Icy Strait Point is Alaska’s largest privately-owned cruise destination, located near Hoonah on Chichagof Island. This authentic Tlingit village offers whale watching, bear viewing, fishing, and the world’s longest ZipRider. The port features a renovated salmon cannery with shops, restaurants, and cultural exhibits showcasing native heritage and wildlife experiences.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Chichagof Island, near Hoonah village |
| Port Type | Privately owned, dock access (no tendering) |
| Typical Port Time | 5-8 hours depending on cruise line |
| Population | Approximately 760 in Hoonah |
| Main Attractions | ZipRider, whale watching, bear viewing, Tlingit culture |
| Walking Distance | Everything at port is walkable; Hoonah village 2 miles away |
Want to know more about Alaska cruise ports and destinations?
How Icy Strait Point Compares to Other Alaska Cruise Ports
Unlike the bustling tourist hubs of Juneau or Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point feels like stepping into authentic Alaska rather than Alaska-themed retail therapy. The port was developed by the Huna Totem Corporation and remains owned and operated by native Alaskans, which fundamentally changes the experience you’ll have here.
Size and Crowds
Here’s where Icy Strait Point shines: it limits the number of ships docked simultaneously. While Juneau can handle five massive vessels at once (creating a human traffic jam of 15,000 tourists), Icy Strait Point typically hosts one or two ships maximum. This means you’re not elbowing through crowds to see a bear or jockeying for position at the railing during whale watching.
- Juneau and Ketchikan: expect jewelry stores on every corner and crowds everywhere
- Skagway: smaller but still touristy with a gold rush theme
- Icy Strait Point: authentic cannery setting with genuinely local businesses
- Sitka: comparable authenticity but requires tendering and has a Russian heritage focus
Wildlife Viewing Advantages
The waters around Icy Strait Point Alaska cruise port sit in a marine superhighway. Point Adolphus, just offshore, ranks among the best humpback whale feeding grounds in Southeast Alaska. The whale-to-tourist ratio here embarrasses most other ports.
Bear viewing is also more accessible here. While Ketchikan requires floatplane trips to remote viewing platforms, Icy Strait Point offers boat excursions to nearby Pack Creek on Admiralty Island, where brown bears outnumber humans. The proximity means less travel time and more wildlife watching time.
Cultural Authenticity
This distinction matters more than most cruisers realize. In Ketchikan, you’ll watch totem pole carvers who might commute from out of state. At Icy Strait Point, the Tlingit cultural presentations are performed by actual Huna Tlingit tribal members, often in traditional clan houses. The difference between performance and cultural sharing becomes immediately apparent.
What Makes Icy Strait Point Different
The Cannery Setting
The port’s bones are the historic Hoonah Packing Company cannery, which processed salmon for decades. Instead of bulldozing history for a generic cruise terminal, the developers preserved the industrial character. You’ll wander through buildings with exposed beams and vintage equipment, which beats the sanitized mall experience of newer ports.
The ZipRider Phenomenon
At 5,330 feet long with a 1,300-foot vertical drop, this beast holds the world record for longest zipline. Riders hit speeds of 60+ mph while descending from the mountain to sea level. The line is visible from your ship, so you’ll watch tiny humans screaming their way down all day. Fair warning: it books up fast, sometimes selling out weeks in advance.
No Tender Required
Ships dock directly at the pier, which cruise veterans appreciate more than newcomers realize. Tendering (taking small boats from ship to shore) eats into your port time and creates bottlenecks. At Icy Strait Point, you walk off the ship and you’re already there. Compare this to Sitka where tender waits can consume an hour each way.
Comparing Shore Excursions and Activities
The activities available at Icy Strait Point skew toward nature and culture rather than shopping and chain restaurants. This suits some travelers perfectly and disappoints others expecting urban conveniences.
