Advancing glaciers forced them to relocate to modern-day Hoonah in 1754. Our Alaska cruises are your ticket to adventure amidst the Great Land's glaciers, wildlife and national parks. This Alaska cruise excursion might not be for everyone, but if you love wildlife (and especially birding) this widely-offered excursion might be the one for you in Icy Strait Point. This is the real Alaska! We recommend layers of clothing, which are easy to don and easy to remove. The Chichagof Island wilderness hike excursion is a good opportunity. Only Seabourn offers this one. The best tours in Icy Strait Point are: On this cruise excursion, a local guide will take you out to spot dozens of species of perching birds, seabirds, ducks, gulls, and bald eagles. The boat was much smaller than the typical whale watching boats (6 people!) I was born on the East Coast and currently live in the Midwest but my heart will always be out West. Once outside of Door #2, follow the signs to the Excursions Hub where you meet your Hoonah Travel Adventures Representative. When comparing all of the Alaska cruise excursions in Icy Strait Point, theres one that stands out as truly special: the Hoonah Sightseeing and Tribal Dance offering that almost every cruise company provides. The full cancellation policy can be found here. For guests with mobility concerns, the following information will help you decide if you will be able to join our tours. Perfect for small groups. After a short bus ride to the Spasski River Valley, youll take a guided tour along a boardwalk and gravel path into a habitat that Alaskan brown bears are known to frequent. Magnificent! On May 18th we came into port at Icy Strait Point in Hoonah, Alaska. What if the weather is bad? Not a hard slog by any means, but the dampness and persistent rain made it less enjoyable than hoped. Apr 1, 2014. Professionally guided stream fishing excursions on the hidden edge waters of Chichagof, Island. We keep our groups small, so we can take you off the beaten path, where the locals go. I hope you properly set expectations very low or else you may very well be disappointed. To break ties, I used top Uniqueness score, since I want to encourage you to try new things in Alaska. At ShoreTrips we are committed to enhancing your shore excursions with small, creative and personal day tours and adventures. View All Cruises, We're having trouble retrieving these cruises. If you have questions about tours prior to booking, please email [emailprotected]. Website Season:$180 per person3.5 hrs. This is your chance to set sail and travel the scenic shorelines of Icy Strait Point keeping watch for bears, deer, blue herons, puffins and more. My wife and I used them and when we go back we'll use them again.. Secure easy and reliable transportation to the Mendenhall Glacier from Juneau with the Blue Bus Glacier Express. Seeing whales on your tour is guaranteed. Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess, Regent, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, and Viking. Wildlife is one of the main draws for visitors who want to cruise in Alaska. We shape and time all of our tours and excursions around the cruise ships schedules relieving you of any stress before you dock into port. That said, its the one I would do in Icy Strait Point, so take that as an extra point in its favor. 25422881. Your personal view of the whales is not repaced with drones; just supplemented! You might even catch them bubble net feeding! Icy Strait Point is home to the world's largest zipline, the ZipRider. Board the Gondola for a 4 minute ride through the forest toward the Adventure Center. 1. Surrounded by towering rainforest and set against the backdrop of mist-shrouded mountains, guests can truly immerse themselves in our wilderness environment. Image Courtesy: Cunard Line. Thanks so much, Elizabeth! more, Cultural Tours 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours Historical & Heritage Tours Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks. View All Cruises, We're having trouble retrieving these cruises. Please send an email to [emailprotected] letting us know which tours you would like to cancel as we must have all cancelation requests in writing. For example, you can enjoy humpback whale watching, bear searching, exploring the village of. Fancies herself a bit of a . Who Offers This Shore Excursion in Icy Strait Point? This whale watching tour is personalized, as it takes out a maximum of 14 guests at a time. Everything was close together and easy. Discover Alaska's Wildest Kitchen, a hands-on tasting session like no other and hosted by an Alaskan master wilderness chef. Who Offers This Icy Strait Point Shore Excursion? We are so excited about it and are beginni. Bear sightings are also more frequent during the summer, so plan your trip accordingly. Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess, Regent, and Royal Caribbean. Who Offers This Icy Strait Point Cruise Excursion? Then walk along the Seawall, with the downtown skyline as your backdrop. Let us show you an untouched Alaskan wilderness. No matter what kind of Alaska adventure youre craving, youll find it in Icy Strait Point. I've already enjoyed reading the boards and have already learned so much that is very helpful. Unfortunately, only one cruise company offers it which handicapped it in the rankings for 2023. Imagine eating delectable halibut harvested directly from the waters of Icy Strait. The Tlingit community has invested a great deal of money, time, and energy to convert this historic fishing village into a respite for cruisers who wish to learn more about the Indigenous people, their land, and their fascinating culture. The zipline is safe, and very fast and exhilarating! Paste as plain text instead, I get a lot of questions about fishing in Alaska. . Find a Cruisetour Any Destination Any Month Any Departure Port Any Ship Any Ship Feature See if you qualify for exclusive rates Advanced Search Call Our Brand Specialists Now Learn More About Icy Strait Point, Alaska Older males fight each other for dominance and mating rights with the females, who at times are not receptive and force the male to give chase. On this excursion, youll sample some of the food Alaskans love to enjoy, learn from a local chef about how to filet and prepare fresh Alaskan seafood, and then try your hand at preparing some for yourself. That's about it for things to do except for the very awesome gondola to the top of the mountain and the zipline down. My husband and I are booked for a cruise to Alaska with Royal Caribbean August 4th through the 12th. An Alaska cruise isn't complete without exhilarating shore excursions. In 1912, the Hoonah Packing Company built the first cannery in the area, and it has become quite a tourist attraction since then. View All Alaska Cruise Lines; . If on a boat tour you will have to walk approx 100 yards from the van to the boat. We visited a couple of local shops and really liked the simplicity of Hoonah. so we had a more personalized experience. To see a bear up close and in the wild, no better then that. Alaska's not the only ultimate destination on the eastern Pacific. Things To Do In Hoonah / Icy Strait. Copyright 2023 Icy Strait Point Excursions. Finally, I added up the metrics to come up with a final score. On this 2- to 3-hour excursion, youll board a helicopter, cruise up to the top of the mountain, unload your bikes, and ride back down. The gondola is fairly new (expensive investment) but the ride only lasted for about 5 minutes. Shore Excursions Group takes you on a journey in the Icy Strait to see the bears, fish, bald eagles, and whales that call Icy Strait home. We are a family-run company based right here in Hoonah. The Cruise ship is telling us if we dont book with them we might get left behind. Theres no guarantee, of course, but thats part of what makes the excursion an adventure! Purchase your fishing license, put your line in, and hope for good fishermens luck! On our cruise day, May 31, they have a 6 passenger boat at 8:00a followed by a 13 passenger boat at 8:45a. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. IMO your best bet is to hike the short nature trails and take the cable car up the mountain for more hiking and scenic views. Skip the hassle of a rental car and admire views during the bus journey to the glacier. This allows for a great crew to guest ratio, ensuring your experience is personal. To increase your chances, you need to get off the big boat, get on two feet, and get out in the Alaska wild. Our most popular tour is the Icy Strait Point Premier Whale Watching Tour. We receive a constant stream of updates on the cruise ships timetables. Opened a decade ago by the Huna Tlingit Native Alaskans, its easily one of the best spots in the region for fishing and whale watching. Hire a local guide to take you whale watching, fishing, or kayaking. Located about 35 miles west of Juneau, this area offers some great nature and adventure opportunities as well as rich Tlingit heritage. Brave the ZipRider, the worlds longest zip line, and enjoy amazing views of the forest as you race from a mountain peak at 60 miles per hour. I wasn't in charge of the booking, so I can't recommend a specific company to use but a quick search on TripAdvisor will give you lots of options. Youll find plenty of authentic Alaska gifts just a quick stroll from the dock at the historic Cannery Shops. Please dont worry; well know if your ship is delayed. Reserve your dining now. Stay as long as you choose to explore trails, check out wildlife, and go inside the visitor center, and then climb aboard a return bus . You will experience seeing and hearing these