Juneau - Helicopter Flightseeing vs. Adventure Bound Tracy Arm Tour

[KSSTravel]

This board is truly tremendous! I have been reading the posts in the past few weeks and got a lot sorted out for my upcoming Northbound Alaska cruise in late August.

 

Our cruise will cover Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, and College Fjord.

We'll have 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 days after the cruise to either do the Northwestern Fjord cruise or Prince William Sound cruise. We'll be visiting Exit and Portage Glaciers on our way too.

 

Glacier is certainly my priority, more so than whalewatching / wildlife.

 

My original plan for Juneau was to do the Helicopter Glacier Tour, then pick up a rental car to go visit Mendenhall Glacier and drive around town, and take the Mt Robert Tram the day is clear.

 

 

After reading a lot of raving posts about the Tracy Arm cruise with Adventure Bound and saw the great pictures on webshots.com, plus I have a long port time in Juneau that will fit in the Tracy Arm cruise - now I am torn between the Tracy Arm cruise and the Helicopter Glacier Tour in Juneau. (I have verified that I won't be able to do both on the same day)

 

Now, can anyone tell me how different is the scenary wise on a helicopter glacier landing versus the view on Exit, Portage, or Mendenhall glacier (by road)? Are we going to see the ice spires, deep blue crevasses and meltwater pools?

 

Is Juneau the best place to do the glacier helicopter tour and why so? How about Seward, Prince William Sound, and Skagway - will they all be the same "massive icefield experience" as in Juneau?

 

Thanks in advance!

[smitty3000]

KSSTravel,

 

Just curious, are you on the Princess Sapphire Cruise going out of Vancouver on August 23, 2008? You sound like you are going on the same cruise as my husband and me. If you are, join us on the roll call board. There are about 4 or 5 people on so far. Can't wait till August! Happy Cruising!!:)

[KSSTravel]

Hi Smitty3000,

 

We'll be either on the Sapphire Princess 8/23 or HAL Volendam 8/24.

I will definitely join the roll call once this is confirmed :)

[vbmom87]

Hi Smitty3000,

 

We'll be either on the Sapphire Princess 8/23 or HAL Volendam 8/24.

I will definitely join the roll call once this is confirmed :)

 

I am on the Volendam NB in June and will have from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. in Juneau. Although I did not consider the helicopter ride, I was considering other touring options in Juneau. As you, I then started reading about the Tracy Arm cruise and was drawn to do that, but not sure if I wanted to devote that much of my day to one excursion. I posted a few questions and what finally swayed me was someone's comment that not many cruise ships have the time in Juneau to allow the Tracy Arm cruise. The poster felt that if I ever came back to Alaska, I may not have time to do the Tracy Arm next time, but would have time to take in the other tours. That made a lot of sense to me, so we booked with Adventure Bound. I have read about the glacier landing in Skagway. I am sure someone else will post on that for you. Or once the Search feature is up and running again you can find information through it.

[KSSTravel]

Hi vbmom,

 

Actually, I would like to thank you for the postings you made to the board. It was through your postings that I learned, among other things, about the "differences" between the various excursion choices and how to priortize them. And of course I am thankful to all the contributors to the forum and especially Budget Queen, Yukon, NancyIL, Stired, etc..just to mention a few.

 

I wonder if the experience and scenary of glacier helicopter with landing would be the at least the same, if not better, in places other than Juneau i.e. Skagway, Girdwood, Seward. If I can do it at some other place without compromising the scenary and experience, then I will be able to do the Tracy Arm cruise in Juneau.

 

I hope someone on this board will be able to help me..

 

Much appreciated :)

[vbmom87]

Have you seen these threads? BQ seems to think that they are both good.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=722342&highlight=skagway+helicopter

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=694975&highlight=skagway+helicopter

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=676894&highlight=skagway+helicopter

[vbmom87]

If no one responds to you, start a new post with the title something like: Juneau or Skagway for Helicopter flight

[Rig]

The helicopter sightseeing in Juneau is quite spectacular on a clear day because you can get up above the glaciers to the icefield itself, which is unbelievably vast and varied in texture and form. The helicopter pilots have a good understanding of the geology and geography if you're interested and ask questions.

 

A lot of the tours include a walk on the ice as well, with some guided interpretation.

