New England/ Canada Ideas Please :)

[Sunkissed Mommy]

HI All,

 

We'll be sailing on the Brilliance in October for our very first New England/Canada cruise. We're not new to cruising, but we've never sailed that region before. I tried searching the forums but it was useless with the normal search function being down.

 

So... If anyone has written a review in the last year or two and they happen to have the link, I'd love to read through it. Pictures are a plus!

 

OR.. If anyone has suggestions for us in the ports (Halifax, Saint John, Bar Harbor, Portland) we'd appreciate it. We're early 30s and traveling with our (then) 19 month old. We're willing to leave him in the care of the nursery once to do a tour with just the two of us. Please don't suggest we leave him home. We've already cruised with him once, he's about to go on his second cruise in May. He's a well traveled kid already. We know he won't remember but we will and we enjoy having him with us.

 

Also interested in knowing which port is best to do on our own vs a excursion/tour.

 

Thanks in advance :)

[At Sea 4Ever]

HI All,

 

 

 

We'll be sailing on the Brilliance in October for our very first New England/Canada cruise. We're not new to cruising, but we've never sailed that region before. I tried searching the forums but it was useless with the normal search function being down.

 

 

 

So... If anyone has written a review in the last year or two and they happen to have the link, I'd love to read through it. Pictures are a plus!

 

 

 

OR.. If anyone has suggestions for us in the ports (Halifax, Saint John, Bar Harbor, Portland) we'd appreciate it. We're early 30s and traveling with our (then) 19 month old. We're willing to leave him in the care of the nursery once to do a tour with just the two of us. Please don't suggest we leave him home. We've already cruised with him once, he's about to go on his second cruise in May. He's a well traveled kid already. We know he won't remember but we will and we enjoy having him with us.

 

 

 

Also interested in knowing which port is best to do on our own vs a excursion/tour.

 

 

 

Thanks in advance :)

 

 

Good for you that you are taking your son! I think that's wonderful and even though he won't remember I'm sure he will think its wonderful when he grows up! My parents always took me on vacation with them growing up and now I'm a seasoned traveler. Sorry don't have much to offer on your itinerary though lol.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[reallyitsmema]

HI All,

 

We'll be sailing on the Brilliance in October for our very first New England/Canada cruise. We're not new to cruising, but we've never sailed that region before. I tried searching the forums but it was useless with the normal search function being down.

 

So... If anyone has written a review in the last year or two and they happen to have the link, I'd love to read through it. Pictures are a plus!

 

OR.. If anyone has suggestions for us in the ports (Halifax, Saint John, Bar Harbor, Portland) we'd appreciate it. We're early 30s and traveling with our (then) 19 month old. We're willing to leave him in the care of the nursery once to do a tour with just the two of us. Please don't suggest we leave him home. We've already cruised with him once, he's about to go on his second cruise in May. He's a well traveled kid already. We know he won't remember but we will and we enjoy having him with us.

 

Also interested in knowing which port is best to do on our own vs a excursion/tour.

 

Thanks in advance :)

They are all easy ports to do it on your own if you wanted to. In Halifax, we took a cab up to the Citadel first thing. We got the first guided tour of the fort and saw the first cannon firing of the day. We then walked down the hill to the boardwalk that is along the harbor. Lots of shops to go in, restaurants to eat in and the Maritime Museum. The tugboat from the Thomas the Tank engine series used to be based in Halifax, I would check that out since your little one might love seeing a tugboat with a hat! Walk the boardwalk back to the ship, nice cheap day for all.

 

Bar Harbor, I would do Oli's trolley but book online yourself. Cheaper that the cruiseline and you can reserve an early tour that sells out quickly. http://www.olistrolley.com/

 

St Johns we walked and shopped. Might consider a tour there, reversing falls is popular.

 

Portland is lots of cute shops and nice local restaurants.

 

We loved our cruise to NE/Canada and are looking to go this fall last minute if we get a good deal.

 

Edit to correct spelling and add link.

Edited February 25, 2014 by reallyitsmema

[Realtor at Sea]

Hop on/ hop off bus which you can get right outside the port in Halifax is fun and reasonable. I believe there were three different routes and we took each one.

