Worth tendering at Icy Strait Point?

[LeftcoastBC]

just another saying if you are able to do the very short tender..do it. Nice boardwalk for a stroll and the workings of the old Cannery are pretty cool.

I enjoyed watching the Zip Liners in their final moments. Glad I'm not young cause someone would make me do IT. Wild finish sometimes.

 

Been there twice and each time the best Whale viewing right from the ship.

 

The big commercial Ships tour for whales looked a bit crowded. :(

[donaldsc]

You will probably not ever be there again. You have maybe 3 or 4 ports max in AK. How could you not go ashore?

 

With regards to your idea of sitting on the ship and hoping that the whales come to you - it makes no sense. The ship anchors where it is safe to anchor. The whale tours go to places where they can maximize the chances of their clients seeing whales on the day and at the time of the tour. Is it likely that these 2 places will be in the same location? Even if there is a whale that comes close to the ship, you have a 50% chance of being on the right side to see it.

 

Go on shore and do something.

 

DON

[phoenix_dream]

What a shame. It's a wonderful place - so much to see - even if you just wander aimlessly. :)

(Should also mention that only one ship is allowed on any given day, so never ever crowded.)

 

I am with you 100%. To each their own I guess, but unless someone has serious concerns about tendering in general due to mobility issues (which can generally be handled quite well in all but the most inclement weather) I cannot imagine not going ashore here.

 

This port has what a lot of ports only wish they still had - authenticity! Yes, the immediate port area itself was built for the cruise ship industry so I recognize a bit of irony in my comment. But wander around a bit, go into the local town down the road, and you can experience Alaska as it is meant to be. We have also enjoyed the whale watching excursion on one visit - not as good as the private one in Juneau but nice none-the-less. On other visits (two) we just walked around the shopping area, walked into the woods a bit, and once walked down into town (took the bus one way). Very relaxing and enjoyable.

 

For fellow travelers in their AARP years as I am, do not worry about visiting this port. The shopping area is right off the short pier, and you can easily walk beyond that for a bit and enjoy the crisp, cool outdoors if you would like. Take the bus into town and stroll around a bit. No there are not a lot of 'attractions' per se, but it would be a shame not to experience the port IMHO.

[Northern Aurora]

Folks who come to our state looking for yet another Diamonds International will be very disappointed in ISP/Hoonah. The first time we visited ISP/Hoonah my husband's immediate reaction was that Hoonah is a clone of what Ketchikan was when he worked there one summer in the mid-1970s. Ketchikan now is so touristy is doesn't resemble the fishing community it once was. I find ISP a breath of fresh air.

[JimAOk1945]

We have been to Alaska twice, and we think ISP is the best, unspoiled port of call on either one of our cruises there so far. Except for the zip line, it is more of what we hoped to see in Alaska. We went on a bear watch/whale watch combo ship sponsored tour that was fantastic!

 

The tender ride we had was short, quick, and very smooth both going ashore and going back to the ship.

 

Perhaps the OP's question is age related/mobility type concerns since the OP lists there ages as 72+.

Edited June 16, 2014 by JimAOk1945

[alcpa1]

We sing the praises of Icy Straits Point to anyone with this stop on their itinerary. We truly enjoyed the freedom to wander after many days of excursions. We stopped in one of the few shops in Hoonah, struck up a conversation with the owner and she gave us great advice for safe wanderings. She also grew up less than 15 miles from our little town in Alabama....small world.

Now for my best piece of advice.....Go to the aft bar or higher when the ship leaves port. You may see wildlife returning to the shore as the ship slowly sails away. You are indeed sailing in a strait, and a narrow one at that. It's one of the best sail aways we have had in almost 40 cruises.

Have a wonderful cruise!

[HokiePoq]

As first time cruisers we will be on the June 22 Celebrity Century 7 day Hubbard Glacier cruise. At Icy Strait Point should we wait for the tender to go ashore, or just stay on the ship? Any suggestions? We are 72+.

 

 

This is my DH's favorite port ever. It was also on our very first cruise! We did the zip line. It was also the first and last time I let him book an excursion as I've afraid of heights, lol. (DH shamed me as there was a lady over 80 who did it and had a blast.) A bus takes you to the top of a small mountain and you zip all the way down to the bottom near the coast. Scared as I was, I have to say it was absolutely beautiful. We also did the whale watching from there which was good, too, and freed us up for other things at other ports that offered that. Tablemates walked to the village of Hoonah and enjoyed that rather than taking an excursion.

Only a few ships each season get to go to Icy Strait Point. Don't miss it!

Edited June 16, 2014 by HokiePoq

[fleckle]

They have paved the path along the waterfront between Icy Strait Point and Hoonah, making it a much smoother and easier walk for those with mobility issues.

