*** Updated for 2008 *** FAQ's for Saint John, New Brunswick

[Acey]

To Acey and Sapper1 Thank you for so much info on your lovely town. We will be arriving on Sept 9 on the Carnival Victory. I read somewhere that they were working on one of the terminals. Our info states we will berth at Long Wharf, do you know that to be true? We are traveling in a party of 4 so we thought we would hire a private cab. I have lots of questions. Are there set rates per hour, what kind of cab company should we look for and would 5 hours be enough time, maybe do St. Martin. Also I read you can catch the cabs outside the gates. I guess when we arrive we can figure it where. We really are not shoppers but love to take in the local flavor of the areas that we visit. I would love and appreciate some not to be missed things to see and do. I am so excited to be visiting your area of the country. Thank you in advance.

 

You will be berthing at Long Wharf - the other terminal is in the finishing stages of construction - and then construction will begin sometime next year on a new terminal for Long Wharf.

 

Cab rates ar $50 per hour and will be located at the dock. Vans are available also. The taxis on the dock are vetted for certain criteria by the local port authority. Taxis located outside are not, but should be fine. Private operators offer tours to St. Martin's in their van - if the vehicle does not have an "H" on the licence plate - move on - only vehicles with that "H" are authorized and will carry the proper insurance. 5 Hours is enough time to do St. Martin's, however at $50 per hour you would be better off renting a car.

 

To take in the local flavour of the city, I would suggest exploring the neighborhood where the ship docks - known as "Trinity Royal" - it has some of the oldest and most historic buildings in Canada and the area was settled in 1785 by American Loyalists (people loyal to the British Crown fleeing New England and New York). It has many unique shops and attractions that you may appreciate as someone who is not a big shopper. I definately recommend the Old City Market. There are 3 organized walking routes in the area (Loyalist Trail / Victorian Stroll / Prince William Walk) - it is self guided and very interesting if you like history and architechure. Ther loyalist burial ground is interesting with the beaver fountain, King's Square (in the layout of the British Union Jack Flag), Imperial Theatre, Queen Square, Old Stone Church, Trinity Church and Prince William St. You may stumble across a nice pub to go into, like O'Leary's to try some local world famous Moosehead Beer. To appreciate the architechure of some of these buildings, go into Nougatine et Chocolate on Prince William Street.

 

Hope this helps, and enjoy your visit!

[sapper1]

To Acey and Sapper1 Thank you for so much info on your lovely town. We will be arriving on Sept 9 on the Carnival Victory. I read somewhere that they were working on one of the terminals. Our info states we will berth at Long Wharf, do you know that to be true? We are traveling in a party of 4 so we thought we would hire a private cab. I have lots of questions. Are there set rates per hour, what kind of cab company should we look for and would 5 hours be enough time, maybe do St. Martin. Also I read you can catch the cabs outside the gates. I guess when we arrive we can figure it where. We really are not shoppers but love to take in the local flavor of the areas that we visit. I would love and appreciate some not to be missed things to see and do. I am so excited to be visiting your area of the country. Thank you in advance.

The Victory has been docking at Long Wharf all summer and according to the schedule on www.cruisesaintjohn.com you will be there on September 9th. You will also be the only ship in town. The new terminal is under construction at Pugsley and should be ready in late fall. They are using large marquee tents at Long Wharf presently, although there are plans for a lovely new terminal at Long Wharf in the pipeline.

Re cab rates, I have seen Acey advise people that they can be hired for $50 per hour and he is the person who really knows his stuff re the rates.

St. Martins is only about a 45 minute drive from Saint John so it would be easy to do in your time frame. There is a tide table on the above web site so you can check re the tide times. You should visit the caves at low tide or on a falling tide. After you see the caves you can walk up the road a bit and see the covered bridges and walk through them. They make a lovely photograph. If it is low tide you can see how the fishing boats bottom out in the small harbour. Again--great photos. If you walk to the other side of the harbour you can get the boats and both bridges in the same picture. I am not talking great distances here.

