Ville Saguenay ...Heeeelp

[spinsbabe]

The excursion we really want to take is 'waitlisted' at this port. Does anyone have any suggestions on something to do on our own. Due to a bum knee the DH cannot do lots of heavy walking especially, up/down hill! Thanks in advance to those who respond! :)

[rosey1946]

Having same problem. None of the excursions look ok for my partner. Anyone know anything about this port?

[spinsbabe]

Doesn't someone know something about this port??? :rolleyes:

[PennyAgain]

You are there for the scenery most of which you will see perfectly well from your ship. That's why there are so few tours and other optional things to do.

 

Have a nice cocktail or a cup of tea and enjoy the scenery from the comfort of your own ship.

[spinsbabe]

Thanks for the advise PennyAgain - we might just do that!!

[PennyAgain]

You are welcome!

 

I rented a cottage about an hour's drive from there and just walked and looked at all the beautiful scenery and enjoyed the fresh, clean air.

 

Eat, slept and looked at scenery. Wonderful!

[calita]

Having same problem. None of the excursions look ok for my partner. Anyone know anything about this port?

We would love information on renting a car... Any help?

[mdod]

We would love information on renting a car... Any help?

 

Assuming Ville Saguenay is LaBaie, here's a thread with rental car info.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=21107058#post21107058

 

Watch for fees for cars at the docks. I talked to someone that spoke English both times I called the Budget office at the Bagotville airport. GG told me to fax a bunch of info to her which I did but I never received a confirmation. 4 days later I called again and spoke with JC. He said he couldn't find my fax anywhere. When I asked him about fees, he said they charge $30 each way for pick-up/drop-off at the docks so I decided to try National at Chicoitimi again. I never did get through to anyone that speaks English there. In the mean time I got up with another CC member and we're sharing a car.

 

Here's two links with information about Saquenay

http://www.cruisesaintlawrence.com/EN/stopovers/activity/6/Saguenay.aspx

http://www.ville.saguenay.qc.ca/tourisme/Sites+and+attraits?lang=en

 

HTH

[TexasRCH]

The excursion we really want to take is 'waitlisted' at this port. Does anyone have any suggestions on something to do on our own. Due to a bum knee the DH cannot do lots of heavy walking especially, up/down hill! Thanks in advance to those who respond! :)

 

We took the tour "Best of Saquenay by Land and Sea" last year in October. It was raining but the boat and bus were dry. On this tour you travel mostly the same route your ship takes when leaving except it is much slower and much more senic. And then you get a bus ride back. Fall colors were great!

[mdod]

I just posted this on my own thread but here's an update on car rental info if you want that.

 

Jean-Pierre Talbot is the owner of the National Car Rental in LaBaie. The toll free number for the Chicoumiti office is 1-800-549-2411. I finally got up with him on the phone but, if you don't speak French, the EASIEST thing to do is email him at loctalbot at video tron.ca (take out the spaces and replace "at" with the symbol) He speaks English and responds quickly to email. We rented a compact car for pick-up at the dock for $69.98 (including taxes and fees and unlimited mileage). Not a great price but a lot better than the $140 total from Budget and not unexpected with the limited options in a small port.

 

Good luck.

[sunraiser]

I would suggest you to take the HOHO bus. It only cost about $10 (candaian fund) for a daily unlimited pass. They have 2 routes: Chicumti and La Baie. You do not need to get off the bus if you don't want to. You can just enjoy the scenic drive.

[rosey1946]

We just got back from our Canadian cruise. the port of La Baie was the only port we skipped. Stayed on board, had a nice glass of wine and enjoyed the trees. The Saguanay Fjord, which we cruised for a day, was magnificent. Anyone want any more info on Canada-just ask.

[PennyAgain]

See any whales?

[rosey1946]

Yes, two Balugas in the Fjord

[PennyAgain]

Fantastic about the Belugas!

[calita]

We just got back from the Crown Princess cruise. Ville Saguenay was a great stop. The tours on our ship filled quickly but we read a post on this web site and followed through. We rented a car from National car rental in advance. The car was ready and waiting at the dock. You could also rent one without a reservation... $62.00 for the day. 4 of us shared the expense. Much less expensive than ship tours.

We drove to the National Park and it was an easy hour drive. The colors in the trees and reflections on the lakes were spectacular. We walked the trails around the visitor center when we got there. This was one of our favorite days on the cruise.

The welcoming committee at the dock were great and they even gave us umbrellas to use for the day as it was raining.

Hope this helps...

[PennyAgain]

Yes, it certainly does help. I hope you look in on this topic next year when new people will have questions.