Rainy Tour of Saint John, NB

[Trish Traveler]

Review of Saint John, New Brunswick from our Voyager of the Seas Cruise.  Complete review here:

 

SAINT JOHN, NEW  BRUNSWICK Bay of Fundy (not to be confused with St. John, Newfoundland)    8am-7pm

Awoke to another overcast day.  We were berthed at the Long Wharf.  Our plan was to just tour the area by foot on our own.  We had planned to start our day by walking to see the Reversing Falls using the Harbor Passage Trail.  We decided to tour the city first in hopes that it might clear up and be less drizzly later.  We were glad we learned ahead of time that there was an overhead pedway system that leads from the Market Square Shopping Center connecting buildings through Brunswick Square Shopping Center all the way to the popular City Market.  Lots to see, including the Public Library, fountain, artwork, shops, even a moose!  We got to the City Market before most of the tour bus crowds so that was nice to stroll the colorful aisles.  We headed outside to see the pretty Kings Square Park and hunted for a few of the photogenic murals we had read about online.  Then a deluge started, but we were prepared with umbrellas and rain gear.  Back inside the City Market we found a lovely respite near the entrance to have a taste of Moosehead local beer. 

 

Once the rain let up we headed back outside to explore the uptown area of Saint John, and spot more murals.  We toured beautiful Trinity Anglican Church where we were able to sign a condolence book for Queen Elizabeth II.  Working our way back outside we enjoyed the architecture of the buildings all the way to the new Area 506 Container Village of Shops and food trucks, which is near the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal.  It was windy and drizzly but we had to get a Beaver Tail treat along with an order of Poutine.  Two firsts for us!  Both delicious!  We had to eat standing because all the outdoor seating was wet, but the warm, comfort food really hit the spot.  Cute stores, clean public bathrooms and a container designated just for crew which is nice, for them to hang out and get wifi.  Steamers Lobster Company was doing a good business right across the street.  Checked out a few souvenir stores as we headed back on Water Street.  We popped back into Market Square to get some coffee at Tim Horton’s, another first for us.   The weather had not improved so we decided to skip the Reversing Falls.  I know it wouldn’t look like much in this weather; you really need to see it at different tides to get the full impact of the reversing flow.  I do find the science of it very interesting knowing that the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides on Earth.  I imagine on a nice day, it would be a good tour to head out to see the area of Hopewell Rocks, but we weren’t interested in a 7 hour tour on a bus.  Despite the weather, we enjoyed our time in this interesting city. 

[MarieF4861]

I really enjoyed your port report, especially since we will be stopping there in May on the RCCL Oasis of the Seas.  Glad you got to do so much despite the weather.  Just curious - if you did decide to see the Reversing Falls, how were you going to travel there?  I also am not fond of all-day tours and prefer to do my own exploring.

[Trish Traveler]

On 10/17/2022 at 6:28 PM, MarieF4861 said:

I really enjoyed your port report, especially since we will be stopping there in May on the RCCL Oasis of the Seas.  Glad you got to do so much despite the weather.  Just curious - if you did decide to see the Reversing Falls, how were you going to travel there?  I also am not fond of all-day tours and prefer to do my own exploring.

Glad you enjoyed the report.  We were going to walk to the reversing falls which I believe is about 3 miles one way via the Harbor Passage Trail.  You could also probably take a cab from the port.  Enjoy planning your trip!

I find Toms Port Guides helpful.  This one is from 2014 but still has a lot of great info and maps.

https://www.tomsportguides.com/uploads/5/8/5/4/58547429/saintjohn-nb-05-30-2014.pdf

[mjcruise101]

Trish   thanks for posting your complete review.   6 of us are on the HAL Zaandam Sept 13-24 Canada New England cruise and starting to look at ports and excursions. We like taking excursions by local tour operators.  Your review will really help. We are spending a few days in Boston and Montreal. I am going to post the link on our roll call. 

[ilovesparky13]

Thanks for the tips. We are going there this fall. 

[Trish Traveler]

You're welcome.  Glad it could be useful to both of you.