Top-Tier Experiences
- Whale watching boats: smaller group sizes than Juneau, often with native guides who share traditional whale stories
- Brown bear expeditions: closer bear viewing locations mean more observation time
- Fishing charters: less crowded fishing grounds with halibut and salmon opportunities
- Cultural performances: authentic Tlingit dancing and storytelling in the Tribal House
- Nature walks: guided forest hikes with ethnobotany focus (learning which plants natives used for medicine and food)
What You Won’t Find
If you’re hoping for museums, helicopter tours, or dog sledding camps, you’ll need to catch those at other ports. Icy Strait Point focuses on marine wildlife, forest ecosystems and native culture. There’s no downtown to explore and shopping options are limited to the cannery building and a handful of local vendors.
Practical Challenges to Consider
Weather Dependency
Nearly all the best experiences here happen outdoors or on the water. Rain is common (this is a temperate rainforest after all), and fog occasionally socks in whale watching trips. Unlike indoor-heavy ports like Ketchikan with its museums and covered Creek Street, bad weather limits your options significantly.
Limited Independent Exploration
The village of Hoonah sits two miles from the port. A free shuttle runs regularly but Hoonah itself is a residential community, not a tourist destination. There’s a small grocery store, a school and people’s homes. If you’re someone who loves wandering unfamiliar streets and stumbling into local cafes, you might find the options underwhelming compared to Juneau or Sitka.
Excursion Pricing
Wildlife tours here often cost more than comparable experiences at other ports. The small group sizes and specialized nature of the excursions command premium prices. A whale watching tour might run $40-50 more per person than similar Juneau offerings.
Mobility Considerations
While the port itself is accessible, many signature experiences involve boats, uneven forest trails or significant walking. The ZipRider has weight and health restrictions. Travelers with mobility limitations should research excursion requirements carefully since alternative activities are fewer than at larger ports.
Cruise Line Comparison at Icy Strait Point
Not all cruise lines treat this port equally. Some build their Alaska itineraries around it while others squeeze it in as an afterthought.
Time in Port
| Cruise Line | Typical Port Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Princess | 7-8 hours | Usually arrives early morning, departs late afternoon |
| Norwegian | 7-8 hours | Similar schedule to Princess |
| Holland America | 6-7 hours | Slightly shorter stays |
| Celebrity | 6-8 hours | Varies by itinerary |
| Royal Caribbean | 5-7 hours | Sometimes shorter stops on repositioning cruises |
Excursion Integration
Princess has invested heavily in Icy Strait Point partnerships and typically offers the widest selection of shore excursions. Their excursion desk staff are generally better informed about the port’s unique offerings. Norwegian passengers report more flexibility for independent exploration but sometimes fewer pre-packaged tour options.
Smaller luxury lines like Windstar and UnCruise actually anchor in nearby waters and use their own boats for wildlife viewing, which many passengers prefer to crowded commercial whale watching vessels.
Insider Tips Only Aficionados Know
- Book the first or last ZipRider slot: Mid-day times sell out first, leaving early morning and late afternoon slots available longer. Bonus: you’ll have better light for photos.
- The beach behind the cannery: Most passengers never find the public beach a short walk past the main complex. It’s quiet, offers excellent beachcombing and you might spot sea otters.
- Free cultural performances: While paid excursions exist, the main Tribal House hosts free dance performances several times during port days. Check the schedule when you arrive.
- Cannery museum is free: The small museum documenting the cannery’s history charges nothing and provides context that enriches your entire visit.
- Restaurant timing matters: The Landing Zone Bar & Grill gets slammed at lunch. Eat early (11am) or late (1:30pm) to avoid the rush.
- Bring cash for artisans: Some local crafts vendors prefer cash and credit card readers don’t always work in remote locations.
- Wildlife sightings from the pier: Humpback whales and orcas sometimes swim right past the dock. Don’t spend every minute in the shops.
Bonus Tips
- The staff at the cultural center can pronounce Tlingit names correctly and love sharing their meanings. Ask about your own name’s translation possibilities.
- Dress in layers you can remove. The ZipRider platform sits higher and cooler than sea level, but you’ll warm up fast after the adrenaline rush.
- Ship photographers often miss embarking shots here. Take your own memorable photos against the mountain backdrop.
