Emerald Princess Canada/New England Review

[labcoat99]

 

We are recently off the Emerald Princess that departed New York City on September 30. This was our second cruise on the Emerald Princess. The first was several years ago to Alaska.

 

Pre-Cruise

We drove to the pier in Brooklyn on the morning of departure. Getting to the pier was easy using Google maps. We arrived around 10:30. When you arrive by car there is a drop-off area for your luggage. We pulled right in and were met by a porter who took our bags. You then proceed to the parking lot where an attendant has a portable credit card reader, and you pay for the week in advance. Parking at the pier was $45 dollars per day, $315 for the week. There were plenty of parking spaces right next to the ship. From the parking lot it is about a 2-minute walk to the cruise terminal to check in. You can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

 

Embarkation

Once inside the terminal there were plenty of staff who directed everyone where to go. We were both “green lane” upon arrival; however, my wife had her medallion and I did not, mine was shipped but never arrived in the mail. It’s still somewhere in the USPS system. She would have been on the ship in under 5 minutes. I needed to have an old-style room card printed to get on the ship and was told to then go to guest services to get a replacement medallion. That process took about 15 minutes. Guest services made me a new medallion with my name on it after I was on the ship.

 

The Ship

The Emerald is an older ship but was very clean and still looked in good shape. Everything seemed to be working as it should.  The exterior of the ship could use some touch up paint here and there.

 

Cabin

We had a (BD) balcony cabin in the aft part of the ship. The cabin was very clean and in good condition. Our room attendant was outstanding, she serviced the room twice a day and was always checking to see if we needed anything. Our only issue with the cabin was the annoying motion sensor lights that go on at night. Thankfully because of prior reviews I was prepared with a roll of painter’s tape and covered the sensors. The motion lights are very bright and really light up the room. A couple layers of tape fixed that issue.

 

Dining

We generally ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch. The buffet area was a little cramped compared to the newer  Princess ships, but the lines moved quickly. The buffet food was good and there was always a good selection to choose from. The handwashing stations at the entrances to the buffet were used sporadically by the guests.

The pizza by the pool was very good.

The main dining room food was good to very good.  The lobster on the second formal night was the best we have had on a cruise. Definitely an upgrade from some of the sad little tails on some previous cruises. We also ate at Sabatini’s one night. The food and service there were excellent.

Service in the main dining room was very good. We ate in all three dining rooms. The Michelangelo dining room in particular had a fun vibe in addition to very good service.

The wait lines to enter the dining rooms were very manageable after the first night. The first night there was a minor wait but much better than another Princess cruise we were on earlier this year.

 

Ports

Newport – Newport is a tender port. We had been to Newport several times before. We opted to take the free shuttle to the mansion area and walk along the Cliff Walk. The free shuttle is located several blocks to the left of where the tenders drop you off. We walked along the Cliff Walk and decided to walk back to town, which was about a mile through a nice neighborhood. We walked around town for awhile and headed back to the ship. The tenders ran frequently and there was never much of a line.

 

Boston- The ship docked at 10am. We did Boston on our own. We took an Uber ($18) from the ship terminal to Fenway Park for an 11am tour that we had booked in advance. The one-hour tour was excellent. The tour takes you throughout the park and you learn the history of the players and events that have occurred there throughout the years. After the Fenway Park tour, we took an Uber ($12.50) to the North End. We picked up the Freedom Trail and worked our way back towards Boston Common. We stopped at various places along the way. A highlight was a stop at Mike’s Pastries for cannoli and Italian cookies near the Paul Revere house. There was a line, but it moved quickly. The cannoli and cookies were excellent. Many people in the area were carrying Mike’s Pastries boxes. We also visited Quincy Market and other historical sites along the Freedom Trail. An Uber from Boston Common back to the ship was $12. We found Boston to be clean and very tourist friendly.

 

Bar Harbor- Bar Harbor is a tender port. We were told that the tenders get backed up quickly so get a tender ticket early. We got our tickets at 8am. We waited over an hour for our number to be called for a tender. The tendering operation at Bar Harbor was not nearly as efficient as in Newport. The tender ride to the dock in town is about 25 minutes. The town of bar Harbor requires large cruise ships to be tucked behind an island, so they are not visible from the town. Princess should have utilized additional tenders or local providers during the peak morning rush. Some people waited much longer than we did.

