Host Carolyn

You will also find an "official" roll call for this sailing under the Brilliance of the Seas roll call board

There is a roll call for this sailing on the Norwegian Cruise Lines Roll Call board.  Just look under "Norwegian Escape" and you will find it.  Will leave this here as well for you

Check out the Progreso/Merida board in the Ports of Call Section under "Caribbean". There may well be some private tour operator information there

Thanks for posting this!  Will try to find it.  My son lives out on the east end near Oak Ridge so will be curious to see if I can find it.  Hope some of you planning a cruise with a stop there can find it as well...

Another option is to get a private tour arranged and they will customize the day for you. We aren't huge beach people but have had good days with Victor Bodden of Bodden Tours twice in Roatan that included beach, lunch, etc.  Others on this board also offer but can't speak from experience. My son lives on Roatan part time and with roads (2 lane etc) and crowded spring break time and ships, if you want just a beach day your best bet from where you will dock is West End.

Definitely stay in Old Quebec vs. airport area.  Lots of small family run hotels that won't break the budget and bistros for a quick meal.  The city is very walkable although pavement uneven in many places but carriage rides in Upper Town and the funicular to lower town make it all very doable for a shorter stay

On RCI  you will dock at Coxen Hole. Depending on how long your port call is, and where on the island the "Shore Excursioneer" goes for the dive, you need to be sure you will have enough time.  Diving is great on the East End near Port Royal and Cow & Calf island but travel time is longer and roads are 2-lane and slow.  If the site they use is closer to West End, will not be as much of a factor.

Still rainy season in January and it's a walk to meet private tour operators.  If it were me I'd stick to a beach day there with a toddler. The roads can be slow etc on a dreary day -- like today when it's low 70s, cloudy and a breeze so even a bit chilly to the locals, and the activities on tour are outside.

22 hours ago, ams cruiser said:

Thank you for this very helpful information!  After we figure out our exact dates/flights/hotels, we'll be able to focus on sightseeing (and food!)  I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions.  I so appreciate all the help on these boards. (Thank you for hosting!)

 

You are very welcome~ Quebec City is one of my most favorite places in the world, even in the dead of winter during Carnaval when the average daily temperature was 2 degs. Fahrenheit~ :)

So you are docking or tendering at St Anthony and not Cornerbrook  or St John? It's about a 40 mile drive each way if I remember correctly (we were on vacation, not cruise) and the Meadows are not a place you can really rush through and appreciate.  I definitely would do a ship tour here but with time back and forth unless it's a really long port call you would not have much time there.  There's a gift shop

If you don't want to do a lot of walking in Old Quebec in the Upper Town take a carriage ride.. They leave from park near Frontenac and are a wonderful way to see that part of town.  Whatever you do, stay in the walled old town in Quebec (we stay at Chateau Pierre right near Frontenac)... Otherwise you are just in another  city.  Lots of family run small hotels, terrific dining in both upper and lower town.  A relatively easy walk is along the cliffs for a great view of the river and second taking the ferry over to Levis for a view of Old Quebec.  We have never climbed the hill and still got great pictures!!  

Chateau de Pierre is on the park across from Frontenac. Excellent location, family run, have been staying there for 30 years.  There are so many small hotels in the Old City, unless you want modern and generic hotel experience, stay in the Old Town.  Lots of bistros, walkable etc.

• Have done Alaska 11 times and the Canada/New England once 4 times... love this itinerary although agree that the one-way Quebec itinerary is the best. All of the ports are relatively easy to navigate and wonderful restaurants for Lobster and seafood... we call it our "lobster lunch cruise."  Portland, Bar Harbor (Woody's taxi to Acadia Park is the best option IMHO), and even Halifax to some extent walkable from the ship.  I have been to Peggy's Cove but it's iffy in the fall, can be crowded and foggy so I would look at other options there -- Halifax is a beautiful city.  I hope you can get excited.. completely different from Alaska but a wonderful itinerary.

The water is not "warm" like it would be in southern Caribbean and it is the rainy season so cloudy days etc when water is cooler, maybe upper 70s. If you book tour ahead just be aware December weather can be very iffy so you might want to check with tour operator re policies. Some days it rains all day, some days part of the day, some days not at all. 

When we were on Grandeur 6-7 years ago the ship offered a tour to reversing rapids that didn't include the caves or that much walking... are all the excursions up for this sailing?  They are in "winter mode" up there.  Will be glad to contact a friend who knows some locals to see if they know anyone who will be doing limited mobility tours but they don't have final tours set yet.  I'd also keep looking at RCI excursions as well

Cow and Calf will be less crowded as it's on the east end near Port Royal.  My son has a house near there. Weather is just iffy this time of year.  They just had a 3-day rain event with winds out of west instead of north on Roatan  -- it's the rainy season so it's day to day on weather.

If you do the tour with Radical be sure they allow time to return to ship ... are you docking at Mahogany or Coxen Hole?  Road is 2-lane or are they picking you up at port for excursion.  IF road, it's 2-lane so takes a while

I would look at itinerary before ship having done this cruise and visited Quebec several times. Overnight is Quebec is a huge plus -- so much to do and see.  Ports like Charlottetown, St John (Newfoundland), Halifax are beautiful in the fall and unique.  If you can do one from Boston to Quebec City you will have more Canadian ports... ???

Gilbert's Chowder House has been our "go to" place for lobster in Portland.  Not fancy but good service and lots of lobster options. Seafood chowder is also delicious.  Right along waterfront.

One other thing to consider is when a cold front goes off the East Coast, especially off the Carolinas, you can have very rough seas.  Ships can go around but still can be too chilly to be on deck (and decks closed off if it's really rough).  Some don't think of that when booking but I've been out of Charleston in late winter when it was only warm in the Bahamas.

Be sure to monitor traffic reports on Google Drive, your GPS etc especially if weather is a factor so you don't get hung up in a long delay you can't get around.  You are cutting it close IMHO with the big cities you have to navigate around.  I would get as close to Baltimore as possible before stopping to do anything but pit stop!  If time is close just leave cart at port, will cost more but doing drop off folks at the port, then car to airport, then someone getting back to port could really be a mess if there's a wreck or traffic issue

NCL docks near Coxen Hole which isn't really a developed port area like Mahogany Bay where the Carnival Corp ships dock.  You are however not as far from the West End and it shouldn't be difficult to get there if you don't want to book a tour.  West End is main tourist area though and can be crowded if lots of ships in port

Chateau d'Pierre right on the park across from Chateau Frontenac is place we've stayed at since the late 1980s.  Well located and great personal service

IMHO I would pick a cruise that spent the night in Havana. Have friends who went on Paradise last month and they were in Cuba overnight; friends who went from Miami and spent only one night wished they had longer. Just my two cents worth!

Glacier Bay, hands down....!

Maritime Museum right on the waterfront isn't hard to get to or enjoy with limited mobility... can always take cab and there are places for lunch nearby. IMHO Peggy's Cove can be over rated and later in the cruising season you run risk of fog which rather dulls the experience. But renting a car to stay in town would be a lot of hassle, mainly because it's the downtown area with traffic, parking issues etc. Private tour would be the way to go