When choosing a Port Adventure, the best is to read each and every itinerary, see what you'd most like to do, pick your favourite activity and a back-up.  Alaska, like any destination that offers a variety of outdoor activities is heavily restricted due to environmental factors, and so it is quite crucial to plan ahead in case your particular chosen activity is cancelled, postponed or changed due to unforeseeable weather conditions upon arrival.

Such was the case with my pre-booked Helicopter ride to the Meade Glacier, which was supposed to also include a dog sledding experience as well.  It was only at the time of meeting tour leaders were we advised that due to heavy fog, the dog sledding portion of the tour had been cancelled due to safety reasons.  With so many choosing to opt out of the fully refundable tour and choose another option, it would have been fruitful to know what the second option would be as most were by now, full. 

I, however, decided to continue as planned with the helicopter portion, of course to get a badge on my personal wow factor of being able to say, I walked on a glacier.  

The two hour "adventure" transported small groups to the outskirts of Skagway, a small town populated by hundreds of seasonal workers and only a handful of locals that live throughout the harsh winter months.  At base camp, travellers were provided with the appropriate clothing and shoes for the glacier experience before being loaded onto 6-seater helicopters.

Flying past majestic lakes and rivers, the helicopter hugs the mountain ranges while the pilot provides a little background information about the scenery before touching down on the Meade glacier.  The glacier walk is an exceptional experience, especially on a clear summer day.   The views looking out to land is almost as spectacular as the glacier itself, which is most appreciated when peering down crevices formed throughout time and knowing the depth of the slow moving piece of ice we are now able to stand on.

Taking guests back to the once popular gold-discovery township of Skagway, which now is in effect one main street filled with tourist shops and for some reason an abundant number of jewellery stores.  The quaint town is also home to the world-famous once-upon-a-time brothel, The Red Onion, which now operates as a bar and restaurant but guests can expect to a different kind of experience with some staff dressed up as 1920's show girls who offer tours around the historic building.

With sun rising in Alaska around 4am and setting well past 10pm in the northern hemisphere summer months, guests are able to enjoy a full day of sightseeing topped off with a walk around town before having to rejoin their cruise ships.

For more information, visit www.disneycruises.com