We booked the 2 ½ hour Acadia National Park tour on Oli’s Trolley. Oli’s is located near where the tender exit is. The scenery on the Acadia tour was fabulous. We made several stops to get out and view different scenic areas. Our driver narrated and pointed out different points of interest along the way. At one spot we had a Bald Eagle fly by for a quick cameo. We lucked out with the weather. It was very clear and unusually warm for early October. On top of Cadillac Mountain, there is an impressive view of the town below.

After our trolley tour ended, we walked around town and bought a few souvenirs from a shop that was having a half price end of season sale. We saw lobster rolls for sale at several places. One place was charging $39 each. We passed on that.

Later that afternoon the tender line to get back on the ship extended far down the street to the tender dock. The line did move a little faster than expected as Princess enlisted a large tour boat to help tender guests back to the ship. Still, the line was very long. The ship left Bar Harbor later than expected. The full tenders were still running past the original posted sail away time.

 

Halifax- We toured Halifax on our own. In the cruise terminal as you exit the ship there are various shops. There is also an informational center with locals handing out maps. The staff will point out various places of interest and even draw a walking tour map if you ask. We decided to visit the Public Gardens and the Citadel.

The Public Gardens were about a mile walk from the cruise terminal. The gardens were nice, and we spent about a half hour there.

Next, we walked to the Citadel which was nearby. We walked up a very large hill and paid our admission and toured the inside of the fort. The fort overlooks Halifax harbor. Several small group demonstrations were conducted by the Citadel staff. There is a changing of the guard ceremony at the main entrance of the fort at the top of every hour. At noon, a large cannon is shot that can be heard throughout the city.

After the Citadel we walked along the waterfront boardwalk. There are many shops and restaurants along the boardwalk. We ordered a cinnamon/sugar fried dough "Beaver Tail" and sat at the end of a pier to enjoy the water views. The boardwalk leads back to the cruise ship docks.

 

St John/Bay of Fundy- At St. John we booked the Bay of Fundy Coast to Shore Tour with shoreexcursiongroup.com. We met the tour bus a block from the cruise terminal. Our first stop was the Reversing Falls Rapids. Here we watched the tide going out to sea. The water was really roaring through this area. Next, we drove about an hour to the small fishing village of St. Martins. As we drove, the tour guide narrated and told many stories along the way. We then made a stop at the Caves restaurant. The restaurant overlooks the Bay of Fundy and a large sea cave that was carved into a sandstone cliff. Because it was low tide, we were able to walk out onto the rocky flats and explore. At high tide they are under water. The restaurant serves very good seafood. We had very good seafood chowder. The next stop was in town where you can visit several small shops and see a couple of covered bridges. Because it was low tide, several fishing boats were out of the water on supports waiting for the tide to come back in. Here, the difference between high and low tide can be over 20 feet. On the way back in St John we stopped at the old City Market. There are many inside vendors selling everything from meats and produce to clothing items. We purchased some Canadian candy bars that the local tour guide recommended. The pop up candy shop took US dollars and gave US dollars as change. After the market, we went back to the Reversing Rapids area. The water was now gently flowing as it was slack tide and not roaring through the area as it was several hours earlier. In an hour or so the water would be flowing rapidly in the opposite direction as before. It was very interesting to see. From here, the bus returned us to the ship. At the cruise ship docks there is a Container Village. Here, there are shipping containers that have been painted bright colors and converted into various shops selling things from food, artwork and souvenirs.

At the cruise terminal we were asked by security to show picture ID and our medallions to get back on the cruise ship. This was not required in Halifax.

 

Entertainment- We enjoyed the various musicians throughout the ship. The quiz shows etc. seemed well attended. We enjoyed the Rock Opera production in the Princess Theater. It was one of the best performances we have seen at sea.

 

Staff- The staff on the ship were very friendly and helpful. We did have 2 separate occasions at different pool areas where we ordered drinks with a server, and they just never arrived. On both occasions our order was taken, our medallions scanned, and the drinks just never came. We never saw either waiter again after each order to inquire if there was a problem or if they just forgot. It wasn’t a big issue because we had the Plus package and never reached our drink limit. If we were paying as we went, we would have had to go to guest services to have the charges removed.

