Welcome to Icy Strait Point and congratulations on being hired as one of our valuable team members.  We hope this experience is both rewarding and enriching.  It is the people who make Icy Strait Point unique, profitable and competitive.  It is through their lives and their eyes that our guests see the magic unfold, the place and experience come to life.

To prepare you for this exciting experience below is some helpful information to get you started on your way to a successful summer at Icy Strait Point.  If you have any questions please contact your hiring supervisor.  Here’s to a great 2019 season!

Icy Strait Point does not provide transportation to/from Alaska. Arrival into Hoonah is by way of Juneau. Access to Juneau and Hoonah is only by air and sea.

By Air:

The first step is to fly into Juneau; Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines provide jet service to and from Juneau, our Capital City.

The flight to Hoonah is approximately 20 minutes from Juneau and there is one regional carrier with scheduled service daily. There are several flights a day and they use small planes, the largest being a 9-passenger Caravan. The fare should be between $85 and $95, depending on when you book. 

• Alaska Seaplanes (www.flyalaskaseaplanes.com), 907-789-3331

By Ferry:

The State of Alaska has a ferry system that provides service to numerous communities in Southeast Alaska. There are usually three to four sailings a week and you can get details from FerryAlaska.com, or call 800-642-0066. The fare is approximately $45 per passenger between Juneau and Hoonah. 

It is also possible to take a ferry from Bellingham, Washington or Prince Rupert, British Columbia to Juneau and make a connection to the Hoonah ferry if you have several days to travel leisurely.  All ferries are passenger and vehicle ferries, so you can make your travel to Hoonah an exciting part of your summer experience.

Housing in Hoonah is difficult to find, and expensive.  Icy Strait Point provides two options for housing one is known as the Bunkhouse and the other is Container Housing.  Below you will find details of these two housing options.  If you have a preference on these two options please notify your supervisor and we will consider your request.  Final placement in housing will be determined by management.

Basics:

• Rent is $10 per person per day which will be collected as a payroll deduction.
• Rental agreement and $100 security deposit required. Tenants are expected to be respectful of the property and each other.
• Smoking is not allowed on the property nor is abuse of alcohol.

Provided:

• Sleeping rooms with two twin size beds, two dressers, two racks for hanging clothes, nightstands and lighting.
• Kitchen is fully equipped for preparation of meals.
• We also provide toilet paper, paper towels and dish detergent.  Employees are responsible for providing other consumables.
• Two washers and dryers are available at no charge for employee use.

Not Provided:

• Bed linens, pillows
• Food and other consumables.
• Combination lock or key lock for personal use.

The Bunkhouse consists of seven rooms shared by two, a common kitchen, dining and lounge area, and men’s and women’s bathrooms with two showers, toilets and wash basins.

The Container Housing consists of four containers shared by up to six people.  Each container consist of three rooms with two restrooms.  Each room in the container contains a bunk bed, TV, closet, small refrigerator and heater.  A common kitchen, dining and lounge area are located in a separate container nearby.

Icy Strait Point provides upper body uniform pieces – shirts and jackets – but it is your responsibility to provide your own bottom pieces and dark shoes.  Please clarify with your supervisor on the requirements for bottom pieces, such as black slacks, black jeans, etc. as each department may have different requirements.  We recommend water-proof shoes even if you work inside.  As clothes shopping is very limited in Hoonah, please plan to bring these items with you or order them well in advance so you can be in uniform before the first ship day.

Below are links for black slacks that are approved, be sure to order your slacks well in advance:

Womens’ Slacks

Mens’ Slacks

If you would like to ship any personal items for the season, you can choose one of the following options:

Post Office:

Flat rate boxes are the most economical way to get items to Hoonah in a timely manner.  We do not recommend shipping items via FedEx or UPS as there are no shipping facilities in Hoonah.  If you would like to ship items to yourself, please use the following address:

Icy Strait Point

ATTN: YOUR NAME

PO Box 583

Hoonah, AK 99829

Alaska Marine Lines/Lynden Transport:

If you have larger items you would like to ship and timing is not as important, you can contact Alaska Marine Lines.  Visit their website http://www.lynden.com/aml/ for additional details.

Employment with Icy Strait Point offers the following benefits:

• Earn up to $1,000 seasonal incentive and retention pay bonus.
• Free transportation to and from work.
• Free tours on a space available basis.
• 40% discount on meals purchased from ISP Food & Beverage venues.
• 25% discount on products from ISP Retail Shops.
• Free transportation on Allen Marine catamaran to/from Juneau.
• Annual Staff Olympics (get paid for a day of fun, games, and food).
• Uniforms.
• Employee Break Room (providing complimentary coffee, vitamin drinks, fruit and occasional meals and other snacks).
• Four complimentary tour tickets to give to your family or friends.