You might appreciate the Old Saint John City Market, not to be confused with Market Square. It is the oldest market in Canada and is full of little shops. You can buy a little bit of everything there and it is the heart of uptown Saint John.

If it is a clear day you might get your driver to take you up to the top of Fort Howe Hill for the view. You can see the hill from the ship. It has the old blockhouse and the Saint John sign on the top. The blockhouse dates back to the days when we weren't quite so welcoming to American "tourists":)

To really appreciate the Reversing Falls you have to see them at both low and high tide. You may have the chance as the website states you will be here from 0900 to 2100 on that day.

Just walking through the old historic part of the city is interesting. You can get walking tour guide maps at the tourist info centre at City Hall in the walkway between Market Square and Brunswick Square.

There will be a group of volunteers meeting your ship who are there just to be helpful and give directions. They may also give you a rose. Have a great cruise. The weather has been great here for the last few days so I hope it continues for you.

[sapper1]

I see Acey and I were both busy writing our replies at the same time!!

[Susie51]

Thank you for so much info about Saint John.

 

I went to a website today that said while the Carnival Victory is in port there will also be Jewel of the Seas, Queen Mary 2, and Royal Princess for a total of 9,236 pax. Are there enough berths for all of these ships? Can the local roads handle so many pax?

 

We are not planning on doing a shore excursion, but we want use the buses to see the city.

[sapper1]

Thank you for so much info about Saint John.

 

I went to a website today that said while the Carnival Victory is in port there will also be Jewel of the Seas, Queen Mary 2, and Royal Princess for a total of 9,236 pax. Are there enough berths for all of these ships? Can the local roads handle so many pax?

 

We are not planning on doing a shore excursion, but we want use the buses to see the city.

You must be coming on Sept 30th. We have had three cruise ships simultaneously on occasion but this will be the first time for four. Saint John is a working port and there are berths for many ships. The new terminal at Pugsley should be finished by then and they have a lovely state of the art gangway for handling cruisehips when the tidal range is 30 plus feet. Long Wharf has been used all summer as a temporary terminal during construction of the building at Pusgley and they use marquee tents on the wharf. The QM2 and the Victory will have the best seats in the house at Pugsley on that day. The Royal Princess at Lower Cove might have improvised facilities that day as it isn't usually used for cruise ships.

Both Pugsley and Long Wharf are an easy walk to the uptown area.

 

The uptown area including the shopping malls, restaurants, Old City Market etc. will no doubt be crowded. I am sure extra busses will be brought in from out of town to handle the extra tours and as far as the streets being able to handle the bus and taxi traffic from an extra cruise ship---I wouldn't worry about it. A lot of people on these cruiseships take out of town tours and the uptown area isn't bad in the morning. It does get crowded when the tours return and more passengers decide to wander uptown in the afternoon.

[Susie51]

Thank you for replying quickly. I will be on the Victory. I'll be sure to go into town early. What city bus should I take to see the Reversing Falls. For Sept. 30 what time of day will be the most dramatic?

[Acey]

Thank you for replying quickly. I will be on the Victory. I'll be sure to go into town early. What city bus should I take to see the Reversing Falls. For Sept. 30 what time of day will be the most dramatic?

 

To get to reversing falls, take the "WEST" bus from city hall. Coming back, take the "EAST" bus right at the falls.

 

 

2008-09-30 (Tuesday)TimeHeightADT(m)(ft)00:53 7.7 25.3 07:04 1.0 3.3 13:10 7.8 25.6 19:26 0.8 2.6

[Susie51]

Thank you Acey for your quick response.

[Cinerama]

My wife I will be in Saint John, October 16, Pugsley termimal A, Caribbean Princess, 7-4pm. I did a search on Google for Pugsley terminal A and they give the address of the Port Authority 133 Prince William St. Where is teminal A? What street is it near? We have reservations for the Jet Boat Ride at 2pm and I want to make sure we can get back to the boat by 4pm.