 

Another vote for Olley's Trolley in Bar Harbor. A lovely trip, but not too long for your little one. The drivers give lots of interesting information. This can be booked on line and you turn your booking in at the building up the ramp when your get off the tender. Walking around Bar Harbor is easy and fun with loads of small restaurants for an easy lunch, think seafood.

[ace1zoe2]

We did a Canada/New England cruise fall 2012 and it was fabulous! I did a pretty extensive review with a ton of pictures that you can find here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1769976

 

Hope you enjoy. If you have time to read or look at the pictures you might comment to bring it back up to the front pages as it might help others who are planning upcoming cruises (especially with the search functions being down).

 

Cindy

[cruzinlady1947]

We did a Canada/New England cruise fall 2012 and it was fabulous! I did a pretty extensive review with a ton of pictures that you can find here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1769976

 

Hope you enjoy. If you have time to read or look at the pictures you might comment to bring it back up to the front pages as it might help others who are planning upcoming cruises (especially with the search functions being down).

 

Cindy

Hi Cindy....I was trying to find that review for her. Glad you came to her rescue. I am going to bookmark your review so I have it on hand. It was the best review of that itinerary that I have seen.

 

Thanks,

 

Gwen :)

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Oh great info. Thanks so much for everyone's responses. Im making a spreadsheet of ideas in each port, then I'll do some more research. I always like other people's feedback on these things.

 

The review will come in handy. I'll read through it tonight once the little guy is asleep.

[willing292]

Halifax: Peggy's cove, whale watching, citadel, titanic graves, waterfront shops and restaurants.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ace1zoe2]

Hi Cindy....I was trying to find that review for her. Glad you came to her rescue. I am going to bookmark your review so I have it on hand. It was the best review of that itinerary that I have seen.

 

Thanks,

 

Gwen :)

 

 

Thanks for the compliment Gwen! I'm glad that you enjoyed it :)

[reallyitsmema]

Oh great info. Thanks so much for everyone's responses. Im making a spreadsheet of ideas in each port, then I'll do some more research. I always like other people's feedback on these things.

 

The review will come in handy. I'll read through it tonight once the little guy is asleep.

One thing that can help you is to change your display options at the bottom of the forum page. The default is something like the last two days which is pretty useless when you are looking in the port of call forums. I change it to from the beginning when I am looking in those forums and it allows for more threads to display. You can then just page through the threads looking for ones that might help.

[geocruiser]

For Bar Harbor you can all so look at:

http://www.acadiatours.com/

 

St John. tour done by city bus co. It cost $20.

 

http://www.saintjohn.ca/en/home/cityhall/transportation/transit/services/citytours.aspx

Edited February 25, 2014 by geocruiser

[Cruzin-K]

Thanks for starting this thread. I have a lot of the same questions as I just booked my first Canada/New England cruise. It will be my first ever "cold weather" cruise :eek:

[luvscruising2007]

We did a Canada/New England cruise fall 2012 and it was fabulous! I did a pretty extensive review with a ton of pictures that you can find here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1769976

 

Hope you enjoy. If you have time to read or look at the pictures you might comment to bring it back up to the front pages as it might help others who are planning upcoming cruises (especially with the search functions being down).

 

Cindy

 

OP this is an excellent review and the reason our next cruise, Sept 2014, is to NE/Canada.

[wannasail4ever]

We did the Brilliance of the Seas Canada/New England cruise this past Oct. 13-20th. We really did enjoy it.

 

You will be sailing from Boston. I would highly suggest staying there for a couple of days as it was one of our favorite stops. So much history and easily walkable. It is an expensive lodging city, so start planning and looking for deals.

 

Bar Harbor was our favorite stop. We did the Oli's Trolley Long Tour (2.5 hrs.) booked online for less. This was during the Acadia National Park closure but we were able to still see much of it and our guide, Mike was wonderful. It's a nice easy tour. You will love the little quaint town. It is so walkable. Do not miss the Blueberry Pie at the restaurant right across the street from Oli's Trolley embarkation area. Food was reasonable and absolutely delicious.

 

Halifax was our second favorite stop. We took a 6 hr. tour with Blue Diamond Tours 1 (902) 449-7813. It was not inexpensive but there were 5 of us sharing the costs. It will take you to Peggy's Cove and many other quaint villages along with all the highlights of Halifax. Excellent tour. The Boardwalk area is also a nice place to visit.