 

Disembarkation- Since we drove to the port, we utilized self-assist and wheeled our luggage off ourselves.  There was a small line getting off the ship, but it moved along. Getting through customs was a breeze with facial recognition. We were in our vehicle and on our way home by 8:30am.

 

Miscellaneous- The internet on the ship was adequate. For the most part we were able to use our phones/iPads when needed to email, text etc. We did enjoy very nice weather for most of the cruise. It was very foggy in St. John, but it never rained. Even though the ship was reported as being full it rarely felt crowded. The only long lines I noticed (besides the Bar Harbor tenders) was at the poolside grill serving hamburgers during lunch. Other than that, things moved easily.

The gym facilities were in very good shape. The different exercise machines were all working and the exercise area was clean and well kept. My wife took a couple of exercise classes and found the instructors to be very welcoming.

 

Overall- This itinerary has been on our to do list for awhile. We had an enjoyable time once again on the Emerald Princess.

[canadarocks]

Thanks so much. Good to know the Emerald is still doing well! 👍

[LACruiser88]

Good job on your review!  We were on the Emerald this past July for a Hawaii cruise, one of our favorite Princess ships.

[Lady Arwen]

Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts.  We’re booked on Enchanted Princess doing the same itinerary in 2024.  Good job!

[cr8tiv1]

Very nice review.  I would like to add (too late for this season), that there was an excellent lobster roll container in the village.  Recommendation came from helpful folks inside the terminal.  I would do them again.  Freshly made and delicious.  Sorry photo since I hungrily devoured first half.

 

[sboh]

Thank-you for your review. Doing this itinerary next October and looking forward to it! Need to start thinking about shore excursions…

[Alaska05]

Thank you very much for your review.  We will be on the Emerald in 2 weeks doing the same itinerary.  We have not booked any excursions, so it was very helpful reading what you did and costs.  

[satxdiver]

We have done the QC to NY cruise twice and both times the ship was not able to get into Bar Harbor.  Nice to know someone made it.  We also have done the Greenland cruise out of Red Hook a couple of years ago.  In three weeks we are boarding the Emerald at Red Hook and ending at PE with a tour of several Caribbean islands so nice to hear about your time on the Emerald.  Thanks for posting.

[Paula_MacFan]

Very nice review!  We did this same itinerary 5 years ago on the Regal and reading your review really brought back the memories! 🙂  Thanks so much and glad you had a good time.  

[Kb55kb]

@labcoat99 how were they handling drinks while in port in NYC. Was it the drinks package as normal or were they charging tax or did the drink package not kick in until day 2? I have seen different things for different lines and haven't found an answer for princess.

[labcoat99]

Hello,

We ordered drinks as soon as we were on the ship.

We had Princess Plus. No additional NYC taxes were charged to our account. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

We did this exact itinerary a bit before the pandemic...but we missed Halifax due to high winds.  Just recently did the NY to Quebec City which included Halifax.  We finally got to visit there!

[lovevacadays]

On 10/14/2023 at 10:57 AM, labcoat99 said:

 

We are recently off the Emerald Princess that departed New York City on September 30. This was our second cruise on the Emerald Princess. The first was several years ago to Alaska.

 

Pre-Cruise

We drove to the pier in Brooklyn on the morning of departure. Getting to the pier was easy using Google maps. We arrived around 10:30. When you arrive by car there is a drop-off area for your luggage. We pulled right in and were met by a porter who took our bags. You then proceed to the parking lot where an attendant has a portable credit card reader, and you pay for the week in advance. Parking at the pier was $45 dollars per day, $315 for the week. There were plenty of parking spaces right next to the ship. From the parking lot it is about a 2-minute walk to the cruise terminal to check in. You can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

 

Embarkation

Once inside the terminal there were plenty of staff who directed everyone where to go. We were both “green lane” upon arrival; however, my wife had her medallion and I did not, mine was shipped but never arrived in the mail. It’s still somewhere in the USPS system. She would have been on the ship in under 5 minutes. I needed to have an old-style room card printed to get on the ship and was told to then go to guest services to get a replacement medallion. That process took about 15 minutes. Guest services made me a new medallion with my name on it after I was on the ship.

 

The Ship

The Emerald is an older ship but was very clean and still looked in good shape. Everything seemed to be working as it should.  The exterior of the ship could use some touch up paint here and there.

