of fun--and for us, more fun than just going to eat crab.  Everyone has a different perspective--that is for sure.  I enjoyed seeing the eagle and whales, the crab pots which had been set that morning, AND the crab feast at the George Inlet Lodge.  I am sure that there are those who would just prefer to go to the restaurant. It's a good thing we don't all like exactly the same thing.  

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2 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

We were in Alaska last summer and the King Crab were not in season.  We did enjoy crab legs at Tracy’s but they had been frozen and were displayed frozen, not fresh.

Check on the internet to see what is in season but it will probably be salmon.  Even previously frozen crab legs were good!

 

Absolutely correct - King Crab is not in season in Alaska in the summer nor is caught in that area.  What they are catching in crab pots around Ketchikan is Dungeness Crab, which is a soft-shell crab.  From what I've read, some like it even better than King so there ya go! 

 

As for other fruits of the sea available during that time of year, fresh caught salmon and halibut are definitely a possibility depending on what month you're there.  

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11 hours ago, ab21au said:


That’s what we did on the East Coast in Bar Harbor for a lobster meal. My mouth is watering at the thought, and a great way to dine. 


We live on the east coast near Philadelphia, a short but scenic drive to New England. We have enjoyed many a road trip and many a delectable, fresh lobster. We are still deciding whether a whole steamed lobster or a classic lobster roll is our favorite!

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13 hours ago, kjbacon said:


We live on the east coast near Philadelphia, a short but scenic drive to New England. We have enjoyed many a road trip and many a delectable, fresh lobster. We are still deciding whether a whole steamed lobster or a classic lobster roll is our favorite!


We drove from NYC to Burlington up HWY 100 (could not take the hire car across the border, so we bused it from there).  Loved it. We stayed at Shelburne Farm by Lake Champlain. There are so many great parts of the world, it’s a shame we can’t see them at the moment. 

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11 hours ago, ab21au said:


We drove from NYC to Burlington up HWY 100 (could not take the hire car across the border, so we bused it from there).  Loved it. We stayed at Shelburne Farm by Lake Champlain. There are so many great parts of the world, it’s a shame we can’t see them at the moment. 


So true! We drove across Lake Champlain years ago from Lake Placid to New England. Highly recommend that experience!

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6 hours ago, kjbacon said:


So true! We drove across Lake Champlain years ago from Lake Placid to New England. Highly recommend that experience!

 

Yes, those AmphiCars are fun!

 

Seriously, we had a friend who was a captain on the Lake Champlain ferries.  We have crossed the Lake several times in the wheelhouse, from both Burlington and Charlotte.

 

ps: we have been to Alaska twice with Seabourn.

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3 hours ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

 

Yes, those AmphiCars are fun!

 

Seriously, we had a friend who was a captain on the Lake Champlain ferries.  We have crossed the Lake several times in the wheelhouse, from both Burlington and Charlotte.

 

ps: we have been to Alaska twice with Seabourn.


Funny you should say that because we had planned to take the ferry. We were trying to get to the ferry before the storm front moved in and when we pulled into the ferry terminal, it was rocking and rolling so much that we just looked at one another. Yes indeed, we took the long way and drove!

 

Your tips about Seabourn and Alaska would be much appreciated!

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 5/7/2020 at 5:29 AM, kjbacon said:

I was just looking at that very excursion in Ketchikan and that is what prompted the question! It sounded like a great time and you are certainly reinforcing that so thank you for that help. It did seem possible that while in Alaska, SB would stock fresh salmon and crab. Btw, I agree with you about summer of 2020 ... we are booked for 2021 but enjoying every second of the prep and daydreaming!

 

Just an FYI, the crab in AK has been frozen, it is not "fresh". There is a chance of getting fresh salmon ashore, but not on the ship. It is all frozen to kill any microorganisms that might be in the food.  BTW crab season is in the winter, not when cruise ships are sailing.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 6/4/2020 at 10:41 AM, zqvol said:

 

Just an FYI, the crab in AK has been frozen, it is not "fresh". There is a chance of getting fresh salmon ashore, but not on the ship. It is all frozen to kill any microorganisms that might be in the food.  BTW crab season is in the winter, not when cruise ships are sailing.

If I recall correctly it depends upon the type of crab.  The king/Bairdi are frozen but the Dungeness is fresh.  The Dungeness season I believe starts in June so long as you don't have an early in the season cruise the Dungeness should be available (unless the 2019 season splurge causes issues with the subsequent seasons).

 

Someone mentioned the George Inlet lodge?

They have hummingbirds

Day%204_073Ketichikan-M.jpg

 

Depending upon the line (if you opt for a ships tour) you either take a bus one way and a seaplane the other (Disney) or take a seaplane both ways (Silversea)

Day%204_086Ketichikan-M.jpg

 

Upon arrival you're greeted by some bears

DSCN0583-M.jpg

 

As well as a little crab

DSCN0585-M.jpg

 

The no frills menu (aside from the crab) is listed on the table covering.  

20150829_123100-M.jpg

 

The meal is started with a little salad

20150829_123013-M.jpg

 

 

Your choice of beverage (really though I felt there was only one option)

20150829_123912-M.jpg

 

followed by the crab (and more crab if you ask)

20150829_124740-L.jpg

 

And finally dessert was a inoffensive cheesecake.

20150829_133456-M.jpg

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/24/2020 at 8:00 PM, Emperor Norton said:

If I recall correctly it depends upon the type of crab.  The king/Bairdi are frozen but the Dungeness is fresh.  The Dungeness season I believe starts in June so long as you don't have an early in the season cruise the Dungeness should be available (unless the 2019 season splurge causes issues with the subsequent seasons).

 

Someone mentioned the George Inlet lodge?

They have hummingbirds

Day%204_073Ketichikan-M.jpg

 

Depending upon the line (if you opt for a ships tour) you either take a bus one way and a seaplane the other (Disney) or take a seaplane both ways (Silversea)

Day%204_086Ketichikan-M.jpg

 

Upon arrival you're greeted by some bears

DSCN0583-M.jpg

 

As well as a little crab

DSCN0585-M.jpg

 

The no frills menu (aside from the crab) is listed on the table covering.  

20150829_123100-M.jpg

 

The meal is started with a little salad

20150829_123013-M.jpg

 

 

Your choice of beverage (really though I felt there was only one option)

20150829_123912-M.jpg

 

followed by the crab (and more crab if you ask)

20150829_124740-L.jpg

 

And finally dessert was a inoffensive cheesecake.

20150829_133456-M.jpg

 


Thanks for posting these terrific pictures! I so hope we will be able to take this cruise next August.

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