What is the Temsco pilot's choice glacier tour in Juneau like? — featuring Paul Blackburn (Temsco)

In this video: Celebrity Cruises Pilot's Choice Glacier Helicopter Tour - Juneau Alaska

Paul Blackburn · 7 years ago

How much time do you actually spend on the glaciers?

The video shows a landing on at least one glacier where passengers disembark and walk on the ice. The tour visits two glacier sites total, though the exact time spent on each is not specified in the video.

What this video answers

  • How much time do you actually spend on the glaciers?
  • Is this tour safe in bad weather?
  • What's the view like from the front seat?
  • Do you need prior helicopter experience or special fitness level?
  • When is the best time of year to book this tour?

At a glance

Length
10 min
Channel
Paul Blackburn
Video from
Jun 2019
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Cruise passengers in Juneau seeking a spectacular short glacier flight with photo opportunities
Reads the guide aloud in your browser — free, no account.

Written by Justin ·

Overview of This Celebrity Cruises Glacier Helicopter Tour in Juneau

This helicopter tour departs from Juneau, Alaska, as a shore excursion offered through Celebrity Cruises and operated by Temsco. The video documents the "Pilot's Choice" glacier experience, which takes you on an aerial route over Juneau Airport and into the surrounding glacial landscape. Visitors fly in a helicopter with forward-facing seating, meaning you may score the premium front-row seat next to the pilot—ideal for photography and unobstructed views.

This experience suits travelers who want a short but transformative escape from their cruise ship, particularly those interested in glaciers, photography, and the raw beauty of Alaska's interior. Even when weather forecasts predict rain all day, the video shows that conditions can surprise you with decent visibility and spectacular views. It's a bucket-list moment that one visitor called the highlight of their entire cruise.

Key Moments

What You'll See on the Pilot's Choice Glacier Route

  • Aerial pass over Juneau Airport and the surrounding capital city landscape
  • Approach to the first glacier landing site, featuring striking blue ice and surrounding greenery visible from roughly 1,600 feet
  • Close mountain passes during flight between glacier sites, described as slightly unnerving but part of the scenic route
  • Landing on a second glacier with meltwater runoff creating serene, peaceful soundscapes
  • Front-seat vantage point directly beside the pilot, offering unobstructed forward views throughout the flight
  • Dramatic shifts in cloud coverage and lighting that create constantly changing perspectives of the ice
Featured image for the guide to Celebrity Cruises Pilot's Choice Glacier Helicopter Tour - Juneau Alaska by Paul Blackburn

Practical Details for Booking Your Juneau Glacier Helicopter Tour

  • Operator: Temsco Helicopters, contracted through Celebrity Cruises shore excursions
  • Weather expectations: Light rain or overcast skies are common; the video shows good photo opportunities even on a day forecast to rain all day
  • Visibility: Cloud cover varies by area, but the video demonstrates that low clouds in some regions don't prevent spectacular views or safe flying
  • Safety: Passengers reported feeling completely safe throughout the experience
  • Seating: Front-row seats next to the pilot are available but likely competitive; request early when booking
  • Best time to book: Shore excursion spots fill quickly, especially for premium helicopter tours; reserve as soon as you book your cruise
  • What to bring: Camera equipment for photos; dress in layers for cool alpine conditions at elevation

Common Questions About This Glacier Helicopter Experience

How much time do you actually spend on the glaciers?

The video shows a landing on at least one glacier where passengers disembark and walk on the ice. The tour visits two glacier sites total, though the exact time spent on each is not specified in the video.

Is this tour safe in bad weather?

The video confirms that passengers felt completely safe even though the day started with rain in the forecast. Visibility was described as "really pretty good" overall, and light rain did not prevent the tour from operating or delivering spectacular views.

What's the view like from the front seat?

Sitting next to the pilot offers an unobstructed forward view and the chance to see the landscape directly ahead as the helicopter approaches glaciers and mountain passes. The video demonstrates that this seating position is ideal for photography and experiencing the flight without obstruction.

Do you need prior helicopter experience or special fitness level?

The video does not mention any fitness requirements or prior experience needed. It appears accessible to cruise ship passengers of varying ages and mobility levels, though specific details about boarding and physical demands are not covered.

When is the best time of year to book this tour?

