Difference in cruising the Caribbean vs. New England

[Robinola]

New England is over the top fantastic. Your stops will be far superior to the Caribbean. Yes, you might wear a coat. Big whoop. Enjoy! You will NOT be sorry.

[Virtopia]

This is definitely a cruise itinerary that I'm now considering. I've been to Halifax before on a land trip and really enjoyed myself. Bonus is that they leave from Quebec City, which is a convenient train ride away.

[Bookish Angel]

so no hideous humidity and/or insufferable heat. I am a Florida native and I love cool and cold weather, perhaps because I grew up in a place that, for me, was hotter than the hinges on Hell's back door about 75% of the time.

 

My 2007 New England/Canada trip was terrific and I am doing it again this fall. Lots to see and do among friendly locals, important historic sites, and if you are lucky, beautiful fall foliage.

 

I don't like any seafood but there were some great restaurants on this trip, particularly in Portland, ME.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Bookish Angel

[reallyitsmema]

so no hideous humidity and/or insufferable heat. I am a Florida native and I love cool and cold weather, perhaps because I grew up in a place that, for me, was hotter than the hinges on Hell's back door about 75% of the time.

 

My 2007 New England/Canada trip was terrific and I am doing it again this fall. Lots to see and do among friendly locals, important historic sites, and if you are lucky, beautiful fall foliage.

 

I don't like any seafood but there were some great restaurants on this trip, particularly in Portland, ME.

 

I have two requirements in Portland:

 

Donuts at Holy Donut

 

https://theholydonut.com/

 

and Whoppie Pies at Two Fat Cats

 

http://twofatcatsbakery.com/

 

Might need to go on a road trip soon.:p

[dschultz56]

We have done this cruise twice and have it booked again in Oct 2017 on Anthem. We love this itinerary. First time we were wearing shorts because it was still warm. It's beautiful scenery when the leaves are turning. The Caribbean just seems the same from port to port - same people pushing you to buy their stuff, even the same stuff in each port. These ports seem to have more locally made souvenirs and crafts and the people want to engage in conversation with you. After a summer in Houston, we love to go to the cooler weather for a change. It is typically older people and usually only babies or toddlers - which we appreciate. You also tend to have more time in the ports because they are closer together.

[Finabear]

Off the ship, the ports have a completely different feel. The New England seaports have a ton of history and are just plain cool to walk around. Add to that they are way safer than most caribbean ports. Enjoy the local food!

Even though I have lived in CT most of my life I totally enjoyed our NE cruise and we plan to do again very soon.

[KeywestK]

You can't compare a Caribbean cruise to a NE/Canada sailing. We have done numerous Caribbean cruises over the years, and those are all about warm weather, sunshine, beaches, umbrella drinks and relaxing. Our NE/Canada cruise was all about sight-seeing and touring. Weather was cooler and wetter, but that didn't stop us. My husband described that cruise perfectly when he said it was like a road trip, but the ship was our transportation. We loved it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[hansolosmom]

We did a similar itinerary on Princess a few years ago during June so there was a mix of families on-board. It was one of my favorite trips. As others have said dress in layers since the weather is variable. All the shops/casino were open normal times. Also you are not close enough to land to pick up a cell signal, for some reason people think you can.

 

I also highly recommend Ollie's trolley. We did the shorter tour and had a great driver. He gave us a good sandwhich shop suggestion for lobster rolls.

 

Halifax we did a private tour, we had a group of 6, did Peggy's cove and the Titanic cemetery among seeing other things.

[ladysummermoon]

Following this thread.....doing this cruise out of Boston in September 2017.

[Ron Don]

Fresh Lobster, more lobster, and more fresh lobster. Halifax, PEI, and Bar Harbor are wonderful but remember if you have a tour in Halifax that goes to the fort at noon and they fire off the cannon (and they will), you will still jump out of your pants :eek:.

 

It's a different feel but really nice and enjoyable....did I mention the LOBSTER!!

[OceansOfTravels]

I have done a 4 night on the Carnival Splendor to Canada, as well as a 5 night on the Carnival Glory to Canada as well. I love the Canadian ports. I have not been to the New England ports you listened, however.

