Maasdam/Montreal.......

[sail7seas]

Finally I am starting to plan our day in Montreal. We will be doing the turn around day in Montreal and seeing as we love that city want to be 'out and about'.

How far from City Center.......ie St. Catherine Street area does the ship dock?

How long a taxi ride?

Thanks if you can help. (I'll go to the Port section also to seek info.)

[champion6]

Sail7, we will be boarding the Maasdam in Montreal on the 18th. DH and I are flying into Monteal on the 16th so we can get some sightseeing done prior to the cruise. I'll be interested in hearing any comments you get to your question or any suggestions from past cruisers to Montreal. We are really looking forward to this cruise.

[sail7seas]

That's terrific you are boarding in Montreal. Grannynurse from this board is also. Would be nice if we met up some time during the week.

 

We've been for land trips to Montreal three of four times and love the city. It's been a while since we were there and I have no memory of where the port/docks are. I'm still trying to find that out.

We loved the Cathedral and walking in Old Montreal. The shopping is fabulous. The underground city so amazing. The food is INCREDIBLY excellent IMO We love dining in Montreal.

[Marie-Claude]

Hi fellow cruisers...

I have not done this cruise, but since I live in Montreal, I would love to give you tips on what to do and see in this wonderful city...

The dock is right in the heart of old Montreal. As you get off the ship, you can easily walk through the cobblestone streets or even spend some time on harbor front where there are always lots of activities. I'm not sure when you will all be coming to Montreal, but if you do so before end of June you will see the Cirque du Soleil tent that is right on harbor front as they are showing their latest show 'Corteo'. Also, in early July, don't miss the Jazz festival, followed by the Just for laughs festival...

 

If you want to walk to Ste-Catherine Street, where all the shops are, it would probably take you about 20-30 minutes, depending on how fast you walk. It would be a relatively short cab ride, 10 minutes max, and would probably cost you 10-15$ (depends on traffic).

 

Here are a couple links to the port of Montreal website giving a bit of information on location and what to do around.

http://www.port-montreal.com/site/7_0/7_1.jsp?lang=en

http://www.port-montreal.com/site/7_0/7_2.jsp?lang=en

 

Let me know if I can help answering any other questions, it would be my greatest pleasure!

[sail7seas]

Marie-Claude....

 

 

That is Wonderful!!! Your post is so helpful. I have a vague memory of a beautiful green area along a harbor...perhaps there were a number of flag poles. It was lovely and I recall many activities and maybe even a 'market' of sorts inside a large warehouse sort of building. Does that ring a bell with you as near the port; still there?

 

We have always enjoyed ourselves tremendously in your beautiful city and very much look forward to being there on June 18. Maasdam will be embarking/disembarking. Perhaps you'll come to the port to see the beautiful Maasdam. :)

 

Thank you for sharing what a brief walk it is to Ste. Catherine. We'd far rather enjoy a nice walk than whiz by in a taxi. I remember some wonderful shops/stores in that area.

 

This cruise is perfect for us as we live 30 minutes outside Boston (where we board); we'll stay aboard for the back-to-back which returns us to Boston. No Airports!!! Gotta love that!!

[champion6]

I've been reading a couple of tourism books about Montreal and I'm really looking forward to the shopping and Old Montreal. Do you have any suggestions for hotels for lodging? We'll be there 2 nights before we sail.

 

We'd love to meet up with you sometime during the cruise...grannynurse, too. How does one get set up something like that? We're rather new to this....we've only cruised once before....10 years ago to Alaska on the Statendam. Needless to say, I'm picking up all sorts of valuable tips on this board.

[champion6]

Marie-Claude,

 

Thanks so much for the helpful information. We can't wait to see your beautiful city. We've heard nothing but great things about it.

 

I do have a question, though. Will we need Canadian currency for our spending there? It's my understanding that we can use our Visa card...what about U.S. currency or U.S. traveller's checks? Any help you can give us will be much appreciated.

