Icy Straight

[doktor71]

Any recommendations for excursions would be appreciated!

[JT1962]

Whale watching with Glacier Winds. If they are booked, try Hoonah Travel Adventures. Both were excellent.

[Italy52]

Second Glacier Wind -- great company.

[Sherrica]

We were on the whale watching tour offered by the Discovery Princess last month when our port stop changed from Skagway (due to the slide) to ISP.  It was excellent.  The boats were clean and comfortable, guides were good and we saw a lot of whales. We really enjoyed it a lot.

 

We also walked into the port and took the free gondola ride.  There's a gift shop up there, but most of the shopping is available in the old cannery.  If you like to walk and hike it's a good port for that (I don't get around so great, so I wasn't up for a lot of hiking).  We did walk down to the cannery shops and the museum and walked around there for a while.  There are some restaurants, but only one was open while we were there.

 

We were very glad that we decided to do the whale watch.  If you like zip lines, the folks who were doing that looked like they had a blast.

 

Have a great trip!

[mkkao924]

Our cruise (Encore departing today) also switched from Skagway to Icy Straight. If we are already doing whale watching in Juneau, what else should we do in Icy Straight? Given the short notice, not sure what our options are…

[ohmandi]

Hoonah ATV Tours.  Joe, a Hoonah native, is great!  2 or 4 seater Polaris with a pre-programmed GPS to guide you.  We just took the tour at the end of July.  Saw bears, bald eagles, fish jumping, streams, bridges, islands, and drove through the little town of Hoonah. Also, he has several safety features in place since you're off on your own.   When you exit the ship in Icy Strait Port, there is a free people mover that takes you to the (cruise line developed) shopping area.  There you can catch the shuttle ($5 round trip) into Hoonah.  Walk a few blocks from the shuttle stop to Hoonah ATVs.    It was a lot of fun and beautiful scenery!  

[realnice46]

3 hours ago, Sherrica said:

We were on the whale watching tour offered by the Discovery Princess last month when our port stop changed from Skagway (due to the slide) to ISP.  It was excellent.  The boats were clean and comfortable, guides were good and we saw a lot of whales. We really enjoyed it a lot.

 

We also walked into the port and took the free gondola ride.  There's a gift shop up there, but most of the shopping is available in the old cannery.  If you like to walk and hike it's a good port for that (I don't get around so great, so I wasn't up for a lot of hiking).  We did walk down to the cannery shops and the museum and walked around there for a while.  There are some restaurants, but only one was open while we were there.

 

We were very glad that we decided to do the whale watch.  If you like zip lines, the folks who were doing that looked like they had a blast.

 

Have a great trip!

I’m confused, I can’t find any information on free Gondola ride. I only see one  at $49.

[JT1962]

4 minutes ago, realnice46 said:

I’m confused, I can’t find any information on free Gondola ride. I only see one  at $49.

The free gondola runs between the 2 port areas - the original pier, now called Adventure Landing, and the new pier built with NCL, called Wilderness Landing. The Wilderness Landing area is where you can board the Gondola that takes you to the top of the mountain, which costs $ 49.

 

There is a nice trail between the 2 pier areas. I recommend walking from Adventure Landing to Wilderness Landing and taking the free gondola back, since it is primarily downhill in that direction, lol.

[realnice46]

1 minute ago, JT1962 said:

The free gondola runs between the 2 port areas - the original pier, now called Adventure Landing, and the new pier built with NCL, called Wilderness Landing. The Wilderness Landing area is where you can board the Gondola that takes you to the top of the mountain, which costs $ 49.

 

There is a nice trail between the 2 pier areas. I recommend walking from Adventure Landing to Wilderness Landing and taking the free gondola back, since it is primarily downhill in that direction, lol.

Thank you

[ohmandi]

1 hour ago, realnice46 said:

I’m confused, I can’t find any information on free Gondola ride. I only see one  at $49.

There was absolutely no information given about the gondola/people mover prior to getting off the ship.  Everything sounded like the shops were right at the port but they aren't.  When you walk off the ship there is one store, an information booth,  and the Gondola with a handwritten sign that says "free" stuck in one of the windows. You'll see the line but moves pretty quickly.  They also make accommodations for differently-abled people.  It's a nice little ride up the hill.  Also a nice 1/4 mile nature trail if you like.  We took the gondola into the shopping area and walked back.

[tetleytea]

On 8/7/2022 at 4:49 PM, mkkao924 said:

Our cruise (Encore departing today) also switched from Skagway to Icy Straight. If we are already doing whale watching in Juneau, what else should we do in Icy Straight? Given the short notice, not sure what our options are…

 

In a perfect world, I would book whale watching in Icy Strait and do something else in Juneau.  I assume that is not a real option for you, so I will say the whale watching in Juneau is still good.  Icy Strait, well...your other options run a little thin.  Others here have already cited the majority of them.

