"Icy Strait Point"

Hoonah’s tiny outlying communities like Elfin Cove, population 24, and Game Creek, population 23, would be included in the new borough’s boundaries.

It’s part of a national fish passage program that received $40 million in last year’s federal infrastructure law.

The new partnership has acquired an 80% majority share in Alaska Coach Tours, a Juneau-headquartered company they think can expand statewide.

While Hoonah welcomes the return of cruise ships, residents and visitors remain cautious during a recent rise in coronavirus cases in Alaska.

Royal Caribbean says nearly everyone aboard the Serenade of the Seas — 97% of passengers and crew — is vaccinated.

Norwegian Cruise Line is telling investors it’s raising $2 billion through a combination of stock offerings and private bonds that would be paid back first in the event of the cruise giant going bankrupt.

Alaska cruise ship visitors are expected to break new records for the fifth straight year, according to recent projections from an industry trade group.

Hoonah’s Icy Strait Point is positioning itself as one of Alaska’s top cruise ship destinations. But it’s been difficult to gauge local sentiment on the influx of visitors.

The Hoonah City Council has already tentatively agreed to lease city-owned tidelands. The 500-foot dock would be built in partnership by Huna Totem Corporation and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Passenger fees total about $45 million a year statewide, said John Binkley, president of Cruise Lines International Association Alaska. He said pooling that would allow other cities to boost their industries, too.