Fortress of Louisbourg

[ranchette]

Is it possible to get a taxi at the ship to go to the Fortress instead of booking a ships tour?

[Bodger]

I am sure anything is possible. I am guessing you are docking in Sydney, the distance to Louisbourg is about 21 miles per Google Maps.

 

The Fortress is a magical place, I have been there four times, the first in 1971. I tell friends if you do nothing else in Cape Breton, go to the Fortress.

Bodger

[sapper1]

It would cost you major dollars. The fortress is about 45 minutes from Sydney and the driver would drop you off and return to Sydney---you would pay for a round trip right there. When you wanted to return, you would have to find a taxi in Louisbourg, which is a small town and service would be limited.

You could arrange for a taxi to come back out from Sydney to get you at a preset time and that would be another round trip. Sydney is not a large town and having a cruise ship in port would stretch the taxi service in the town to the limit.

It would be much cheaper to reserve a rental car or to book a ship's excursion, in that order.

[ranchette]

I am sure anything is possible. I am guessing you are docking in Sydney, the distance to Louisbourg is about 21 miles per Google Maps.

 

The Fortress is a magical place, I have been there four times, the first in 1971. I tell friends if you do nothing else in Cape Breton, go to the Fortress.

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Bodger

Is there alot of walking on this tour?

[sapper1]

Is there alot of walking on this tour?

Yes, there is quite a large area to cover on foot but there are lots of opportunities to sit and rest as well as to have some refreshments.

[Putterdude]

Unless things have changed in recent years, you park some distance from the fortress then are shuttled to the entrance of the fortress. Once there you can only walk and it will take several hours to take it all in and perhaps even longer. However it is a wonderful experience and one that should be taken advantage of.

[Bodger]

Is there a lot of walking on this tour?

 

It is a big place so there is a reasonable amount. On our last visit we had my 85 year old mother who had hurt her knee. We were given permission to use the rear entrance which while it was the long roundabout route allowed us to park reasonably close. (This was a road trip so we had our own vehicle.)

 

If you have mobility issues just ask at the visitors centre and I expect they will offer the same accommodation.

 

Bodger

[Cruise_More_Often]

We are going to do our ship's excursion to the Fortress of Louisbourg. We'll be there on Sunday, October 18. When I go to the Fortress's website, I find that after October 15, there will be

"No animation or services.

Visitor Centre open, limited access to reconstructed Site"

Does anyone know what we will miss? I have called NCL's Shore Excursion Department and was told that often providers stay open for ships' tours. She had no specific information about the Fortress of Louisbourg. however.

 

Should we cancel the excursion and find something else to do, or will there be plenty to see anyway?

[JimP]

Did you ever get an answer to this question. I'm going in October and would like to know also. thanks!!

[Cruise_More_Often]

Did you ever get an answer to this question. I'm going in October and would like to know also. thanks!!

Ni, Jim, I didn't. I think we're going to stick with it, however, because there's not much else to do. I'm told the site itself is great to see.

 

Just a thought--if you're going after we are, I'd be happy to email you to let you know the "real" answer. If you'd like that, my email address is in my signature.

[JimP]

Cruise More Often,

 

I found these four different comments re our dillema:

 

"Hey guys the one thing you have to remember about louisbourg during this time of the year is the fort semi closes depending on what date you arrive at the 6 dollar entrence fee is a clue if everything was fully open it would be 16.35 per person, if i'm not misstaken after the 15 there will be only 3 or 4 buldings open. As for trans portion to get there is is no running bus service mind you I would give Tartan Tours a call @ 902 578 4501 or email them at tartantours@hotmail.com they provide service to and from louisbourg hope this helps"

 

"what you will find after a certain date is basically 3 or 4 buildings open to the public but the full site is open which is 25 arches and well worth the visit"

 

"Even if it is very warm and sunny in Sydney, be sure to take sweatshirts or jackets to keep u warm in Louisbourg."

 

"We did a Canada cruise on the Maasdam in 2004 and took a private tour to Fortress Louisbourg with 2 other couples. Here is what I wrote up about our experience. Our cruise was in May, 9th through the 24th and as you will read below the Fortress Louisbourg Canadian national park wasn't actually fully open when we visited it. The ship docked in Sydney at a little before 8. We had our breakfast in the dining room as we were scheduled to go on a tour with Peter, Sandy, John and Peggy. We were all going to meet on the dock at around 10 AM, which we did. The temperature was supposed to be in the high 40's to the low 50's but the wind was blowing hard and it felt a lot colder. There were only the 6 of us scheduled for the tour and we were supposed to have a van but the guide had a mechanical problem and had substituted a much larger vehicle that would have probably handled 20 people. The driver said he had just gotten the call the night before at 10 PM that he was going to be working. Anyway we were planning on heading to the reconstruction of the Fortress of Louisburg and then lunch followed by a visit to a look out place where we would be able to take some pictures of Cape Breton.

