Can't Even Figure Out How To Book?

[greenstarlimes]

It's that season where I'm starting to plan and book my summer/fall vacation and this year I sort of figured I'd take a cruise from Halifax to New York. Unfortunately, I, erm, can't figure out how to search for cruises and book them? Every cruise line's website (and every cruise search feature like the one here on Cruise Critic) omits certain vital fields like "origin" and "destination" making it impossible to actually search for a cruise from Halifax to New York without getting buried in irrelevant listings (eg, Boston to Montreal, or New York to New York).

 

Thus far, I've only been able to find two cruises, both from Hurtigruten, with the most promising being this one but it costs on the order of $2,500 which seems a bit excessive, since Hurtigruten does not appear to be a luxury line by any means. While I couldn't find any comparable sailings on any other line, a 7-night New York to New York cruise from one of the "mainstream" lines was listed at about $1,500 for a slightly-nicer outside room.

 

In addition to those two sailings with Hurtigruten, I learned that Grimaldi Lines sails Halifax to New York but they don't list prices for that trip and (while I haven't emailed them; from their website, their English is not great but loads better than my Italian), travel agencies with a focus on cruise travel suggest they just wouldn't let me book a trip that short (since for them, it's only two nights).

 

I'll admit that the last time I tried to book a cruise was Alaska in 2012, but I don't recall having this problem then. Did this start recently? Or am I just failing at booking, somehow?

 

How (or where) do I search for cruises from Halifax to New York without getting buried by irrelevant listings?

[Shmoo here]

40 minutes ago, greenstarlimes said:

How (or where) do I search for cruises from Halifax to New York without getting buried by irrelevant listings?

I'm not sure any of the main stream cruise lines sail FROM Halifax.  There are some that stop there during a cruise, but don't begin there.

[mom says]

Agree with Shmoo. The reason you're having a problem is because none of the mainstream cruise lines have itineraries that depart from  or end in Halifax. 

[Essiesmom]

The only transport to/from Halifax would be fairly local ferries.  Hurtigruten is a coastal ferry line in Norway, but they also have expedition ships.  Grimaldi is a ferry company mainly in the Med.  Neither one markets in the US.  Suggest you go here  https://www.cruisetimetables.com/#home  and search for the places you want to visit from the Ports of Call list, and it will tell you who is calling there, and their itineraries.  

 

Did find these two itineraries on Hurtigruten:

 

https://www.hurtigruten.com/destinations/north-america/?quarter=Q3-20#voyages

Edited February 18, 2020 by Essiesmom

[greenstarlimes]

1 hour ago, Shmoo here said:

I'm not sure any of the main stream cruise lines sail FROM Halifax.  There are some that stop there during a cruise, but don't begin there.

 

Oh no. Guess I'll have to rethink my plans. :(

 

Are there any cruise lines that will let me book from Halifax to New York even if the cruise doesn't begin in Halifax? I know most of the mainstream cruise lines don't, but I'm pretty sure Grimaldi does even if that's too short a trip to book with them.

 

 

28 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

The only transport to/from Halifax would be fairly local ferries.  Hurtigruten is a coastal ferry line in Norway, but they also have expedition ships.  Grimaldi is a ferry company mainly in the Med.  Neither one markets in the US.  Suggest you go here  https://www.cruisetimetables.com/#home  and search for the places you want to visit from the Ports of Call list, and it will tell you who is calling there, and their itineraries.  

 

Did find these two itineraries on Hurtigruten:

 

https://www.hurtigruten.com/destinations/north-america/?quarter=Q3-20#voyages

 

The closest I could find ferry-wise was Yarmouth, NS to Bar Harbor, ME which would involve a very long bus trip onwards to New York which was not something I had any pressing desire to do. Hurtigruten has two Halifax to New York itineraries, but they're on the order of $2,500 each which seemed a bit on the high side for a fairly short non-luxury-line cruise (they're the ones you linked to). Grimaldi says they sail Halifax to Newark (which is New York-ish) here, and are generally willing to let people book between specific ports but I've heard they won't let you book two-night trips.