 

Portland was also nice. RCCL messed up our reservations for the Lighthouse Tour, so we ended up getting a driver just outside the debarkation area. It costs a lot less and was excellent. You must try the "whoopie pies" in Portland. Yummy. We also ate lobster rolls here and really enjoyed those.

 

St. Johns, NB was our least favorite. We did a tour here with Roys Tours. Roy Flowers: 1 (506) 651-2978. They did a good job but it was also 6 hours and would bore a small child. The Reversing Falls is an interesting sight.

 

We were very lucky with our weather. Sweaters and light jackets were appropriate most days. Gloves and a scarf did come in handy. It did rain some days but not bad.

 

Brilliance is a small but very nice ship. The food was good but in my opinion, the entertainment was not. (However, we do prefer the larger ships).

 

Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip.

 

Macy

[Sunkissed Mommy]

We did a Canada/New England cruise fall 2012 and it was fabulous! I did a pretty extensive review with a ton of pictures that you can find here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1769976

 

Hope you enjoy. If you have time to read or look at the pictures you might comment to bring it back up to the front pages as it might help others who are planning upcoming cruises (especially with the search functions being down).

 

Cindy

 

I am loving your review so far. I am sad that we won't be doing an itinerary that goes to Quebec City. It looks so beautiful! As funny as this may sound, it reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. Which is my fav Disney movie. Very French and European looking. Maybe some other time :)

 

Again, I appreciate all the advice on here. Im also a super-planner. I work in the travel industry and have gained much of my knowledge through the over planning my own trips!!

 

We are from Florida, so nearly everything will be cold to us ;)

Edited February 26, 2014 by smileyperry

[Teacherloves2Cruise]

HI All,

 

Please don't suggest we leave him home. We've already cruised with him once, he's about to go on his second cruise in May. He's a well traveled kid already. We know he won't remember but we will and we enjoy having him with us.

 

Love it. Way to go! People love to offer their opinions on stuff like this, way to get out in front of it.

 

I live in Boston and would love to help if you were stopping here, but it looks like this NE itinerary doesn't.

 

Best of luck. Have a great trip and enjoy your son.

 

Brett

[reallyitsmema]

Love it. Way to go! People love to offer their opinions on stuff like this, way to get out in front of it.

 

I live in Boston and would love to help if you were stopping here, but it looks like this NE itinerary doesn't.

 

Best of luck. Have a great trip and enjoy your son.

 

Brett

The OP is departing from Boston.

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Love it. Way to go! People love to offer their opinions on stuff like this, way to get out in front of it.

 

I live in Boston and would love to help if you were stopping here, but it looks like this NE itinerary doesn't.

 

Best of luck. Have a great trip and enjoy your son.

 

Brett

 

Thanks, I wanted to preface my post with that because a lot of people like to tell others to leave their kids at home. My parents always took me with them on trips when I was a child and that's why I appreciate travel so much as an adult.

 

We're flying in to Boston two days before to explore the area before boarding the ship. I was last in Boston 20 years ago... We're staying at the Hyatt Regency, other than that I don't have a game plan yet. Any tips would be much appreciated!

Edited February 26, 2014 by smileyperry

[hansolosmom]

Another vote for Ollie's trolley. We did the trip with my mom, MIL and 2 teen sons. Of the group my mom is impatient, so we did the shorter tour. Our driver suggested a great place for lobster rolls, so after the tour we stopped & got some - absolutely fabulous! There's also a really nice park area near where you dock in which a lot of people just hung out - we went in June so people were laying out an tanning since I it was warm. (70's)

 

In Halifax we did a private tour. It was really nice we went out to Peggy's Cove, stopped at a maple syrups place & saw other historical stuff. The nice thing with that is you can always cut it short or stay in one place longer if you do it as just you 3. Peggy's Cove is really nice, the boys could have walked on the rocks all day.

 

We did slightly different ports, but one of them had a Theodore Tugboat which you could ride. That might be something fun for you guys if your son is into those characters.

[reallyitsmema]

Thanks, I wanted to preface my post with that because a lot of people like to tell others to leave their kids at home. My parents always took me with them on trips when I was a child and that's why I appreciate travel so much as an adult.

