For those who live in New England???

[pampaul]

Just wondering if you would take a NE/Canada cruise if you already live in New England? I've lived in CT all my life and have visited all NE states at one time or another.

 

I've always told my husband that I would never think of a NE cruise since we live in NE and could easily drive to wherever we wanted to go.

 

Then I picked up a couple cruise travel books from a travel agent today and I was reading up on all the different cruises that this particular cruise line offered (I think it was Hollland America). I started reading the NE/Canada cruise and thought it looked interesting. :o

 

What are your thoughts?

[BAYA]

Just wondering if you would take a NE/Canada cruise if you already live in New England? I've lived in CT all my life and have visited all NE states at one time or another.

 

I've always told my husband that I would never think of a NE cruise since we live in NE and could easily drive to wherever we wanted to go. <snip>

I live about 45 minutes northwest of Boston and my answer is a resounding YES! I took a Canada/NE cruise in Sept. 2010 out of Cape Liberty and loved it. This September I am going again, this time also taking my sister and her family. Although I can drive to Portland, ME, or take Amtrak there, I am going there as one of the ports for the second time. Bar Harbor is a very long ride, and that is another port we loved before. Halifax Nova Scotia and Saint John New Brunswick are 2 more great ports. All in all, a cruise is totally different than a driving vacation and I highly recommend it. If I could take a cruise that went to other ports in Canada as well I would go, but the itinerary and timing for the one we booked works best for us.

 

The only thing we did the first time since I am from the Boston area, was we stayed on the ship when we were docked in Boston. This next cruise is round trip Boston so we can't beat it for convenience.:)

[Jan_In_Maine]

I've always said no - although if it went to Bar Harbor I could go home to do laundry!! :rolleyes: I might have to change my answer, as I've looked at the cruises that go to many places places in Canada, and they do look interesting. Jan

[cooncat_mom]

You bet! In fact, we're booked for one this summer. I love the NE/Canada area, and this is a nice way to see it - being able to enjoy the ship and then wake up in a different area of Canada...and maybe even spot some whales!

[rnvattes]

I would definitely consider it. As PPs have said, some of the ports are quite a driving distance from me (I am in southern NH). It would depend on the itinerary (I guess I would prefer not to stop in Boston or Portland, both within an hour or so from me), but there are lots of places in Canada I've never been to at all. I think we live in a beautiful region of North America, and would be glad to see more of it -- and from a different perspective than you would get from a land-only trip.

 

I would LOVE to go on one that included a stop at Charlottetown, PEI. My husband and I vacationed on PEI when we were dating and it was SO lovely there. The only problem was it took us most of 24 hours to get there (including sleep-over on the way). So we are not super keen on going again ONLY for that reason. But it is positively beautiful there and I'd love to go back.

[pampaul]

I would definitely consider it. As PPs have said, some of the ports are quite a driving distance from me (I am in southern NH). It would depend on the itinerary (I guess I would prefer not to stop in Boston or Portland, both within an hour or so from me), but there are lots of places in Canada I've never been to at all. I think we live in a beautiful region of North America, and would be glad to see more of it -- and from a different perspective than you would get from a land-only trip.

 

I would LOVE to go on one that included a stop at Charlottetown, PEI. My husband and I vacationed on PEI when we were dating and it was SO lovely there. The only problem was it took us most of 24 hours to get there (including sleep-over on the way). So we are not super keen on going again ONLY for that reason. But it is positively beautiful there and I'd love to go back.

 

 

OP here. Thanks for all of your responses.

 

This is true. Like I said, I've live in NE all of my life and can basically drive wherever I want. But to see more of it and from a cruise ship would be so much different. Plus I haven't been to those parts of Canada, so it'd be great to see that as well.

 

Okay, mind is made up. I'm telling hubby that we need to go now. :D

[trebor47]

We are coming to USA/canada in Sept/Oct on the Arcadia, visting many of the ports you mention. Your remarks have made me look forward to it even more than before. Could you tell me if the Tourist sightseeing buses in Boston and New York stop nearby the ships as we would prefer to do our own thing rather than booking trips from the ship.

[carbon]

Bar Harbor is a very long ride, and that is another port we loved before. Halifax Nova Scotia and Saint John New Brunswick are 2 more great ports.

 

Baya, this ia our first NE/cruise, what are your recommendations for Bar harbor, Halifax and St John NB. Leaving from new york on Sept 26th.

[SailBadtheSinner]

Baya, this ia our first NE/cruise, what are your recommendations for Bar harbor, Halifax and St John NB. Leaving from new york on Sept 26th.

