Tell me about a New England cruise...

[Travelalot2]

We we would like to see New England next year (we have never been th4ere before) and are trying to decide whether to take the 9 day explorer cruise out of NJ, the 7 day on the Jewel out of Boston or to rent a car and explore the area and skip the cruise. I would appreciate any input from those of you who have taken a new england cruise. Also, we're looking at going the first week of October. Any thoughts on that as well are appreciated.

[Nick Needs To Know]

I know this won't be much help but, the first cruise I ever took was a 5 night Canada cruise on Carnival. I loved it! If you really want the fall feeling (cool or even cold nights, with days that vary from sunny to overcast) and you want to see the real fall colors then October is the perfect time to go. The leaves will be at their peak and, that cool nip will be in the air. I can't comment on either ship since I haven't sailed Royal Caribbean yet and, I live in Staten Island so the logical choice for me would be to sail out of Bayonne on the Explorer. I actually just booked Explorer for the December 23, 2007 sailing out of Bayonne, so I am looking forward to it. I don't think I'd do the rental car idea, Boston is like all other East coast major cities, it's crowded, if you don't know the roads, it can be a hassle and to me, it's just not worth it. Give me a cruise any day! But, I guess it depends on what you want to see and what type of time frame you have to travel...not to mention your budget. Good luck and enjoy no matter what you decide. You'll love New England!

 

Nick

[GMoney]

I've done that cruise twice. If you decide to go by ship, I'd side with the Jewel primarily b/c of the enclosed Solarium, which can be very handy if the weather is chilly, foggy or worse.

[superdeal]

We we would like to see New England next year (we have never been th4ere before) and are trying to decide whether to take the 9 day explorer cruise out of NJ, the 7 day on the Jewel out of Boston or to rent a car and explore the area and skip the cruise. I would appreciate any input from those of you who have taken a new england cruise. Also, we're looking at going the first week of October. Any thoughts on that as well are appreciated.

 

 

I have never been on a New England cruise, but wanted to mention that Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine during the height of fall foliage is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The Oct 6th, 2007 Jewel otS cruise would arrive in Bar Harbor on Oct 9th, which might be just about perfect for autumn colors. The other three New England / Canada cruises would possibly arrive in Bar Harbor a good 1 to 2 weeks past the fall foliage peak (still beautiful, mind you, but not quite as amazing).

 

Of course, this past fall in Maine was one of the strangest weather-wise we've ever had and the fall foliage was very late and almost nonexistent in many places (the colors were never bright and vibrant as they usually are).

 

Explorer of the Seas would be my preferred ship and 9 days would be tremendous!

[Puffinater]

My suggestion would be to leave out of Beantown with a pre or post tour tied in. Nothing like New England in the fall.

[paylady]

The Jewel with a pre or post visit in Boston can't be beat.

[Janice M]

We did the New England cruise twice because we liked it so much. Once on the Grandeur and once on the Jewel. I see this time they are not going to Quebec City and the Saguaney River. Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are beautiful. At St. John bagpippers entertain the passengers while the ship is docked.

 

Jan

[Jan_In_Maine]

Maine in the fall is beautiful - usually peak foliage is around Columbus Day (2nd week in October) So you should have color during the 1st week too - Maine has over 3,000 miles of coast line - and in my opinion, most of which is totally breathtaking. It is apt to be chilly with weather in the 50-60's (subject to change without further notice - I've seen it snow and I've seen it be 80)

 

The New England states are all very busy in the fall - each year brings more and more "leaf peepers" and if you decide to do a land vacation you will want to get hotel reservations early. I personally enjoy going to different b&b's for lodging. New Hampshire, Vermont, etc. have wonderful foliage and views with many different towns to discover.

 

This same question was asked on the New England board, so you might want to check those threads out too.

 

Whether by land or by sea - I hope that you have the opportunity to explore New England - its amazing!! Jan

[LuvMyVette]

Whatever ship you decide to take.. make sure one of the ports is Bar Harbor. It's a wonderful town. If you love chocolate/ice cream.. definitely stop at Ben & Bill's. It's not cheap but their candy/ice cream is fantastic. If you're looking for a place to eat or have a few Maine beers.. Geddy's which is near Ben & Bill's.

If you want to go on an excursion... Acadia National Park. It's absolutely beautiful and with the fall colors, it will be gorgeous.

DH/I have been traveling to ME for ten years and we love it up there. We normally travel in May (due to owning a timeshare up there) but went up once in August for a few days.