 

The cruise line timetable site you linked to won't even let me enter Halifax as a departure port and doesn't list Hurtigruten or Grimaldi cruises. They only list mainstream lines that won't let me book Halifax to New York plus AIDA, whose website is almost entirely in German so there's no easy way to tell if they'd allow the booking.

[Shmoo here]

17 minutes ago, greenstarlimes said:

Are there any cruise lines that will let me book from Halifax to New York even if the cruise doesn't begin in Halifax?

I doubt it.  But I don't know for sure.

[Nitemare]

Agree with Shmoo, it's unlikely a major will allow that, they would have to charge you full price to keep the cabin open for you.

 

You might want to talk to a cruise travel agent to see if they can help you with this non-standard request

[papaflamingo]

10 hours ago, greenstarlimes said:

Are there any cruise lines that will let me book from Halifax to New York even if the cruise doesn't begin in Halifax? I know most of the mainstream cruise lines don't, but I'm pretty sure Grimaldi does even if that's too short a trip to book with them.

 

Even if you simply "missed" the cruise, Halifax is usually middle of cruise, so you'll be missing half the cruise or more. If you go south, you'd likely start in Montreal or Quebec City with stops before Halifax.  Why not just leave from one of those ports? 

[greenstarlimes]

On 2/18/2020 at 7:24 AM, Nitemare said:

Agree with Shmoo, it's unlikely a major will allow that, they would have to charge you full price to keep the cabin open for you.

 

You might want to talk to a cruise travel agent to see if they can help you with this non-standard request

 

Oh well. :(

 

Is time-sharing with someone traveling the other portion of the cruise an option if I can find someone? Are there any specific travel agents you recommend? (I wouldn't know from cruise travel agents; last time, I just called the cruise lines directly.)

 

On 2/18/2020 at 8:28 AM, papaflamingo said:

Even if you simply "missed" the cruise, Halifax is usually middle of cruise, so you'll be missing half the cruise or more. If you go south, you'd likely start in Montreal or Quebec City with stops before Halifax.  Why not just leave from one of those ports? 

 

Because Halifax is where I'm going to be? I could potentially board a cruise departing from someplace relatively nearby like Yarmouth, but Montreal or Quebec City would be rather out of the way.

[Nitemare]

Call a cruise line. Try Craig's List.  If I tell you less than one cruiser out of 100,000 does this, it is probably less.

 

If you want to go to Disneyworld you go to Florida. If you want to cruise you go to a cruiseport.

[papaflamingo]

19 hours ago, greenstarlimes said:

 

Oh well. 😞

 

Is time-sharing with someone traveling the other portion of the cruise an option if I can find someone? Are there any specific travel agents you recommend? (I wouldn't know from cruise travel agents; last time, I just called the cruise lines directly.)

 

 

Because Halifax is where I'm going to be? I could potentially board a cruise departing from someplace relatively nearby like Yarmouth, but Montreal or Quebec City would be rather out of the way.

By "timesharing," do you mean one person gets on in Montreal and gets off in Halifax and you take their place?  If so, I highly doubt that is possible. I've never heard of it.  And due to the crazy security regs,  I can't imagine it would be allowed.  But you never know, 

 

I suppose if you coordinate with the cruise line you can board in Halifax.   But it'd be way cheaper to fly to Montreal and enjoy the whole cruise if you have the time off.  

[1025cruise]

Unfortunately, what you are looking for doesn't exist.

 

 

[greenstarlimes]

On 2/19/2020 at 11:55 AM, Nitemare said:

If you want to go to Disneyworld you go to Florida. If you want to cruise you go to a cruiseport.

 

I had thought Halifax was a cruiseport.

