Icy Strait Point Tempts Cruise Passengers With Alaskan Culinary Delights

When Icy Strait Point, the Alaskan Native cruise ship destination near Hoonah, Alaska, welcomed its first cruise ships of the season this month, it greeted travelers with several new tastes of the region. Known for sharing the area’s Tlingit culture with guests through 22 shore excursions, Icy Strait Point recently teamed up with regional purveyors to capture the flavors of Southeast Alaska, adding exclusive beverage products to restaurant menus that are already full of dishes showcasing Alaska seafood and regional ingredients.

Sitka-based Baranof Island Brewing Co. created a specialty beer for the cruise ship destination called Cannery Red, only available to visitors at Icy Strait Point. The name of the beer reflects the history of the restored Hoonah Packing Co. cannery at Icy Strait Point, which now houses several gift shops and a museum in its bright red building.

Heritage Coffee in nearby Juneau also developed a Mug Up brand of coffee to be served exclusively in Icy Strait Point’s Mug Up café and restaurants. The first two blends to be released are the aptly named Smooth Sailin’ and its hyper-caffeinated alternative, In-seine-ity, named for the seine boats that fish the area waters. The Mug Up brand is an ode to the Hoonah Packing Co. cannery workers of years past who would drink mugs of coffee to power through long, intense shifts at the cannery processing fish when the fishing boats came in due to the lack of refrigeration.

The Crab Station at Icy Strait Point, which has been serving guests fresh wild Alaska crab for years, will be offering up a new drink specialty this season as well. A twist on the traditional Bloody Mary, the drink will feature a crab leg, shrimp, sea asparagus garnish (a local specialty), lime and a salted rim. Guests can pair their Bloody Mary with their choice of Dungeness, king or tanner crab, all of which are taken out of the water live and then cooked and served up fresh.

“We’ve worked for over a decade toward incorporating local culture and crafts and regional food into each guest’s experience here,” said Stuart Campbell, Icy Strait Point’s food and beverage director. “It makes sense to work with local brands and products from Southeast Alaska to bring visitors at Icy Strait Point the most unique trip possible.”

Since its inception in 2004, Icy Strait Point has been on a mission to share the Huna Tlingit culture with its guests. An understanding of the area and its peoples’ relationship with the land is one of the most important lessons a visitor can take away. Icy Strait Point is a wholly owned and operated subsidiary of Huna Totem Corporation, the village corporation owned by approximately 1,350 Alaska Natives with aboriginal ties to Hoonah and the Glacier Bay area. Located 50 miles west of Juneau and 22 miles south of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Icy Strait Point is the only privately owned cruise ship destination in Southeast Alaska. The former Hoonah Packing Co. Cannery building complex was restored to house the destination’s museum, gift shops, restaurants, and theater. For more information on visitor activities, visit icystraitpoint.com.

Between May and September 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Holland America Line will make 73 ship calls on Icy Strait Point. Approximately 130,000 cruise passengers are arriving this summer—double the volume of Icy Strait Point’s first season in 2004.

Images Courtesy of Icy Strait Point