 

In Saint John, we rented a car at the nearby Avis for the day. First we drove south to the Reversing Falls viewpoints, and then to the Irving National Park. There is a nice hiking trail if you bring the proper shoes, I enjoy looking at the rocks on the beach and the landscape is so unique and beautiful. Then we hopped back on the highway and either go back to the ship for lunch, or go to a restaurant in the city or on the way. After lunch we went north on the highway to Saint Martin's to the beautiful sea caves, and this is something you have to see. The tides in the Bay of Fundy are astonishing, and walking up through the caves is also very beautiful. I love Saint John, it is such a fun place to go.

 

In Halifax, we got off early morning to walk the streets and see the exhibits by the ship terminal. There are lots of musicians and the city is very beautiful. We came back to the port around 10 to get on our ship's tour, and we did a ship excursion to the Titanic Cemetery and museum as well as Peggy's Cove. The Cemetery and Museum were very interesting and well-created, I enjoyed my stop there. Peggy's Cove was GORGEOUS, I love that lighthouse and all the rocks around it. The shops there are also very nice. If you're into aviation or air disasters, you can see where Swiss Air Flight 111 from New York to Geneva crashed into the water.

 

The vibe onboard will be different. Like others said, there is less happening on the upper decks. You will see a different dynamic of passengers than you would on a cruise to the Caribbean. You'll be cruising fully clothed rather than in a bathing suit. The weather is a hot or miss, on my Splendor Canada cruise it was 80 degrees in Saint John and we were tanning by the pool after our day out and about, but on Glory it was a good 65 degrees in August. the temperatures are very fluid up there so be prepared for both. Usually, they have to sound the fog horns every few minutes when sailing in the Bay of Fundy because of the dense fog. Once you get used to this though, you will be fine.

 

You're in for a great cruise, I love cruising to Canada. It is a good change and it is a beautiful area of the world to see. I wish you the best! :D

[critterchick]

thanks everybody. How about casino hours and shops onboard, do they open for less time? do they still do all the sales you see onboard in the Caribbean? how about menus and food offerings? do they change for the region or do they use the same menu sets?

 

The ship only has to be a few miles off shore before they can open the shops and casino, so the hours will be similar in Canada/NE. And they may have good lobster as well, although there may also be an upcharge in the MDR (we were able to get it in Chops as an entree).

 

I have the 9 night Canada/New England cruise booked for October 2017 on the Anthem. We are looking forward to do something different. We are honestly a little tired of the Caribbean ports and always going to the same islands.

 

It is interesting to hear everyone's comments regarding there past experiences with this itinerary.

 

We personally feel like we will spend more time in the ports on this sailing than we normally do in the Caribbean.

 

We certainly did. Cruising that itinerary is more like cruising in Europe - loads of historical stuff and not much in the way of sitting on the beach.

 

There will be a lot fewer kids because U.S. schools will be in session. We found a mix of middle aged and older passengers (35+) onboard. I was raised in New England and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the itinerary - it was nice to take a trip down Memory Lane in some of the ports and still always discover something new.:)

[EJ33333]

Wow!

That seems like a full day in St. John and something I would like to do.

How long is the drive from the ship to the sea caves.

[Trekker954]

Port intensive, many in the U.S. so you'll have access to your cell phone often (4G) and even in the Canada ports, many ports have free wifi right there and/or in the many restaurants/pubs. I loved my New England cruise last year. the Serenade has a lot of great music and entertainment on board.

[cruzinlady1947]

I love the water in the Caribbean, but the ports in New England/Canada. I'm not into hot weather, but we cruise a lot in the Caribbean and I love it. But, the New England and Canada are my favorites.

 

We cruise every year to the north, except for this year.

 

If you ever get the chance, take the 14 night from Bayonne to Quebec and back on the Celebrity Summit. A great cruise with an awesome itinerary. The Explorer did it one year as a round trip, but then after that, they were only doing one way up and one way back. You had to do a B2B if you didn't want to fly either way.

 

On one of our trips to Quebec, it was 80 deg. in the beginning of Nov. So you just never know about the weather. Plan for anything and layers are best.

