Independent heli tours anyone??

Have anyone done independant glacier tours from Juneau?? If so, how did you book?? and was it cheaper?? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Jorge

There are basically 3 major helicopter tour operators in Juneau: TEMSCO, ERA and Coastal.

ERA is the vendor that most of the cruise lines use. I inquired last summer about booking a tour through them directly rather than going through the cruise line. They told me that they have a limited number of independent tours that the book each day depending on the number of ships in port. However, their prices were about $30 per person cheaper than what the ship was offering. The only thing I didn't like about booking through ERA's policy of booking through them directly is that their penalties and cancellation policy was a lot more stringent than the ship. For instance, I beleive their cancellation policy is 48 hours prior to the tour. I had asked about the possibility if for some unforseen reason the ship didn't dock in Juneau due to weather or something if they would allow cancellation in less than 48 hours, and they said no. Whereas, if you buy through the ship, they will refund your money if the ship can't dock for some reason like that. Long story short, I ended up booking the ERA tour through the ship. They were offering the tour in Juneau I thought sounded most appealing.

So, always ask about a tour operators cancellation policy.

I do know however, that TEMSCO has a more lenient policy as far as cancellations. I booked through TEMSCO directly in Skagway. I saved money and their service through correspondence and phone calls was amazing! I would have no problems recommend them. I would imagine their Juneau operation is similar.

The final major tour operator is Coastal. I can't really comment as I never contact them, but you can check out their website. Its pretty good.

Alot of CC'ers use all 3 companies and they all have great reputations and have been around for years.

We are booked with Coastal for our helicopter/glacier landing. They offer the cheapest excursion at $192pp which was a plus for us since we are on a tight budget. You do have to pay in full when you book, I think you can cancel up to a few days in advance for a refund, I can't remember. I know if they have to cancel for weather, you get a full refund of course.

I e-mailed them for more info and info about what times would be good to go. They recommended an afternoon tour because of a greater chance of any fog clearing up. We just ended up booking through the e-mail by credit card, you can also call them. If you call or e-mail they will send you a brochure. They also have a website:http://www.coastalhelicopters.com/

From what I've read of reviews, you can't go wrong with any of the operators, you will have a great time.

Thank you Cruisechick82 and jstducky!

I reserved something on the ship just in case but I'm looking for options for less money.

I called Coastal and the price is $100 less than the cruise line. I will ck the options from jstducky next. I will let you know my decision.

Thank you again

Jorge

you should choose the excursion that most appeals to you.

Not all 3 of these tour operators offer the same tours. They all vary slightly as far as what glacier and where they land, the amount of time you are given on the glacier, etc.

Just ask and get full details before make a decision.

I have flown with all three, for 6 trips. But there is also Northstar Trekking.

There are different tour options and lengths of tours, so be sure to compare.

Thank you for all your suggestions.

I booked with Coastal because they were the only ones with opennings on the day our ship docks in Juneau.

I was very pleased with all of them when I called them. They were very happy to answer all my questions and very helpful making recommendations on what to look for on a heli tour. When they found out that they were booked they recommended other outfits, one of them even gave me the phone number for the competition.

I'm all set, thank you all.

Sincerely

Jorge Z.

I'm glad you were able to find an opening at the last minute. Happy sailing!