I AM SOOO CONFUSED. Mendenhall Heli/Glacier/Dogsled Q's

[badgambler]

We are booked on the NCL Star June 5th. This is our first cruise to Alaska...7th cruise overall.

We hate cruise tours and the herding cattle mentality and we prefer to book our own tours when we cruise. here are our questions.

 

We want to do the Mendenhall Glacier via helicopter. But is adding the dogsledding really, really worth the extra money?

 

There are six of us traveling. How many people does each helicopter hold?

 

From the visitor center, can you access the actual glacier or is it just looking at it from a distance?

 

Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!:D

[trophy_23]

Someone with a bit more experience may correct me, but from my experience 2x to Alaska the first time we did the Mendenhall visitor center and it was great but we didn't go on the glacier, not sure if you can access it from there or not. The second trip we took last May and my girlfriend took the ships glacier dogsledding tour. It was operated by Temsco and it was wonderful. The helicopter held 5 guests and the scenery and weather was spectacular! It was quiet expensive but I thought it was well worth doing once. They put passengers in according to weight, so you may not get the seat you want but the view is fine from all seats. I have pictures of the excursion if you want to email or pm me. Highly recommended!!

[Budget Queen]

The helicopter tours are very different, and only YOU can decide their worth to you. I definately suggest , EACH person makes their own choice. I highly doubt all 6 are of equal clones? :)

 

NO you have NO access to the glacier from the visitor center side. And the "access" is hours via hike, with only a guide recommended from the west side, if you have no experience with glacier trekking.