Porthole Cruise News Briefs – March 4, 2016

The new, 400-foot floating dock at Icy Strait Point, the Alaska Native–owned and –operated cruise ship destination along the Inside Passage, is 99 percent finished and ready for the first ship calling on May 11. The facility on wild Chichagof Island near Hoonah, Alaska, also includes a 7,000-square-foot, wood-beam, Tlingit-style Adventure Center; and Duck Point Smokehouse restaurant, where guests can enjoy the views of Port Frederick and search for marine wildlife from their seats on an outdoor, covered patio while dining on house-made smoked salmon, fresh Alaska seafood dishes, specialty pizzas, and fresh crab tater tots. Cruise lines calling on Icy Strait Point include Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Princess Cruises.

Guests sailing on Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic will be able to create lasting works of art and support communities in the Galápagos with Make Art, Make a Difference. The program, offered on select voyages this August and September, includes renowned artists Amy Bartlett Wright and Jonathan Alderfer sharing insights on how to truly see, and represent, the docile creatures of the islands. Guests can participate in drawing sessions on board and ashore while learning about natural history and the art of observation. The program also includes keepsakes from Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund’s trash-to-treasure transformation programs: a recycled glass workshop on Santa Cruz, and the Paper to Pearls program, which has local artisans transform recycled paper into jewelry.

Crystal Cruises is returning to the Northwest Passage. Beginning August 15, 2017, Crystal Serenity will sail a 32-day voyage across the Arctic Ocean from Anchorage, Alaska, to New York City via the same route first completed successfully by Roald Amundsen more than 100 years ago. Booking opens on March 7 with all-inclusive fares starting at $21,855 per person, double occupancy, if booked by April 29, 2016. “Given the tremendous response to our inaugural Northwest Passage sailing in 2016, it’s clear that discerning travelers continue to value rare and memorable experiences as much as they prize unmatched luxury,” says Crystal’s CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez.

Seabourn Encore celebrated another milestone today, touching water for the first time. At a ceremony marking the occasion, ship “madrina” Marnie Tihany cut the cord to begin the water flow to the ship’s building dock. The ship’s introduction to the water is the final step before she floats out from dry dock to her outfitting dock at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy.

^{Photo: Icy Strait Point}

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