An Airbus H130 helicopter takes off from the back of the Scenic Eclipse in front of Wrangell on May 15. The helicopter is one of two in the Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours fleet and can be added to a tour package.
The Scenic Eclipse, which can host up to 200 passengers for Arctic tours, is billed as the "world's first discovery yacht" by its operators and is designed for scenic luxury cruises and tours. It travels throughout the Americas, Antarctica and the Arctic. It has a crew of up to 192, is 551 feet long, has eight passenger decks and 114 guest suites.
During its Wrangell stop, the helicopter, which can seat up to six passengers, was busy taking off, circling the area, then returning to repeat the process.
"These are considered one of the quietest helicopters in the world, which makes them ideal for use by Eclipse as we try to avoid any wildlife disturbances while flying on the sightseeing excursions," said Elliot Gillies, public relations manager for Scenic.
Last week's port call was the only time the Scenic Eclipse is scheduled to stop in Wrangell this year.
The ship started its cruise in Vancouver, and after stopping in Southeast Alaska it continued to Seward, Homer, Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, with the trip scheduled to end in Nome on May 27. Fares started at more than $13,000 per person for the 15-day voyage, up to almost $54,000 for the penthouse.
From Nome, the ship will start a new cruise to Russia.
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