Live (at the time) Review 12 night Canada/New England on Brilliance 10/22/12-11/3/12

[ace1zoe2]

I really want to make that drive to Lunenburg and see Peggy's Cove and Mahoney Bay on the way. It sounds like it wasn't hard to spot the churches...I would love to get that picture! One more question if I may...

Did you have a large zoom on your camera? I am a little nervous driving that far from port but, you said you felt like you had time. I will have to get my husband going early that day!

 

Thank you Cindy!

 

We didn't feel rushed during our trip to Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg & Mahoney Bay. Of course it was mostly a photo tour and just seeing the area with a little time looking around.

 

I think the zoom I had at that time was a 100-300mm Canon. I've since replaced it with a 18-270mm Tamron so that I could take ONE lens and not have to keep switching lenses back and forth. The regular lens wouldn't zoom far enough and with the zoom lens I couldn't get stuff that was closer up without having to back across the room or street. I've really enjoyed the new lens, it's the only one that I have taken on our last 3 cruises including Alaska & the Mediterranean.

 

You will definitely want to be the first ones off the ship so that you can pick up your rental car and get on the road. I would recommend the route we took - the sea side leisurely drive on the way there and the freeway for a quicker trip back.

 

Let me know if you have other questions.

Cindy

 

 

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Edited January 17, 2015 by ace1zoe2

[skateycat]

how did you determine your route when driving in halifax? did you look it up ahead of time? not sure how this would work with a cellphone serving as gps. maybe i should print out instructions/map before leaving? i am not very techy (unlike you...you have a lot of "stuff" it seems!) i do not have an i-anything. we both have android phones. i have a tablet, but it does not have 4g, only wifi so would be useless unless i guess i figure out how to download and save things such as maps to it (ps it is also an android..an rca tablet).

we really do not like the idea of having 8gazzillion other tourists vying for the experience along side us (ie will never take a ship-sponsored excursion for much the same reasons you have mentioned). am considering one of the taxi tours in halifax, but it seems you really did a much nicer job doing what you wanted to do. one of the peeps travelling with us is a lighthouse nut. did you see many along the "lighthouse trail" you took up to peggy's cove and lunenberg? i know...lots of questions.

btw...i really enjoyed the trip report. we are not doing the same ship, same line or even same itinerary. (leaving out of nyc for just 7 days on ncl gem) nothing as fancy as yours. we are going in october. so great to see all your photos and read of your experiences.

[mimi7ccr]

We are going on Serenade of the Seas 9/25 - 10/7, out of Quebec City, ending in Bayonne NJ. I believe she is sister ship to Brilliance?? Our first time in Quebec and Montreal. We now live in Florida, retiring after 30 years in Lafayette, LA. We are flying Tampa to Montreal for 2 nights, and then taking train to Quebec to board the ship (much the same as your trip). I hope we will have beautiful fall colors like you did. We don't get much of that in Florida, nor did we in Louisiana. Our port stops are a little different with 3 in Canada and 3 in Maine, and we plan on doing a lot of our own thing in ports. We are both in our 70's now with about 28 cruises under our belt, several being TA's and Med cruises. Anyway, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading ALL of your posts and your beautiful photos. I even loved all the pix of the food!!

Mimi&Dave

[ace1zoe2]

We are going on Serenade of the Seas 9/25 - 10/7, out of Quebec City, ending in Bayonne NJ. I believe she is sister ship to Brilliance?? Our first time in Quebec and Montreal. We now live in Florida, retiring after 30 years in Lafayette, LA. We are flying Tampa to Montreal for 2 nights, and then taking train to Quebec to board the ship (much the same as your trip). I hope we will have beautiful fall colors like you did. We don't get much of that in Florida, nor did we in Louisiana. Our port stops are a little different with 3 in Canada and 3 in Maine, and we plan on doing a lot of our own thing in ports. We are both in our 70's now with about 28 cruises under our belt, several being TA's and Med cruises. Anyway, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading ALL of your posts and your beautiful photos. I even loved all the pix of the food!!

Mimi&Dave

 

Mimi & Dave,

 

Thanks so much for taking time to read my review and to post your comments. You will have a wonderful trip. I am hoping that we are still traveling in our 70's like you guys! Have fun and be safe.

