love2driveinct

Is there any chance you have the cruise compass for this sailing? We were on the one a week or two after you and would love to know the name of the comedian we saw. Might not be the same one, but it’s worth a shot...

Thank you! So glad to hear they are using the new plans.

I know I saw a list that someone posted here of all of the video games available to play in the Teen club, but I can't find it now. I did a few searches, and I looked through some related threads, but I haven't come across it. Does anyone know where I might find it?

I have two teens who are worried about Fortnite withdrawal, but are probably not willing to fork over the cash for WiFi, so I thought they might like to see the rather wide selection of games offered in the Club. Might make them feel better.

Checking to see if they are still on the old WiFi minutes plan or if they've changed over to the new one where you pay per day. TIA!

Thanks everyone!

I have done ghe Boston to Montreal and Montrreal to Boston, itinerary b-b- a great many times and while, of course, no one can promise weather . Do not kid yourself. We have had some very warm and sunny days. We have done those cruises in JUne, July and August........ Bring some clothes for warm weather and a swim suit..

 

BUt also bring at laest a light weight water resistent jacket, jus t i n case.

 

 

That is a great itinerary and you well could enjoy some time at the pool.

Yes, you really never know with this cruise, as with Alaska. Best to be prepared for all possibilities. Glad to hear you enjoyed this itinerary -- we are really looking forward to it. It's our 5th cruise as a family.

We, in Boston and New England had a very hot, humid summer last yer and who know s if it will be the same this year. :)

 

You surely would want light clothes for that weather..

Oh, I hear ya... I live in New England, too. And as the old saying goes, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute -- it'll change! :'):D

This is great to hear, thank you. We are doing the NE/Canada cruise and I know from prior experience sailing up there that it's not always hot and sunny up on deck once you get into northern NE and into Canada. Even just being able to partially close it and block some of the wind would be wonderful. I'm so glad to hear that they use it and use it well. Thanks everyone!

When & Where is still delivered to staterooms each evening

Ok, glad to hear it. I mentioned the app to my mother and she was concerned about being able to read the small print on her phone.

Do folks still upload copies of these here? If so, where would I find them?

Day 2 and Day 6.

Good, I was on the right track in my thinking. Thanks!

Also, does anyone know for sure if The Oasis is still there? On Google images I find pictures of palm trees, etc, and a very nice set-up, but I can't tell for sure if that's the Maasdam and I also don't know if the photos are old. Would love to hear from someone who has recently cruised on this ship. Thanks!

Here's our itinerary:

Day 1: depart Boston

Day 2: Bar Habor, depart 3:00pm

Day 3: Halifax, depart 6:00pm

Day 4: Sydney, depart 6:00pm

Day 5: Charlottetown, depart 6:00pm

Day 6: cruising

Day 7: Quebec, depart 5:00pm

Day 8: arrive Montreal

I'm guessing Day 2 for one of them. Possibly Day 6 for the other? If not, 5?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

So since this has been instituted, are there no paper copies available?

I know this seems like a silly question, but do they only close it when it's raining hard? Do they ever close it when the weather is just on the cooler side, especially on sea days when everyone is looking for something to do?

I'd love any suggestions of what your teens have kept busy doing on sea days on the Maasdam. I understand there is a movie shown, and sometimes there is bingo that your kids can play with you, but besides that and the kids' clubs, I was curious what their choices are. I understand there is no arcade, and that is how my kids usually use up a chunk of the sea time.

Also, are the pools super-crowded on sea days? This is an August cruise, so there will probably be more kids than usual for a HAL cruise.

There were 3 of us so we had a car as taxi but I did see vans. I'm not sure if you could google and contact anyone ahead of time or just try to be off the ship quickly. Make sure you agree to a price before you get in. Our driver was really great chatting and telling us about the area.

 

As to Uber, I'm not sure about that.

Thanks!

I did a little looking around, and it seems Uber may not be allowed there yet. But that is okay.

I'm also looking into renting a car for the day. Both are great options.

This was terrific information, especially the link to tom's port guides inside the Halifax info. So helpful!

Agree 100%. You can also walk up to the Citadel which is worth visiting as well.

 

You might consider renting a car in Sydney and Charlottetown. Very reasonable rates around $30 US when we were there last year. Gorgeous scenery once you leave the ports, and you can go wherever the tours would take you at a fraction of the price.

Great idea about renting a car! I hadn't thought of that. We are a family of five, so excursions get expensive for us.

Thank you for asking this question... we are disembarking in Montreal, and although we are hopeful our hotel there can take our luggage that morning, I'm glad to hear we have other options.

Thank you for both for your replies.

Look forward to hearing more about your trip when you return, sprockie.

And on that note, is there Uber in Halifax? We just went to Australia for a week and did not rent a car. We used a taxi for getting to & from the airport, but used Uber for everything else. The Uber drivers there were super helpful with suggestions on what to do and where to go. I love the cash-free convenience, especially in a foreign country.

When we did this cruise we found lots of taxis right outside when you walked out. We actually rented a taxi for 3 hours (was under $100) and he took us anywhere we wanted & waited for us. We wanted to go to Peggy's Cove first.

 

They are very friendly there.

What a great idea! The private car / suv / van options through the cruise line are almost $1000. Did you see any taxis that were larger than a small car? If so, this would be a great option for us, as we are a family of five. My husband and I have been to Halifax before, so we know exactly where we want to take our kids.

Are you a veteran or do you have any military connections? The Naval base there is interesting and the Naval War College is also there. It's worth a look around if you are able to get access.

I highly recommend the Brick Alley Pub. It's in a great spot for walking and looking around at the shops, but go there for the food -- it's excellent! (I believe they take reservations, so it might not be a bad idea since summer in Newport can get pretty busy.)

The Mooring is also nice and you can't go wrong if you end up there instead, but we prefer the Brick Alley for it's charm and character.

This would be my 7th cruise and our 5th as a family. We've been on RC, DCL, & CCL, so HAL would be a first. We love RC & CCL, but their itineraries aren't as appealing. No one else goes to Quebec & Montreal. I've read mixed reviews on the Maasdam, but I'm trying not to worry about it too much -- for us, it's this cruise or nothing.

In 2004, my husband and I went on a five-night RC cruise roundtrip Bayonne to Halifax & Saint John. We had a great time and swore we'd returned to Halifax someday if given the opportunity. (No offense to Saint John, lol.)

We live in eastern Connecticut, so seeing Newport, Boston, or Portland is not of interest to us since we've "been there, done that", and starting from Boston instead of NY/NJ is much more appealing. We were actually not planning on cruising this year -- we were going to drive to Montreal & Quebec and stay for a few days in each. That may or may not be the less expensive option, by the time you factor in all the expenses. Anyway, taking the cruise gets us to 1) Halifax, a cool city with Titanic history, 2) PEI, a place we'd probably not otherwise ever get to visit, and 3) Sydney, another place we'd likely never visit.

Our "kids" are 20, 17, and 13 and love sightseeing vacations.

Love to hear anyone else's thoughts on how they chose their perfect Canada/N.E. family cruise.