After multiple visits to this intimate Alaska port, I finally found the perfect way to experience it: a gondola ride, a nature trail walk, and one unforgettable Bloody Mary.
After multiple visits to this intimate Alaska port, I finally found the perfect way to experience it: a gondola ride, a nature trail walk, and one unforgettable Bloody Mary.
I've been to Icy Strait Point before, but this visit with Celebrity Cruises felt different. The weather was phenomenal. The sun was out, temperatures around 20 degrees, and the water was so calm it looked like glass. Previous trips had included halibut fishing excursions (which were fantastic), but this time I wanted to slow down and really take in the port itself. Sometimes the best way to understand a destination is to simply be present in it.
The gondolas here are amazing. They carry you up to the highest point, and when you step out, you can look down on the water and the entire area spread out below. Everything felt very calm, very well laid out. The boardwalks wind through the port area with intention, and I spent probably an hour up top just absorbing the view and the fresh air. What struck me most was how welcoming the people are here. This is a place where indigenous culture is alive and honored. At certain times during the day, they light ceremonial fires and share their customs with visitors. Learning about the native culture here, seeing how they live in this region, adds a layer of meaning that stays with you.
Here's something most travelers would never figure out on their own: rather than taking the green gondola back down, my husband and I decided to walk the nature trail. It's about a 15-minute walk, and it's not level. There's a bit of a hill and an incline to it, but it was absolutely beautiful. The fresh air, the trees all around us, and then suddenly you catch glimpses of the ship through the branches. That view felt unusual and special because so often in port towns, you're in the middle of everything and the ship is just there, obvious. But here, walking that trail, it felt more natural, more connected to the landscape.
After our walk, we headed to the crab house for what I can only describe as a crazy Bloody Mary. It had crab, pickles, shrimp, all piled into one glass. I'm not a seafood fan myself, but my husband absolutely loved it. Just seeing that kind of local specialty, doing something unique to the destination, is always exciting. Those are the moments that make a port stop memorable.
What I appreciate about Icy Strait Point is that it doesn't require a long visit to make an impression. We arrived at eleven and were back on the ship by 2:30. It's not a big port, it's pretty small actually, but that intimacy is part of what makes it special. You don't need to rush from activity to activity. You can simply enjoy the beauty and the culture at your own pace.
Who Would Love This
If you're an outdoorsy, adventurous type, similar to travelers who love Seward or Denali, you would absolutely love this stop. It's perfect for anyone who enjoys learning about native culture and how people live in these remote Alaskan communities. You really are outdoors most of the time here, and while it helps when the sun is shining, I've been here when the weather wasn't fantastic and it was still very enjoyable.
Not every Alaska cruise includes Icy Strait Point, and that's something I now know to look for when recommending itineraries to my clients. This is one of those destinations that deserves to be experienced. The landscapes are still high on the list of beauty, still very much Alaska in all its glory. But there's something about the scale here, the calm, the cultural richness, that sets it apart. I can't wait to send the right travelers here, knowing exactly what awaits them.
Marcia White