Sept Iles

[arby70]

I will be on the NCL Spirit when it arrives in Sept Iles for the first time. I don't have an excursion set up, but thought I'd like to walk around from the port and see what's around. We may just see what's there for shopping. But are there any private tour companies that might be there at the port when the ship arrives? There wasn't that much offered by NCL and I see the Old Trading Post (can't remember the name now) is closed for repairs this year.

 

I have been on the tourism site that I have found, but it doesn't say whether there are tours available at the dock or any stuff within walking distance of the port. Anybody that was on the Holland America ship earlier have any experience there that they could share? Thanks.

[aliaschief]

We had the honor of being the first international cruise ship to visit Sept Iles this spring. They really put out the welcome plank for the MS Maasdam and it was just a historical and so memorable experience.

 

The tours offered by Holland America were late being posted. Our choice was the train ride out to the Inuit village. Great tour. Can't tell you much about private tours available.

 

Others in our Roll Call and post ship reviews all were rave no matter what excursion was taken.

 

Clicking on our screen name you will find our post cruise review and I'm sure you will be visiting some of the same ports on your cruise.

 

Beautiful area, enjoy your cruise.

[GTJ]

I've been to Sept-Îles several times, both overland (via bus) and by sea (it is a regular port of call on the Relais Nordik line, a most interesting and affordable St. Lawrence River cruise between Rimouski and Blanc-Sablon). The city itself has a pleasant boardwalk along the river, but it is rather low key as in many other Canadian river cities. There are boat tours that visit the seven islands. While I have not visited it, I understand that there is a small regional museum as well. I believe that NCL also has a tour to the local aluminium plant. It is quite common for Canadian industrial plants to offer free tours (usually just in the summer), and they can be quite interesting. I still remember the tour I did of the nickel mining and refining plant in Manitoba a few years ago. But do compare the cost of the NCL tour with just getting a taxi to an industrial plant on your own.

 

Many of the times that I've been though Sept-Îles I was on my way to or from the railroad for travel into Labrador or northern Québec. The rail line is especially scenic just north of Sept-Îles where it tunnels through the mountains and then immediately crosses a viaduct over the Moisie River. The tracks then follow the river for some distance. To that end the NCL railroad tour would be, in my opinion, a most enjoyable journey. Their price is high, especially when measured against the railroad's own fares for local travel. (Would the railroad would sell you an excursion ticket individually? Probably not if this is a special charter just for NCL passengers, but it wouldn't hurt to enquire. The railroad station is a few blocks north of the river.) Check the railroad's website here: www.tshiuetin.net

 

However, Sept-Îles is not a place that gets a lot of tourists, and you're not going to find much infrastructure oriented towards tourists. You can get the tourist brochure here: www.tourismeseptiles.ca/Document/WEB A Pratical guide Sept-Iles 2009/2010.pdf