Cruise Buzz

Icy Strait Point readies for 2015 cruise season

When Norwegian Sun arrives to Icy Strait Point on May 11 it will mark the official first day of the 2015 cruise season. Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Holland America Line and Ponant will make 77 ship calls on the private, Alaska Native-owned cruise ship destination. It is estimated that between May and September, approximately 144,500 passengers will call on Icy Strait Point, a 3 percent increase in visitation over 2014. For Ponant, this will be the French cruise line’s inaugural year sailing to Alaska.

Over the past 11 years, Icy Strait Point has significantly grown cruise ship visitation by increasing its number of shore excursions and investing to improve overall guest experience. Today, the Inside Passage destination is Royal Caribbean’s 2014 Tour Operator of the Year, an award judged on an in-depth financial review that revealed Icy Strait Point had the highest gross revenue per port per day out of 527 tour operators around the world. This award serves not only as validation of Icy Strait Point’s successful relationships with its cruise partners, but also its Tlingit community.  The cultural tourism venture holds true to its mission of advancing the economic aspirations and culture of the ”Xúna Kaawu” (the people of Hoonah).

Did you know: Icy Strait Point has one of the world’s longest zip-line?

Icy Strait Point will continue to grow sustainably: construction of the new pier will be underway soon. The new floating pier, scheduled for completion in September, is a significant investment in Icy Strait Point’s future and will improve accessibility for large cruise ships and passengers. By May 2016, a new Tlingit-style, wood-beamed welcome center and excursion departure lounge will be in place and a new transportation center will streamline excursion departures for guests.

Learn more about Icy Strait Point

ShoreFox.com reports that “Icy Strait Point is located near the town of Hoonah, the largest native Tlingit Indian settlement in Alaska. Hoonah was settled 2,000 years ago by the Tlingit. Fur traders arrived in Hoonah in 1880s bringing the first infrastructure into the region. In 1912, the Hoonah Packing company built the first cannery in the area. In 1944, when a fire destroyed major parts of Hoonah, many people called the cannery buildings their temporary home while the city was rebuilt.”

Icy Strait Point is build around the Hoonah Packing Company building, an old salmon cannery converted into a tourist attraction especially for cruise visitors. Icy Strait Point is actually privately owned by the Huna Totem Corporation.

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Sources: Icy Strait Point and ShoreFox.com.