 

Not Baya; but here are my suggestions for Bar Harbor -

• take an independent long tour of Acadia National Park:
  
  
  • Olies Trolley - http://www.acadiaislandtours.com/
    
  • Acadia National Park Tours - http://www.acadiatours.com/
    

   

  [*]walk the Bar Harbor Shore Path: http://www.acadiamagic.com/ShorePath.html

  [*]walk to Bar Island (only doable at or near low tide): http://www.acadiamagic.com/bar-island.html

  [*]walk the Ocean Path in ANP: http://www.acadiamagic.com/ocean_path.html

  [*]rent bicycles to ride on ANP Carriage Roads: http://www.acadiamagic.com/carriage-roads.htm

  [*]stroll & shop Bar Harbor: http://www.acadiamagic.com/bar-harbor/index.html

  [*]have a meal at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant: http://www.thejordanpondhouse.com/

  [*]hike one of the many hiking trails in ANP: http://www.acadiamagic.com/acadia-hiking-trails.html

  [*]whale watching: http://www.barharborwhales.com/default.php

  [*]ride on a Maine lobster boat: http://www.lululobsterboat.com/

  [*]sail on the schooner Margret Todd: http://www.downeastwindjammer.com/

 

FYI, from late June to early October, there is a free public bus service (Island Explorer, http://exploreacadia.com/) that has various routes on MDI.

 

 

SBtS

[Menininha82]

Could you tell me if the Tourist sightseeing buses in Boston ....stop nearby the ships as we would prefer to do our own thing rather than booking trips from the ship.

 

You have three main options for seeing the city: public transportation and then foot, a short taxi ride and then foot, or a tourist hop-on/hop-off trolley company that has a nearby stop.

 

The Silver Line 2 trolley of the MBTA ('T") system runs from the Design Center, close to the Black Falcon cruise terminal in Boston, and goes to South Station on the Red Line.

T map: http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/

 

From South Station, or from the Courthouse stop previous to it, you can walk a few minutes to the area in front of the Aquarium/Marriott Hotel where several tourist trolley buses' ticket booths are, and also quite near the tourist favorite Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall, one of the good Legal Seafood restaurants, the Aquarium, and the Italian North End neighborhood.

You could pick up the Freedom Trail (http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/maps/maps.html) from there and just stroll it on your own, without investing in a tourist trolley ticket. The T can also get you around town, to any specific locations that may seem too long a walk, quite easily and cheaply.

 

You could also take a short taxi ride from the terminal to one of those points mentioned above and then continue on foot.

 

The hop-on/hop-off Old Town Trolley company does have a stop near the Black Falcon terminal, which sounds most like what you have in mind. http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/location-map.asp (Don't know about the other trolley companies'tops though.)

 

The other popular tourist tour is on one of the Duck Boats, leaving from Prudential or the Science Museum.

http://www.bostonducktours.com/

 

Whatever you choose, have a great time!

[Nitemare]

Live just outside Boston, we did this cruise a few years ago out of NYC. Initial reason was it was a ship we had been on before and loved, and we weren't disappointed.

 

Drove down, parked at the pier. First stop was Bar Harbor, where we had never been, so that was fun. Second was Halifax -- we know Nova Scotia well, so we rented a car and went to some of our favorite places. 3rd stop was St. John -- never been before had a great time. 4th stop was Boston, stayed on board, had massages. 5th was Newport -- been there many times, stayed on board, enjoyed the facilities.

[BAYA]

Bar Harbor is a very long ride, and that is another port we loved before. Halifax Nova Scotia and Saint John New Brunswick are 2 more great ports.

 

Baya, this ia our first NE/cruise, what are your recommendations for Bar harbor, Halifax and St John NB. Leaving from new york on Sept 26th.

 

Well, the OP gave you lots of suggestions for Bar Harbor so I'll only add that there are wonderful crafts shops and art galleries in Bar Harbor so leave yourself some time to shop if you like that sort of thing.

 

We did private tours by van in Halifax and Saint John and they were both excellent. We went to Peggy's Cove which is dramatic and beautiful. We went to Saint Martin and the Bay of Fundy and ate a seafood lunch at a beachfront restaurant. If you are interested in taking a private tour in either of those ports let me know and I'll post the ones we used.

 

Your cruise starts 3 days after mine. I am SO looking forward to it. I think you will love it!

[bc3536]

 

We did private tours by van in Halifax and Saint John and they were both excellent. We went to Peggy's Cove which is dramatic and beautiful. We went to Saint Martin and the Bay of Fundy and ate a seafood lunch at a beachfront restaurant. If you are interested in taking a private tour in either of those ports let me know and I'll post the ones we used.

 

quote]

 

I am interested in the private tour that you used in Halifax and Saint John.

We are going the last of June.

Thanks

[framer]

We live in Newport RI and have done 6 NE cruises over the last 10 years. We love the ease of taking this cruise. No TSA, airline fees or hotels to pay = cheap vacation. A cruise is a cruise no matter where you take it. There is a lot of history in NE to discover. Tip: Renting a car in any port is easy.

 

framer

[BAYA]

I am interested in the private tour that you used in Halifax and Saint John.

We are going the last of June.

