This morning, Brilliant Lady is docked in Sitka, Alaska. The port is located a few miles from the town of Sitka. When we return to our stateroom after breakfast we can see that the red blanket has been made into a V on our bed, an early indication that tonight is Scarlet Night.

*The V shape of this blanket can only mean one thing*

Our plan for the day is to explore Sitka on our own, something we do quite regularly now. After 153 cruises, we have done so many excursions that we rarely book them unless we are visiting a port or city we have never visited.

There are free shuttles operated by the city of Sitka that run every 15 minutes from the port to the city’s Convention Center. We were advised to go online and book a reservation on one of the shuttles. We are the only ship in Sitka today, so I am not sure if that was really necessary. The two shuttles we took had very few people on them.

Sitka, Alaska, is a city with a rich, multi-layered heritage shaped by thousands of years of Tlingit culture, 19th-century Russian colonial influence, and eventually, the U.S. purchase of Alaska. Originally called Sheetʼká, it served as the capital of Russian America and the early U.S. territory.

From the Convention Center where the shuttle drops us off, it is an easy 20-minute walk to the Sitka National Historical Park. It is a beautiful day in Sitka with sunshine and 55 degree (F) temperature. Maps are provided inside the Convention Center, but it is hard to get lost in Sitka. We decide to walk down the main road to visit the Sitka Historical Park. It was a beautiful walk along the waterfront with sidewalks flanked by beautiful flowers.

When we arrive at the Historical Park, we decide to walk one of the trails through the park which periodically offers open views of the shoreline. We stop to see if we can spot any whales in the distance. Unfortunately, we see none today.

This is one of the most beautiful forest trails you will find anywhere. Massive trees and lush greenery line the well-maintained trail.

The park is also the home of many native totems.

*Totems can be seen all along this path*

Our walk through the park takes about 45 minutes, but we took our time to stop and take lots of photos of the flora along the way. Walking through these trails is a great way to get your 10,000 steps!

After our walk through the park, we stop at the Visitor Center and watch a short movie about the history of Sitka. Then, it is time to walk back into town where we find streets lined with local shops.

Rickee has always wanted to see a Grizzly bear, from a distance, of course. She got her chance in Sitka.

After a fun day of hiking trails and exploring local shops in Sitka, we take the shuttle back to the port to embark Brilliant Lady.

We have decided to skip dinner tonight and instead have an afternoon pizza at the Pizza Place (Deck 7 midship). Both of our pizzas came out a little undercooked, in our opinion. Sorry Virgin, but this pizza was not as good as the one I had on Scarlet Lady. What’s going on with the food?

After our pizza, we head right next door for something sweet at Lick Me Till…Ice Cream. Since it is Sunday (my cheat day), I get a couple of scoops of the strawberry ice cream.

Later this afternoon, I head to The Manor for Duets, oddly enough, a show performed by three vocalists. Vocals were backed up by live musicians. All three vocalists were excellent, as were the musicians. And, this is a great venue for musical acts. The Manor has excellent acoustics and lighting.

We stopped by On The Rocks this evening for a drink and found the place packed with everyone wearing their red outfits (Scarlet Night). The Diva was performing on stage here and he/she has quite a voice. Every Virgin Voyages’ ship has a resident drag queen, or Diva.

This evening we head to the Red Room, Brilliant Lady’s main entertainment venue, for a comedy show by Lisa Alvarado. Ms. Alvarado had us all laughing with her very adult-oriented humor.

We even stayed up late tonight to watch Abi The Hostess perform The Tale Of The Octopus Garden. In the midst of her act, the Hostess, now transformed into the Octopus Goddess, turns the Red Room into her Octopus Garden. Here, amidst a medley of beloved tunes, she narrates the legendary story of Scarlet Night and the sailor who dared to enter her lair.

The short 15-minute show highlights The Hostess’ vocal range, which is extensive. It is one of the strangest shows we have ever attended, but entertaining and fun.

Tomorrow is the first of two sea days as Brilliant Lady makes her way to Victoria, British Columbia.

Day 6 - Sitka, Alaska

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 5 - Hubbard Glacier, Alaska