 

Cindy

[SOLIVITA LADY]

Thanks for this review.

 

 

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[island lady]

I wonder how much has changed in the last four years since this review

was posted?

 

But then again...Brilliance does not do the NE cruises any longer. ;)

Edited November 11, 2016 by island lady

[SOLIVITA LADY]

I wonder how much has changed in the last four years since this review

was posted?

 

But then again...Brilliance does not do the NE cruises any longer. ;)

 

 

 

Doubt the info on the ports has changed. Quebec is Quebec then and now. Port info was what I was looking for.

 

 

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[island lady]

Doubt the info on the ports has changed. Quebec is Quebec then and now. Port info was what I was looking for.

 

 

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Something that always has been a great source of help for me is the ports of

call forum here on CC. Enjoy your cruise. :)

Edited November 12, 2016 by island lady

[bigeck]

Old thread I know.

Just glad I found it. Thanks for a great review

[ace1zoe2]

Old thread I know.

 

Just glad I found it. Thanks for a great review

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read & post. It was one of my top 3 Cruises ever!

 

 

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[tammyjw305]

Enjoyed your review in 2018 :). Great review and pictures; thanks for sharing!

[BLAMBKY]

I've been planning to do this review for a couple of months now but with the holidays & my son's wedding I haven't managed to get it started until now. What follows is a journal of our trip in Oct/Nov and was written "as it happened" using the ido senior app on my iPad before, during & after the trip. I will be adding lots of pictures along the way. I do work full time so this will be posted over several days depending on how quickly I can get my pictures uploaded to photobucket. I hope you enjoy it... Be forewarned I tend to ramble at times. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

 

Sunday, October 14

 

I am going to attempt to do a review of our eighth cruise (seventh with RCCL).

When researching for this cruise there didn't seem to be a whole lot of reviews for Canada & New England so maybe this will help someone with future planning.

 

This was our second cruise that was just "the two of us", my husband Charlie, early 50's & myself, Cindy, closing in on 50. This will be our second cruise as Platinum members and this cruise will make us Emerald. We've never sailed higher than a balcony stateroom. We had only done outside cabins until we tried a balcony once when we got a good deal. Now we are hooked on balconies, especially the Aft, preferably corner afts. Would love to try a Jr Suite for the double points but haven't come across a deal that I can't pass up yet.

 

This cruise is a do-over for our earlier cruise this year. The cruise itself was wonderful and we enjoyed the week that we spent with family friends & excursions at all the Southern Caribbean islands that we visited while onboard Adventure of the Seas. We scored our first Aft Balcony 7688 with the oversized corner balcony with the additional side port hole that we spent hours enjoying every day. We also purchased 2 Future Cruise Certificates in anticipation of future cruises.

 

However, my dad was admitted to the hospital with a ruptured bowel on 2/7/12 just about a month before our previous cruise was scheduled for departure. As our cruise approached we debated on canceling (we had insurance) but my dad insisted that we keep our plans and said he would still be there when we returned. During this time he was in the hospital 36 days & had17 surgeries & was on a ventilator & unconscious most of the time but was stable when we left. He had some set backs while we were gone and he was in our thoughts the entire time and we checked on him daily. We flew back home on 3/11 at the end of our 7 night cruise arriving in Dallas about 3:30pm and headed straight for the hospital an hour away. We received a call about 30 minutes out from my brother saying my dad wouldn't make it through the night. We called all the family in. We arrived at the hospital and got to spend the last few hours with my dad... Everyone said he was just waiting on me to get back to say goodbye as he had promised me he would still be there... And he was. He joined my mom, his wife of 50 years who had just passed away a short 14 months before in January 2011... I was now officially an orphan.... and boy did I feel like one!

 

Just a few days after the funeral my sweet husband suggested a do-over to relax and get away on our own. Our last cruise which had been in the makings for about 18 months ended up with a lot of stress and worry and not too much relaxing.

 

To be continued...

r

 

I am sorry or the loss of both of your parent what a thoughtful & caring husband! Looking forward to reading your review.