Hoonah is a small community and much of the joy of living here comes from the peaceful, outdoor, unique lifestyle. One must enjoy exploring and finding his/her own way of having fun; much of that comes from making friends and outdoor activities.

• Make friends with someone who has a boat and go fishing or whale watching
• Make friends with someone who has a vehicle and take a drive “out the road” to search for bears and other wildlife
• Make friends and have a picnic “out the road” or in town
• Go kayaking
• Play basketball
• Go berry picking
• Take a ferry or fly over to Juneau and see the sights, go shopping, take a hike, or go to a movie
• Go for a bike ride
• Take a ferry ride to another community in Southeast Alaska when you have a few days off
• Make your way through your summer reading list
• Go to the library
• Go swimming
• Exercise at the school gym

Hoonah is a very beautiful, but accessible remote location.  Below are some things you will not find in our community.

There is no shopping mall, movie theater, drug store, shoe store or clothing store. No bank, bowling alley, hotel, supermarket, florist or spa. No doctors, dentists, lawyers or realtors.

There are no hiking trails. Although we are in a rural, densely forested, largely uninhabited (by humans) location, there is a high concentration of Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears (or grizzlies) – roughly one bear for every 1.7 square mile. The trails belong to them.

• There are three miles of paved road from one end of town to the other. After that there are miles of old, unpaved logging roads. Driving about 25 miles will take you to the end of the road in two different directions.
• There are two small grocery stores and everything is flown or barged into town. Prices are high and variety of product is limited.
• There are four eating establishments in Hoonah, two of which have a bar. ISP has several additional food and beverage venues but is open for business only when a cruise ship is in port.
• There is one school in town (pre-school through Grade 12) which is out of session from around the third week of May through the third week of August.
• There are several churches, a health clinic, post office, a fish processing plant, a harbor, a marine store, a hardware store, a library, a coffee shop, a few ATMs and a liquor store. There is one small lodge and a few Bed and Breakfast facilities.
• Paychecks are issued every other Friday. Pay periods start on a Sunday and end on Saturday two weeks later. There is then a lag period of 6 days for processing of time and paychecks on the following Friday. You should arrive with enough money to survive until your first paycheck.

To learn more about Hoonah and Icy Strait Point view our website and visit the About Us and  Our History pages.  You can also view the 2019 ship calendar, this will give you an idea of the work schedule; expect to work ship days and some non-ship days, your supervisor will provide additional details.

• Icy Strait Point is an Alaska Native-owned cruise destination offering cultural and adventure experiences.
• It 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.
• Icy Strait Point is located 50 miles west of Juneau and 22 miles south of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve on Chichagof Island in Alaska’s Inside Passage. It sits on Port Frederick.
• Hoonah, Alaska’s largest Tlingit village, lies about 1.5 miles down the road, with a population of approximately 750 people. It is home to about 85 percent of Icy Strait Point’s employees.
• Icy Strait Point occupies more than 23,040 acres of beach and temperate rainforest and includes a restored 1912 salmon cannery, five restaurants and food vendors, 12 retail shops and merchandise outlets, nature trails and a museum.
• Visitors can participate in approximately 20 shore excursions, including the largest ZipRider zip line in the world; the only on-site Southeast Alaska brown bear viewing; whale watching; fishing; local cultural dances and oral histories; a cooking class; and kayaking.
• During excursions, knowledgeable local guides share historical and cultural accounts of the area, as well as experiences of daily life with guests.
• The dining experiences at Icy Strait Point are reflective of Alaska fare. Locally inspired dishes include Hoonah fish tacos made with fresh-caught cod, seafood chowder, reindeer or salmon sliders and reindeer chili.
• In 2018, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Viking Cruises, Hurtigruten, Azamara, Seabourn Cruises, Cunard Cruise Line, and Windstar Cruises will make 137 ship calls on Icy Strait Point between May and September.
• Icy Strait Point’s popularity has grown steadily over the years. Since 2004, more than a million cruise guests have visited Icy Strait Point. 

Tour Guides are required to study tour content prior to starting work for the season.

Download the 2019 Tour Guide Manual to get started.

All quizzes must be complete prior to starting work.  Please download the quizzes below and have your answers ready to turn into your supervisor prior to training.  You will not be able to begin the Guide Certification process until your quizzes are complete and accurate.

Tour Guide Quiz 1                                                         Tour Guide Quiz 5

Tour Guide Quiz 2                                                         Tour Guide Quiz 6

Tour Guide Quiz 3                                                         Tour Guide Quiz 7

Tour Guide Quiz 4

The tour manual also includes the master tour outline which includes the bus safety speech, site promotion, Tlingit introductions, and the tour outlines.

We are excited about the 2019 season. Please feel free to contact your supervisor with any questions that you may have.