New England and Canada 14th Oct 2012

[rob linda]

Hello all.

We are sailing to New York doing the Eastern seaboard up to Halifax and then returning to New York and chugging back to Blighty, starting on Oct 14th.

We have done Qm2 once before Eastbound and know what to expect ship wise. We only had a few hours in New york on that occasion and so everything about the destinations is a bit new.

Please can anyone give me info on New york, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbour,St Johns and Halifax.

We have always done our own trips in the Caribbean and wondered if the same applies in the US and Canada or would we be better with organised tours from the ship.

Please can someone also tell me How far and how much is it from Red Hook into Manhatten. e.g. Taxi or public transport.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Bob

[3rdGenCunarder]

This is a nice itinerary. The ports you're visiting can be toured independently, depending on what you want to do. For example, Halifax has an excellent maritime museum, walking distance from the ship. But some people prefer to go to Peggy's Cove, which requires taking some sort of transport--ship tour, private tour, car rental. These ports all have much more to do than you can accomplish in one day, so you need to do some research and decide what appeals to you.

 

For starters, google each port and look for a tourism website and see what interests you. Spend some time looking around the Canada port of call board here on CC. Lots of good info there and several local posters who are very helpful if you have specific questions.

 

I don't know about the taxi fare into Manhattan, but others here will know about that.

[Chunky2219]

Here's a review of a similar itinerary last October aboard QE. http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=89894

 

Although you have fewer ports, you are visiting St John's instead of Corner Brook, so that is a big plus point!

 

The only downside is that because you are on QM2 you will be arriving NY at Brooklyn instead of getting the experience of going up the Hudson to Manhatten. Also your itinerary only gives you a one day stay there, which is at a week too little.

 

Newport and Bar Harbour, we thought were fantastic. We'll definately be buying a home in one or other when we win the lottery. My tip for Bar Harbour would be to do the tour of the Acadia National Park - it is beautiful even in miserable weather.

 

We also thoroughly liked Halifax, it is a lovely spot for a wander around if the weather is good.

 

Boston is a place to spend several days, so I'm sure you will find plenty to fill your single day there.

 

Enjoy!

.

.

[Route6A]

First of all, I wish you a wonderful visit to my part of America. You will be visiting in one of the most beautiful months of the year, and, with a little luck, we'll have fall color to greet you in New England.

 

I have taken car services to Red Hook from Manhattan, and the cheapest fare has been with Arecibo for $30 last fall. The ride was a bit fast, and the driver knew all the short cuts, so he bypassed the line to the ship. I would be careful taking a metered taxi as heavy traffic might increase the fare.

 

There is much to see and do in Boston. If you want an overview of the city, a general tour might be best. My favorite points of interest include the Museum of Fine Arts, the North End/Italian area of Boston, the Public Garden and Newburry Street, and the Freedom Trail. Other interesting tours, both independent and ship sponsored, include Concord and Lexington and Plymouth Plantation, all a distance from Boston.

 

If you are looking for a good seafood lunch, I highly recommend Legal Sea Foods, which has a number of branches in and near Boston. There is a new branch at the Seaport, but I have yet to visit that one. You will also find branches at Copley Place in Back Bay, Long Wharf, and Park Square. If you are looking for Italian food, the North End offers some nice little places to dine. For dinner, I recommend Mama Maria. Mama Maria does not offer lunch.

 

Wishing you a wonderful visit to America...

[Salacia]

PARTIAL QUOTE

....Please can someone also tell me How far and how much is it from Red Hook into Manhatten. e.g. Taxi or public transport.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Bob

 

Hi Bob. Here's a recent thread regarding transport from Red Hook to Manhattan http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1667437

 

Wishing you a wonderful voyage,

Salacia

[travelbig]

Hi Bob,

 

I have notes on these ports suggesting things to do. If you would like my file, my e-mail is gthiel at tampabay dot rr dot com

[Jan_In_Maine]

It should be a lovely time of the year for "leaf peeping" in New England. I don't live too far from Bar Harbor (it is actually spelt without a u in Harbor:)). As some one else mentioned a must see is Acadia National Park -- It is beautiful and rough with lots of trees and rocks ... It is truly amazing. http://www.acadiamagic.com/ is a nice website to look at.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise and that it is just many more visits to a beautiful part of the US. Enjoy, Jan

[lemon tree]

Hello all.

We are sailing to New York doing the Eastern seaboard up to Halifax and then returning to New York and chugging back to Blighty, starting on Oct 14th.

We have done Qm2 once before Eastbound and know what to expect ship wise. We only had a few hours in New york on that occasion and so everything about the destinations is a bit new.

Please can anyone give me info on New york, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbour,St Johns and Halifax.

We have always done our own trips in the Caribbean and wondered if the same applies in the US and Canada or would we be better with organised tours from the ship.

