royal caribbean icy strait point excursions

Lover of books and dessert. Chichagof Island has been named "Bear Island" by National Geographic because it has the highest concentration of bears in the world at 1-2 brown bears per square mile, making it a great destination for bear watching from Icy Strait Point. Even waking up to warm, sunny skies can turn cool and rainy. Least Favorite Port but Still Pretty Cool, Rainy and cold the day we visited, which changed our excursion plans from kayaking to walking from port to town. Icy Strait Point is home to an abundance of tours and excursions designed to help you experience what Alaska has to offer. We are committed to keeping Alaska wild! On this tour, you'll have the chance to spot humpbacks and orcas in the beautiful Alaskan waters. Unfortunately, this excursion isnt offered by as many cruise companies as others above it on the list so it ended up falling a few spots on my list for 2023. Then walk along the Seawall, with the downtown skyline as your backdrop. The biggest halibut on record was caught inside Icy Strait! 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. This excursion is a gentle walking tour that lasts 2.5 to 3 hours depending on the wildlife you see. Our Alaska cruises are your ticket to adventure amidst the Great Land's glaciers, wildlife and national parks. If you love the idea of stretching your legs a bit more than you can on the boat, this is a great excursion it only ranks low on the list because of few companies (okay, one) offering it in 2023. Who Offers This Icy Strait Point Shore Excursion? the Excursions Hub is a short 5 minute walk from where the ships dock or tender in to. Your experienced guide will take you on an adventure to discover the secrets of Icy Strait and the vast history of the Tlingit Native population. As a company that has been in the business of offering small group shore excursions in the Icy Strait Point area for over a decade, our tour schedules are mindfully constructed around the cruise ships arrivals and departures! This one, which broadly incorporates a helicopter tour, glacier landing, and dog sledding depending on the tour operator and . We'll supply everything you need, so there's nothing for you to worry about except for having fun and taking in nature at its best. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5211-alaska-recap-celebrity-millennium-june-2017/&do=findComment&comment=51846. Head out to Icy Strait Point, to explore the beach, shop, or hike the beautiful trails. They've been living under the radar to protect Maisie, but she feels like a prisoner. Hoonah 5. Can you purchase a whale tour when you arrive? @alaskatravel, Small cruise ship stop with good scenery but limited and expensive activities. Travel just 1.5 miles through the picturesque landscape of Hoonah, Alaska. Visit the Tlingit carvers and walk about to appreciate the totem poles in town. View All Cruises, We're having trouble retrieving these cruises. Discover the frontier town of Icy Strait surrounded by nature in its unspoiled glory. Excursions by boat or vehicle to the Spasski River provide opportunities to spot bald eagles, woodpeckers . Paste as plain text instead, Who Offers This Shore Excursion in Icy Strait Point? You won't find a better place to experience an outdoor adventure and get a sense of what a . If on a boat tour you will have to walk approx 100 yards from the van to the boat. Norwegian Communications Center. Thanks for the info and the pics, very nice. Bear Viewing on Chicagof Island 3. To book a tour please reach out to your cruise line for availability! We've analyzed this ship's atmosphere, facilities, activities, cabins, cuisine and service, based on ratings from U.S. News & World Report and other expert sources. My husband and I are booked for a cruise to Alaska with Royal Caribbean August 4th through the 12th. From land to sea to sky, envelop yourself in the natural beauty of Alaska, and get close (but not too close) and personal with the wildlife, and the locals! Icy Strait Point is the port for adventure. I'm a newbie to Cruise Critic. When you arrive at the port, just check in with a Hoonah Travel Adventures representative at the Icy Strait Point Excursion Hub. Youve finally decided: 2023 is the year to take the Alaska cruise youve been dreaming of whether its been a few years or a lifetime of waiting. In years past, I used to call out Icy Strait Point as the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park; this year, my research showed that the major cruise companies seem to be visiting Glacier Bay as part of their itineraries and there are no excursions that take you into the park anymore. Icy Strait Point is the only private cruise ship destination in Alaska; we offer over 20 different shore excursions including ATVs, biking, kayaking, nature tours, the best whale watching in Alaska and the world's largest and highest zipline ride. Be ready to paddle about 7 miles total. Located about 35 miles west of Juneau, this area offers some great nature and adventure opportunities as well as rich Tlingit heritage. If your ship doesnt make it to port for any reason, we will refund you in full without incurring any administration fees or penalties. 