Looking for expert input on Alaska excursions.

[bobert]

My family of three are going on the Radiance 8/10/07. For us this may be a once in a lifetime trip and while we do not want to overspend I am trying to convince my family that we must choose wisely as we may not get back again. My DW is afraid to book through private operators while I have had good luck with them here in the Caribbean. We are looking at:

 

 

1) the Neets Bay Bear Cruise in Ketchikan

 

2) a helicopter tour onto a glacier in Juneau, not sure which

one, but probably one of the RCL offered options

 

3) the White Pass Railway and Yukon Bus excursion offered by

RCL

 

4) then a whale watching cruise in Icy Point, here I am trying

to convince my DW to try a private option

 

My questions are is the whale watching better in Juneau or IPS?

 

Is it a mistake not to try the RCL Glacier Bay Flightseeing?

 

If I must choose between a helicopter glacier landing or the Glacier Bay Flightseeing which is the one to pick or should I rework our plans to do both( these are the two most pricey excursions)?

 

Is the Neets Bay Bear Cruise the best big land mammal option at this time of year?

 

If you only expected to get here once and you really loved nature and animals is there another opinion that should be considered?

 

Is there an obvious question that I did not know to ask?

 

The help of all experienced Alaskan cruisers is greatly appreciated. I have been scanning this board for some time and I am particularly impressed with the opinions of Yukon and Budget Queen but all input is greatly appreciated as this has become the focal point of our family and they are starting to wonder if we are already too late to book the best options. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Yukon]

I've been thinking about your questions for a while, and I keep coming up with the statement that you're splitting hairs now, trying to decide between several superb excursions. Some people will have had great days on one excursion, some on another (for example the heli-glacier tour and the Glacier Bay flight), but it really depends on the specific day and on things you can't control. The suggestions that I will make are to go with private operators for both Icy Strait whale watching (F.I.S.H.E.S. and Tekk both get great reviews - we had an amazing trip with FISHES last year) and the Skagway rail-bus tour (to get a smaller bus and more personal service - Chilkoot and Frontier are excellent).

 

Murray

[Budget Queen]

I agree, you have some great tour choices. For your Ketchikan bear tour- Neets Bay is totally ship contracted with Pro Mech. Great tour, but in your timeframe, I do give an edge to Anan, independent. I have been to both locations.

 

I greatly prefer independent helicopter tours in Juneau, ERA- a large ship contractor, is a little less personal and more shuttle like. You also can get some cost savings- may be a plug for independent for your husband. All the operators will give you a fantastic tour. I have gone with all the companies except Northstar.

 

Independent is definately the way to go out of Hoonah, they go out for close to twice as long as the ship tours- again- be certain to promote this to your husband. Longer is ALWAYS better for wildlife viewing opportunities. This is a big humpback area.

 

Frankly, I would just go ahead and book your tours, THEN tell your husband the itinerary, you have planned for him. :) Murray and I are giving you completely accurate information for the better tour options. Consider them.

[mbmadeline]

I booked all of my excursions with independant operators as were recommended on this site. Each and everyone of them were so kind, so accomodating and so helpful. The only one that I needed to book through the ship was the helicopter out of Juneau. I was going to book it directly and the owner told me that they recommend that I book it with Royal Caribbean directly ...because it was the first flight of the day...I needed to get off the ship on a tender early...Royal Caribbean gives priority for tenders to people who are booked through them and must get off first to make an early morning copter trip... Even Orca who I booked privately was so nice to switch my tour time from 12:30 to 3:00 after I booked and paid for it ...to allow me to fit in a glacier trek and be able to still get to Orca on time...they even offered to drive me directly there to the boat and skip check in at the building if I was running late. Independants were amazingly helpful. Great experience booking them all. I did go with an independant ... FISHES at Icy Point ... as was recommended here.

[bobert]

Thanks for the input guys. BQ- can you give me any info on finding an independant for Anan.

[fti]

Thanks for the input guys. BQ- can you give me any info on finding an independant for Anan.

 

I am not BQ but here are vendors I gathered from CC through extensive review of past threads re: bears.

 

Island Wings

Southeast Aviation

Carlin Air

Alaskaseaplanetours.com

Pro Mech Air promechair.com

Family Air

 

Be sure that they have the permits for the day you want to be there.

 

Forest Service photo website (can also get to other info on Anan from here):

 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/naturewa...anan_photo.htm

[fti]

You also can get some cost savings- may be a plug for independent for your husband.

 

Frankly, I would just go ahead and book your tours, THEN tell your husband the itinerary, you have planned for him. :) Murray and I are giving you completely accurate information for the better tour options. Consider them.

 

I believe the OP is the husband since the poster said the DW (dear wife) is afraid to book independent.

[bobert]

What private operators do recomend for a heli- glacier tour in Juneau?

[bobert]

Thanks fti.

[Budget Queen]

I am not BQ but here are vendors I gathered from CC through extensive review of past threads re: bears.

 

Island Wings

Southeast Aviation

Carlin Air

Alaskaseaplanetours.com

Pro Mech Air promechair.com

Family Air

 

Be sure that they have the permits for the day you want to be there.

 

Forest Service photo website (can also get to other info on Anan from here):

 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/naturewa...anan_photo.htm

 

Pro Mech is completely ship contracted and they will not book independent passengers from cruise ships. Usually no space anyway. Alaska Sea Plane tours does not go to Anan with their scheduled bear tours. .

[Budget Queen]

What private operators do recomend for a heli- glacier tour in Juneau?

 

Coastal Helicopters, and TEMSCO. Northstar Trekking for glacier trek helicopter tours.

[penguin6969]

Hello, just returned from our Alaska Cruisetour on board the Radiance (great ship I may add). We book our excursion thru RCCL directly. The BEST excusion we have ever been on. We booked the helicopter ride over 4 glaciers, landing on a glacier then rode in a real Alaska dog sled on the glacier - which was about a 45-50 min ride in itself. This was expensive, but we figured how many times are we going to do this? Worth every penny. Our helicopter was from ERA and again, we booked the whole excursion thru RCCL and would do it again in a heart beat (cost and all).

[marlee73]

Budget Queen,

I can not book Island Wings who do you recommend as the alternative

I want the 2 hr flight that stops so you can get out?

[Budget Queen]

Budget Queen,

I can not book Island Wings who do you recommend as the alternative

I want the 2 hr flight that stops so you can get out?

 

Try http://www.southeastaviation.com

[mbmadeline]

I agree with everyone's suggestions.... just book them. Time is getting short. I simply said to my husband that I really trust everyone's advice on these boards ...a new wonderful new group of friends who have alot more experience with these excursions than we do ... and said "just trust me" .... and I booked them. You don't want to spend all these weeks debating ship excursions versus private. These excursions are the private operators livlihood ... I have yet to read about one negative experience in thousands of posts...in fact, much to the contrary, they all seem to reflect wonderful, smaller, more personal experiences. I am so confident that we have planned wonderful excursions with these independan owners thanks to you all. I'll be on the same cruise with you.

Are you signed up for the meet and mingle.

[fun2travel]

Any idea how much the TEMSCO flight is?

 

Also, I will be traveling with my mother who is 74

and can not walk long distances. Would this be

a good tour for her? Not sure how much walking is involved.

She is able to walk some, just no hiking.

 

Thanks!