Thanks

 

In Halifax I used Halifax Taxi Tours for the private tour. Halifax is on Atlantic time, so they suggested that we plan to begin our tour at 10:30am Atlantic time (1 hour later than ship’s time). http://www.halifaxtaxitours.com/. We did a 4 hour combination of the Historic Halifax and Peggy’s Cove tours. I had a large group from the roll call and booked 2 vans with them. Would use them again.

 

We LOVED Peggy’s Cove. I just wish I had some more time there because there were a couple of artists galleries that I did not have time to visit.

 

In Saint John I booked a private van tour with Roy's Tours. He told us to plan for 5-6 hours. His web site is http://roystours.webs.com. He took us to Saint Martin and the Bay of Fundy and we collected lucky rocks on the beach and had a no-frills seafood lunch at a beachfront place. Roy is extremely personable and I'd use him again.

[RoofingPrincess]

I went to college in Boston and have lived in CT since 1979, and I have one booked! Mostly because a group of CC friends (from other places) wanted to do it, but also because all I have to do is drive 2 hours to Boston, and then the Captain does the rest of the driving for a whole week!

[1ParticularHbr]

We live in Maine (born in Bar Harbor & live near Portland) and have never really considered a New England/Canada cruise but wouldn't rule it out. Granted, it would be odd to get off a cruise ship in two cities we're so familiar with but being able to cruise without dealing with airplane flights would be wonderful. Some of the Canadian ports are a LONG drive, even for New Englanders so a cruise would be a nice way to see them.

[paganwoman]

Born and raised in West Haven Ct. Spent summers on the Cape and visited Bar Harbor every few years.....then moved away. It has been over 20 years since I have been back. In just a few weeks my husband and I will be going on the New England cruise starting in Montreal (where I have also been quite a few years ago) My husband is a midwest born and I feel I will be seeing it for the first time with him and I am sure appreciating it all the more for having lived there. As an added bonus, my husband's daughter recently moved to Boston so at the end of the cruise we get to spend a few days in "Bean Town" with her. Can't wait....and there is a few lobsters in our future.

[elcuchio24]

Naw.

 

We live in Portland, grew up by Bar Harbor, and can drive to any of the other ports within 4-5 hours. Don't really see any point to cruise to places we're been before and are familiar with, and can easily drive to. Wish they had more carrib options out of Boston!

[sail7seas]

Just wondering if you would take a NE/Canada cruise if you already live in New England? I've lived in CT all my life and have visited all NE states at one time or another.

 

I've always told my husband that I would never think of a NE cruise since we live in NE and could easily drive to wherever we wanted to go.

 

Then I picked up a couple cruise travel books from a travel agent today and I was reading up on all the different cruises that this particular cruise line offered (I think it was Hollland America). I started reading the NE/Canada cruise and thought it looked interesting. :o

 

What are your thoughts?

 

 

We've lived in Boston all our lives and we do Canada/NE cruises every summer b-to-b, Boston to Montreal to Boston on HAL's Maasdam. We never tire of that itinerary and love those cruises.

 

Great cruise IMO

 

[cruzingduo]

From where we dock (Enchantment) how far are we from town? Do we need a cab or can we walk? We have toured the mansions when we did a road trip. Where are will when we dock? Just walk off?

[SailBadtheSinner]

From where we dock (Enchantment) how far are we from town? Do we need a cab or can we walk? We have toured the mansions when we did a road trip. Where are will when we dock? Just walk off?

 

So you are on RCI's Enchantment otS, are these the ports you are visiting:

Baltimore, Maryland; Portland, Maine; Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Baltimore, Maryland. Is your question on all of them?

 

Here's a quick rundown of what I know::

Portland, Maine - you dock & can walk

Bar Harbor, Maine - you tender & a short walk

Saint John, New Brunswick - you dock & ?????

Halifax, Nova Scotia - you dock & ?????

 

Which mansions are you referring to? I know they are in Newport RI but that is not one of your ports of call.

 

SBtS

[cruzingduo]

So you are on RCI's Enchantment otS, are these the ports you are visiting:

Baltimore, Maryland; Portland, Maine; Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Baltimore, Maryland. Is your question on all of them?

 

Here's a quick rundown of what I know::

Portland, Maine - you dock & can walk

Bar Harbor, Maine - you tender & a short walk

Saint John, New Brunswick - you dock & ?????

Halifax, Nova Scotia - you dock & ?????

 

Which mansions are you referring to? I know they are in Newport RI but that is not one of your ports of call.

 

SBtS

 

Our Enchantment cruise goes to Bermuda (overnight), Boston & Newport.

[SailBadtheSinner]

Our Enchantment cruise goes to Bermuda (overnight), Boston & Newport.

 

Here's another attempt:

 

Newport - tendered; tender docks are located an easy walk to shopping, restaurants, and some attractions. You could walk to cliff walk and mansions (about 2 miles), city bus goes right by mansions, or taxi.

 

Boston - docked; ?????

 

 

SBtS