- The smoked salmon sold at local vendors is the real deal, vacuum-packed for travel. It’s pricey but legitimate and supports native businesses.
- Binoculars matter here more than at any other Alaska port. Bring your own or buy cheap ones at the port if you forgot.
- The public WiFi is slower than your ship’s already-slow connection. Download maps and information before disembarking.
- If you’re doing multiple excursions, prioritize whale watching. Weather affects it more than land-based activities, so do it while conditions are good.
Making the Choice: Is Icy Strait Point Right for You?
This port rewards specific traveler types while disappointing others. You’ll love Icy Strait Point if you prioritize wildlife encounters over shopping, value cultural authenticity over convenience and prefer smaller crowds to urban energy. You’ll probably prefer skipping it if you want extensive dining options, serious shopping, museum-hopping or weather-independent activities.
For families, the port works beautifully if your kids enjoy nature. The ZipRider creates lifelong memories for teenagers. Younger children might find fewer age-appropriate activities than at ports with gold rush theatrics or train rides.
Photographers should absolutely choose itineraries that include Icy Strait Point. The wildlife opportunities and dramatic scenery with mountains plunging into the sea create portfolio-worthy images.
Common Questions and FAQ
Can I walk to Hoonah village from the port?
Technically yes, it’s two miles, but the route follows a road without sidewalks. Most people take the free shuttle that runs every 20-30 minutes. The walk takes about 40 minutes each way if you’re determined to hoof it.
Do I need to book excursions in advance or can I decide at the port?
The ZipRider and most whale watching tours sell out well before your sailing date. Bear viewing and fishing charters also fill quickly. Free activities and cultural performances don’t require reservations. If you want the signature experiences, book when your cruise line opens reservations.
Is there cell phone service and WiFi?
Cell service is limited and depends on your carrier. Verizon and AT&T sometimes have weak signals. The port offers free WiFi but it’s slow with hundreds of passengers trying to connect simultaneously. Don’t count on posting Instagram stories in real-time.
What’s the best time of season to visit?
June and July offer the longest daylight and warmest temperatures but more rain. August and September bring fall colors and slightly better weather odds but cooler temperatures. For whale watching specifically, late July through August is peak feeding season.
Are there age or weight restrictions for the ZipRider?
Riders must be at least 10 years old and meet minimum weight requirements (typically 60 pounds) and maximum limits (usually 275 pounds). Height, health and pregnancy restrictions also apply. Check specific requirements when booking.
What happens if my excursion gets cancelled due to weather?
Ship-booked excursions provide refunds if cancelled for weather or safety reasons. Independent tour operators have varying policies so confirm cancellation terms before booking. Marine tours cancel for high seas or poor visibility but this is relatively rare.
Can I buy fresh salmon to take home?
Yes, but logistics get complicated. You’ll need to keep it frozen until you get home, which your ship’s galley might accommodate if you ask at guest services. Many visitors find vacuum-packed smoked salmon easier to transport than fresh fish.
Personal Experience
We spent weeks comparing cruise options for Icy Strait Point, and what surprised us most was how differently each cruise line approaches this authentic Tlingit village. Princess and Norwegian both dock here, but the experiences feel worlds apart. Princess tends to attract passengers who want structured shore excursions – think whale watching tours and the famous ZipRider – while Norwegian’s crowd seemed more interested in exploring independently and soaking up the local culture at their own pace. The port itself is actually built on a former salmon cannery, which gives it this wonderfully rustic feel that bigger ports like Juneau just don’t have.
What really helped us decide was looking at the excursion timing and port hours. Some ships give you nearly eight hours here, while others rush through in five. We picked a cruise that allowed enough time to do both the wildlife boat tour in the morning and still wander through the Huna Tribal House afterward. The whale sightings were incredible, but honestly, talking with local artisans and watching traditional dance performances made the stop feel special. If you’re choosing between cruise lines, check how much time they allocate here – Icy Strait Point rewards you for slowing down rather than trying to cram everything into a few frantic hours.