6: It's an adventure seeker's paradise. Dive into Native Alaska culture at a tribal dance show or pay a visit to Hoonah, Alaska's largest Tlingit village. Our tours have been providing exceptional customer service for over a decade now. The boat was much smaller than the typical whale watching boats (6 people!) What really makes this tour unique is the Drone imagery. So, when I see a good Alaska cruise excursion for fishing, I recommend it! We promise to have you back to your ship on time. Hoonay is the first stop of our cruise. Who Offers This Shore Excursion in Icy Strait Point? Embrace the rich culture of the Tlingit while on one of their canoe tours. On our cruise day, May 31, they have a 6 passenger boat at 8:00a followed by a 13 passenger boat at 8:45a. Im also a not-so-secret space nerd and speak fluent emoji! Icy Strait Shore Excursion: Whale Watching Adventure Tour, Local Alaska Whale Watching with Bonus Drone Footage of Whales, Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier, Whale Watching Charters through Icy Strat Alaska. After a drive through (and out of) town, youll leave the crowds behind and head onto Alaska native-owned lands where youll disembark and start your wilderness hike. Our Icy Strait Point shore excursions are run by local guides who are eager to show you the real Alaskan Wilderness. I started this site to share my travel stories and inspiration to help you complete bucket list trips. 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. He know how to find the whales! Icy Strait Point features the world's largest ZipRider, with six 5,330 ziplines dropping 1330. This 2.5-hour outdoor adventure is listed as moderate in terms of activity level. This Alaskan wilderness and bear search tour is offered on Chichagof Island, a one-of-a-kind location with the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth. They had a blast doing things there. Unfortunately, only one cruise company offers it which handicapped it in the rankings for 2023. Wind along back roads in search of wildlife, including bald eagles, brown bears, and Sitka black-tailed deer, and enjoy spectacular views of the natural beauty that surrounds you along the way. Have you seen my other Alaska cruise resources? However each port offers adventures that are not typically found in the Caribbean. We have been operating and improving our small group tours for over a decade. Duration: 1.5 hours Price: $280 per person View Details Another major cost factor is the type of stateroom you prefer. Icy Strait Point, sometimes called Hoonah after the native people who live in this area and run the cruise port, is one popular stop on Alaska cruises but it can be hard to decipher the marketing language to know which excursions will be worth your time and money. Our tours have been providing exceptional customer service for over a decade now. Youll descend from an elevation of 1,330 feet back to sea level along those six zips at times you may be going as fast as 60 miles per hour and at heights of 300 feet above the ground! Rides are unlimited and allow you to explore Icy Strait Point at your leisure. View Health & Safety requirements. See the "real" Alaska on this nature tour that takes you up close to bears, eagles and other fascinating wildlife. 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. And, we do offer discounts for groups of 4 or more on some of the tours! Notes: Guests must be able to walk without assistance. (Look for them holding a Hoonah Travel Adventures sign.) The full cancellation policy can be found here. Most meals spotlight local fish or caribou, and Dungeness crab when its in season. An Alaskan, family owned small business, inspired by nature. In this post, I promote travel to a national park that is the Lingt Aan (traditional lands) of the Huna (Hoonah) Tlingit people. https://www.valisemag.com/guides/alaska/cruises/. 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. If youre struggling to choose between Icy Strait Point shore excursions, Im here to help. Read more in my Privacy Policy. (It is semi-widely available and a good value though, as points in its favor.). 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. View Details. I was born on the East Coast and currently live in the Midwest but my heart will always be out West. Take in the views on the bus ride to the top, then race to the bottom on the zip line at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, 300 feet above the forest! If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind experience, then the ZipRider is for you. First and foremost, Icy Strait Point is truly surrounded by unspoiled Alaska wilderness. Professionally guided stream fishing excursions on the hidden edge waters of Chichagof, Island. While we love delivering stunning target birds like Varied Thrushes, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Bald Eagles, and Stellers Jays, we arent just about birds on this tour. OHIO. 5 Juneau, Alaska 99801. Skip the hassle of a rental car and admire views during the bus journey to the glacier. We aren't super adrenaline junkies but can handle some adventure. Despite it being last on the list, I personally love this excursion as it offers the opportunity to both get up in the air and burn off some of those ship calories youve been consuming (yes, they count!). The best tours in Icy Strait Point are: Love your blog. We promise to have you back to your ship on time. Can you help. I share travel resources and stories based on my personal experience and knowledge. Itll be hard to keep your eyes on the trail with all the epic scenery around you! Ovation of the Seas in Alaska. Typically, I recommend halibut fishing charters