7-Day Canada & New England from New York

[salty dingo]

Hi Cruisers. We're looking into this cruise on Triumph for Fall of 2019. Can anyone help me with these questions?

1. Is this departing from Manhattan? Which pier?
   
2. Anyone been on this itinerary (and what did you think of it?) - Boston, Portland, St. John, Halifax
   
3. Is this one of those cruises where a balcony is an absolute must?
   

Thanks in advance!

[RHilla619]

1.) Yes Carnival sails out of Manhattan, usually Pier 88 or Pier 90 by the Intrepid Museum.

 

2.) Have not done this route.

 

3.) Wouldn't call this one a must have balcony, usually the Alaska cruises get that tag because of the scenery.

[salty dingo]

3.) Wouldn't call this one a must have balcony, usually the Alaska cruises get that tag because of the scenery.

I agree. We were glad to pay extra for a balcony for Alaska. In general, I would grab a balcony if the price was not too much higher than an inside. However, on this cruise the inside cabins are very cheap (and knowing NYC is very expensive, that matters.)

 

I was thinking, if the cruise spends a lot of time near the shore, as it does in Alaska inside passage, then a balcony may be worth it.

[Donh44]

I agree. We were glad to pay extra for a balcony for Alaska. In general, I would grab a balcony if the price was not too much higher than an inside. However, on this cruise the inside cabins are very cheap (and knowing NYC is very expensive, that matters.)

 

I was thinking, if the cruise spends a lot of time near the shore, as it does in Alaska inside passage, then a balcony may be worth it.

 

 

I have been on this cruise twice. One of the best cruises that I have taken. I wouldn't get a balcony if you are getting it for seeing the coastline. You don't see the coastline except when entering and departing the port. I always get an inside cabin. But if it were Alaska or the Panama Canal, then I would definitely spring for a balcony. I can't justify spending that kind of money just to see water. But if you are one who likes to sit out there and have coffee or room service or relaxing, then go for it. I would rather save the money and use it elsewhere. But the NE/Canada cruise is a great cruise especially if the weather is good.

[salty dingo]

I have been on this cruise twice. One of the best cruises that I have taken. I wouldn't get a balcony if you are getting it for seeing the coastline. You don't see the coastline except when entering and departing the port. I always get an inside cabin. But if it were Alaska or the Panama Canal, then I would definitely spring for a balcony. I can't justify spending that kind of money just to see water. But if you are one who likes to sit out there and have coffee or room service or relaxing, then go for it. I would rather save the money and use it elsewhere. But the NE/Canada cruise is a great cruise especially if the weather is good.

Thanks, that is exactly the info I was looking for. I don't mind sitting out on the balcony and looking at water, but it is only worth so much. So, I think exactly the same as you do.

 

Less $$ for the cabin = more $$ for everything else, like a pre-cruise day in the city.

[CruisinJerseyMom]

We took a 5 day cruise to Canada in 2013. We had a great time. I don’t think a balcony is a must however.

[Jamman54]

We did this cruise on the Sunshine in 2016, and will be on the 9/22/19 Triumph cruise. Our review is in my signature. :cool:

[cainlr]

Following . I would love to do this cruise. Maybe 2019 is our next cruise to Canada.

[Cyber Kat]

We have done Canada/NE 3 times. It’s one of our favorite itineraries. We did the 3 day, the 4 day and the 7 day. The 7 day was the best. We did this in September 2017 and it was fantastic.

 

We love sailing out of NYC. You get the skyline, the Freedom Tower, the Statue of Liberty, NY Harbor. It’s the best sail away IMO.

 

The ports are great, as well. Boston is fun. We did part of the Freedom Trail. Saw the Old North Church, the Constitution aka Old Ironsides, Paul Revere’s House, Faneuil Hall and the Market. We walked everywhere after the shuttle dropped us off, but there is a Hop on Hop off trolley/ tram. If you are a baseball fan you can tour Fenway Park. They have a number of harbor cruises, including a Duckboat.