 

The drive to the Fortress was uneventful with some nice scenery until we arrived at the welcome center for the Fortress. Here we got our first surprise for the day when it turned out the Fortress wasn't actually operating at full capacity and there were no buses available to take us from the welcome center to the Fortress. There were several other groups from the ship there with private guides or who had rented cars and after some discussions they decided to board as many people as they could on our bus and we would follow one of the guides out to the Fortress. A group of German tourists also from the ship elected to drive out in the Limo they had rented. We did get a break on the fees for the park as there was a "family" rate that we decided John and Peggy would adopt the rest of us and so we all got in for $13.50. That worked out to $4.50 Canadian per couple. Looking at the brochure as we drove out to the Fortress I noticed that officially it wasn't supposed to open until June 1st. As it turned out we only got to see maybe 20% of what was available. None of the historical costumed characters were around and none of the restaurants or exhibits were operating. The Fortress, it's named that rather than Fort because it was both a fortification and a place for settlers to live in, is about 20 to 25% reconstructed. The British and their American Colonist allies destroyed the fortress after they took it for the second time in 1761 during the wars between the French and British over who was going to control Canada. By the way let me also say it was extremely windy and cold out by the ocean where the Fortress is. It felt like it was in the 20's although the temperature was actually in the low 40's and was relatively comfortable if you could get out of the wind. We got to see the museum, the King's Bastion including the Governor's quarters, the chapel and the soldiers barracks. We then walked down into some of the other areas of the Fortress including the storehouse and prisoner building and saw the outside of the Engineer's house. I actually was able to get into the Engineer's house when one of the workers noticed me taking pictures and asked if I wanted to go inside. It wasn't totally set up for viewing and was supposed to be closed. But I did some pictures of the interior and appreciated his kindness. We spent about 2 hours at the Fortress and I really believe when everything is open and functioning that you could easily spend a full day there and not be bored in the least. After driving back by the welcome center we talked with our guide and decided to stop in the modern village of Louisburg and get some lunch at a local restaurant, the Station House. I had a scallop burger that was pretty good. The small restaurant also had some excellent clam chowder that one of our party had. We then took a drive up to a place we could get some lighthouse pictures and see across to Cape Breton. After that stop we made the journey back to Sydney and our ship. If anything the wind was blowing even harder when we got back and it felt even colder so we checked out the tourist area right by the dock before returning to the ship. They had a local craft's market there for our visit and we picked up some hand knitted mittens that we wished we had earlier in the day at the Fortress. We got back on the ship and mainly wanted to get warm again. This was our night to dine in the Pinnacle Grill so we would be missing dinner with our friends.

 

Unfortunately I didn't arrange the tour so I'm not sure what company it was with. If I find it I will post it. The Fortress is definitely worth seeing especially if it is fully open when you visit it."

[Dorbil]

We are going to do our ship's excursion to the Fortress of Louisbourg. We'll be there on Sunday, October 18. When I go to the Fortress's website, I find that after October 15, there will be

"No animation or services.

Visitor Centre open, limited access to reconstructed Site"

 

 

Having visited the Fortress in July this year (HAL's Maasdam), I would not consider visiting this site if it is not fully operational. You will be missing too much of its atmosphere and activities. The interpreters dressed in period costumes greatly enhanced the experience.

 

We did this cruise as a 14-day roundtrip from Boston. On the northbound portion we walked the historic Sydney area (brochure at the Info booth inside the Port Terminal building).

 

Found the Jost House and the Cossit House interesting. Incidentally, on this day it was cold, windy, damp, and raining. When we returned to the ship, we wished there had been a warm fireplace to sit by.

 

Inside the Terminal Building there was a large crafts exhibition featuring local vendors. One of best displays of local crafts I have seen.

 

Also upstairs in the Terminal building there is a small but well-done exhibition focusing on the local area.

 

Enjoy your cruise & wishing you sunny skies!

[maryann ns]

Much as I love Louisbourg, after Oct. 15 you should miss it and take the Cabot Trail. The fall leaves should be about perfect and the trail is spectacular. I would choose to do it in order of preference by renting a car, hiring a driver for a private tour, taking a private tour, taking a ship's tour.

 

Next time you are here in the summer do not miss Louisbourg.

[JimP]

Thanks for your thoughts! It looks like a drive in the country for us.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Jim, I telephoned the Fort today, and the woman I spoke with is going to talk to the fellow who arranges the ships' excursions. She told me that he sometimes brings in costumed people just for the ships' tours. He's on vacation, but she's going to talk to him and call or email me. I'll keep you apprised.

[ranchette]

We're going on this tour Oct. 8th. I hope everything will be open then!

[Stamps]

My husband and I will be there on the 18th of Oct also, with NCL. Would you also let me know if they will have enought open to make it worth while. This is our first visit there. thanks, jan

[World Gallery]

I called Louisbourg directly and talked to a very nice lady. She said that up until Oct. 15th, everything is open. Oct 16th to the end of the month, only the fortress is open. All of the buildings will be closed but you can walk around the area and look at the outside of the buildings. There will be nobody dressed in the period costumes. So basically, the bus would take you directly to the fortress, a guide would be there to meet you and talk about the fortress, then you can walk around. I think we are going to do something else. It sounds like a very different kind of experience. We will be on the Crown Princess on Oct. 18th.