 

Enjoy your cruise.....you won't be sorry you took it.

 

 

Gwen :)

[Surfguyxxx]

I haven't gone but according to my dad, his cruise up the East Coast was full of "old people". Which I thought was pretty funny coming from an old guy.

 

 

Now now; what do you consider is "old"????:confused:

[jules815]

I haven't gone but according to my dad, his cruise up the East Coast was full of "old people". Which I thought was pretty funny coming from an old guy.

 

This made me laugh. I hear every day from my 91 year old father in law about all the "old people" at assisted living! :D

[chengkp75]

As a Portlander (not native, but came "from away" over 40 years ago), I'll add this. On top of the history, if you are tired of the same old cruise ship cuisine, dine in Portland, which has been ranked in the top "foodie" destinations in the US for the last decade or so.

[Marylandteachergirl]

Hello! We sailed this itinerary on the Grandeur from Baltimore 2 years ago on a 9 night cruise. We are thinking about a repeat, or possibly Anthem (depends on pricing) from Cape Liberty in 2018.

 

We are in our mid-40's, and I would say we were one of a handful of "youngsters" on the ship. Many passengers had assistive devices, walkers, scooters, wheelchairs, etc, so be prepared to wait sometimes and delays for tenders and exiting ship. Just takes patience.

 

I did feel there was not as much to "do" on this, as a Caribbean sailing. One night we walked across the pool deck around 9pm and we were the ONLY people out there. No one, including crew - it was kinda eerie in a cool way.

 

We sailed Oct 9th - and weather definitely got cooler as we sailed north. We missed the fall color peak, but saw some beautiful colors anyway. I wore a wool sweater at Peggy's Cove. I do not like lobster, but my husband does, and he had several fresh from the water ones that were delicious (according to him), but I do like blueberries, and had the most amazing blueberry pie.

 

What I most wanted to do, was see Acadia National Park, and we had the bad luck to visit during the government shut down - so national parks closed. :( I think we need a repeat visit.

 

I have to say that sailing from Baltimore was very easy for us, since we live in Maryland, and the staff on that ship was amazing. (Grandeur). I think Serenade from Boston or Anthem may be our next choice, just because it's a little different.

 

You will have a great time - just be prepared for it to be a different feel than the caribbean. Happy planning!

[zebstriped]

Native New Englander here (outside of Boston but spend a lot of time in Maine)!

 

I've taken just one cruise so far, and it was a Canada/New England cruise.

It was an early June sailing and we did have nice weather, 60-70s for our port days. There were lots of kids, but it was June, so. One sea day it was over 85 degrees F! The Lido deck was completely mobbed without a deck chair to be had. It was that moment that my husband said he'd never take a "hot" cruise.

 

So we are taking our second cruise this September, doing a similar itinerary, with Bar Harbor added. The weather could be nearly anything which is not helping with my mental packing check list. It could be really hot, but it could also be cool and in the 50-60s. Like most others said, it's unpredictable, so layers are recommended.

 

Canada will probably continue to be one of my favorite cruise options, until I can get to Alaska.

[zebstriped]

What I most wanted to do, was see Acadia National Park, and we had the bad luck to visit during the government shut down - so national parks closed. :( I think we need a repeat visit.

 

I was in Bar Harbor at the same time (not on a cruise) and it was very disappointing that the government shutdown forced them to close Acadia. I hope you get back someday, it is quite a fantastic national park! I try to get there a few times a year.

[JoyMouse]

In addition to everything mentioned above, one thing I noticed on the NE/C cruises compared to the Caribbean is the lack of visible security personnel "hanging around" the pool deck and other public areas.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Marylandteachergirl]

I was in Bar Harbor at the same time (not on a cruise) and it was very disappointing that the government shutdown forced them to close Acadia. I hope you get back someday, it is quite a fantastic national park! I try to get there a few times a year.

 

I think we are planning on fall 2018, so I will get a do-over! Thanks!!!

[judymag]

Did carribean last year enjoyed it just back from Canada and New England ang would do it again it totally different but a really lovely area to visit