 

Portland was fabulous. We had never been there before. We did the Portland by Land and Sea tour through Carnival and it was wonderful. We had a short bus ride through the city, then out to the iconic Portland Head Light. After that we came back into town and took a sailboat out into the harbor with a second pass by the lighthouse from the water side. There was time to walk around through the shops, restaurants and bars that line the harbor. If you like doing ports on your own it’s very easy to do in Portland. Actually all these ports are great for doing on your own.

 

Saint John, NB was up next. It’s a lovely city with a small town feel. We did the Photography excursion through Carnival, because we love taking photos and we’d been to the port before. It was very nice and worth the money, we thought. Again you can do Saint John on your own.

 

The things to see are the Reversing Falls - which isn’t a great description. It’s not a waterfall and you have to catch it at high or low tide. The tides in Saint John and the Bay of Fundy are extreme between high and low. The water from the Bay surges up into the Saint John River and reverses the flow of the river at high tide causing wild rapids. When the tide goes out the river pushes the flow back into the Bay.

 

There uses to be a boat ride that went up into the rapids during the tide change and it made for an exciting ride, but they don’t do it anymore. It requires a special license and permit and I guess the company didn’t want to do it any longer or they couldn’t get qualified pilots. You can zip line over the Falls if you dare[emoji15]

 

You can also take a ride out to St Martin - a lovely fishing village up the coast. They have several covered bridges nearby and some sea caves that are worth seeing if you can catch them at low tide. At high tide they are under water.

 

In town, you have the Saint John Market, the New Brunswick Museum and lots of shops, bars and restaurants. Try the Moosehead beer!

 

Last port is Halifax - one of our favorites. You can arrange a ride out to Peggy’s Cove - another charming fishing village with an iconic lighthouse - either through the ship or a private tour or a rental car. It’s about a half hour to 45 minutes away.

 

Halifax has a Hop on Hop off bus also, but there is a great boardwalk along the harbor with fabulous views and lots of shops, bars and restaurants. There are also harbor cruises you can take. We did one of these on a sailing vessel the last time and it was fun. You could help with the sails or just go along for the ride.

 

This time, we took a cab from the pier up to the Citadel - a fortress on top of a high and steep hill. We walk a lot, but this was straight up! The cab was $5-7 - I forget but it wasn’t a lot.

 

They have all sorts of exhibits. Get there before noon for the firing of the cannon. You can hear it all over Halifax and it’s quite startling if you don’t know about it.

 

They have bagpipers who play and give a talk about their regiment and playing bagpipes. They answer questions and pose for photos. They hold a shooting demonstration, have a mock up of a hospital camp and also a military museum. There are some great views from the ramparts.

 

There is lots of Titanic stuff in Halifax because the survivors were taken there and also many of the bodies. There is a museum and a cemetery. In the museum they also have a section on the Great Halifax Explosion in 1917. A Norwegian vessel, SS Imo collided with SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship laden with high explosives, in the Narrows. The explosion leveled a good portion of the city. The shock wave was felt 129 miles away. The exhibit was quite interesting.

 

All and all a great cruise.

 

You asked about a balcony. We always think a balcony is an absolute must, but I am one of those people who are out there in my pjs taking photos of the sunrise and the sail into the harbor. For us, that’s what cruising is really all about.

 

We had an aft wrap for this cruise and thought it was a very good investment [emoji7]. Your mileage may vary!

 

We were accompanied on this cruise by several ships from other lines and it was fun seeing them follow or travel alongside us. Sailing into Portland harbor past the lighthouse was awesome!

 

And the last time we did this cruise we saw a whole pod of whales swimming with dolphins in the early morning. I just happened to be up (we were doing the Behind the Fun tour) and I looked out and saw the whales breaching. We had to rush to make the tour because we were watching the whales. The Captain told us that he had to practically stop the ship so the whales and dolphins wouldn’t get injured. It was wonderful.

 

This past cruise we had several dolphin sightings but no whales.

 

You can see the photos I took on this cruise here

http://cyberkatkreations.zenfolio.com/p688433126

 

 

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Edited February 5, 2018 by Cyber Kat