maryann ns

Most Canadian banks will have US$ but that does not mean all American banks will have CAD$.

You get a much better rate at an ATM though the fee your bank may charge may make a lie out of that.

The fog off the Atlantic Ocean in Halifax and down the coast is much more prevalent in the late spring and early summer when the water is colder than the land. It is much less common in September and October.

I don't really know about the traffic, but it would be rush hour when you are coming back so in the city it may be a bit slow. Leaving extra time such as the hour you plan is what I meant.

You can definitely rent a car and go to Wolfville. You would need to allow for lots of cushion time in coming back. The roads are partly divided highway and partly just two lane. Here is a rough map. I picked just two vineyards. They both have good wines and Lightfoot and Wolfville would be a great place for lunch.

You could bring along your own GPS or phone with google maps (predownload the area you will be visiting) or rent a car with GPS. That way you can more easily concentrate on driving. map

This document will give more information and do come back here with questions if you have them. Halifax for cruise ship visitors

Annapolis Valley information including wineries

Here is some information for Halifax. Halifax for cruise ship visitors

Here is some information about Halifax for cruise visitors. It includes car rental information. If you are just staying in downtown Halifax you would not want or need to rent a car.

Halifax for cruise ship passengers

I live near the former home for Seagull Pewter. It was sold to a company from Asia and it no longer makes pewter here. However, the former owner of Seagull is the owner of Basic Spirit which you may see at the shops at or near the cruise port.

PEI information

The above gives you some information I have gathered over the years. The ship docks in Charlottetown which is a considerable distance from Green Gables and the park but it is an easy drive. Here is one of so many possible routes you could take: route

We actually did not connect, but stayed over in Amsterdam. But Schiphol Airport is very well organized.

The best place for information for Antarctica is the forum on Trip Advisor. Check the FAQs on the top right of the main page. Antarctic Adventures forum

I totally agree about the land tour, especially for Cambodia. It is very easy to organize yourself. Prices are low and there are lots of hotels and restaurants. Check on Trip Advisor.

On our own we visited Siem Reap (5 nights - could have been more), Phnom Penh (2); Myanmar (13 nights in Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay and Hsipaw); and Vietnam (16 nights in Hanoi (3), on a junk in Halong Bay (2), Hue (3), Hoi An (6)) and I bet we spent no than on a river cruise.

If you can find me on Trip Advisor (same name and Avatar) send me a message with your email address and I will send you our itinerary.

We flew KLM from Toronto to Amsterdam, then to Tanzania, from Cape Town to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam back to Toronto. All were fine except the first one (Toronto to Amsterdam) which was on a 747 with less legroom than the usual if you can believe that. Connecting in Amsterdam is easy.

If you wish a plain steamed or boiled lobster then any place is good. Murphy's is a restaurant for tourists right on the waterfront, but since it has a large volume the lobster should be fresh (not hanging around in the tank for days.)

For Peggy's Cove there is a take out truck which cooks fresh lobster to order. That is a great way to have it rather than at the huge, touristy Sou'wester Restaurant.

Check out repositioning cruises on ships which spend the southern summer in Antarctica and the northern summer in the high arctic.

This year we are going on G Adventures ship Expedition which has a trip starting in Bergen and going in and out the coast all the way up to Longyearbyen. All excursions, including the Flam railway, are included.

https://www.gadventures.com/trips/norwegian-fjords-arctic-discovery/XVBLNX/

http://www.traveltothepoles.com/arc-ships.html

You may find the information below helpful for Halifax, Sydney, and PEI.

Halifax

Sydney

Prince Edward Island

We are taking this trip. I think it goes to all the places mentioned.

We have been on the same ship to the Antarctic and it was a top notch experience in every way. It costs more than some cruises, but it includes all excursions and because it is an expedition ship there is a wonderful professional staff to provide education and background to the experience. The excursions on zodiacs are special too.

https://www.gadventures.com/trips/norwegian-fjords-arctic-discovery/XVBLNX/

For some up to date Halifax information for cruisers check this out: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BjAtDscML-9Ce3VWUUsOrsVhPL7KIxb7Go_9SRi82dE/edit

This doc outlines the route towards Cape Breton Highlands National Park: Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia for Cruise Visitors

I have added a map showing the drive to Keltic Lodge in Ingonish Beach which is at the entrance to the park. You would need to allow over four hours for this so you could barely do it with six hours in port.

Your walk to the cemetery where the Titanic victims are buried would have taken about an hour: https://goo.gl/maps/c3s47aTVKpA2

To help others here is a good resource for Halifax: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BjAtDscML-9Ce3VWUUsOrsVhPL7KIxb7Go_9SRi82dE/edit

Be careful to heed the warnings at Peggy's Cove.

The warning about wet rocks is about rogue waves hitting them. You do not want to be near the ocean and especially rocks wet by the sea.

This is a list of the best donair places as decided by a poll by a local newspaper: https://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/best-donair/BestOf?oid=10344910

The particular sauce for our donair was developed in Halifax but there are now a few places elsewhere in Canada.  

I have been to both Erice and Segesta which we saw on our independent driving trip to Sicily.

If you have been to Mont St. Michel and Eze in France then Erice is more of the same, a bit bigger than Eze and smaller (or less crowded) than Mont St. Michel. It is attractive and touristy and the view on a good day is lovely. You certainly should not need a tour to get there. Take a taxi to the funicular (gondola). When you go back down you will see a taxi stand right there.

We also saw the Valley of the Temples in Sicily which is spectacular and not reachable on a cruise stop. We have been to Athens as well. Segesta is great because you can walk all around the temple and very close to it. It is worth taking the bus up the hill to see the ampitheatre which is in a great setting.

Have a look at going to Lunenburg which is on what we call the South Shore, southwest of Halifax on the Atlantic Coast. 

Alternatively you could go to the Wolfville Area, perhaps on a winery tour and maybe have a look at the Bay of Fundy, though you would not have time to see the tide change.

The area along the Atlantic coast northeast of Halifax is called the Eastern Shore. It has some wonderful beaches and other attractions.

Halifax for cruise ship visitors

Learning about the South Shore

Annapolis Valley, etc.

The Eastern Shore

You may have a better chance of traditional music at the Old Triangle. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurants-g154976-Halifax_Halifax_Region_Nova_Scotia.html

I have been on two Azamara cruises and loved them. Then we were on G Adventures ship Expedition to Antarctica. This spring coming we are going on Expedition up the coast of Norway and then spending three days in the high Arctic.

You really want a smaller ship even than the Azamara ones even if you don't care to go out on zodiacs (which were an amazing part of our Antarctica trip.) We will get into smaller places more easily and all excursions are included on this trip on Expedition. We were amazed by the food while in Antarctica. There was some high level cuisine and amazing variety. We could all be seated in the dining room at one time and, more importantly in the lounge for debriefings and other events.