Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has announced a partnership with Alaska Native-Owned Huna Totem Corporation to build a second cruise pier at Icy Strait Point in Hoonah, Alaska.
The pier is scheduled to be finished in time for the Summer 2020 Alaska cruise season and will be able to accommodate Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway Plus-class ships. The partnership will provide Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ brands with preferential berthing rights in the destination, allowing the company to add more itinerary calls to Icy Strait Point. Currently, Oceania Cruises’ Regatta, Seven Seas Mariner, Norwegian Jewel, and Norwegian Joy are scheduled to call there in 2019.
The new pier will also provide cruise guests with access to Icy Strait’s newly upgraded retail, restaurant, and shore excursion amenities – including the world’s largest ZipRider zip line, coastal brown bear viewing platforms, whale watching and fishing trips, cultural dances accompanied by oral histories, and more.
Icy Strait Point
The partnership will also benefit the Hoonah community, which is home to around 750 people.
“The economic impact that this expansion and Norwegian’s investment will have in Hoonah and the Southeast Alaska region is significant, and we’re looking forward to how our Alaska Native community can be a sustainable contributor to the future of Alaska’s cruise industry,” said Russell Dick, Huna Totem Corporation president and chief executive officer. “Icy Strait Point is one of the few Alaska cruise ship destinations where cruise passengers can step off the dock and into Alaska wilderness. We have the land, the capacity, and the hospitality to welcome more travelers into our home in an authentic way while maintaining our heritage and the values of our Native Tlingit culture.”
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Oceania Cruises.