 

On 2/20/2020 at 7:36 AM, papaflamingo said:

By "timesharing," do you mean one person gets on in Montreal and gets off in Halifax and you take their place?  If so, I highly doubt that is possible. I've never heard of it.  And due to the crazy security regs,  I can't imagine it would be allowed.  But you never know, 

 

I suppose if you coordinate with the cruise line you can board in Halifax.   But it'd be way cheaper to fly to Montreal and enjoy the whole cruise if you have the time off.  

 

I highly doubt any security regulations would forbid it, given that no other method of transportation insists on only booking passengers end-to-end for a journey with multiple stops.

 

Unfortunately, I can't fly (which is part of why I was looking to sail).

 

On 2/20/2020 at 7:59 AM, 1025cruise said:

Unfortunately, what you are looking for doesn't exist.

 

 

 

Apparently. :(

 

I'll try to rearrange my schedule, possibly around the ferry to Bar Harbor.

[papaflamingo]

12 hours ago, greenstarlimes said:

I highly doubt any security regulations would forbid it, given that no other method of transportation insists on only booking passengers end-to-end for a journey with multiple stops.

I was actually thinking about Homeland Security Regulations.  Don't know about cruises that start in Canada, but my understanding is that the Manifest is delivered to Customs 90 minutes prior to sailing in U.S. ports.  So coming from a foreign country to the U.S. I would assume that a manifest is forwarded to Customs.  If Halifax is a middle port in the cruise, then I bet the cruise line will say no.  But you never know.

[1025cruise]

Halifax is a cruise port, as a port stop, not as embarkation/disembarkation. The immigration/customs formalities are much different.

 

Is the ferry even running now? It was supposed to start up against last summer, but I don't think they made it.

 

With that being said, Bar Harbor is a beautiful spot, so if you do end up going, plan to spend a day or so in Bar Harbor before trekking on to NYC.

[mets123]

If you just want to go from Halifax to New York, a bus, airplane, or train would be cheaper.

[Host Bonjour]

On 2/17/2020 at 7:47 PM, greenstarlimes said:

It's that season where I'm starting to plan and book my summer/fall vacation and this year I sort of figured I'd take a cruise from Halifax to New York. Unfortunately, I, erm, can't figure out how to search for cruises and book them? Every cruise line's website (and every cruise search feature like the one here on Cruise Critic) omits certain vital fields like "origin" and "destination" making it impossible to actually search for a cruise from Halifax to New York without getting buried in irrelevant listings (eg, Boston to Montreal, or New York to New York).

 

Thus far, I've only been able to find two cruises, both from Hurtigruten, with the most promising being this one but it costs on the order of $2,500 which seems a bit excessive, since Hurtigruten does not appear to be a luxury line by any means. While I couldn't find any comparable sailings on any other line, a 7-night New York to New York cruise from one of the "mainstream" lines was listed at about $1,500 for a slightly-nicer outside room.

 

In addition to those two sailings with Hurtigruten, I learned that Grimaldi Lines sails Halifax to New York but they don't list prices for that trip and (while I haven't emailed them; from their website, their English is not great but loads better than my Italian), travel agencies with a focus on cruise travel suggest they just wouldn't let me book a trip that short (since for them, it's only two nights).

 

I'll admit that the last time I tried to book a cruise was Alaska in 2012, but I don't recall having this problem then. Did this start recently? Or am I just failing at booking, somehow?

 

How (or where) do I search for cruises from Halifax to New York without getting buried by irrelevant listings?

 

Actually, Hurtigruten isn't not luxurious. It looks like a freighter but it's not. We had the CEO of Hurtigruten as a guest here on our boards last year to answer member Q & As and I was so surprised to learn about this company I knew so little about and found myself eager to be on one of their boats. 

 

While they are definitely geared toward adventures, their amenities are comfortable, great food etc. As has been mentioned, they are based in Norway and sail to Antarctica too!

Here's the conversation, read through and see what you think before counting them out, you never know! Also linking the Hurtigruten topic for you. 

 

Hurtigruten Line

Hurtigruten Q & A