Icy Strait Point cruise port

Whales guaranteed, a 5,495 foot zip line and a Tlingit cannery village at Hoonah.

Icy Strait Point is a purpose-built cruise stop owned by the Huna Tlingit of Hoonah, a restored 1912 salmon cannery on Chichagof Island 35 miles west of Juneau. Ships dock at two piers, the Wilderness Landing and the Adventure Center dock, linked by a free gondola, and the day is about humpback whales at Point Adolphus, brown bears on the Spasski River and the world’s largest ZipRider off the top of Hoonah Mountain. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Icy Strait Point from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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Docked2 piers, walk-off; free Transporter gondola between them

Hoonahthe Tlingit village is 1.5 miles away by shuttle or shore path

Jun to Augpeak whale season, highs in the low 60s

All inevery price includes taxes and fees

Start here

Three ways to do Icy Strait Point

Chase whales and bears, ride the mountain, or stroll the cannery and Hoonah on your own; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Wildlife

Whales at Point Adolphus, bears on the Spasski

Whale and Marine Mammals Cruise, about 2.5 hours, about $170; the port guarantees a sighting or refunds your money
Spasski River Valley Wildlife and Bear Search by bus, about 2.5 hours, about $185
Combined whale, wildlife and bear search, about 5.5 hours for the full day

Best for: first-timers, wildlife photographers, families with older kids

Adrenaline

ZipRider off Hoonah Mountain

5,495 feet long, 1,320 foot drop, up to 60 mph, six side-by-side lines so your group rides together
Red Mountain Top gondola to the launch is included, about 1.5 hours door to door
About $200 per rider as of 2026; 75 to 275 pounds, sells out in summer

Best for: thrill seekers, teens, bragging rights

On your own

Cannery, gondola and Hoonah for free

Free cannery museum, Tlingit dance and the shops in the 1912 cannery line
Free Transporter gondola between the piers and a shore boardwalk to the beach
Walk or shuttle 1.5 miles to Hoonah, the largest Tlingit village in Alaska

Best for: budget travelers, walkers, culture lovers

Live from the cruise lines

Icy Strait Point cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Icy Strait Point from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Icy Strait Point

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

Where you start

Home ports that sail to Icy Strait Point

Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.

SeattleNorwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival and Celebrity 7 night round trips use Icy Strait Point in place of a Skagway or Sitka call. VancouverHolland America, Disney, Celebrity and Norwegian round trips and one-way Glacier sailings with an Icy Strait day. Seward (Anchorage)Southbound Gulf of Alaska cruises from Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Holland America call here between Juneau and the glaciers. Whittier (Anchorage)Princess Voyage of the Glaciers sailings sometimes add Icy Strait Point on the southbound leg. San Francisco10 and 11 night Princess round trips that include Icy Strait Point among five or six Alaska calls. Los AngelesLonger 10 to 14 night Alaska sailings in spring and fall.

In port

Things to do at Icy Strait Point

Everything starts at the cannery; tours leave from the Adventure Center and the gondolas take you up the mountain or across to the far pier.

Whale and Marine Mammals CruisePoint Adolphus, a few miles across the strait, is one of the densest summer humpback feeding grounds on earth. About 2.5 hours on a covered catamaran with a naturalist, about $170 adult, and Icy Strait Point guarantees a whale sighting on every trip.

World’s Largest ZipRiderSix parallel lines drop 1,320 feet over 5,495 feet of cable at up to 60 mph from the top of Hoonah Mountain to the beach. About $200 including the gondola up, about 1.5 hours, riders 75 to 275 pounds.

Spasski River Valley Wildlife and Bear SearchA bus and boardwalk tour into the valley where Chichagof’s brown bears, which outnumber the island’s people, fish for salmon. About 2.5 hours, about $185; sightings are frequent but not guaranteed, eagles are.

Mountain Top gondola and forest tramRide the red gondola 6 minutes to the top of Hoonah Mountain for views over Icy Strait and the Fairweather range, then a covered tram through the old-growth forest. About $60 for the gondola alone, about $120 with the tram, both ADA accessible.

Cannery Museum and Tlingit cultureThe 1912 Hoonah Packing Company cannery is a free museum with the original canning line, plus a Native dance performance at the Heritage Center theater and a dozen shops selling Alaska Native art.