 

Cabin

We had a (BD) balcony cabin in the aft part of the ship. The cabin was very clean and in good condition. Our room attendant was outstanding, she serviced the room twice a day and was always checking to see if we needed anything. Our only issue with the cabin was the annoying motion sensor lights that go on at night. Thankfully because of prior reviews I was prepared with a roll of painter’s tape and covered the sensors. The motion lights are very bright and really light up the room. A couple layers of tape fixed that issue.

 

Dining

We generally ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch. The buffet area was a little cramped compared to the newer  Princess ships, but the lines moved quickly. The buffet food was good and there was always a good selection to choose from. The handwashing stations at the entrances to the buffet were used sporadically by the guests.

The pizza by the pool was very good.

The main dining room food was good to very good.  The lobster on the second formal night was the best we have had on a cruise. Definitely an upgrade from some of the sad little tails on some previous cruises. We also ate at Sabatini’s one night. The food and service there were excellent.

Service in the main dining room was very good. We ate in all three dining rooms. The Michelangelo dining room in particular had a fun vibe in addition to very good service.

The wait lines to enter the dining rooms were very manageable after the first night. The first night there was a minor wait but much better than another Princess cruise we were on earlier this year.

 

Ports

Newport – Newport is a tender port. We had been to Newport several times before. We opted to take the free shuttle to the mansion area and walk along the Cliff Walk. The free shuttle is located several blocks to the left of where the tenders drop you off. We walked along the Cliff Walk and decided to walk back to town, which was about a mile through a nice neighborhood. We walked around town for awhile and headed back to the ship. The tenders ran frequently and there was never much of a line.

 

Boston- The ship docked at 10am. We did Boston on our own. We took an Uber ($18) from the ship terminal to Fenway Park for an 11am tour that we had booked in advance. The one-hour tour was excellent. The tour takes you throughout the park and you learn the history of the players and events that have occurred there throughout the years. After the Fenway Park tour, we took an Uber ($12.50) to the North End. We picked up the Freedom Trail and worked our way back towards Boston Common. We stopped at various places along the way. A highlight was a stop at Mike’s Pastries for cannoli and Italian cookies near the Paul Revere house. There was a line, but it moved quickly. The cannoli and cookies were excellent. Many people in the area were carrying Mike’s Pastries boxes. We also visited Quincy Market and other historical sites along the Freedom Trail. An Uber from Boston Common back to the ship was $12. We found Boston to be clean and very tourist friendly.

 

Bar Harbor- Bar Harbor is a tender port. We were told that the tenders get backed up quickly so get a tender ticket early. We got our tickets at 8am. We waited over an hour for our number to be called for a tender. The tendering operation at Bar Harbor was not nearly as efficient as in Newport. The tender ride to the dock in town is about 25 minutes. The town of bar Harbor requires large cruise ships to be tucked behind an island, so they are not visible from the town. Princess should have utilized additional tenders or local providers during the peak morning rush. Some people waited much longer than we did.

We booked the 2 ½ hour Acadia National Park tour on Oli’s Trolley. Oli’s is located near where the tender exit is. The scenery on the Acadia tour was fabulous. We made several stops to get out and view different scenic areas. Our driver narrated and pointed out different points of interest along the way. At one spot we had a Bald Eagle fly by for a quick cameo. We lucked out with the weather. It was very clear and unusually warm for early October. On top of Cadillac Mountain, there is an impressive view of the town below.

After our trolley tour ended, we walked around town and bought a few souvenirs from a shop that was having a half price end of season sale. We saw lobster rolls for sale at several places. One place was charging $39 each. We passed on that.

Later that afternoon the tender line to get back on the ship extended far down the street to the tender dock. The line did move a little faster than expected as Princess enlisted a large tour boat to help tender guests back to the ship. Still, the line was very long. The ship left Bar Harbor later than expected. The full tenders were still running past the original posted sail away time.

 

Halifax- We toured Halifax on our own. In the cruise terminal as you exit the ship there are various shops. There is also an informational center with locals handing out maps. The staff will point out various places of interest and even draw a walking tour map if you ask. We decided to visit the Public Gardens and the Citadel.

The Public Gardens were about a mile walk from the cruise terminal. The gardens were nice, and we spent about a half hour there.