 

In the shops, there are a few items that are local to Hoonah (and not just cheesy stuff they shipped in from elsewhere).  But you have to look for them.  Our Tlingit tour guide who led us on bear watching has a few purses in the shops.  This is her livelihood.

 

[msbinky]

Beware if you arrive late in the evening like we did all the restaurants are closed.  It was also said that what they considered late season (we visited on August 2nd) some of the shops including the famous mini donuts were closed.  The port seems like it has potential and is very beautiful but we were disappointed and had to go back on the ship to eat (like everyone else it seemed).  
We purchased the gondola and tribal dance.  There is two parts to the gondola.  The first part is free and takes you up to a store and the other gondola which is higher and costs $49.  The top of the mountain also houses a nature trail which was closed due to bear sittings.  This is also where you get on the zip line and forest tram.  Beware for older people or those that don’t walk well the path is down hill and not paved (is rocks).  It was raining up there so kindof unsure footing.  The only time for the tribal dance was 8:30 and it was quite a distance from the dock.  They ended up taking people on a golf cart in order to get everyone back to the ship.

 

I imagine it is a fun place if you get there earlier in the day.  The dock workers bid a farewell with dancing and music.  Lots of repeat shops in the old cannery but also some local shops.

[tetleytea]

26 minutes ago, msbinky said:

I imagine it is a fun place if you get there earlier in the day.  

 

Absolutely.  That's when the wildlife likes to come out.  And wildlife is a lot of what ISP is all about.

[davidwar]

I've never zip lined in my life (I'm over 60; wife over 55) and this place says that the zip line here is the highest drop in the world (that's what they say; not sure if it is true) like being dropped off the Empire State Building..  When we are hopefully on the NCL Spirit next week,  we are booked on this zip line!  

 

Wish us luck!

[tetleytea]

You'll be fine.

[doktor71]

Can you slow your descent speed?

[tetleytea]

I rode other ziplines (but not Ziprider), and from watching people go in person, it seemed to me Ziprider was like a zipline on training wheels.  I could brake on some other ziplines (in fact, you could severely hurt yourself doing it), but I don't know about this one.

[Italy52]

If interested in the zipline, there is a great video on YouTube with the description:  Icy Strait Point Ziprider World's Longest Zipline dated June 8. 2022.  Shows you footage from start to finish.  Didn't post the link because I didn't know if it is permissible.

[SightCRR]

I have not ridden it but grand-kids have and they really enjoyed it. By putting both arms out it will slow descent a little. One arm out will rotate you. Ride is over in about 45 secs. We had them wear goggles since the speed is close to 60 mph and chance of fog in the mountains in the am is high. I don't think it is the longest in the world any more but in the top 6. It could well be the highest drop. Not sure about that. 

Icy Strait Point ZipRider: World’s Longest ZIPLINE | June 8, 2022 - YouTube

They can get rid of it if not allowed. 

sightcrr

Edited August 11, 2022 by SightCRR

[CutieKakes]

We also used Glacier Wind Charters...wonderful experience.  

[emceejay]

On 8/6/2022 at 10:44 AM, doktor71 said:

Any recommendations for excursions would be appreciated!

In Icy Strait:  I highly recommend Hoonah Whale Tours.  https://www.hoonahwhaletours.com

 

It is a family run business and there are only 6 passengers on the boat.

 

[mkkao924]

We just came back to Seattle today, and would like to provide some of our experience.

 

We had a full day there, from 8am to 11pm (the original Skagway schedule), but we didn’t book anything. We have a young kid in the group so zip line is not really an option.

 

The mini donut shop is still open, we did not try it.

 

The tribal dance has two shows (free), 3:30pm and 5:30 pm.

 

We ordered a Dungeness crab to try it out, it was good, but we liked Tracy’s (king crab) better.

 

It is truly a beautiful and peaceful place.

 

[tetleytea]

What a long port stop for Icy Strait!   Seems like they should offer some small boat Glacier Bay excursions if they're going to stay that long.

Edited August 15, 2022 by tetleytea

[happydaz]

Has anyone had experience with the NCL Mountaintop Forest Tram in Icy Strait?  Do they take you to the TOP of the mountain or just to the first observation spot that the Free Tram takes you to?  Any information will be appreciated.

[Kate-in-Canada]

On 8/11/2022 at 6:49 AM, doktor71 said:

Can you slow your descent speed?

nope.  Bits it’s worth it.  Zipline was one of my fav things I did in my port stops.