Nashville, Tenn. – September 19, 2026 -- A Scottsboro, Alabama, woman who has eaten at Captain D's since her local restaurant opened in the late 1970s has won a seven-night Alaska cruise for her family through a national sweepstakes tied to the chain's Alaska-sourced fish.
Sandra Elmore scanned a QR code after a routine fish dinner
Sandra Elmore noticed a promotional sign for the "Captain D's and PepsiCo Alaska Family Cruise Sweepstakes" while eating at her local restaurant this summer. She scanned the code, submitted her receipt, and did not think about it again until an email arrived weeks later naming her the winner.
Confirmation came in the form of a 32-pound box of cruise-themed merchandise, including six sets of spa robes and slippers, binoculars, beach towels, and Captain D's gift cards.
More than 5,000 entrants competed over five weeks
The promotion drew over 5,000 entries before Elmore and five guests were selected to win the trip: a seven-night Alaska cruise, three ocean-view rooms, roundtrip airfare to Seattle, two nights of hotel accommodations there, and a $3,000 travel stipend.
Elmore said she and her husband had just been discussing how hard it would be to plan a family vacation with their two daughters and sons-in-law scattered across different states and schedules. "Then the next week, I found out I'd won an Alaska cruise from Captain D's," she said. "It was like my wish came true."
The prize ties directly to a menu launch from June
Captain D's rolled out its Wild Caught Batter Dipped Fish from Alaska nationwide in June, part of a push toward U.S.-sourced seafood that is hand-battered fresh daily in its restaurants. The cruise sweepstakes was designed to let winners see where that fish comes from firsthand.
Captain D's CEO Phil Greifeld said the promotion aimed to create the kind of multigenerational connection Elmore's story represents, calling her decades-long patronage exactly what the brand hoped to reward.
Elmore has never been to Alaska or on a cruise
The trip will mark two firsts for Elmore, who is already planning around next summer's schedule and looking forward to seeing the Inside Passage and glaciers. Her go-to order remains the classic fish and fries, which she calls her comfort food.