Hoonah villageA 1.5 mile shore road or a short shuttle to the largest Tlingit community in Alaska: totem poles, the Huna Totem carving shed, a general store and a harbor full of working boats. Free, allow 2 hours.

Ocean Raft and Back Country JeepHigh-speed open ocean raft rides along the cliffs for wildlife, about $220, or drive your own jeep convoy on logging roads through the island’s interior, about $230; both about 2 hours.

Crab House and the beach boardwalkDungeness crab and a Bloody Mary at The Crab House on the water, or smoked salmon at Duck Point Smokehouse, then the free boardwalk along the beach between the two piers.

Pick your style

Which lines call at Icy Strait Point?

Every major Alaska line now calls here, from Norwegian, which helped build the second pier, to Disney, which signed a 15 year agreement.

      NorwegianThe most frequent visitor: Bliss, Encore, Joy and Jewel from Seattle and Vancouver, with the Wilderness Landing pier built for its biggest ships.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Royal CaribbeanOvation, Quantum and Anthem of the Seas from Seattle and Seward on Glacier and Inside Passage sailings.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      PrincessSeattle, San Francisco and Whittier sailings that pair Icy Strait Point with Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Holland AmericaVancouver and Seattle round trips and one-way cruises with a full Icy Strait day.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      CelebrityCelebrity Edge and Solstice from Seattle, Vancouver and Seward.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Carnival7 night Seattle round trips with Icy Strait Point as the wildlife day.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      DisneyDisney Wonder from Vancouver; Disney has preferred access here through at least 2041.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Oceania and RegentOceania Riviera and Seven Seas Mariner on 7 to 11 night Alaska sailings from Seattle and Vancouver.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
    

Timing

When to go

Icy Strait is cool and showery all season, highs in the 50s and 60s; the whales are thickest from June to early September, and July and August are the busiest weeks for ZipRider tickets.

MayHighs around 50, frequent showers, the first humpbacks arriving at Point Adolphus and bears out of the den on the shore; quiet port with easy tour bookings.

June to JulyThe sweet spot: highs in the low 60s, long daylight, dozens of whales feeding off the point and salmon starting in the Spasski; book the ZipRider and whale boat before you sail.

AugustPeak bear month as the pink salmon run, whales still everywhere, a little more rain; the busiest days with two ships in.

September to OctoberCooler, 40s and 50s, rain most days and about 14 hours of daylight, but tours are easy to get and fares are at their lowest.

Good to know

Icy Strait Point questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock at Icy Strait Point and how far is town?

Two walk-off piers: the Adventure Center dock (also called Ocean Landing) right beside the cannery, and the Wilderness Landing pier about half a mile along the shore, built in 2021 for the largest ships. A free Transporter gondola links the two in 6 minutes, with a boardwalk if you would rather walk. Nothing tenders at Icy Strait Point anymore unless a third ship is in. Hoonah village is 1.5 miles further on by free shuttle or the shore road.

How do I get around?

The whole site is car-free and designed for walking: boardwalks, the two gondolas and small electric carts for guests who need help. Tours leave from the Adventure Center by bus or boat, and the shuttle to Hoonah runs all day. There are no taxis or rental cars to speak of.

What currency, language and time zone?

US dollars and English, with Tlingit spoken and taught in Hoonah. Alaska Time, one hour behind Seattle and Vancouver. Cell signal is patchy; it is best near the building at the end of the Adventure Center dock, and the restaurants have Wi-Fi.

Is Icy Strait Point safe?

Yes, it is a private, staffed port village. The real caution is bears: Chichagof Island has one of the densest brown bear populations in Alaska, so stay on the boardwalks and marked trails, walk in groups toward Hoonah and never carry food on the shore path.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

Whale watching, and it is the rare tour with a guarantee: see a whale or get your money back. Most tours here are the port’s own and are sold through the cruise lines at about the same price, so book through the ship; they fill up weeks ahead in July and August, especially the ZipRider.

Do I need a passport for an Alaska cruise?

Round trips from Seattle, San Francisco or Los Angeles are closed-loop sailings, so US citizens may sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate, but we recommend a passport. Cruises that start or end in Vancouver, Seward or Whittier, and any one-way sailing, require a valid passport.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.

Talk to an Icy Strait Point cruise specialist

We will match you with the Alaska sailing that includes Icy Strait Point on the right date for whales and bears, with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit on top. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560