St. Johns Excursions - HELP

[mobyduck]

Has anyone been to St. Johns' and did you do any of the ship's excursions? We will be there from 9-5 and I need sugeestions. Is it interesting enough to just wander the city or should we take a tour outside the city such as St. Andrews or St. Martin's? Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

[Sanlj]

Although we are lifelong New Englanders,we cruised RCI to St. John 2 summers ago. We actually got off the ship and rented a car for the day, managing to see ALL the sights that were offered in the ship's excursions at a fraction of the cost. We did the same in Halifax. The car rental agencies were within walking distance at both ports.

 

We are not the adventurous type, but were totally comfortable with these arrangements. The rental agencies were SO helpful and plotted out our routes for us so that we could see the highlights.

 

We loved this cruise (one of our favorites) and enjoyed breathtaking scenery. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

[sopo pirates]

If the ship offers the photography tour, I'd recommend it - it's going to give you some history on the area, but also pointers on using your camera to capture images that you can then use in other ports.

[Host Caroline]

We were going to book ship tour but found it cheaper online.. we are doing the jetboat reversing rapids... and just sightseeing around the market etc. the rapids were our top choice for there.. supposed to be great fun and we don't mind getting wet at all!

[mobyduck]

Thanks, everybody, for the great suggestions. We had tentatively decided to simply "bum around town", but after reading your replies, we have gone with the photography tour suggestion. Seems like a great way to visit a good combination of the most picturesque (no pun intended) places in one package, and will still leave DW with some "shopping" time.

[noobiecruiser]

Could anyone expand on the photography tour?

[davejohn]

Could anyone expand on the photography tour?

 

A Saint John photographer has designed this special combination of sightseeing and photography. Begin by photographing the Carleton Martello Tower, one of 16 constructed in Canada during the early years of the 19th century. Stop at the Reversing Falls Rapids, where the mighty Bay of Fundy meets the force of the St. John River and creates this unique phenomenon. Photographic opportunities abound in the Loyalist Burial Grounds, with its cobblestone walkways meandering under a canopy of trees. Then, visit the Old City Market, a vibrant meeting place for residents and visitors since it opened in 1876. Additional stops will be included, chosen based on the prevailing photographic conditions of the day. With tips from a photographer throughout, this tour is ideal for "shutterbugs" with any level of experience. Note: There is approximately ¼ mile of walking with some steps and a downhill incline.

 

This is from NCL's description of the tour.

[mariaw0121]

I've read a lot about the Bay of Fundy tides and the Reversing Falls and our ship (NCL Dawn) has an excursion there. Most of the stuff I've read said you need to see it at both high and low tides to get the full effect - obviously several hours apart. Since the ship is in port from 9 to 5 only, is this feasible and worth it? Would we be better off on a different excursion and skipping the falls?

[jstducky]

Are you referring to St. John's, Newfoundland or Saint John, Newbrunswick?

 

I don't think that cruise ships go to St. John's. But since you referred to your stop as St. John's rather than Saint John, I thought I'd ask.

 

If you are in Saint John, Newbrunswick, then I give give a vote to the Reversing Falls at the Bay of Fundy. We took an excursion on a jet boat ride through the falls and it was one of the highlights of my Canada/New England cruise.

[sapper1]

I've read a lot about the Bay of Fundy tides and the Reversing Falls and our ship (NCL Dawn) has an excursion there. Most of the stuff I've read said you need to see it at both high and low tides to get the full effect - obviously several hours apart. Since the ship is in port from 9 to 5 only, is this feasible and worth it? Would we be better off on a different excursion and skipping the falls?

If you go over to the Canada board you will find a lot of info re Saint John.

Acey has put together a great FAQ thread for Saint John.

Try www.cruisesaintjohn.com

You don't have to take an excursion to the Reversing Falls. You can walk to the falls from the dock in about 40 minutes or you can take a water taxi from the area by the Hilton Hotel near the dock.

You can find a tide table on one of the drop down menus on the above website.

[KelJ]

We kayaked on the St. John River with Go Fundy Tours. Wanda, the owner of the tour company, is great! This excursion is offered through some of the cruiselines as kayaking and a lobster bake. We ended up booking directly through Go Fundy Tours (it's a long story) but kayaked with the people on our ship's excursion.