 

Thanks,

 

Roland

[redheadtoo]

Hi Acey,

My husband and I are going to St. John and Halifax on Oct. 16 on the Caribbean Princess. Do any of you know if you think we might get lucky and see the Northern Lights??

Also do you think we will have any luck seeing whales? Thank you so much for your time!!

 

Redheadtoo

[sapper1]

My wife I will be in Saint John, October 16, Pugsley termimal A, Caribbean Princess, 7-4pm. I did a search on Google for Pugsley terminal A and they give the address of the Port Authority 133 Prince William St. Where is teminal A? What street is it near? We have reservations for the Jet Boat Ride at 2pm and I want to make sure we can get back to the boat by 4pm.

 

Thanks,

 

Roland

Puglsey Terminal is on Water Street, just a few blocks from the uptown area. It is a 10 minute cab ride to the Reversing Falls Jet Boat Ride.

[Acey]

Puglsey Terminal is on Water Street, just a few blocks from the uptown area. It is a 10 minute cab ride to the Reversing Falls Jet Boat Ride.

 

I was able to create a map to show you - click here:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=45.274886,-66.059246&spn=0.012865,0.026436&z=15&msid=111066339636110276817.0004558ceb33a90dac9a7

 

Pugsley Terminal is the blue marker.

[Cinerama]

I was able to create a map to show you - click here:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=45.274886,-66.059246&spn=0.012865,0.026436&z=15&msid=111066339636110276817.0004558ceb33a90dac9a7

 

Pugsley Terminal is the blue marker.

 

Hi Acey and Sapper1,

 

Thank you so much! What would it cost to take a taxi to and from the terminal to the Power Boat ride?

[Acey]

Hi Acey,

 

Thank you so much! What would it cost to take a taxi to and from the terminal to the Power Boat ride?

 

If your power boat leaves from market slip, it's a 5 min walk. If it leaves from Riverview Park off Douglas Ave, it's a 35 min. walk or maybe $7-8 taxi.

[Cinerama]

Sorry, double post.

[Cinerama]

Puglsey Terminal is on Water Street, just a few blocks from the uptown area. It is a 10 minute cab ride to the Reversing Falls Jet Boat Ride.

 

There are two power boats that do the reversing falls? When I googled the power boat ride, I could only find the one at Riverview Park.

[Polar Bear]

Do not forget that Elton John is in town that day too???~!!!:D

 

You must be coming on Sept 30th. We have had three cruise ships simultaneously on occasion but this will be the first time for four. Saint John is a working port and there are berths for many ships. The new terminal at Pugsley should be finished by then and they have a lovely state of the art gangway for handling cruisehips when the tidal range is 30 plus feet. Long Wharf has been used all summer as a temporary terminal during construction of the building at Pusgley and they use marquee tents on the wharf. The QM2 and the Victory will have the best seats in the house at Pugsley on that day. The Royal Princess at Lower Cove might have improvised facilities that day as it isn't usually used for cruise ships.

Both Pugsley and Long Wharf are an easy walk to the uptown area.

 

The uptown area including the shopping malls, restaurants, Old City Market etc. will no doubt be crowded. I am sure extra busses will be brought in from out of town to handle the extra tours and as far as the streets being able to handle the bus and taxi traffic from an extra cruise ship---I wouldn't worry about it. A lot of people on these cruiseships take out of town tours and the uptown area isn't bad in the morning. It does get crowded when the tours return and more passengers decide to wander uptown in the afternoon.

[sapper1]

Do not forget that Elton John is in town that day too???~!!!:D

OMG!!!!!----Well that changes the water on the beans!!!:eek: It will be every man for himself!!

I love Elton John but wasn't about to camp outside Harbour Station for 24 hours to get a ticket. I did buy a raffle ticket for two passes but it hasn't been drawn yet.