 

It's a completely different world that you can't get a feel for on the water.

 

Skagway has some icefield and glacier tours as well, with a lot of the same feel and maybe some more rugged terrain.

 

Both Skagway and Juneau have dogsled glacier tours where you get to experience the snow-covered gacier the way it should be experienced. You can travel a mile or so away from the landing area near camp with ease in a manner only a dogled can deliver.

[KSSTravel]

Thanks VBmom and Rig for the valuable info.

 

I wonder if I do the helicopter flightseeing with Glacier Landing (without Dog Sledding) from Skagway, will I be seeing the views as spectacular as in the following pictures, and will the terrain mostly green or the still with the massive amount of snow scenery in late August:

 

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Alternatively, will I be seeing the above scenery by visiting Exit, Portage, or Matanuska glaciers instead of doing a helicopter flightseeing tour?

 

Thanks much!

[Budget Queen]

With a glacier priority, I would put your glacier helicopter landing out of Seward or Skagway. I do think it's a must. If you can ADD more time for interior Alaska, definately do so, glacier trekking Matanuska Glacier is a cheap option to consider and extremely worthwhile. I would not bother with Portage Glacier with your short timeframe. A look at the visitor center, then move on perhaps to Exit.

 

Then you can do Tracy Arm- but on the "glacier scale", this trip isn't for the Sawyer's, it's for the scenery and wildlife. Mendenhall can be skipped.

 

Definately, again with your priority, get on the longest glacier boat tour out of Whittier to Esther Passage. The best of the best. Then make any other plans around that.

[KSSTravel]

Budget Queen,

 

Thanks for the valuable input!

 

Will I be compromising any of the spectacular glacier scenery as shown in the pictures if I do the flightseeing out of Skagway? I am asking this because it seems to me that flightseeing out of Juneau is much more popular than Skagway or any other places - most reviews and pictures posted on the internet are from Juneau. There must be a reason?

 

I will be with my 61 years old mom and 69 years old dad, for the glacier landing will it be safe for them to walk on the glacier?

[Budget Queen]

Budget Queen,

 

Thanks for the valuable input!

 

Will I be compromising any of the spectacular glacier scenery as shown in the pictures if I do the flightseeing out of Skagway? I am asking this because it seems to me that flightseeing out of Juneau is much more popular than Skagway or any other places - most reviews and pictures posted on the internet are from Juneau. There must be a reason?

 

I will be with my 61 years old mom and 69 years old dad, for the glacier landing will it be safe for them to walk on the glacier?

 

Absolutely not. The reason you heard more about Juneau glacier flightseeing is because it is more available with 4 companies, there is only one company out of Skagway, TEMSCO. As I also mentioned, there is availablity for this also out of Seward with Godwin. All long established well run companies, pick any one and you're in for an excellent adventure.

 

My mother has some mobility problems that had her concerned about the glacier landing. There are boots to use, and it's more like walking on concrete than glare ice. The pilot was extremely helpful in getting everyone out of the helicopter safely and on firm footing. :) I've flown with a significantly mobility impaired man one trip with his son. Everyone allowed all the time needed for this man to exit and all the help needed was extended. No problems. :)

 

If there are significant limitations, inform the company when you make the reservation.

[KSSTravel]

It's great to know that we can do the helicopter flightseeing somewhere else, and now we are all set for the Tracy Arm Tour in Juneau. In fact, I was a little concerned that flightseeing could be cancelled due to weather (we'll be there in late August) and then we'd regret for not booking the Tracy Arm tour.

 

My parents will be thrilled with the helicopter tour.

Thanks again for the valuable insights Budget Queen :) :)

 

About the Prince William Sound Glacier Cruise - if we take the HAL Volendam cruise, we'll disembark in Seward and our flight will depart from Anchorage next evening at 8pm. Originally I was thinking of taking the Northwestern Fjord cruise since we'll be in Seward. After reading some of your posts and seeing the breathtakingly beautiful pictures on the internet, I feel that the PWS cruise is a must do.

 

With my schedule, I can only fit the PWS cruise in on the day we disembark - which means we will have to leave Seward and head to Whittier right away. Does it make sense to do this?

