We will be flying to Anchorage, taking a three day pre - cruise land tour ( a total of 56 people) then boarding the Volendam and cruise down to Vancouver, BC. One of our port stops is Ice Strait Point. I cannot find anything about ISP. Has anyone been there or know what there is to do there ? Another group from Ala. are on the same cruise and have asked me the same question ??????????
We will be flying to Anchorage, taking a three day pre - cruise land tour ( a total of 56 people) then boarding the Volendam and cruise down to Vancouver, BC. One of our port stops is Ice Strait Point. I cannot find anything about ISP. Has anyone been there or know what there is to do there ? Another group from Ala. are on the same cruise and have asked me the same question ??????????
Any and all info. will be appreciated.
Celebrity listed "Icy Strait Point" as a port of call on my last Alaska cruise. Actual port of call is the Tlingit town of Hoonah, near the entrance to Glacier Bay but on the other side of the strait. The ships tender to what was the fish pier of a historic salmon cannery that's now open for tours (they demonstrate the machinery in a very interesting way, but I'll let that be a surprise). The cannery's storehouses are now gift shops and a lobby area where you can wait for tours and tenders. IIRC, there are tours that go into the town and nature tours in the vicinity. Also, the people of Hoonah put on exhibitions of their indigenous dances right outside of the cannery. It's a relatively new port of call, but they are working to develop more tour options.
Hoonah, is the one port where you can see brown bears without a flight, if you go later in the season. This is also a top area for humpbacks, superior are the independent boat tours, which go out for close to twice as long as the ship tours. flightseeing of Glacier Bay is also an option.
This May will be our first time in ISP too. We have booked a private tour with Capt. Floyd Peterson of F.I.S.H.E.S. out of Hoonah. He does a 3 hour whale watch and wildlife tour on his 35 foot high speede catarmaran the "Silver Spoon". His wife Marjorie told me that there will be a very good chance of seeing brown bear feeding along the shore. I think the boat holds up to six passengers. Can't wait!
Hi Crabbie,
If you do a google search for Hoonah, Alaska, there should be data avail. We were on the Summit in the first season and loved it as less commercial than all the others, with only one or two tee shirt shops!!!. Go to cruisecritic.com and find the hoonah thread by Koo Hook on the Alaska board for a great background on the area. One of our best whalwatching tours was here. It will be tough to choose that or bear viewing when we come back next time.
Karen, Can your private guide take us to do both? Or does he specialize in land only?
Icy Strait Point - Alaska
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