 

The last time we were there it was raining. I didn't want to bother taking an umbrella on the tender, so figured I would just wander around inside the buildings and come right back to the ship.

 

But up at the top of the ramp they were giving out large umbrellas, free, to all the passengers. It was wonderful being able to wander around all over the boardwalks and paths and stay dry under those huge umbrellas.

 

I felt like Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain (for those old enough to remember Singing in the Rain). People were even walking around down on the beach with those big umbrellas.

 

It was much better than bringing your own umbrella because you dropped it off right before heading back down to the tender, so you did not need to take a dripping wet umbrella back on the tender with you.

 

Icy Strait Point is so beautiful and peaceful, with great scenery and good chances to see wildlife. Eagles and seals can be spotted from the tender and the shore, and sometimes the humpbacks come in close to the ship or close to the pier.

If you book a whale watching tour there, they take you out to Pt. Adolphus, a prime feeding area for humpbacks.

 

They originally had a limit of one cruise ship per day, but now they allow two ships with only a slight overlap, one arriving in the morning and the other in the afternoon, as when the Millennium and Century both anchored there on the same day.

 

The first time we were ever on a ship that stopped at Icy Strait Point, as they welcomed each arriving passenger they handed you a wood chip, to make a wish and toss into the bonfire.

It was a nice custom and I am sorry that they stopped doing it.

 

Edited June 16, 2014 by fleckle

[novice2014]

WE ARE CONVINCED, and now we can hardly wait to explore Icy Strait Point, walk on the boardwalk, possibly take the bus to and from town, taste that fish and chips, and--who knows--may be some excursions on our next cruise(s)!!! :) Thank you SO much!

[sailinglisa]

Christine - gorgeous pics! Thanks for sharing.

[kissmeyoufool]

One of the least commercialized ports. We went bear watching with Keith and highly recommend him.

 

http://www.teckkoutfittersicystrait.com/index.html

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

 

WE did the same thing with Keith we had a great time saw 13 bears got some excellent photos the Naturalist on the ship just happened to e friends with Keith and came along for the ride making it a very special day. He found us of the ship and had dinner with us one night such a interesting man wish I could remember his name

[BecciBoo]

At the very least you should go ashore. The temperate rain forest which the walking trail goes through is worth seeing, gorgeous! And it's a very easy walk.

 

Lots of nice shops too. But a word to the wise, if you elect to purchase an Ulu (Alaskan curved knife) be sure to spend upwards of $50. The cheaper ones are not worth having. Get a real one. You may spend $100 or more even, but the more expensive ones will last and keep an edge...I know from experience:o

Edited June 17, 2014 by BecciBoo

[harz99]

WE did the same thing with Keith we had a great time saw 13 bears got some excellent photos the Naturalist on the ship just happened to e friends with Keith and came along for the ride making it a very special day. He found us of the ship and had dinner with us one night such a interesting man wish I could remember his name

 

Milos by any chance?

[gem lady]

Cap't Floyd with F.I.S.H.E.S. will take you on the best whale watching tour ever. His wife will pick you up at the gate and take you to his boat. Best excursion we have ever been on.

[A Sixth?]

Milos by any chance?

 

Great Guy!!!!

 

 

[Suzanne123]

We were just wondering about the tendering part--how long wait to and from ship, how long ride, how choppy, how easy/difficult to get on /off the lifeboat--all that. It seems with nice weather and a calm sea, it should be a very worthwhile experience, but otherwise we should for whale-watching from our balcony! :) thanks!

 

Here are a couple pictures of the Solstice. You can see the distance from the ship to shore. I booked this cruise just to see Hoonah. --Was not disappointed :)

Edited June 17, 2014 by Suzanne123

[gimletgal]

Here are a couple pictures of the Solstice. You can see the distance from the ship to shore. I booked this cruise just to see Hoonah. --Was not disappointed :)

 

Nice photo showing the short distance to the pier. However, that is definitely NOT the Solstice! ;)

[rjeffler]

Just got back on Friday and ISP was one of our favorite spots. There was a whale bubblenet feeding right off the shore. We did a whale watching tour with FISHES and it was great. Saw whales, dolphins, sea otters, sea lions, eagles and a bear! One of the highlights of our trip.

 

It is definitely worth getting off the boat and just walking the shoreline!

[kissmeyoufool]

Milos by any chance?

I do not think that was his name we were on the Mercury and it was 2010 if this helps any

[Suzanne123]

Nice photo showing the short distance to the pier. However, that is definitely NOT the Solstice! ;)

 

So sorry! I had the Solstice on my mind, but yes we were on the Millennium.