Chapter 50
Sunset on the Sea

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Since All Aboard wasn’t until 7:45 and we got back on the Wonder before dinner, the ship felt relatively empty. There were also lots of characters doing meet-and-greets in various places on board. We got to meet Goofy, Chip, and Dale with no lines or crowds.

Goofy thought it would be fun to pose as a totem pole.

We headed to dinner before the ship left port. This was our last night at Triton’s and it was the Taste of Alaska menu. It began with Dark Rye Bread (with Cucumber Yogurt Dip). Next, Tracy and I both got the Alaskan King Crab Legs (with Butter Sauce and Fresh Herbs) for our appetizers. It’s pretty much impossible to go wrong with crab legs! None of the main courses are really standing out when I look at the menu, but I think Tracy got the Honey-Mustard Marinated Alaskan Salmon (with Sautéed Spinach and New Potatoes with an Aquavit-Sour Cream Sauce) while I got the Marinated Sirloin Steak (with Thyme Flavored Parsnips, Potato Gratin, and a Cognac-Peppercorn Sauce). I know we both thought our entrees were fine, but we were jealous of the guy at a nearby table who thought to just order multiple crab leg appetizers in lieu of an entree. Genius!

I’m also struggling to remember dessert, but I think one of us got the Skagway Chocolate Truffle Torte (with Orange and Strawberry Salad) while the other opted for the Taste of Alaska Sweet Temptations (A Trio of Chocolate Truffle Torte, Poached Pear Hazlenut Cake, and Vanilla Panna Cotta).

The ship eventually left Ketchikan and went back out to sea.

After dinner, we headed back to our room and found a towel stingray waiting for us.

We had been planning to skip tonight’s entertainment offering in the Walt Disney Theatre and were going to see a movie instead, but our table mates were insistent that the act tonight was not to be missed. It was a performance called Showtime: Featuring the Comedy and Music of John Charles. John and Candida had seen him on previous sailings and insisted that he was, in fact, so good that Disney had flown him into either Juneau or Ketchikan to board for the last part of the cruise.

Even though we didn’t really know what to expect, we filed into the theatre just in time for the show to start. And we were really glad we did! It’s hard to explain what his act really is. It’s just a guy and his guitar, but it’s also so much more than that. John Charles can sing songs by pretty much every performer from the last 100 years, and he’s talented at doing a huge variety of styles. He has a set that he chooses, but he also takes requests from the audience. His charm and his stage presence are what really make the show, though, and he punctuates the performance with lots of really funny jokes. Some lovingly mocked Disney, while others poked fun at cruise ship life in general. It’s one of those things where you really had to be there to understand the experience (which makes it easier to understand why our tablemates couldn’t put into words why they recommended him so highly). It’s definitely clear having seen the show, however, why John Charles has apparently won many, many awards for being one of the best performers in cruise ship entertainment.

It was still a little light out as we came back to our stateroom from the theatre.

When the sun began to set, though, it quickly became my favorite sunset that I have ever seen in my life—not even exaggerating! Not only was it gorgeous in person, but it actually photographed pretty well.