[vbmom87]

It's great to know that we can do the helicopter flightseeing somewhere else, and now we are all set for the Tracy Arm Tour in Juneau. In fact, I was a little concerned that flightseeing could be cancelled due to weather (we'll be there in late August) and then we'd regret for not booking the Tracy Arm tour.

 

My parents will be thrilled with the helicopter tour.

Thanks again for the valuable insights Budget Queen :) :)

 

About the Prince William Sound Glacier Cruise - if we take the HAL Volendam cruise, we'll disembark in Seward and our flight will depart from Anchorage next evening at 8pm. Originally I was thinking of taking the Northwestern Fjord cruise since we'll be in Seward. After reading some of your posts and seeing the breathtakingly beautiful pictures on the internet, I feel that the PWS cruise is a must do.

 

With my schedule, I can only fit the PWS cruise in on the day we disembark - which means we will have to leave Seward and head to Whittier right away. Does it make sense to do this?

 

Someone on these boards mentioned they are going with a smaller boat company to PWS. Looking at their website, it seems that whoever books first for the day, gets to pick what time the cruise starts. Looks like they have a lot of open dates the end of August.

 

You wouldn't be able to do the Northwestern Fjords your day in Seward, but you could do one of the 6 hour boat trips in Seward the day you disembark and then take the 6:00 p.m. train to Anchorage. Perhaps you could do the PWS with this company the following day. Could be tiring, but it is a way to get it all in. I would think you would want to rent a car in Anchorage for the day. Or you could do a one way rental with Hertz from Seward and drive to Anchorage after your boat tour. It would be expensive with drop off at the airport, but if you really want to see all these things, it might be a way to do that.Here is the link:

 

http://www.soundecoadventure.com/

[KSSTravel]

VBMom,

 

Thanks for the info about Sound Eco Adventure..That could well be an option, although their schedule is pretty much booked up for 9/1. The only opening they have for that day is the College Fjord plus - which is already inclued in the HAL cruise :( I will definitely give them a call and see if they could do a custom cruise for us.

 

You mentioned that we won't be able to do the Northwestern Cruise on the day we disembark..why so?

[vbmom87]

VBMom,

 

You mentioned that we won't be able to do the Northwestern Cruise on the day we disembark..why so?

 

If you were planning on taking the train to Anchorage I don't think you would be back in time. However, if you rented a car, then you could. I imagine that would be a long day for you. To disembark at 7:00 am. you will be getting up early. Following that with a nine hour boat trip and then a drive to Anchorage, could be pretty exhausting. I don't know about you, but I have come to the conclusion that I need to figure out a way to get myself back to Alaska. I keep buying those lottery tickets. ;)

[Budget Queen]

It's great to know that we can do the helicopter flightseeing somewhere else, and now we are all set for the Tracy Arm Tour in Juneau. In fact, I was a little concerned that flightseeing could be cancelled due to weather (we'll be there in late August) and then we'd regret for not booking the Tracy Arm tour.

 

My parents will be thrilled with the helicopter tour.

Thanks again for the valuable insights Budget Queen :) :)

 

About the Prince William Sound Glacier Cruise - if we take the HAL Volendam cruise, we'll disembark in Seward and our flight will depart from Anchorage next evening at 8pm. Originally I was thinking of taking the Northwestern Fjord cruise since we'll be in Seward. After reading some of your posts and seeing the breathtakingly beautiful pictures on the internet, I feel that the PWS cruise is a must do.

 

With my schedule, I can only fit the PWS cruise in on the day we disembark - which means we will have to leave Seward and head to Whittier right away. Does it make sense to do this?

 

 

As an option, switch ships to Princess or Carnival.

 

Or another option, I would highly recommend you rent a costly one way car with Hertz, and take advantage of being in Seward with some activities there. Then plan an early morning departure and do a PWS boat tour. This will ONLY work, IF you can look at getting a later flight. If you had a 10pm or later flight, it would be very easy to do both areas in your short timeframe.

 

Although fees would likely be involved, it definately makes the best use of your time. So I suggest you look at how valuable it is, and how often you are going to make it back to Alaska??

[KSSTravel]

THANK YOU BOTH for the input!

 

While it would be nice if we could take the train from Seward to Anchorage, we'll probably rent a car one way from Seward despite the hefty $270 for a day - which would give us some flexibility due to our tight schedule, like Budget Queen said.