The video was filmed in May 2019, suggesting spring/early summer is viable. The video does not specify an optimal season, but May weather in Juneau included some rain and variable clouds, so any time during the cruise season appears to be worth attempting.

A still from the video Celebrity Cruises Pilot's Choice Glacier Helicopter Tour - Juneau Alaska by Paul Blackburn
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Key Terms

Shore excursion
A guided activity or tour offered by a cruise line at a port stop, typically booked in advance through the cruise operator.
Pilot's Choice
A specific tour option where the helicopter pilot selects the route and landing sites based on current weather and conditions.
Glacier landing
A stop where the helicopter touches down on ice, allowing passengers to disembark and walk on or near the glacial surface.
Visibility
The clarity of sight conditions during flight, affected by clouds, rain, and atmospheric conditions.

Sources: Shore excursion · Pilot's Choice · Glacier landing · Visibility — definitions cross-referenced with Wikipedia

Justin’s Take

This video is invaluable because it shows exactly what a real passenger experienced on this specific tour, from the moment of takeoff through glacier landings, including honest commentary about weather expectations versus reality. The front-row perspective and audio of meltwater flowing across glaciers give you a genuine sense of the immersion you'll feel.

What I appreciated most was the candid acknowledgment that the day was forecast to rain heavily yet still delivered incredible views—this matters because it tells potential visitors not to let a mediocre forecast stop them from booking. If you're cruising Alaska and want one unforgettable experience worth the splurge, this is absolutely worth your time and money.

⭐⭐ Great video · 2 out of 2

Justin
Justin

Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.

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Description

Photos and Video of our Celebrity Cruises Shore Excursion in Juneau Alaska in May 2019 while on board the Celebrity Eclipse. This was the "Pilot's Choice" helicopter glacier tour and walk in Juneau Alaska. The tour itself was operated by Temsco. We visited two glaciers and even though the forecast said it was going to rain all day it was a wonderful day and the highlight of our entire cruise. The views were incredible and it was an amazing experience that we highly recommend.

Video transcript for “Celebrity Cruises Pilot's Choice Glacier Helicopter Tour - Juneau Alaska” Accessibility

A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.

so as you can probably see we're sitting in the front seat so for Edward Nye this was pretty cool work kind of Av nice at least I am so be in the in the front seat of the helicopter next to the pilot is pretty cool you can see right here we're leaving the helicopter field and we're actually flying over Juneau

Airport it doesn't look like a large Airport for a capital of Alaska but I guess it gets the job done so right there we are actually flying over the runway of Juneau Airport on our way to our first glacier

so you can see at this point is starting to rain a bit we were expecting a lot of rain that day and actually end up not raining nowhere near as much as we thought the clouds in some areas were a bit low but overall visibility was really pretty good and as you can see right there we had no problem taking

some great taking some great photos

[Music] [Music]

so at this point we're getting close to landing on our first glacier you can see we're doing some passes in some different areas so coming up shortly you'll see we will have landed and you will see some pretty cool photos

as cool as the views were previously this right here I think was the first just Wow an amazing kind of view you saw a lot of blue and the glacier able to see some greenery around the sides just a really really really cool view

[Music] and as you can see right now we are coming in for our first landing

you and what's the name of this place organ right here we're at about 1,600 feet

you

[Music] and this point we are obviously back in the air we have one more glacier to go

to and you can see we're doing some passes pretty close to the mountains here and and there was definitely a point to where it was a little a little unnerving what she was saying to say the least but this glacier bright Rach we see their work closely approaching I believe it was called the suicide way

sure or that's add something along those lines I'll look it up and maybe I'll change this video if I can find out the exact name prior or to post this video you

so if you want to go back and rewind a little bit just to get that that audio again of the water running through it was just one of the most peaceful and one of the most serene sounds you hear absolutely nothing but this you

so this was the helicopter tour pilots choice book through celebrity cruises temps Co was in name of the company that was used to give the tour everything was absolutely fantastic we were very very pleased it was well worth the money even on a cloudy slightly rainy day we would felt completely safe we felt like the

views were able to see we're still absolutely spectacular and beyond amazing of our entire Alaska trip this was the highlight so if you are looking to do a helicopter tour you are looking to go visit the glaciers highly highly recommend this again pilots choice book through celebrity and then Thames Co

those word helicopters there was the was a tour operator definitely five stars absolutely

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