I have only been on one cruise and that was in Alaska. I decided that I am not a cruise person, but that said, I would repeat the Alaskan cruise in a heartbeat. There is nothing to compare to being in front of a glacier when it calves (splits off). The sight and sound is unbelievable. My favorite excursion was the helicopter ride landing on a glacier. Again, beyond description. Before I went, I obsessively checked out all the excursions and the safety record of the various helicopter companies (I guess one doesn't become TKO by chance!) so I was confident in my selection. We sailed with Holland America (S.S. Statendam) one way down the inside passage. We went in late May 2000. I'm "cutting and pasting" a trip report I sent to someone from one of the message boards I had visited before my trip. I wish I could remember which one it was, but alas, my memory just isn't what it used to be! If there is anything else you'd like to know, I'll dig up my stuff from the trip and try to help you out. Here it is: Well Karl, I'm back! Where to start... Now first of all, remember this was my first cruise so I have nothing to compare to. I was however traveling with friends who have been on five other cruises... The ship is beautiful, with many lovely common rooms. The staterooms seemed quite spacious to me. I had an outside cabin on the main deck. I really enjoyed having the window! The Crow's Nest was gorgeous. From there you have a 365 degree view. We often had a pre-dinner drink there while soaking up the view. The entertainment was good. I particularly enjoyed the ventriloquist--he was incredible! I missed the banjo player, but EVERYONE raved about him. I did not play bingo or go to the casino. I did enjoy the movies a few times and they provide popcorn! I indulged myself with a massage--it was heavenly. Glacier bay was wonderful. The glaciers are just beyond words. Dress warm--in order to really appreciate them you need to be outside and bundled up! I hear it's the same in the summer. I had earmuffs, gloves, heavy socks, warm boots and a very warm coat and I was quite comfortable. Many were unprepared however and really couldn't be outside to enjoy the view. So much of the glacier experience is the sound, which of course you miss if you're viewing it from behind a window! Now the ports. Sitka is the most delightful city. I walked around, hiked a bit in the park and visited the Rapter Center which I thoroughly enjoyed. We did it all on our own. It was about a 30 minute walk to the center and we were happy for the exercise! We did not go to the Russian dancers--those that did said they were good. It is a very manageable town and you need not sign up for the excursions on the ship if you want to ride to these places. All arrangements can be easily made in town for less money. Of course, we were not there at the height of the season so I don't know what it will be like in July. If you decide to buy any of the Russian crafts (nesting eggs, lacquer boxes, etc.), wait until you get back on ship if they're advertising a sale on them that night. I didn't believe it, but the ship's prices really were significantly less expensive! In Juneau we took the "Pilot's Choice" helicopter ride and landed on two glaciers! It was absolutely the highlight of my vacation. Others took the wildlife cruise with Larry of Orca Enterprises (at my suggestion, off the cruise list) and said it was absolutely unbelievably wonderful (does that sound enthusiastic enough?) You book that yourself when you get off the boat. It cost $95. I was sorry I hadn't arranged to do both. Dress warmly if you go. In Ketchikan we did the Misty Fjords seaplane and cruise. It's a 25 minute flight over beautiful landscape, land in the fjord at a dock, catch a boat and see the view from that angle. It was great, but I wished the boat ride could have been shorter--the whole adventure took 4 hours, 3 hours on the boat, and it was a bit too long. I had done the national park wildlife cruise in Seward (great) before departing so I think I was a bit "boated out". The scenery was breathtaking though. Now the downside....I found the food to be average. I don't eat meat, so I was limited to fish and pasta, but it just wasn't anything to write home about. Others said the beef entrees were consistently good, but my friends felt it was the worse food they had ever had on a cruise. If you like desserts, the pastry chef is great--that's where most of my calories came from! The mango sorbet was to die for! Maybe my expectations were too high. I had been lead to believe I'd be getting 5 star meals every night and that was certainly not the case. I didn't starve mind you, I just wasn't overly impressed. I also found the service to be only okay. Examples: despite the fact that our table of 6 asked for more bread every night, it wasn't until the fifth night that it was automatically brought. The servers never introduced themselves (their names were on a card on the table, but they never stated them themselves). One afternoon in the Lido, I selected a dessert, but before the server even picked it up, I realized it was not chocolate, and changed my selection. He rolled his eyes. Our wine consistently arrived midway through dinner. My friend ordered a latte at the Java Cafe right before 5 o'clock when they were about to close--she was given it, but it was gently slammed down on the counter, as if to make a statement. Again, maybe I was expecting too much, this is the type of service I receive at home regularly, but I thought it would be different on the ship. Our room steward however was efficient and pleasant. Our room always looked great. All in all, I really did have a great time, but I think my bubble was burst regarding the quality of food and service. It was only the second sailing of the season, and obviously some of the crew is new (the gentleman sent to bring us to our cabin didn't know where it was!) so perhaps it will improve. I hope so. Hopefully my comments were helpful and not too negative. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. Alaska is too gorgeous to do otherwise! If you have any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me. As you can see, I'm still jet lagged--it's nearly 2 am! Good night, Debbie

I never cook salmon in a skillet - but then I don't like it crusty. If I bake it in an oven, I add lemon juice, minced dill, black or white pepper, capers, and dot the top with butter (skin side down). I cover it with foil and bake until done - generally about 15 minutes at 350°, depending on thickness. Usually I grill salmon, preferably outside over charcoal. I always put the salmon skin side UP at first and flip only once. I season with olive oil, white pepper, and dill (no salt). I find that salt detracts from the flavor of salmon, and I serve it with lemon, which takes the place of salt. Or I serve it with tartar sauce, which has salt from the dill pickles in it. If I'm grilling inside (instead of over charcoal), I sometimes make it teriyaki style, with a marinade of soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and black vinegar. I don't add anything sweet, and so it's probably not a true teriyaki, but I think the fish is sweet enough. Sometimes I add a bit of hot sesame oil, but a little goes a long way, and the sesame can easily overpower the salmon flavor. Lars

I'm not a salmon expert but we live in Seattle and eat fresh (summer/fall) and frozen salmon (winter/spring) weekly. We only eat wild caught salmon from the Pacific. I have always been disappointment in the flavor of Atlantic salmon I've eaten. From my experience the color varies across species. For example, sockeye has the richest darkest color. King is often lighter. The color does seem to affect flavor, but I think the most important factor to my palette is freshness. The fresher the wildcaught pacific salmon is when eaten or frozen the better it tastes. We buy frozen from a local vendor that fillets and freezes on the boat so the frozen when defrosted still tastes great. The other thing is not to overcook it. I find defrosted frozen salmon takes less time to cook. If you live somewhere that does not have good access to really fresh salmon then I'd buy frozen and try and source boat processed salmon. I haven't tried Costco salmon but they are a Seattle company and I do think they source, in general, pretty good quality products. If you like it then really that's all that matters. Also, largely you get what you pay for with salmon. The exception is that if it's the first of the season it's a rip off and if it's the height of the season it's a great deal. But wild will typically cost more than farmed and Pacific probably more than Atlantic and those price differences are worth it IMHO.

Would you mind if I changed the name to Hawaiian Cole Slaw so I can serve it at the luau I am planning? And I think I will use dried cherries. And maybe add a little pineapple. Thanks for the recipe.