I did ask her what she would suggest and she said the Cabot Trail and the Alexander Bell museum. Does anyone have input about these two places? We are disappointed that we can see Louisbourg in the way we thought but know it will still be a great trip.

[maryann ns]

Well look at it this way. You cannot begin to appreciate all Cape Breton has to offer in one day. One very spectacular attraction (Louisbourg) is closed. There are other choices.

 

Depending upon how long your day is you could drive the Cabot Trail. However you would need about seven or eight hours to do this. It is 185 miles long, but this is not super highway (two lane paved) and you will want to stop to look at the views if nothing else.

 

If you do not have that long, then I would suggest the beautiful drive to Baddeck and a visit to the Alexander Graham Bell museum. If it is a nice day and you have time, extend your drive down to Iona and come back to Sydney via Grand Narrows and Boisdale.

 

http://seniortravel.about.com/od/canadatravel/a/CabotTrailTips.htm

http://www.cabottrail.travel/

http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/drives/cabot-trail?source=sem_G38&esvcid=S1253043251_ADOGOE_AGI3688209_CRE3870993677_TID330767946_RFDd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jYQ%3d%3d_RAWY2Fib3QlMjB0cmFpbA%3d%3d&gclid=CJGf8u6t9JwCFVtB5god-ghD8w

http://www.day-trips.ca/content/alexander-graham-bell-museum

http://fortress.uccb.ns.ca/parks/agb_e.html

[petesweet]

We're going on this tour Oct. 8th. I hope everything will be open then!

 

Ranchette: Are you still on our Jewel cruise September 30? I thought you had dropped out and changed to another date? If you are with us, drop over to the roll call again. We have a meet & greet set up and would like for you to join us.

Kathy

[sonic]

Hi,

 

I have been reading this thread and was equally concerned, so I did the obvious thing and contacted Princess.

Here is a copy of their response, hope it helps with the decision making.

 

"We contacted the tour operator in Sydney regarding your inquiry. The experience is not quite the same as during the fall as it is during the summer, not quite as "robust" as during peak season, as the operator puts it. The restored buildings are there for the viewing, the fort is open. People are hired by the tour company to do re-enactments. But they do not "erupt at every turn." The activities are diminished due to the time of year. The choclate experience was confirmed. Should you feel uncertain about this tour, and feel you may be disappointed, the tour operator recommended the Halifax Citadel National Park tour. "

 

Regards,

 

Sonic.

[World Gallery]

"Should you feel uncertain about this tour, and feel you may be disappointed, the tour operator recommended the Halifax Citadel National Park tour. "

 

Thanks for posting this information. We are still trying to decide what to do. We really wanted to see Louisbourg before we knew it was going to be partially closed. We may still go back to the Louisbourg tour because everything else we are looking at seems okay but not really what we wanted. What do you plan to do? We are on the Crown Princess Oct 13 - 23rd.

I am confused on why Princess would recommend a tour in another port though. I don't know the area well but isn't the Halifax Citadel National Park tour in Halifax and Louisbourg in Sydney?

[petesweet]

Hi,

 

I have been reading this thread and was equally concerned, so I did the obvious thing and contacted Princess.

Here is a copy of their response, hope it helps with the decision making.

 

"We contacted the tour operator in Sydney regarding your inquiry. The experience is not quite the same as during the fall as it is during the summer, not quite as "robust" as during peak season, as the operator puts it. The restored buildings are there for the viewing, the fort is open. People are hired by the tour company to do re-enactments. But they do not "erupt at every turn." The activities are diminished due to the time of year. The choclate experience was confirmed. Should you feel uncertain about this tour, and feel you may be disappointed, the tour operator recommended the Halifax Citadel National Park tour. "

 

Regards,

 

Sonic.

 

Thanks, Sonic. Good to get an "official" word. However, I, too, have an official word, and I'm not so sure it is accurate.

What date are you talking about?

We will be there on October 5 (not exactly sure of that date--my itinerary is not handy). I called NCL, and I was assured they have a "contract" to the END OF THE MONTH and Louisburg will honor that contract. Yet another person posted that her cruiseline (Hal, perhaps--can't remember) is charging a lower rate for part of the month because not everything will be offered.

When I tried to call the tourism board, the number provided was not valid.

Kathy

P.S. What is the "chocolate experience"?

[sonic]

Hi,

 

We are Sailing on the Crown Princess and will visit Sydney on Tuesday October 27th.

 

I think we will still risk it and go, we've visited Sydney before and do not wish to repeat our previous sailing trip on the Bras D'or Lake which I would highly recommend.

 

Regards,

 

Sonic.

[Cruise_More_Often]

I just realized I hadn't revisited this thread after I heard back from the woman at the Louisbourg site about what was occurring at the Fortress after October 15. She had told me she would speak with the fellow who heads up the animation for the Park and get back to me. He told her that sometimes the ships will hire animators to provide entertainment for their guests on ships' excursions after 10/15. However, for our cruise, which will be there on October 18, NCL had not made any such arrangements.

 

We have cancelled our excursion to the Fortress, and we are doing the Cabot Trail instead, with a private tour operator. Thanks for your suggestion, Maryann.