New England Can't Misses

[pts22]

Greg,

 

I lost the number.

I think they may be going out of business after our tour and they're very selective about their clientel.

 

Pete

[Roland4]

Good luck on finding a sports bar in Montreal that will carry a broadcast of an American football game in Alabama.

 

Bob

 

This has kind of wandered off topic, but I wouldn't plan my day in Montreal around watching the game. Other than during "bowl" season, US college football is not readily available on TV on our side of the 49th parallel in general and I supect even less so in the Province of Quebec.:rolleyes:

[Caroldoll]

I have been looking for someone who is on that tour? Just interested in meeting people who have been on the board. Nothing special--just friendship.

[NHBob]

Back on subject, a few other thoughts. I've just taken a look at Crystal's shore excursion offerings, and have thought of a couple of other possibilities not on the ship's tours.

 

From Newport: For those interested in the sea, a day trip to Mystic Seaport might be rewarding. It's not far, less than 50 miles from Newport and is quite an authentic recreation of a colonial seaport. And yes, this is the Mystic of the film Mystic Pizza, although I didn't recognize much of the Town of Mystic in the film.

 

From Boston: Crystal offers two tours - New England Writers & Soldiers and American Revolution Revisited that visit the early revolutionary sites of Lexington and Concord (MA), but neither tour description mentions the historic Longfellow's Wayside Inn at Sudbury, www.wayside.org. If you decide to do a similar excursion on you own, add the Wayside Inn to your itinerary. There is some doubt as to how much writing Longfellow actually did there, but it's a pleasant place for lunch and site of one of the few operating water powered grist mills. Naturally there's a gift shop! The description also mentions seeing fall colors en route, but this is unlikely on the dates of 8222 and 8223 Boston calls.

 

A day trip which might be of interest to those who have already visited the main Boston sites might be Old Sturbridge Village, www.sturbridge.com a quite authentic colonial village restoration (along the lines of Colonial Williamsburg), and then on to the Norman Rockwell Museum, www.nrm.org in his home town of Stockbridge. Stockbridge is at the weatern edge of Massachusetts, actually closer to Albany than Boston, and about a three-hour drive from Boston. Not a difficult drive, since both Sturbridge and Stockbridge are close to the Mass. Turnpike (I-90) but a long day nonetheless. As a bonus, there may be some fall color in the higher elevations of the Berkshires in the first half of October.

 

Lobsters: a previous poster mentioned lobster dinner on the Bar Harbor waterfront. Other opportunities for lobster are Boston's Legal Seafoods which somebody else mentioned, several excellent Newport restaurants within blocks of the tender pier, and I would assume both Saint John NB and Halifax NS. Also, one of the Crystal tours to Peggy's Cove offers a lobster bake. I'm going to try it when I'm in Halifax on 9/14, although I'm a little leery of these events. Problem is that lobster needs to be served immediately after cooking to be at its best, difficult to do for several hundred people. Otherwise, it continues to cook from residual heat, and overcooking makes lobster tough. Still tasty, however.

 

Bob

[solomon]

Bob and Roland,

 

Off the subject one last time. We have 3 things going for us as far as the game being on t.v.

First, Georgia will be pre-season no.1 in most polls, 2nd, it will be the 3rd game of the season and both should be undefeated going into it, and finally the Georgia/Bama game has been a traditional ESPN game for the last 20 years. If we can't find a Sports Bar in Montreal that carries ESPN then they need to drop the sports and just call it a bar.

 

Back on the subject. Bob if we can't find something to keep us occupied in Boston and the other ports from all of your information and the others who have volunteered their suggestions, then we have a serious problem. Thanks

[alphakitty]

Boy, that was a quick response - guess it was too easy. Chuck's answer is close enough and Kitty is correct about the Kingston Trio connection. Name of the song is MTA - MTA was predecessor to MBTA. Are you on 8222, Chuck?

 

Thanks for the link to the lyrics and history of the song, Kitty. I knew the story in general, but the info on the website is fascinating.

 

Also, thanks for the mention of Ft. Adams, Kitty. Would you believe that with all the time I've spent across the bay in Narragansett and Kingston, and the hundreds of times I've been to Newport, I've never visited Ft. Adams? Maybe it's time I do.

 

Bob

 

From one fellow Rhode Islander to another, you are very welcome Bob. :)

 

It is funny how we sometimes will travel to the far ends of the earth to be tourists, but we don't do it in our own back yards. It took me 40+ years of living in the Ocean State to visit the fort myself. It has a very interesting history though and is worth the few dollars.

[Roland4]

Bob and Roland,

 

If we can't find a Sports Bar in Montreal that carries ESPN then they need to drop the sports and just call it a bar.

 

Last off-topic post, but in the interest of warning a fellow traveller....

 

Unfortunately we have this thing up here called the Canadian Radio, Television/Telecommunications Commission (AKA - the No-Fun Police) who take very seriously their duty of making sure no heathen American sports channels can compete with our home grown sports channels. I'm not saying you won't find a sports bar with ESPN, but I won't be surprised if you don't either.:rolleyes: Such is life in our "occasional" nanny-state!

[CruisnGram]

In Bar Harbor, I highly recommend a tour on the Lulu Lobster boat.

 

www.lululobsterboat.com

 

Also, do not miss Arcadia National Park. I'm sure you can book a ships tour but you can book directly with Arcadia for much cheaper.

 

http://www.acadiatours.com/

[NHBob]

Roland,

 

Don't want to perpetuate our off-subject discussion on this thread, so e-mail me if you wish. I have a suggestion or two.

