Best Place for Souvenir Shopping

[jkrislc]

Curious as to which ports would be the best for picking up relatively inexpensive trinkets for my nieces. I'm thinking pencil sets (e.g., pencil, eraser, and rulers) or small purses. Ports are Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, Charlottetown, and Sydney. Just looking for something (even kids t-shirts that says Canada).

 

Thanks!

[3rdGenCunarder]

I know the kind of thing you're looking for. It isn't what I shop for, so I can't swear these stores have that kid of kids' souvenirs, but here are a few suggstioins.

 

I recall a large t-shirt/souvenir store in Charlottetown, walkable from the ship in the same bunch of shops where the Cows Ice Cream is. I walked through, but they didn't have what I wanted. (I was looking for the real PEI "dirt shirt" store, which was next to the big t-shirt store)

 

I saw several small souvenir shops in the Old Port section of Montreal. Is that your port of embarkation or a port stop? If it's a stop, you can easily get to the Old Port area (it's where the ship docks) and find something there. If you're arriving in Montreal and going directly to check in at the pier, you probably won't want to go back out just to shop.

 

I've seen souvenir shops in Quebec City. There's a fairly good one near the old church (Notre Dame des Victoires?), which is not far from the ship.

 

IIRC, shopping in Sydney was pretty thin. Halifax is a big city, and must have souvenir shops somewhere, but I can't recall any.

[gold1953]

The Halifax waterfront has a number a good shops with the items on your list!. If you take the trip to Peggy's Cove while there you will also find your items... I live there and often walk on the waterfront. Pier 21 where your ship docks has many good shops which are reasonbly priced.

[2Canucks]

Curious as to which ports would be the best for picking up relatively inexpensive trinkets for my nieces. I'm thinking pencil sets (e.g., pencil, eraser, and rulers) or small purses. Ports are Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, Charlottetown, and Sydney. Just looking for something (even kids t-shirts that says Canada).

 

Thanks!

 

The Halifax waterfront has a number a good shops with the items on your list!. If you take the trip to Peggy's Cove while there you will also find your items... I live there and often walk on the waterfront. Pier 21 where your ship docks has many good shops which are reasonbly priced.

 

 

We shopped in Halifax on our port visit there! Pier 21 at the cruiseship pier has lots of shops indoors...great place to buy souvenirs!! :D :cool: Peggy's Cove is a good location as well...you can get your passport stamped there too with their Lighthouse stamp!! (we did).

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Pat :)

[mistyw]

How far is Peggy's Cove from where the ship docks? We like to explore as much as we can within walking distance. Shore excursions take hours but I may have to break that rule to visit Peggy's Cove and in St. John the reversing tides. Thanks so much for any tips you can give me.

[3rdGenCunarder]

How far is Peggy's Cove from where the ship docks? We like to explore as much as we can within walking distance. Shore excursions take hours but I may have to break that rule to visit Peggy's Cove and in St. John the reversing tides. Thanks so much for any tips you can give me.

 

Peggy's Cove is driving, not walking distance. If you want to explore within walking distance of the ship, Halifax has lots to offer--huge farm market in a cool "green building," excellent maritime museum, the Citadel. You can easily fill a day with Halifax sites. But if you want to see Peggy's Cove, you need to take a tour or rent a car.

 

You can walk to the lookout point in St John, but it's quite a hike. You need to check the tide tables for St John. It's possible that your time in the port won't give you a chance to see the change or the difference between high and low tides. We've been in St John several times on cruises and have yet to hit the timing right.

[6rugrats]

Peggy's Cove is a good location as well...you can get your passport stamped there too with their Lighthouse stamp!! (we did).

Canada Post closed the lighthouse post office at Peggy's Cove in Nov 2009 because of a mold hazard. No more stamps.

 

In fact, the lighthouse itself is in danger of being demolished.

 

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120511/lighthouse-peggys-cove-preservation-120511/

[aarep]

Curious as to which ports would be the best for picking up relatively inexpensive trinkets for my nieces. I'm thinking pencil sets (e.g., pencil, eraser, and rulers) or small purses. Ports are Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, Charlottetown, and Sydney. Just looking for something (even kids t-shirts that says Canada).

 

Thanks!

Scotia Square in Halifax is a large modern indoor mall very close to the port. It has all sorts of retail stores , a liquor store, drug store and others. As I recall the drug store was very large and had numerous souvenirs and I am sure that other shops in the mall had the same. Here is their website - http://www.scotiasquare.com

[2Canucks]

Canada Post closed the lighthouse post office at Peggy's Cove in Nov 2009 because of a mold hazard. No more stamps.

 

In fact, the lighthouse itself is in danger of being demolished.

 

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120511/lighthouse-peggys-cove-preservation-120511/

 

 

We visited Peggy's Cove last Sept 2011 and we were able to get our passports stamped. :) You just need to ask at the Gift Shop... they have the Lighthouse Stamp now... to stamp your passport. (someone on the CC boards had given us the heads up about the Post Office closure and where to find the Lighthouse stamp).

 

What a shame that would be if they demolished the Peggy's Cove Lighthouse....hopefully they can find a solution!

 

Pat :)

[maryann ns]

The province is going to ensure the Peggy's Cove lighthouse remains.

 

The best souvenir shopping in Halifax is as you exit the ship, along the waterfront, and on Spring Garden Road.

 

And if you can stand it (far too much touristy junk for me) there is the shop at Peggy's Cove.

[6rugrats]

The province is going to ensure the Peggy's Cove lighthouse remains.

Thanks for the update; I couldn't imagine they would let it be demolished.

[jkrislc]

Thanks everyone for your advice. While I wasn't able to post while on the cruise, I have to agree with all of you. The shopping at the port in Halifax was quite good as was the shopping in Sydney as they had a craft fair set up in the terminal building with very reasonable prices. We also did some precruise shopping in Montreal and hit a Walmart in Charlottetown for some generic but cute Canada t-shirts that were very nice for $4 each.