Please can someone also tell me How far and how much is it from Red Hook into Manhatten. e.g. Taxi or public transport.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Bob

 

We did the New England trip last year and so can give you a little bit of info.

 

Newport is a tender port and there are some nice shops there you can wander round within walking distance and the harbour of course. There are trips to the Mansions which can be booked with Cunard but you can also book these yourself as we did a few years ago when we were on a driving holiday round New England. I think we did this at the bus station.

 

In Boston we got on the shuttle bus which cost $13 each and dropped us off by Quincy Market. There are trolley bus tours round the city which we've done before and are good fun.

 

Bar Harbour was another tender port. We went straight to Oli's Trolley's ticket office and bought a 2 and a half hour tour round Acadia National Park. I would recommend doing this straight away as they get filled up pretty quickly. It cost $29 each and it takes you up to the top of Mount Cadillac with a 15 minute stop there to take in the wonderful views. It also takes you to Thunder Hole where you can clamber on the rocks and watch the waves crashing down. It was a great little tour.

The shops in Bar Harbour are great to have a wander round, although up quite a steep hill.

 

Halifax was extremely wet when we went so we visited the Maritime Museum which was very interesting with a Titanic exhibition. Lovely walk along the boardwalk and would have been even nicer if the sun had been shining! No shuttle bus there as it is all within walking distance and lots of little shops/stalls inside, at the port terminal.

 

We paid on the ship for a coach to take us into New York. It cost $40 each but we felt it was worth it as it dropped us off by Macy's at about 9.30am and picked us up again there about 3.30pm. We did our own thing for the day so it suited us. I don't have information about taxis but I prefer the security of knowing I will get back to the ship ok.

 

Whatever you decide to do, have a great time.

[rob linda]

Thankyou all so much. I cant wait to get on board and let the stress drain away for three weeks. Your comments have been really helpfull

Bob:)

[Rick02809]

If you want some local cuisine while in Newport, stop in at almost any restaurant and order a " Stuffie" which is a stuffed quahog & Coffee Milk :)

 

The Quahog (Ko-hog) is a rather large clam, the meat is ground up, mixed with bread and seasonings, spooned into 1/2 of the shell and baked. The "Coffee Milk" is a local treat basically it is sweet coffee syrup added to milk, (much like Nestle Quik or Hershey's chocolate syrup"

 

This is a great snack that is mostly known to the RI/Massachusetts area.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baked_stuffed_clams/

 

And if you like clams, order a batch of clam cakes.

[Dorita]

My Dh & I will be in Boston Oct 4th & Newport Oct. 5th this yr .. We r sailing on the Caribbean Princess .. WE have our excursions planned for our other 3 ports But trying to decide on these 2. :confused: Never been to these ports .. my dh isn't really into visiting mansions? ? So I have been thinking about the Rose Island Light house tour ..Has anybody done this .. & did u like it ??

 

Boston .. I want to see as much as I can ?? so Would u recommend Duck tour or Trolley .. Thanks for ur time ... Angela:)

[Dorita]

If you want some local cuisine while in Newport, stop in at almost any restaurant and order a " Stuffie" which is a stuffed quahog & Coffee Milk :)

 

The Quahog (Ko-hog) is a rather large clam, the meat is ground up, mixed with bread and seasonings, spooned into 1/2 of the shell and baked. The "Coffee Milk" is a local treat basically it is sweet coffee syrup added to milk, (much like Nestle Quik or Hershey's chocolate syrup"

 

This is a great snack that is mostly known to the RI/Massachusetts area.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baked_stuffed_clams/

 

And if you like clams, order a batch of clam cakes.

Sounds delicious .. I will have to try this when we r in Newport this October..:) Angela

[138east]

My Dh & I will be in Boston Oct 4th & Newport Oct. 5th this yr .. We r sailing on the Caribbean Princess .. WE have our excursions planned for our other 3 ports But trying to decide on these 2. :confused: Never been to these ports .. my dh isn't really into visiting mansions? ? So I have been thinking about the Rose Island Light house tour ..Has anybody done this .. & did u like it ??

 

Boston .. I want to see as much as I can ?? so Would u recommend Duck tour or Trolley .. Thanks for ur time ... Angela:)

 

I'd recommend the trolley tour, but be sure you do the hop on hop off tour. Old Town Trolleys and perhaps others will pick you up near the pier and return you back there. The ships often offer trolley tours that last an hour and 40 minuts with no opportunity to get off and check something out. IMO you're better doing the hoho on your own.

[Dorita]

I'd recommend the trolley tour, but be sure you do the hop on hop off tour. Old Town Trolleys and perhaps others will pick you up near the pier and return you back there. The ships often offer trolley tours that last an hour and 40 minuts with no opportunity to get off and check something out. IMO you're better doing the hoho on your own.

Thanks for responding .. kinda leaning toward trolley

Angela:)