[solomon]

Thats ok, if we strike out in Montreal, the U.S. border and ESPN can't be but a few minutes drive away.

[534]

I'm not sure if you have any excursions that go to Plymouth or not but it is wonderful!! We spent 4 days there a few years ago and feel totally in love with it. It would be an all day trip though. Cunard has one but I think we'll just stay in Boston. I have a hard time getting off the ship as it is muchless being gone all day :p

 

Have a wonderful time!

Betsy

[hisfirstm8]

Anysuggestions for a day in Portland?

 

Thanks!!

 

barbara

[NHBob]

Newport: According to my sister, who lives in Rhode Island, the two best seafood restaurants in Newport are Clark's Cookhouse and The Black Pearl.

 

Both are close to the tender pier. Sorry I can't help with Portland, even though I only live an hour away. However, the city has a fairly comprehensive website at http://www.portlandmaine.com.

 

Bob

[rianvi]

This is a wonderful and informative thread. We will be on the Explorer July 31st. In our group there are five of us...DH, DD{20} myself and my parents. My mum uses a walker but we also have a wheelchair. Wondering how accessible things are in the ports of this cruise. She and I usually walk around and see sites that are close by while the others go on tours, etc. When we tender she stays on board. Any suggestions or informations is most welcomes.

Thank you in advance.

Peace, Anna

[c breeze]

Thanks LD10, I'll look for Buzz.

 

Nancy, the ports are Montreal, Quebec City, Corner Brook, Halifax, Bar Harbor and Newport.

 

We have been to Quebec City, Corner Brook, Halifax and Bar Harbor

 

I suspect few have been to Corner Brook. There is not much there in the town, however I HIGHLY recommend the tour to Gros Mourn (SP?) National Park. It is long (and can be quite windy), but the scenery is spectacular. A picture from the park remains on my desktop to this day.

[REGINA]

We will be in Boston the last week of Sept. Our first cruise up North.

 

Are restrooms easily available (as one of our travelers suffers from IBS).

 

How long is the shuttle ride from the port into town?

 

Thanks

[Keith1010]

A drive from the pier should take around 15 minutes. Restrooms are relatively easy to find in Boston.

 

Keith

[Susie51]

Has anyone done the Lobster and Lighthouses tour in Halifax? How did you like it? I booked it through the ship, Carnival Victory.

[Ivanna Cruz]

I'm from Boston so I can give you my perspective on the most bang for your buck!

 

The pier is NOT within walking distance of any Boston attractions. Take a cab over to Faneuil Hall (Quincy Market) and you are at the hub of touristdom! You can get a trolley tour right from there or walk up the hill a little and take the walking tour - which is really the best way to see the highlights. The trolley tour is good in that you can see just about everything plus get on an off at the places of interest to you. Faneuil Hall is always bustling with street performers and interesting things to see and great fun places to get a bite or a cold drink. Durgin Park is the place that another poster was referring to; that's in the Faneuil Hall area. Dick's Last Resort is there also and I think much more fun than Durgin Park. They talk rudely as well - but it's oh so fun! (I don't want to give away too much).

Cheers is also there (at Faneuil Hall). The original Cheers is in another section of Boston but skip that one! Although it's the one based on the TV show, it is set up nothing like the TV show. The one at Faneuil Hall is more like what you'd expect.

 

If you MUST take the Duck Tour (because you couldn't go home and face your friends unless you did) - do know that's it's not the most comfortable or efficient way to see Boston.

 

Any questions?

[CGinMTL]

Montreal (my home town) - The old port is really lovely in the summer. very easy to just walk around and enjoy.

 

Quebec is celebrating the 400th this year. I reccommend you check out the web site as they have many special activities going on all year.

Also, the Montmorency Falls are a must ( about 15 min cab ride). If not, just walking the old port is ok too ( even with the hills)

[MrsBBuffalo]

Thank you all! We will be on one of the last cruises in NE/Canada this fall in the last half of October. Our ports are:

Bar Harbor, Charlottetown, Quebec City (two days), Halifax, Sydney and St Johns, NB.

 

Thanks for the advice you have already offered on some of our ports. If you have any more to add, we will be grateful. We checked out the Lulu Lobster Boat and have emailed for availability. :D

 

There will be 5 of us, with a wide range of walking ability and endurance. So we are trying to plan excursions to suit everyone, and in some ports we may split up. Three of us would be fine with a lot of walking in Quebec, for example, but my folks can't do as much. Since we are there two days, we were thinking of taking the ship's city tour incl the Falls one day, and then splitting up the 2nd day.

 

If we can see the Bay of Fundy from St John, do we need to go to Peggy's Cove? Trying to understand from my map. Halifax sounds interesting enough to just stay in town.

 

Also, Mom and I are HUGE Anne fans, so we don't know whether to take the Anne and PEI tour, or the Ultimate Anne tour. Anyone done either of these?

 

Thanks so much!

Beth

[cynbar]

I want to add that Boston is one of the gret eating cities around. It's fairly easy to find a restaurant that sells good chowder and lobster rolls, especially by the harbor. If you are walking the Freedom Trail, Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church are in the North End, Boston's Italian section. Great Italian restaurants there, but if you aren't ready for lunch or dinner, at least stop for an Italian pastry. Mike's Pastries on Hanover St is quite famous, and the lines are usually out the door. However, we particularly like Bova's, a few steps away on Salem St, : http://www.northendboston.com/bovabakery/.