[Marie-Claude]

Champion6:

 

1- As far as currency goes, they will take your US$ everywhere... however, they will not give you a good exchange rate for it. You are much better off using your Visa everywhere you can, and that's pretty much everywhere including cabs, or use your ATM card to withdraw some Can$. But other than getting an ice cream or a magazine in corner store, you can use a credit card everywhere.

 

2- As for logding, my preference would be to stay in old montreal (you can google 'old montreal hotels' and you'll have a good samples). A few nice hotel that I know are the Nelligan hotel (hotelnelligan.com), the Auberge du Vieux Port (aubergeduvieuxport.com), Hotel St-Paul (hotelstpaul.com). Those are quaint hotel (nice ones) in the heart of old montreal and should be around 175-200 Can$/night. There is also a Marriot Springhill Suites in old montreal that is nice (springhillmontreal.com).

If you'd rather stay downtown, there is the Queen Elizabeth hotel that is one of the CP hotel, there's a couple of Delta, the Omni etc. Downtown would be a good location if you want to do some downtown shopping - but either location will be good as Old Montreal and Downtown are close, enough to walk if you like walking or at the least a fairly short cab ride.

 

Something that is truly fun to do is take one of the horse drawn carriage ride - the drivers are all certified tour guide. It last about 1 hour, or you can get a shorter or longer tour if you wish. It's lovely to hear the clunking of the horse shoes on the cobblestones...

 

Sail7seas:

 

Harbour front is changing every year - it is a lively place! A few years back is was host to the 'Mosaicultures' which was an international show of scultures made of plants and flowers... that is probably all that greenery that you remember... some of it is still there as they turned it into a garden/park.

 

As you walk up to Place Jacques Cartier, right across from the harbour, you will see the place lined by restaurants and patios, you should be able to find a lot a artist selling arts and crafts, and whatever else...

 

If you want to have a drink on the best patio of Old Montreal, find Place Jacques Cartier, and with your back to the water, you will see a place on your right called Jardins Nelson, it's one of the most popular patio in the city... At least go and have a look at their 'terrasses' as we call patios here in Montreal!

 

If you're in the city over night and want a nice place for dinner (there are probably a million place I could recommend...) but L'Épicier on St-Paul street is a wonderful place, that serves great food, and the restaurant is also interesting to see...

 

Enjoy your time in Montreal - and let me know if I can help!

 

PS - I'm returning from my Rotterdam cruise on June 1st - so I will try to swing by old port for June 18 to see the Maasdam sail away!!

[Robert AG99]

Hello sail&seas. My wife and I will betaking or first HAL crusie in the fall starting in Montreal. Realy hope you have a great trip. Like to here how it goes in montreal and on the crusise to Boston.

 

 

Happy Crusier.

[champion6]

Marie-Claude,

 

Thanks once again for the info....especially about the carriage ride. We are taking this cruise because we will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary on June 20. The carriage ride sounds like something that will go right along with ambiance of our trip.

 

We will explore the info you've given us and I'm sure we'll find a great place to stay. Thanks again for all your help.

[sail7seas]

Marie-Claude.....

 

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions. Wonderful!!

 

Maasdam will sail away before dinner (5 P.M.) so we will not be in the city in the evening.

 

Hope you have a great cruise on Rotterdam. She's a beautiful ship. We've enjoyed a number of fabulous cruises on her.

[DivaDeeDee]

:p Enjoyed reading all of the posts about June sailing of Maasdam from Montreal to Boston. We are also flying in on 16th to enjoy the town before we sail on 18th. Anyone interested in cocktails on the 17th?

[sail7seas]

:p Enjoyed reading all of the posts about June sailing of Maasdam from Montreal to Boston. We are also flying in on 16th to enjoy the town before we sail on 18th. Anyone interested in cocktails on the 17th?

 

Would have sounded fun DivaDeeDee but we are not flying in....:) we are sailing in. :)

 

We're on the June 11 Boston to Montreal cruise and are staying aboard for the back-to-back return to Boston.

 

Maybe we'll meet up on the ship with some of the others who are sailing.