 

We're flying in to Boston two days before to explore the area before boarding the ship. I was last in Boston 20 years ago... We're staying at the Hyatt Regency, other than that I don't have a game plan yet. Any tips would be much appreciated!

Too bad you will miss the Swan Boats in the Public Gardens, they finish in September. Make sure you get a picture of your little one sitting on one or all of the duck sculptures from the Make way for Ducklings book. They are in the Public Gardens and sitting on them is encouraged! They usually get decked out in sports gear if one of our local teams is in the playoffs. New England Aquarium was a favorite of my sons when he was younger. Christopher Columbus Park on the waterfront is a good place for a little one to run around a bit too if you are down in that area.

 

Edit: Here is a good picture of the statues.

 

http://www.boston-discovery-guide.com/make-way-for-ducklings.html

Edited February 26, 2014 by reallyitsmema

[reallyitsmema]

 

Picture wouldn't post in edited post above so here it is.

[Teacherloves2Cruise]

 

We're flying in to Boston two days before to explore the area before boarding the ship. I was last in Boston 20 years ago... We're staying at the Hyatt Regency, other than that I don't have a game plan yet. Any tips would be much appreciated!

 

Well, living here I don't often do touristy things, but would recommend a duck boat tour. You get them from the Prudential Center or Museum of Science. They give a great tour of the city and it might spark your curiousity of something else to do later on. Top of the Hub is a great place to eat dinner (amazing view) at the top of the Prudential Center. You can always walk the Freedom Trail for historical activity. The North End has great italian food- when are you coming- if you like baseball, Fenway park for game or at least a tour. . . I might be able to give you more if you share some of your interests.

[purduemom1]

We did Canada/New England in 2012 on Brilliance and loved every minute of it in spite of the fact that Hurricane Sandy caused us to miss Bar Harbor. In Halifax we used Halifax Cruise ship taxi tours and our private tour was just the best! Well worth the money. http://www.halifaxcruiseshiptaxitours.com

They get great reviews on this board and Tripadvisor. While it would work well if you take your son on this tour, I'm not sure about a car seat. Perhaps they will provide one. With a private tour, you determine where you go and how long you want to spend at each site.

 

I second the city bus tour in St John, if it is still available. A bargain and our driver/guide was great! Then you can easily walk and explore.

 

In 2012, Portland offered a HOHO city bus for $5. We did that and visited several sites. Google Portland Maine metro bus, check out bus 8A which offers seasonal service especially for cruise passengers. The 2014 schedule isn't posted yet but I did see that it was offered in 2013.

 

I hope you have a great time. Check out the Ports of Call boards, that is where I found most of our information.

[ikirumata]

HI All,

 

We'll be sailing on the Brilliance in October for our very first New England/Canada cruise. We're not new to cruising, but we've never sailed that region before. I tried searching the forums but it was useless with the normal search function being down.

 

So... If anyone has written a review in the last year or two and they happen to have the link, I'd love to read through it. Pictures are a plus!

 

OR.. If anyone has suggestions for us in the ports (Halifax, Saint John, Bar Harbor, Portland) we'd appreciate it. We're early 30s and traveling with our (then) 19 month old. We're willing to leave him in the care of the nursery once to do a tour with just the two of us. Please don't suggest we leave him home. We've already cruised with him once, he's about to go on his second cruise in May. He's a well traveled kid already. We know he won't remember but we will and we enjoy having him with us.

 

Also interested in knowing which port is best to do on our own vs a excursion/tour.

 

Thanks in advance :)

 

Went this past October! Pics and review are in my signature!

 

Enjoy!

[joyride21]

It's been a few years, but here's what we did (I tried posting direct links, but CC starred them out, sorry!) :

 

Portland: In the morning: Maine Foodie Tours Culinary Walking Tour. We ended up being the only two to sign up, but they ran the tour for us anyway and it was great. In the afternoon: Portland Discovery Lighthouse Lovers Tour

 

Bar Harbor: Hiked around Acadia

 

Saint John: Used Freedom Tours - Did the Fundy Coast to Fundy Shore tour - fascinating!

 

Halifax: Walked around the city, visited the Citadel, Province House, Public Gardens, Maritime Museum

 

We went the first week in October and were a little too early for the colors that year, but we had a really nice time anyway. Enjoy!

Edited February 26, 2014 by joyride21