NE / Canada cruise, easy to book at dock??

[iqemom]

We are on 9 day which stops at Sydney, Charlottetown, Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston & Newport...

 

We are no stress travelers & in past in Alaska successfully booked different excursions right at the dock as we came off the ship, of course we are always first off the ship to beat the crowds.

 

Anyone have any experience doing the same at any of the above listed ports? We are open to a lot of walking also if it can be done without tours.

 

I have searched the ports on this board but am now more confused!

Thanks so much in advance.

[nonna5]

I have the same questions as you do iqemom. I am cruising in September and will be visiting Boston, Portland, Saint John and Halifax.

 

I have asked this question on my roll call but have not got any response. But then again my roll call hardly has anyone on it.:rolleyes: Maybe someone will be able to help us here.

[travelbig]

We are on 9 day which stops at Sydney, Charlottetown, Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston & Newport...

 

We are no stress travelers & in past in Alaska successfully booked different excursions right at the dock as we came off the ship, of course we are always first off the ship to beat the crowds.

 

Anyone have any experience doing the same at any of the above listed ports? We are open to a lot of walking also if it can be done without tours.

 

I have searched the ports on this board but am now more confused!

Thanks so much in advance.

 

Sydney - look at this web site http://www.downtownsydney.ca/

For the virtual tour drag the map to the left. The large fiddle is the pier. I don't remember seeing taxis there but you can contact the city on this web site to see if there will be any. There are scenic streets to walk in across from the pier and you can walk to town but there isn't much to do in the town. I would advise a half day tour at least.

 

Halifax - lots of taxis at the pier. A tour to Peggy's Cove and Fairlawn Cemetery is around 4 hrs. But there is plenty in town to keep you busy without a tour. This web site lists a lot of things to see

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/nova-scotia/halifax

 

Bar Harbor - didn't see any taxis. This company can be reserved for private tours http://www.atyourservicetaxi.com/

The town is good for walking and there is a shoreline path close by for walking too. http://www.acadiamagic.com/ShorePath.html

There is also a free bus service with several routes. Check their running dates with the date you will be there. http://www.exploreacadia.com/index.htm

 

Boston - lots of taxis at the pier. The ship will also sell shuttle tickets to get you to the tourist area of Quincy Market. My ship sold them for $15 RT pp. Many people also like the HOHO and it will pick you up at stop 17A, close to the pier (you won't need a shuttle ticket).

http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/

 

Newport - you tender in right at the town area which is great for walking. Lots of taxis and also a public bus system - RIPTA, bus #67 to get to the mansions and cliffwalk.

http://www.ripta.com/schedules/view.php

I would not advise buying tickets for the mansions on-line. They are non-refundable and if the weather is bad the ship will skip the port because it is a tender port.

[maryann ns]

There are many previous posts about these stops. Just use the search feature.

 

For Sydney I would advise renting a car and going to Louisbourg.

 

For Halifax you can go on your own around the waterfront. There is lots to do there. Or you could rent a car and go to Peggy's Cove. There are taxis at the pier and some will give you tours apparently.

 

For Charlottetown, I would rent a car and drive a loop going to the north shore and back. There should be taxis in town and you could walk around Charlottetown but you would be missing the stunning pastoral beauty and the wonderful scenic north shore of PEI.

[Steviewonder1]

We have done this route before and all of the above works. We always download and print out the ship's excursion list then go here on Cruise Critic and search the Port of Call boards for other info like the links listed above here. Lots of stuff to see, so many choices, so little time.....

[iqemom]

How much do these tours run that you mentioned? I checked out your link and loved it.

[Cruise_More_Often]

I second your recommendation of Don Blackwood. We thoroughly enjoyed his tour when we were in Sydney a couple of years ago.

 

Tom, I very much enjoyed your Port Guide for Sydney.

[Cruise_More_Often]

There are many previous posts about these stops. Just use the search feature.

 

For Sydney I would advise renting a car and going to Louisbourg.

 

For Halifax you can go on your own around the waterfront. There is lots to do there. Or you could rent a car and go to Peggy's Cove. There are taxis at the pier and some will give you tours apparently.

 

For Charlottetown, I would rent a car and drive a loop going to the north shore and back. There should be taxis in town and you could walk around Charlottetown but you would be missing the stunning pastoral beauty and the wonderful scenic north shore of PEI.

Maryann, when we were in Charlottetown in 2009, we did what you suggest for Charlottetown--rented a car and drove the north shore. Our goal was to see as many lighthouses as we could. It was a wonderful way to see Prince Edward Island, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

We are doing another cruise to your area in 2012. We plan to go back to Peggy's Cove but spend a lot more time there this time. We did a private excursion (about 10 of us in a van), and we didn't get to spend enough time there. We had a wonderful private tour when we were in Sydney (Don Blackwood is the gentleman's name), but this time we are planning to rent a car and see the Fortress of Louisbourg.

 

Thank you for all your excellent advice. I remember reading your posts when we were planning our earlier cruise.

[maryann ns]

:o Thank you. I am very proud of our scenic Maritimes and love to help others enjoy what we have.