As Jan in Maine indicated, there are miles and miles of beautiful coastline and plenty of lighthouses to see as well. Whether you cruise or go on your own, you will love Maine.

I'm hoping to take a cruise to New England/Canada in the future since the ports are great. Most likely it would be on Explorer since I live close by.

 

Whatever you choose to do.. enjoy!

[windjamming]

I echo everyone's sentiments about Acadia. Go to Jordan Pond and get a popover. YUM. Boston pre/post is very doable, and you'll fulfill your wish to explore. It's a small, very walkable town that should be enjoyed by foot, rather than behind the wheel weaving through its infamous traffic.

 

That said, I'd guess that the Jewel, with all its glass, would be more ideal.

[cltoles]

We have just booked the GS on the Granduer of the Seas for June 1-10, 2007. We would love to go in the fall, however with kids still in school it is not a good time for us to take vacation. Plus DW B-day is May 29th, our Anniversary is June 6th and my B-day is June 10th, so this is a good time for us to celebrate.

 

I have already been online looking at some of the port's that we are visiting, have already ordered travel books for Portland and Bar Harbor, ME.

 

Can't wait to try some real fresh Maine Lobster.... of course I guess we are going to have to wait since this cruise is 13 months away....

[Jan_In_Maine]

I was at both Getty's (pronounced Jetty's) and Ben & Bills' last week - had tons of food - love the fried Maine shrimp - small and tasty. Never miss having ice cream at Ben & Bill's - and always have fudge - They also have ice cream that has lobster in it - and to be perfectly honest I think its totally gross!!! Bar Harbor is starting to open up for the season and most places will be in full swing by the end of this month.

 

LetsParty you must be at H.R.? Jan

[Merion_Mom]

Listen to anything and everything that Jan in Maine says! She knows it all and is very generous in sharing!!!!

 

(I LOVED LOVED LOVED the blueberry ice cream in Bar Harbor. Ok, now I'm drooling.............)

[LuvMyVette]

Jan In Maine ~ H.R? I'm completely blank on this. :eek: When we travel up there we stay in Rockport. Love the mid-coast region and Camden.

Geddy's is a real hoot and Randy is a riot! We usually hang out at the bar for a few hours, have a few pints and enjoy the food. My husband loves the lobster pizza and gets it every time. It's a fun place and everyone is so nice. It's our favorite spot in Bar Harbor. Been to a few other places but it's not the same. Ben & Bill's is great and I usually will stock up with some chocolate. Between that place and Wilbur's in Freeport, we bring home about 20lbs. of chocolate every year (I'm not kidding). Most of it is for us! LOL Did you ever go to Jordan's (Ellsworth) for a lobster roll? Husband goes nuts over that as well. We have friends near Ellsworth and see them every year we go up there. Been to the Atlantic Brewery which is a fun spot. We almost had property in Otis but it fell through sad to say. Love the area and being close to Bar Harbor and Bangor was wonderful. Bangor is a beautiful city. All of Maine is beautiful. I envy you for living up there. We'll be going in a few weeks and I can't wait!

Cltoles ~ Congrats on your cruise! Portland is a great city as well. Lots of neat shops, restaurants and a nice area to walk around. If you get hungry, one suggestion is Gritty McDuff's (another favorite place but we go to the one in Freeport). Great pub food/beer, excellent fried scallops, haddock sandwiches, etc. Not sure where you can get a good lobster up there since I was in Portland once. Jan In Maine ~ Can you help out with the lobster restaurants in Portland? A place to see in Portland is the "Portland Maket". It's a really neat place.

For those that will be cruising to NE and stopping in Bar Harbor/Portland, here are some links for you to check out.

Portland Market

http://www.portlandmarket.com/main/home.html

Gritty McDuff's ~ Portland

http://www.grittys.com/

Acadia National Park

http://www.nps.gov/acad/home.htm

Bar Harbor

http://www.barharbormaine.com

Geddys ~ Bar Harbor

http://www.geddys.com

Maine Travel

http://www.gotravelmaine.com

http://www.visitmaine.com/home.php

Address for Ben & Bill's ~ Bar Harbor (no website for them)

Ben & Bills Chocolate Emporium

66 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

[renata102]

I personally enjoy driving up to Maine and always skip Boston (for sightseeing). Love love love Maine. (i am from jersey so it a good half day drive for me). However, we also cruised the New England area by accident (Hurricane hit Bermuda and we were diverted). I was not excited about cruising there, but we still had a blast. We had a lobster bake on House Island in Maine..... we toured Halifax Novia Scotia (loved it). But we skipped Bean Town and stayed on the ship.... :(

 

I guesse its up to you...... what ever you desire... I am not a big fan of New England Cruises because I feel like I am in my own backyard (Don't flame me that is opinion) and feel that driving is good enough for me. In fact when you drive you can go to places you probably could not see and spend more time in one area....