 

VBMom,

Haha..I say the same. Won't it be nice if we have the time AND money? ;) This is my first cruise and I am really looking forward to this trip. You'll be going in 4 months, but I have to wait till end of summer.

 

Budget Queen,

While there are later flights available, they are not direct flights and will require me to take an extra day off from work. :(

 

Based on my existing schedule, with glacier being my priority, does it make sense for me to head to Whittier as soon as we disembark - so that we could make it to the PWS Cruise? Looks like I am doing the opposite of what most others are doing - most people leave Whittier as soon as they disembark, for the Kenai Fjord Cruise in Seward.

 

Just how similar / different is the Northwestern Fjord cruise to compared to Tracy Arm and PWS cruise?

[vbmom87]

 

Just how similar / different is the Northwestern Fjord cruise to compared to Tracy Arm and PWS cruise?

 

From what I read, the Northwestern Fjord is more about wildlife and the PWS is more about Glaciers. I am sure BQ and others will be able to give you a more complete comparison.

[vbmom87]

If you still really want to include both boat trips, perhaps contact the Whittier Chamber of Commerce if they have one, or a travel site from Whittier. Maybe there are more smaller excursion vendors like EcoAdventures that you could go out with early in the morning. If so, maybe your trip could go like this:

 

Day1: Arrive in Seward. Rent Car (either before or after Kenai Fjords Tour)..if you book after, you will only be charged for one day :) . Take a Kenai Fjords boat tour. Drive to Whittier. They have limited accomodations there, but if you could get your lodging there, you would probably be able to catch a bit more sleep and wouldn't have to drive through the tunnel in the morning before your cruise.

 

Day2: With a smaller vendor like EcoAdventures, book a morning/early afternoon cruise. Then head to the airport. Make sure to allow time through the tunnel.

 

Personally, I think it would be a bit tiring, but if you really want to do both, it could probably work if you can find a boat tour for early in the morning. Maybe if you called EcoAdventures, they might know of someone else to recommend for you. Just a thought from a rambling mind.

 

Good luck and let us know what you decide. I am still trying to decide about the PWS tour. I could cut my time in Denali down from 3 nights to 2 nights and would then have the time, or I could forgo a leisulrely drive along the Turnagain Arm to fit it in. Just not sure I want to be so busy. Still thinking that one over. I basically need one more day.

[KSSTravel]

VBMom,

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I will give EcoAdventures a call and see if they will be able to help me out.

 

As with me, I don't mind having a "busy" day..I am used to that - since my vacation time is limited. I always like to "maximize" the trip and get the most out of it ;). This board has been a tremendous help. Most people aren't even aware of the Tracy Arm cruise out of Juneau.

 

About the PWS cruise, I have a strong feeling for that cruise because of the pictures I saw on the internet and the high rating (glacier wise) from Budget Queen.

 

As for you, I would say if you'll feel missing out for not taking the PWS cruise, then go for it. You will have relaxed enough on the HAL cruise, I think it would be worthwhile to soak it all in before boarding the flight back to reality ;) . Just my opinion. Or, if you are planning to visit Alaska again - then this can be saved for the next trip since Whittier is only a short drive from Anchorage.

 

I know, I am so torn too...not enough time, not enough $$:o

[KSSTravel]

KSSTravel,

 

Just curious, are you on the Princess Sapphire Cruise going out of Vancouver on August 23, 2008? You sound like you are going on the same cruise as my husband and me. If you are, join us on the roll call board. There are about 4 or 5 people on so far. Can't wait till August! Happy Cruising!!:)

 

Smitty3000,

 

I have finally confirmed the cruise - it is HAL Volendam 8/24. While we will not be on the same cruise, I am excited to see that we're considering the same excursions as I am also seriously considering Tracy Arm Cruise with Adventure Bound and then do the flightseeing at Skagway.

 

I am still on the deciding mode because of the high excursion cost $284 (booked via HAL) and the wet weather in August is something I get worried about. I understand the tour won't operate if it is not safe, but even if it is safe, I believe the enjoyment would be somewhat discounted if it is rainy. Since our cruise is in late August, instead of prebooking, I wonder if we can just wait till we get to the ports.