Next, we walked to the Citadel which was nearby. We walked up a very large hill and paid our admission and toured the inside of the fort. The fort overlooks Halifax harbor. Several small group demonstrations were conducted by the Citadel staff. There is a changing of the guard ceremony at the main entrance of the fort at the top of every hour. At noon, a large cannon is shot that can be heard throughout the city.

After the Citadel we walked along the waterfront boardwalk. There are many shops and restaurants along the boardwalk. We ordered a cinnamon/sugar fried dough "Beaver Tail" and sat at the end of a pier to enjoy the water views. The boardwalk leads back to the cruise ship docks.

 

St John/Bay of Fundy- At St. John we booked the Bay of Fundy Coast to Shore Tour with shoreexcursiongroup.com. We met the tour bus a block from the cruise terminal. Our first stop was the Reversing Falls Rapids. Here we watched the tide going out to sea. The water was really roaring through this area. Next, we drove about an hour to the small fishing village of St. Martins. As we drove, the tour guide narrated and told many stories along the way. We then made a stop at the Caves restaurant. The restaurant overlooks the Bay of Fundy and a large sea cave that was carved into a sandstone cliff. Because it was low tide, we were able to walk out onto the rocky flats and explore. At high tide they are under water. The restaurant serves very good seafood. We had very good seafood chowder. The next stop was in town where you can visit several small shops and see a couple of covered bridges. Because it was low tide, several fishing boats were out of the water on supports waiting for the tide to come back in. Here, the difference between high and low tide can be over 20 feet. On the way back in St John we stopped at the old City Market. There are many inside vendors selling everything from meats and produce to clothing items. We purchased some Canadian candy bars that the local tour guide recommended. The pop up candy shop took US dollars and gave US dollars as change. After the market, we went back to the Reversing Rapids area. The water was now gently flowing as it was slack tide and not roaring through the area as it was several hours earlier. In an hour or so the water would be flowing rapidly in the opposite direction as before. It was very interesting to see. From here, the bus returned us to the ship. At the cruise ship docks there is a Container Village. Here, there are shipping containers that have been painted bright colors and converted into various shops selling things from food, artwork and souvenirs.

At the cruise terminal we were asked by security to show picture ID and our medallions to get back on the cruise ship. This was not required in Halifax.

 

Entertainment- We enjoyed the various musicians throughout the ship. The quiz shows etc. seemed well attended. We enjoyed the Rock Opera production in the Princess Theater. It was one of the best performances we have seen at sea.

 

Staff- The staff on the ship were very friendly and helpful. We did have 2 separate occasions at different pool areas where we ordered drinks with a server, and they just never arrived. On both occasions our order was taken, our medallions scanned, and the drinks just never came. We never saw either waiter again after each order to inquire if there was a problem or if they just forgot. It wasn’t a big issue because we had the Plus package and never reached our drink limit. If we were paying as we went, we would have had to go to guest services to have the charges removed.

 

Disembarkation- Since we drove to the port, we utilized self-assist and wheeled our luggage off ourselves.  There was a small line getting off the ship, but it moved along. Getting through customs was a breeze with facial recognition. We were in our vehicle and on our way home by 8:30am.

 

Miscellaneous- The internet on the ship was adequate. For the most part we were able to use our phones/iPads when needed to email, text etc. We did enjoy very nice weather for most of the cruise. It was very foggy in St. John, but it never rained. Even though the ship was reported as being full it rarely felt crowded. The only long lines I noticed (besides the Bar Harbor tenders) was at the poolside grill serving hamburgers during lunch. Other than that, things moved easily.

The gym facilities were in very good shape. The different exercise machines were all working and the exercise area was clean and well kept. My wife took a couple of exercise classes and found the instructors to be very welcoming.

 

Overall- This itinerary has been on our to do list for awhile. We had an enjoyable time once again on the Emerald Princess.

Thank you for your review. I would love to do this cruise one day. Very different ports than what I’m used to. I’ve been to Boston on a land vacation and loved it 

Edited October 17, 2023 by lovevacadays
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[SCCelticSoul]

This was a HUGE help.  We are departing this Saturday, October 21.  This is a bucket list item but, one our husbands weren't interested in so my bestie and I are taking our first cruise together.  Your review was very helpful.  Thank you so much.

[Mangrove Snapper]

We were on the 10/7 week of this cruise.  It was our first time on Princess and we loved it!

[just4cruzin]

Thank you for the review.  We are heading out on Saturday for our cruise.