Helicopter Glacier Hike Skagway or Juneau? Need help please!

[jormot]

We want to do this excursion at some point during or cruise. We also want to do a whale watch in Juneau and the Glacier Point Wildness safari in Skagway. We are in Juneau from 11am-10pm and Skagway from 6:30am-9pm so I'm hoping to find a fit in one of those two ports where we can do two excursions. I have a few questions from. First, I know the helicopter tours can be cancelled. Is there a port (Juneau or Skagway) in which they are more likely to be cancelled? Is there a time of day that they are more likely cancelled? Second, since this is our first cruise how much time should we allow between excursions to make sure we can do both? For instance, in Skagway we would have 45 minutes between the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari and the Temsco Helicopter trek. Is this enough? Thanks so much!

[smrtypnts]

following as I'd love any info people may share.

[kctwinmommy]

Hmm... I know for me, personally, I'd be concerned booking 2 things in the same day, just due to the unknown. I'm including the link to my trip report, we did the Skagway one, and then helicopter in Juneau. I can't say if there's one place or another where it's cancelled more often than the other though. But I know it can happen for a variety of reasons. We had amazing weather for our helicopter trip though, but not on the ground, it was overcast and cloudy, but not up above! This excursion was not by the ship though, it was like a 20-30 minute ride to the airport.

 

The Skagway one does have limited time in a way though, since they were using the same boats to do things. So, we did the early morning one, like 7:30 a.m. or something like that. They took us to the camp, about a 70 minute ride, dropped us off, then went back to pick up the later group. I think their start time was like 10 or 11. Brought them there, dropped them off, picked us up and went back. I liked doing the earlier morning one though, so we did have some time when we got back. I'm just not sure if you'll have the time to go to another one. I mean, we left from and returned to the same dock where the ship was at, so it just depends on where the helicopter ride picks up.

 

This probably wasn't much help, but may give you some idea of the excursions you're talking about to help you decided which way to do things. And maybe someone has better help! :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2382500

[Budget Queen]

We want to do this excursion at some point during or cruise. We also want to do a whale watch in Juneau and the Glacier Point Wildness safari in Skagway. We are in Juneau from 11am-10pm and Skagway from 6:30am-9pm so I'm hoping to find a fit in one of those two ports where we can do two excursions. I have a few questions from. First, I know the helicopter tours can be cancelled. Is there a port (Juneau or Skagway) in which they are more likely to be cancelled? Is there a time of day that they are more likely cancelled? Second, since this is our first cruise how much time should we allow between excursions to make sure we can do both? For instance, in Skagway we would have 45 minutes between the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari and the Temsco Helicopter trek. Is this enough? Thanks so much!

 

Yes, you have time to do 2 tours. I do this frequently, and put all I can into a port day. Flights are equally canceled in both ports. You need to cobook tours, tell the vendor what you want to take, and go with their scheduled arrangement for you. With- the TEMSCO you've chosen in Skagway, this has little glacier trekking. If of interest to have way more time on the glacier, Northstar is a better tour.

[Sea Hag]

I don't know when you're going, but if it's early in the season your helicopter hike might be different if it's the same one we did some years back. We went in May that time, and the snow hadn't melted. So, our helicopter hike morphed into a train/snowshoe hike. The snowshoe hike is pretty awesome, so you may not care. And you may not be going early or booking the same helicopter hike we booked. :)

[Sacto Rick]

I just wanted to say that you will have a great time on the Glacier Point Wilderness SafarI! We had the pleasure to take that excursion last month. We loved it.