Old Town Trolley tour Boston?

Yes, we will be disembarking in Boston Sunday morning. Our flight home isn't until Monday evening and we are staying at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel Sunday night. Thinking about getting a 2 day pass. Figured we could walk to the hotel and drop off our luggage and then go to stop 19 - Boston Fish Pier but concerned we might not ever get on due to the previous Black Falcon stop (18A). Or store luggage at the cruise ship pier if that is available. Any ideas or thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

We did this exact same thing 2 years ago-disembarked on a Sun morning-took a taxi to Renaissance Waterfront. There we checked in about 8-8:30, (way too early to get keys to our room), and stored our luggage with them. The trolley stopped right at the Renaissance (yea)-we had already bought a 2-day pass online-it might have been a Groupon-showed it to the driver and off we went. We had a free Duck tour included and we did that first. When you're ready to go back, you will transfer to a trolley that goes to the waterfront and it takes you right back to the hotel. Yea! We asked the first driver how to get back and he told us all this. It seems like when we got to the central trolley area we had to get off and get on a different trolley that took us all over town. It was SO easy. You might call the Renaissance and ask for the Concierge and make sure they're still stopping there (at the side door). Things could have changed in 2 years.

Also, you can catch the streetcar right across from the hotel and take it to the nearest Subway stop. I had printed off the trolley schedule ahead of time and knew what we wanted to do. They also give you maos on the trolley.

We did this exact same thing 2 years ago-disembarked on a Sun morning-took a taxi to Renaissance Waterfront. There we checked in about 8-8:30, (way too early to get keys to our room), and stored our luggage with them. The trolley stopped right at the Renaissance (yea)-we had already bought a 2-day pass online-it might have been a Groupon-showed it to the driver and off we went. We had a free Duck tour included and we did that first. When you're ready to go back, you will transfer to a trolley that goes to the waterfront and it takes you right back to the hotel. Yea! We asked the first driver how to get back and he told us all this. It seems like when we got to the central trolley area we had to get off and get on a different trolley that took us all over town. It was SO easy. You might call the Renaissance and ask for the Concierge and make sure they're still stopping there (at the side door). Things could have changed in 2 years.

Also, you can catch the streetcar right across from the hotel and take it to the nearest Subway stop. I had printed off the trolley schedule ahead of time and knew what we wanted to do. They also give you maos on the trolley.

Just to clarify the "streetcar" or "trolley" is the Silver Line bus which takes you to South Station for a free transfer to the Red Line subway. My experience with the "trolley" schedule is that it is not precise but merely reflects the overall frequency of the service. The stop for the Renaissance is Silver Line Way and you can take either the SL1 or SL2 bus. The SL1 goes to the airport and most SL2's go all the way to Black Falcon Terminal.

http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=SL1

http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=SL2

I'm pretty sure the "included duck tour" that sooner referred to no longer exists. That was on the other amphibious company (not "Boston Ducks") that closed over a year ago.

I have a question about the ship excursion non stop old town trolley tour and where it ends. This comes from the Old Trolley website:

The tour ends at your choice of either Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall or back at the ship.

Is Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall within walking distance back to the ship or do you have to find some other kind of transportation? We are on Anthem of the Seas. Someone in our roll call said the pier is "Black Falcon" or at least it was on their last four cruises.

We are thinking of hanging around quincy market for a bit as long as we can easily get back.

It's about 2 miles or a bit more from Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall to the cruise terminal formerly known as Black Falcon and now named for one of our former mayors

It's about 2 miles or a bit more from Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall to the cruise terminal formerly known as Black Falcon and now named for one of our former mayors

What would be an ideal way to return to the pier? What options are available?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

What would be an ideal way to return to the pier? What options are available?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

It looks like you'll be there on a Saturday. I'd just call Uber or Lyft or take a cab. The T schedule is less frequent on Sat and you have to make 2-3 transfers to get back from the Faneuil Hall area.

A good pickup place would be on the southbound side of Atlantic Ave.

Ok thanks. Is Atlantic Ave a main strip or road nearby? Easy to get to? I'm not familiar with Boston at all. Uber sounds easy enough as long as I know where to have them meet me LOL!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Sorry one more question. Would my destination for uber just be the Boston pier?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Boston has a number of piers/wharfs. The cruise terminal is the Black Falcon terminal. I would go with that.

Boston has a number of piers/wharfs. The cruise terminal is the Black Falcon terminal. I would go with that.

Ok. Thanks for your assistance.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We did this exact same thing 2 years ago-disembarked on a Sun morning-took a taxi to Renaissance Waterfront. There we checked in about 8-8:30, (way too early to get keys to our room), and stored our luggage with them. The trolley stopped right at the Renaissance (yea)-we had already bought a 2-day pass online-it might have been a Groupon-showed it to the driver and off we went. We had a free Duck tour included and we did that first. When you're ready to go back, you will transfer to a trolley that goes to the waterfront and it takes you right back to the hotel. Yea! We asked the first driver how to get back and he told us all this. It seems like when we got to the central trolley area we had to get off and get on a different trolley that took us all over town. It was SO easy. You might call the Renaissance and ask for the Concierge and make sure they're still stopping there (at the side door). Things could have changed in 2 years.