 

PS I was in a town in Maine (I CANNOT REMEMBER THE NAME), but outside thetown they had a Mc Donalds (WHICH WE DID NOT GO IN), that had Lobster Rolls..... lol

 

:eek:

 

side note, we spent a week near Camden, Lincolnville Beach over looking Penobscot Bay

[isujim]

Travelalot2

 

Thanks for starting this thread..........we too have never done Canada/New England but booked yesterday the Jewel on October 6th.....am following this closely for information.......hope you will join us on the sailing.

 

Jim

[LuvMyVette]

Renata102 ~ McDonald's in ME do sell lobster rolls. My mouth dropped when I first saw that and had to take a second look. Next time I'm getting a picture since some of my friends here can't believe it.

Maine is about a six hour drive for us. We make one stop in CT to change drivers and keep on going. Then it's another stop at the NH liquor store and on to Freeport.

I remember reading about the cruise to NE and how everyone went crazy. Was that on Voyager last year? I really pitied everyone since they packed for 80+ degree weather and ended up with much colder temperatures.

How did you like Camden? That is one of our favorite places to visit. We usually eat at the Waterfront so we can watch the schooners or Cappy's if it's raining. Nice shops, beautiful park and view. The state park is really nice and you get a great view of the surrounding area. Did you drive to the State Prison showroom in Thomaston?

 

Like you, I LOVE MAINE!

[Minybear]

When we were deciding to go the New England cruise for this year we picked the Jewel due to it a newer ship. We are going Oct 7th. We are from the west coast and havent seen the east coast so everything will be an experience for us. One thing I have noticed between the 7 night cruise and the 9 night cruise is more sea days (more relaxing after days at port). So which ever ship you pick you and your family will enjoy this cruise. We cannot wait for our cruise quickly coming up.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI TRAVELALOT2!!! My vote would be to take the JEWEL OF THE SEAS from Boston. You do not want to be on the highway with the other 20 million folks who drive slow on a 2 lane road to look at the folliage. The roads are jammed and the hotels are booked.

 

You can stay in Boston pre or post cruise and get to see one of the most historic cities in the USA. The JEWEL OF THE SEAS is one of the most beautiful ships in the world and you will be able to see a lot more folliage by sea.

 

GOOD LUCK,

 

ROSS

[roysmith99]

Hi there,

 

That's because we are doing it this year. Check out my website for our plans and maybe some ideas for your own trip.

 

See the link below.

[McDebbie]

We're going on the Jewel 10/14! Two day pre stay in Boston and then right home afterward. Personally, I wouldn't want to have to pack/unpack, change hotels and try to find someplace for breakfast and dinner each day, I think touring by cruise will be much more relaxing. Not as much time as I would like in Halifax but we would never drive to all these places in a week, it would just wear you out.

 

Thanks so much all for the information on Bar Harbor. I have been checking the Canada/New England threads but missed some of that. Can't wait to see the McDonalds with the lobster roll, has anybody actually tried them? ;)

[windjamming]

Renata102 ~ McDonald's in ME do sell lobster rolls. My mouth dropped when I first saw that and had to take a second look. Next time I'm getting a picture since some of my friends here can't believe it.

 

Hehe, I've had the McD Lobster Roll - at a rest stop on the Mass Pike. Jordan's has nothing to worry about but it wasn't bad for fast food.

[emilygrace]

I think the McDonald's in Halifax NS has those lobster rolls too!

 

We did this cruise in 2004 on the Jewel (she was only a few month at sea at the time and just beautiful and shiny and new!) and we're hoping to repeat it again next year. I was hoping to get up to Quebec, but no luck. They have replaced a NS port with Martha's Vineyard, so that should be interesting.

[sailor moon]

We are booked for Oct 14th! I have been wanting to do this cruise for a long time. I really don't care what the weather does as I will be VERY tired of the Texas heat by then.... :)

[McDebbie]

Sailor Moon, don't forget to join our Roll Call!