Thread: Icy Straits Point

Originally Posted by arlenedow

Hi,

We will be on the Summit arriving in ISP on June 22. We are booked to go on a whale watching tour with FISHES. Marjorie and Floyd have been HIGHLY recommended to us by friends who toured with them last spring. They only take 6 people. They have also been highly recommended on the CC board.

I can't speak from personal experience but from the reports I've had, this should be fabulous.!!

Hope this helps,

Arlene

Arlene, you'll have a good time. You'll definitely get the local feel to the area. He's very personable and I even have a picture in his brochure. I wish I was going to be with you!

Garry

Icy Strait Point wins as my favorite port hands down!!!

The whale watching great. The walking tour great. ..a lot of wild life. The "show" that the natives put on is not to be missed. Just being in the little village and talking to the very friendly locals is a fascinating experience. They not only will explain all the designs on their colorful native costume, but they happily pose for pictures.

Since I was on a B2B cruise, I stopped there twice, and enjoyed it greatly.

love
joan

Thanks Joan for the information. I am looking forward to stopping there in September.

Anyone going to ISP this year, PLEASE be sure to post your review when you return. I live up here, and I'm in Hoonah at least 3 times each month. The facility at ISP, however, is privately owned, and isolated from the villiage. At first it was treated as a "gated community" for tourists only. I'm still not allowed to tie my boat up and visit the restaurant there.

Icy Strait Point is the name of the facility built by Huna Totem Corp. (the corporation established for the people in that area as part of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971.)


DEFINATELY look around and book private tours here. They'll be WAY more personalized and a much better value for your dollar. (Besides, I'm always a fan of supporting small local businesses!) If you don't whale watch in Juneau, ISP is the place to do it. This is also the port with some of the most accessible bear viewing, so if you want to see bears, this is probably the best chance unless you have time to fly out of Juneau to go to Pack Creek.

For you glacier lovers, ISP isn't really the place to plan a major glacier excursion. Hoonah is on Chichagof Island, rather than the mainland, so it's not connected to the major ice-fields like Juneau or Skagway.

If it were me visiting these 3 ports (ironically, it will be me visiting these 3 ports later in the season... but the Can Can is a BIT smaller than any of the ships you'll be on!) I would Flightsee Glaciers and ride the train in Skagway, Fish, whale-watch and/or visit the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau, and Bear watch and walking (self) tour in ISP...

-Case

Case,
This September we will be stopping at IPS. We have cruised to Alaska several times, but this is the first time to IPS. We are planning on walking to Hoonah and checking out the area. I will write about it when we return.

I envy your return trip to Alaska John! It is easier from your home. It is a trip I could do over and over again. There is so much to see. I would love to do a long land tour up there!!