amazing animals with your own eyes and ears, and then we take you to the next level with our displays onboard. View pods of orcas effortlessly gliding under the waves, on rare occasions, see humpback calfs playing with their mothers, on rare occasions, the amazing phenomenon of "bubble-net" feeding by groups of humpbacks is seen. We love the article! Icy Strait Point was a nice place to spend a few hours. Yes, there is an excellent exhibit on the fishery and canning industry. Yaakw Kahidi Cultural Center Check out our list of the the best things to do in Icy Strait Point for more ideas! You soon will be where you can sight humpbacks, Orcas, sea otters, sea lions, porpoises and seals, all attracted to the nutrient-rich waters of Glacier Bay. {{card.portName}}, Onboard CHECK SHORE EXCURSIONS IN Icy Strait Point, Alaska, *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions, Alaska Icy Strait Point Tribe Local Performance, Cuisine Dungeness Crab, Icy Strait Point, Alaska, One of the Many Historic Cannery Buildings, Icy Strait Point, Alaska, View All{{ cards[0] && cards[0]['totalGroups'] ? " Hoonay tram ride - an expensive waste of time! . Royal Caribbean International ; RCL excursions in Icy Strait Point Alaska RCL excursions in Icy Strait Point Alaska. A CareCart is available to people who cannot make the 300 yard walk from the cruise ship dock to the excursions hub where we meet you. Best Icy Strait Point Tours & Excursions: 1. Departs From Guests must be able to walk over paved, gravel, and packed dirt surfaces, with inclines. Tlingit Canoe Tour 4. Who Offers This Icy Strait Point Cruise Excursion? Here is my my last stop in ISP, September 2018: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/9160-not-so-live-blog-radiance-of-the-seas-alaska-southbound-83118/&do=findComment&comment=83835. About Prof. Cruise. Would love the wildlife search! That said, its not exactly unique to encounter these kinds of excursions, so it doesnt rank particularly high on my personal list of the best Icy Strait Point cruise excursions. Only Holland America offers this one. It was one of the stops that sold me on this May 13 cruise since it's absent on Royal's Seattle based cruises. If wild and cruise line food is not your thing, there are delicious restaurants in the area. 335 Harbor Dr Hoonah , - More time on the water! Disney, Holland America, Oceania, Princess, Regent, Royal Caribbean, and Seabourn. Get ready for fjords, majestic mountains, vast forests, potential animal sightings, and an experience you will never forget! I spent three summers working for one of the major cruise companies, and during that time I had to make recommendations for excursions for thousands of Alaska cruisers. Not only that, our sturdy fleet of boats in conjunction with our experienced captains at the helm, and guides at the wheel of the vans, are more than capable of coping with the conditions. Even waking up to warm, sunny skies can turn cool and rainy. Unless you are going to ride the Zip Line, save your money and just walk around the small tourist town. Good Value. Take a Whale Watching Cruise. Thank you for sharing this. Another major cost factor is the type of stateroom you prefer. Find Matching Tours Adventure Glacier Tours Private Tours Sightseeing Train Excursions Unique to Skagway Adventure Flightseeing Glacier Tours Whale Watching Unique to Juneau Adventure Cultural & Historical Flightseeing Discover the frontier town of Icy Strait surrounded by nature in its unspoiled glory. Consequently, we will automatically adjust your schedule and factor in any delays against the timing of your tour. In order to receive a refund, changes and cancellations must be made more than 7 days prior to your tour date. Our dedicated staff (85% of which call Hoonah home) is committed to providing a one-of-a-kind experience for every guest that is infused with our local Native culture and hospitality. I put these Icy Strait Point cruise excursions in order based on what I know Alaska visitors will love. We didn't do the whale watch so can't help sorry, Icy Strait Point, Hoonah: Hours, Address, Icy Strait Point Reviews: 4/5, Icy Strait Point is one of the most authentic and unspoiled ports in an Alaska cruise itinerary. Alaska is full of epic hikes, and you might want to experience some of that for yourself on your Alaska cruise. The restored cannery turned museum shop offers fine jewelry, warm fashions, canned sockeye salmon, and plenty more. Whale Watching 2. We want to share the breathtaking sights, the wildlife, and the amazing people of Hoonah Alaska with you. If you are interested in a less tourist like experience, you might like this. If you are longing to see bears while you are here, then we've got you covered. Has anyone booked the whale watching excursion in Icy Strait Point through the ship (Radiance of the Sea)?