Also, you can catch the streetcar right across from the hotel and take it to the nearest Subway stop. I had printed off the trolley schedule ahead of time and knew what we wanted to do. They also give you maos on the trolley.

Thanks for the info, Sooner2. Great idea to call the Renaissance concierge as well.

Just to clarify the "streetcar" or "trolley" is the Silver Line bus which takes you to South Station for a free transfer to the Red Line subway. My experience with the "trolley" schedule is that it is not precise but merely reflects the overall frequency of the service. The stop for the Renaissance is Silver Line Way and you can take either the SL1 or SL2 bus. The SL1 goes to the airport and most SL2's go all the way to Black Falcon Terminal.

 

http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=SL1

http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=SL2

Thanks again 138east. Your info has been very helpful.

You should drop your luggage off at the Renaissance. If you don't want to walk the whole way, take the Silver Line bus in front of the terminal one stop to Silver Line Way ($2.75/pp), which will get you much closer. There is only one other Silversea ship in port that day and the Hoho doesn't start until 9 am, so I don't see a problem getting on at stop 19.

 

Look closely at the trolley map. The Seaport area loop is separate from the main loop. It takes you to stop 1, which is the beginning of the main loop where you transfer to another trolley.

 

What are your plans for getting to Logan Airport on Monday? You do know that the Silver Line bus will quickly take you there from Silver Line Way for $2.75/pp.

Thanks for the info, 138east. We were going to take uber to the airport but might do the Silver Line bus/subway if you can take luggage easily. More details would be greatly appreciated.

Is it a lot cheaper to buy a 2 day pass online rather than buying it that day? Guess I am just concerned about the weather. Or can you purchase it from your hotel?

Thanks for the info, 138east. We were going to take uber to the airport but might do the Silver Line bus/subway if you can take luggage easily. More details would be greatly appreciated.

The SL1 Silver Line bus should have luggage racks. It also has 1 low step to get on - really no worse than a rental car shuttlebus.

If you are at the Renaissance, my preference would be to walk the 2-3 blocks up Congress Street to the World Trade Center station instead of to Silver Line Way. This is a real station with elevators. You purchase your tickets from the machine and either take the escalator or elevator down to the platform. The secret is to board the SL1 bus at the rearmost door which gives you direct access to the luggage racks and the most space. Silver Line Way is an outdoor station platform on the street with no controlled access. That means that you have to use the front door to either buy a ticket or register you ticket with the driver. The front of the bus has more limited luggage storage and a narrow aisle that can be very awkward with luggage.

The SL1 Silver Line bus should have luggage racks. It also has 1 low step to get on - really no worse than a rental car shuttlebus.

 

If you are at the Renaissance, my preference would be to walk the 2-3 blocks up Congress Street to the World Trade Center station instead of to Silver Line Way. This is a real station with elevators. You purchase your tickets from the machine and either take the escalator or elevator down to the platform. The secret is to board the SL1 bus at the rearmost door which gives you direct access to the luggage racks and the most space. Silver Line Way is an outdoor station platform on the street with no controlled access. That means that you have to use the front door to either buy a ticket or register you ticket with the driver. The front of the bus has more limited luggage storage and a narrow aisle that can be very awkward with luggage.

Thanks so much for this info - very helpful!

My cruise ship is in Boston from 11AM to 8PM on a weekday. It looks like the trolley only runs until 5PM. I've been to Boston before, but it's probably been 20+ years, so I think it would be a good way to get reacquainted. I'm just concerned that it might be a bit of a time crush. And if I wanted to stay in Boston after 5PM, I guess I'd have to Uber/Lyft/taxi back to the ship.

 

Also, I'm wondering what it's like trying to get on the trolley at the pier if there are hundreds of people disembarking at the same time. I was going to buy direct from OTT (it's cheaper and there's a senior discount) but if the cruise ship(s) have monopolized the trolleys -- I guess I'm not sure how that works. They have designated departure times, so maybe they reserve a certain number of seats? I had a bad experience with the HOHO bus in Barcelona -- the lines to get back on were so bad I only got off one time.

 

Can anyone share their experience with OTT in Boston and offer some advice?

We are just back from the Canada/New England cruise and we booked the HOP-ON-HOP-OFF OTT online. The stop is just about a block from where you get off the ship, BUT you should let them know you are going to be there (time and date) as the trolley does not always stop there - it's a sub route. Having said that, it was perfect for us. We got on and did the full route (not getting off) which I think was about 2 hours. We then had a free Harbor Cruise included in our tickets. That was ok (so-so). Then, we got on the sub-route back to the ship (which you get at stop #1) and he even dropped us at the door.

The trolley trip offered by the cruise lines is often a tour which is not HOP-ON etc. It cost more so we went right to the source on the internet to book. There were not hundreds of people getting on this option. I think there were 4 of us from our ship.

