This morning, Brilliant Lady is sailing Alaska’s Inside Passage as we make our way to Ketchikan, Alaska. The waters are calm this morning and the skies are blue. However, that will change later in the day.

We originally had a reservation for late brunch at Rojo, Brilliant Lady’s Spanish tapas restaurant. However, since we also have a dinner reservation here this evening at 6:30, we decided to cancel our 12:15 brunch reservation, and instead, see if we could just walk-in and get a table at 8:30am. We had no trouble being seated at a table for two.

The menu at brunch is more breakfast forward with only a couple of items that could be considered “lunch” items. Rickee ordered the Nutty Gazpacho as a starter and I ordered the Roasted Cauliflower Catalan. The cauliflower dish is a carryover from Rojo’s dinner menu.

Rickee and I both ordered eggs and the Smoked Bacon. I ordered my eggs over medium, something few cruise lines or restaurants can seem to perfect. My eggs were cooked perfectly medium and Rickee’s were perfectly over easy. Rickee really enjoyed the refreshing Gazpacho which had avocado, peppers, tomatoes and almonds. My cauliflower dish was very interesting with a slightly sweet taste, thanks to some golden raisins.

Rickee ordered a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, which costs $7 by the way. They do have a complimentary OJ, but if you want fresh squeezed, you have to pay. I later learned that drinks like this ordered in restaurants do not come off your Bar Tab. So, even with a $300 bar tab, we will have to pay for the OJ. This is something that Virgin should correct.

The Smoked Bacon was the highlight of brunch. The bacon has a smoky flavor, albeit a little artificial tasting, but it has a sugary coating with a hint of cayenne pepper. So, it is smoky, sweet and spicy. It is very good. All in all, the breakfast/brunch at Rojo was one of our favorite cruise ship breakfasts on any large ship.

After breakfast, we decided to walk around Deck 5 and look at some of the many shops on board. There are shops on Decks 5, 6 and 7. One shop is filled with Alaska-themed items. There is an excellent logo shop on Deck 7 with a huge assortment of red Virgin logo gear and souvenirs.

Later this morning, we wanted to attend a port talk in the Red Room. One of the benefits of Rockstar status is the ability to “cut in line” and be seated first at many of the shows and events.

The port talk was much different than any we have attended in the past.

The port talk combined a video presentation of Alaska along with live presentations by the Happenings Hostess, XXXXX. She introduced The Artist who talked about all of the local art to be enjoyed in Alaska. Next, we heard from The Foodie, who shared tips on various local dishes to enjoy while in Alaska. Lastly, a local Alaskan guest musician educated us about traditional Alaskan tribal music.

After the port talk, we visited the logo shop to pick up some souvenirs to take home.

We joined a group of four others to form a trivia team at this afternoon’s team trivia with questions based on history. Unfortunately, most of it was British history, so our team was not that effective. Being a sea day, the trivia session was packed with players. We did not win, but we had a lot of fun and made some new friends.

Later this afternoon, I headed down to The Dock House to check out Golden Hour. A guitarist was entertaining guests while waitstaff circulated through the Dock and Dock House area with lite bite snacks. Golden Hour is from 3:30pm to 5:30pm every day at The Dock and Dock House. I do not remember this from our previous Virgin cruise. Is this a new feature?

Crew members are always willing to pose for a quick photo.

From 5pm to 6pm every day, Rockstars are invited to Richard’s Rooftop to enjoy a selection of complimentary cocktails. Due to the wet, windy and cold weather of Alaska, they often move this event to Sip Lounge on Deck 7 forward.

When we sailed on Scarlet Lady, there was only Moët & Chandon champagne offered. However, they have now expanded the offerings to include a selection of spirts, cocktails, wine and beer.

After enjoying a glass of champagne at Richard’s Sunset Hour, we head back to Rojo for our dinner reservation at 6:30. Rojo is in the same space as Razzle Dazzle on Scarlet Lady. Now, Razzle Dazzle hosts a different theme restaurant on each Virgin ship. Unlike the bold, black-and-white stripes of the standard Razzle Dazzle on other ships, Rojo features warm tones, cozy Spanish-style seating, and an intimate, lounge-heavy layout in the back with high-top seating and a dedicated wine bar. The restaurant is quiet, by comparison, offering a great place for a romantic dinner.

Rojo is a Spanish-theme tapas restaurant created by acclaimed chefs Justin Severino and Nate Hobart—best known for Pittsburgh’s celebrated Spanish charcuterie Morcilla.

The sizable menu is divided into four sections including Jamón, Quesos & Pintxos, followed by Tapas, then main courses, or Platos Grande. And, of course, desserts.

We ordered a variety of items as starters. Rickee ordered the Beef Tartare which was flavorful, topped with an egg yolk and served with a side of potato chips. The chips were an odd choice, in our opinion. The beef, while fresh and flavorful, was a bit chewy.

The Jamón Iberico (Iberico Ham) was to die for. It was one of the best Proscuitto-style hams I have ever eaten.

I ordered the Oxtail Montadio, which has to be the least visually appealing dish I have ever tried, but the flavors were spot on. The Jamón Croquettes were a little mysterious as I could find no trace of ham in them. They tasted like deep fried balls of mashed potatoes. What am I missing here? The porcini dipping sauce was good though. The Gambas en Escabeche were shrimps on crostini. They were a little dry, but tasty.

Rickee loved the olives, nuts and peppers on the Conservas platter (below). She is not a fan of goat cheese, so that went uneaten. She tried the beets, which she loves, but these have a smoked flavor that she does not like.

The highlight of the dinner was the plate of four harissa-honey-glazed baby back pork ribs. The ribs were perfectly cooked and very likely the best ribs I have ever had on a cruise ship, or anywhere for that matter. The ribs were served with Labneh sprinkled with za’atar, which I thought was a complete mismatch, until I tried it. The bitterness of the yogurt and olive oil cuts through the sweetness of the honey-harissa glaze perfectly.

We were so full that dessert was not going to be an option. We did try the Churros, which were good, but we could only eat one of the cinnamon-sugar-coated dough sticks dipped in warm, melted chocolate.

Rojo is one of our new favorite Virgin Voyages dining venues. We have another reservation here before the end of the cruise. I will definitely be ordering the ribs again.

Tomorrow, Brilliant Lady will be in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Day 2 - Inside Passage, Alaska (at sea)

Day 1 - Embarkation in Seattle