We had out of town guests from San Francisco that were
excited about the Tillicum Excursion. When we arrived in
Seattle, the directions printed on our tickets said to go to
the Seattle Aquarium to pick up our tickets. We waited in
the long line to find out that the ticket pickup window had
changed to a location several blocks away. We went to the
“new location” to get out tickets, just in time to board
the boat before it set off for Blake Island.
It was a beautiful day, so the 25-minute trip to Blake
Island was enjoyable. Once at the Island, we waited in line
for the clams that are served to the guest. Our guests were
extra excited, as they had never experienced the PNW clams
before. Just as we got to the front of the line, from
patiently waiting our turn, we were told – “I am so
sorry, we just ran out of clams”…. WHAT???? So very
disappointing!
I had assured our guests that the Dinner was Fabulous (and
worth the wait) as well as the Dinner show, so we enjoyed a
cocktail until we were able to be seated for our dinner. My
husband (who is allergic to fish) was guaranteed that there
were MANY other food items to select from, so he would not
be disappointed! When we got up to the buffet, much of the
food was gone and had not been replenished. The only main
course item that would have been available for my husband to
eat would have been the beef stew. Unfortunately, there was
no beef stew left!!! My husband had salad, a little bit of
what was left of the fresh fruit, some overcooked polenta
and cookies. Our guests also had the same experience, they
were however able to get some of the Salmon, which was
delicious.
I had told them about the elaborate Dinner Show (which I had
seen about 6 years prior) that had lights, music, dancing,
etc… Once the show began, it was clear that something had
changed. What was, 6 years ago – was no longer. The
stage no longer had the rock/cliff setting it had in the
past, instead, in its place was a hologram type of backdrop
with a storyteller, and later 3 people who jumped across the
stage in wooden masks, slamming close the mouth of the mask
making loud clacking noises. This “show” lasted about
20 minutes vs the 60-minute play like presentation (with
elaborate displays) of the past.
We were extremely disappointed with the entire experience.
We basically paid $400 for a 25-minute boat ride to and from
Blake Island.
