Cruise to Canada Right For Us?

[IHeartTravel]

Hello all,

 

I am thinking about cruising on the Carnival Splendor in August leaving from NY going to Saint John, New Brunswick.

 

My partner and I like the idea of leaving from NY (our home city) so we don't have to worry about flying.

 

I have taken cruises to the Bahamas, Caribbean and Europe, but this is my partner's first cruise and want him to have a great time and become a cruise fanatic like me!

 

Do you think this is a nice cruise to go on or should we fly to Florida and go to the Caribbean instead?

 

Btw, we are in our late twenties, like great food and entertainment.

 

Thank you for your thoughts!

[live2vayk]

Hello all,

 

I am thinking about cruising on the Carnival Splendor in August leaving from NY going to Saint John, New Brunswick.

 

My partner and I like the idea of leaving from NY (our home city) so we don't have to worry about flying.

 

I have taken cruises to the Bahamas, Caribbean and Europe, but this is my partner's first cruise and want him to have a great time and become a cruise fanatic like me!

 

Do you think this is a nice cruise to go on or should we fly to Florida and go to the Caribbean instead?

 

Btw, we are in our late twenties, like great food and entertainment.

 

Thank you for your thoughts!

 

My husband and I did a cruise up to Canada from Boston this past year for our 20th anniversary. (we have a few years on you, but we are young at heart!) I picked this cruise so we could drive to the port, and that allowed me to splurge on an aft balcony, which we loved! If you want a warm weather cruise, a cruise to Canada may not deliver. We did have great weather, so we were lucky. A cooler climate cruise is a different experience for sure, but we enjoyed it very much. We loved spending time in the ports, and we enjoyed the casino on board, and the shows, and having a lazy dinner. It is a cruise, it is all good! Just in different ways.... Whatever you chose, have a GREAT time!

[Heartfruit]

If I were you, I'd give a good hard think about what sort of things you like to do in ports. Perhaps think back to your favorite ports in the past or look though the excursions offered on the cruise you are considering and ask yourself if those sound fun to you. We (2 in our early 40s and one 9 year old) loved cruising the Maritimes and New England. But we also enjoy a good historical walking tour, museums, and hiking. If my idea of a vacation was sitting on a beach with a icy drink, I'd have been disappointed. The temperature will be similar or cooler then what you will get in NY at the same time of year.

[martincath]

Ditto to Heartfruits answer, plus a question - what vacations has *your partner* taken before and enjoyed? If not with you, what tales has he told of his best/worst times on holiday?

 

If you know he likes sun, sand & sea vacations then you probably want to do a warm weather cruise first - if going from NYC is a big plus, you can get to the Bahamas or Bermuda pretty easily. We left from NYC for both of those destinations.

[Arusha]

we are in our late twenties

 

The NE/Canada cruises, at least on other lines, tends to be an older - much older - demographic.

 

This is a 4-day cruise with a stop at only one Canadian port, so I assume you'll be treating this as a "cruise to nowhere." Not much exciting in Saint John for folks your age. If I were your partner's age, I'd much rather have my first cruise be to the Caribbean.

[IHeartTravel]

Thank you all for your thoughts!

 

My partner has never been out of the country (He has a fear of flying). We are; however, going to the Dominican Republic for a friends wedding in June. I wanted to do a cruise for our anniversary (in August) since he's never been on one.

 

I am aware that there are other cruises that go to the Caribbean from NY/NJ, but I don't have that much time to take off of work as most of them are 7nights+.

 

I do think he would probably enjoy a cruise to the Caribbean more for the beaches, but since we will have already went to the DR, I figure this cruise would be okay, almost like a cruise to "nowhere" which I know he wouldn't mind doing either.

 

I did see the Explorer of the Seas cruise going to Bermuda for 5 nights, but I am not sure if I would have enough time off left as I have a heavy travel schedule this year :-)

 

Have any of you been on the Carnival Splendor or Explorer of the Seas that can share your experiences?

 

Ahhhh, I'm so confused...

[puppycanducruise]

Just one thought to throw into the mix ...

If you come to Canada, you'll need a passport.

If you go on a closed loop cruise in the Caribbean, you'll only need a birth certificate and drivers licence.

I won't start a debate on the benefits of travelling anywhere with a passport.

Just something to keep in mind - if it matters. I mention it only because you say your SO doesn't like flying, so I guess he may not have a passport.

[RickT]

Ask yourself if your partner would rather go to the Carribbean or tour Eastern Canada and New England.

 

Two completely different trips. We've done both and loved them but they definitely have a different feel.

 

As far as which ship/cruiseline, take a moment to review these boards to help figure out which line matches your preferences best They all do it well but each tends to cater to a niche area.

[ikirumata]

For me:

 

Caribbean - relaxing in the sun

Alaska - hiking, wildlife, kayaking, scenery, being active in nature

New England/Canada - history and food (tons of localized food treats all over the North Eastern coast from lobster to cannoli)

 

New England/Canada is also a bit romantic with all of the seaside towns, breweries, and local shops.

 

Keep in mind, I come from Texas. The north east is a whole different world! :)

 

I think you and your partner will have a great time together!

[Bostonjetset]

I have never sailed on the Splendor but I took a 4-night to Canada on the Glory last year with my mom. We both had a wonderful time. The Maritimes are beautiful and charming; well worth a visit. Despite what some others may say, we really enjoyed Saint John [i am 31 btw, in case people want to make an argument on age]. If you do this short cruise please don't treat it as a CTN as Saint John has plenty to offer such as jetboats through the reversing rapids [the option we chose], loads of delicious local seafood [albeit quite expensive], and a charming downtown area with parks and shops. IMO, the city gets a bad rap. Sure it may not be as exciting as Halifax but it is not a throw-away port either.

 

Cruising north is a much different experience than a Caribbean cruise and the weather is not the only factor. There will be no hawkers pushing their wares on you. There will be no Senor Frogs. There will not be very many people in bathing suits either. There will, however, be tons of friendly locals who are proud of their cities and more than happy to help you with ideas on things to see/do. The Caribbean has it's place but it feels that many islands look and feel similar after you have been to a few [unless you chose the more exotic port stops]. The Canadian/NE cruises visit living cities that are steeped in history and don't rely on tourism as a sole source of revenue; that alone makes the experience completely different.

 

It all depends on what you value in a trip. I enjoyed it so much that my husband and I [since he did not join me on the last Canadian cruise] are considering one for this year on Holland America as their ports are more unique [also, Carnival abandoned Boston so that isn't even an option anymore]. In any case, Carnival offers these trips at next to nothing so you aren't losing out on much if you give it a try and don't love it. Much cheaper and more convenient than flying to FL, especially for a short trip.

[Giantfan13]

We will be on the Splendor next week, sailing to the Bahamas. I'll let you know about her when we get back.

 

We also did a Canada cruise out of Boston last summer on the Glory for 7 days. Myself, we hate the beach, we hate hot, humid weather so it was a no brainer to go to Canada in the summer and the Bahamas in the winter. You and your partner have to see and know exactly what you would like.

 

For us though, the weather for most of the cruise, to put it mildly, was atrocious. It either rained just about every day, or was so foggy you couldn't see your hand in front of your face all too well. In fact, I can still hear that fog horn on the ship going off every 5 minutes, for hours at a time.

That said though, the ports were great. Halifax is a wonderful town and St Johns, even in the rain, was great.

Tow completely different vacations, which is best for you, only the two of you can decide.

 

Cheers

 

Len