Captain D’s Customer Wins Alaska Cruise After Nearly 50 Years of Loyalty

October 08, 2026 // Franchising.com // NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Captain D's has surprised a Scottsboro, Alabama, woman with the trip of a lifetime - a family cruise to Alaska!

Sandra Elmore has been going to Captain D’s since the Scottsboro store opened in the late 1970s. This summer while she was there for her favorite fish dinner, she noticed a promotional sign for the “Captain D’s and PepsiCo Alaska Family Cruise Sweepstakes,” promoting the chain’s wild caught fish from Alaska.

She scanned the QR code, submitted her receipt and forgot all about it. Weeks later when she received an email saying she was the winner, she was skeptical until she received the paperwork and a 32-pound box of cruise-themed merchandise from Captain D’s. They sent six sets of spa robes and slippers, binoculars, beach towels, loads of Captain D’s swag, and of course, Captain D’s gift cards.

“We are just astonished and grateful,” Elmore said. “We have always loved Captain D’s, but this is just so over and above. Words fail me. I never expected it, but we’re very excited!”

More than 5,000 entrants entered the sweepstakes; a winner and five guests were selected to receive a seven-night Alaska cruise, three ocean-view rooms, roundtrip airfare to Seattle, two nights of hotel accommodations in Seattle, and a travel stipend.

Captain D’s launched its Wild Caught Batter Dipped Fish from Alaska nationwide in June. The fish comes from the cold waters of Alaska and is hand-battered fresh daily in Captain D’s restaurants. The Alaska cruise was a way to give guests the opportunity to experience the place where the fish is sourced.

“The Alaska Family Cruise Sweepstakes was a natural extension of what makes Captain D’s special, which is bringing people together over great seafood and creating experiences that families can share,” said Phil Greifeld, CEO of Captain D’s. “Sandra’s story is exactly the kind of connection we hoped this promotion would create. She has been a Captain D’s guest for generations, and now she gets to experience Alaska with the people she loves most. We couldn’t be happier for her and her family.”

The timing was especially meaningful for Elmore, just before she found out she won, Elmore was telling her husband how much she wanted to plan a family vacation with their two daughters and sons-in-law, but it was so difficult being in different states on different schedules.

“Then the next week, I found out I’d won an Alaska cruise from Captain D’s,” Elmore exclaimed. “It was like my wish came true! It was truly amazing! Everyone is so excited!”

That longtime connection made the news of her win even more special. For Elmore, Captain D’s has long been a wholesome family meal and a source of familiar favorites, including the restaurant’s classic fish and fries, fish tenders, green beans and baked potatoes.

“It is hard to beat just the original fish and fries,” she said. “That’s kind of my comfort food of just a fun thing to grab.”

For Elmore, the trip will be a first. She has never visited Alaska and has never taken a cruise. The family is now looking toward next summer for their Alaska adventure, with Elmore particularly excited about seeing the Inside Passage and glaciers.

The Captain will be waiting when she returns, with fresh wild caught fish from Alaska.

SOURCE Captain D's

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