[Acey]

There are two power boats that do the reversing falls? When I googled the power boat ride, I could only find the one at Riverview Park.

 

There is only one tour operator for jet boat ride - they used to leave from market slip and then moved to Riverview Park - gave both locales because I'm not completely sure where they leave from.

[pgm2786]

We will be arriving on the NCL Dream this Monday, will most of the stores be open for business because of the Labour Day Holiday.

I read there is also a parade, will this be going thru the center of town.

 

The last time we were visitors by ship, we arrived on Canada's Thanksgiving Holiday and only a few stores were open.

 

Tks Pat

[joanne30]

Acey

 

Thank you so much for the info on Guys Frenchy's. Have you been? In your opinion do you think it is worth my time to stop in and take a look? I figure the trip would take about 2 hours out of my day there.

 

Thank you again for your time.

[Acey]

Acey

 

Thank you so much for the info on Guys Frenchy's. Have you been? In your opinion do you think it is worth my time to stop in and take a look? I figure the trip would take about 2 hours out of my day there.

 

Thank you again for your time.

 

I haven't been there in years - it has been known to be one of the better ones in the past - but I don't know now because it's been so long.

Hopefully others may know more and post.

[beech2006]

This is a tremendously helpful and interesting thread on Saint John. Thanks to all of you who have been answering all of our questions.

I don't believe I've seen any comments on whether or not renting a bike is a good way to see the town. I've seen that Jet Boat Tours offers bike rentals from both the Fallsview Park and Market Square. Is Saint John a "bikeable" place - weather permitting, of course? We'd like to see the Reversing Falls, maybe take one of the boat rides while we're there, and see a few sights we might not get to if we're just on foot.

Looking forward to visiting in just 2 1/2 weeks!

[Acey]

This is a tremendously helpful and interesting thread on Saint John. Thanks to all of you who have been answering all of our questions.

 

I don't believe I've seen any comments on whether or not renting a bike is a good way to see the town. I've seen that Jet Boat Tours offers bike rentals from both the Fallsview Park and Market Square. Is Saint John a "bikeable" place - weather permitting, of course? We'd like to see the Reversing Falls, maybe take one of the boat rides while we're there, and see a few sights we might not get to if we're just on foot.

 

Looking forward to visiting in just 2 1/2 weeks!

 

A bike rental would be nice for harbour passage to reversing falls - however the main part of the city you'll want to tour (Trinity Royal) is both hilly and compact making walking more ideal. (some say it is San Francisco'ish) Walking to the falls would just be just as nice, passing the harbour and historic Douglas Ave. Hope this info helps.

[sapper1]

This is a tremendously helpful and interesting thread on Saint John. Thanks to all of you who have been answering all of our questions.

 

I don't believe I've seen any comments on whether or not renting a bike is a good way to see the town. I've seen that Jet Boat Tours offers bike rentals from both the Fallsview Park and Market Square. Is Saint John a "bikeable" place - weather permitting, of course? We'd like to see the Reversing Falls, maybe take one of the boat rides while we're there, and see a few sights we might not get to if we're just on foot.

 

Looking forward to visiting in just 2 1/2 weeks!

 

Saint John is extremely hilly and you would have to be in very good shape to cycle our streets. You would also have to be very brave as there is only the odd bike lane and I am not too sure that many people recognize them as such. I would not venture on to too many of our streets.

 

Having said that, from Market Square you could bike very safely on Harbour Passage which is quite flat. If you bike up to the observation tower with the blue roof after you pass under the Harbour Bridge, you can walk the bike up the ramp to the street, cross the street at the light and go up the short hill to Douglas Ave. (Follow the cranberry coloured sidewalk) Turn left and bike down to Fallsview Avenue where you can turn right into the Fallsview Park. Douglas Avenue is quite flat and there is not too much traffic.

New Brunswick has a helmet law which applies to bicycles as well as motorcycles. I would imagine that the rental place would provide them as it is not expected that passengers would arrive with helmets in hand.