We are just back from the Canada/New England cruise and we booked the HOP-ON-HOP-OFF OTT online. The stop is just about a block from where you get off the ship, BUT you should let them know you are going to be there (time and date) as the trolley does not always stop there - it's a sub route. Having said that, it was perfect for us. We got on and did the full route (not getting off) which I think was about 2 hours. We then had a free Harbor Cruise included in our tickets. That was ok (so-so). Then, we got on the sub-route back to the ship (which you get at stop #1) and he even dropped us at the door.

 

The trolley trip offered by the cruise lines is often a tour which is not HOP-ON etc. It cost more so we went right to the source on the internet to book. There were not hundreds of people getting on this option. I think there were 4 of us from our ship.

Thank you so much for your answer! That's just what I needed to know. Based on that information, I went ahead and bought a ticket for the Trolley. One more question-- how do I let them know that I am going to be there? Their website is a little confusing -- it says that they stop where the cruise ships dock on the regular route, but only on days when there are ships in port. So I assumed they'd stop there on the day our ship (a large one) is there.

Thank you so much for your answer! That's just what I needed to know. Based on that information, I went ahead and bought a ticket for the Trolley. One more question-- how do I let them know that I am going to be there? Their website is a little confusing -- it says that they stop where the cruise ships dock on the regular route, but only on days when there are ships in port. So I assumed they'd stop there on the day our ship (a large one) is there.

We thought they'd stop too but the people before us had been waiting awhile. If there isn't an email link through their website, you might try giving them a phone call just to give them a heads up. It could save you time and grief. Enjoy your cruise and the trolley.

The Duck tour does not go through the North End. A major focus of the tour is splashing into the Charles River and cruising around for a bit.

 

Could you provide more details about how much walking you want to do? The Old Town Trolley Hoho stops about 6 blocks from the Paul Revere House and 8 blocks from the Old North Church and it's about 8 Blocks to walk between the two sites. This is Stop 2. The trolley also stops at the east (Stop 1) and west ends (Stop 5) of the Faneuil Hall Quincy Market area, which is about 5-6 blocks long.

 

The trolley also picks up at the pier, but you have to walk to the end of the ship in the direction of the traffic on Black Falcon Ave to get the trolley. This trolley is a connector trolley that takes you to Stop 1 at Faneuil Hall to connect with the main trolley route. Stop 2 is the stop for the North End.

 

If this sounds doable, then I still recommend that you cash out your OBC and use it to pay for the regular Hoho

 

tour if it's not being offered by RCL.

HI

THANKS FOR YOUR EXPERIENCE AROUND BOSTON, IT'S BEEN 2 YES SINCE WE WERE THERE.... AND WE LOVED IT...THIS TIME WE JUST WANT TO RELAX AND ENJOY OUR TIME...

YANKEE FAN...:wine-glass::ship:

Vinie

We are just back from the Canada/New England cruise and we booked the HOP-ON-HOP-OFF OTT online. The stop is just about a block from where you get off the ship, BUT you should let them know you are going to be there (time and date) as the trolley does not always stop there - it's a sub route. Having said that, it was perfect for us. We got on and did the full route (not getting off) which I think was about 2 hours. We then had a free Harbor Cruise included in our tickets. That was ok (so-so). Then, we got on the sub-route back to the ship (which you get at stop #1) and he even dropped us at the door.

 

The trolley trip offered by the cruise lines is often a tour which is not HOP-ON etc. It cost more so we went right to the source on the internet to book. There were not hundreds of people getting on this option. I think there were 4 of us from our ship.

This is what we were thinking of doing. Just staying on the trolley the whole route, then doing the harbor cruise after. Is it interesting enough to stay on and not get off and explore? We have no real desire to do any shopping or eating. Also, if you DO get off, explore, then you just go back to where you got off to wait for another trolley so you can hop on again??

This is what we were thinking of doing. Just staying on the trolley the whole route, then doing the harbor cruise after. Is it interesting enough to stay on and not get off and explore? We have no real desire to do any shopping or eating. Also, if you DO get off, explore, then you just go back to where you got off to wait for another trolley so you can hop on again??

We found it interesting enough to stay on the bus and not get off at different stops. Getting on and off would be fine provided you have a lot of time in town. We were getting back on the ship that day at 4 pm to return to Montreal, so we had limited time. Yes, if you get off you just reboard the trolley at the same stop, or walk to another stop on the route. However, when you get off at various stops, sometimes there is a large crowd getting back on and you may have to wait for more than one trolley. Factor this in to your time. Start as early in the day as you can-less crowds.

Also, remember that the trolley from the ship connects to the main route and you will have to transfer to another bus. Be sure to leave yourself time to get the other trolley back to the ship in time IF you are reboarding as we did.

Actually, I wasn't impressed with the Harbor portion and it takes a lot of time waiting to get on, and for the cruise itself.

Thank you for the heads up! Would you do it again? Hope you had a great cruise!

Thank you for the heads up! Would you do it again? Hope you had a great cruise!

Oh yes, I would do it again. We had great fun and saw a part of Canada we had not seen before. :)