in Seward, but if your itinerary doesnt allow that, heres an alternative. We walked a wide hilly 15- min trail from the dock to the cannery area. We before they even had a pier and it was so different from the other ports. Good to know. Town is very small with nothing more than a few shore excursions to choose from. Does this also mean that THE Twangsterwill be on the May 13, 2019 sailing? This whale watching tour is personalized, as it takes out a maximum of 14 guests at a time. U.S. Honduras A 27-year-old woman has accused Royal Caribbean Cruises of being responsible for the death of her husband who was killed in a zip-lining accident on the Honduran island of Roatn.. Yes! Duration: 2.25 hours Price: $145 per person View Details Juneau Musher's Camp & Sled Dog Discovery Advancing glaciers forced them to relocate to modern-day Hoonah in 1754. Start here. Located in southeast Alaska and along the coast, Icy Strait Point gives you a peek inside the beautiful and diverse Alaskan wildlife. As you pedal along, the views will be spectacular . Icy Strait Point website. While there will be lots of touristy junk and jewelry stores in Juneau, those are absent in ISP and I like that. - Ovation only at Icy Straight Point and Sitka, - Juneau has 5 ships, port load - 11970 guests, - Skagway has 3 ships, port load - 6830 guests. We want your port call in Hoonah, and our Icy Strait Point excursions, to be the highlight of your Alaskan cruise. Whale Watching in Icy Strait Point, Hoonah, Alaska. I would like to know if the zodiac boats and whale watching boats travel in the same waters? I know they've built up the port area a little bit, but glad to see it still has its charm. The gondola is fairly new (expensive investment) but the ride only lasted for about 5 minutes. But the kayaking was well worth. Thank you for sharing this. Shore Excursions Departure Ports & Hotels Free Brochures Ships & Experience. You might even catch them bubble net feeding! There is also a Zip line, a ropes course, and gondolas to take you up the mountain for spectacular views of Icy Strait. The only thing you can count on in Hoonah, and the area near Icy Strait Point is that you cant count on the weather. As I mentioned, Skagway is a destination for history lovers - so it's no surprise that a history tour tops the list. Depending on the season, catch the bears coming out of hibernation and looking for food; or later on in the season when the bears are mating and eating grasses on the tidal flats. This Icy Strait Point excursion is a good value and widely offered, which is why it ranks so highly on my list for 2023 Alaska cruises. In order to receive a refund, changes and cancellations must be made more than 7 days prior to your tour date. This area is known as 'Bear Island' because it has the highest concentration of brown bears per square mile in the world. We only have 4 port days! For example, you can enjoy humpback whale watching, bear searching, exploring the village of. You will then get to see how the birds, fish, mammals, plants, forests, rivers, and climate all weave together to create this lush, vibrant ecosystem! This cruise ship stop is not like all the others with hoards of jewelry stores. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. I've already enjoyed reading the boards and have already learned so much that is very helpful. Does this also mean that THE Twangsterwill be on the May 13, 2019 sailing? Spasski River Valley Wildlife & Bear Search, join me in my Alaska Travel Tips Facebook Community, https://www.valisemag.com/guides/alaska/cruises/, Spasski River Valley Wildlife & Bear Search, I went through all of the Icy Strait Point excursions and chose the ones I think are worth doing (the V factor ). Dive into Native Alaska culture at a tribal dance show or pay a visit to Hoonah, Alaskas largest Tlingit village. Who Offers This Shore Excursion in Icy Strait Point? Purchase your fishing license, put your line in, and hope for good fishermens luck! Duration: Approximately 2 hours Minimum Age: 10 years old Restrictions: Guests must not weigh more than 250 pounds. Wildlife is one of the main draws for visitors who want to cruise in Alaska. Is there a whale and bear watching tour combo? Don't Lose Your Reservation! Find Shore Tours to Book Select your cruise ship and we'll display only the tours that work with your schedule in each port. Will definitely take rain gear. These ports are where you can experience the real Alaska if you know which excursions to choose, that is. If wild and cruise line food is not your thing, there are delicious restaurants in the area. As an established, local company with a Certificate of Excellence, we love nothing more than to enrich your experience while visiting the area of Icy Strait Point. I really enjoyed reading about all the fun stuff to do on our crusie through alaska. Longest Zip Line, Icy Strait Point, Alaska. Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess, Regent, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, and Viking. Given name Sarah, but also answers to Prof. Cruise. ISP is small and I would have no issues with straying from an RCL excursion at this port. Just don't forget to bring your cameras, binoculars, and waterproof apparel! We are on the same sailing and I checked the port loads for each stop. If you book the Icy Strait Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search Tour through Alaska Shore Excursions, you'll receive an e-mailed ticket along with detailed meeting directions as seen below: Be sure to print it out and bring it along with your other cruise documents. Alaska-Sized Adventure With over 30 exciting tours, a restored 1912 salmon cannery and museum, nature trails, and even a beach! We want to share the breathtaking sights, the wildlife, and the amazing people of Hoonah Alaska with you. For critter enthusiasts, there is really no need to book a whale watching tour as youll be able to spot humpbacks, orcas, and harbor seals directly from your cruise ship, especially in the wee hours. 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. July 10, 2007. View below tower 6. Would love the wildlife search! After a short bus ride to the Spasski River Valley, you'll take a guided tour along a boardwalk and gravel path into a habitat that Alaskan brown bears are known to frequent. Carnival, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess, Regent, and Royal Caribbean. Be sure not to miss ShoreTrips' whale watching shore excursions, many of which include bear searching! https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/9160-not-so-live-blog-radiance-of-the-seas-alaska-southbound-83118/&do=findComment&comment=8383. Whats more, we 100% guarantee whale sightings on every whale watching tour (from May to September). Drive old logging roads to a picnic spot. We know where all the wilderness hotspots are. Date of experience: September 2017. 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. You will have to walk up and/or down a potentially steep ramp depending on the tide to access the floats where the boat will be. Do you offer any discounts or promotions? We also have 3 waterfront restaurants with breathtaking views offering some of the freshest seafood you will ever eat. We receive a constant stream of updates on the cruise ships timetables. Not into drinking or eating seafood. This is the most popular year in Alaska ever, so it doesnt surprise me that things are sold out. For a real Alaska speciality, head to the Cookhouse Restaurant and try the reindeer chilli or the Alaska Blue Burger, made with reindeer meat, blue cheese and merlot steak sauce. We care about our beautiful state and want to show it off in a genuine way while protecting and preserving the land and sea at the same time. The ticket agent for the sky glider was the one that advised us about the hike. We meet guests at the Icy Strait Point Excursions Hub. I'm coming down with FOMO though because this is a big trip to only have 4 days on land and I want to do it justice. Or, in the unlikely event you dont sight a whale, well refund you $100. If you are interested in a less tourist like experience, you might like this. We rarely cancel on our guests as the weather is typically pretty stable. Children as young as 6 years old can ride the zipline, and guests must be between the weight of 75 pounds and 275 pounds to enjoy this adventure. Guests must be able to walk over paved, gravel, and packed dirt surfaces, with inclines. But I feel confident that this list is both impartial but also informed by my expert advice. Valerie! His knowledge of area waters is unsurpassed and his desire to share it with you is second to none! Combo assemblies on tower 5. Seeing the humpback whales on our whale-watching tours or spying on the native bears of Chichagof Island will take your breath away. Your Kayak experience will take you into the peaceful waters of Port Frederick. Our Local Guides Provide an Intimate and Authentic Experience. Your excursion begins with a scenic drive along Gastineau Channel, and into the Ship Creek Valley. We disembarked from Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas a little after 1:00 pm on a go. Or that its the largest in the world kind of like Alaska is the largest state? But, Ive weighed the options and consider these nine to be the best Icy Strait Point and Hoonah cruise excursions. Owned by Huna Totem Corporation, Icy Strait Point is located 35 miles west of Juneau in Hoonah, Alaska on the Chichagof Island. My husband and I were excited to take the sky glider up to the top so we could do the Alice Lake trail 1.5 mile hike to hidden lake. 1. Things To Do In Hoonah / Icy Strait. Visiting in September of 2023. How is the Halibut shipped home for oyu. View All Alaska Cruise Lines; . Overview. Pedal a mountain bike along a nature trail to an old-growth rainforest, where you will enjoy a leisurely hike to a wonderfully picturesque beach. I also keep in mind some of the othertips on choosing Alaska cruise excursions Ive previously shared. Has anyone booked the whale watching excursion in Icy Strait Point through the ship (Radiance of the Sea)? Please dont worry; well know if your ship is delayed. We offer the lowest rates in Hoonah! View All Cruises, We're having trouble retrieving these cruises. It is totally safe! The home of Icy Strait Point Excursions. We do NOT have space to store wheelchairs or walkers on then van/bus or aboard the boat during your tour, even if they are the folding type. Approaching the lattice tower. Voyage through the untamed beauty from the comfort of our world-class ships, exclusive rail service and Princess Wilderness Lodges near national parks. During season 2016, the port handled 78 ship calls and ~160,000 cruise tourists. Beyond the cannery is the pick up for tours and the ( today free) shuttle to the local village of Hoonah. 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.