Riding the World's Largest ZipRider in Icy Strait Point, Alaska | Virgin Voyages

What makes Icy Strait Point one of Alaska's most unique cruise ports? It's a destination owned and operated by the Huna Tlingit community near Hoonah, Alaska, where wildlife viewing, heritage storytelling and adventure activities share equal billing with the scenery. It's the final stop in a Virgin Voyages Alaska port series that treats the people and history of a place as seriously as the zipline. Most Alaska cruise ports lean on glaciers and gift shops. Icy Strait Point does something different: heritage guides like Herb share their family's direct connection to the land, the Warrior Poles tell the story of the Huna Tlingit people through carved totems, and the port's famous ZipRider (currently the world's largest) sends riders flying 5,330 feet down a mountainside with the Alaskan coastline laid out below. For anyone planning an Alaska cruise from Seattle or Vancouver, it's a reminder that the best port days are the ones where the culture and the adrenaline rush are telling the same story.